It felt like the entire world was holding its breath. A deep, absolute silence stretched on for quite some time.

“…Ah.”

Wow.

With a faint sigh, Raven raised a hand and covered his face. He could feel his eyelids trembling.

…It seemed seeing fire for the first time in ten years had shaken him more than he thought.

His useless eye throbbed with pain again. His whole body screamed in agony.

[If you do this job well, I’ll set you and your parents free.]

[It’s not hard. You just have to install the portal.]

The voice from the day the Association crossed the line began gnawing at his brain.

[Can you do it?]

Through a crack in his mental barrier, memories began to flood in.

The day when, as a clueless boy raised in isolation, he stepped into the world for the first time to complete a mission. The explosion that erupted right after. The unbearable heat that consumed him entirely. The lost eye, part of his soul stolen. The deafening ringing that pierced his skull.

Piiiiiiii—

…What a fool I must look like. It wasn’t even an explosion, just fire. What a pathetic scene this is.

Aware of his own pitiful state, Raven lowered his head and let out a dry laugh.

His hands were trembling.

“──Boss!”

Apparently, the ringing was real.

Through the high-pitched sound, he thought he heard a voice, and it gradually grew louder until a hand grabbed him firmly by the shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

His mind, trapped between past and present, wandering a separate world, was finally pulled back to reality. Raven blinked, dazed.

The mercenary, clearly alarmed, was shaking him by the shoulders.

“I was going to stay quiet, but… you didn’t look normal.”

“…I’m dizzy. Let go.”

“Ah, right.”

The mercenary quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back, giving him space.

Only then did the agitation in Raven’s green eyes subside. His pulse stabilized, and after confirming he’d regained control, he let out a hoarse laugh.

A sharp sarcasm spilled out, tearing at his own dignity.

“Damn idiot.”

“……”

It’s not like being alone, trapped in a cave full of monsters, blind, burned, and abandoned was something you just forget… but still.

‘And that was before I had immortality.’

So much time had passed since then, yet he still reacted like this.

How embarrassing.

[The guardian spirit ??? looks at you with a pained expression.]

…That just made it worse.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Thanks to that event, he got to meet you. And now you feel sorry for me? Don’t be like that.

It was only because, after so long, he encountered fire unexpectedly. The last image he saw before losing his sight was that blazing red light. That’s all it was.

He looked away from the message and at the mercenary. Confusion and concern were plain on his face. Raven curled his lips in a cheeky smirk.

“How do you light a campfire without warning? You startled me.”

“Ah… sorry. Want me to put it out?”

“No need. We need to eat.”

He didn’t have anything against fire itself. Now that he knew it was just a campfire, he wouldn’t react the same way again. With a casual wave, he sat down again. His seat, of course, was the bandit leader.

‘…Oops, I cursed in front of the kid.’

The ancestor always said never to curse in front of children.

He pressed the grumbling seat down and ruffled Didi’s hair, who had approached shyly. Then the mercenary, while roasting meat, seemed to realize how unfair the situation was and raised his voice, breaking the tense atmosphere.

“Boss, don’t you know how to roast meat?! Why am I the only one—”

“I do. But everyone tells me not to.”

“Ah…”

He didn’t need an explanation. He understood perfectly. The mercenary’s face twisted into a bitter grimace. Seeing that, Raven made a move to stand.

“Want me to do it?”

“No, no need.”

Apparently, he didn’t want to find out if it was true. Eckart quickly returned to his serious expression.

“I can’t let the boss lower himself like that.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m trying to recruit you into the group. I should be buttering you up, not making you work. I got carried away.”

“…I think it’s about time you let that go.”

Still clinging to that, huh? He’d already said no.

Well, in any case, the one suffering was him. Raven had no intention of insisting. He simply watched the meat as it began to brown.

Silence returned, and time passed.

“It’s ready!”

With a proud smile, the mercenary tore off an entire leg and offered it to Raven. It was nearly the size of a chicken, and he added that if it wasn’t enough, he could serve more. Raven’s face twisted into an odd expression.

‘What does he think I have in my stomach?’

…Does he think I’m a bottomless magic bag?

But it felt nice to be treated well. He watched as the mercenary handed Didi a piece of meat the size of his torso. Then, he tossed his own portion into the air.

The sound of something cutting through the air followed.

Screeech!

Though it sounded ridiculous, a crow — twice its usual size — appeared out of nowhere and snatched the piece in an instant.

Raven turned his head, unfazed.

“Ah.”

His eyes met the mercenary’s.

His wide-eyed stare betrayed that he’d seen everything.

“What was that…?”

“What was what?”

“You tossed meat in the air and a crow… was that a crow?! Can a crow even carry something like that while flying?!”

“I just fed it. Calm down and eat too.”

“Mmgh!”

He shoved the meat into his mouth.

The mercenary fell silent, his mouth full. Raven enjoyed the brief peace and focused on the person receiving the food through the crow. He could sense the flurry of movement — like someone eagerly devouring it.

‘Man, he sure eats.’

On their way to the capital, his relationship with Dan had progressed to the point where they could share food.

Not directly, of course: he had to leave a portion like feeding a wild animal, and only then would Dan come and take it. But still, it was something.

At least until they reached the capital, separating from him was nearly impossible, so it was better to keep him close and under watch. And lately, the distance he left the food had been shrinking, which made things more manageable. Raven quietly added him to his list of “children under care.”

“Whew, all done.”

The mercenary, having finished chewing, offered another piece with a sigh.

“I won’t ask anymore. Just eat, boss. Food gives you strength.”

“……”

“That bandit leader’s been eyeing your meat for a while. If you keep hesitating, I might give it to him.”

…I wouldn’t mind, honestly.

