Edrick returned to where he had left Alex tied.
As he loosened the ropes, Alex looked up at him cautiously.
"Did it… work?"
"Dvich is dead. And I secured the evidence."
"...Ah!"
Alex gasped. He stared blankly for a moment, then hesitantly asked,
"You… you really killed a noble. Only the king has the authority to punish one..."
"Dvich wasn't a noble," Edrick replied coldly. "Hilbert is. Dvich had no title."
Under the kingdom's law, nobility was defined by holding an official rank.
Dvich had none.
"I—well, yes, technically, but unofficially—"
"You think I care about the status of someone who sold slaves?"
"...!"
Alex faltered.
Edrick was right.
Had he killed Viscount Hilbert, the kingdom would've been forced to act, if only to preserve order.
But Dvich?
He was just a criminal with a fancy name. No one would mourn him.
Alex quickly changed the subject.
"My mother...?"
"Left her in place. That's the most natural course of action."
"I see..."
If Marcella had vanished during the chaos, she would've been the first suspect.
Edrick had wisely left her untouched.
Alex exhaled in relief.
"Take the wagon to the Loen estate," Edrick said. "Count Leonhardt is a noble you can trust. He'll protect the slaves."
"Understood."
"Any of them double-marked?"
"No. None."
To inscribe a slave mark, the master had to be present.
These captives hadn't been sold yet—they were clean.
Alex hesitated, then added:
"This is just a portion of them. These are the most valuable slaves. There are still over a hundred imprisoned in the estate."
Edrick nodded and pulled back the tarp covering the wagon.
The prisoners inside blinked as moonlight spilled over them.
All women. All strikingly beautiful.
So these were the 'valuable' ones...
His gaze landed on a particular girl.
Short crimson hair, pale skin, and a quiet, expressionless face that gave her the air of a porcelain doll.
She looked to be about his age.
I like her! the wind spirit exclaimed, spinning around her excitedly.
That alone was reason enough for Edrick to take notice.
Why?
She smells nice. Not as nice as you, of course! Oh, and...
The spirit trailed off and flitted to the second wagon.
There's another girl here who smells the same. Her sister.
So they were siblings, captured together.
After a moment's thought, Edrick turned to Alex.
"Unlock both cages."
"Yes, sir."
The locks clicked open.
As the iron doors creaked, the women inside stared at Edrick in stunned silence.
They had heard everything—this tarp didn't block sound.
They knew what he had done for them.
"You're free to go," Edrick announced. "Anyone who wants to leave, you may. Those who wish to come with me to Count Loen, stay."
A moment of silence.
They looked around uncertainly.
The idea of running was tempting.
But it was late, deep in the forest, and they had no idea where they were.
Wandering alone would likely mean death—from beasts or bandits.
In the end, a third left. The rest stayed.
Edrick separated them by gender and helped them back into the wagons.
Then he turned to the two red-haired siblings.
"You two, come with me."
The spirit's chosen ones.
The boy and girl stepped forward—calm, composed, their expressions unreadable.
While they followed, Alex recovered the tarp, resealing the cages.
He was about to climb back onto the driver's seat when—
"Wait."
Edrick approached.
Alex stopped, glancing over his shoulder.
Edrick pointed to his chest.
"Show me your mark."
"Ah, yes."
Alex looked startled, but obeyed.
He pulled back his shirt, revealing... nothing.
His chest was clean.
Moments later, the wagons began their journey to Loen.
As they rolled away, the wind spirit grumbled.
Ugh! That boy reeks!
From the slave mark?
No, something far worse. Something filthy and foul!
Edrick's eyes sharpened.
Black magic.
Not just any illegal trade—black mages were involved.
He opened the ledger he'd taken from the Bearut estate.
Inside was a record of transactions with a mysterious contact known only as "Crow."
The items?
Scrolls—specialized spell scrolls designed for one-time use.
Specifically, scrolls for inscribing slave marks.
In other words, this was irrefutable proof that the Bearut family was engaged in slave trafficking.
Normally, this would've been enough to bring them down...
But the rules had changed.
Black mages—those who made pacts with demons in exchange for power.
And the cost?
Human sacrifice.
In this case, it was likely they had offered up some of the slaves to receive an enhanced version of the slave mark—one with the added effect of hiding the branding.
