1.
Mercenary Guild branch.
As usual, numerous mercenaries on the first floor were exchanging stories.
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“Tch, where’ve you been! Roaming outside the Guild, huh? That’s why you’re so out of the loop! Listen up, even the dullards know this by now… ”
As with any ordinary crowd, the subject of their conversation was the most shocking event that had recently occurred.
The most shocking event of the past week was undoubtedly:
“The Heroes of Kwangmyeong have declared that they will suppress the <Black Wolf>!!”
“Is… is that true!?”
In the aftermath of one drunken mercenary’s shout, a sudden silence enveloped the entire first-floor tavern.
“…Insane.”
“Don’t look at him. You might get splattered.”
“He’s got more gall than sense.”
And yet, not long ago, anyone who so brazenly mentioned the name of the <Black Wolf> would’ve been quickly warned to watch their tongue—or risk a premature death. But now that Kwangmyeong has announced its intention to suppress them…
“Oi! Stop tiptoeing around! Kwangmyeong, did you hear that? KWANGMYEONG!! Four of those Heroes have taken down demons before, so why would some lowly criminals scare you?!”
It was at moments like this that such bold statements carried some weight.
“Yeah, you spineless bastards!! Don’t you know Selena-sama will make their location obvious the moment she steps in!? Are you even mercenaries?!”
“Tch. Don’t get so loud. What would D-Rank drifters even know about it?”
“What did you say!?”
And so, due to this, fights frequently broke out at the Mercenary Guild branch every day.
“If your mouth flaps any more, you’ll die soon. Just let me kill you now and save you the trouble!”
“Hah? Come on, you coward! You don’t even have the guts to say it, do you!?”
CRASH!
“What the hell?! Why throw bottles at me?!”
“Beat him up! Beat him up, just do it!!”
As the heat of the moment intensified, even the onlookers who had been watching silently began joining in, creating a scene akin to the chaos of an Asura.
Amidst this chaos-filled environment, Dalan remained motionless and asked,
“Then, what do you intend to do now?”
Dalan was speaking to the Yellow Dragon.
As if observing his reaction, Dalan quietly asked within a barrier he had discreetly erected.
“If the rumors are true and Kwangmyeong makes a direct move, wouldn’t it be tough to attack the Aria Church?”
The Hero Party – Kwangmyeong.
Every individual in it is strong enough to dominate any member of the <Black Wolf>, making them the true protagonists of this world of <Babylonia>.
Right after this meeting, Asha, their leader, had declared the Black Wolf’s suppression.
So Nahan thought,
“Man, this is such an unfair situation.”
Why are they trying to vent their anger on us when we didn’t do anything?
We saved Hestia and sent her off.
We helped the Primordial communicate.
We even found a way to maintain the barrier!
“I did everything for you guys!!”
“Why do I keep getting singled out like this…?”
Instead of answering, Nahan averted his gaze.
[Warning.]
[The hostility level of Hero <Asha Mirabel(SSS)> towards the <Black Wolf(Ex)> has surpassed its maximum limits.]
[The difficulty of Bad Ending 7 – <The Fanatic’s Uprising> has increased exponentially.]
A system notification appeared seemingly out of nowhere, indicating that Asha harbored significant enmity toward the Black Wolf (formerly called Black Wolf).
“The episode involving rooting out <Demon Worshipers> hidden within the Aria Church is already one of the major boss-level challenges in the latter half.”
Not only is it already difficult, but now things have become that much tougher.
“Leader? What are your thoughts on how we should proceed?”
“…”
What else can be done?
“If I want to survive, I have to see this through.”
After steadying his mind within the Yellow Dragon’s armor, Nahan muttered a short statement.
“The plan remains unchanged. We’ll proceed as planned.”
Though currently disguised as the Yellow Dragon, the person inside the armor was still Black Wolf.
“Yes, Leader.”
Dalan bowed his head, acknowledging the order with firm conviction.
At the same time, he thought,
“Of course, the Leader must have a plan.”
And similarly, as Nahan rose from his seated position, he pondered,
“Where should I begin…?”
I’ve just gained enough time to sleep for six hours a day, but it seems like I’ll have to return to sleeping only three or four hours again for the foreseeable future.
2.
A few hours later…
“Alright, you may all return. I’ll head to our new hideout before breakfast.”
“Yes, Leader.”
Returning to Ian Red’s base, a rundown church, Nahan fell onto the bed without even changing out of his artifact-induced disguise.
“Fanatic’s Uprising.”
An episode where <Demon Worshipers> deeply entrenched in the Aria Church are exterminated by Babylonia Empire’s Hero, <Asha Mirabel>.
It begins with Asha, stationed at the Aria Church’s headquarters awaiting the recruitment of a Saint, accidentally following a trail that leads her into the chaos.
“Of course, it’s predictable after that.”
