Ding.
The bell signaling noon rang out distantly.
Derek Baldwin, the head of the Empire’s special forces and head of the Baldwin ducal family, suddenly mumbled a man’s name over and over again.
The name left behind by the many who had recently perished.
“…Luke Richter.”
At first, he thought the man was just an ordinary caretaker.
But the report that the corpses of demon beasts were piled up like a mountain in front of his office gave him a strong conviction that the man was hiding something.
Of course, if that had been the end of it, he would have likely ignored him.
But then.
“The head of the Shadow Guild is dead, they say.”
At first, he couldn’t believe the news.
He thought he must have misheard.
After all, the Shadow Guild was not just any criminal organization.
One of the four great powers dividing the continent: the Arkhan Assembly of Grand Lords.
They were composed of six grand legions in perfect balance, and a notable characteristic was that each legion created subordinate organizations to expand their influence.
Among them, the most famous was the Shadow Guild.
It grew with criminals who rallied under Kalen, the Third Lord of the Third Legion, and now ranks as one of the top criminal organizations within the empire based on size.
The representative of the Shadow Guild was Cartlan, Kalen’s trusted chief strategist.
“Apparently, they exploded and died…”
Derek lowered his head and fixed his gaze on the report on his desk.
According to the reports from their spies infiltrated into the Shadow Guild, Cartlan and several other executives had died as if their bodies had burst like balloons.
What’s more, before dying, they all murmured the same name in their final moments: Luke Richter.
It wasn’t just the Shadow Guild.
A number of individuals including the Shadow Guild’s master had met the same fate.
However, one feature worth noting was the identity of those who met with the same end.
Shockingly, all of them were wanted criminals under a royal warrant.
“…Interesting.”
Derek Baldwin couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile.
His mouth trembled as he tried to suppress his laughter.
The organization members, having lost their leader, were furious. Yet their wrath was not directed towards the royal family but towards one man.
Even the Arkhan Assembly of Grand Lords, the backers of the Shadow Guild, began to take interest in him.
At this point, curiosity grew.
Could all this have been planned from the very moment Luke Richter was appointed the administrator of Blackmore?
“Hah…”
No matter what the outcome, it was of no harm to the royal family. After all, they were eliminating rats gnawing at the empire without any effort.
He couldn’t contain the laughter bubbling up within him. This was completely unexpected and wildly inventive.
“How did he do it?”
In a matter of moments, the heads of criminal organizations scattered across the empire met the same end.
It was as if it was a warning sent to them.
But could all this be the work of Luke Richter alone?
“There’s no way.”
No matter how strong the man was, it was impossible.
Knowing the classified movements of the executives in advance.
The overwhelming power to assassinate them simultaneously.
Performing the task with no noise, just executing the goal.
This was work only a group could do.
“It’s almost like a shadow organization.”
At first, it was based on suspicion.
But as circumstances intertwined, that suspicion gradually turned into conviction.
What kind of picture is he painting?
The administrator of the empire’s premier magic realm, Blackmore.
The man leading the mysterious shadow organization that crushed the Shadow Guild.
The high society world had already been buzzing with the name Luke Richter all day.
If the chaos emanating from this and the massive power flow it creates engulfs the empire?
Derek Baldwin felt a chill creep up his neck.
He finished his thoughts, reached out, and shook the bell on his desk. Shortly after, a man entered and bowed slightly.
“Have you heard the news?”
“I have.”
“Conduct an investigation into the group that destroyed the Shadow Guild.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t delve too deeply. Just gather the outlines of the investigation. And don’t forget to tie this information to Luke Richter and spread rumors accordingly. It would be best to start in the high society circles. They have loose lips, so the word will spread easily.”
“Luke Richter, you say?”
“Yes.”
“…Understood.”
The man bowed sharply and exited the room.
Derek Baldwin reached out and slowly opened the window.
The wind blowing in gently ruffled his black hair. Pushing the unruly bangs aside, he murmured.
“I don’t know what you’re planning.”
Whatever it is…
“This time, let’s cooperate.”
Derek Baldwin’s gaze shifted toward the window.
“For the sun of the empire.”
