episode_0037

Hermes suggested we look into Marcel. The place she dragged me to was a back alley.

“You’ll need to wear this.”

She handed me a mask. Then, she passed me something like a black robe.

“……It suits you surprisingly well.”

She stared at me with an expression that seemed oddly moved. I’m the one who should be grateful, so why are you the one looking touched? I didn’t bother asking. I didn’t even want to.

I put on the robe and mask Hermes gave me. The mask was white with a black smiling face painted on it.

“This time, we’re disguising our identities, so we can’t let any distinguishing features show.” “……No shooting arrows, no revealing the purple light?” “Huh, is that even possible?”

Hermes looked surprised at my words. Shouldn’t it be? Even my fatal constitution has an on-and-off function.

I closed my eyes and willed the purple light to turn off. Then, I heard a faint click— as if something had switched off.

‘……So I can turn it off.’

I took off the mask and called out to Rishiel.

‘Rishiel, how do my eyes look?’ —Your eyes remain violet. ‘So this part doesn’t change, huh.’

Violet is too noticeable. Still, with the mask on, it should be less conspicuous now.

Wearing the mask felt strange. For some reason, it also felt oddly familiar.

“…….”

But I had another question. Right now, the sun was high in the sky.

“Is it really okay to go to a secretive place like a back alley at this hour?” “No problem. The back alley will get dark soon.”

Hermes grinned brightly at my question. The back alley will get dark soon?

“I told you before, remember? The Cradle contains everything.”

She had. The Cradle wasn’t just the labyrinth—it was also a place prepared for unforeseen circumstances.

A thousand years had passed since the labyrinth first appeared. Five hundred since the perception that the labyrinth was safe took root. Since then, all sorts of facilities had been built.

Empires had fallen. Kingdoms had collapsed. But the Cradle had never fallen. Perhaps because of that foundation, the Cradle had gathered all sorts of things.

On the surface, there was the Adventurers’ Guild and facilities to strengthen them. Due to its connection to the labyrinth, there were even forges where weapons were made from the corpses of monsters—creatures some called abominations.

“And then, there’s a place called the [Black Market].”

Hermes chuckled as she spoke. But I’d grown quite familiar with this place by now. If she hadn’t been here with me before, and if this was her first time in the Cradle…

‘Then she must have visited it in the past.’

I should stick close to Hermes. With that thought, I moved right beside her—only for her movements to stiffen awkwardly.

“U-uh, i-it’s a bit hard to move when you’re this close…” “……?”

Was it really that difficult? Then again, maybe she wasn’t used to people like I was. I’m a respectful person, so I gave her some space and stepped back.

“But I’m not happy if you go too far.” “…….”

What does she even want?

Hermes and I headed deeper into the back alley. Though it was called a back alley, the atmosphere was eerie. There were people who looked like vagrants.

‘……That could’ve been my future.’

If I hadn’t met Hermes, if I hadn’t gotten those scam Gifts—that might’ve been me. Looking back, there had been plenty of close calls.

Lucia was dangerous, but Hanul was worse. Rishiel would’ve been a threat too if not for the desperate battle. And that assassin from Rebellion—the one who used martial arts—had been dangerous as well.

I pulled my hood low. No time for strange sentimentality. We had to find out whether Marcel was friend or foe.

Hermes led us further into the depths of the back alley. The space we eventually arrived at carried a peculiar atmosphere.

The vagrants, the thieves, the women selling their bodies—they were all gone. Instead, the air felt sharper, more sinister.

The streets were cleaner, but how should I put it? It reeked of danger.

If Hermes mentioned a Black Market, then this must be close to it.

As we walked—

‘……?’

A strange sensation gripped me. Just moments ago, it had been daytime.

“……Night?” “This is the entrance to the Black Market.”

I looked up at the sky. I didn’t know how it worked, but the area that had been daylight was now night.

“No need to be surprised. It’s a space created by the power of a special relic—meant for those who take the proper path to the Black Market.” “A relic?” “Like the talisman we got from Viola before. Things whose principles and origins are unknown, but which possess inexplicable effects—those are called relics. Rumor has it they were made in ancient times and can no longer be reproduced.” “I see.”

So, basically, there were just things like that.

“This place has plenty of interesting stuff. Calling it just a ‘Black Market’ is oversimplifying—it’s not that lawless.” “Not lawless?” “They don’t enslave people or throw them into coliseums to kill each other for sport, so yeah.”

Her voice carried a hint of scorn. If this place didn’t have those things, did that mean other empires or kingdoms did?

