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A few days after Whitney’s group swept through the underworld, in a shabby inn located in one of its poorest districts.  

“Oo…”  

A man, sprawled unconscious in the most run-down room of the inn, slowly sits up, clutching his hair.  

“Cough, cough…”  

Even though his eyes are still barely open, he gropes around on the floor, eventually picking up a discarded cigarette pack and a cheap lighter.  

“Tsk.”  

However, the cigarette pack, stained with tar and grime, is empty. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the man finally staggers to his feet.  

“……”  

His reflection appears in the mirror hanging before him.  

Unkempt hair, a scruffy beard growing wildly in all directions. Deep, dark circles under his eyes and a face so lifeless and haggard that it’s hard to believe he is only in his late thirties.  

And above all, his empty, soulless eyes.  

All of it tells the story of the miserable state he is in.  

“…Ha.”  

Even after seeing his own near-death appearance, he somehow finds the will to step outside. Taking a rough breath, he begins moving toward the door with his feeble body.  

Clack…  

The sound of bottles clinking underfoot rings in his ears with each step, but he pays no mind. Gripping the doorknob, he pulls it open with a loud creak, only to grimace.  

It’s not that the outside is particularly bright—the sun has just begun peeking through the window bars.  

But after spending days rotting away in a dark room without even lighting a lamp, even that faint light is unbearable.  

Squinting, he turns his head sharply to the side and stumbles forward.  

“What, still not dead?”  

Just then, a sigh-laced voice calls out from a distance.  

“If you hadn’t crawled out today, I was about to call the cleaners, thinking you were a corpse.”  

A rare sight in the underworld—a young woman—leans against the counter, watching him with mild irritation. She had been observing his pathetic state since the moment he emerged from his room.  

“So, when are you paying your overdue rent?”  

“I get that times are tough, but I’m no charity worker, you know?”  

The man, now sitting silently in the chair before the counter, doesn’t respond. She, in turn, shoots him a cold stare and delivers her final warning.  

“If you can’t pay at least this month’s rent within a week, you’ll have to—”  

“Cigarette.”  

Before she can finish, the man interrupts in a low, hoarse voice, his thin, trembling hand outstretched.  

“Just lend me a cigarette.”  

“…Sigh.”  

The woman, momentarily taken aback, exhales deeply and tosses him a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.  

“Let’s just call this your rent. Now get out.”  

“……”  

“This place is already overflowing with corpses, but I don’t want to be the one cleaning them up.”  

For a moment, the man stares at her blankly. Then, without a word, he pockets the cigarettes and trudges toward the inn’s exit.  

“Once, he was a big shot. How did he end up like this?”  

Watching his retreating figure with a mix of pity and indifference, she pulls out a pipe from the drawer and mutters to herself.  

“…Well. Maybe if I had a family, I’d understand.”  

“But in this place, that’s a luxury, Bergen.”  

At her offhanded remark, the man momentarily pauses before the door.  

But instead of responding, he lowers his head and steps outside, into the dreary streets of the underworld, where sunlight can’t chase away the lingering chill.  

…  

Thrust into the streets like a penniless vagrant, he pulls a cigarette from his one and only possession—the newly acquired pack—and lights a lighter.  

– Clink…  

But the gas is spent. Instead of a flame, only a weak metallic click echoes.  

“Haha…”  

After trying several times in vain, he finally gives up, throwing the lighter to the ground with a bitter chuckle before collapsing onto the pavement.  

“Maybe it’s about time I died.”  

He mutters with self-mockery, lifting his head as if to etch the sky into his memory—just in case he never gets to see it again.  

“…Hmm?”  

But suddenly, his expression hardens, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings.  

“What the hell is this…?”

The back alleys of the underworld were places where bizarre events occurred daily, but that day, something particularly unusual was happening.  

White posters, starkly contrasting against the dust-covered and stained walls, were plastered at regular intervals along the streets.  

“Tsk, more of these damn papers…”  

However, what was even more noteworthy was the attitude of the people passing by.  

“Should we just rip them all off?”  

“Shh, keep your voice down, idiot.”  

In the backstreets, filled with people leading miserable lives and brimming with discontent, it would have been normal for some of the posters to have already been torn down or defaced with graffiti.  

Yet, although the passersby glared at them with displeasure, no one dared to touch them.  

“Do you really not know who’s behind something on this scale in this part of town?”  

“…That old bastard just won’t die, huh.”  

Because of this, the posters remained pristine, their pure white standing out unnaturally in the underworld.  

“If they wanted to threaten someone, they should’ve done it discreetly, like usual.”  

