Ch.63I got a puppy!

# 1.

Lactea was contemplating.

“How dare you!! How dare you behead the Calamity of Wicked Mischief, you’ll be punished by heaven!!”

“…That certainly woke me up.”

How should she deal with these two idiots?

Of course, slicing someone’s neck before even having a conversation was wrong, but she couldn’t help it.

After all,

‘They’re unnecessarily strong.’

If all three had attacked at once, either they or she would have died.

Fortunately, thanks to concealing her strength, the opponent had let their guard down. Now that she had sliced one and gained the upper hand, there wasn’t much danger.

So, suppressing her anger, she asked the two Calamities who had taken battle stances.

“Why are you here?”

“Ha!! You think we’ll answer just because you ask!?”

Lactea’s hand swung again.

Slash.

Thud.

The head of the Calamity of Misguided Faith rolled to the feet of the Calamity of Whispering Slumber.

“…That really woke me up.”

“Your reason.”

“We received orders from above to eliminate the Saint protected by the Black Wolf. Due to restrictions, I cannot speak in detail about our organization, but if you spare me, I’ll tell you everything I know. For the record, I tried to stop the Calamity of Wicked Mischief when he was mouthing off to you.”

Information poured out as he lay flat on the ground, as if he’d been waiting to be asked.

“…I see.”

Somehow feeling sorry about killing him, Lactea sheathed her sword and called for Luna.

Luna, who had just finished training with the idler, came running like a cheerful puppy.

“…Ugh.”

She stopped in front of the carnage Lactea had created, grimacing as she asked.

“Sister…? What is this so early in the morning…?”

“We’re about to find out.”

“Ah, so that’s why you called me?”

Her emerald eyes curved gently.

The moment he faced those eyes, the Calamity of Whispering Slumber, a low-ranking elder of Eclipse, realized.

‘The Calamity of December was wrong.’

It wasn’t just the idler, the former general, who was exceptionally strong…

‘…All of them are monsters beyond approach.’

Just the members visible now seemed to match the upper elders in strength, so how powerful must the leader, the Black Wolf, be…?

The Calamity of Whispering Slumber shook off the creeping chill and immediately bowed his head.

“Please spare me. If you let me live, I’ll cooperate fully. No, I’ll submit like a dog and serve you for life.”

“Yes! Let’s do that!”

“…What?”

Soon, the Black Wolf members would learn about the existence of Eclipse.

“…? A dog speaking human language?”

“…Woof.”

It was an event of one early dawn.

# 2.

A few days later at the Hallorand Ducal Estate.

The territory was so developed and close to the Babylonian Islands that it was hard to tell where the islands ended and the duchy began.

Nahan, who had accepted Asha’s request, looked at Duke Hallorand before him and wondered.

‘Is he really the mastermind?’

Since his possession, Nahan had eliminated many corrupt nobles and learned to recognize their distinctive behaviors.

Among them were openly bad ones,

Those who pretended to be good but were bad,

And even ambiguous ones, but,

“Thank you for your hard work preparing refreshments.”

“My lord…! I’ve told you not to be so humble in front of guests…!”

“Oh my. Thank you for your advice.”

“There you go again…”

This man was simply a good person.

He seemed to be hiding something, but his inherent goodness was apparent.

“Anyway…! We’ll discuss this after the guests leave, my lord…!”

“Alright, keep up the good work.”

Both his experience from his previous life and his current one denied that this man was a villain.

However,

【Bad Ending 8 – “Death of the Hero” is set upon the world’s fate.】

【Bad Ending 9 – “Death of the Emperor” is set upon the world’s fate.】

【Bad Ending 10 – “Collapse of Light” is set upon the world’s fate.】

【Bad Ending 11 – “Mastermind – Duke Hallorand” is set upon the world’s fate.】

【Bad Ending 12 – “Emergence of Eclipse” is set upon the world’s fate.】

Since the system window never lied.

‘…Let’s observe for now.’

Nahan pretended to be “Ian Red” and looked at him nonchalantly.

“Well, I’m embarrassed to be scolded in front of such distinguished guests.”

“Not at all. It showed us what a good person you are, Duke.”

“I’m humbled by your kind words, Father.”

Hallorand offered refreshments prepared by the maid with a friendly smile.

“Anyway, as you’ve been briefed, this matter is truly important.”

