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The apprentices, who had been running towards me with tense expressions, showed signs of relief as soon as they saw me.

It seemed they had been through a lot recently.

Looking around, I noticed footprints and marks from swords slashing the ground inside the estate.

“This place is a mess. What happened?”

Zion sighed and replied,

“…It’s the Bayern bastards.”

“Since when?”

“Ever since I returned. The kids told me it started even before that, but it’s gotten worse.”

I had a rough idea of what had transpired, but I still needed to confirm.

“Tell me from the beginning.”

“At first, they just stood in front of the main gate, calling for the Patriarch, and then left. So I didn’t think much of it. Honestly, I wanted to beat them up, but something felt off. The elders also told us to just observe.”

“…”

“But then, these bastards suddenly picked a fight with the gatekeeper.”

Palge, who had been listening, chimed in.

“Those sneaky bastards! I never thought they’d actually hit our innocent gatekeeper. So I immediately got revenge.”

Zion nodded and continued,

“That’s right. We beat that guy half to death. The next time, they came in a large group.”

“And then?”

“Snake Eyes also came. We had Head Elder step in. It seemed like they were talking about money. Then, they suddenly barged into the estate, threatened us, and destroyed the main gate…”

Zion trailed off, gauging my reaction.

“Go on.”

“…We tried to stop them, but the elders just told us to hold our ground. They said the Patriarch would be back soon, so we should wait. The Bayern guys caused a ruckus outside and then left.”

“When was that?”

“Less than a week ago.”

“I see.”

The apprentices looked surprised that I remained silent, expecting to be scolded.

But I wasn’t particularly shocked, nor did I feel like scolding them. I already knew that the Bayern bastards were acting beyond reason.

The apprentices were still too inexperienced to handle such situations, so it wasn’t really their fault.

Besides, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

They burned down the mercenary headquarters.

Despite being short on money, they hired more gangsters to wreak havoc in Khaoto.

They came to the estate almost every day to pressure us.

From what I could gather…

This was similar to how people act when they’re scared and desperate.

Scared people often do things that are beyond reason.

I knew this because I had done the same in the past.

I didn’t know what they were scared of, but that wasn’t important.

What mattered was that there were only three possible outcomes for such people.

Either they die early.

Or their bluff works.

Or their opponent shows mercy.

Of course, in front of me, there’s only one option. They will die early.

I looked around at the apprentices and casually asked,

“Have you been training well?”

Makan, who had been silent until now, answered with sparkling eyes,

“We’ve been working hard, Commander.”

I nodded, then suddenly noticed more servants than usual milling about the manor.

“Is the Patriarch here?”

“Yes, he arrived not too long ago.”

“Get ready for training. I’ll just go say hello.”

Zion still had more to say, but as I walked towards the main house, he turned without a word and headed towards the main gate.

He lined up facing the gate, and the other apprentices took their positions on either side of him.

The apprentices exchanged glances, then stood with their feet shoulder-width apart, their expressions solemn.

I slowly walked towards the main house, then turned my head to look at the main gate.

A group of small, turtle-like figures were huddled together, surrounding the Samael gate.

‘Hmm.’

As I gazed at the backs of the apprentices, a familiar voice called out from afar.

“Young Master!”

Lihan, having spotted me, was running down from the main house.

“You’ve been through a lot. Why do you look so haggard?”

“You seem to have gained some weight, Young Master.”

For a moment, the face of the future world’s greatest chef flashed before my eyes, and I replied bitterly,

“The stir-fried chicken was delicious. Anyway, go tell the Patriarch that I’m here.”

“Yes.”

As I watched Lihan run off, I suddenly turned my head and gasped in surprise.

“What’s that?”

The training ground was swarming with people, like an ant colony.

Looking closely, it seemed like all the locals of Khaoto had gathered there.

There were the guys from the tavern who reminisced about the past, the kid who wiggled his butt after Zion, and even the wandering troupe.

“Why are they here?”

Meanwhile, our former gangster Dark Sojungi, now a mercenary, was walking among the people, handing out rye bread and helping the injured, as if he had undergone a complete transformation.

“What’s going on here?”

Of course, I had assumed the mercenaries would flee to Samael.

Bravo Khan was an old man who knew how to use his head.

But what about the rest of these people?

As I stared blankly at the ant colony, one familiar ant spotted me and waved its antennae happily. It was Donkey.

“So the chef was here too.”

Lihan, who had gone into the main house, came rushing back down.

“Young Master. The Patriarch wants you to come in immediately.”

I had no idea what was going on, but I decided to go anyway.

* * *

The elders were also gathered in the main house.

Judging by the full teacups, the meeting hadn’t started long ago.

When I entered, Kazen didn’t greet me, even though it had been a while since we’d last seen each other. He simply gestured towards an empty chair.

“Go sit down, Ruin.”

I bowed once and took a seat at the empty chair at the end of the table.

As soon as I sat down, a wave of fatigue washed over me.

Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to have a meeting with gloomy old men.

But I couldn’t just ignore them, knowing that something important was about to be discussed.

If the descendants of Pelleier were headed down a foolish path, I’d have to grab them by the hair and pull them back.

There were frustrating aspects to dealing with Kazen and the elders, as I couldn’t just act on my own impulses.

It’s said that words can influence one’s mood, but right now, even the word “refreshing” wouldn’t come out of my mouth.

That’s how I felt.

Not refreshed at all.

In this less than refreshing atmosphere, Kazen spoke up.

“Let’s continue our previous discussion. I heard Bayern has moved up the repayment deadline.”

Isaac replied,

“They want us to repay immediately. The deadline for repaying the principal to the Hamad Merchant Group has long passed, so we have no grounds to object.”

Kazen nodded calmly.

