Ash-gray Falcon.

A term that can unite mercenaries living mainly in the northern part of the Imperial country at once, and a hidden secret organization.

Recently, rumors circulated that even retired soldiers and active soldiers who are dissatisfied with the Imperial country are secretly cooperating.

The goal pursued by the Ash-gray Falcon was dangerous.

Let’s create a country where everyone is king.

However, it was merely a rumor catching clouds.

For a very brief moment, it reached Cledius’ ears and a large-scale investigation was conducted. However, no traces or records remained, so it was impossible to find out who was involved.

Above all, they had never once threatened the Imperial country. They didn’t openly overthrow the royal family like the republican faction, nor did they commit crimes such as terrorism.

The nobles also regarded it as just a childish prank of someone who briefly dipped their feet into dangerous ideas and then pulled them out. The Emperor’s suspicions naturally faded.

It has not yet been revealed who the leader of the ‘Ash-gray Falcon’ is. However, anonymous letters were occasionally delivered to those who belonged.

Turgel was in charge of that contact. Behind the sudden retirement announcement was the activity of the ‘Ash-gray Falcon’. Just as she was about to roll up her sleeves to start full-fledged activities, she realized an astonishing fact.

That Lebel, who was earmarked as the next leader, was the head of the ‘Ash-gray Falcon’.

Lebel pulled out the blade flickering near his ear. A paper with the shape of a falcon drawn on it fluttered and fell down. It was part of a letter Lebel had sent to his comrades in the Ash-gray Falcon not long ago.

‘Explain yourself.’

‘As you can see.’

Turgel rubbed her face dry and let out a sigh as if the ground would cave in. What on earth did that guy do to cause such a big incident?

‘Five minutes.’

‘Pardon?’

‘I’m going to dwell on this feeling of betrayal for exactly five minutes. So don’t say anything and stay still.’

‘Understood.’

His stance of standing firmly gave the impression that he would take a punch if Turgel threw one. Turgel hit her forehead a few times, pounded her chest, and then walked towards Lebel step by step.

‘They say it’s darkest under the lamp, and not a single old saying is wrong.’

Who would have thought that one of the members she led would be the head of a secret organization, of all people.

She had planned to retire comfortably and live helping people. Her heart fluttered at the thought of building a small cabin and living embracing a husband like a rabbit, but she never imagined Lebel would cause such a big incident like this.

‘Was it fun giving orders while hiding quietly?’

‘It wasn’t pleasant.’

‘I thought of you as the next leader!’

A voice mixed with anger and worry swirled around his ears. Lebel’s eyes trembled slightly at the shouting voice.

‘Even if you don’t become the leader, just the fact that there are Ash-gray Falcon forces within the Rikas Mercenary Group could make all members subject to punishment later. Can you protect everyone, Lebel?’

His gaze fell to the ground. Lebel had already been saved twice. Once in the slave market and once from Melpiram’s private soldiers. Lebel still remembers all of them.

A name was a person’s footsteps and history. Forgetting a name meant the disappearance of a world, so it had to be cherished even more desperately.

The pledge to protect loved ones always started with memory. Hadn’t he sworn never to forget from the moment he turned away in the warehouse covered in flames?

He didn’t forget anyone. Now he won’t let even one person die.

Lebel raised his head and looked straight at Turgel. His blue eyes no longer trembled.

‘I’m prepared.’

**

After wandering for a long time, Lebel discovered smoke rising from beyond. Wondering if it might be, he drove his horse towards that place.

There was a small cabin there. Whether there were people inside, a faint presence could be felt. Right next to the house was a well-tended vegetable garden and piled firewood.

“Is anyone there.”

As Lebel knocked on the door, someone immediately came out from inside. A gentle-looking man poked his head out from behind the door.

“Who might you be……”

“Please tell them it’s Lebel.”

“Ah, Lebel! I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re the new leader of the Rikas Mercenary Group, right? Come in.”

The man smiled brightly and guided Lebel inside. The inside of the cabin was simple but clean. It had a living room cum kitchen and even two rooms attached. Though rough, it was neat, clearly showing Turgel’s taste.

“Turgel has gone to the forest to collect wood. She’ll be back soon, so please wait a moment.”

So it wasn’t just empty words when she said she’d marry and live with a gentle rabbit-like man who only needs to open his mouth.

Whenever Turgel said such things, the members would slap their knees and lament. Oh my, what sin did that man commit to have to live serving our tiger-like leader……

The man busily moved around the cabin, fussing about making tea.

Just when Lebel was thinking he was like a puppy whose ears hadn’t fully stood up yet, the man offered him a cup of freshly brewed hot tea. Quiet and gentle, he exactly matched Turgel’s ideal type.

When Lebel had drunk about half of the tea the man had brought, a noisy sound was heard from outside. Through the window, Turgel could be seen approaching the cabin carrying a A-frame carrier on her back.

She didn’t seem to have changed much from when she was in the mercenary group. From her sleeveless outfit to the firm arm muscles starting from her shoulders and coming down, everything was still the same.

Turgel’s heroic tales were made up of only truths without a single exaggeration.

Like how she instantly subdued a few rowdy members, or how she made enemy soldiers tremble with just one swing of an axe.

At her peak, it was passed down like a legend that in the northern villages, if someone said “If you keep doing that, Turgel will come and get you”, adults and children alike would collapse with their legs giving out.

That legendary figure was now preparing to split firewood in the yard after putting down her A-frame carrier. She walked towards the cabin, patting her hands.

“Honey, I’m back……! Oh, we have an intruder.”

