Night was growing deep in the capital city of Taranach.
Hax was still sitting in his inn room, the window wide open. The night wind blew in, carrying the scent of toasted bread from the bakery across the street and the faint sounds of merchants beginning to close up their stalls.
In his hand, a small piece of paper.
The same name he had read over and over again.
Faolan Cian Taranach.
"..."
He stared at the name.
Not because the name itself mattered.
But because Mimic never submitted a report on someone without reason.
If Mimic said the prince's movements were "unlike a typical noble"...
then there was something worth investigating.
Hax folded the paper and stored it into his Inventory.
"Tomorrow," he murmured quietly.
He would visit the palace district.
Not to meet the prince.
But to observe him.
From a distance.
The Next Morning — Taranach Palace District
Taranach Palace stood majestically atop a hill at the heart of the capital.
Its walls were made of white limestone that gleamed under the morning sun. Towers rose high, each adorned with blue-gold banners bearing the emblem of a lion biting down on a sword.
The banners fluttered in the wind.
In front of the main gate, knights stood guard with rigid postures.
Hax stood at a café across the street.
From here, he could see anyone who entered or left the palace.
In his hand, a cup of water — the only drink he could "enjoy" without actually needing to consume it.
However...
something bothered him.
Not because of the water.
Not because of the location.
But because of the café itself.
The wooden tables were too neat. The chairs too uniform. Even the cup in his hand — white porcelain with a gold rim — felt too standard for an establishment in a world like this.
Hax looked around.
In the corner of the room, a server was pouring coffee from a device that didn't look like an ordinary teapot. It had a glass tube, steam rising through metal slits, and a steady hissing sound.
Hax recognized that device.
An espresso machine.
"..."
On the wall, a wooden board hung with a neatly written menu — not in ink and brush, but in chalk on a blackboard.
A menu board.
Like the ones he had seen in cafés in his old world.
The world before he got trapped here.
"..."
Hax lowered his cup.
Slowly.
This was no coincidence.
People in this world didn't design cafés like this.
They didn't have espresso machines.
They didn't write menus in chalk on blackboards.
This was a style from another world.
His world.
Someone had been here before.
Someone from the same world as him.
And that person...
might still be around.
Hax looked at the server once more.
A young girl with a white apron. Her face was friendly, but her eyes — there was a weariness there that was unusual for an ordinary server.
Like someone who had seen too much.
Hax stored that information.
For later.
"You really don't drink coffee?"
The voice came from behind him.
Hax didn't need to turn around.
"I don't drink anything."
"You don't eat either," the voice said, sitting down in the seat next to him. "I've been watching."
Hax finally turned.
A young man with brown hair and bright green eyes sat beside him. He wore a somewhat rumpled adventurer's cloak, with a notebook in his hand.
"Oscar," Hax said flatly.
The mage from Crimson Hawk smiled.
"You remember my name."
"I always remember useful names."
Oscar chuckled. "That... sounds like a threat."
"Not a threat. Just a statement."
Oscar stared at Hax for a moment. Then his gaze followed the direction Hax was looking — toward the palace.
"Watching the palace?"
"..."
Hax didn't answer.
Oscar wasn't in a hurry. He opened his notebook and began writing something.
"I like observing people," he said casually. "Their habits. How they move. How they speak. From that, I can guess a lot of things."
Hax looked at him.
"And what do you guess about me?"
Oscar stopped writing.
He stared at Hax for a few seconds.
Then smiled.
"My conclusion is... you might not be from this world."
Hax didn't move.
He didn't speak.
He only stared at Oscar with an empty gaze from behind his helm.
Oscar continued in a quieter voice.
"I've been a mage for a long time. I've read many books — about history, about magic, about the world beyond this kingdom. But not one of them explains the sword you used yesterday. Not one explains the way you move. And not one explains your presence."
He closed his notebook.
"So I concluded: you're not from this world. Or... you must be a Divine Creature disguising yourself in the human world."
Hax was silent.
Behind his helm, the system ran in an instant.
