Ch.3The Emperor’s Request

# 1.

Mercenary Union,

Branch Manager of the Babelonia Branch.

“You want a request?”

A woman who always maintains a dignified attitude, with the skills and power to match.

“P-Please, Miss Red!!”

“Get lost. How dare a B-rank nobody give me orders?”

“I-I’m sorry!! I’ve only worked around the islands and this is my first time here, so I didn’t know!!”

Even B-rank mercenary groups with decent reputations around the islands had to be careful to receive good requests, and the same applied to me.

“Miss Red. May I ask if there are any better requests available than this one?”

“Just take what you’re given, will you?”

“Well, of course I would, but I was wondering if there might be something even lower than this.”

“What…? Lower, not higher? That’s already a D-rank request.”

Even though I’m possessing a mercenary’s body, my brain remains the same!

“I’m scared.”

“?”

“I don’t like fighting.”

Moving alone without my team members knowing, I was so weak that I could barely handle E-rank or F-rank requests by myself.

Anyway, until now, ‘Ruby Red’ had been someone I needed to revere, someone who provided me with both work and money, but…

“It’s all ruined because of the Captain…!! We need those nobles to cover the cleanup costs for the ‘Black Wolf’ sob.”

Suddenly they’re calling me Captain.

“Given the situation, you’ll have to accept ‘that request’ you refused before!!”

“…That request?”

What request?

When I pretended to know and asked back, Ruby Red quickly nodded and added:

“The mission His Imperial Majesty specifically assigned to you, Captain…!! You kept it secret back then, saying the members would cause an uproar if they knew…!”

Emperor?

Could it be the one from the <Babylonia> spoilers…

*The Emperor is about to get his head cut off at a buffet when some idiot bastards (probably the masterminds?) interfere. Kill all those bastards, kill the Emperor too, fuck it just kill everyone and end it.*

That Emperor who’s about to get beheaded soon?

I was too shocked to speak.

“Anyway, since you handled this request too excessively, Captain, this is what happened, so you absolutely must do that one with me!! Understood!?”

…Let’s stay calm for now.

Ruby Red might have noticed that I’m possessing this body and is trying to test me.

“You, are you really Nahan?”

She’s a frightening woman whose thoughts are as impossible to read as Lactea’s.

‘First, I need to confirm two things.’

First, whether <Ruby Red> is really a member of the <Black Wolf> mercenary group.

Second, if she is a member, why she suddenly came looking for me claiming I ruined a request.

After finishing my thoughts, I mentally called up the information on the <Black Wolf> mercenary group.

【<Black Wolf Mercenary Group>】

-Aliases: Incompetent Mercenary Group (temporary), Garbage Collection (temporary), Mercenary Kindergarten (temporary)

-Rank: D (temporary)

-Members

◆Captain: <Nahan – ???>

◆Vice Captain: <Lactea – White Sword Ghost>

◆No1. <???>

◆No2. <???>

◆No3. <Hanryang – Tal>

◆No4. <Luna – Persona>

◆No5. <???>

◆No6. <Ruby Red – ???> (New!)

The name <Ruby Red> that appeared in what was originally a blank space.

The system can’t lie, so it’s true that she belongs to <Black Wolf>.

Then next,

“Wait a moment. What do you mean I ruined the request? I don’t understand.”

“What?!”

Establish my attitude first, then probe.

As I said before, even though I’m possessing a mercenary’s body, my brain remains the same.

For someone like me who’s spent my whole life reading the room, nothing is easier than hiding myself while extracting information from others.

“I’d rather ask you the opposite. Why was I given such a request in the first place?”

“But Captain…!!”

“There’s a limit to stupidity. Openly giving an A-rank request to Black Wolf, a D-rank mercenary group.”

“That’s…!!”

“Enough. I don’t want to hear it.”

I got up from the dining chair and slowly approached Ruby Red.

<Nahan>, the mercenary captain of <Black Wolf> whom I’ve possessed, was a man who exuded an indescribably intimidating aura.

Outside, he might be the captain of an incompetent mercenary group, but at least within <Black Wolf>…

“Anyway, I ordered the Vice Captain to handle it, and the request was about to be canceled.”

“C-Captain. W-wait…!!”

“Shut your mouth and answer my question first. Why are you causing a commotion by coming all the way here?”

He was a captain with enough charisma to make his members fear him.

“Ruby Red. Do I need to be disappointed one more time before you decide to answer?”

