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“Boss! Add a roasted pig to our order!”

“Our table’s out of alcohol! Hurry up and bring more!”

Amidst the bustling atmosphere, rough drinking tables of spirited men exchange hands.

It wasn’t exactly a place suitable for an eleven-year-old boy, but it didn’t matter.

This country isn’t so strict as to forbid minors from drinking alcohol.

I shrugged it off and found an empty seat and sat down.

Dozens of gazes turned towards me as if it were expected.

I, too, glanced over the figures seated at the tables.

Just ordinary swords and armor, nothing special.

Most were common mercenaries, making a living day by day.

“Not exactly a place for a young lord, is it?”

A mature woman in a red silk dress approached to take our order.

She seemed to be in her late twenties?

Her well-defined collarbones caught my eye, but I didn’t pay much attention.

“You don’t seem to be here for the drinks, so shall I take your order?”

Her tone was somewhat impatient.

“Of course. Just give me your best.”

I didn’t hesitate, taking a gold coin from my pocket and handing it to her.

“Hmm?”

The woman’s eyes lit up for a moment upon receiving the coin.

“If… if this is it, you could probably buy the whole menu here and still have some left…”

“Then bring a complimentary drink or something, the rest is a tip.”

At the word ‘tip’ her face brightened instantly.

“You know how to spend money, please wait a moment. Sir~!”

In an instant, her tone changed, and she rushed off to the kitchen.

The gazes of those around who had been watching shifted back to me.

Some of them were licking their lips as if they could smell the money on me.

“Has a young lord of a wealthy household come for a city tour?”

Suddenly, a man from across the table approached and spoke to me.

He was a mercenary with a massive, imposing figure that couldn’t be overlooked.

Indeed, when he sat in front of me, the table shook slightly.

“But I didn’t invite you to sit.”

But he smelt worse than he looked.

Did you even bathe today?

“Quit acting tough! I feel like giving that pretty face a few bruises! Haha!”

Is he calling that a joke?

Watching him laugh alone, it seemed like I would be the one causing those bruises.

“You’re too young to know the way of the world. Money is only worth something if it’s spent on something useful, not tipped to a bimbo with tits like that!”

What does he want?

“And besides, traveling alone without escorts in times like these, you might end up as easy prey! How about it? I don’t know where your destination is, but hiring me to keep the road safe?”

I couldn’t help but snicker.

Are knights not enough that they resort to hiring such low-grade mercenaries?

He wasn’t even worth considering.

“As you’re a young lord, I’ll give you a special discount…”

“Get lost.”

The murmuring started up again around us.

“What did you say?”

“I said get lost. I don’t want to lose my appetite looking at your face.”

The mercenary’s face suddenly flushed red.

“You’re messing with the wrong guy, kid. But you should watch your mouth. You might end up with that pretty face all messed up, you know?”

He exuded an intimidating aura.

I just came here to pass some time, but now this guy is getting on my nerves.

I considered whether to stab him with the sharp bones in my eyes, or twist my fingers and shove them into every hole in his body, but…

Whatever I did, my hands would just get dirty.

Not wanting to eat with such hands, I silently stared straight into the mercenary’s eyes.

A true beast doesn’t charge recklessly at just any predator it encounters.

They exchange glances, comparing each other’s predatory instincts, and the one who senses their limit first backs off.

Is that what humans are like?

With such a massive creature that’s nothing like a true beast, a real strike to his life would put him down.

-Su Su Su

Hair fluttered in the rising crimson currents.

The dominating aura around me made the air heavy.

“….!?”

The guy started to hesitate.

A trembling pupil and a trickle of sweat down his cheek revealed his anxious inner turmoil.

If he didn’t want his limbs torn apart, he must have felt some sort of pressure to leave right away.

“I, I apologize for disturbing your meal…”

The mercenary got up from his seat with a sheepish apology.

As if intending to return to his place, he suddenly fled outside the tavern.

He turned out to be even more cowardly than I thought.

“W-What’s going on?”

The woman who took my order somehow ended up sitting right next to me, with the food.

“You sent that rascal away?”

“He just left on his own.”

I feigned ignorance.

“He’s a notorious figure around here! He approaches travelers and demands hefty escort fees for just a brief presence alongside them!”

Hmm, news to me.

My only purpose here is to handle this situation.

I silently prepared to eat.

The food she brought me was a fragrant stew with chunks of meat and a glass of fresh fruit juice.

“I asked the kitchen to put extra meat for you! It’s a specialty of ours, known as Sapheren’s delicacy, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!”

Well, I’ll have to taste it to know.

I scooped up a spoonful and put it in my mouth.

The rich butter and the tender, juicy meat blended together harmoniously, creating a satisfying flavor.

I quietly continued to eat without any further comment.

“But are you really traveling alone, sir? It’s rare for nobles not to have escorts, especially in times like these.”

“I don’t really feel the need…”

If necessary, I’d have a few servants with me.

“But still, wouldn’t it be better to have at least one or two with you? Especially now, with ruthless assassins rumored to be roaming the country…”

The mention of assassins made me pause for a moment.

“Assassins?”

Have those who seek lives, not goods, shown up?

“By any chance, do you know the name of the organization those assassins belong to?”