“I imagine so. After all, lives are at stake.”

“No. While I would gladly sacrifice this insignificant life hundreds of times for the Empire… this matter is different.”

The Emperor’s purge list.

An assassination list containing the names of the anti-imperial faction, including Duke Hallorand.

According to additional explanation, those on the list were not only checks on the Emperor but also mostly pillars supporting the Empire.

With Count Gardner also on the list, Duke Hallorand argued that the Empire would be greatly shaken if the purge succeeded.

‘He’s honestly right.’

If the purge succeeded, power would concentrate at a single point, and the Empire’s security, defense, and frontlines would all collapse.

If Reina Babylonia quickly replenished personnel, it wouldn’t be a problem, but,

“His Majesty has… lost his vigor, manipulated by sycophants. Even if the purge succeeds, he’ll be dancing to their tune. So we must prevent it at all costs.”

For this reason, his goal was to thwart the assassination attempt and maintain the checks and balances.

Therefore, Nahan’s assigned task was to monitor the nobles’ life and death using his first ability (or not) and relay information quickly.

If someone died, they would swiftly raid the scene, take the assassins hostage, and pressure them to stop the Emperor’s purge.

“So, I humbly request your assistance.”

Various personal items in an ornate wooden box that looked expensive at a glance.

‘I could buy a small mansion if I sold these?’

He couldn’t help but salivate, but he suppressed it and checked the names written on the back.

-Duke Hallorand.

-Margrave Teheran Gardner.

-Baron Halbert.

.

.

.

While methodically going through the list and items,

-Viscount Richmond.

A familiar name caught his eye, and Asha, who had been quietly standing nearby, approached as Nahan’s expression crumpled.

“Father? Are, are you alright? Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked this of you…!”

“No, it’s not that…”

…Click.

Nahan picked up the high-quality handkerchief with Richmond’s name on it and muttered.

“Ah… this person has passed away.”

“What!? Viscount Richmond?!”

“Yes.”

Because…

.

.

.

“Doggy, is this the one?”

“Woof!”

“Are you sure? The human trafficker who captured children for Eclipse.”

“Woof!”

“Okay! Then bite him!”

He was a real bastard, that one.

# 3.

Time rewinds to a little earlier.

As usual, while the “Black Wolves” were conducting their “Trash Cleanup,” after capturing the “Calamity of Whispering Slumber”…

“Doggy! Paw!”

“Woof!”

…correction.

After Luna’s strong insistence on keeping a “doggy,” they accelerated their cleanup.

“As the captain said today, Hanryang and I will check on ‘Light,’ Bedro and the youngest will monitor the imperial palace, and Luna will take that thing and continue the cleanup.”

“Okay, sister! But wouldn’t it be better if we all went together and crushed them at once?”

“I told you. It’s the captain’s orders. Don’t question it and get going.”

“Okay, sister!”

A guerrilla warfare approach of hit-and-run, slightly different from before.

As Luna suggested, wiping them out in one go would have been an option, but Nahan had advised against it.

The organization called Eclipse, which Doggy had confessed about days ago, was larger than imagined.

Not only were they hidden throughout the Empire, but the elders’ strength was also unknown.

Moreover, there were many people knowingly or unknowingly involved with them.

So Nahan compiled a list based on the truly vile individuals and those who could provide additional information about Eclipse.

“…What do you want?”

“Do you know about Eclipse?”

“…No.”

“Then you’re useless.”

“Woof!”

“You crazy—at least ask twice before—!!”

Crunch!

Viscount Richmond was just one of them.

Kidnapping,

Human trafficking,

Organ harvesting, and more.

He had committed only the crimes Luna particularly hated, so he died without a chance to explain.

Like with Viscount Gospel before, killing an important figure in advance might change the future, but Nahan had no regrets.

‘He deserved it.’

There was no benefit in keeping irredeemable villains alive.

However,

“…Who died?”

“Well…”

“Never mind. I’ll confirm it with my own eyes.”

【Warning.】

【The anger of Grand Sage – <Marine Blue(SS+)> has exceeded the threshold.】

【High-level magic – <Small-scale Spatial Movement(SS+)> is activating.】

“Oh dear, we’ve been caught, Doggy?”

“…Please, I beg you, spare me. I’m really not involved.”

“Oh really?”

This was unexpected.