[Threat Assessment: Oscar — Mage, Crimson Hawk Party]
[Probability of Exposure: 47.4%]
[Possible Solutions:
- Eliminate Witness
- Manipulate Information
- Monitor Target]
Hax's fingers moved.
Almost unconsciously.
He knows that this boy's prediction is wrong, but it's not impossible that one day he will learn the truth.
Inside his gauntlet, mana began to gather.
One movement.
One invisible death blow.
He could do it easily, without leaving a trace or a wound.
And Oscar would never finish his sentence.
The mage's body would fall to the café floor.
And no one would know who killed him.
"..."
But Hax didn't move.
He held himself back.
Not because he felt guilty.
Not because he cared about Oscar.
But because...
killing Oscar now would raise questions.
Too many questions.
And questions were the enemy of efficiency.
Slowly, the mana in his hand subsided.
He let out a breath he never truly needed.
"..."
Oscar had no idea how close he had come to death.
And perhaps...
that was for the best.
Finally, Hax said,
"...You're smart."
Oscar smiled. "I know."
"But you're also careless."
Oscar's smile faded slightly. "What do you mean?"
"You said that in a public place. Near the palace. In front of someone who might not be just an adventurer."
Oscar looked around.
The café was quiet.
There were only a few servers and an old man in the corner.
But...
his gaze returned to Hax.
"You're right," Oscar said quietly. "I was careless."
"But..."
He stared at Hax with sharp eyes.
"I'll keep this to myself."
Hax stared at him for a few seconds.
"You know," he said finally, "people who say that are usually the first to leak it."
Oscar smiled thinly. "I'm not an ordinary person."
"..."
Hax didn't answer.
But behind his helm, he made a note.
He would keep watch on him.
Hax stared at him for a few seconds.
Then he stood up.
"I'm going to the palace."
Oscar was surprised. "Now?"
"Yes."
"How are you going to get in?"
Hax turned to him.
"I'm not going in through the front door."
Oscar fell silent.
Hax had already started walking away.
But before he got too far, he stopped.
"Oscar."
Oscar turned.
"Be careful with your curiosity."
"It might kill you."
Oscar stared at Hax's retreating back.
He gripped his notebook tightly.
"...I know."
---
Inside the Palace — Faolan's Private Training Room
Faolan stood in the center of the room.
Before him, a sturdy wooden training dummy.
In his hand, a short sword — a katana passed down from his master.
He took a deep breath.
Then he moved.
Swipe.
One slash.
Swipe.
Second.
Swipe.
Third.
Every movement was perfect.
Every step measured.
No energy wasted.
No motion in vain.
In the corner of the room, Grail Silverhart watched with sharp eyes.
He had watched Faolan train for years.
But every time he saw those movements...
he still felt unsettled.
Not because the movements were bad.
But because they were too perfect.
Too foreign.
As if the prince had not been taught by any royal fencing master.
But by someone from a very different place.
Faolan stopped.
He lowered his sword.
"Grail."
Grail raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"Is there something you want to ask?"
Grail was silent.
Then he shook his head.
"No, Your Highness."
Faolan smiled.
"You're lying."
Grail didn't answer.
Faolan placed his sword on the table.
He turned to face Grail.
"I know you've been curious for a long time. About my movements. About my sword. About who taught me."
Grail didn't deny it.
"Your Highness never spoke of it."
"Because it's not an easy story to tell."
Faolan walked to the window.
Outside, the capital city stretched out under the morning sun.
"My master was someone from a very distant place. A place not on any map. A place not even known to the royal mages."
"He never told me his name."
Grail looked surprised.
"Not even his name?"
Faolan shook his head.
"He said names were meaningless. What mattered was what a person chose to protect."
Grail stepped closer.
"Then how did Your Highness meet him?"
Faolan smiled.
"I found him. In the forest, when I was young. He was badly wounded — nearly dead. I helped him. And in return..."
He turned to Grail.
"He taught me everything."
Grail was silent.