“I told you to lower your voice.”  

But the man, who had no interest in what they were, soon lost interest. As the grumbling thugs pulled out cigarettes, he straightened up, thinking he might be able to borrow a light.  

“What the hell is ‘The Broken Lily’? Why plaster it all over the place?”  

However, as he staggered forward with his dazed eyes, he abruptly froze upon hearing those words.  

“And what are these meaningless codes supposed to be…?”  

“…Excuse me.”  

“What the hell?”  

As if possessed, the man squeezed between the thugs and swiftly scanned the contents of the poster.  

– Grit…  

A faint grinding noise emerged from between his clenched teeth.  

“The hell’s his problem?”  

“…Hey, just leave him alone.”  

One of the thugs, irritated at the man who had suddenly pushed past him, reached for the knife in his pocket.  

But another one stopped him.  

“If he can understand that at a glance, it means he’s tangled up with that old man, whatever the case may be.”  

“…You think so?”  

“Look at him. He doesn’t seem to have anything worth taking. Let’s just pretend we didn’t see anything, okay?”  

“Tch.”  

Reluctantly, the thug clicked his tongue, spat on the ground, and bumped his shoulder against the man’s as he passed by.  

“Go get yourself stabbed in an alley and just die already.”  

Still grumbling under his breath, he reached into his pocket for his lighter to light his cigarette.  

“Huh? Where’s my lighter?”  

“Hmm?”  

“Wait, where’s my knife?”  

Finding nothing where they should be, he blinked in confusion and started looking around.  

“Heh. You got pickpocketed or something?”  

“Shut up. You know what I do to survive in this place.”  

“Well, that lighter and knife weren’t really yours to begin with, were they?”  

“That lighter had a magic stone in it, damn it. Just my luck…”  

His companion, amused, chuckled at his misfortune. Annoyed, the thug dismissed it as nonsense and angrily threw his cigarette to the ground.  

– Sizzle…  

Meanwhile, behind them, Bergen silently watched the entire exchange.  

With a cigarette in his mouth, he flicked open the brand-new lighter he had just acquired and lit it with a soft click.  

“…Seems like it’s still too soon for me to die.”  

He also quietly tucked away the newly acquired knife into his coat.  

For the first time in a long while, his eyes burned with intensity.  

*****  

“Haa…”  

It had already been a week since I ordered Alfred to scatter a mass of handbills—no, posters—throughout the underworld.  

“The more my name spreads, the busier I get…”  

I would have liked to take a break, but the mountain of letters resulting from my newfound fame had kept me holed up in my office, drowning in work.  

…Why are there so many audacious nobles trying to introduce their daughters to me when they know I’m Lady Meredia’s fiancé?  

Most letters were invitations for social connections, but quite a few were laced with ulterior motives. Sorting out and burning those alone had taken me until nightfall.  

“Master, are you sure about this?”  

“…About what?”  

Exhausted, I welcomed the distraction when Runiel’s worried voice reached me. Turning with a bright smile, I feigned ignorance.  

“You included the Count’s estate address in the coded messages scattered through the underworld.”  

Runiel, absently stroking the hilt of her sword, looked more uneasy than usual.  

“Don’t worry. Bergen is the only one who can decipher it.”  

But I had a reason to be confident.  

The encoded message, which contained my estate’s address, was originally a cipher Bergen had designed as a game with his missing daughter.  

In the original story, only the player character—who had access to Bergen’s history—was able to use it to make contact with him.  

There was no way anyone else could crack it without enough references.  

“I can decipher it, though…”  

From my right side, Parsha’s grumbling voice reached my ears as she methodically worked through the remaining stack of papers.  

But considering her analysis skills were practically a superpower, she was an exception.  

“And besides… I have Runiel, don’t I?”  

“…!”  

Even if another genius like Parsha somehow figured out the code and came knocking, I had Runiel by my side.  

It was no coincidence that, ever since the posters were distributed, I had stayed close to her whenever I wasn’t sleeping.  

“If we handle this properly, we can finally proceed with the second ritual soon.”  

“Ah…”  

“And also, we should get you a new sword. Something worthy of you.”  

Runiel deserved nothing less.

Since I needed to acknowledge Runiel’s remarkable dedication, I decided to bring up the welfare benefits I had been planning for her.  

For a moment, she stared at me blankly.  

“I will burn away the rest of my life if necessary to kill every single intruder who sets foot in this estate.”  

“Uh, no, that won’t be necessary. Haha…”  

“Then I’ll cut off their limbs as a warning—”  

“What exactly did they teach you at the knight academy?”  

