Ch.7The Black Wolf’s Appearance

1.

“We’ve arrived, Commander. Now, the mask.”

“…Right.”

Click.

After putting on the mask Luna handed me, I raised my head to see a literal tower enter my field of vision.

The Blue Mage Tower’s Gate.

A means of transportation completed after full support from the Emperor and the Blue Mage Tower’s murderous research.

After countless research and development efforts, it had been commercialized and was operating throughout the Empire, yet it remained so expensive that even nobles hesitated to use it.

But Ruby was different.

“Two tickets to Jedo. One-way.”

“Huh…? L-Lady Red!? What brings you here at this hour?!”

“I’m in a hurry, so let’s chat another time.”

“Ah…! I-I’m sorry! Two one-way tickets to Jedo. I’ll prepare them right away!”

No sooner had we arrived at the Gapelt Viscounty Gate than Ruby took out a check, quickly paid, and stepped onto the gate without hesitation.

‘Full gate fee support for A-rank mercenaries and above. The Union is pretty good after all.’

I naturally tried to follow Ruby onto the gate, but—

“Hold on there.”

I stopped at the calm voice calling me back and turned my head.

“You can’t just go without registering. Come here and fill these out, please.”

The receptionist pushed back her blue robe and pulled out a stack of documents from her revealed bag.

“See those parts checked in blue? Just fill those out and hand them back.”

“…?”

“Oh, is this your first time using the gate? Then I’ll fill them out for you, just tell me…”

Just as the receptionist who was activating the gate turned to approach me.

Tap.

Ruby returned with a single step and addressed the receptionist with a serious expression.

“I told you we’re in a hurry.”

“B-but Lady Red. You know the rule about recording all users’ personal information.”

“Sigh. Wouldn’t the Union use your services more often if you showed some flexibility in times like this?”

“Th-that’s true, but since this rule was established by His Majesty the Emperor and the Tower Master, I can’t…”

As the receptionist stammered but stood her ground, Ruby let out a short sigh.

【Warning.】

【<Black Wolf> – <No.3. Tal(S)>’s remaining health is below <10%>.】

【When remaining health reaches <0%>, Bad Ending – <5. Signs of a Tyrant(A)> will occur.】

The situation had become even more urgent.

‘If a bad ending occurs, that’s it.’

It would be the same as losing the opportunity to return to my original world.

In other words,

-Fulfill my dream in my place.

It would mean I couldn’t fulfill the wish of my only friend.

‘Think.’

I needed to find a way to return to Jedo as quickly as possible, save Hanryang, and prevent the bad ending.

A moment later.

“…So I’ve been found out.”

“Pardon?”

“You only get one chance, so listen carefully.”

Having finished my deliberation, I adjusted my mask again and bowed toward the receptionist.

“I’m holding this woman hostage. If you want to save her life, open the gate.”

“…What?”

The receptionist’s brow furrowed, then she immediately sneered and retorted.

“That’s not funny. I don’t sense any power from you, so how could you possibly threaten Lady Red?”

The receptionist was right.

In my current state, I couldn’t properly handle or even sense aura or mana.

However,

-Please accept them, Commander. These flesh doll miniatures. They’re my precious babies.

-Get rid of them.

-Ah… I’ve already connected them to you, so you can control them just like I did. Should I just throw them away?

-Put them in my pocket.

If I were to take out the ten flesh dolls Ruby had gifted me, restore them to their original size, grab Ruby by the neck, and create a threatening atmosphere…

“Kyaaaaaah!”

“L-Lady Red!!”

“Kugh, d-don’t open it!! This <Black Wolf> person is a monster who shouldn’t be allowed into Jedo!!”

As Red, having understood my intention, enthusiastically played along,

【Stage 2 – <Immersion> completed.】

【Perfectly recreating the appearance of <Black Wolf> as you understand it, without the slightest error.】

If I perfectly recreated the atmosphere of <Black Wolf>, the final boss of the original work, to intimidate her…

“You’re next.”

What else could you do besides opening the gate?

Sure enough,

“W-wait, please, I’ll open it right away, just please, s-spare my life!!”

The receptionist turned pale at once and crawled toward the gate activation device, trembling.

.

.

.

【Target’s fear detected.】

【<Black Curtain黑幕(Ex)> activates.】

◆ Effect

: If the opponent feels fear toward <You> even for a moment, from that moment on, the opponent will perceive <You> as death itself. The status ailment <Fear> of <You> will linger until the moment of their death.

.

.

.

Thus, the gate opened, and I silently rose from my seat and headed toward it.

‘First save Hanryang and prevent the bad ending.’

After carefully taking Ruby, who was still playing the hostage, I pushed myself into the gate.

This was the first incident where the Black Wolf appeared.

2.

The night market was still vibrant.

“Cough─!!”

“Sturdier than you look, which I like. Now try blocking this one.”

Crack!

“──!!”

“Your arm bone must be broken, yet not even a scream. I like you even more.”

The large man rolled on the ground, staining the surroundings red.

Yet, like the large man who refused to fall, the night market remained bright throughout.

The blood-covered man thought.

-Hanryang! Go buy some meat for me!

-Luna. I’ll go my─self.

-Oh pleeeease!! It’s for the Commander!! He didn’t come back yesterday, you know? The nearby shops stay open late because of the dawn market!!

-…If it’s for the Commander─I will.

Although their meeting was by chance,

-Emperor. My enemy for su─re.

