NOVPUBThere’s a saying: “Strike while the iron is hot.”
So, having just revealed the truth to Sedina, Ludger brought her out into the city of Rederbelk.
Officially, it was under the pretext of personally procuring research books and materials with his assistant. But of course, that wasn’t the real reason.
“So, this girl is our new member?”
“That’s right.”
One of the secret hideouts of the organization located in the slums.
The members who had gathered there were all staring at Sedina Roschen, who sat in the middle of the room, with curious eyes.
Perhaps overwhelmed by the intense gazes of these highly unique individuals, Sedina sat stiffly, her body visibly tense.
“She was brought here by the leader.”
“She’s cute.”
“Wow. So young.”
Most of the stares directed at Sedina were friendly.
The reason was simple:
Because Ludger brought her.
But that didn’t mean everyone welcomed her unconditionally.
Hans was one of the exceptions.
“She’s too young. What could someone like her possibly contribute?”
From Hans’s perspective, it was difficult to feel reassured—Sedina was just too young.
True, she had apparently been a capable operative within the Black Dawn Society and possessed deeper intel than most.
But still... something’s off.
Hans couldn’t shake the feeling that his own position was being threatened.
They even shared overlapping areas of expertise.
“I’m in favor!”
Seridan, who had been circling around Sedina and curiously examining her, raised her hand and shouted.
“She’s cute, and if the boss brought her, there must be a good reason!”
“I object.”
The one who voiced opposition was Violetta.
“It bothers me that ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) she was part of the Black Dawn. Even if she’s supposedly turned her back on them, what if it’s all a lie?”
“Eh, I’m fine with it.”
Alex picked up the conversation casually.
“The boss persuaded her, right? That alone should prove she’s trustworthy. Besides, if a cute girl like this is joining us, I say welcome.”
“Hold on! Alex! You already have a cute girl right here!”
“Yeah, but Seridan, you’re a bit...”
The members tossed barbs at each other freely but didn’t hesitate to speak their minds.
As the flurry of pros and cons flew around the room, Sedina glanced up at Ludger with anxious eyes.
Eventually, Ludger had to step in.
“That’s enough.”
The moment he spoke, the room went silent.
Sedina found it oddly striking.
It was so loud just moments ago... but in an instant, it calmed down.
She’d thought they were an uncontrollable bunch—but that wasn’t it at all.
Their demeanor showed respect and deference toward the leader of the organization.
And the reason for that...
Was surely the man standing beside her—Ludger Cherish.
His unmatched abilities, his natural charisma, and his sharp insight—
All of it inspired the kind of respect that came effortlessly.
“I’ve heard everyone’s opinions. I understand what you’re concerned about. But the decision to bring in Sedina Roschen has already been made.”
“Can she really be trusted?”
Violetta asked.
Though she was one of the most recent additions to the group, no one revered Ludger more than she did—so she didn’t want to risk letting in a potential threat.
“She can be trusted.”
Ludger said it with firm conviction.
Just that alone made Sedina’s throat tighten with emotion.
To know that he believed in her—that single fact swept away all the lingering fear she had been feeling.
“Urgh... If the boss is speaking this strongly...”
“Well, I was in favor of it from the beginning anyway.”
“B-but boss. I feel like I’ve seen this kid somewhere before...”
Bellaruna raised her hand, tilting her head as if something about Sedina had triggered her memory.
“I was going to properly introduce her anyway. Sedina Roschen. She’s the daughter of the Roschen family, and she’s also a half-elf with elven blood. Sedina.”
At Ludger’s prompting, Sedina pushed back the brown hair covering her ears, revealing her pointed, half-elven ears.
Gasps of admiration echoed around the room.
Sedina felt as if she was exposing a personal flaw—it was embarrassing. But she tried hard not to show it, for Ludger’s sake.
“Bellaruna, maybe you sensed something because you’re of the same race.”
“M-maybe? But still... there’s something more to it...”
“In any case, I vouch for her skills. Sedina is a talented mage and an excellent informant. Her unique magic will be a great asset to us.”
As if on cue, Sedina raised her hand.