But there was a genuine warmth in that silly joke, and it made Raven, wearing an odd expression, accept the meat.

Though he didn’t eat — he just held it in his hand. The mercenary, chewing while watching him, suddenly asked:

“By the way, boss…”

“Mm?”

“That thing about killing that assassin boy’s family… is it true?”

“Yes.”

So there’s no reason for someone like me to join your group. Let alone be your leader.

Did he finally get it? Raven watched him fall silent, deep in thought, and lifted his gaze to enjoy the silence and the sky.

But it didn’t last, because he soon felt the mercenary’s intense stare again. It prickled his skin.

“Don’t look at me like that. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”

“Hmm…”

“……”

“Hmmm…”

…Should I hit him?

Annoyed, Raven considered that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give him at least one punch. He glared at the guy tilting his head, resting his chin in one hand with disdain.

There was no reason not to hit him. He wasn’t a minor or a portal victim. Just a little more of this, and he’d slap him. But either through intuition or good timing, the other man spoke before he did.

“It’s just…”

The mercenary lowered the piece of meat he was holding.

“I kind of want to hear your story, boss.”

“…”

Raven froze.

“I haven’t been observing you long, but the more I watch, the less you seem like a bad person. Even with that kid… there must be more behind it, right?”

Someone truly evil wouldn’t spare a child who tried to kill them. But Raven didn’t just let Dan live — he protected him and quietly took care of him. That’s why Eckart was convinced Raven wasn’t a villain.

‘Besides… he has something that breaks people’s barriers.’

When he’s in front of you, his presence is obvious, but suddenly, it’s like he was never there. That kind of aura made his instincts stop seeing him as a threat — like being on guard was pointless against something that might not even exist.

That’s why he wanted to know more about him.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t know anything about you, boss. And here I am, trying to recruit you. I feel like an idiot.”

“That damn recruiting of yours…”

With arms crossed, Raven moved the hand holding the meat.

“Well, at least you finally realized how dumb you are.”

“Booooss… mmph!”

“But I have no obligation to tell you my story.”

After all, he’ll forget it all once they part. No need to waste breath.

He shoved the meat into his mouth and dusted off his hands as he stood. Eckart, learning from last time, bit into the meat without protest and tilted his head to ask:

“Where are you going, boss?”

“For a walk.”

The little noble, Didi, was a quiet and well-mannered child, so leaving him for a while wouldn’t be a problem.

With a calm expression, Raven started walking. Behind him, he could hear Eckart sharing food with the bandit leader, but he didn’t bother to look back.

‘…Didn’t think someone like that still existed.’

Even to the end.

Eckart didn’t ask anything about Raven’s reaction to the fire, nor did he mention that he hadn’t eaten.

That was a true act of consideration.

***

[Erase any trace of Raven. Hide it.]

Beyond worries or complaints, once the order was given, it had to be carried out.

They knew well their leader’s stubbornness, who rarely yielded. And more than anything, they were family. If they didn’t support someone who put his family above all else, then who would?

That’s why the one tasked with executing the orders, after noticing a problem, approached Edardo.

“What do we do about the bounty? Since it wasn’t publicly issued, but only spread through inns and shops, managing it will be difficult.”

The head of the Aurel information organization thought for a moment before replying.

“…We’d better make it public.”

If they couldn’t eliminate it entirely, it was better to make it so visible that he himself would notice and know to hide.

He had already told the association presidents he would go looking for him, so there was no reason for suspicion.

‘It must’ve been one of his own strategies… the result of his decisions.’

If they didn’t want everything to fall apart, they should’ve told me in advance.

We’ve done nothing wrong. Eddar smirked brazenly.

And that’s how Raven’s wanted posters were mass-copied and distributed everywhere.

It was enough to give anyone a heart attack.

***

‘Damn it.’

The little noble Didi… no, Deceiver, clutched the back of her neck.

What were they thinking, spreading the posters so blatantly?! If her master saw them, he’d obviously abandon the trip to the capital.

‘It wasn’t the elder brothers… Then it must’ve been another group’s doing.’

As annoying as they were, her father’s disciples weren’t that stupid. They must’ve tried to find him through other means, and things went south.

‘That’s why you have to act on your own if you want results.’

Face filled with irritation, Deceiver glared furiously at the poster she had picked up.

She had already collected a pile. And the closer they got to the capital, the more the pile grew.

After counting a few sheets and then stopping, realizing how pointless it was, she let out a long sigh and held them in both hands.

Good thing she hadn’t dismissed all the recruits she kept on standby just in case. She never knew when she’d lose her freedom again under her father, so she’d kept a few available. She hadn’t expected to use them like this, but…

‘…Yeah, tasks like picking up posters are easier with more hands.’

Her older brothers probably viewed the search for their master as that sort of task. As annoying as that was, she couldn’t deny she understood it.

There was no point crying over spilled milk.

As usual, she was about to destroy the posters by tearing them up using a messenger bird, when…

Screeeech!

The wind was sliced by a sharp cry.

Thwack!

A crow swooped down and snatched the papers from her hands.

“Ah…”

A young noble, with no skills beyond that of an ordinary girl, widened her eyes as the bundle of papers flew off. For a moment, her gaze met the crow’s — black and gleaming.

“……”

“……”

And the crow saw it.

In those round eyes, beneath that innocent-looking face, burned a fierce killing intent.

‘I knew it.’

Deceiver, her emotions boiling inside, thought it with certainty.

Dan, anticipating what might happen, had already moved in the direction where Raven was, inwardly resolved. The crow, gripping the bundle tightly, soared through the tense air and flew straight toward Dan.

‘Should I kill him?’

‘She’s no ordinary noble.’

____

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