Ushua sighed softly and hugged her tightly.

“Always be careful. If you need help, let me know anytime.”

“I will. Have a safe trip back.”

After sending her close friend away, Viare stepped into the underworld.

The damp, musty smell and stench were always unfamiliar, no matter how many times she visited.

The joy of getting closer to the truth was mixed with fear.

As Viare entered Bernaude’s 34th Street, a waiting clerk greeted her.

“Just follow me, please.”

The person called ‘The Absence of God’ lost his words upon seeing her and quickly left the room with Fabian.

Viare, confused by the sudden turn of events, sat on the sofa, trying to make sense of what was happening.

Meanwhile, the guild master, having taken Fabian to a nearby office, grabbed his collar and punched him.

“You… You knew all along, didn’t you?”

“Ha! Isn’t it amusing? How could your sister…”

“Shut up, you maniac.”

The Absence of God, laughing like a madman, wanted to bury Fabian in a hole right there and then.

Despite being a long-time close aide, Fabian was an unpredictable and troublesome character.

The master of this place, now unmasked and with his black hair disheveled, had let the situation slip through his fingers.

Fabian had been overseeing this client since she was referred to as ‘Lady,’ but the master missed the warning signs.

Normally, Fabian would have handled the situation, but this time, the guild master himself was insistent on taking charge.

The guild master couldn’t calm his anger easily, seeing Fabian still chuckling despite the mess he had caused.

He also started worrying if she had noticed his activities and how she had ended up in such a dangerous place.

Lost in frustrating thoughts, a knock sounded at the office door.

Knock-knock.

The guild master and Fabian looked at each other with widened eyes. At the master’s gesture, Fabian cautiously opened the door.

“Lady, what brings you here?”

“The only door around here seems to be this one.”

“Well, yes, haha. I’ll be going back soon―”

“Open the door. I heard everything.”

“……What do you mean?”

“You think I wouldn’t recognize my own brother?”

Even if Gaizen used transformation magic to change his voice and appearance, his gait and habits couldn’t be hidden.

The rhythmic footsteps she heard when The Absence of God appeared in the corridor matched her brother’s steps when he was in a good mood.

Viare, who had been suspicious, left the reception room to find them.

After eavesdropping on their entire conversation, she felt like the missing puzzle pieces were finally falling into place.

‘So that’s it…’

The Absence of God from Bernaude’s 34th Street turned out to be Gaizen.

Realizing another aspect of her family, Viare felt bitter yet oddly calm.

Usually, she would have been outraged by such betrayal, but now she was unfazed.

Her heart ached to know her brother was involved in such matters.

“Come out now, Gaizen.”

“…….”

Reluctantly, The Absence of God appeared, facing his sister’s cold gaze.

“Uh, I’ll be in the reception room then,” mumbled Fabian, unable to withstand the tension between the siblings, and left.

“Can I go in?” Viare asked, looking at the office.

Gaizen nodded resignedly.

The Absence of God’s office was lavishly decorated, not matching Gaizen’s style.

Viare thought about the ornate basement walls, reminiscent of the scriptures from the Ekartho deity, likely referring to her father.
Viare could only offer a hollow laugh, and Gaizen, who had been nervously observing her, seemed to be trying to think of a way out of the situation.

“Don’t bother thinking too much.”

“……Sister.”

“Don’t try to escape anymore, Gaizen.”

“…….”

He remained silent, casting his gaze to the floor.

Viare felt a pang of sympathy for her brother, but she knew she had to hear the truth about the Ruschev Ducal family.

“If you try to run away from here, I’ll never see you again.”

“Sister, how can you say that!”

“You’d better explain everything to me.”

“…….”

“Everything, without hiding anything.”

Gaizen hesitated to speak but finally began, sharing everything he knew.

The Ruschev family, of commoner origin, had expanded their wealth and influence through trading, extending even into the underworld.

Their ancestor, possessing vast information, cunningly utilized the wars to secure a dukedom, giving birth to the new Ruschev family.

Viare sighed, realizing that her family, supposedly loyal servants of the royal family, might have actually been controlling their fates.

According to Gaizen, the heir to the family must also be the head of the trading consortium and the operator of the information guild.

Thus, Gaizen, trained rigorously since childhood, was groomed for this position.

To ensure no information leaked from the underworld, their employees were bound by magical contracts, sealed with blood.

However, breaking such a contract would result in a fatal heart explosion.

“Are you safe from this?”

“Yes, direct family members are exempt.”