On her palm, neatly folded paper figures began to move as if alive.
“Her magic is highly versatile. Especially in gathering information.”
“She’s like Hans! But her little paper guys are cuter than his rats.”
“Excuse me?!”
Hans flared up at Seridan's comment.
But unable to say anything more, he glanced briefly at Sedina—who was still staring—and then turned his head sharply away.
Ludger smiled wryly.
He could understand Hans’s frustration.
“Don’t worry too much. Sedina is here as a provisional member for now. She won’t be a full member right away—that’s something she agreed to as well.”
That “provisional” status seemed to calm Hans down a bit.
After all, it still meant he outranked her.
“Everyone, take good care of her.”
And as soon as Sedina’s welcome was over, Seridan, Bellaruna, and Arfa approached her at once.
All three were naturally curious, so it was no surprise.
“So, what have you been doing up till now?”
“Hm... You have a... peculiar scent. Like an old forest.”
“Wow. A half-elf. Can I touch your ears?”
“M-me?!”
Clearly unused to such attention, Sedina looked overwhelmed.
They seem to be getting along. Nothing to worry about there.
As Ludger observed, Hans approached him quietly.
“Boss.”
“What is it?”
“What now?”
The question was broad—but important.
Recruiting a new member was one thing, but what came next was even more critical.
“With Silver Sun gone, there must be a lot to report. Speak.”
“For starters, we’ve taken over most of Silver Sun’s operations. The remaining dregs were easy to absorb. We’ve grown nearly double in size.”
“That’s a good sign. What else?”
Hans pulled out the report he’d prepared and began reciting.
“Our businesses are thriving. We had to put in a lot of investment at first, but we’re showing record profits. We’ll recoup the initial funds in no time, and then it’s nothing but profit.”
“What’s the merchant guild doing?”
“They’re scared stiff. After what happened to Silver Sun, they realized we’re not to be trifled with. Now we just keep chipping away at their market share.”
“Good news.”
The more money that flowed in, the better.
It meant more resources for Relic research.
“But don’t go too far. Cooperation is still important.”
“I understand. Oh, and one more thing, boss—about the Relic fragments.”
“Yes. Speak.”
“How many are left to find, again?”
“There were four. I recovered one at the Kunst Auction, so three remain.”
“And you said one might be in Lindebrune, the capital.”
“That’s right.”
That was the reason they had intended to head from the northern Yuta Kingdom to the capital in the first place.
“So if you’re bringing it up now...”
“Exactly.”
Hans nodded.
“I’ve found it. Or rather—it’s more accurate to say there’s no other possible location.”
“So you were investigating this before I even arrived in Rederbelk... and only now got results? It must’ve been extremely well hidden.”
This was the very reason Ludger had agreed to meet Hans in Lindebrune beforehand.
And why Hans had gone ahead to the capital early.
Everything had been for one goal—finding the Relic supposedly hidden in the capital.
Though things had gone off-track and led them on a long detour, the situation was finally back on course.
“So, why did it take you so long to find it?”
“There’s only one place even I can’t get into, even if it’s hidden in a gutter or dark alley. You know what I’m talking about.”
“The one place off-limits...”
There was only one such place in the capital.
“The Dvalk Imperial Palace of the Exilion Empire.”
So strict and incorruptible that not even a rat could slip through.
If Hans hadn’t been able to get in, then it could only be there.
“If it’s not anywhere else, then the palace has to be it.”
“Process of elimination. That’s why it took you so long.”
Hans let out a sheepish sigh.
After all, he had boasted that he could find it faster than anyone else.
“There’s nothing I could do about getting into the palace. Not even a mousehole in that place.”
“Just identifying that it’s there is already a major success. Figuring out how to get it... we’ll tackle that later.”
“It’s going to take time.”
“Indeed. And we still need to locate the other two fragments whose whereabouts are unknown.”
“Well, nothing urgent for now. What do you plan to do next, boss?”
At Hans’s question, Ludger looked at him like he was asking something obvious.
“Hans. Did you forget who I am right now?”
“Ah. Right.”
