Ch.54Originally That Kind of Person

# 1.

“From this moment on, <Black Wolf> will attack the Aria Main School and assassinate five individuals.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The moment Nahan declared this before Hanryang, Luna, and Lactea at their hideout,

An elderly man who had been concealed in the back sighed and revealed himself.

“I apologize, Commander. But please reconsider this order.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the eyes of the three members, excluding Dallan, flashed with cold fury.

“That’s the Commander’s… order.”

“Get your head straight, old man.”

Hanryang and Luna sharpened their blades as if ready to attack Dallan immediately, while Lactea, who had already placed her sword against his neck, uttered just one word.

“Reason.”

Though Nahan was still lacking in many ways, he was certain of what he was witnessing.

‘They really are trying to kill him.’

Luna, who would beam like an excited puppy whenever she saw him after being saved,

Hanryang, who would deliberately soften his harsh expression to offer a smile,

Lactea, who would circle around, stealing glances with a flushed face.

“Give your reason. Now.”

They were ready to kill Dallan, their comrade of four years, simply because he questioned Nahan’s order.

‘Well, if they remember the moment they were saved, their absolute loyalty to Black Wolf isn’t incomprehensible, but still…’

Watching the silent Dallan and the murderous Lactea, Nahan finally stepped forward, pushing her hand away as he spoke.

“Enough.”

“But Commander…!!”

“Lactea. Do you also intend to question my orders?”

“…!! That’s…”

Lactea was flustered, as expected.

While she hesitated, Nahan naturally seized the opening and briefly asked Dallan, who remained steadfast even with a blade at his throat.

“Your reason?”

Dragon Dallan.

The 10th of the continent’s 10 strongest and the eldest member of <Black Wolf>—if he opposed, he must have his reasons.

Sure enough,

Just as Nahan had anticipated, Dallan immediately knelt on one knee and answered.

“I believe one of our members will certainly lose their life during this operation.”

“Why?”

“…If the Commander permits, I dare speak of our <Black Wolf>’s weakness.”

His blue eyes shone calmly.

However, having recently learned about the past of the <Black Wolf> members, Nahan had expected this.

‘When Black Wolf brought Dallan in, he asked him to prevent the same casualties as during the <Rose> incident.’

Recalling their first meeting, Nahan nodded to Dallan.

Of course, Lactea twisted her wrist as if ready to strike him down at any moment.

“Weakness? You dare speak of the Commander’s <Black Wolf> that way?”

“Enough.”

“…Yes, Commander.”

Restrained by Nahan’s brief command, Dallan slowly began to speak.

“All of us Black Wolf members are bound by contract due to the Commander’s grace. However, because of this, we cannot fully utilize our original abilities.”

He was right.

All Black Wolf members except Lactea were currently under restrictions.

Despite being comparable to <Light> in skill, they remained around S-rank unless their restrictions were lifted.

“But I suspect the five individuals you mentioned, Commander, are <Demon God Worshippers>. Their combat power rivals that of <Light>.”

This was also correct.

Episode 11 – The Fanatics’ Rebellion.

While Asha was staying at the main school to recruit the <Holy Maiden> as a comrade, she stumbled upon the trail of hidden <Demon God Worshippers>, deduced their identities, and ultimately eliminated them.

These <Demon God Worshippers>’ Phase 2, <Demon God’s Authority> mode, could elevate their rank to a level comparable to <Light>.

“Therefore, the assassination mission you’ve ordered will certainly result in casualties on our side. Remembering the promise you made when you saved me, I’ve taken the liberty to speak so rudely.”

In simpler terms,

‘The current <Black Wolf> is insufficient to face the <Worshippers>, so either lift our restrictions or reconsider.’

As Nahan grasped Dallan’s intention and contemplated an appropriate response, Dallan bit his lip, furrowed his brow, and asked in a murmur.

“Why, Commander?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you proceeding with the operation while disregarding our lives?”

“How dare you!!”

Lactea’s sword was drawn faster than Nahan could answer, but,

-[Now. Three spans in front of the hilt.]

‘Thank you, old man.’

Clang!

Following Ballack Gardner’s whisper, Nahan moved to deflect the tip of her sword.

“Commander!!”

A bewildered Lactea looked at him, unable to decide what to do, but Nahan restrained her with a gesture and answered Dallan.

“Because I can save them.”

“…Pardon, Commander?”

To put it simply, there is only one casualty in that episode.

‘Selena, the Warrior of Exploration.’

Due to certain circumstances, she couldn’t attack the Pope, creating a significant vulnerability.

She dies saving Asha, who was in mortal danger, in an attempt to atone for her mistake.

‘This is a necessary event in the original story.’

By witnessing Selena’s sacrifice, the fallen Holy Maiden is reformed, and Light, having lost a comrade, awakens again and grows stronger.

The Holy Maiden’s reformation triggers Episode 12, which leads to Episode 15, enabling Asha to eliminate <Black Wolf>.

That’s why Nahan had originally planned to intervene around Episode 14.

He intended to follow the <original story> until the very end of Episode 14, then make a different choice at the crucial moment to save both the <Emperor> and the <Warrior>.

The reason was simple.

‘Because it’s safer.’

The earlier he twisted the original flow, the more the known future would change.

The usable information would be greatly reduced, which would be like throwing away the enormous advantage of knowing the <original story>.

But,

-Selena, Luna. You were the only debts in my life that had not a single ray of light.

-So please take care of my daughter.

Seeing the final moments of a woman who had lived a tragic life manipulated by Eclipse,

-…You’ve saved me again. Thank you, Commander. I’ll follow you for life.

