“If it’s Elonic…”

“Isn’t it the direct unit of the Sun Emperor, Your Majesty?”

“If it’s the 2nd Division of that unit, ah… yes. It was the place where the commander, rumored to be brought in by Sir Michel Sieron, took charge.”

“It caused quite a stir back then.”

The nobles chattered noisily. For them, Elonic was just about this much.

‘A past glory.’

Yurisien, who heard the nobles’ conversation, felt a chill.

After the death of the Sun Emperor, Elonic, practically in the process of disbanding, as Benjamin went to the temple for care.

So, it wasn’t particularly surprising that the vice-commander of the 2nd Division was now somewhere in a gambling den. It wasn’t uncommon for retired knights to fall into corruption.

However, unlike the nobles who praised and reminisced about how great Elonic was, Yurisien and Urgen couldn’t smile casually.

“Well, I hope this story has lightened the mood.”

Even if she laughed while tearing into rare meat dripping with blood, it wouldn’t be as eerie. Greta’s thin and sharply attached smile around her lips was at a creepy level. And that smile was even more chilling for those who realized the truth behind her words.

Bang!

A sound of something breaking echoed from somewhere. Shortly after, Daisy came running. Yurisien quickly lent an ear, and Daisy quickly spoke with an anxious expression. Yurisien’s face also turned pale. Yurisien urgently approached Benjamin and said,

“Sieron said he’s heading to Marquis Everium’s territory alone.”

A while ago.

It happened when Ivan, who was sleeping soundly in the headquarters of the Copelador Guild, woke up.

Quiet steps sneaked into the room, taking advantage of the darkness. The steps were very cautious, but somewhere, it seemed awkward. Occasionally stumbling, the figure looked clumsy, as if not handling their own body well. That night, a guest stopped in front of Ivan, who had turned his back to the door and was crouching.

Swish…

The sound of drawing a dagger from a leather scabbard was chilling. However, it wasn’t as chilling as the glint that sparkled from the high tip of the drawn blade. The dagger quickly struck vertically.

Thud!

Dust rose from the torn bedding where the dagger had pierced.

“Tsk!”

The night guest immediately tried to swing the dagger again but was a step late.

“Do you know what it means to enter a man’s bedroom alone at night?”

“Ugh!”

The moment a voice that had never slept was heard in his ears, the night guest had to shove his face into the torn bedding.

“Ugh!”

Even though the night guest groaned, it was in vain. With the other hand, Ivan, who had already grabbed both wrists of the unwelcome intruder, couldn’t avoid breaking his arms from behind.

Ting-grr…

The sound of the dagger thrown by Ivan hitting the floor echoed. Ivan put more strength into the broken arm and, with the hand that had attacked the sleeping person, ripped off the hood the attacker was wearing. At that moment, Ivan’s black pupils, which had brightly shone in the dark room, widened.

“You…!”

At that moment.

Thump!

“Ugh!”

Someone like a shadow silently emerged from the darkness and swiftly struck Ivan’s back of the head. Ivan, who didn’t know there was an accomplice, or even if there was, couldn’t guard against the shadow behind the wall and fell helplessly.

“Tsk, if you can’t even do something like this properly.”

The accomplice, Count Bollendo, lowered his mask with a grimace. Then, the unwelcome guest who had been groaning under Ivan came out from under him. Apologetically, Kendall, with empty eyes, bowed his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“Be more careful next time, Kendall.”

“Yes.”

Back to the present.

Ivan breathed heavily.

“Cough…”
The suppressed cough that he had tried to hold back erupted. Simultaneously, his entire body vibrated with a throbbing pain, causing his mind to blur in agony. Whether the fluid trickling down from his mouth was saliva or blood, Ivan couldn’t even tell. Ivan clutched his pierced side and gasped for breath.

Sssuk, sssuk.

The sound of insect-like darkness crawling around sent shivers down his spine. Whether his eyes were open or closed, the pitch-black room showed nothing. Trapped in that room with only shadows, Ivan had no way to protect himself.

Puk!

“Ahh!”

Continuously, his limbs were pierced by darkness. Ivan, to support his crumbling body with the penetrated back of his hand, touched the ground. The sound of blood dripping heavily resembled the sound of his life escaping.

“Huagh, h, kkuh…”

As Ivan gasped for air, the shadow paused momentarily. It had been like this since he opened his eyes here. The shadow, undoubtedly manipulated by someone, strangely did not finish off Ivan.

He was tormented just enough to not die, and yet, his life was not taken. Even now, Ivan’s pierced side had medicinal herbs inserted to staunch the bleeding. The shadow had put them in.

‘What the hell.’

Ivan growled. His teeth, stained crimson with blood, showed nothing in the pitch-black space.

“Ptuh.”