"Is he still alive?"
Faolan didn't answer.
He stared out the window again.
"I don't know."
"One night, he left. Without saying goodbye. Without a message. He only left this sword behind."
Grail looked at the katana on the table.
"And before he left..."
Faolan continued in a quiet voice.
"He said: 'If you ever meet someone stronger than me, don't fight them. Ask for their help.'"
Grail frowned. "That's... strange advice."
"I thought so too."
Faolan turned around.
"But now, I'm beginning to understand."
Grail looked at him. "What do you mean?"
Faolan walked to the table.
He picked up a piece of paper — a report from his spies in the guild.
And showed the name written on it.
"Hax."
Grail read the name.
"An S-Rank adventurer who just arrived in the capital."
Faolan nodded.
"I've never met him. But something inside me says..."
He gripped the paper tightly.
"He might be the one my master meant."
Grail was silent.
He didn't know who Hax was.
But he knew one thing.
If Faolan — the prince who was always calm and composed — showed this much interest in someone...
then that person was no ordinary individual.
"Will Your Highness meet him?"
Faolan smiled.
"Someday. But not now."
He folded the paper and put it in his pocket.
"I want to see him first. From a distance."
Grail nodded.
"As Your Highness wishes."
Mimic lay on the roof tiles.
From here, he could see directly into the window of Faolan's training room.
He saw the prince training.
He saw Grail observing.
He saw Faolan showing the paper.
And he heard everything.
Skill: Enhanced Hearing.
One of the abilities that made him the perfect spy.
Mimic smiled.
"If you meet someone stronger than me..." he murmured quietly. "...don't fight them. Ask for their help."
He closed his eyes.
"Interesting."
A master from an old world.
A loyal student.
And a message that might have been written specifically for Hax.
Mimic rose slowly.
"His Majesty will be very interested in this."
He leaped from the roof.
His body vanished into the shadows before touching the ground.
---
A few hours later Hax returned to the café.
Oscar was already gone.
On his table, a half-full cup of water remained — proof that he truly hadn't drunk it.
Mimic appeared in the seat across from him.
Silently.
Without warning.
As if he had always been there.
"Your Majesty."
Hax wasn't surprised.
"What did you find?"
Mimic smiled.
"The prince has a master. Not from this world, just as Your Majesty suspected."
Hax didn't move.
"Is the master still alive?"
"Unknown. The master left without saying goodbye. Left his sword behind."
Hax was silent.
"And there was one message the master left for him."
Mimic mimicked Faolan's voice.
"If you meet someone stronger than me, don't fight them. Ask for their help."
Hax stared at Mimic.
"..."
"Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"The prince believes Your Majesty is the one his master meant."
Hax didn't answer.
He stared at the cup in front of him.
The water inside was still calm.
But inside his mind, waves began to move.
A master from an old world.
A student waiting.
And a message written before Hax even arrived in this world.
This was no coincidence.
This was a chain of events that had begun long before he came.
"..."
Finally, Hax spoke.
"Mimic."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Track the master."
Mimic raised an eyebrow. "Is Your Majesty sure?"
"If he's still alive, I want to meet him."
"And if he's already dead?"
Hax stared at Mimic.
"Then we find out who killed him."
Mimic smiled.
"Understood, Your Majesty."
He rose from his seat.
But before leaving, he stopped.
"Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"Your Majesty didn't ask whether I believe the prince is the right person."
Hax looked at him.
"Do you have an opinion?"
Mimic smiled.
"I think... this world is beginning to feel small."
He vanished into the shadows.
Hax sat alone in the café.
In the distance, Taranach Palace still stood majestically.
And inside that palace, a prince stared at his master's sword.
Both were waiting.
Hax rose from his seat.
"This world," he murmured quietly, "is beginning to feel too small."
He left the café.
Behind him, a half-full cup of water still sat on the table.
Inside the Palace — Faolan's Training Room
Faolan still stood by the window.
Grail had already left.
He was alone.
In his hand, the katana felt heavy.