Thud.

Ruby Red, who had retreated until her back was against the wall, hurriedly lowered her gaze.

“…I’m sorry, Captain.”

That’s right.

As I expected, Ruby Red also cowered in fear like the other members.

‘…What did this Nahan guy do to make everyone so afraid of him?’

Putting aside the question that came to mind, I stepped back from the cowering Ruby Red.

“Anything else to say?”

“No, Captain.”

Good.

The situation is resolved.

Now if I just wrap this up well…

“Thank you for everything until now.”

“Hmm?”

The next moment.

Shing.

Ruby Red pulled out a familiar-looking dagger from inside her clothes.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already written my will. I’ve arranged for Pedro to take over my role when I’m gone.”

“…Pedro?”

“He’s infiltrating the church, but he’ll come running whenever you need him, Captain.”

She had already returned to the cold expression of the Mercenary Union branch manager and spoke coldly.

“I’ll pay for my sins against you, Captain, with my life.”

A familiar routine.

‘I suspected it, but she’s doing this too!!’

I hurriedly reached out and grabbed Ruby Red’s wrist as she tried to kill herself.

“…Captain?”

Again.

The <Black Wolf> members would try to commit suicide if I pushed them even a little. While they normally followed me without a hint of doubt, when I tried to stop them from killing themselves like this…

“…?”

They would give me suspicious looks like now.

As if they were certain that <Nahan> would never stop them.

Even for just a D-rank mercenary, they were like monsters to someone like me who had lived an ordinary life, and at times like this, I really thought they might die, but…

“I should give you a chance to make amends. It’s too troublesome to recruit a new member.”

“…!”

Even with such a half-hearted excuse,

“Th-Thank you, Captain!! I will never disappoint you with this new life you’ve given me!!”

She prostrated herself on the ground and pledged her loyalty again as if she had never doubted me, so staying with <Black Wolf> was safer than leaving.

Anyway, after initially sorting out the situation, I reached out to Ruby Red.

“Alright, get up.”

“What…? Oh, yes! Yes, Captain!!”

After helping Ruby Red to her feet, I thought for a moment before speaking.

“Since we’re here, I thought we might have a conversation we couldn’t have before.”

“Yes, Captain!! I’ll answer anything!!”

“Good, that’s how it should be. First…”

Looking around and realizing that no other members were present, I whispered:

“That request the Emperor personally assigned to me. I’d like to hear more details.”

“Oh! Come to think of it, you were with the Vice Captain then, so I only gave you a hint.”

Since preventing all bad endings and saving the <Emperor> and the <Hero> are also conditions…

It was the right decision to gather any information I could get.

‘Of course, I’ll refuse after hearing it.’

My goal is just to stay alive until all the bad endings are prevented.

I don’t intend to go around solving incidents just because I’ve possessed someone, unlike protagonists in other novels.

But a moment later.

“The request His Imperial Majesty originally asked of you, Captain, was just one thing: to assassinate Baron Gapelt, the Golden Merchant.”

As Ruby Red whispered quietly and handed me a black request form, a deep blue system window appeared with a pale light spreading across it.

─『Sub-Quest Generated!』─

◆ Gold Stained with Blood.

: Assassinate <The Golden Merchant – Baron Gapelt> to secure the Emperor’s secret funds!

◆ Completion Conditions.

: Limited to 1 <Black Wolf> member accompaniment, rescue the <Nun> trapped in the underground chamber before she <Turns Dark>. Complete all conditions before dawn tomorrow.

◆ Reward.

: The complete contents of <Babylonia> will be granted to the savior – <Nahan>!

◆ Upon Failure & Rejection:

: Bad Ending <4. Black Wolf> occurs, existence of the savior – <Nahan> is erased.

“…”

“Captain?”

“…I’m thinking.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

I had no choice but to accept the request Ruby Red handed me.

‘Until sunrise tomorrow…’

After assessing the situation, I took Ruby Red’s hand and stood up.

“Let’s go.”

“R-Right now!?”

“We’ll handle it before dawn tomorrow. Just you and me, before the other members notice.”

“…I understand. I’ll follow you.”

Right now, I’m just a C-rank mercenary.

And not just that—I’m an ordinary person who spent my whole life in peaceful South Korea, only one month into this possession.

‘Can I do this?’

My hands were already trembling and my heart was racing, but I quickly pulled myself together.

‘I absolutely must succeed.’

Because if I don’t, I’ll die.

