The events unfolding in the royal palace were being relayed to the Arahant family in real time. From the end of the substitute mission order to the Emperor's request to find the Black Dragon—even the visit from the Captain of the Royal Guard to Zed—everything was reported.
"Hmm."
Sitting atop the highest chair, Genedin let out a low hum. What troubled him most was the matter of the Black Dragon.
Kalis, the head of the mage division, cautiously asked, "Why would the Emperor suddenly seek out the Black Dragon? He's been silent about it until now."
Genedin remained silent despite Kalis' question. Even as head of the Arahant family, he knew little about the Black Dragon—whether it was still alive, where it might be hiding, or what abilities it possessed that made it so desirable to the Emperor.
The Black Dragon had once been Temud's divine beast, and after his time, it had no connection to Arahant. Strictly speaking, it wasn't Arahant's divine beast but Temud's alone.
"If he's searching for it, that means it must still be alive."
Breaking his silence, Genedin spoke quietly.
Kalis sighed heavily, his face clouded with concern. "If the Emperor finds it first, chaos will surely follow. The Black Dragon belonged to Temud, our first patriarch. Its rightful successor should naturally be Arahant."
"That's a story from long ago. The fact that it hasn't appeared before us is proof enough that Arahant has no claim to it."
"Then what do you plan to do? Surely we can't just sit idly by…"
"Perhaps he wants us to take action. After all, only Arahant is said to be capable of finding the Black Dragon."
"If that's true, then we must act quickly."
Genedin's heavy gaze shifted toward Kalis. His voice dropped lower with a hint of irritation.
"You're unusually talkative today."
"…Apologies. I'm simply concerned."
"Rushing into action isn't always wise. For now, we'll observe quietly."
"…Understood."
Knock knock.
The tension in the room was interrupted by a timely knock at the door. When Kalis answered, Robin, Captain of the Black Guard, stepped inside and knelt halfway down in respect.
"Greetings, Patriarch."
"What brings you here?"
"I have something urgent to report regarding the Seventh Order."
"Zed?"
At the mention of Zed—the Seventh Order—Genedin's expression softened slightly. His stern demeanor gave way to faint curiosity. However, Robin's face remained grave.
"Report."
"…It pains me to say this, but the Seventh Order has joined the Black Guard."
"The Black Guard?"
Genedin's voice was filled with disbelief as Robin bowed even lower.
"Yes… It happened due to my foolishness. I am prepared to accept any punishment."
"Hah!"
Genedin clicked his tongue in frustration.
What on earth was his youngest son thinking?
"My son never ceases to amaze me. Is this why Martin's patriarch came calling?"
"Yes. The Seventh Order wagered a bet with him—and I lost."
"You lost? You?"
"Yes… It was over an inter-gate challenge. The Seventh Order brought Martin's patriarch into play, leaving me no way to counter…"
"Hahahahaha!"
Robin flinched as Genedin burst into loud laughter—so loud that it felt as if an earthquake had struck their mansion.
Robin closed his eyes tightly in silent dread.
"Haha! You must be getting old if you're making excuses in front of me!"
"…My apologies, Patriarch."
"My youngest defeated you—the mighty Captain of the Black Guard? Haha! My son bested you? Incredible!"
Each laugh sent shivers down Robin's spine. Despite serving Genedin loyally for twenty years, he remained a figure of fear and authority.
When Genedin finally stopped laughing, his voice turned icy.
"The Black Guard exists solely for reporting—not questioning or seeking advice. Yet today you've come seeking answers instead?"
"I understand this is a grave mistake. However, since there is no precedent for a member of Arahant joining the Black Guard, I dared seek your counsel."
"How pitiful. Even small cracks can bring down mighty walls. The Black Guard is my personal unit—a force bound by strict discipline above all else. And yet its captain dares ask questions?"
"…I've committed an unforgivable sin. Please punish me as you see fit."
A chilling air filled the room as if even breathing had become dangerous. Robin clenched his teeth tightly to suppress any trembling.
At that moment, Genedin spoke again.
"I overestimated you."
"…I apologize deeply."
"The Black Guard operates solely by its rules—no doubts, no concerns, no judgments. You are meant only to follow them."
"I will remember this always."
"Is that clear?"
"Yes… Patriarch."
"Leave now."
Genedin's cold dismissal felt like ice piercing through Robin's core. Hesitating briefly before bowing deeply once more, Robin quickly left the room.
"Phew…"
As soon as he closed the door behind him, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion hit him like a wave. He exhaled heavily and wiped away beads of cold sweat.
Meanwhile…
"Zed!"
The moment I arrived at my informant's office, Eddie rushed out excitedly to greet me barefooted. Somehow word had already reached him; even Master and Liu were waiting for me inside.
Dodging Eddie and Liu as they tried to hug me, I greeted Master first instead.
"I've returned safely, Master."
"Well done! You managed to survive somehow."
"All thanks to your teachings—I received much help during my mission."
"Hmm… Looks like you've grown taller too."
Master Crang inspected me closely from head to toe.
Though less than a month had passed since I last saw him, my sudden growth spurt was noticeable—a result of lifting some of my growth penalties during recent events.
'It really did happen.'
---------
Looking to my side, I saw Liu and Eddie anxiously pacing.