"Master..."
He whispered quietly.
"Are you still alive?"
No one answered.
But in the distance, atop the city's rooftops, a shadow moved once more.
Mimic hadn't left.
He had simply relocated.
From the café roof to the palace roof.
From one shadow to another.
He observed Faolan from afar.
And for the first time, Mimic felt...
that this mission might be more important than he had realized.
"We'll find your master, Prince," he whispered.
"Whether he's still alive..."
"Or already dead."
"I'll find him."
He smiled in the darkness.
"Because His Majesty commands it."
---
The guild door creaked open slowly.
Hax stepped inside.
And for the first time, the usually bustling and noisy guild hall — suddenly fell silent.
Not because he was a foreign adventurer.
Not because of his conspicuous black armor.
But because...
inside the guild, across the room, a woman stood with her hands on her hips. Her long red hair was tied up high. Her green eyes were sharp. Her body was lean but muscular — clearly visible even beneath the leather jacket she wore. At her waist, a long sword hung with a hilt that was worn from use.
Inside the guild, several adventurers were whispering.
"The Guild Master is here today?"
"Rare. She usually stays in the branch office."
"Something must have happened."
She was the Taranach Guild Master.
And she was waiting for Hax.
"..."
Hax stopped at the entrance.
He didn't recognize the woman.
But from the way all the adventurers in the guild bowed their heads as she passed... and from the way the receptionists suddenly stood at attention...
Hax could guess.
Someone important.
The woman walked closer.
Her steps were firm. Without hesitation. Without fear.
She stopped right in front of Hax — only a few steps away.
Then she bowed deeply.
"I apologize."
Her voice was low. No pleasantries. No lengthy excuses.
All the receptionists present also bowed along with her.
Hax stared at her.
"...For what?"
The woman lifted her head. Her eyes met Hax's black helm without fear.
"My subordinate. The receptionist who leaked information about your card."
She glanced toward the receptionist behind the counter — the same young girl who had served Hax yesterday. The girl was bowing her head, her face pale, her hands trembling.
"We have strict rules about adventurer data confidentiality," the woman continued. "And that rule was broken. Because of my subordinate's negligence. Because of my failure to supervise them."
She is bowed again.
"I take full responsibility."
The Guild Master fell silent.
She stared at Hax for a few seconds.
Then said,
"...I understand."
She turned to the receptionist who was still bowing.
"You're lucky," she said. "Lord Hax isn't demanding anything."
The girl lifted her head cautiously.
"Th-Thank you, Lord Hax."
Hax didn't respond.
The woman sighed. Then reached into her pocket.
"But I didn't come here just to apologize."
She pulled out a small object.
A badge.
Made of platinum-colored metal. Gleaming under the guild's lamp light. On its surface, the guild symbol was engraved — a shield and crossed swords — in exquisite detail.
"I'm giving this to you."
She handed the badge to Hax.
"A Platinum Guild Badge. This is a mark of honor usually only given to A-rank adventurers and above. They typically have to pay a high price to obtain one."
She smiled slightly.
"But for you... free."
"This is not only compensation."
Scarlet looked directly at Hax.
"I also want to know what kind of person the guild has welcomed."
Hax accepted the badge.
He examined it.
Platinum. Precise engraving. The same guild symbol as on his card.
"What does it do?" he asked.
The woman crossed her arms.
"With that badge, all your guild affairs will be prioritized. Queues? Skip them. Quest registration? Prioritized. Information? Faster access. Even material sale price negotiations — you get a special discount."
Hax was silent.
"..."
This was useful.
He stored the badge into his Inventory.
"...Thank you."
The woman nodded.
"My name is Scarlet Ironwill. Guild Master of the Taranach branch. If you have any problems, come directly to me."
Hax nodded.
"Understood."
Scarlet smiled. Then turned and walked back to her office upstairs.
The silence in the guild gradually returned to normal.
But not completely.
Several adventurers were still staring at Hax with wide eyes.
"Platinum Badge..." someone whispered.