Listening to the terrifying statements she uttered with a chilling gaze, it seemed clear that she was *highly* motivated.  

“Anyway, it should be about time for him to show up….”  

Muttering absentmindedly, I picked up my pen, preparing to respond to the letters I had just finished sorting.  

“That’s true.”  

Just then, Parsha, having finished organizing the documents, suddenly perked up, her eyes gleaming with intrigue.  

“Based on my analysis—no, my calculations—it should be happening right about now.”  

As she turned her gaze toward the door, I found myself tilting my head in curiosity and looking in the same direction.  

Knock, knock…  

Right on cue, a knock echoed through the room.  

Thinking that perhaps Sasha had brought good news, I immediately responded.  

“Yes, come in.”  

“…Hm?”  

But instead of Sasha’s usual nervous voice, there was only silence.  

“Sasha?”  

“Ah!”  

Just as I stood up in confusion—  

“Be careful!”  

Runiel, who had also been puzzled, suddenly tensed and shouted with a sharp edge in her voice.  

Sssss…!  

The moment she spoke, a dense, acrid smoke began seeping in through the crack of the slightly opened door.  

“Master—mmph?!”  

Seeing this, I quickly covered Parsha’s mouth and cast every protective spell I could on her.  

“Hm.”  

A glint of metal flashed before my eyes.  

I frowned slightly as a dagger shot out through the thick smoke.  

…Well, of course. Only an idiot would use poison gas against a white mage skilled in healing and detoxification.  

Though I was annoyed at the minor psychological defeat, I wasn’t afraid.  

Because there was no way that surprise attack would ever reach me.  

Clang…!  

As expected.  

Runiel drew her sword in a single fluid motion, deflecting the knife that had nearly reached me.  

For a moment, her eyes gleamed coldly—  

“…Ugh!”  

“How dare you threaten my master…!”  

—and in the blink of an eye, the assassin, moving too fast for me to even discern properly, was sent flying by a powerful kick to the stomach.  

“Don’t move.”  

“Tch, damn it…!”  

Despite staggering from the impact, the intruder tried to get back on his feet.  

But Runiel’s blade was already at his throat.  

“It is disgraceful enough that I allowed an attack to reach this close to my master. Speaking at all in this situation is practically a crime worthy of death.”  

Now that the situation was under control, Runiel exhaled sharply, her face a mixture of guilt and frustration.  

“…Before the attack, I didn’t sense any killing intent or presence.”  

I understood why she was so shaken.  

Normally, she would have detected an assassin long before they even crossed the estate’s outer walls.  

“He must be a top-tier assassin. We should execute him immediately—”  

“Calm down, Runiel.”  

If this intruder was who I thought he was, then even at her best, Runiel wouldn’t have been able to detect his approach.  

“Even if his presence was hidden, he had no intention of killing me.”  

Like Meredia, Parsha, and the Emperor, I knew that this man possessed an ability that went beyond mere magic.  

“If he killed me, the lead he’s been desperately chasing would disappear forever. He likely planned to take me hostage and use me as leverage.”  

To confirm my suspicion, I casually murmured my theory.  

At that, the intruder—pinned under Runiel’s boot—began trembling slightly.  

“Am I wrong?”  

“You son of a…!”  

“Instead of just glaring at me, why don’t you answer?”  

The way he reacted to my words told me everything I needed to know.  

It was him.  

“The world’s greatest thief… Bergen.”  

Now, it was time to reel him in—to make him my ally.  

Or rather—  

“Don’t you want to see your beloved daughter again?”  

“…!”  

It was time to throw him a lifeline.

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“Young Master, I’ve finished negotiations with this shop as well. Please take a look.”  

“…Wow, Alfred. What’s your secret?”  

“Haha, well, I’ve spent decades managing people, haven’t I?”  

Despite all the nagging Whitney had endured from him, Alfred had revealed his true colors from his younger days, making Whitney’s group’s investigation progress smoothly.  

“Still, I would have thought that thugs from the underworld would be quite different from household servants…”  

“Come on, step inside.”  

The back alleys had never been a place where logic or rules applied, but even the drifters who lived there had their own minimal codes of conduct.  

“I made it very clear to them—no one will dare lay a hand on you, Young Master.”  

For instance, they knew better than to provoke their old godfather, who would often take leave under the pretense of joining the servants’ union, only to exert his influence over the underworld instead.  

“The former ruler of the back alleys has finally returned home.”  

“Boss, are you sure this is okay?”  

However, given the nature of the back alleys, there were always those who disregarded even such unwritten rules.  

