* * *
A secluded alley in a remote area.
Thwack!
A savage and dull noise echoed through the alley. Mixed in was the sound of labored breathing in pain, but as the area was sparsely populated, no one was around to witness it.
This was especially true because the only entity in the vicinity was “Badger,” an illegal guild that exclusively dealt in slave trading.
And the man who was currently bleeding and beaten was none other than the guild leader of that illegal organization.
“Ugh, p-please, just spare me! I’ll do whatever you want!”
The guild leader of Badger clasped his hands together and pleaded with terror-stricken eyes, looking up at the man before him.
The man had a robust build and wore the silver armor that symbolized a knight.
It was evident at a glance that he was a loyal member of a noble family with a title within the Combest region.
‘And that person must be the master of this knight…’
The guild leader glanced behind the man.
There stood someone with a hood pulled low over their face, making it impossible to see their features.
Having not heard their voice, the guild leader couldn’t tell if they were male or female, but given that they were almost as tall as the knight, who was nearly 190 cm, he guessed it was a man.
‘Damn… where did it all go wrong? How did I manage to get on the nobles’ bad side?’
He had been careful not to attract attention, maintaining the anonymity of his members, spreading out their activities, and hiding well to avoid capture… yet somehow, their location was leaked, the guild was on the verge of being dismantled, and as the guild leader, he was facing imprisonment or death.
‘Nobles typically don’t bother with trivial matters unless they are provoked!’
While the guild leader was silently venting his frustration, the knight spoke.
“There is information I want about a guild member. If you can provide satisfactory details, I’ll spare your life.”
The knight, clad in silver armor, pressed the tip of his sword’s scabbard against the guild leader’s shoulder.
From the shadowy alley, the knight’s sharp green eyes gleamed.
The guild leader cautiously inquired.
“Wh-which member’s information…?”
The answer came from behind the knight, from the person who had been observing the situation passively.
“Chaeyi .”
“Chaeyi … ah!”
The guild leader’s face lit up. Chaeyi was one of the original members who joined Badger shortly after its formation. He remembered because Chaeyi was quite active in the early days.
“There was indeed a member who operated under the anonymous code name ‘Chaeyi !’ Though he suddenly stopped being active a few years ago… maybe he quit.”
“Anonymous code?”
“Yes. Badger operates anonymously. Oh, and I should mention, I don’t know his real name either… all I know is that he was an orphan abandoned as a child.”
The hooded figure behind the knight fell silent for a moment.
The pheromones emitted from the man, unable to suppress his emotions, suffocated the guild leader.
‘He must be angry…’
The guild leader turned pale, trying to figure out what he had done wrong.
“Is that all?”
“Ah! Now that I think about it, I did run into him once when I went down to Ranga recently!”
It was nothing short of a miracle.
The pheromones, which had been lightly suffocating him, suddenly dissipated as the guild leader recalled a fleeting memory that had flashed through his mind.
The knight grabbed the guild leader by the collar and pressed for more details.
“Where exactly did you encounter him?”
“I just passed by him, so I’m not sure…”
“Foolish man.”
“It’s a rule not to make contact outside…! Besides, he wasn’t close to me or the guild members even though he was an original member!”
Claiming that was all he knew, the guild leader begged for his life.
Seeing there was nothing more to be gained, the knight released the guild leader’s collar and stood up, glancing back at the hooded figure.
The man, lost in thought, gazed at the ground with his blue eyes shimmering faintly.
“…Let’s go, Lawrence.”
“Yes.”
The knight called Lawrence handed over the guild leader’s fate to the deputy leader who was in the process of dismantling the guild, then followed his master.
Ranga, one of the major cities in the Grand Duchy of Combest.
Ranga was a bustling city, always teeming with people, as it was close to Blentz, where the Lancaster estate was located.
After moving there, Chaeyi immediately began looking for a job and found a tavern where he started working.
He had been working there ever since. As the tavern was in the city center, it frequently attracted unfamiliar visitors from outer regions, but…
“Chaeyi ! Bring some more drinks over here!”
There were quite a few regulars as well.
“Okay, coming, coming.”
Chaeyi headed to the table carrying snacks and the ordered drinks. Familiar faces gathered around the table, chatting boisterously.