So I’ll just handle this somehow, and then…

‘I’ll spend the rest of my time here lazing around properly.’

# 2.

Several hours later.

In the basement of a mansion so large and magnificent it could easily belong to a marquis or duke.

A girl was kneeling in a cell with her hands clasped together, sobbing.

“…Goddess of Light, Aria. Why do you subject me to such trials?”

Even though one is born a sinner and must cleanse those sins throughout life…

“You push me into hell without even giving me time to cleanse myself, so what am I supposed to…”

“Hey, stop praying and come out. She won’t listen anyway.”

“W-Wait!!”

The girl’s prayer was cut short as a soldier barged in and dragged her out.

“What you’re doing is a sin!!”

“Yeah, sorry for sinning, but stop resisting and let’s make this easy.”

“Eek…!! Let go of me!!”

“Argh! This damn girl, seriously!!”

SMACK!

As a brutal fist swung, the fragile girl collapsed, clutching her stomach.

“Fuck, you came here voluntarily for money, so why do you keep acting up?!”

“Kuhup…! You clearly said it was a maid position…!!”

“Yes, yes. Take that up with the Baron directly, and if you bite me one more time, I’ll knock out all your teeth, so think carefully.”

Grab.

The soldier picked up the girl like an object and carried her through the basement toward the light.

The girl thought.

That wasn’t the light of the Goddess, but the golden radiance possessed by Baron Gapelt.

How many people had she watched die, seduced by that false light?

‘So I must never break.’

Somehow she would seize an opportunity to escape this place and flee the Babylonian Empire with the orphanage people, seeking asylum anywhere else.

But the girl knew.

“I hope the Sister lives a bit longer. The Baron enjoys playing in such a messy way that it’s disgusting to clean up the bodies each time.”

That possibility was almost non-existent.

But that was okay.

Even if she died, at least the orphanage people would live peaceful lives.

So please,

Let them know nothing.

Just as the girl was about to gently clasp her hands for a final prayer…

“Oh right, I almost forgot. The Baron told me to show you this before bringing you to him.”

THUD!

The soldier roughly put the girl down and took something out of his pocket to hand to her.

A crude bracelet,

A half-burned handkerchief,

A bent symbol of Aria.

All of them blackened with soot.

“Huh…?”

As the girl held these items and looked up, the soldier grinned and added briefly:

“The orphanage. All killed and burned.”

“Ah, aah…”

“A soldier friend of mine just started a mercenary group. Something called Black… what was it? Anyway, those guys do good work.”

Clatter.

The last thing the soldier pulled out was the bracelet the orphanage director used to wear.

“The Baron wants you to have this. Said to send you in with all those things dangling on you.”

With those final words,

“AAAAH…!!!”

【WARNING!】

【Due to the forced awakening of the <Holy Maiden>, Bad Ending – <4. Black Wolf> is being set up.】

Just as the girl’s consciousness was about to fade.

“Peekaboo.”

SPLAT!!

“Guh…!!”

Hundreds of red spears erupted from the body of the soldier holding the girl.

But the soldier didn’t die.

Or more precisely,

“Kyahah. Look at him.”

“…!!”

He couldn’t die.

“Want to live?”

“…!!”

“Sorry, not possible. Puhah!”

As the man stood frozen, unable even to scream, a woman with eyes filled with madness approached and covered her mouth with her blood-stained hand in surprise.

“Huh…? Don’t you know me? I think I saw you with the <Black Tooth> mercenary group before.”

“…!!?”

“That’s right!! Nice to see you?! I’m glad to see you too!!”

The red-haired woman shook hands with the man who had become her artwork, then…

“Oh right. Look at me.”

She came to her senses and waved her hand with a bright expression as she turned her head.

“I saved her, Captain!”

Simultaneously, a dark man appeared.

Pitch-black hair.

Black eyes gleaming ominously beneath.

A shadowed expression.

Even the girl, who had been angry enough to lose consciousness, involuntarily trembled at his appearance.

The soldier who had become a living corpse,

The red woman giggling,

The underground chamber with only dim light, and the man who was particularly dark even there.

Though she had prayed to the Goddess of Light all her life, why did the answer come from darkness?

As darkness like light bloomed in the girl’s heart, the man who blended naturally into such a terrible scene muttered with an expressionless face:

“…Safe.”

I almost failed before even starting.

Anyway,

“Did you come alone?”

“…What?”

Holy Maiden rescue successful.