“If this goes wrong, the consequences…”  

“Idiot, get a grip. We’re not trying to take out that old man in the back room, are we?”  

Like, for example, the upstart criminal organization that was brazenly tailing Whitney’s group as if they were just strolling through town.  

“We just need to wait for the right moment and kidnap those two kids following that old man.”  

“But what about after that?”  

“You fool. Just look at them—they seem close. We can use threats or whatever to squeeze money and benefits out of them.”  

Of course, such groups were nothing more than pathetic lowlifes with neither proper plans nor sufficient strength.  

By that point, their fate had already been sealed—Runiel, who had quietly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, would take care of them.  

“Target confirmed. That must be the one.”  

But for one of the traditional powers of the underworld, which had spread its influence like a spider’s web throughout the alleys, the situation was slightly different.  

“The Great Shadow has ordered this person to be captured alive.”  

Though the order had only come in minutes ago, the black mages scattered across the underworld had at least enough strength to face Runiel.  

“The lives of the others are of no concern.”  

At that very moment, as the alley where Whitney’s group stood became thick with bloodlust…  

“…Alfred, may I have a word?”  

“Hm?”  

Just as Whitney entered the shop, Runiel, who was about to follow, suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned to Alfred behind her.  

“It seems we can no longer ignore the ones tailing us.”  

“Hmm. Are we being followed? Then why are you telling me instead of the Young Master?”  

“…Don’t pretend you don’t know.”  

At her words, Alfred tilted his head slightly, but as Runiel pressed him further, his gaze sharpened.  

“When you stepped forward earlier, I clearly sensed the aura you were releasing.”  

“Haha…”  

“Why have you been hiding such power all this time?”  

At last, Alfred let out a bitter chuckle and remained silent for a moment.  

“It’s because of an old promise I made with the Young Master’s father—the Count.”  

Then, as he lifted his head to gaze at the sky, his expression briefly reflected regret.  

“Please, keep this a secret from the Young Master. It’s one of the few wishes this old man has left.”  

“…If he asks me, I’ll have no choice but to tell him the truth.”  

“Hm. That loyalty of yours—I quite like it.”  

With a faint smile at her matter-of-fact response, Alfred turned his gaze toward the shop where Whitney had gone in.  

“When the Young Master said he was going to the slave market, I was so worried that he might be following in my footsteps…”  

For a moment, his expression softened with affection as he murmured those words.  

“…I’ll take care of those vermin lurking in the darkness.”  

Then, as he shifted his gaze toward the shadowed alley, his eyes glowed with a murderous intent unbefitting a man of his age.  

“They’ve always been the troublemakers of the underworld.”  

“Are you sure about this?”  

Despite his confidence, Runiel, mindful of his age, looked slightly concerned.  

“Well, it’s been a while since I got some exercise.”  

But seeing the thick mana beginning to envelop his hand as he spoke so casually, she quickly realized her concern was misplaced and turned her head away.  

“Then I’ll quickly deal with the small fry and rejoin—huh?”  

However, just as she firmly gripped her sword’s hilt, preparing for battle, her expression suddenly shifted to one of confusion.  

“Hmm?”  

Alfred, who had been staring into the unnatural darkness settled over the alley, also reacted the same way.  

“Alfred, this is…”  

“…Yes, this is certainly strange.”  

The bloodlust that had filled the alley just moments ago had vanished in the blink of an eye.  

“Did they sense our strength and flee?”  

“I don’t think so. If they had, we would’ve noticed something.”  

Runiel offered a rational guess, but Alfred shook his head as he carefully examined the suspicious smoke rising from where the enemies had been.  

“…It seems they’ve disappeared right before our eyes.”  

“What?”  

“Whoever did this must be incredibly powerful.”  

Yet even he couldn’t offer a clear explanation.  

“It’s one thing if they were just lowly thugs, but even the black mages—who have high resistance to magic—were reduced to dust…”  

From what he knew, there were only a handful of people in the world capable of something like this.  

“Unless a high-level white mage like the Count deliberately unleashed their killing intent, this shouldn’t be possible…”  

As he stroked his beard, trying to reach a logical conclusion, Alfred suddenly trailed off, his eyes widening.  

“…Wait, a white mage?”  

A face flashed in his mind—one so familiar that he had momentarily overlooked it.  

“No… no way. There’s no way the Young Master would…”  

Quickly shaking his head, he tried to dismiss the unsettling suspicion creeping into his thoughts.  

“Haha, Alfred.”  

“…Hurk.”  

At that moment, Whitney’s voice rang out beside him.  

Nearly ready to retire early from shock, Alfred turned his head, looking as if he had just seen a ghost.