Saving a member who had been with him since his possession, who would have perished silently in the original story,

And likewise,

-I love you, Mom.

-Thank you. For trying so hard for me.

Seeing a supporting character whose story never even appeared, he realized everyone could be saved.

And now, Nahan had,

‘The power to save them all.’

Of course, his own strength alone, no matter how much it had grown, was still limited, but,

‘With information about the future, coincidences, the privileges gained as a possessor, and the connections I’ve made, including <Black Wolf> and <Light>.’

It wasn’t impossible to save the <Black Wolf> members as the main scenario, the <Emperor> and <Warrior> as the main quest, and even the supporting characters who would perish nameless.

Of course, choosing to save Selena might make the future more difficult, but,

-Han. Why do you stay by my side? Even my family’s people, even my own family abandoned me, so why do you…!!

-…Because I can.

That was the kind of person Nahan had always been.

Having somehow survived with the help of various people, he had decided to offer whatever help he could give.

“That’s all, Dallan. I’m doing this because I can save more people. There’s no reason as weighty as you might hope. And…”

Above all,

-Helping you won’t significantly derail or ruin my life.

-…What?

-Honestly, if helping you would ruin my life, I wouldn’t help. I’m helping because I can manage it.

-…Pfft. That’s so like you.

No matter how much he helped others, Nahan always ensured his own survival.

“Nothing will endanger you all, who are now more important to me than anything else.”

“…Commander.”

At Nahan’s firm declaration, Dallan’s narrowed eyes widened.

And not just Dallan.

“…As expected, only the Commander.”

“Indeed… Commander.”

“…Huh.”

Luna, Hanryang, and Lactea also relaxed their expressions as if they had never been angry, their eyes sparkling as they looked at Nahan.

‘…Why are they all squirming like that?’

Still uncomfortable with their expectations, Nahan hastily turned his gaze to Ruby, who had somehow appeared behind Dallan.

“Are the preparations ready?”

“Yes, Commander.”

As mentioned earlier, Nahan always ensured his own survival.

“That guy, can we trust him?”

“Of course! He may seem crazy, but he’s still a <Black Wolf>!”

Well, you’re all strange anyway.

Nodding at Ruby’s words, Nahan pulled out the mask from his waist, put it on, and turned his gaze.

“Anyway, Dallan, I was thinking of explaining the details on our way to Aria Main School.”

“…Yes, Commander.”

After this much explanation, Dallan nodded in agreement and stood up.

‘Oh right. Lactea.’

Concerned that Lactea might intervene, Nahan patted Dallan’s shoulder and added,

“Thank you for keeping the promise of ‘honest counsel’ you made at our first meeting, Dallan.”

“Not at all, Commander. …I should be the one thanking you for remembering.”

Only then did Lactea’s eyes soften.

‘…She really was going to kill him.’

Finally addressing the most blindly loyal among his members, Nahan opened the hideout door and quickly listed five names.

“Luna will take the High Priest of Radiance, Dallan the High Priest of Silence, Ruby the High Priest of Compassion, Hanryang the High Priest of Love. And…”

…Gulp.

Unconsciously swallowing, Nahan naturally added one more line.

“Member Number 1, Pedro. I order him to take the life of the Pope of Faith, Felix von Arendal. All operations are to be conducted in secret. No noise will be tolerated.”

The next moment.

“Yes, Commander.”

Everyone except Pedro, who wasn’t present, vanished in the blink of an eye.

# 2.

Aria Main School.

With high outer walls reminiscent of the Gardner Barrier and brilliant, pure white interior buildings.

In one of the main buildings, the confessional, a counseling session was in progress.

“When I was young…”

The counselee was confessing his sins of neglect and evasion from his childhood.

After pouring out all his inner thoughts for quite some time, he looked beyond the confessional and asked with a voice like he was vomiting his words.

“Can… can someone like me, such trash, also be saved?”

Guilt,

A sobbing voice,

More guilt.

To that voice mixed with self-reproach and lamentation, the intermediate priest across from him briefly replied.

“It seems salvation is coming here in person.”

“…Pardon?”

“The Commander is coming, I said.”

The next moment.

Crack!

A snow-white hand burst through the opaque middle wall, striking the confessor’s neck and knocking him unconscious in one blow.

“Let’s go together. To receive salvation from the Commander.”

With an inappropriate, sinister smile that seemed to tear at the edges, the man leaped through the broken roof and shouted.

“The one true god Black Wolf has personally descended to punish the false believers!!!”

The Black Wolf’s attack on the main school,

“B-Black Wolf!! The Black Wolf is attacking!”

“All church members, rise and take up your spears!!”

“Stop them!! Someone report to the security forces!!!”

This was the story of an early dawn.

# 3.

At dawn, their identity was exposed before they could even begin the attack, due to someone’s shout.

“Ruby. What did I say?”

“…All operations are to be conducted in secret. No noise will be tolerated…”

“What’s with that guy? He doesn’t just seem crazy, he actually is crazy.”

“…I apologize, Commander.”

Whether it’s Light or Black Wolf,

“Intermediate Priest Pedro?”

“Ah, perfect timing. Do you believe in God?”

“…Do you mean Goddess Aria?”

“Aaaah…!!! Such blasphemy!!! The only true god is Black Wolf, brother!!!”

“…Pardon?”

“Atonement Punch!!!”

Bwack!!!

“Gahk!”

“Aaaah, this is ‘atonement,’ brother.”

“…Ah. My head hurts.”

There’s not a single normal person among them.