As I reluctantly opened my arms, they rushed in for a hug as if they had been waiting for it. I truly despise moments like this.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?! You said you'd keep in touch, but not once did you reach out!"
"What a shame. If the landlord had died, this building would've been mine. You're lucky, aren't you?"
Eddie's words were as contradictory as ever, while Liu's concern was genuine. Seeing them unchanged reassured me that nothing major had happened.
"Are you hurt anywhere? Did anything serious happen during the Substitute Mission Order? If you'd just sent one message, I wouldn't have worried so much!"
Liu grumbled with a mix of frustration and relief. Poor kid must've been really worried.
"I've got someone to introduce to you."
"Who? Did you bring home a fiancée or something?"
"You'll like her."
At my cue, Vivian hesitated briefly before stepping into the detective agency. The presence of a stunning woman instantly changed the atmosphere in the room, which had been filled with men.
"Huh…?"
"Oh! Oh!"
Sixteen-year-old Liu looked slightly wary, but Eddie, now in his twenties, was anything but. He let out strange noises like an overexcited gorilla and seemed ready to pound his chest at any moment.
"Wow…! Jade! Who is this lovely lady?"
"Her name is Vivian. She's the leader of the Desion Mercenary Group."
"Desion?"
Eddie's eyes darted around as if trying to recall something before he clapped his hands together in realization.
"The Desion that succeeded Gutra? The mercenary group active in Madoran City?"
"So you've heard of them."
"Of course! Then this must be the Witch of the Mercenary World…"
Recognizing her title, Eddie extended his hand eagerly. Vivian responded with a graceful smile and handshake.
"Nice to meet you. Yes, I'm that witch."
"Haha! Rumors are so unreliable. How could anyone call such a beautiful person a witch? It's absurd!"
"I heard about you on the way here. Eddie, right? The Back-Alley King who rules over Neka."
"Hahaha! That's me!"
"You're quite impressive. Being called a king at such a young age isn't easy."
That's odd. I distinctly remember describing Eddie as an information-obsessed lunatic living in the back alleys. Where did "king" come from? Had she already researched him?
'Good thing I brought her on board.'
I valued both Eddie and Vivian's abilities highly, but if I had to compare, Vivian was clearly superior. Eddie's obsession with information was unmatched, but Vivian was a high-level mage with connections spanning the entire empire—albeit loosely—while Eddie's network was confined to Neka.
'Vivian provides organizational strength; Eddie excels at gathering intel.'
Together, their synergy would be extraordinary—a tiger gaining wings. With Vivian's support, Eddie would undoubtedly bring even higher-quality information moving forward.
"Work closely together from now on; there'll be plenty of opportunities to collaborate. And Eddie—no funny business."
"You know I love you passionately! You understand my heart, don't you?"
"Stop being creepy and get lost."
"She's so gorgeous! Partnering with someone like her—what a dream come true!"
Eddie tried to hug me again but froze when his gaze shifted toward the entrance. His grin vanished instantly.
"Wait a second. Who's that clueless-looking guy?"
"What? Clueless? Are you talking about me?"
"Is there anyone else here who looks like a bumbling fool? Just look at him—he screams 'deadweight.'"
"Deadweight?! Do you even know who I am? I'm Nunes Colt, a trainee investigator!"
And there it was—the situation I'd been dreading.
I'd planned to part ways with Nunes back in Madoran City, but his incessant whining forced me to bring him along. Honestly, "leeching" would be a more accurate description of how he followed me here.
"Jade! Why'd you bring this useless baggage along? Trainee investigator my foot—he looks like he barely has two brain cells!"
"You've said enough! How dare you insult an investigator?!"
"This is my building. Want me to throw you out right now?"
"Hmph! Lies spill from your mouth so easily—I know Jade owns this building!"
Watching grown men squabble like children made me shake my head in disbelief. Meanwhile, Vivian had already started chatting with Crang.
"I've heard so much about you from Jade. The Gutra family is legendary—I never thought I'd meet someone from it in person. It's an honor."
"Calling an old man 'healthy' is just rubbing salt in the wound."
"I didn't mean it that way! As someone who runs a mercenary group myself, I've always respected your legacy as a great mercenary and hero of the Grand Mage War."
"Heh heh. My apprentice sure brought home an impressive lady."
Impressive lady? Not sure where he got that idea…
Anyway, it seemed like they were getting along fine.
"Step outside! Let me cut you down right now!"
"Relying on brute force first—figures. You look exactly like that type."
"You little—!"
The chaos was giving me a headache. As I massaged my temples, I noticed Lacto watching me from afar with a faint smile.
"…."
He looked noticeably thinner compared to when I last saw him—a sign that crafting magical tools had taken its toll on him over the past month.
Feeling guilty, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"Sir."
"Yes, you've arrived."
"Yes. Thanks to the tools you made for me, I managed to get through several close calls safely. Truly, thank you."
"Haha, it's good to hear they helped. Could I borrow some of your time?"
"Of course."
Lacto led me upstairs to his workshop. As soon as he opened the door, I couldn't help but gasp.
"I worked hard on your request… Is this enough?"
"Oh my goodness… You really went above and beyond. To think you made so many… I feel terrible for asking so much of you."
There were over 300 magical tools scattered across the room—a testament to his dedication and craftsmanship.
His efforts were about to make me very rich indeed.