“This place is a disappointment as well. Only low-level humans gathered here—just a waste of my sight.”  

“……”  

“And the trash, why is there so much of it? No matter how much you clean, it never seems to end.”  

Even though the shop’s door had never been opened, Whitney was somehow already outside, standing next to Alfred and making spine-chilling remarks with a smile.  

“Well, there’s still a long way to go, so I’ll stop complaining and move on to the next shop…”  

“Th-That communication crystal! Hand it over!”  

“Huh?”  

“Oh dear, my poor Parsha. She’s at the age where she should be enjoying fairy tales…”  

Alfred, who had been staring blankly at Whitney, suddenly snatched the crystal orb from his hand and hugged it protectively, his voice trembling as if about to cry.  

“…I will strive to improve myself even further, Master.”  

“…?”  

Whitney, bewildered by the situation, looked even more confused when Runiel suddenly approached with an expression full of reverence.  

‘Why is everyone acting like this?’  

All he had done was exit through the back door after finishing his investigation, then grumble at the sight of trash littering the street.  

It was truly unfair.  

*****  

Meanwhile, a few blocks away from Whitney’s group, in a quiet street—  

“Tsk.”  

The one quietly standing there with jewel-like eyes gleaming in the dim light was none other than Lady Meredia.  

She pulled the hood of her robe back over her face, suppressing the magic she had just unleashed.  

“Seriously, people are such a nuisance.”  

Despite the presence of Alfred and Runiel, it had been she who took strong measures, even using the rare power of her gemstone.  

But there was no one left in the world to complain about that anymore.  

“…L-Lady Meredia! We’ve gathered the information as you requested!”  

“You’re late.”  

Her gaze had been fixed on her fiancé for some time, but now, her cold voice was directed at the informant who had approached her.  

“I-I’m sorry!”  

“Forget it. Just keep talking.”  

Sensing that the lady’s mood was unusually tense lately, the informant, who had been about to bow, instead stole a nervous glance at her still-unimpressed expression before cautiously continuing.  

“There isn’t much information on your fiancé, even within the information guild. The only things we found were scandalous and disrespectful rumors about you.”  

“Such as?”  

“For example, reports of Lady Meredia blushing while whispering in a carriage with Lord Whitney… Or that you’re secretly keeping his handkerchief as a treasured possession…”  

“Enough. Anything else?”  

Meredia cut him off without realizing it, and the informant, taking it as a sign of her anger, felt a chill run down his spine as he hurriedly changed the subject.  

“There was, however, plenty of information regarding his younger sister and Runiel, who is presumed to be one of his closest aides…”  

“That’s all you have to say?”  

Seeing her gaze grow even colder, the informant broke into a cold sweat.  

“T-This isn’t confirmed, and it’s trivial information, but…”  

At last, knowing he had nothing more valuable, he clenched his eyes shut and muttered the most useless piece of information he had come across.  

“Lord Whitney is apparently very fond of origami.”  

“……”  

“You probably didn’t want to know something so trivial, right? But there was so little information on him…”  

Bracing himself for her inevitable fury, the informant trembled slightly, preparing for the worst.  

—Clink…  

But instead of a reprimand, what landed in his hands was a leather pouch filled with gold coins.  

“That will do.”  

“…Really?”  

Momentarily stunned, the informant blinked at her in disbelief as Meredia, already turning to leave, gave her next command.  

“From now on, report everything about him, no matter how trivial.”  

“…Y-Yes!”  

“If you have time to answer, you have time to work.”  

“Understood!”  

Without sparing him a second glance, Lady Meredia walked away, leaving the informant bowing deeply.  

“Hmph.”  

Then, suddenly stopping in her tracks, she cast a sidelong glance at Whitney, who was bickering with his companions a few blocks away, and murmured to herself in a low voice—  

“Origami, huh? What a ridiculously childish hobby.”  

That evening, luxury paper workshops across the empire erupted in celebration after receiving a massive order from the Duke of Embergreen’s household.  

*****  

As time passed, the setting sun cast its last light upon the underworld before darkness slowly took over the streets.  

“It’s getting dark now.”  

Alfred, rubbing his aching lower back, frowned as he turned to Whitney with a word of caution.  

“As obvious as it may sound, the underworld at night is several times more dangerous than it is during the day.”  

“Hmm.”  

“It would be wise to call it a day and return. You can always 

come back another time.”  

“I’d love to stay out all night, but I suppose there’s no helping it…”  

Of course, Whitney never expected to find Bergen in just one day, but the thought of leaving still left him feeling regretful.  

