Raon frowned the moment he saw the black-haired middle-aged man. “I came to relax for a bit, didn’t expect to find you here.” The black-haired middle-aged man chuckled and patted his own shoulder. – “So it’s the chuckling geezer.” Wrath snorted like he had lost interest. – “He’s always going ‘huh huh huh!’ so that’s what he is.” ‘Not entirely wrong.’ Raon clicked his tongue briefly as he looked at the man. ‘At least he’s safe.’ The man who had suddenly spoken to him was Roenn in disguise. As expected of the man called the King of Assassins, his acting was natural. “How’s Montiro? Isn’t it laid-back yet lively at the same time?” “I only arrived today, so I’m not sure. I came here for work anyway.” “Work? More likely you’ll dump the chores on your subordinates and go sightseeing.” Roenn smiled faintly like he could see right through him. It was surprising how he had transformed into not just a different-looking man, but with entirely different expressions and mannerisms. Raon shook his head curtly. The white-haired man beside Roenn narrowed his eyes. He looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties, but the power Raon felt from him was well above Master high-class. A martial artist he had never seen before. “He’s the son of a man I owe a great debt to.” Roenn gave a faint smile, saying they had a certain connection. “I see. Well, enjoy your conversation. I’ll be off.” “Thanks for the company again today, Kalop.” “I enjoyed it as well.” The white-haired man called Kalop waved a hand as if to say not to mind him. As he turned to leave the beach, he stopped when he saw Rensia standing behind him. Rensia smiled brightly and bowed like she was greeting her own older brother. The hand clutching her backpack trembled slightly. “Yes. I’ll be helping him from today.” “Diligent. That’s good to see.” Kalop looked at Rensia briefly, patted her head, and left. “Where did you decide to stay?” As soon as Kalop left, Roenn asked where he was lodging. “Valorence? Figures, there’s nowhere else you’d go.” He nodded knowingly, like it was obvious Raon would choose the expensive option. “I’m staying at the Valorence as well. How about a drink together for old times’ sake?” Roenn turned without leaving him any room to refuse, telling him to follow. Raon sighed deeply and called to Rensia. “Looks like I’ll be drinking with that guy tonight. Come back tomorrow morning.” He handed her today’s pay as he told her to return the next day. “I-I already got it though?” Rensia pulled out the silver coin she had received earlier, eyes wide. Raon tossed her another silver coin, telling her to take it. Rensia deftly caught the coin and bowed. “Hurry up, will you? Young man moving so slow.” Roenn called him over in a casual tone, like he really was his father’s friend. “I came ahead to check the place out. It’s bigger than I thought, lots to see. First, there’s the western caves…” After sending Rensia home, Raon followed Roenn, eyes half-closed like he was bored while committing all of Montiro’s details to memory. By the time Roenn was talking about a church on the eastern side, they had reached his lodgings. “Mm. Sit over there.” Roenn pointed with his chin to a table by the window overlooking the sea. Raon nodded with effort and sat across from him. “Have I been talking too much about myself? How have you been?” “Same as always. Work, rest, work, rest, repeat.” He rolled his shoulder and said he had just been working. “Still hiding it here?” ‘No one’s around, but artifacts or barriers could pick up sound.’ Since Montiro was definitely strange, it was best to be cautious until the secret was uncovered. “So healthy it’s a problem.” As he nodded, thinking of Edgar, a knock came at the door. At Roenn’s word, a guide entered, carrying a tray with drinks and snacks. “The drinks and snacks you requested.” The boy set them on the table with a polite bow. Roenn patted the boy’s head as he tipped him. “Not at all! Have a good time, you two!” Clutching the tip like a treasure, Perrin closed the door behind him. “You should work hard like that too.” Roenn smirked like he was chiding him. [It’s been a while, Light Wind Palace Lord.] At the same time he spoke, he wrote words in the air with his finger. “I work hard enough, so don’t worry about it.” Raon gave a cool reply while writing in the air just like Roenn. [I was worried, but I’m glad you’re safe.] [I trust my disguise and acting, but even if the Black Tower had noticed me, they wouldn’t have attacked. The moment I was attacked, their suspicion about this place would turn to certainty.] Roenn shook his head, saying it seemed the watchful eyes hadn’t settled on him yet. [But how did you know I was here?] [Before meeting you, I made contact with an agent from the black market. Thanks to that, I learned of the current operation.] He smiled faintly, glad he had met the agent beforehand. [Then have you found anything suspicious?] [No. I toured all of Montiro while pretending to enjoy a vacation, but there’s nothing strange.] Even as he chided Raon aloud, his finger wrote politely. [If anything, everyone is happy here. Monsters rampage now and then, but the so-called heroes handle it immediately, so no harm comes to anyone.] Roenn had visited in various guises but found nothing each time. Raon bit his lip slightly. ‘Well, that’s to be expected.’ Even Wrath hadn’t found anything until hearing there was no deathly energy here. If Wrath couldn’t sense it, it was only natural Roenn couldn’t either. [And those so-called heroes…] [Do you remember the white-haired young man from the beach?] [Yes. Young, but strong.] He nodded, recalling the greatsword-wielding youth. [He’s the commander of the armed forces here, called Kalop. There are five like him. All at Master high-class level, but staying here without seeking fame on the continent.] Roenn narrowed his eyes at the mention of Kalop. [Could they be tied to the Black Tower…] [I suspected as much, so I kept watch, but no. They use purer aura than I do, and though rough in personality, they truly have a hero’s bearing.] He downed his drink, certain they weren’t connected to the Black Tower. Raon tapped the table lightly as he replayed the meeting with Kalop in his mind. [Honestly, I can’t believe the Black Tower is here at all.] Roenn shook his head, saying from what he’d seen, it didn’t make sense for the Black