Ch.71What a complicated world it is.

# 1.

Yesterday, dawn.

After finishing his conversation with the Emperor, Nahan headed first to Duke Hallorand’s mansion.

As if he had already been briefed by Gwangmyeong, Duke Hallorand calmly asked, “I heard from the heroes. You must leave due to a revelation from the Goddess?”

“That’s correct.”

Despite this being an unacceptable situation where a contract was being unilaterally broken, Duke Hallorand offered his hand with a faint smile.

“Thank you for your help all this time.”

“Not at all. I should be the one thanking you for understanding with such generosity, especially when I’m leaving so suddenly.”

“Whatever the circumstances, nothing could be more important than the Goddess’s will, could it?”

His kind and courteous demeanor didn’t resemble a villain in the slightest.

‘…Could the original story have been twisted?’

Suppressing the thought that naturally arose, Nahan quietly left the duke’s territory.

The next step was returning to the island.

“Since I’m the leader of Gwangmyeong, I’ll go to the island with the Priest.”

“No. I know the fastest route best, as I specialize in exploration.”

“What? I can just open a portal!”

“I’ll carry you there myself!!!”

The heroes crowded around noisily.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Nahan reached out and grabbed the small blue woman.

“I request your assistance, Great Sage.”

“Heheh. Did everyone see that?”

It was Marine Blue, smirking as she looked at the other heroes.

【High-level Magic – <Long-distance Teleport (SS+)> is activated!】

After returning to the center of the island, he had a brief date with Marine.

For reference, the name “date” was attached to what was just a short walk and snacking because,

“Is this really a date?”

“Ahaha…”

“Don’t laugh. Should I tell Asha and Selena we went on a date?”

It was due to Marine’s one-sided insistence.

“You absolutely must!! Call it a date!?”

“Alright, take care on your way back.”

“Hehe! This is already fun.”

With the oddly delighted Marine as the last interaction, the Hallorand request was completed.

Of course, Gwangmyeong would stay a few more days to protect the people on Hallorand’s list, but ‘Ian Red’s’ mission was completely finished.

Which meant,

‘I can move more freely now, away from Gwangmyeong’s watchful eyes.’

For some reason, Ian Red had monopolized Gwangmyeong’s attention, and they would all get up to follow him even when he just went to the bathroom.

‘…I can finally breathe a little easier.’

Nahan immediately set off.

His destination was the cabin in the deep blue forest where <Yellow Dragon>’s equipment had been hidden.

Arriving at the barrier and stepping inside, the barrier that he had instructed Dalan to reinstall parted like a silk curtain.

Simultaneously, someone caught his eye.

“……”

Though he had expected no one to be there.

Immediately focusing on the Black Wolf, Nahan approached the mound beside the cabin and spoke.

“It’s barely noon, yet seeing you resting here already, I assume today’s gossip at the mercenary union was less than usual.”

Only then did Dalan’s sad eyes, which had been gazing at the grave, soften into a smile.

“That’s because on your orders, the rampaging black wolf has disappeared without a trace.”

“So, are you protesting to me that you’re bored and want to run wild?”

“Haha. I can’t deny that.”

Dalan chuckled, rose from his spot, and bowed his head toward Nahan.

“You’ve arrived, Commander.”

“As you can see.”

A hand of encouragement landed on his shoulder with a soft pat.

“……”

It was a warmth that couldn’t be felt from the previous commander, but since he had begun to change recently, Dalan accepted it naturally and asked,

“Did you complete your task successfully?”

A casually tossed question.

“Smoothly. By the way.”

However, the next order that followed his answer,

“From now on, our Black Wolf will undertake a major purge.”

Was nothing short of brutal.

“I’ve compiled a list. After verifying the facts, if they’re proven to be villains, kill them.”

His voice was infinitely casual and light, as if suggesting a walk around the neighborhood.

Despite the horrific content contrasting with his light tone, Dalan immediately nodded.

That was their relationship.

It was a simple matter—when the Commander spoke, he merely had to follow.

“Take it.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The paper Nahan handed over contained the names of nobles written in neat handwriting.

‘At least twenty, I’d say.’

Just as Dalan finished counting a total of twenty-four, Nahan asked again.

“Investigation period. How much time do you need?”

To determine if the people on the list were truly villains, what evil deeds they had committed if so, and how to kill them if they deserved death.

After calculating in his head, Dalan bowed again and reported.

“Four days should be sufficient.”

“I’ll give you three.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Normally he would have given a generous week, but with the Emperor possibly dying, every hour was crucial.

“Then I’ll get moving right away.”

“Wait.”

Nahan stopped Dalan as he was about to turn away, pulling out the Yellow Dragon’s armor from his spatial storage and adding,

“Investigate Duke Hallorand as well.”

A name not on the list.

‘Why him, the Emperor’s only counterbalance?’

Though questions arose in Dalan’s mind, he swallowed them without showing it and bowed his head.

“Information gathering with Ruby. Send Bedro and Yuria for infiltration. Have Lactea on standby for immediate response.”

“Yes, Commander. What should I assign to Luna and Hanryang?”

Dalan asked calmly.

Nahan pondered for a moment.

