NOVPUB"You're looking a little different from when we last met, John Doe."
A cold chill traced down my spine, like a sharpened blade gouging through my chest.
It had been a long time since I felt tension like this.
I slowly opened my mouth to answer.
"Yes. I thought some changes were necessary."
Did he find out?
If he's really the Zero Order, then it wouldn’t be strange for him to know John Doe’s true identity.
"Well, this look isn't bad either. Before, you had such a forgettable face, it could've blended in anywhere."
He didn’t catch on.
It was a relief that John Doe’s skills were specialized in disguise.
Still, he could just be testing me.
Stay calm.
I closed my eyes and accelerated my thoughts.
Is the man behind me really the Zero Order? 𝚗o𝚟pub.𝚌𝚘𝚖
Most likely. His voice matched the one I heard in Esmeralda’s memories.
And just the fact that he spoke to me directly in a situation like this supports it.
The next question—why is the Zero Order here at Seorn?
And why didn’t he inform me, the First Order?
I had heard him mention during a conversation with Esmeralda that he would visit sometime.
But now?
He could’ve at least informed me in advance. The fact that he didn’t...
There are two possible explanations.
One: the Zero Order came to Seorn to personally confirm something without notifying the other executives.
But I don’t know what that could be, so I can’t jump to conclusions.
The other is...
He suspects that I’m an imposter.
That’s bad.
The suspicion, paired with the fact that he came to see me directly, means I’ve been backed into a corner.
And if that’s the case, I’m down to one final desperate option.
But the situation is terrible.
I know too little about the Zero Order.
What kind of power he has, what abilities he uses, how strong he is—
His weaknesses, elemental affinities, his habits in battle—
I have no data.
Even in peak condition, he might be a difficult opponent. But in my current state, drained of strength?
If I try to fight now, I could lose.
I could rely on divine power...
But that’s too risky.
There are too many people nearby. Including students.
If I use that power, everyone here will be caught up in it.
But why isn’t he saying anything?
The Zero Order didn’t rush me.
In that brief pause, a sliver of possibility crossed my mind.
What if he doesn’t fully suspect me yet?
That suspicion might only be half-formed.
Should I turn around and look at his face? No. If I suddenly turn, it’ll only raise his suspicion.
Stay calm.
I had to pick my words carefully, without provoking him.
"I apologize, sir Zero Order."
I kept my gaze forward as I spoke smoothly.
"Given the situation, I couldn’t properly greet you. I ask for your understanding."
"Don’t worry about it. I came unannounced, after all. No need to be so tense, John Doe."
So he really did come without notifying anyone.
That would mean he had other business at Seorn?
Business secret enough to keep from a First Order?
No—nothing’s certain yet. I still don’t know for sure whether I’m under suspicion.
The Zero Order confirmed Quasimodo’s destruction.
Was he watching? Did he witness the magic I used?
No, if he saw all that, he would’ve asked me what happened.
He must have some way of detecting Quasimodo’s energy, and once he sensed it had vanished, he came to check.
That fits.
He knows the result but not the process, so he approached me for answers.
Which leaves me with a new dilemma.
Should I tell the truth? Or a lie?
Of course, by “truth,” I mean a lie mixed with fragments of truth.
Pure lies are easy to detect, but lies laced with truth are far more convincing.
I took a deep breath and continued.
"First Order. Esmeralda—no, Quasimodo—has been destroyed."
"Oh? So you knew?"
"Yes. I didn’t until just now, but I confirmed it moments ago. I never imagined [N O V E L I G H T] that fire giant was her true form. And you, sir Zero Order...?"
"Yes. I knew. I’m sorry I kept it from you. Quasimodo was a different kind of First Order. His nature wasn’t something I could reveal so easily."
"I understand."
"But how did Quasimodo end up destroyed? He shouldn’t have been taken down so easily."
Quasimodo was a flame cryptid, powered by the highest-class fire spirit.
He fed on human souls and had spirit traits, meaning unless the contractor died alongside him, he would continue to revive endlessly.
For someone like that to be destroyed on the day of Seorn’s festival—of course the Zero Order would find it suspicious.
I improvised my reply.
"Esmeralda performed a joint-suicide."
"Hmm. Esmeralda?"
The Zero Order knew about the relationship between Esmeralda and Quasimodo.
He was the one who recruited her into the Black Dawn, after all—he couldn’t not know.
