At the sound of Aine calling him, Kelian instinctively stepped closer.
“Do you think… the lord’s spies are still watching us right now?”
Her whisper brushed against his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.
Her deep blue eyes, swallowed by the darkness, looked entirely black.
He leaned in further.
“They are.”
“Then, for the last time… I’ll help you.”
A cautious hand cupped his cheek, gently pulling him down.
And then—soft lips pressed against his own.
Kelian felt his entire body lock up.
When he parted his lips, her bold tongue ventured in, only to hesitate awkwardly, as if unsure of what to do now that it had entered enemy territory.
“Haa…”
The quiet moan Aine let out shattered the last remnants of his restraint.
As if he had been waiting for this all along, he greedily deepened the kiss, devouring her mouth with an intensity he had never known before.
Not even when he first learned how to wield a sword had he felt such an overwhelming, consuming urge.
Desire surged within him like wildfire.
“Haa—w-wait, Hero, ah, please…!”
Only sheer willpower allowed him to stop when she weakly pushed against his chest.
“Then… goodbye, Hero.”
Her flushed face was still visible even in the darkness as she murmured something incomprehensible before retreating into the rundown inn.
Left alone, Kelian felt the abnormal heat inside him gradually cool.
And yet, another determination flared to life in its place.
He needed to convince his party first.
Aside from Dain, the others probably wouldn’t object.
And even if they did—he was willing to force the issue.
It was unlike him to act this way, but he didn’t care.
Not when the mere thought of parting with her didn’t exist in his mind at all.
❖ ❖ ❖
The Brave Hawk Guild, which had established itself in the village of Yuil, grew steadily and became one of the most prominent large guilds in town. To uphold the guild’s reputation, thorough preliminary research was an essential step whenever guild members formed a party to clear a dungeon. This was precisely why Guild Master Regal was furious.
The dungeon that Vice Guild Master Hans Rock had led the guild members into was a rare dungeon. It seemed they hadn’t properly investigated it beforehand. Even if they had done some research, if the available information had been insufficient, they should have postponed the expedition. Yet, despite this, Hans had taken the guild members there—and if he had, he should have ensured they all returned alive.
When Hans came back after losing most of the members who had gone with him, Regal reprimanded him in front of everyone. But instead of accepting responsibility, Hans lost his temper like an immature child and stormed out.
And that was the man they called Vice Guild Master.
As much as Regal wanted to demote Hans Rock and kick him out of the guild immediately, unfortunately, Hans was the beloved younger brother of Regal’s cherished wife. In short, he was his brother-in-law, which meant Regal couldn’t treat him recklessly.
It had already been over five hours since Hans stormed out and hadn’t returned. Truthfully, Regal didn’t care what he was doing out there, but if he didn’t come back soon, his wife would start worrying. There was also the concern that Hans might be using the guild’s name to cause trouble somewhere.
Just as Regal finally decided to haul himself up, a commotion broke out outside his room.
“What’s going on?”
Regal, who despised loud noises, narrowed his eyes in irritation—just as someone violently flung the door open. No, they didn’t just open it. They shattered it.
Staring blankly at the fallen door, Regal belatedly retrieved his weapon from his inventory. His iron chain was well-known throughout the village. Once caught in it, one’s entire body would be crushed, making escape nearly impossible.
Moreover, its wielder was a high-level warrior, famous for his incredible strength and grip.
“W-Who are you?!”
Even Regal couldn’t help but be flustered by the man who had just burst through his door.
The intruder had a face that could leave people dazed at the worst possible moment, yet despite his striking features, his eyes were dark and sunken, radiating a chilling intensity. Under that gaze, Regal felt an eerie illusion—like he was nothing more than a feeble creature about to be torn apart.
‘Who is this guy?’ Regal had no idea why this man was looking at him with such cold disdain. If this was about Hans Rock, that would be understandable, but Regal himself rarely made enemies.
“Are you the guild master?”
The man finally spoke. Even his voice was unfairly pleasant. Regal, momentarily distracted by the thought, answered cautiously.
“Yes, that would be me. And you are…?”
“The vice guild master, Hans Rock, just attacked my party.”