They've been operating right under our noses...
Edrick closed the ledger with a sharp snap.
House Bearut no longer mattered.
The real threat was these demon-worshipping terrorists.
And that...
was a battlefield Edrick knew intimately.
In his past life, he had spent over ten years fighting terrorists.
His focus shifted.
He turned to the red-haired siblings.
They stood there, silent, watching him with unblinking eyes.
I can't leave them behind.
He made a decision.
"What are your names?"
"Ria."
"I'm Kyle."
Sister and brother.
They looked to be his age.
"Do you want anything?"
The siblings exchanged a look.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Kyle stepped forward.
"...To eat until we're full."
"...!"
Ria's eyes lit up. She nodded eagerly.
"Adults always gave us so little. We're always hungry. If I can be full, I'll do anything!"
The once emotionless siblings suddenly found their voices, complaining in earnest.
Clearly, they had been starved often.
Edrick nodded.
"Follow me, and I promise—you'll never go hungry again."
They looked at each other again.
Ria asked:
"What do we have to do?"
"What are you good at?"
Truthfully, Edrick had no idea what they could do.
He only knew the spirit liked them.
Kyle seemed to think for a moment, then picked up a nearby rock.
Without mana, using only raw strength—
Crack!
He shattered it with his bare hands.
"...!"
Edrick's eyes widened.
No mana—and that much power?
"We're both strong," Kyle said simply.
Ria nodded.
That much strength...
Edrick moved quickly.
He tore cloth from the dead knights and fashioned two new masks.
With their faces hidden and their bright red hair covered, they looked like shadows—faceless, nameless.
"We move. Stay close."
"Yes."
And with that, the three vanished into the night.
An hour had passed since Dvich's assassination.
The Bearut estate was in chaos.
Torches lit the courtyard. Soldiers shouted orders.
Apparently, they had deployed almost every available guard to search for the assassin.
All the better.
They'd never expect the killer to come back.
Edrick glanced at the siblings beside him.
Their faces were masked. Heavy clothes concealed their builds.
"Wait here. Come when I give the signal. You remember it?"
"Yes."
They nodded.
Edrick scaled the wall like a ghost, the wind aiding him.
He melted into the shadows, eyes scanning the scene.
Under the bright moon, guards ran back and forth in confusion.
Let's see...
That stench from Alex earlier—is there more of it here? Look for anything similar—books, rooms.
There is! In the basement—there's a disgusting book hidden down there!
Basement, huh...?
Alex hadn't mentioned anything like that.
Which meant not even he knew about it.
Guide me.
Okay~
The spirit laughed and zipped ahead.
With its real-time guidance, Edrick walked the halls confidently.
No one would catch him.
The destination was a library on the first floor.
Oddly enough, there were no stairs leading down.
Then—
A breeze stirred in the center of the room.
It's under here!
Edrick pulled back a rug, revealing a one-meter-wide hatch.
Shink.
He drew a dagger and infused it with mana.
The lock snapped cleanly.
A lock outside the door. No one's inside.
He opened the hatch.
Whoosh.
A cold draft swept upward.
A steep staircase descended into darkness.
Edrick lowered the rug to conceal the hatch and slipped inside.
This way!
The room was pitch black, but the spirit illuminated everything in his mind.
This wasn't a sudden ability.
Edrick had trained for this for three years—
ever since reaching the Second Star.
He had practiced until he could fight with his eyes closed, relying solely on the spirit's senses.
Here! This book reeks!
At the far end of the chamber sat a single tome.
This entire space had been built to protect it.
How bad is it?
Worse than that boy earlier!
Confirmed.
Edrick grabbed the book and tucked it inside his coat.
He was about to leave when—
Boom—BOOM!
A violent explosion shook the building.
Cries rang out from above.
"Fire! It's a fire!"
Edrick frowned.
Someone had started it on purpose.
Probably with magic.
But who...?
It's awful! That smell... it's worse than ever!
Heavy footsteps echoed above.
Someone had entered the room.
Step. Step.
They stopped directly above.
Creeeak.
The hatch opened.
Light flooded the staircase.
A shadow appeared at the top, silhouetted by the flames behind him.
And then, a calm voice:
"Well now... seems I've found an unexpected guest."