“Parsha, do you have any bright ideas?”  

—Mmm… Ah! Yes!  

His small hope led him to direct the question at Parsha, who was dozing off inside the crystal orb.  

Hearing the voice of his master, Parsha quickly responded, full of enthusiasm.  

—Master, what if you flipped your perspective?  

Whitney’s eyes narrowed slightly at the suggestion.  

—Instead of you searching for that person, what if you made them come to you?  

“…….”  

—Surely there’s something that person would risk their life for?  

Alfred, who had long since recognized the signs of Whitney’s ominous thought process, tensed instinctively.  

—For example, like the prince whose fiancée has been taken hostage…  

“You fool! Do you know what you’re saying?!”  

As soon as Parsha uttered such blasphemous words, Alfred hastily cut the connection and tucked the crystal orb deep into his robes before anyone could overhear.  

“Hahaha…”  

At that moment, Whitney’s signature chilling laughter echoed through the quiet streets of the underworld.  

“Parsha is such a brilliant child.”  

“Young Master?”  

“Why didn’t I think of that sooner…?”  

As Alfred widened his eyes in alarm, Whitney had already pulled out a notebook and was scribbling something down.  

“Alfred, can you mass-produce and distribute these flyers—no, posters—throughout the underworld?”  

Alfred took the note from Whitney, reading it aloud with a puzzled expression.  

“‘Before the broken lily wilts, decipher the code below and come alone…’”  

Alfred had long since decided not to question Whitney’s actions, but even so, this particular message was far too suspicious to ignore.  

“…What exactly does ‘the broken lily’ refer to?”  

After a long moment of contemplation, he finally asked the most critical question.  

“Oh, it’s the missing daughter of the person I’m searching for.”  

“What?”  

“Her name is Lily.”  

Alfred was left speechless at Whitney’s casual revelation.  

“Well, since the code is something only he would recognize… he’ll definitely come running, won’t he?”  

“Oh, my god.”  

Even for the former godfather of the underworld, Whitney’s cunning smile was utterly terrifying.

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“Everyone, I have great news.”  

The morning after Lady Hestia left the office with heavy steps.  

“At last, the Saint has decided to join our plan.”  

Aside from Sasha, who collapsed from carrying food all night, and Alfred, who skillfully excused himself to take care of her, the remaining executives—meaning, Runiel and Parsha—were summoned back to the office.  

With a bright smile, I announced to them the success of our plan.  

‘If this had failed, the expenses would have been a problem, but fortunately, we succeeded.’  

Although what little remained of the Count’s estate was spent, Sasha had been exhausted from carrying food until nightfall, and my father’s cherished wine cellar had made a noble sacrifice.  

Still, this was a moment of celebration, and I felt like raising a toast.  

‘Well, Parsha will take care of growing our assets, so there’s nothing to worry about, right?’  

Though I was slightly concerned about our funds running low, I still had Parsha.  

“So, are we storming the Academy right away?”  

As I gazed at Parsha with such thoughts, she suddenly raised her hand, her eyes gleaming with a rather ominous question.  

“Haha. We’re not going to conquer the Academy, Parsha. We’re just escorting the Saint to the Hero.”  

“Oh, sorry. I got too excited for a moment.”  

If left alone, she might actually start planning an Academy raid, so I hurriedly clarified our original plan.  

Fortunately, after scratching her head for a moment, she quickly accepted it.  

“…Still, it would be best to take control of the Academy as soon as possible.”  

“Excuse me?”  

“Quite a few Demon Lords… no, rulers have perished simply because they couldn’t breach an Academy.”  

For some reason, her words reminded me of a certain noseless villain, who crumbled to dust because he failed to conquer a mere school.  

Wait, is she really treating me like a Demon Lord now?  

Surely, she wasn’t just following Meredia in every route because she secretly wanted to play a Demon Lord-raising game, right?  

“And from a practical standpoint, it’s best to infiltrate the education system first to facilitate brainwashing…”  

“Haha, Lady Parsha. Let’s focus on our current plan for now…”  

Of course, I already had my hands full with saving Meredia and reviving my family, so I tried to chide her in a quiet voice.  

“Indeed, the first Demon Lord and the second Demon Lord both ultimately fell in the Academy sieges. I even designed a strategy game based on those battles to teach at the Knight Academy…”  

“Sigh.”  

Right on cue, Runiel muttered in a serious tone beside her, forcing me to let out a deep sigh.  

“…Therefore, if you really intend to take over the Academy, you must plant an insider.”  

“Wow, I was worried for a second, but you really are worthy of being an executive!”  

