The village entrance looked like a fence broken in the middle.

Only a single guard collecting taxes stood there, and I was waiting for my client.

I worried the client might delay departure until tomorrow due to some urgent matter, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

I’d stored the money in my magic pouch.

It was cramped with various items, but after tossing out useless things, there was just enough space.

A gentle breeze blew, and I hurriedly raised my right hand to hold down my shoulder-length hair.

I had to hide something behind my right ear that others shouldn’t see.

Then, I spotted my client approaching from a distance.

The client wore clothes neither shabby nor luxurious—just typical of a merchant.

The carriage was heavily loaded with goods, but there was still room to sit.

The carriage stopped in front of me, and the client dismounted, offering a handshake.

I saw no reason to refuse, so I lightly clasped his hand in return.

“Sorry about that. Kept you waiting long?”

“No need to worry about it.”

Honestly, without you, I’d have had to walk for two weeks.

“Shall we head out then?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

The client climbed onto the horse, and I took a seat at the front of the carriage, closest to him.

Sitting at the back would’ve been more comfortable, but the front was better for protecting the client.

Of course, in a situation where I’d have to abandon being an adventurer, killing the client and stealing the horse would be faster, but I didn’t want to do that.

If I, a dark mage, committed a crime, it’d feel like playing right into the church’s hands.

I was sick and tired of dancing in the palm of that damned church.

As the client tugged the reins, the carriage began to move forward.

The scenery unfolding before me was peaceful and beautiful.

The breeze swayed the grass, and butterflies flitted about, searching for their mates.

Seeing such a sight made me realize I wasn’t the protagonist of this world.

If I were, a storm would probably be raging right now.

To push those thoughts aside, I pulled two steamed potatoes from my magic pouch.

I’d bought them while waiting for the client, and they’d cooled to just the right temperature for eating.

“Uh, Kelvin?”

The client turned his head at my call.

“Yes? You called?”

“Yeah, you might get hungry on the way, so have this.”

I handed Kelvin a steamed potato, and he accepted it with a kind smile.

“Well, thank you kindly.”

I wasn’t doing this to gain anything from the client.

I just thought it might lift my spirits a bit.

And it worked—my heart, which felt like it might crumble, calmed down a little.

Having finished his potato, Kelvin took a sip from his water flask and cautiously spoke.

“Adventurer, uh…”

“Call me Crow.”

“Right, Crow. It’s a bit much to call this repayment for the food, but do you know what’s happening in the capital?”

“What’s going on in the capital?”

Having stayed in this remote place with my party for a month, I had no access to outside information.

Kelvin glanced around as if about to share a secret, then covered his mouth with one hand and spoke quietly.

“Seems like dark mages were planning to bring down the church. I was in the capital three weeks ago, so I don’t know what’s happened since, but it was absolute chaos back then.”

“The… church, you say?!”

My loud voice startled Kelvin, who quickly raised a finger to his lips.

“Someone might hear; it could cause trouble.”

“Ah… yes, sorry. Can you tell me more about it?”

“Of course, I’ll tell you everything I know. In the capital, there were loud booms, and strange things were flying in the sky…”

Strange things flying in the sky?

Could the dark mages have summoned demons or something?

Even as our hushed conversation continued in the rattling carriage, the scenery outside remained nothing but peaceful.

* * * * *

The A-rank party that successfully cleared the unexplored dungeon visited the adventurer’s guild, carrying the dungeon core and the spoils from the boss Crow had defeated.

In a situation where they might be promoted to an S-rank party, they weren’t smiling—rather, they seemed lost, as if they’d misplaced something precious.

Of course, Franz, the priest, was the only one smirking slyly.

Seeing them, the receptionist, Reina, quickly headed to the guild master’s room.

With little known about unexplored dungeons, she needed his assistance.

Opening the tightly shut door, she found Cardan, the guild master with a large scar on his forehead, sitting at his desk reviewing documents.

His furrowed brow made him look fiercer than usual, and Reina flinched but steadied herself and spoke.

“Master, the A-rank party Black Raven has returned.”

“Hm… Reina, close the door.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Reina carefully closed the door, Cardan let out a heavy sigh.

Crow, a member of the A-rank party Black Raven, a B-rank adventurer individually.

That was what the documents clearly stated.

But the aura he’d exuded before leaving for a C-rank quest wasn’t that of a mere B-rank.

It was something far beyond A-rank… no, even S-rank.

A chilling sensation that made his hair stand on end.

Even meeting the triple-attribute genius mage called the Great Sage hadn’t felt like this.

Cardan flipped over Crow’s file and stood, speaking.

“Reina, if anyone from Black Raven asks about Crow’s whereabouts, say you don’t know.”

“What? But…”

“I know. He’s headed to the capital because his master is ill.”

“Right, but wouldn’t his party members already know that?”

“That’s exactly why I’m saying this. If they’re asking when they shouldn’t need to, something’s off. Just don’t tell them.”

Cardan brushed past the dazed Reina and headed to the reception desk, resolving not to cross Crow.

Seeing the guild master approach, Black Raven’s leader, Rael, took the dungeon core and boss spoils from her magic pouch and placed them on the floor.

She wanted to throw them all away, but she couldn’t.

As a leader, she couldn’t sacrifice the party’s gains for her own feelings.

Cardan immediately realized upon seeing the spoils.

This unexplored dungeon was beyond what an A-rank party could handle.

And the aura he’d felt from Crow was real.

Of course, they’d need an appraiser to confirm the details.

Cardan spoke to the half-dazed Black Raven leader.

“You’ve done well. We’ll call an appraiser to evaluate the spoils as quickly as possible, so you should rest your weary bodies.”

“Guild Master… has Crow, has he been here?”

“Crow? Oh, that black-haired guy with shoulder-length hair? Now that you mention it, he was with you, but I don’t see him. Did something…”

“That’s enough.”

Rael turned away, not listening to the rest of Cardan’s words.

She already knew what he was going to say.

He was about to ask if Crow had died in the dungeon.

If he’d died, she wouldn’t have asked in the first place.

If he’d died, she could’ve at least stayed by his side until the end…

Swallowing the tears welling up, Rael forced them down and headed toward the inn they’d been staying at.

Elrin, the elf archer, who’d been fidgeting nervously, hurriedly followed Rael as she left.

*

Only two members of Black Raven remained at the guild: Franz and Derin.

Derin, every bit the quintessential thief with her lithe figure, approached Franz as if flaunting her grace.

She whispered in his ear.

“Midnight tonight, come to the bridge overlooking the river. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“You… trying to seduce me…”

Derin didn’t bother listening to Franz and slipped out of the guild.

Watching her retreating figure and the sway of her hips, Franz couldn’t control his smirk or the hot breath escaping him.

‘Oh, Goddess, I may betray your faith tonight. But I, Franz, exposed a heretic dark mage, so please turn a blind eye.’

Already lost in pleasure, the deranged priest offered a brief prayer and left the guild with light steps.