“What was it? Um… I think it was…”

Brian, whom I had just sent on an errand, entered the tavern.

“Oh, there you are, sir!”

He seemed to be sweating profusely, as if he’d been searching for me for quite some time.

“Get me something drinkable.”

“Yes, of course! Just wait a moment!”

The woman taking orders got up from her seat.

“What are you doing? Sit down.”

“T-Thank you!”

Brian, who had been nervously watching for cues, quickly took a seat.

“Did you find out?”

After arriving at the inn and unpacking our belongings, I had awkwardly assigned him a task.

Find out why the Empire is currently seeking so many bodyguards.

He opened up with a rather confident look.

“It wasn’t that difficult to find out. It seems to be happening across the Empire, not just in Sapheren.”

Even the kids on the streets knew about it?

The fact that such a famous story escaped me left me feeling uneasy.

“I heard something about assassins showing up, is that true?”

“Yes, a group called the Mist…”

-Splash

The spoon I was holding slipped into the stew.

My previously numb eyes widened in an instant, and Brian seemed unsure how to react to my unexpected response.

“W-What’s wrong?”

“Do you know what the Mist is talking about?”

I retorted with a piercing gaze.

“W-Well, it’s a well-known organization, isn’t it? After the ‘Shindo Massacre’ decades ago, some followers of the Mist, inheriting the wrath of the Mist God, formed a group to assassinate nobles across the continent…”

Right.

But this is just what’s publicly known.

Of course, there are distortions even within that, but that’s not the point right now.

“What evidence is there that they’ve shown up?”

“P-People say that the bodies they leave behind are always dismembered into dozens of pieces, surrounded by a black mist. Moreover, the deceased are usually corrupt officials or nobles, reminiscent of their past actions, which were hidden from the public…”

The waiter who was about to bring a drink also paused nearby.

“Yes, that’s right! That’s why there are so many bodyguards around the city these days! Even the lords here are hiring without hesitation, thinking they can protect themselves? Even the local lords.”

I leaned back in my chair, lost in thought, momentarily setting down my utensils.

How should I react to this unexpected turn of events?

Normally, I’d just ignore it, but strangely, this wasn’t a problem I could dismiss lightly.

Well, solving this should be straightforward.

I just need to see for myself.

– Swish

I pushed my chair back and got up from my seat.

“W-Where are you going?”

“For a drink.”

Before leaving, I handed the half-empty stew bowl to Brian.

“W-What’s this?”

“It seems delicious, but it doesn’t suit my taste.”

Leaving the bewildered Brian and the waitress behind, I calmly stepped out of the tavern.

As the sun had set and night had descended, a chilly air lingered on the streets.

* * *

“Who’s here? Duke Vert’s son?”

The scruffy-haired man rolling his glass asked with half-lidded eyes.

“Yes! He said he stopped by on his way to the Royal Academy.”

“Oh, that incompetent son of Duke Vert. Well, he’s said to have grown quite a bit in the past year or so, staggering back and forth on the front lines, but that’s none of my concern.”

The man sniffed dismissively.

“What about the new investigation I asked you to do?”

“Well, I’ve been diligently searching through mercenaries from other countries with zeal and diligence, but… wouldn’t this be enough, my lord? Increasing the number of guards hastily might affect the operation of the estate…”

“Why? Do you also wish for me to be taken down by those scoundrels?”

“No, that’s not it…”

– Thud

“Ouch!”

The man’s thrown glass hit the servant’s head, causing him to recoil.

“Do you think I’m hiring guards just to protect my neck? What good are those measly assassins if they tremble at the slightest threat? I’ll personally capture and make an example out of them!”

“I apologize for not understanding your profound intentions, my lord!”

The servant bowed his head without even a moment for his pain to register.

“If you understand, then don’t waste time. Have everything ready by tomorrow with the people I’ve summoned! Tighten the surveillance around here!”

“Yes! Understood, my lord!”

The servant quickly left the room, clutching his bleeding wound.

Alone now, the lord poured himself another drink roughly and cursed loudly.

“You fools. How many times have I fed you until you were full? When I’m gone, do you think you’ll take my place?”

The lord struggled to control his shaking body as he rose from his seat.

“I am Pachalon, Lord of Sapheren! Followers of the Black Mist? Come at me if you dare! I’ll tear your flesh apart, boil it in a pot, and make it my appetizer! Kuhaha!”

Drunk and belligerent, the lord roamed the room, shouting at the top of his lungs.

“…Nonsense.”

Suddenly, a strange voice echoed in the room.

Feeling a chill down his spine, the lord stopped shouting and looked around.

“What, what is it?”

Despite scanning the room, there was nothing to be seen.

Only dark smoke emerged from a corner of the room, wrapping around the lord.

“Hehe!”

The lord immediately got up and rushed towards the door.

– Bang Bang Bang

“What’s going on? Why won’t it open!”

The door was somehow locked, and despite shouting, there was no response from outside.

“Hey! Is anyone there? Come quickly! They’re here! Followers of the Black Mist…!”

With a short gasp, the lord’s body collapsed like a lifeless corpse.

After a moment, his body was dragged away by something, disappearing into the darkness.

The empty room was left with nothing but an empty bottle rolling on the ground.