His gaze was so intense it felt like it could burn the sky at any moment.
*
A few days had passed since the dungeon expedition.
Even though I had only been away for a few days, the dust had piled up, so I had spent quite some time cleaning.
But despite that, there was no way the smile could leave my face.
Why?
“Ha ha, it’s freedom!”
Freedom.
The sweet and sticky kind that only a salaried person who eats every day without a job could enjoy.
I had hardly moved from inside the office for a few days. As for the demon beasts attacking, I didn’t even need to lift a finger—Rudine’s auto-hunting took care of them. Even meal preparations were voluntarily handled by the picky fox beastman.
Every day was peaceful.
It was a life as sweet as honey.
‘This is life.’
Yeah, everything was perfect. I was living day by day in a dream-like state.
Then one day, a letter from the royal court arrived. It included a newspaper detailing the latest news of the empire. And when I read it, I was genuinely shocked.
“The head of the Shadow Guild has been assassinated?!”
I muttered blankly, and beside me, Rudine, who had been secretly reading the letter, asked.
“Isn’t the Shadow Guild one of the larger ones?”
“Judging solely by its size, it’s in the top ten in the empire.”
“Then it was taken down this easily?”
“Maybe?”
After all, Shadow Guild was run by Kalen’s personal strategist, who operated an assassination organization. Whoever assassinated the guild leader must have had some serious guts.
“Come to think of it, when did the Shadow Guild’s leader die?”
Frankly, I don’t remember.
Why should I know when an extra dies?
More importantly, the Shadow Guild leader was one of those notorious and dangerous criminals with a hefty bounty placed by the royal court.
Hmm. Maybe he met a good end.
I was offering prayers for the departed Shadow Guild leader when Rudine suddenly said,
“A new group is suspected!”
“New group?”
“Down there. Apparently it’s an unidentified shadow organization, small but highly rumored.”
“What’s that?”
Rudine read through the letter quietly.
“One person has been suspected as the likely mastermind!”
“Oh, who?”
I asked casually since I was too lazy to read it myself.
And the answer was…
“Luke Richter!”
“Whoever he is, must be quite the character… wait a minute, what did you say?!”
Hold on.
That’s my name!
“Give it here!”
I snatched the letter from Rudine’s hand and began reading it slowly.
The Shadow Guild leader Cartlan had been assassinated.
Not only that, many wanted criminals had been killed in the same manner.
Before they died, they had all muttered the same name with a deathly grip…
“Luke, Richter…?”
What?
All of a sudden?
And I felt indignant.
“I’m supposed to be the mastermind behind the assassination of the Shadow Guild leader?”
“Apparently so.”
“But I didn’t kill them!”
“I see.”
Shit.
I was sound asleep when they all died.
Rudine, who had reclaimed the letter from me, began reading it again.
“And apparently, everyone believes it by now.”
“…”
“Apparently, you’re now infamous in high society as someone not to get entangled with!”
“???”
My head filled with countless question marks.
What is this all about?
It doesn’t make any sense at all.
“The Third Grand Legions’ Commander Kalen made a statement about this incident…”
“What did he say?”
“He won’t overlook this…”
Oh.
That’s an outright declaration of vengeance.
And their target for revenge?
“…What the hell?!”
It was me.
At that exact moment, my mental state was taking a real hit.
Thud-thud.
Irregular, yet ominous footsteps echoed faintly.
The speed was incredible, as the ominous sound approached with startling swiftness.
When I turned my head, a man in a robe was walking toward me.
“Ah.”
He saw me and curled his lips up slightly, as if he had been looking for me.
Then he said,
“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I’m ‘Cheong,’ a direct heir of the Arkhan Assembly.”
The man fixed his unwavering gaze on me.
After a brief pause, he finally got to the point.
“I’ll convey the Lord Arkhan’s intention.”
I was stunned.
And a forgotten fact suddenly crossed my mind.
“Luke Richter, we request you to—”
The Arkhan Assembly.
The headquarters of that insane combat group was none other than…
“…to come to the headquarters.”
…Blackmore.
Clang.
Before the heavy door to the office could fully open, the room fell into a tense silence.