"That’s strange. Esmeralda was clearly under Quasimodo’s control. She wouldn’t have had the power to resist him, let alone destroy him."
His gaze grew sharper, piercing into me.
"Not unless someone helped her."
The suspicion in his eyes deepened.
But this, too, was within the range of possibilities I had prepared for.
I delivered my pre-crafted answer immediately.
"Krolro Febius. He’s the one who did it."
"Krolro Febius? Are you serious?"
That surprised even the Zero Order—he asked me again.
I couldn’t miss this opening, so I pressed on with my explanation.
"Not long ago, Quasimodo attacked during the celebration for the new instructors."
"Yes. I’ve received that report."
"Krolro Febius was present at the banquet that day. And upon discovering Quasimodo’s identity, he realized someone was trying to kill him."
"That makes sense. Given how many Febius family members have died, the heir wouldn’t have been oblivious."
"The problem is that Quasimodo failed to kill him that day."
That part was true.
Now for the lie.
"Having barely survived, Krolro Febius panicked. He feared he’d die if things continued as they were—so he devised a plan."
"Like a cornered rat biting the cat, huh?"
"Exactly. But he didn’t report any of it to Seorn. I believe he thought asking for help here would be useless. He probably suspected a traitor on the inside."
That part might even be true.
If he believed one of the faculty was an assassin, there’s no way he’d trust Seorn.
"So he reached out to external forces. A last-ditch effort no one would expect."
I added just a hint of exaggeration to keep the Zero Order engaged.
Still, my tone remained calm.
"A normal external force wouldn’t be able to deal with Quasimodo."
"The Febius family was once the most renowned magic lineage in Durmang. When they defected to the Exilion Empire, they must’ve made certain deals. The ones he brought in were no ordinary men."
"No ordinary men?"
"They appeared to be highly trained elites. But identifying them was difficult."
I deliberately kept it vague—just strong enough to impress, but without details.
If I name a group and the Zero Order knows them, my whole story could fall apart.
"Secretive, well-trained elites... If they’re connected to the Exilion Empire, then... Black Ops, huh."
Perfect.
He drew his own conclusion.
And to so confidently name Black Ops—a force only known to high-ranking military officials—
Zero Order... so you have connections in the military as well.
Thinking about it, it’s not that surprising.
John Doe, before taking the name Ludger Cherish, was a real military officer—not a fabricated identity.
No wonder the Zero Order knew him.
"So Krolro Febius fought against Quasimodo. And in the moment when Quasimodo’s power waned, Esmeralda broke free of her shackles."
Then, to avoid falling back under control, she took Quasimodo down with her.
"And what became of Krolro Febius?"
"He died, fighting until the end."
"He fought to the end? Surprising that he had such grit and ability."
"Humans on the brink of death often show unexpected potential. I had planned to intervene, but I was too late."
A rampaging Quasimodo sprayed fire in all directions, and I was caught in it, suffering burns.
At that moment, Seorn faculty who had heard the commotion arrived—so I only managed to save Selina before escaping.
"That’s the full story. I’m here under the pretense of saving Selina, just in case anyone suspects me."
"Hmm. Selina, huh. And are you certain Quasimodo and Esmeralda are both completely gone from her?"
"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes."
"I see."
...What?
The Zero Order’s response was oddly indifferent.
Did I forget to mention something important?
"And this Selina... what’s she like?"
"...What do you mean?"
"I know Esmeralda and Selina are separate beings. But it’s possible Selina remembers what Esmeralda and Quasimodo did."
In other words, what the Zero Order was really asking was this—
Just in case she ever remembered something—better to eliminate her.
I quickly spoke up.
"From what I could observe, she seemed unaware of why she was in that warehouse."
"Unaware?"
"Yes. I believe she dismissed it as nothing more than a dream."
"John Doe, that alone isn’t safe. If she regained consciousness in a burning warehouse, any normal person would sense something was wrong."
Even the slightest possibility could become a fatal weak point for the Black Dawn.
The Zero Order was right.
There were too many uncertain variables surrounding Selina to just ignore her presence.
"Then... what do you intend to do?"
I asked as calmly as possible, addressing the Zero Order.
Making a move here would be reckless. First, I needed to gauge his intentions.
And yet...
No matter how I thought about it, only one answer kept surfacing in my mind—the Zero Order would tell me to kill Selina.