“They initially gave us three months leeway because they were wary of the Red Magic Tower. It’s not surprising that they’re changing their tune now that they know Hector is gone.”

I sat quietly, listening to Kazen and the elders.

Elder Norman spoke,

“They’re trying to find any excuse to attack us.”

“You’ve been patient.”

“But now that they know the Patriarch has returned, they’ll likely reveal their true colors.”

Kazen shook his head firmly.

“They already have. They’ve openly caused chaos in Khaoto. This wouldn’t be possible unless they believed they had Urgon’s full backing.”

“…”

“It seems they’re confident that we’re ready to give Urgon what he wants.”

None of the elders failed to understand Kazen’s meaning.

“Yawn.”

Suddenly, I yawned as I felt, and then noticed an unpleasant stare directed at me.

Out of habit, I raised my hand to strike the wrinkled head next to me, but then I quickly retracted it and waved my hand.

“Ah, what a refreshing morning!”

Fortunately, the elders, familiar with my quirks, didn’t seem suspicious.

‘Phew.’

Spending a few days with the mercenaries almost made me slip up.

If the mercenaries had looked at me like that, I would have smacked their heads right away.

Anyway, as I listened to the conversation, I felt drowsy and kept yawning.

I wondered why I was so sleepy despite listening to such a serious discussion, and then I realized the reason.

Kazen and the elders’ tone was too calm.

Even though they were talking about serious matters, their voices were flat, devoid of emotional highs and lows, as if they were having a casual conversation.

As I shook my head to fight off sleep, Elder Norman spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention.

“By the way, Patriarch, how did your trip go?”

The elders’ gazes turned to Kazen.

“I visited many places, but it was difficult to get positive responses. There were a few places where the conversations went well, but when I explained the whole situation, they all expressed reluctance.”

“It’s unavoidable. Don’t be too disheartened, Patriarch.”

“However, there were two places that gave positive responses.”

Suddenly, the elders’ eyes lit up.

“Really?”

“Yes, the Valpong Merchant Group and the Marais Clan.”

[TL/N: Marais— Name not final]

“Valpong and Marais?”

Upon hearing the unexpected names, the elders tilted their heads in confusion. The youngest, Falcon, spoke up with a look of realization.

“Valpong… Are you referring to the Valpong from San Baul?”

“That’s correct.”

Other elders, their memories jogged, chimed in one after another.

“If it’s Valpong, I understand they have a close relationship with Urgon.”

“It’s a place that can’t help but be wary of Urgon.”

“I also visited them with a glimmer of hope, and they cautiously made a promise.”

“There’s no possibility of it being a lie, is there?”

“I didn’t get that feeling. It seems like something is going on between them and Urgon, but they were reluctant to talk about it.”

The elder who had raised the question nodded.

“By the way, Patriarch, you must have been through a lot, traveling all the way to San Baul.”

Isaac, who had been deep in thought, muttered,

“No matter how much I think about it, I’ve never heard of a clan called Marais.”

Kazen nodded.

“I also learned about them for the first time during this visit. They’re a small clan located at the edge of the eastern Quebec region. Despite already knowing about the rumors, they offered us financial support.”

After hearing the answer, Isaac paused for a moment and then sighed.

“Sigh… All the families we’re acquainted with refused, and yet a place we have no connection to reaches out to us.”

“…We’re grateful for their help.”

Elder Norman brought up a crucial point.

“By the way, Patriarch, how much financial support did you receive?”

“The Marais Clan gave us five high-grade gold bars. However, Valpong said they need some time. It seems it will take a while for them to avoid Urgon’s attention.”

The elders’ expressions were a mix of disappointment and surprise.

“As expected, the amount is insufficient. But it’s remarkable that a small, unheard-of clan like Marais gave us five high-grade gold bars. Did we perhaps help the Marais Clan in the past?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve never heard of them…”

No matter how hard they tried to recall, none of the elders had ever heard of the Marais Clan.

Kazen looked around and said,

“…We mustn’t forget this.”

“Indeed. We mustn’t forget this.”

‘Forget what?’

I had been struggling to stay awake and listen to the conversation, but suddenly, I looked into Kazen’s eyes and snapped to attention.

‘…He’s changed.’

Kazen’s gaze was different. It wasn’t just his usual kind look.

His eyes were calm, like a lake.

I had sensed a change in Kazen after the fight with Hector, but now it felt like he was a completely different person.

Could it be that he gained some enlightenment while wandering around outside?

I briefly observed Kazen and the elders, noticing that they too had changed significantly.

The occasional expressions of boredom or anxiety were nowhere to be seen.

Their eyes were filled with a certain madness.

‘So Precious was the miracle cure.’

Madness can sometimes bring inner peace.

Only then did I understand how they could maintain such a calm tone.

They were unwavering.

They had already prepared themselves mentally.

While I was lost in thought, Kazen and the elders continued their conversation. At some point, Kazen raised his hand and pointed at me.

“Ruin. I heard you frequently went out to Khaoto while I was away.”

“Yes.”

I was about to offer the excuse I had prepared, but then I met Kazen’s eyes.

In that instant, I realized Kazen wasn’t trying to blame me.

He wasn’t looking at me with a father’s eyes.

It was the gaze of the Samael Patriarch awaiting a report from his subordinate.

A smile unconsciously spread across my face.

“Tell us what you saw and heard about the recent situation in Khaoto, and what you’ve learned about Bayern. We need to prepare.”

I took a breath, about to start my report, when…

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Light and Bravo Khan entered together.

I tilted my head at this unexpected and rare combination, and then the butler and the military officer shouted simultaneously,

“Patriarch, Bayern is here!”

“Boss, the snake bastards have arrived!”

———-