The morning after I had nearly become a cold corpse in the Embergreen Duchy, I found myself walking through the worst slums of the imperial capital, wearing only a robe and without a single escort.
'This is terrifying.'
Honestly, I didn't want to come to such a dangerous place alone.
However, the location I was heading to was not somewhere a noble like me could visit openly. It was not a place where I could bring the righteous knights of the Count's household.
At the same time, I couldn't possibly bring my personal maid, Sasha, or Alfred, who was nearing retirement, into such a dangerous place.
So, in the end, this was the best I could do.
If I ended up getting into trouble with some thugs, it would be a major headache.
'No, I can't afford to be scared over something like this.'
After all, I am a white mage.
Although my confidence has been slightly shaken since the last incident, I can still handle simple combat.
If some fools approach me, thinking I'm just a helpless boy, I only need to show a glimpse of my white magic to make them flee in fear.
I don't have much real combat experience, and ever since regaining my past memories, I've found fighting people to be unpleasant. So, if things go smoothly, that would be ideal.
—Step, step…
As I was lost in thought while walking, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.
Wondering if it was just my imagination, I changed my path slightly.
However, the footsteps continued to follow me. It was clear that these people had ill intentions.
'So, I guess I really am getting into trouble, huh?'
I felt a momentary tension in my body, but I had already prepared myself for this.
Now that things had come to this, I might as well use this as an opportunity to gain some real combat experience.
"Hm."
"Tsk."
I calmly turned my head, channeling white magic throughout my body.
But the moment they saw me, the thugs suddenly stopped in their tracks and frowned.
After scratching their heads for a moment, they simply walked past me as if nothing had happened.
"…We're out of luck today."
"If you're one of us, at least show your mark properly."
"Seriously, kids these days…"
For some reason, not only did the ones who had spoken to me mutter complaints as they walked away, but even others who had been watching me from the streets began disappearing into dark alleys.
'So, they weren't just ordinary thugs…?'
I had assumed this place was just a den of low-life criminals and had let my guard down.
But to think that most of them were skilled enough to detect even the faint traces of my white magic… If they hadn't been so cautious, I might have been the one in danger.
'Next time, I definitely need to bring a reliable escort.'
Of course, the very reason I came to this dangerous place today was to secure one.
Because the overpowered early-game character I absolutely needed was being held in the heart of the slave market.
'I just hope the emperor hasn't made a move first.'
Yes, the character I was after was someone who, in most scenarios, became the emperor's right-hand and a loyal bodyguard.
In the game, she was known as the 'Emperor's Hound,' and among players, she was infamous as the 'Newbie Slayer' due to her absurdly high combat stats.
Not only was she a powerhouse in battle, but her ability to assess situations was also exceptional.
This was why Meredia had to face off against her numerous times while trying to overthrow the emperor.
'But soon, she'll become my loyal escort instead.'
That was the plan, at least.
In the game, no one had figured out how to recruit her for a long time.
Her backstory was filled with betrayal and deception, making her utterly loyal to the emperor—the only person who had extended a hand to her when she was about to become a plaything for corrupt nobles.
However, hardcore players who experimented with different builds for speedruns eventually found a way to recruit her.
'And, of course, I was the first to discover it.'
The method was simple—storm into the lawless district early in the game and outbid the emperor at the slave market.
Of course, this meant enraging the emperor, which was an incredibly risky move.
But since it allowed players to recruit what was essentially a mid-boss-tier character early on, it became a popular meme strategy in the community.
However, things were different now.
This was long before the game's prologue even began.
If I timed things right, I could recruit the overpowered character without drawing the emperor's wrath.
And even if I did get caught, the emperor currently saw me as a counterbalance to Meredia.
Given his personality, he might just let it slide.
Still, I was moving cautiously to avoid being noticed.
Regardless, this was an opportunity too good to pass up—the benefits far outweighed the risks.
'So, I need to focus now.'
I was nearing the entrance of the slave market I remembered.
This place was several times more dangerous than where I had just been.
Letting my guard down for even a second could be fatal.
'Just do what I did in the game. Stick to the plan.'
°°°°°°°°
The dark underbelly of the imperial capital, Lutein's slums—an entirely different world from the empire known as the "land where the sun never sets."
"Are you there?"
'…A customer?'
At the entrance to the most secretive part of the slums, Liam, the market's gatekeeper, was dozing off when he was startled awake by an unexpected voice.
"Moon's shadow?"
"Three silver coins."
'Hmm, so it really is a customer.'
Hearing the correct response, Liam rubbed his eyes, scratched his head, and straightened his posture.
'Wait, what?'
His eyes widened in shock.
'We're not supposed to be accepting general customers yet.'
In truth, the slave market had only opened the day before.
And even then, they were only allowing the most prestigious of clients—people personally connected to the business.
Since Liam recognized everyone who had entered so far, there had been no need to use the passcode.
'Did I even pass the code to headquarters yet?'
Moreover, the password the customer had just given was something Liam had made up himself.
He had spent a great deal of effort crafting a meaningful and elegant phrase, but he hadn't even sent it to headquarters yet.
In other words, no one else was supposed to know it.
"Why are you hesitating?"
Of course, if Whitney himself had heard it, he would have realized his mistake, but since he obviously had no mind-reading abilities, he simply tilted his head with a composed expression and asked a question.
"Is there a problem?"
By that point, cold sweat was already forming on Liam's forehead.
'This guy… He's one of us.'
Having spent years in this underworld, Liam had experienced all sorts of things.