Turgel burst in through the door with a hearty shout, but soon scratched her head with an embarrassed expression. Lebel stood up from his seat and gave a slight bow.

“Are you well?”

“Yeah, as you can see. How about the others?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Then let’s eat first. You, have you had lunch?”

Turgel was still the same. If nothing else, she never let anyone skip a meal. Lebel smiled slightly and shook his head.

Soon the inside of the cabin became busy. Lebel rolled up his sleeves intending to help with meal preparation, but the man turned pale and stopped him.

“How can a guest do work! Please sit still!”

“If you lend a hand, we’ll feel uncomfortable. Just sit down. Or go wash your hands first.”

And so Lebel had to sit quietly and watch the busy two prepare the meal. The sight of them sticking close together even after being apart for a moment was unfamiliar yet quite fitting.

If the members saw this scene, they would probably say things like it gives them goosebumps or they can’t bear to watch. But to Lebel, their appearance looked peaceful.

By the time the remaining tea at the bottom of the cup was turning brown, dishes were being neatly placed in front of Lebel.

“Scrape it clean. Don’t leave anything.”

In the bowl was a steaming stew giving off a savory smell. It was surprisingly proper food.

Turgel’s cooking skills were, to put it bluntly, disastrous. Her cooking was truly a naturally produced poison.

And yet….. Lebel looked up at Turgel with a puzzled expression.

“Did you make this, leader?”

“What’s with that suspicious look? I only did the prep. This guy is in charge of cooking.”

Turgel pointed at the man with her thumb. The man’s face turned red and his drooping eyes curved down even more.

“I’m not sure if it will taste good or not…… I’m not confident.”

“It’s definitely delicious. So eat even the bowl.”

Lebel picked up his spoon, suppressing the laughter that was about to escape. The stew gently soothed his stomach, and by the time he had nearly emptied the bowl, his empty stomach was warmly filled.

“Would you like another bowl?”

“I’m fine.”

“It’s delicious, right? Hurry up and say so. You can’t leave here today until those words come out.”

“It’s delicious.”

It was half a threat, but it really was delicious. Lebel got up to take the bowl and do the final cleanup, but was stopped by the man and returned to sit in front of Turgel.

“Please talk about what you need to!”

“I know you came with business, not just to say hello. I also know you’re not the type to be affectionate enough to come for a casual visit.”

The sound of the man clattering dishes while washing up could be heard from the kitchen area. Lebel carefully brought out the bag he had brought and placed it in front of Turgel.

“Hey, you……”

As soon as the bag was opened and she checked inside, Turgel’s expression instantly hardened. She quietly covered her mouth after confirming the contents.

“What is this?”

“It’s a wedding gift.”

“Your jokes have improved quite a bit.”

A splendid tiara hung from Turgel’s hand. At a glance, it looked like something a high-ranking member of the imperial family would wear. It couldn’t even be put up for sale at a jeweler’s.

Surely the jeweler’s owner would recognize it as an extraordinary treasure and send word to the imperial palace.

Whether knowing this fact or not, Lebel leisurely rested his chin on his hand and gazed at the tiara Turgel was holding.

The imperial treasure that Selina should have worn at the recent enthronement ceremony revealed itself in a cabin on the outskirts of the empire.

He hadn’t intended to steal it from the beginning. He didn’t even have any interest in whether the imperial family had wealth or not.

But seeing Selina speak arrogantly in front of Ilarid made his anger surge.

And the white cloth soaking in muddy water. The indelible stain flickered before Lebel’s eyes.

Where did that cloth go? Maybe it’s being used as a rag in the Empress’ palace, just as Selina said. If only that were the case.

Lebel glared at the gaudily sparkling tiara. No one could disgrace Ilarid. Even if it was someone of higher status than Lebel, he intended to stand against them.

Turgel, noticing his ominous gaze, furrowed her brow and blurted out.

“Didn’t I tell you not to plunder?”

“I didn’t forcibly take it using violence. There were no casualties and no one was harmed. Ah, the imperial treasury and the Emperor’s face might have been slightly scratched.”

Lebel retorted nonchalantly. The last words mentioning the imperial family even carried a hint of mockery.

A groan escaped from Turgel’s mouth. She knew better than anyone about Lebel’s troublesome ability, which made her head ache even more.

The tiara was placed back on the table. The two stared at the brilliantly shining imperial treasure with their mouths tightly shut. Only the sound of the man washing dishes could be heard intermittently from the kitchen area.

Turgel broke the heavy silence first.

“I know you keep a hit list in your heart. I also know you want to take revenge on them.”

Lebel always quietly offered his side to others. Those who gradually seeped in were following Lebel before they knew it, and consciously or unconsciously depended on him. Turgel had earmarked him as the next leader because of this.

But other than that, he was merciless. Lebel’s nickname, ‘Beast of the North’, wasn’t given for nothing.

Turgel remembers Lebel standing silently atop a pile of enemy corpses. At times, he became endlessly cruel and repeatedly penetrated fiercely towards enemies.

“I understand your intention to take revenge. But…… I’m worried about losing you. The deeper the depth of anger, the more easily you get consumed. If that becomes your everything, it’s over.”

“Leader.”

Lebel calmly responded to Turgel’s words.

“I’ve lived for that purpose.”

Within the calm words coming from his mouth lay thinly peeled anger piled up.

“Revenge…… is the minimum struggle to keep myself from losing myself.”

The one who cruelly annihilated the Melpiram family. And the one who pushed Ilarid into misfortune. The iron hammer and punishment to be brought down on those who unhesitatingly carry out acts of insulting, despising, and hurting others.

Lebel intended to carry out all of that.