“I’m more ethical than I look. I’ve naturally remembered your names.”

But what came back wasn’t cheers but a sea of tears.

“Sob.”

“Ante-nim…”

“It’s really touching.”

The faction members gathered, crying. Just before being piled up in the middle of a group hug by the large figures, my body was lifted.

“Be careful, Nuna.”

I found myself in Kirian’s arms.

Number 1 immediately snapped his fist.

“Ante-nim, who is this guy?”

Fortunately, Number 5 quickly intervened.

“He is the son of the Ishtira Duke.”

But even with Number 5’s clear explanation, Number 1 just wore a stupid expression.

“What the heck is that?”

Number 5 sighed and apologized to Kirian.

“I’m sorry; our members have no common knowledge at all.”
And I explained a bit more kindly to Number 1.

“A member of a truly noble family.”

However, not satisfied with that explanation, Number 1 still eyed Kirian with a cautious look.

“Ante-nim! Just because a man is handsome and rich doesn’t mean anything! Rather than a guy with just looks…”

Number 1 looked around.

“Yeah! A guy who is healthy and reliable like our Number 5 is the best!”

Number 5 fell into contemplation again.

“Oh, no! Absolutely not!”

Even for the sake of poor Number 5, I decided to step in.

“Stop the nonsense and get on the carriage, all of you.”

But the problem was not as simple as I had thought. Even though we had prepared two carriages, it was far from enough to accommodate the large figures. Even after hastily calling a carriage, there wasn’t enough space.

“I can’t breathe.”

I couldn’t even squeeze in between Kirian and the door. Every time the carriage rattled, one side of my face was pressed against the window.

Moreover, my leg leaning against Kirian’s thigh and our sides sticking closely together became too uncomfortable, so I had to tilt my body towards the door.

“Sit here.”

Kirian lightly tapped his knee, but I shook my head. The thought of sitting on Kirian’s knee was better endured in this posture.

“It’s really okay. Are you worried about me getting tired?”

“No.”

I firmly replied.

“This is more comfortable.”

Even though it still felt strangely awkward, sitting on Kirian’s knee might make me embarrassed in front of the faction members.

Then Kirian’s gaze shifted outside the window. After narrowing his eyes for a moment, Kirian turned his gaze back to me.

“Okay, it’s better for Nuna to sit comfortably in my place.”

Kirian, who grinned, opened the carriage door while it was still moving.

“Don’t give up your seat to anyone else.”

And he gracefully jumped out of the carriage.

“Oh, Ante-nim!”

Number 1 shouted in surprise.

“The noble guy jumped off!”

I sighed and waved my hand.

“No, don’t worry.”

Even though the suddenly expanded space felt empty, I wasn’t worried.

“With this kind of thing, I can’t die, physically.”

The bandits hiding in the roadside bushes anxiously stared at the rising dust clouds on the horizon.

Although the carriage was still far from arriving, the bandits remained vigilant. The client had said to deal with just a few rogues, but they couldn’t be too overconfident.

As a result of roaming this ground for a lifetime, there was one thing they could be sure of. No one knew what might happen during a mission.

“Be prepared to move immediately when the signal comes.”

The leader of the bandits coldly ordered.

But unlike well-trained subordinates, there was no response.

“Escape during the operation [Dash].”

The leader, with a furrowed brow, turned to where he had just looked, but there was no one. At least, no one alive.
The leader stared blankly at his subordinates sprawled as lifeless corpses, lying coldly on the ground.

The silent deceased, with peaceful faces that could be mistaken for sleeping, were not pale except for the faces that had stiffened as if they were dead without even realizing it.

“What is this…”

“It’s a pity.”

A low, mid-range voice came from deeper in the bushes. It was incredibly sweet, but the hair on the back of the bandit leader’s neck stood on end. Having been close to death for many years, his instincts warned him. It was dangerous.

“You won’t be able to die as comfortably as your subordinates.”

“Who are you?”

The leader momentarily thanked his subordinates for dying. If they had heard trembling voices, he might not be able to maintain his role as the leader of the bandits.

“I’d like to ask that, actually.”

A cold blade pressed against the back of the leader’s neck from behind. Each time he tried to turn his head to check the guy’s face, the man twisted his body, avoiding the leader’s sight.

The bandit eventually gave up and stood still. Since a while ago, standing straight was the best he could manage; he felt as if his head would split open, and he was standing there with his hearing impaired.

“Who sent you?”

Lips cracked, and the dreadful headache intensified. The pain pounding in his head was so strong that he couldn’t feel the blade cutting into his neck.

“Ugh… I-I don’t know.”

He genuinely didn’t know. Choosing only clients who didn’t reveal their identities and refusing to know anything other than the job they paid for suited him fine. He wasn’t curious about the client’s circumstances.

“Ugh.”

At that moment, a frigid chill, like piercing cold, enveloped his entire body. Despite having survived countless close calls with death, such a dense life force was a first. With just the energy itself, it felt like a person could easily tear someone apart.

Suddenly, the bandit realized who the entity standing at the tip of the blade was.

“Is…tria… Duke…”

A mocking laughter echoed.

“Do you have the intention to speak now?”

The bandit quickly shook his head. In any case, following money in life. Rather than dying here for a client whose face he didn’t even know, it was better to stick with the stronger side. Aligning with the Duke, he might at least be able to preserve his life.

“I apologize for not knowing.”

The energy at the tip of the blade weakened slightly. The bandit quickly nodded. Even if the client didn’t reveal their identity, the bandits in their faction still conducted their own investigations.

“If you’re the client, there are a few suspicious people[Dash]. Cough!”

In an instant, a massive flame swallowed the bandit.