He was skilled enough to gauge people at a glance and deduce general information about them.
And the young man standing in front of him with a chilling smile was not someone who could be defined merely as a 'VIP.'
Judging by his aura and his near-telepathic insight just moments ago, he was far closer to Liam's own kind—one who existed within the deepest shadows.
However, if he were truly part of the same faction, there would be no reason for him to visit the slave market in this manner.
And if he were merely acting as an individual, he would have even less reason to come.
Those who lived in the shadows had no need for living servants or entertainment.
Which meant he was undoubtedly working under someone and moving with a purpose.
But who could possibly have the power to move such a figure in secret while also possessing knowledge of the slave market without any interaction with Liam?
'Could those absurd rumors actually be true?'
Liam could think of only one being in the empire who could pull off something like this.
The Emperor.
The ruler of the empire, the man who held the most absolute power in recorded history.
Rumors had been circulating recently, whispering that the so-called 'Shadow of the Emperor' had begun stirring up the underworld.
'If that's the case… could this guy be…?'
Even Liam had dismissed those rumors as baseless gossip, but seeing the unsettling presence of the young man before him made him reconsider.
After all, while Liam's organization had ties to various powerful nobles and a vast network across the empire, openly conducting illicit business in the heart of the capital was an entirely different matter.
But if all of this was actually happening under the hand of the empire's most exalted figure…
'No, I need to stop thinking about this.'
Liam's quick-thinking mind had already drawn its conclusion, but he immediately shook his head vigorously, erasing his own deductions.
He had seen too many people disappear without a trace after foolishly prying into matters beyond their station.
"Please, come inside."
And so, he simply did his job as a middleman, putting on a friendly smile as he opened the door behind him wide.
'Wow, just doing what I did in the game actually worked?'
Of course, Whitney himself had no idea about any of this.
He simply assumed that his calm demeanor had been effective and walked inside confidently.
"Yes, I'm certain."
Surprisingly, this time, his assumption was not entirely mistaken.
"…Whitney Lingard. It's him, Your Majesty."
From within the dark alley beyond, a figure hidden within the shadows was whispering into an unseen communication device, reporting everything they had just witnessed.
°°°°°°°°°
Meanwhile, at that very moment—
In the cold, damp underground prison of the slave market.
"Hey, Number 167."
The voice calling out from the front made the only remaining girl in the now-empty prison slowly lift her head.
The noble guests had already taken their pick, leaving the place deserted.
"Here's your meal, brat."
A bowl containing something worse than dog food was thrown in front of her with a careless toss.
As she briefly glanced at it and looked away, a mocking voice echoed through the underground chamber.
"Don't act so high and mighty."
"You still think you're a noble?"
For a brief moment, a flicker of fire lit up in the girl's empty eyes.
But the moment the warden's hand moved toward the whip at his waist, the fire was immediately extinguished.
"They classified you as premium stock, and yet you turned out to be defective trash, just wasting food."
Feeling encouraged by her lack of reaction, the warden continued taunting her with a sneering tone.
"You should be grateful. If you had been labeled as low-tier merchandise, you'd have been defiled long ago."
"Who knows? With that pretty face of yours, maybe one of the filthy rich pigs among the common customers will take a liking to you."
"If you play your cards right and become some fat noble's mistress, maybe you'll get a second chance at life."
When the girl gave no further reaction, the warden clicked his tongue in irritation and raised his whip high.
"But seriously, are you even listening to—hmm?"
As the black mark on his hand briefly flared up, he smacked his lips in annoyance and lowered his whip.
"Tch. What an unlucky wench."
And then, silence.
'How did it come to this…?'
Staring blankly at the cold stone floor, the girl's eyes began to well up with tears.
'I just wanted to hold a sword again…'
She had dedicated her entire life to the sword.
And yet now, she was about to be sold off as some noble's plaything, just as the warden had said.
'Why…?'
She had long since abandoned hope.
Just yesterday, nobles who once stood at the same level as her had walked by, scrutinizing her with disdainful eyes.
Not one of them had even attempted to bid on her.
Instead, they had merely muttered words of pity and walked past, as if mocking her foolishness.
In that moment, everything she had lived for—her noble pride, her devotion to the sword—had been completely denied.
"Hic… ugh…."
Her trembling hands clenched together, but she no longer had the strength to hold them tightly.
The tears dripping from her eyes soaked into the cold stone floor.
She wished she could just end it all right now.
But the slave brand carved into her shoulder would not even allow her that final dignity.
'Just once… before I die…'
Her body, deprived of food for days, was already reaching its limit.
But even if she were to collapse, they would just force-feed her slop to keep her alive.
Resistance was meaningless.
'Will I ever get to hold a sword again…?'
As she sank further into the abyss of despair, her vision blurred.
She made no effort to steady it.
And at that very moment…
"Runiel Mistilane."
A voice she had never heard before—one that sent an inexplicable chill down her spine—resonated within the prison.
"I'll take this one."
Realizing that the voice had called her name, the girl mustered the last of her strength and weakly lifted her head.
"You're exactly to my liking."
She then saw a young man around her age, wearing a chilling smile—a smile so unsettling that, had she been in full health, she might have instinctively drawn her sword.
'At least he's not a fat noble…?'
The thought crossed her mind before she felt a wave of disgust toward herself.
She quietly closed her eyes.
"I look forward to working with you, Miss Runiel."
'No… maybe the fat noble would have been better.'
And with that final, somewhat hurtful thought—one that Whitney surely would have found offensive—her consciousness faded away.