"For free..." added another.
"That person... who is he really?"
Hax ignored them.
He walked toward the quest board.
The quest board at the Taranach guild was larger than the one in Etravia.
Rolls of paper hung on the wide wooden board. Quests from F-rank to A-rank. All neatly arranged, with labels and brief descriptions.
Hax read through them one by one.
[E-Rank: Collect 10 monster rabbits.]
[D-Rank: Clear fields from wolf attacks.]
[C-Rank: Escort merchant to neighboring town.]
[B-Rank: Investigate a new dungeon in the northen city.]
[A-Rank: Eradicate Troll settlement in the southern forest.]
Hax's eyes stopped on the A-rank quest.
He pulled the scroll from the board.
Eradicate Troll Settlement — Southern Forest.
"A merchant group reported that their wagons were attacked and looted by a group of Trolls. However, there is an oddity — the Trolls did not kill the merchants. They only took food. But they also destroyed the other merchandise. Causing great losses to the merchants. Please investigate and eradicate the settlement."
Hax read the description twice.
Trolls that didn't kill? Only took food? But destroyed other items?
"..."
That was strange.
Trolls usually weren't picky. They killed, looted, and ate whatever they could get. This behavior... was too targeted.
Hax stored the scroll.
He walked to the counter.
The receptionist — the same girl from yesterday — still looked nervous. But she tried to smile professionally.
"D-Did Lord Hax choose a quest?"
Hax placed the scroll on the counter.
"A-rank quest. Troll settlement."
The girl unrolled the scroll.
Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the rank.
"T-This quest... Lord Hax will do it alone?"
Hax nodded.
"Yes."
The girl was silent. Then she quickly recorded it in the registration book.
"Very well... the A-rank quest 'Eradication of Troll Settlement' has been registered under Lord Hax's name. Completion time... unspecified. However, we ask that you report the results as soon as possible."
"Understood."
Hax turned around.
He walked out of the guild.
--
The guild door had barely closed behind Hax.
And instantly...
the atmosphere changed.
The adventurers who had been quiet — suddenly became lively.
"Hey... did he really take an A-rank quest alone?"
"Crazy. An A-rank quest usually requires at least a party of four A-rank adventurers. And even then, it's high risk."
"I heard he's S-rank."
"S-rank? Here?"
"Yeah. From Etravia."
"Etravia? Isn't there a war going on there?"
"No idea. But that guy... there's something strange about him."
"Did you see that? The Guild Master herself gave him a platinum badge. For free."
"Platinum Badge... for free... I've worked at this guild for five years and I've never seen anything like it."
"Hey, if he's really S-rank, he should be taking S-rank quests. Why is he taking A-rank?"
"Because there are no S-rank quests here, idiot. If there were, it'd be a major disaster for the city..."
"Hahahaha!"
Laughter broke out among the adventurers. The atmosphere lightened a little.
However...
in the darker corner of the room, two people sat in silence.
They weren't laughing.
They weren't gossiping.
They were just observing.
One of them — a black-haired man in a tattered cloak — lowered his cup slowly.
"..."
His companion — a short-haired woman with a scar on her cheek — looked at him.
"Should we report this to the Prince?"
The man didn't answer immediately.
His eyes were still fixed on the guild door that Hax had just closed.
"..."
"Later," he said finally.
"We watch him first."
"If he really is a threat..."
He narrowed his eyes.
"...we'll know."
The woman nodded.
"Understood."
Both fell silent again.
But their eyes...
never left that door.
---
Hax walked along the main street.
In his hand, the A-rank quest scroll felt light.
But his mind was heavy.
Trolls that only took food.
Trolls that didn't kill.
Trolls that destroyed merchandise.
That behavior didn't make sense.
Unless...
someone was commanding them.
Or something was controlling them.
Hax stopped in the middle of the street.
He turned toward the west.
The forest in the distance looked dark. Still. Waiting.
"..."
He resumed walking.
"Let's see," he murmured quietly.
"What's really happening in that forest."