In truth, some high-ranking clerics, including the Pope, were <Demon Worshipers>, but the story follows the usual trope of the Light Party overcoming adversity to triumph.
Just as Nahan was contemplating how to resolve this situation,
“Wait… Hold on.”
Realizing something, he reviewed the episode details and murmured,
“I don’t actually have to be involved in this?”
Once more, in the story <Babylonia>, the protagonist isn’t the <Black Wolf>, but <Kwangmyeong>.
Hence, in some episodes, the <Black Wolf> doesn’t even appear.
And this mid-late episode, “Fanatic’s Uprising,” is one such instance.
Originally, the Black Wolf was supposed to travel and assassinate Duke Gafelt during this timeframe.
“But I already took care of that, didn’t I?”
Which means,
“The Black Wolf has nothing to do now?”
Of course,
[Main Scenario – <The Unredeemed - Hanlyang & Ilhong> has been initiated.]
[“Your alluring nature has been an unwavering love to me forever.”]
While a new main storyline involving Hanlyang and Ilhong needs resolution, something he had learned during the scenarios with Luna and Mother gave him insight:
If the tragedy that befell Hanlyang in the past is addressed in some way, merely sitting and offering counsel could suffice, couldn’t it?
After all, thanks to the reward from the previous episode, the <memories of Black Wolf's members>, he already has a general understanding of what tragedy befell him.
“Alright.”
Honestly, you’ve worked hard enough.
Having some downtime like this where you slack off a bit…
No, it’s good to take a break from time to time.
Smiling without realizing it, Nahan adjusted the tattered covers on the rundown bed.
As the weight on his mind lightened, even the bed—previously harder than a military cot—felt as soft as clouds.
“…”
With the mental and physical peace came a nagging thought he had tried to avoid.
“Come to think of it, Selena…”
“Doesn’t she die in this episode?”
She was supposed to die at the hands of the traitorous Pope instead of Asha, if he recalled correctly.
“Should I save her?”
But how?
As previously stated,
This episode is one where the world’s protagonist—the Hero Party—faces a tough challenge.
Even these monstrous individuals struggle against the treacherous Pope and priests. What can I, Black Wolf, accomplish by stepping in?
“Even if I go, I’ll likely get swept up and die.”
Adding yet another enemy to the opposing side simply escalates the battle into a chaotic free-for-all.
“I’m sure she can handle it herself.”
They’re the Hero Party, after all.
“After all the twists from the original story, she might survive.”
Of course…
“…The likelihood of her surviving is lower.”
Haunted by a lingering feeling, Nahan squeezed his eyes shut tighter.
“Why is that?”
Why does it bother me so much, even though I’ve never met Selena like the other members of Kwangmyeong?
And why does she feel familiar?
“…”
Frustrated, Nahan unknowingly murmured her name.
The instant he did, a shadow deeper than the surrounding darkness seemed to whisper,
“Perhaps you knew, huh?”
Damn it, how the hell—?
“Why would my sister be here?”
As he barely stifled a shout of surprise, a gloomy figure revealed itself.
Jet-black hair,
Jet-black eyes,
A sharp gaze.
It took repeatedly running through his mind before he finally recalled:
“Mother.”
Didn’t Mother used to look exactly like this back when she was still one of the ten strongest?
“…”
Could it be…
Is Selena, the daughter of Mother, the very Selena of Kwangmyeong?
“That’s absurd.”
I distinctly recalled from Mother’s memories that Selena was bedridden due to a terminal illness, wasn’t she?
As if answering his unspoken question, Selena directly questioned Nahan,
“I won’t beat around the bush. What did you do to my mother…? No, the criminal known as Mother?”
Realizing she was, indeed, the same Selena, Nahan clasped his hands and countered,
“Why are you asking me?”
“Because I sense her presence from you.”
…Does she know I’m Black Wolf yet?
“It’ll be better for you to answer truthfully. Even if Asha trusts you now, I could snap your neck based on your response.”
She doesn’t know yet.
With the Artifact and disguise penetrating techniques she mentioned, Nahan wondered if Ruby had gifted him a truly excellent Artifact when she seemed to be unaware that he’s still “Ian Red.”
Upon realizing he could still use the alias “Ian Red,” Nahan quickly smiled.
Let’s go with the story that he met Mother’s spirit, and explain that she had moved on peacefully.
It was merely a remnant of her thoughts, after all.
Mother had already passed away long ago, so it’s not exactly a lie.
“I have laid her to rest without regrets.”
“The remains… What happened to the remains?”
“There never were any.”
After tersely answering her questions, just as Nahan was preparing to elaborate further…
…Pierce.
From those jet-black eyes flowed a black aura that locked onto Nahan and delivered a cold warning.
“Though I don’t know the method, it’s clear you’ve killed my mother.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Then die.”
“…What?”
Wait, I didn’t kill her!