Hermes walked forward with familiar steps. Though there were many strange sights around, she paid them no mind and pressed ahead.

Soon, we stood before an extravagant building. If the previous structures had a Western style, the one before us now was distinctly Eastern.

A pavilion, perhaps? A signboard with elegantly written hanja characters came into view.

Cheonghwaru—the Blue Flower Pavilion.

“If you ever need information, you can buy it here for a modest sum.” “……Isn’t Rebellion supposed to be a hidden organization?” “They are a terrorist group. Normally, even places like this would struggle to get info on them, but… I happen to know someone really good here.” “Someone good?” “Hehe, do you know the saying, Yuseong? There are no secrets in this world?” “No.” “It’s meant quite literally. The talents (Gifts) bestowed by the heavens, and the relics left behind from ancient times—these two things possess abilities that defy common sense.” “Defy common sense?” “Hehe… There’s one item that can tell us for certain whether Marcel is friend or foe.” “An item?” “Simply put, if you ask it a question, it can determine whether the other person’s words are true or false.” “……I see.”

This is a fantasy world, after all. All sorts of absurd things must exist. Still, if such an item really existed, it would make things much easier.

“……But wouldn’t something like that be expensive?” “……We’ll just have to push ourselves a little to borrow it.”

Hermes’ hands trembled slightly. She was usually unfazed by money, so seeing her shake like this—

‘But this is necessary.’

For most things, I wouldn’t bother. But determining whether Marcel was an enemy or ally was essential.

So this was a necessary expense.

“……I’ll chip in too.” “R-really? Then that’s goo—no, wait. I’m the one who agreed to take Marcel in.”

At my words, she beamed—then immediately started trembling again. But I felt indebted.

“Marcel’s situation is our business now.” “O-our business?” “I don’t want you bearing the burden alone. It’s not your problem—it’s ours.” “O-ours…?” “Yeah, ours.”

I grabbed both of Hermes’ hands. Her face turned completely red, and her hands shook even more.

‘……This kinda feels like a confession.’

It must just be my imagination. Maybe it’s selfish, but I didn’t want to get off the bus Hermes was driving. It was different from before. I used to dislike being around her, but now—I didn’t want to leave her side.

‘I know my own worth.’

But this world still felt foreign to me. A world of violence, where losing your head wouldn’t even be strange.

The world of my past life had its dangers too, but at least survival was guaranteed. This world was barbaric.

So I had to convince her.

“Remember what I said at the beginning? That I’d make sure you never regretted letting me join your party.” “Y-yeah? Y-you did say that…” “This is that. I don’t want to leave your side.” “Uuu… uuuu….”

Hermes buried her face in her hands, then nodded quietly.

‘Good, I managed to persuade her.’

—You are a true fiend. How dare you wear a human’s face and do such things…

Rishiel muttered something strange, but I chose to ignore it.

‘Always spouting nonsense.’

It’s only right that I live as Hermes’ pillar of support. Even if it stings a little.

We stepped inside the Blue Flower Pavilion. The interior resembled something out of a historical drama or a Chinese film—distinctly Eastern.

A woman who looked like a fortune teller stood there. I studied her carefully.

‘……She’s strong.’

My body tensed instinctively. Stronger than Rishiel. Even if Hermes and I attacked together, I wasn’t sure we could take her down.

“Welcome! We’re honored by your visit to the Blue Flower Pavilion!” “I need a diary for a quiet night.” “…….”

At Hermes’ words, the fortune teller’s expression shifted.

“I won’t ask how you learned of this. However, right now…” “It’s a request from the Adventurers’ Guild.”

I stared at her impassively. A Guild request? But this is our own business. Is it okay to involve them?

‘This might be dangerous.’

The Guild had taken heavy losses recently. If this got buried under that incident…

‘No, this isn’t something that can be buried.’

I wasn’t sure, but I decided to trust Hermes. She must have had a reason for speaking so confidently.

“A Guild request? If it’s from them, then…” “It’s the Sword King’s request.” “…….”

Hermes was selling Vulcan out. At the mention of the old man’s title, the fortune teller froze. After a moment of thought, she sighed.

“You’re aware of what the Sword King’s name carries?” “I am.” “Then you must be the ‘Black Violet Demon.’ Someone of your caliber would have the right to invoke his name.”

The fortune teller studied me. I was stunned.

I’d changed clothes, altered my eye color, and was even wearing a mask. Hermes too.

