Free Web Novel“Neither too close, nor too far.”
If you get too close—problems arise. If you stay too far—you suffer. The old voice slowly recited the ancient saying.
— That is how we have dealt with the upper echelon of the Border City until now. What they want and what we want are similar, yet different. The moment the line is crossed... complete chaos becomes inevitable.
A secret room lit only by faint, flickering light. Grand Crow, still standing with his back turned, lit his pipe. Mixed into the tobacco leaves was a medicinal herb with a strong analgesic effect.
— And yet, in just a few days, you didn’t merely cross the line—you overturned the entire board.
A super rookie who, two weeks after joining the organization, rose to platoon leader, and within a month was preparing to provoke a large-scale conflict between the Border City and Luthien. Gunther silently nodded.
Fortunately, Grand Crow’s tone was dry, not reproachful. There was only faint astonishment in it.
— No one, myself included, expected Mayor Mikhela to take such measures.
Then he began listing Mikhela’s brilliant actions from yesterday.
— Police stormed a sermon, arrested a high-ranking cult official in broad daylight—someone who had been beyond the reach of the law—and they’re sweeping up affiliated gangs one after another. They ignore all protests. As if she’s ready even for war. And last night, she even shut down the communication network.
Gunther recalled the “photograph” Seraz had sent him by mail last night. In this world, a “photograph” was a valuable artifact requiring expensive magical tools, high-purity ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) mana, and rare materials to create. Even a single image required a complex magical process, so “photos” were not for preserving memories, but for documenting important events or serving as confidential records. frёeωebɳovel.com
In that priceless photograph, Seraz stood with her boot on her superior’s head, a pistol pressed against his skull.
...It was said he had been thoroughly corrupt and in collusion with Luthien. Attached was a note that this would make a fine decoration for her desk.
— ...Quite radical.
— That cautious raccoon has lit a fire like this thanks to you. I don’t know whether you understood what you were doing—or whether you can handle it.
Gunther nodded silently.
— Usually, this is where one offers at least some kind of excuse, no?
— I consider this a necessary stage.
— A necessary stage?
— It’s better to stabilize the inside and prepare for external threats first, rather than taking hits from both within and without at the same time.
At those words, Grand Crow turned and looked at Gunther. His single eye gleamed, as if he had found a precious gem.
— ...If one listens closely, you speak and act as if you know the future.
The future? Of course he knew it. But he couldn’t admit that. Gunther gave an explanation that would satisfy Grand Crow.
— The situation on the continent... is ominous. Luthien has already begun preparations for conquest, and before a full-scale invasion, they will inevitably try to seize the Border City.
— And what of it?
— It means war is inevitable, no matter what.
For Luthien, this city was the perfect supply depot and forward base. Since Albino had failed the worm operation, there was a high probability that Luthien would send troops directly. After listening, Grand Crow remained silent for a long time, then spoke quietly:
— Do you know the organization’s current situation?
— In broad terms.
— Yes... we are far too few.
A quiet murmur followed:
— As you said, terrible things are happening across the continent, and most of Night Raven’s forces have been dispatched to various regions to stop them.
Grand Crow waved his hand, and the curtain in the corner of the room parted on its own. Behind it hung a map of the continent... covered in red dots like a rash. They were everywhere: across the Alliance of Kingdoms in the northwest, and throughout Badland in the south.
— These are locations where large-scale sacrificial rituals are being conducted.
— ...There are many.
— Yes. Too many. That is why we cannot focus solely on the city’s safety. If we recall our members, it will only help Luthien complete their schemes.
Gunther suddenly realized he had never asked about Moon Wolf and Cheonmae’s mission.
“They must have succeeded.”
In the canonical story, they had won. ...Though at a terrible cost.
But this time would be different. Moon Wolf had listened to his warning, so the outcome should have been flawless.
“They should be back by now. I’ll ask after this.”
Now was not the time. Grand Crow was getting to the point.
— ...What I’m saying is, I cannot allocate much support for the assassination of Albino.
Gunther replied without hesitation:
— That’s fine. We’ll handle it ourselves.
He had never expected full support to begin with. In the original, Act 1 Chapter 5 was hellishly difficult precisely because Night Raven’s main forces were absent. He had permission, and at least some support—that was enough. Besides, Moon Wolf and Cheonmae would return. According to his calculations, it would be sufficient.
— Ha. What confidence.
Grand Crow seemed surprised by Gunther’s attitude. He stroked his beard and smiled faintly.
— Do you remember when you were granted an audience with the One-Eyed King, Keeper of the Moonless Night?
...The memory was blurred. Mental contamination had left only fragments. Endless corridors and spiral staircases. A space like the cosmos. And at its center, floating in the void, a massive eye. And at the end—
[Bonus Karma : -2133]
Gunther’s face twisted, and he reflexively touched his head.
— ...Yes. I remember.
— He said something when he saw you. At the time, I didn’t understand, but now I think I do.
Grand Crow’s single eye glinted strangely.
— Chaos. One who obeys neither current nor fate. For one who can read everything, that was... quite an unusual expression.