Tower to be present. [Have you found anything?] [There are a few things, but it’s too early to say.] Aside from the absence of deathly energy and demonic energy, there was one more thing, but it wasn’t ready to be revealed. [Then I’ll trust you.] Roenn refilled his cup with a faint smile. [I trust the Palace Lord’s judgment over my own.] He lowered his head, saying he trusted Raon more than what he’d seen for himself. [You’ve seen more than me since you were young.] With an easy laugh, he drank. Feeling the sincerity, Raon’s hand holding the cup trembled. Receiving someone’s genuine trust was both gratifying and heavy. [I’ve been in this form too long, so I’ll step out for a bit.] Roenn bowed slightly, saying he’d return in a new guise. [That’s for the best. The Light Wind Palace and True Martial Palace swordsmen are rotating shifts entering now, so it won’t be hard.] [Then I’d better prepare quickly.] He smiled faintly, saying he would get ready to leave right away. “I must have been nagging too much, your face is all stiff. That’s what happens when you get old.” Roenn chuckled and shook his head. “All right, off you go. It was good to see you again. Say hello to your father for me.” He waved his cup in farewell. Raon sighed and stood. Without looking back at Roenn waving, he opened the door and stepped outside. ‘He trusts me over his own judgment…’ Raon clenched his fist, engraving Roenn’s written words in his heart. The secret of this perfect city. Raon exhaled slowly as he watched the sun sink into the horizon. ‘Three days already?’ In those three days, the Light Wind Palace and True Martial Palace swordsmen had successfully infiltrated in various disguises, and the black market agents had entered covertly to play their parts. But no one had found anything strange about Montiro. Tourists, merchants, and residents alike enjoyed happy times. No one seemed to suffer misfortune. He himself had spent lavishly to meet many people, but without exception, all ages and genders showed no cracks. At this point, it almost felt like chasing a non-existent Black Tower. ‘Chamber must be fuming.’ Even with elite forces from the Light Wind Palace, True Martial Palace, and the black market, nothing had been found. She was likely stomping her feet in frustration. Raon emptied a bottle of alcohol and glanced to his right. Rensia was humming as she knitted. ‘She was ordinary too.’ Because a demon could be in disguise, he hadn’t taken his eyes off her, but she was simply a cheerful girl her age. There was one odd thing, but it wasn’t the same as suspecting her. She set down her needle and thread, looking up. Over the past three days, she’d grown more familiar with him. “Everyone here seems happy.” “As you’ve seen, only good things happen here.” Rensia nodded brightly. “The weather’s nice, the sea’s clear, and everyone’s kind. Sometimes monsters show up, but the heroes take care of them.” She clasped her hands, saying there was no chance for bad things to happen. Raon swirled his bottle and clicked his tongue briefly. ‘Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as only happiness in the world.’ Even the seemingly perfect annex occasionally had negativity—maids quarreling, Sylvia crying over Sia’s condition, Edgar kneeling in prayer over his sins. In both his past and present lives, he had learned that perfect happiness didn’t exist as long as people lived together. “The sun’s down. Shall we go?” Raon set down the empty bottle and jerked his chin. Tonight was the underground arena’s opening night. It was held only once a week, so he had been waiting. “Yes, I’ll guide you!” Rensia packed her knitting into a blue bag and stood. “The entry fee’s not cheap. Is that all right?” Seeing how freely he spent money, she asked like it was obvious he could pay. She grinned and led the way down the boulevard. She had feared him at first, but now treated him familiarly, seeing him as a wealthy spendthrift. She took him to a small church behind the Valorence Hotel. “A church? There’s an arena here?” “Yes. Strange, right? People must not believe in the gods.” Rensia said it like she didn’t believe either and stepped inside. A man over two meters tall with tanned skin approached in a priest’s robe. Rensia greeted brightly, as always. “Give the entry fee to the priest.” She gestured toward the man, though her fingertips trembled slightly in fear. Raon narrowed his eyes slightly and tossed him gold coins. “May the blessing of the gods be upon you.” When the muscle-bound priest waved his hand, the floor beneath an angel statue opened, revealing stairs leading down. Following Rensia down the stairs, a space more dazzling than the Valorence Hotel lobby appeared. Under brilliant lights, many people were gambling. “This is the underground casino. The odds here are two to ten times higher than outside.” She nodded, saying it was better not to gamble here at all. “You know that makes me…” “Yes, gamble more. Sorry….” She bit her lip like she knew she’d slipped up. Raon scanned the crowd. ‘No Deathly Energy here either.’ Montiro, as a tourist spot, had plenty of casinos. Yet even in these dens of ruin and joy, there was no Deathly Energy. This was no exception. -No Demonic Energy either. Wrath wrinkled his nose in disbelief. ‘It really makes no sense.’ That neither despair from losing nor joy from winning produced any negativity was incomprehensible. She crossed the casino and led him down to the second basement. The high ceilings meant there were more stairs this time. By the time they reached the dimly lit entrance, the roar of the crowd was already echoing. It was the kind of sound that stirred the blood and rattled the mind. The matches had begun. “Looks like it’s started!” Rensia waved for him to hurry. As Raon descended at an unhurried pace, Rensia stopped at the entrance, her mouth slightly open. “How did you get here?” A young man with blue hair, a spear slung over each shoulder, blocked her way, frowning. “Ah, Sir Felix! I was guiding this guest to the arena!” Rensia beamed and bowed, clearly familiar with him. Felix looked Raon over, brows furrowed. “Having fun is fine, but bringing a child somewhere is questionable, don’t you think?” He exhaled in disapproval. Raon didn’t answer him, his gaze instead on Rensia—still smiling, but with the hand clutching her bag trembling. ‘Looks like… I’ve found a crack.’