‘After observing Duke Hallorand’s territory and Gwangmyeong, their strength was beyond what I expected.’

Especially Eclipse, its leader <The Calamity of Doom that Eclipses the Sun>, whom he had discovered might be on par with himself.

‘We need to strengthen our forces as well.’

Having realized through the main scenario – <Those Who Could Not Be Saved> that saving members of <Black Wolf> would raise their rank.

While preventing this bad ending and saving Dalan and Ruby at the same time…

“Tell Hanryang and Luna that we need to bring back Member No. 2, Casler.”

Make the Black Wolf complete.

“Yes, Commander.”

Dalan, receiving orders for all members, bowed deeply before turning away.

Normally he would have disappeared immediately after saying farewell, but not today.

Step, step, step.

Reaching the cabin with quiet footsteps, Dalan whispered to the small grave.

“…I’ll be back, Rose.”

Dalan the Bizarre Dragon.

The usually energetic man caressed the tombstone with a tender touch before finally pulling away.

It was,

-Dalan, what did you truly love?

A sorrowful lingering of farewell known only to Nahan and Dalan in this world.

By the time Nahan pretended not to see and turned his head, Dalan had already left.

Only then did Nahan mutter with a sigh.

“What sorrowful lives they lead.”

Although the difficulty had decreased due to his possession and intervention, that was limited only to the present and future.

The past that the Black Wolf members,

And other characters like Gwangmyeong and the Emperor had experienced remained unchanged.

So Nahan pondered.

No matter how much he strived for <Salvation>, it was still an irreversible past.

It wasn’t about bringing back the dead or erasing what had happened, but rather like a conversation to let go of remaining <regrets>.

Perhaps this was,

‘Not letting go of regrets, but rather revisiting painful memories.’

Of course,

‘If I were given the chance to speak with my brother and my only friend.’

Maybe I could let go of my regrets…

“…What a complicated world.”

Since it was something that could never happen to him, Nahan quietly closed his eyes.

# 2.

The Calamity of December – Cheonmyeong thought.

‘This is already my second failure.’

Before those Black Wolf fellows appeared, he had never failed even once.

Two mistakes in such a short time was an unforgivable sin in <Eclipse>.

Hadn’t his predecessor, and the predecessor before that, lost their lives for just one mistake?

So clearly,

‘I too will lose my life.’

Half-resigned, he looked around at the new Calamities seated at the round table.

The 3rd Elder – Calamity of Silent Stillness,

The 4th Elder – Calamity of Blooming Flowers.

Below them, the quickly recruited 5th, 6th, and 7th Elders who didn’t even have names yet.

And himself,

The 2nd Elder – Calamity of December.

“……”

“……”

“……”

He glanced at the three silent new elders, then briefly warned,

“Earn a title, but not infamy.”

Advice born from the experience of one whose mistakes became his title.

The three new elders responded with stillness.

And the next moment.

Clunk.

The massive stone door opened, and the 1st Elder – Calamity of Doom that Eclipses the Sun appeared.

His mere presence was enough to weigh down the other six elders, who all stood and bowed their heads as if they had been waiting.

Thud, thud, thud.

Ignoring them, the 1st Elder walked to the round table, sat down, and briefly commanded.

“We shift our primary target from the Emperor to the Black Wolf.”

The softly uttered words pierced their ears and crushed their minds.

“Some of Hallorand’s chess pieces have been infiltrated by the Black Wolf. Calamity of Blooming Flowers, step forward and cut off the Black Wolf’s limbs.”

“Yes, Proxy.”

“The three new elders will also follow the Calamity of Blooming Flowers and earn your names.”

“””Yes! Proxy!!”””

There was no refusal.

The Blooming Flower and the three elders disappeared the moment the 1st Elder gave his command.

Next was the Calamity of Silent Stillness.

“Take the traitor’s head.”

“…Yes, Proxy……”

Whoosh.

With the 3rd Elder similarly vanishing in an instant, only two remained in the meeting hall.

“……”

“……”

Silence prevailed for a while.

Cheonmyeong thought.

‘Death doesn’t frighten me, but reflecting on my transgressions still does…’

I am still unredeemed,

Still a person who deserves death.

“……”

“……”

As he quietly waited for his purging, the 1st Elder spoke.

“Cheonmyeong. With this, you have exhausted all your seeds without payment.”

An entirely unexpected statement.

‘…Seeds without payment?’

Too perplexed to hastily open his mouth, he waited, and the 1st Elder spoke once more.

“From the next seed onward, it will be so painful that you might think death would be better. So I ask you one last time.”

Cheonmyeong, will you…

“Live a life worse than death, or receive salvation from me now?”

A voice genuinely filled with concern.

But since Cheonmyeong had long been living a life where death would be preferable,

“I will live.”

He chose life without hesitation.

“…I see.”

The 1st Elder nodded.

“My final order to you is to move as your heart dictates from now on.”

“Yes, Proxy.”

That was the end.

The 1st Elder – Calamity of Doom that Eclipses the Sun muttered alone in the empty meeting hall.

“A future neither I nor Hallorand have experienced.”

In this world where everything repeats, only one thing had changed.

“……Black Wolf.”

What exactly are you?