“…What?”
Regal’s face turned ashen in an instant.
‘Hans Rock, you bastard! What the hell did you do this time?!’
And of all people, it had to be this man. Even at a glance, it was clear he wasn’t just some ordinary adventurer—his demeanor and presence screamed high-ranking nobility, or possibly even royalty.
Regal instinctively knew that this was, without a doubt, the worst mess Hans had ever gotten himself into. Still, for the sake of survival, he had to play dumb.
“D-Do you have any proof…? Why would our vice guild master attack you, I mean, your esteemed party…?”
The man’s overwhelming presence made Regal’s tone unconsciously more respectful, but denying everything was his only option.
In response, the man retrieved something from his inventory and tossed it onto the table with a dull thud.
Regal’s pupils trembled violently.
Lying there was a scabbard, unmistakable even from a distance. Engraved in large, bold letters for all to see were the words:
Vice Guild Master of the Brave Hawk Guild, Hans Rock.
Regal immediately recognized it as the scabbard he had commissioned from the village blacksmith as a gift when appointing Hans Rock as vice guild master. He had no idea where the sword inside had gone, but Hans always carried it with him. He wasn’t the type to carelessly lose things. Regal asked quietly.
“What happened to Hans?”
“He’s dead.”
The shocking news made him swallow hard. He couldn’t even imagine how his wife would react. He had wanted to ignore whatever Hans was doing outside, but in the end, he was still family. That was why he had tolerated him as a guild master despite all the trouble he caused.
Even this time, despite scolding him harshly, if Hans had shamelessly returned in a few days, Regal would have sighed and accepted him back. If he had known things would turn out like this, he would never have let him leave or allowed him to die. His jaw tightened.
“What happened to your party that Hans attacked?”
“They’re resting after receiving treatment.”
That meant that unlike Hans, they were still alive. His brother-in-law was dead, but the people he had attacked were only injured and recovering.
“I see. Then what is it that you want from me? This is indeed Hans’s scabbard, but Hans is dead while your party members are alive. This alone doesn’t prove that Hans attacked first. Why would he do that? If anything, it seems more likely that Hans was the one who was attacked.”
“If that were the case, Hans Rock wouldn’t be dead.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because he died due to an artifact that only activates when the bearer threatens another’s life.”
The man’s words grew even shorter, as if he no longer wished to continue the conversation. He drew his sword, his demeanor turning even more dangerous. Regal hastily intervened.
“S-So you’ve come to kill me too? I understand your point. If such an artifact was involved, then Hans must have done something deserving of death. The guild will provide full compensation. I—I’ll personally visit and apologize as the guild master! Surely there’s no need for more bloodshed?”
“…You think that’s enough to quell my anger?”
Regal’s expression nearly cracked for a moment. He was offering compensation and even personally apologizing, yet the man dismissed it as nothing.
“It seems your party member is very upset.”
“I’m talking about myself.”
“…”
From the way he spoke, he didn’t seem to have any family ties with the injured party member, unlike Regal and Hans. He was merely a companion. Yet, how much could he possibly care about them to react this strongly? Regal couldn’t understand.
For now, calming him down was the priority.
“I’ll offer 5,000 gold as compensation! Ah, and if your party member’s level is below 40, our guild can assist in leveling them up!”
“I can handle that myself.”
‘Then what am I supposed to do?’
‘Does he really want nothing but my life?’
The man had drawn his sword, and Regal had his iron chain. If he fought bravely like the guild’s name suggested, he might have a chance. But his instincts screamed that he would be killed in a single blow if he faced this man head-on. Regal was level 51, which was high, but whenever he encountered someone even stronger, this instinct would kick in. It had saved his life more than once.
“Killing me won’t ease your anger! Is this what your companion wants?”
For the first time, the man, who had remained expressionless, hesitated. This was it. Regal decided to use that unknown companion as leverage.
“Your companion surely wants a sincere apology. And as for compensation, I’ll match whatever they ask for. Killing me won’t solve anything.”
“…”
“If you just want blood, and if your companion truly desires that, then fine. Do as you wish. But if not, please reconsider.”