Where had the Emperor’s Hound and Meredia’s only tactician gone?  

Instead, I had a hero fanatic and a chūnibyō kid passionately debating in front of me.  

“…To be honest, I suspected that was the real reason behind our current operation.”  

“Is… is that so? As expected…”  

“Haha. Ladies.”  

If I continued listening, I might actually have to invade the Academy for real.  

“I’m speaking now, aren’t I?”  

Keeping my smile intact, I lowered my voice and sent a warning to the two, who were whispering to each other.  

“…Yes.”  

“Understood.”  

Startled, both Parsha and Runiel raised their heads and sullenly answered before shutting their mouths.  

At least they listened to me well—that was my only consolation.  

“In any case, I’ve been appointed as a judge for the upcoming Talent Selection Tournament at the Academy, and we have secured the Saint’s cooperation… It’s time to move on to the next phase.”  

“Oh, wait a moment.”  

I was just about to transition into the main topic when—  

“There’s something we’re lacking before we proceed.”  

Parsha raised her hand again, but this time, her expression was serious.  

“And that is information.”  

“Hmm.”  

I had a vague idea of what she was about to say, so I simply listened.  

“First of all, Master’s name has only recently become known in the Empire. Naturally, the Academy’s board will scrutinize your qualifications.”  

“…That’s true.”  

“So, as a judge, you should familiarize yourself with the participants’ personal details in advance.”  

Yes, when she’s serious, Parsha is truly reliable.  

“Additionally, we should gather information about the tournament venue, staff placement, and break times. That way, the Saint will have a lower risk of being exposed.”  

“Well, to some extent, those details will be provided to the judges, but…”  

She pinpointed every single weak spot in my plan without missing a beat.  

“…You’re worried the Academy won’t be cooperative, aren’t you?”  

“Exactly! From their perspective, Master got appointed through political influence.”  

Well, it’s not just their perspective—it’s the truth.  

“The Academy is inherently  exclusive, so they’ll try to find fault with you. They might even withhold information on purpose.”  

“What if we ask the Prince for help?”  

“Hmm. Do you really think he would obtain reliable information?”  

Not only had she identified that we couldn’t fully trust Princess Katarina, even though she was now an ally, but she also already accounted for it.  

I suddenly felt guilty for thinking of her as just a chūnibyō kid.  

“In that case, do you have a solution in mind?”  

“Well, if you entrust me with intelligence gathering, I’ll do my best, but…”  

Curious if she had come up with an alternative, I cautiously asked her.  

“…Information costs money. And right now, I’ve invested all of the Count’s remaining wealth, so we’re severely short on funds.”  

Even Parsha found our family’s pitiful finances to be a headache.  

“It’ll take time before we see any returns, right?”  

“Yes. Since I invested in long-term gains based on your plans…”  

“Well, that’s not a problem for now.”  

Still, I wasn’t too discouraged.  

Parsha’s specialty was compiling and analyzing intelligence—expecting her to generate more resources on her own would be too much.  

“After all, my next step is to address our biggest weakness—the information gap.”  

Yes, the time had come.  

“Now, let’s prepare to head out.”  

“Right now?”  

“Yes, we have somewhere to be.”  

Not just for intelligence related to this operation, but also information on future black mages, Meredia’s curse, my strange white magic…  

And all the other challenges ahead.  

“For reference, our destination is the outskirts of the Empire—the heart of the underworld.”  

The final missing piece of my dream team.  

“There’s someone we need to find there.”  

It’s time to meet the player’s informant—Bergen.

***

A Few Hours Later, in the Imperial Underworld  

‘So, we finally arrived, but…’  

After stepping off the carriage and walking quite a distance, I found myself in the underworld district once again—my second time here since securing Runiel.  

Looking around at the familiar yet sinister streets, I let out a dry chuckle, followed by a sigh.  

‘As expected, this is going to be tough.’  

Unlike Parsha, whom I only managed to secure by using the “Alfred Chance,” Bergen’s whereabouts were relatively clear.  

The problem was that there were far too many places he could be.  

To put it simply, the entire underworld district was a possible location.  

‘He’s probably wandering around in despair right now, so I guess I should start by checking every bar.’  

After all, in the original game, the first encounter between the player and Bergen happened in a bar, where he was drowning in alcohol and causing trouble during an investigation.  

Thinking about it that way, the search did seem daunting, but at least I had the comfort of knowing that he wouldn’t have left this area.  

If I stayed at a nearby inn for a few days and conducted a thorough search, I should be able to find him before the Talent Selection Tournament began.  

“Hah, this is truly impressive work.”  