If he ordered it, I couldn’t refuse.
To avoid his suspicion, I’d have no choice but to kill Selina.
If the Zero Order gives that command... then I...
I clenched my fist.
Maybe I should just deal with him here and now—
"Forget it. Leave her."
But—
The answer he gave was so simple, it made all my thoughts seem laughable.
"You want her left alone...?"
"Selina, was it? She’s no longer of any use. That power’s already been spent. She’s not worth the effort anymore."
"I see."
"What? You wanted to kill her? John Doe, I know your loyalty is strong, but sometimes you overdo it. Now’s the time to stand down."
Had my question come off as eagerness to eliminate her?
And he just confirmed that John Doe’s loyalty is known to be excessive.
"...I apologize."
"Touching a Seorn instructor right now would bring too much risk. And you’re the only one I could entrust the job to—which means you would end up under suspicion."
"I don’t mind."
"There’s no greater foolishness than pouring time and effort into something meaningless. Especially when it pushes your own men to the edge."
...So he’s the type who values his subordinates after all.
And with those words, I could assume Selina’s safety was secured—at least for now.
That’s one fire put out.
But the situation wasn’t over yet.
I kept my nerves taut.
Because the Zero Order asked me another question.
"So, how’s the assignment going?"
The assignment?
I racked my brain. What assignment?
The first thing that came to mind was the directive I’d decoded from the cipher—to infiltrate Seorn and earn their favor.
But was that really all?
What if the Zero Order had personally given John Doe another task?
Unlike the other First Orders, John Doe was said to carry out special missions assigned only by the Zero Order.
If there was one I didn’t know about—
"I’m proceeding step by step."
I had no choice but to give a vague answer.
I hadn’t completed anything, but I was doing something.
That ambiguity should suffice.
"That’s good to hear. I imagine it hasn’t been easy, operating under Seorn’s radar."
From the way he said it, I had passed.
"It’s about time. Someone bothersome is on their way. I’d rather not cross paths, so I’ll take my leave."
That was a relief.
Any longer, and I might have lost control of the situation.
"John Doe. The Order Synod will be held soon. Now that there’s a vacancy from Esmeralda’s demise, the other First Orders need to be informed."
The Order Synod.
So even within the organization, the executives had their own meeting.
I figured something like that existed, but hearing it confirmed like this...
At the same time, it was a rare opportunity.
A chance to identify the other First Orders.
But how was I supposed to attend that meeting?
Was he seriously just going to leave it at "there’s a meeting, so come"?
This is dangerous. I don’t even know where the meeting will be held.
Just then, as he was turning to leave, the Zero Order spoke again.
"You still have what I gave you, right? You’ll need it to get in."
He suddenly asked whether I had something.
Considering the context, tone, and flow of conversation—
That had to be the key to attending the meeting.
"Zero Order, sir... I must apologize."
"Hmm?"
"As you may recall, I was caught up in a train bombing on my way to Seorn that day."
"The train bombing? Ah, that. The Liberation Army... We didn’t expect that one either."
"Yes. And because of that incident, I lost some of my luggage. I regret it deeply."
The Zero Order stared at me in silence.
I could feel the burn of his gaze on the back of my head.
I swallowed quietly.
Honestly, this was a risky move.
But it was a gamble I had no choice but to take.
"I see. Then it can’t be helped. Take this."
The Zero Order said, and placed a ring beside me.
I rolled my eyes to confirm his hand.
From the voice, I had my suspicions—but seeing the hand confirmed it.
Unexpectedly, the Zero Order was a young man.
Yet his hands showed no signs of having been hardened through combat. Was he a mage, then? Or something else entirely?
"Then, I’ll see you at the meeting."
With that, the Zero Order vanished like the wind.
I stared at the ring lying beside me, then silently picked it up and tucked it into my coat.
His presence had completely disappeared.
I wasn’t exposed.
Only then did I finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
I never imagined he’d appear here, now, at Seorn.
The Zero Order.
A man who should never be taken lightly.
He even knew Quasimodo had been destroyed...
I was genuinely nervous he’d find out.
Without a word, I pulled out a small red gem from inside my coat.
Inside the gem, the searing energy of flame still writhed faintly.
I thought this was what would get me caught.
The fiery energy that had belonged to Quasimodo—
A trophy I took from that battle.