He fell silent for a moment and exhaled a stream of smoke.
— I believe that by the end of this matter, we will be able to prepare the “offering” again. How about extending that blessing to your companions as well? ƒreewebɳovel.com
Eddie Wilder, Roanna, Brody Wilder, and the others. Those who assisted the organization from the outside. Grand Crow was clearly probing, offering to make them official members. Gunther nodded slowly. Their opinions came first, of course, but in the coming chaos, protection and power would not hurt.
— Yes. I’ll ask them.
— Good. And you should also present yourself before His gaze once more...
— Ah... well... yes. I’ll think about it.
A strange smile flickered across Grand Crow’s lips. He set his pipe on the table and continued slowly:
— These are troubled times, Moonless One. An era where the world turns upside down and order collapses. In such times, it is not gods, but heroes who save the world.
Through the thick haze of smoke, his eye gleamed again.
— People like you. In any case... I’m counting on you.
.
.
.
Before leaving the secret room, Gunther asked one last question:
— By the way, did the deputy commander and Cheonmae complete their mission safely?
Grand Crow hesitated for a moment before answering. In that instant of unexpected silence, Gunther felt a bad premonition.
— The official report has not arrived yet, but...
His wrinkled mouth opened, releasing a quiet sigh.
— ...Contact with them was lost several days ago.
***
The external communication network had been shut down yesterday. If contact had been lost even before that, then something had definitely happened. It was an undeniable fact. Grand Crow’s calm—no, feigned calm—voice echoed in Gunther’s ears.
— We have dispatched an elite support squad immediately, so all we can do is wait for news.
This was absurd. Gunther clenched his teeth as he walked toward Eterno Cheongdam.
“Both of them missing?”
How the hell could things turn out like this? It was hard to believe the situation could be worse than in the original.
In the original story, it went like this. The Cult of Abundance prepared a ritual to create a great famine using the “Reverse Altar,” and Cheonmae and Moon Wolf went to stop it. Up to that point, everything matched.
The problem was what happened afterward. They succeeded in defeating the “Manifestation of Abundance,” but just before its death, it forced the altar to explode, redirecting its power not toward the Laska Plain, but directly at Moon Wolf. And the exhausted Moon Wolf couldn’t evade. Unfortunately, that attack... was incompatible with the nature of her deity.
“Opener of the Bloody Night.”
Moon Wolf was the strongest vampire in this world, heir to the lineage of Holy Blood. You could tell just by her signature weapon—a parasol.
What would happen if such a vampire absorbed the “Hunger” of an altar fueled by thousands of sacrifices? Even Moon Wolf wouldn’t withstand it. Consumed by madness and bloodlust, she would devour the wounded Cheonmae. After that, her sanity would completely collapse, and she would become a catastrophe for the cities near the Kingdom of Valloren.
“Of course, there’s the awakening event afterward.”
A scenario where she regains her sanity and becomes even stronger. But her wounded soul never truly heals. This storyline had angered players the most due to its many dangerous triggers.
That was why Gunther had intervened. He had warned them in advance about the symptoms before the altar’s explosion. He had tried to break that cursed loop so that both of them would return unharmed. Then, no matter how brutal Chapter 5 was, they would become his “joker.”
So for Gunther, this was a heavy loss. The pillar he had relied on was gone. And this was less than a week before Albino’s uprising and Luthien’s invasion.
“...Damn it.”
Worry for his superiors and calculations thrown into disarray raced through his mind. Gunther closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
Of course, their absence did not mean that the plan to kill Albino or defend the city had completely collapsed. He always accounted for worst-case scenarios. The plan had been built without relying on them from the start. But—
“Chapter 5 isn’t the end.”
Moon Wolf was essential for the future. Without her, some later scenarios simply could not occur. Had he made an irreversible mistake trying to fix the canon? A cold sweat ran down Gunther’s spine.
“But why...”
There was no way to find out anything right now. The only clue was that the Manifestation of Abundance had also disappeared without a trace. The search had to begin at the scene, but Gunther could not leave. If he left the city now, the main scenario would collapse entirely. That meant the best thing he could do was—
“Hope Moon Wolf and Cheonmae handle it themselves and return... and focus on defending the city.”
With that, Gunther ended his thoughts.
— I’m counting on you. Call me Moon Wolf. — Sorry for coming at night without notice. It was an urgent mission; there would have been no other time to meet Gunther. — Kalian didn’t lie. You truly have the strength to lead people.
A superior who cared warmly for her subordinates while silently bearing the burden of responsibility. Gunther knew better than anyone that she was a good person. And now, in order to protect what needed to be protected, he had to turn his back on her. For the first time in a long while, Gunther felt a suffocating sense of guilt and helplessness. With that weight pressing on his chest, he approached the doors of Eterno Cheongdam.
— ......?
Gunther stopped.
Ever since the platoon moved in, the mansion had always been noisy. But now... the noise was unusually intense, even by those standards. Without even activating his perception skills, Gunther hurried inside.
— ??
And there, he encountered one expected guest—and two completely unexpected ones.