“Lesson prep, upcoming assignments, the next exam—there’s a lot to do. But the most immediate task would be a trip to Baltanung.”
Ludger’s eyes glinted.
“I need to rip out the roots of the Black Dawn Society.”
Because if he wanted to survive, that was absolutely necessary.
He couldn’t allow them to remain unchecked.
Hans, who had been silently observing him, cautiously spoke.
“Boss... are you really okay with all this?”
“What do you mean?” 𝚗ovp𝚞b.𝚌om
“No, I worded that wrong. I mean, are you really okay? Because frankly... you’re drawing way too much attention these days.”
That was what Hans was worried about.
Ludger was supposed to be staying hidden—but instead, he was showing off his abilities more than ever.
True, there were situations where he had no choice but to reveal himself.
“But even when it wasn’t necessary... you took the risk anyway. That’s dangerous.”
Like the Esmeralda incident.
Ludger didn’t need to stand out.
He could’ve turned his back on the situation once things started going wrong.
But he hadn’t.
He’d chosen to act, even at risk to himself.
“I’m not criticizing your decisions. You’ve always been that way, so this was bound to happen. The real issue is—how do we deal with what comes next?”
The Nightcrawler Knights were prowling nearby.
Casey Selmore, a detective of frightening insight, was now in Rederbelk.
Even the Zero Order of the Black Dawn had visited Seorn.
“You won’t be able to stay hidden forever. And when that time comes...”
“I’ll have to choose.”
“...Exactly. I know you already understand all this, but I had to say it.”
From across the room, Sedina’s and Seridan’s laughter mixed with Bellaruna’s—it tickled the edge of their hearing.
“Hans. It’s not like I haven’t thought about it. If I kept my head down and lived in complete obscurity, I wouldn’t have to take these risks.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“A whim.”
At that, Hans gave him a look of disbelief.
He was genuinely wondering if the man in front of him was still the same person he knew.
“Did you hit your head or something?”
“......”
“J-just a joke. No need to glare at me like that.”
“Anyway.”
Ludger turned his gaze out the window.
Though it was a secret base, the building looked like a typical residential house, and the view outside was ordinary.
A peaceful, quiet street.
To most, that’s all it would seem.
But not to Ludger.
To him, the world was an unbearably stifling cage.
“Hans. I’ve changed identities many times. The only one that was ever real... was the identity I threw away long ago—that of a prince.”
He had accepted that living as a fraud was necessary for the journey ahead.
But was that really true?
Had he ever truly accepted it in his heart?
“To be honest... I find it infuriating.”
He built connections with people through false identities—and discarded them whenever he had to change roles again.
Not by choice, but by force.
Always running. Always hiding. Always lying.
He had lived half his life this way.
Even if lies, deception, and pretense had become second nature—he had never truly wanted it.
“Then it hit me. That moment I got caught up in the train bombing. The moment I took on a new identity I didn’t want. Maybe I wanted this, without even realizing it.”
It had been an unwanted derailment from the track—but also a chance.
Live forever as a lie?
Or risk dying as something real?
“And you risked death to do it?”
“I have no intention of dying. I have things I must do—things I want to do. That’s why I’ve secured my position and built this organization. So that, even if my identity is exposed—”
Ludger’s eyes sharpened as he looked outside.
“No one will be able to touch me.”
That’s why he had built a power base.
“So in the end, this organization... it’s both a haven and an outlet for your anger at the world.”
“Not my anger—our anger.”
Those cast aside by the world.
Those who wanted to grasp something—anything—but never could.
Who would listen to their voices of despair?
Who would gather their cries and curses and shout them to the world?
The other members, who had been chatting, had all gone silent.
Now, they listened to Ludger.
“Let it be known—I’m not your teacher. I’m not your boss, your leader, your chief, or your savior.”
Ludger said it with unwavering certainty.
“I am only your voice. A messenger who will scream the fury of the weak into the face of this world.”
So shout, as much as you want.
I will make sure your voices are heard.
“The forgotten slums of Rederbelk—this place will be both our beginning, and our fortress.”