“…Ah.”  

“For the young master of the Count’s family to set foot in such a grim place. Are you trying to make this old man file a resignation letter in his twilight years?”  

Just as I was about to start moving, a disgruntled voice beside me made me pause with a wry smile.  

“Haha, Alfred. I’m the one in charge of the household right now.”  

“And that is precisely why you shouldn’t be here.”  

I felt a little guilty for making Alfred accompany us.  

After all, I had knocked some sense into Parsha, who had thrown a fit about coming along, and left her behind to take care of Sasha.  

But honestly, neither Parsha nor Alfred—who was nearing retirement—should be in a dangerous place like this.  

“At least Runiel is with us, so we have some level of safety guaranteed. Right?”  

“Though I’m not as strong as before, I can still wield aura to some extent, so there should be no problem.”  

Really, if I hadn’t secured Runiel in advance, this whole trip would have felt hopeless.  

Even though the mana circuit engraving on her soul wasn’t completely finished, she was already radiating sword energy.  

If I were a swordsman myself, I might have felt a serious sense of inferiority.  

“But you must not underestimate the underworld. Anything can happen here—”  

—Grandpa! That’s why I told you I should go instead!  

“Be quiet, child. You won’t set foot in this place as long as I’m alive.”  

Just as Alfred was about to lecture us further, Parsha’s voice suddenly rang out from the communication crystal in his hand, making him frown.  

—Tsk… after you’re dead?  

“Clicking your tongue at me already? You’ve been learning all the wrong things.”  

Since finding Bergen would require an all-out effort, I had substituted Parsha’s eyes and ears with that ridiculously expensive communication crystal—one that cost as much as three months’ worth of our household’s budget.  

I could only pray that Alfred wouldn’t get into trouble while holding it.  

“Alfred, please stay close to me and Runiel at all times, okay?”  

“…I may be old, but I can take care of myself.”  

“Haha. You have a great sense of humor.”  

Despite my insistence, he remained indifferent, simply shaking his head.  

“So, where to first?”  

“Hmm, let’s check out that shop over there.”  

Though I was slightly uneasy, I figured that as long as Runiel and I remained alert, there wouldn’t be any major issues.  

However—  

“Ah, but the people standing in front of it look…”  

I hesitated as I noticed two burly men standing guard at the entrance, their menacing presence impossible to ignore.  

“If they’re in the way, I’ll handle them.”  

“Mm.”  

Runiel’s offer was reassuring. If she stepped forward, we could certainly get inside.  

But—  

“Are you planning to cause a commotion as soon as we arrive?”  

Alfred had a point. Drawing attention too early could complicate things.  

‘But avoiding every place with guards would also be tricky…’  

Given the nature of the underworld, most establishments had some form of security.  

I was deep in thought, contemplating my next move when—  

“You two stay here.”  

“…Huh?”  

“I’ll go have a word with them.”  

With a quiet sigh, Alfred handed me the communication crystal and stepped forward.  

“Wait, Alfred—”  

Naturally, I panicked and tried to stop him.  

There was no way this old man could talk his way past those guards without endangering himself.  

However—  

“Master.”  

Runiel, looking just as startled as I was, spoke up.  

“I think… he’ll be fine.”  

“…What?”  

Her words alone were enough to freeze me in place.  

“I believe Alfred can persuade them.”  

It wasn’t that I was convinced by her reasoning.  

Rather, I was too dumbfounded to respond.  

*****  

“Hey, you two.”  

“…Huh?”  

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the shop, the guards wore expressions just as baffled as Whitney’s.  

“Move aside. I wish to enter.”  

A robed old man with stark white hair had just made the bold declaration.  

The two guards exchanged looks, then burst into laughter.  

“Pfft. What the hell is this old man saying?”  

“Listen, grandpa. If you don’t want to end up in a coffin tonight, I suggest you turn around and—”  

Given the brutal nature of the underworld, where dead bodies turned up in alleyways almost daily, it was only natural that they responded with hostility.  

However—  

“It seems you don’t understand, so I’ll say it one last time.”  

As the old man pulled back his hood, his gray eyes glowed ominously.  

“If you value those pitiful little lives of yours, I suggest you move. Now.”  

In that instant, the two men, their large frames suddenly feeling insignificant, went pale.  

Then, without hesitation, they stepped aside.  

“Hmm, young master. They’ve agreed to let us through after a little chat.”  

“…Seriously?”  

And just a few minutes later—  

“Haha, I must say, it’s nice how well-mannered today’s youth are.”  

The news that the retired godfather of the underworld had returned began to shake the outer districts to their core.  

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