n

n

nThere was a reason why Jaehwan followed them to the office of the inner keep without any protest.

n-You were looking for a Nightmare, right?

nGorgon Fortress was a large place. Even if Nightmares were rare, there might be one or two if one looked very closely. That was what Meikal said.

n-Go to the Registrar of the Inner Keep. Tell them my name and show the scabbard. You will then take a look at the entrance record.

nIt seemed like a good idea to track down possible a Nightmare who had come into the fortress. That was what he planned to do unless he encountered some other problems.

n‘It’s getting mixed up.’

nBut it might be better. The middle-aged man seemed to hold a high position so it might be easier if he helped find a Nightmare. Jaehwan looked at him.

nHe had a clean mustache along with a wise and intelligent face. Euren looked very noble and intelligent. But it was his 211th year after he died at Great Lands. He was one of the oldest within the Gorgon Fortress.

n“I will have to introduce myself first. I am Euren Chiver, Chancellor of this ‘Gorgon Fortress’.”

n“Jaehwan.”

nEuren laughed. “You sure sound like the one, the doctor told me about you.”

nJaehwan glanced and the doctor was mumbling, ‘Look, I told you he’s rude.’

n“But you must know that it is not your name that we want to know.”

nHe cut straight to the chase, but did so politely. It was interesting to see such a high ranking officer be so polite.

n“Let me ask you this outright, Mister Jaehwan. Are you the Messenger of the Greens?”

n“No.”

n“I see.”

nEuren didn’t seem to be shocked.

n“…You weren’t?!”

n“Didn’t I say that?”

nChunghuh added, “Hey, kid. Let me ask you. If you are not from the Greens, then where did you get those stones?”

nChunghuh asked as he glared at the stone in Jaehwan’s hands.

nJaehwan’s answer was simple. “I picked them up.”

n“…and you want me to believe that? What happened to the owners?”

n“They’re dead.”

n“Dead? Who dares to kill five families…”

n“I killed them.”

nThe commander was shocked and Chunghuh stood up, but Euren stopped him.

n“Please, relax, Doctor.”

nThe Chancellor was so dignified that it even made Jaehwan astonished.

n“He killed them all!”

n“We do not know what happened between them and Mister Jaehwan.”

n“…”

n“We should hear him out. He must have had his reasons.”

nEuren looked at Jaehwan and Jaehwan answered, “They attacked me first. They wanted my horn, so I fought them.”

nJaehwan then took out the last horn from his backpack. Euren nodded.

n“…I see.”

nThe Greens were famous for their greed for materials. If a mere human was walking around with high-value material like the horn of a Garnak, there was a chance for them to launch an attack. If Jaehwan killed them to protect himself, then there was nothing to blame. Euren became curious. How did this man come all the way here?

n“Mister Jaehwan, would you mind explaining your story some more?”

nAfter a while…

n“I see. Let me summarize your story.”

nEuren recounted the events, “One. You were ‘accidentally’ swept away into this .”

nJaehwan nodded.

n“Two. You ‘accidentally’ met the Greens and came into this fortress.”

nJaehwan nodded.

n“Three. You ‘accidentally’ ran into the trouble and met the doctor. And you copied what he did.”

nJaehwan nodded.

n“I see. I understand.”

nChunghuh frowned as he watched them.

n“…Chancellor, do you even believe him?”

n“Yes, I do.”

n“Have you lost your mind because Master’s out sick?”

nEruen smiled.

n“Doctor.”

n“What.”

n“To earn the trust of someone, you must trust him first.”

n“…”

nThe doctor became dumbfounded and Euren looked back at Jaehwan.

n“Mister Jaehwan, can I ask a few more questions, if it’s not too much?”

n“Sure.”

n“Then, the first question. Your body is alive right now. Is that right?”

nJaehwan’s finger that played on the stone stopped cold.

n“…How do you know that I didn’t die?”

n“Didn’t you say that you were ‘accidentally swept into ’?”

n“Yes.”

n“Did you know that no one in expresses their ‘death’ in that way?”

nHe was a very intelligent man. Jaehwan heightened his guard.

n“Second question. Is there a reason for you to hide your identity?”

nJaehwan fell silent and answered, “Yes.”

n“Is it because of a certain threat?”

n“Maybe, maybe not.”

n“It somehow is, while it’s somehow not.”

nEuren tapped on the table and continued, “I must apologize beforehand.”

n“What is it?”

n“To be honest, I’ve been watching you use my people for the past three days.”

n“I knew about it.”

n“Of course.”

nJaehwan remembered the man in a dark green cloth that he knocked out near Twilight’s Fall.

n“It was hard as you were too powerful, but there were a few results.”

n“…”

n“We did manage to find out a few things about you. Do you want to listen to it?”

n“Go ahead.”

nEuren smiled. “This document summarizes what happened after you walked into the fortress.”

nJaehwan looked down and read the paper in front of him.

nFirst day

nTarget has clashed with Karlton.

nTarget took out the Stone of Forgotten Spirit and made the civilians feel terrified.

nTarget massacred local gangs.

nTarget trespassed the Twilight’s Fall and threatened the Vice Chief.

nTarget took Twilight’s Fall illegally. (Resulted in 180 million horuns in property loss.)

nTarget started processing SS-grade material ‘Horn of Garnak’.

nThird day

nTarget destroyed the northern merchant road. Estimated property loss: 40 million horuns.

nTarget clashed with the Janya brothers and the Golden Sky Clan. (Northern Guard Captain and 14 other guards were wounded in the process.)

nTarget massacred Janya brothers and the Golden Sky Clan.

nTarget clashed with the middle Dead Man.

nTarget killed the middle Dead Man. (Estimated property loss due to the damage: 30 million horuns.)

nTarget clashed with the Doctor of Despair.

nTarget used ‘Dead Man Slash’.

nTarget’s danger grade: SS

nTarget’s physical strength: Impossible to measure

nEstimated property loss: 380 million horuns

n