If the guild members saw him now, they would be so disgusted that they might leave the guild. But Regal had no choice. He was also growing uneasy at how eerily silent the hallway was—none of his guild members had come running.
“…Killing you won’t make me feel better.”
“I-I thought so.”
His companion wasn’t even dead! They were just resting after receiving treatment! Then why was this man making such a big deal out of it? Regal suppressed his frustration and forced a smile.
The man seemed to think for a moment before finally putting his sword back into his inventory. That alone brought some relief.
“You don’t seem like a resident of this village. Tell me where you’re staying, and I’ll visit you first thing tomorrow morning.”
Regal wasn’t sure why, but the man suddenly looked a little dejected as he gave the address of an inn. Then, as if he had no further business, he turned to leave.
With the door already broken, Regal didn’t need to open it for him. He simply bowed his head in gratitude for letting the matter go.
But just as the man was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and spoke again.
“Don’t tell my companion about this.”
Was he referring to barging into the guild and causing havoc? Whatever it was, Regal nodded vigorously. Only then did the man walk away, his back gradually disappearing down the hall.
Lying on the floor along both sides of the hallway were unconscious guild members. No wonder no one had come running when the door was broken—because they were already down. The earlier commotion had been the sound of the guild members trying to stop the man and failing miserably.
Seeing that only fueled Regal’s anger. The fury he had suppressed in front of the man now surged within him.
He strode quickly to his desk and rang a bell from a drawer. This silent bell was an artifact that summoned only the highest-level elites in the guild. It was rarely used outside of emergencies, and this was certainly an emergency.
“You think I’ll just let you walk away?”
Regal wasn’t the type to make enemies, but once he had one, he always made sure to settle the score.
Hans had been family. He had been useless, someone with no real value, but Regal had worked hard to level him up for the sake of his wife. And now, Hans was dead. The man had killed him and dared to appear before Regal. There was no way he was letting him leave in one piece.
If he couldn’t win one-on-one, he would crush him with numbers. He would strike when the man least expected it, eliminate him, and then kill his companion as well. If Hans was dead, then so should they be.
“You called for me, Guild Master?”
Three elite guild members, each over level 50, entered through a hidden passage and greeted Regal. After briefly explaining the situation, Regal led them in pursuit of the man. He couldn’t have gotten far.
As expected, the man was heading into an alleyway not too far from the guild building. Watching him willingly step into a dark, isolated place made it seem as if he was inviting them to strike.
“That arrogant bastard…”
It didn’t matter if he was high-level or nobility—Regal wasn’t going to let him go. With his guild members, he followed the man into the alley. The moment they saw his tall figure in the dim light, Regal gave the order to attack.
Kill him.
A barrage of attacks rained down, and Regal was the first to swing his iron chain.
Regal’s weapon was considered nearly unbeatable in the area. Though he wasn’t as strong as in his younger days, the chain remained a fearsome weapon. As the thick, long chain coiled around the man’s body, Regal smirked, believing his revenge was complete.
And then, in the next moment, he felt something he had never experienced before—his weapon slipping away.
“…Ah.”
No, it wasn’t just the chain moving away. His arm—his arm was gone.
“H-Hraaagh!!”
A piercing scream tore from his throat. His right arm, the one holding the chain, had been cleanly severed at the elbow. He couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
At the same time, he heard a sickening sound—thud, thud—as something dropped to the ground on either side of him. His trembling gaze shifted.
The three elite guild members, the very foundation of the Brave Hawk Guild, were all dead. Their heads had been severed. It was horrific.
“…Good.”
That voice, the one he had once thought was unfairly pleasant, echoed softly through the alley.
“Killing you wouldn’t have made me feel any better.”
“…”
“But letting you live wouldn’t either.”
I was starting to regret it.
The man’s face, so unnaturally beautiful, seemed unreal in that moment. Regal’s instincts had warned him not to fight this man, and he had ignored them. Now, he regretted it more than anything.
Then, finally, he realized—
Golden hair. Teal eyes. Striking beauty. High level.
Kelian Ail.
The most famous hero in the empire.
But by the time he understood, it was far too late.
Before he could even fully process the pain from his severed arm, his head was already flying through the air.