These were people who found joy in stopping by the tavern during their lunch breaks for a drink and conversation.
“Old men, don’t you have to get back to work? I added more snacks, so drink in moderation.”
“Haha, the drinks here are just superb! They go down so smoothly.”
“Especially the ones Chaeyi brings; they taste great. How could we not drink them?”
True to their nature, the older men brushed off his scolding.
With a brief chuckle and a shake of his head, Chaeyi placed the snacks and drinks on the table.
The regular customers watched Chaeyi fondly and joked around.
“Chaeyi , you look so young for your age, and you’ve kept yourself in good shape without any illnesses… it’s fascinating. I hear you can even take down monsters with one hand.”
That’s because, even now, nearing his thirties, Chaeyi continued to train to keep himself in shape, occasionally going to the nearby monster forest to hone his combat skills.
Though he didn’t have a specific goal in mind for doing so.
Perhaps it was a habit from his previous life…
Back then, failing to train and maintain his body properly meant certain death.
But since it’s the same in this world where monsters exist, he thought it wasn’t a bad habit.
“Right? Shouldn’t you be working as a hunter instead of in a tavern?”
“Why? He’s quite useful in the tavern too. He’s perfect for handling rowdy customers and troublemakers.”
Indeed, rowdy drunks who thought their loud voices meant they could act however they wanted found themselves unable to cause trouble at the tavern where Chaeyi worked.
Even trained Betas couldn’t stand up to Chaeyi .
“That’s true.”
“Thanks to Chaeyi , the atmosphere is always great.”
The men nodded in agreement.
While they couldn’t be sure, they thought that Chaeyi ’s physical condition was at least at the level of an Omega with an advantage over a Beta.
However, comparing him to an Alpha was another matter entirely.
Alphas, the top of the food chain, especially those with dominant traits, possessed physical abilities comparable to high-ranking different species.
“Anyway, we just think it’s a waste… If you worked as a hunter, you’d make much more money.”
“Isn’t Chaeyi qualified to join the Knights? Even if he’s a Beta, he’s a talent they would covet.”
“I don’t intend to live so tenaciously. Enough, your snacks will get cold. Eat them while they’re still warm.”
Living tenaciously was something he had experienced enough of in his past life.
As Chaeyi nodded his chin, the men shifted the conversation while picking up the still-warm meat.
As Chaeyi continued to work, going from table to table, someone called out to him.
“Chaeyi ! Have you seen the boss?”
As he was finishing serving and heading toward the counter, someone peeked out from the kitchen. his name was Yorente. Though he had joined later than Chaeyi , he had been working at the tavern for three years now.
“No, I haven’t seen him since this morning… Is there something wrong?”
“No, they said they were just stepping out for a moment, but they still haven’t come back. I’ve got things that need approval, but who knows how far they’ve gone…”
Yorente mumbled anxiously as he paced back and forth. Chaeyi wanted to help but had no idea where the boss had gone, so there was nothing to be done.
‘Did something happen?’
It was odd. Normally, when they were going to be gone for a long time, they would say something before leaving. Chaeyi took off his work vest, feeling uneasy but also aware that it was time to clock out.
“Oh, Chaeyi! You’re off work now, right? Why don’t you hang out with us for a bit?”
A group of regulars who had been there earlier waved Chaeyi over. They were always so interested in him, which just meant that Chaeyi was a likable person.
After a moment of deliberation, Chaeyi decided to stay a bit longer to make sure the boss returned safely and to spend some time with them.
After all, there wasn’t much waiting for him at home.
As Chaeyi pulled up an extra chair to sit down, one of the older men lowered his voice as if he was about to share something interesting.
“Have you all heard that rumor?”
It was the most intriguing rumor in the world.
“What is it?”
“What rumor?”
Everyone leaned in, eyes gleaming as they nibbled on their snacks.
Chaeyi, who was sitting among them, also smiled slyly, waiting for the man’s next words.
“Apparently, there’s someone going around destroying illegal guilds.”
That was certainly a topic intriguing enough to pique Chaeyi’s interest.
* * *
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To buy or not to buy the advance chapters, that is the question… 🤔
destroying them 💀
The novel is beautiful and fun