-We all hate the Emperor! Who among us would like them?!

-When we meet. Hard to cont─rol myself.

-…I feel the same way. But the Commander is with us, so they’ll stop us.

His anger was not by chance.

I’ll kill them.

By any means necessary.

But Hanryang, consumed by rage, the No. 3 member of <Black Wolf>, <Tal>, did not know.

“I’ll kill─you!!”

“Haah…”

That the woman before him wasn’t Emperor merely because imperial blood flowed through her veins.

“This is getting rather annoying.”

The golden woman flicked her finger toward Hanryang, who was charging with clenched fists.

-Why did you destroy my carriage?

The fruit skewer she had picked up before the fight pierced through Hanryang’s thigh.

And that wasn’t all.

Keeeing!

Kwaaang!!

Golden aura swelled from the deepest embedded part and exploded.

“──!?”

Simultaneously, his center of gravity collapsed, and the massive body rolled on the ground. The Emperor, growing bored, didn’t miss the opportunity.

Crunch!

The thick neck was crushed as if broken, and the Emperor looked down at the subdued Hanryang and asked.

“Who sent you?”

“You, I’ll kill─you!!”

“Why do you seek to kill me?”

“You ask that, not know─!!”

Crunch!

“──!!”

Feeling like he might actually die from the pressure, Hanryang hurriedly grabbed at her foot, but though he regained a little breath, the Emperor’s foot didn’t budge.

It was the same then as it was now.

When the beautiful young lady he had devoted his life to serving was killed by that accursed Emperor.

“Your knight, looked at me with such filthy ey─es!!”

“My knight?”

“Excuses. Disgust─ing!! Because of your order─s!! Why our young lady…!!”

Rumble!

As Hanryang, enraged by the memory, tried to rise again, prepared even for death.

Swoosh.

The Emperor’s foot, which had been crushing his neck, was quietly removed and returned to its place.

“Tell me in detail.”

She whispered quietly to Hanryang, so the knights who had followed couldn’t hear.

“Quickly, before they intervene.”

But the next moment.

“Too late. I’ll just kill─you.”

Kwaaang!!

Hanryang’s gaze, which had been fixed on the Emperor, was driven deep into the ground.

-Don’t use Hanryang. His body surely won’t hold up.

-Y-young lady!!

It seemed the time had finally come to burn the life he had held onto.

He felt guilty in a way.

-<Tal>. That’s what I’ll call you from now on.

-Yes, Commander.

Because he was clearly sinning against the <Commander> who had become his everything.

“…I’m sor─ry. Commander.”

Just as Hanryang, muttering from beneath the ground, was about to finally release the constraints of <Black Wolf> at the cost of his life.

Thump, thump, thump.

Kuuung!!

The nearby ground began to rumble, and a familiar energy began to emanate.

“…Ruby─?”

Confused and thinking reinforcements had arrived, Hanryang slightly poked his head out of the ground, and at that very moment.

“You disappoint me after all.”

“Ah…, C-Commander──”

“So this is punishment.”

With eyes like the abyss,

Crack.

Hanryang’s vision turned black.

Kuung!

As the large man with a broken neck collapsed to the ground, noise erupted, and with that noise, silence filled the surrounding area.

That silence, along with the fear that filled it, was what the assailant truly intended.

【Target(s)’ fear detected.】

【<Black Curtain黑幕(Ex)> activates.】

Hwaak!

At the intense killing intent that burst forth in an instant, the Emperor and knights turned pale.

Confirming this, the assailant took out a green ring and placed it on the large man.

“But you should have a chance to make amends.”

Click.

Silence returned once more.

The still-bright night market, the knights guarding the Emperor, and the flesh dolls surrounding those knights.

The knights, who had swept battlefields before guarding the Emperor, instinctively realized.

‘Move and die.’

Their proud A-rank status, their special named swords and artifacts, the additional guards secretly following them.

All useless before these assailants in black clothes and masks.

The Emperor also felt the ominous presence that had approached.

‘He seemed close to S-rank, yet how could someone kill him with just a gesture? Could the Ten Strongest have betrayed the Empire? No. No. Those people are far more…’

As the Emperor, whose mind had become complicated in an instant, outwardly pretended to be unfazed while watching them.

Crack!

As the broken neck found its place again, the seated man gestured behind him.

“Persona. Take him back.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Without a moment’s hesitation in response and action. As soon as the smallest assailant hoisted the large man onto their back, they disappeared into the night.

Now only two assailants remained.

“Commander. What do you intend to do?”

One assailant who appeared to be female, wearing a longsword, and,

Tap, tap tap.

Thud.

A man tapping his thigh with his right hand.

…Gulp.

As the man slowly stood up, the Emperor and knights swallowed.

Their final breath would be determined by what decision this man made.

Tok, tok tok.

In the now-familiar silence, the man who had been pondering gave a brief answer.

“That’s a good question.”

.

.

.

─『Sub-Quest Generated!』─

◆ For the Worst.

: Scratch the itch of Babylonia’s Emperor <Reina Babylonia(S+)>!

◆ Completion Conditions.

1. Mention <Black Wolf>.

2. Receive a special bounty.

3. Kill escort knights. (0/3)

◆ Reward.

: The love of <Lactea Babylonia(S+)>.

◆ Upon Failure & Rejection.

: The death of <Lactea Babylonia(S+)>.

.

.

.

What the hell am I supposed to do with this?