‘Is this the power of an information guild?’

Truly terrifying.

“……Can’t fool you, huh.” “I’ll take a request from you later. Someone like you would be reliable.” “Let’s trade for something else. How about information?” “Hmm, if it’s Vulcan’s weakness, I could give that to you right now.”

The fortune teller smirked. Hermes’ lips twitched as she met her gaze. The fortune teller’s expression darkened instantly, her eyes sharpening as she glared at Hermes.

“……How do you know about that?” “Whether you believe me or not is up to you.” “Tch, unbelievable.”

The fortune teller sighed and handed us three sheets of paper.

“Fifty gold coins each.” “…….”

This scrap of paper costs 500 million won?! I felt a wave of despair. Hermes, however, smiled brightly at the price.

“That’s cheaper than I expected.” “I’d like to get closer to him.” “Oh my, but our Yuseong is shy. That might be difficult.” “That’s your problem, not his. See?”

The fortune teller grinned and waved her hand playfully. I ignored her and stood by Hermes.

“……What a bad man. Well, I like that about you. If that information is correct, I’ll throw this in for free.” “You’re more generous than I thought.” “……You’re bolder than you look. You know exactly how urgent this is for us.” “Shouldn’t you hurry, then?” “Hah.”

After a brief standoff, the fortune teller relented.

“I’m closing up for today, so scram.” “Then we’ll put these to good use.”

Hermes waved cheerfully.

[Item] Paper of Truth (Consumable) ◇When held by a person, it determines whether a statement is true or false. ◇Glows blue for truth, red for lies.

That was the item’s description. Hermes called it a bargain and bought three sheets, costing us a total of 150 gold coins.

‘……Three sheets of paper for 8 billion won.’

I nearly wept. This was precious paper, bought with the money Hermes earned selling information. We had to use it wisely.

‘Right now, Marcel is the priority.’

There’s a saying, isn’t there? That an incompetent ally is more dangerous than a capable enemy. Our situation was slightly different, but an enemy hiding among us was always a threat.

“Everyone’s here.”

We gathered at the Adventurers’ Guild. The members were Rosante, Teresa, me, Hermes, and Marcel.

And for some reason, Viola was there too.

“……Why are you here?” “No reason. I just figured a spot in this party might open up soon.” “Y-Yuseong….”

Marcel’s voice trembled as he looked at me. I quietly showed him the paper.

“What’s this?” “There’s something we need to confirm first. We don’t want to doubt you.” “……What do you mean?”

Marcel’s face stiffened. I explained why I’d gathered the party.

“……Before we escaped the labyrinth, I used a talisman won from a bet with Viola to save Marcel. You know that, right?” “Yeah.”

Teresa nodded expressionlessly.

“In the process, I had to swap out one of Marcel’s belongings. And that item… had the mark of a malevolent cult.” “…….”

Marcel’s expression went blank. Just for a moment.

Then he looked at us with panicked eyes.

“To explain—mages are naturally curious. I picked it up for research purposes, but… things turned out like this.”

Marcel nodded as he spoke.

“The Paper of Truth is rare. If it’s genuine, it can prove my innocence.”

He smiled and picked up the paper. Then, as if inviting the question, he looked at us.

“Are you a member of the secret organization, Rebellion?” “No.”

Marcel answered firmly and handed the paper back. It turned blue before dissolving into mist.

“Blue for truth, red for lies. Phew, what a relief.” “Haha, what’s with the—”

As Hermes sighed in relief, Marcel laughed and looked at us.

‘…….’

But.

‘Something’s off.’

I couldn’t relax. His words—something about them felt wrong. My instincts were telling me…

‘……Am I overthinking it?’

I weighed the possibilities. It might be unrealistic, but if that was the case—

“……One more.” “Yuseong, I thought you—never mind. It’s better to be sure. Ask whatever you want.” “Just one more question. Then I’ll believe you.” “Fine, what is it?”

Marcel picked up another sheet.

“Are you the Marcel I know?” “…….”

Marcel fell silent. Then, with a strained smile, he spoke awkwardly.

“Hah, hahaha! Yuseong, what kind of question is that?” “Marcel?”

Hermes’ voice turned icy as she stared at him.

He made a baffled expression, then let out a deep sigh. His eyes met mine.

A strange glint. Then, as if finding it absurd, Marcel laughed. It was a hollow, empty laugh.

“Heh, I didn’t expect it to come to this.”

Then, Marcel’s mouth split open.

“You’ve got good instincts, huh?”