It wasn’t exactly the same, but there was a faint resemblance. Just enough to cause confusion.
…But then, why did it fill him with such revulsion?
With his lips pressed together, Raven continued examining the corpses. They were destroyed to a pitiful extent, but if he concentrated, it wasn’t impossible to gather information.
“…They clearly trained in formal martial arts.”
The calluses on their hands and their developed muscles told him that. It wasn’t the rough, sloppy technique of back-alley thugs, but a refined art one would learn as a knight.
[The spirit guardian ??? comments that it’s a waste to use warriors like this just to kidnap a young noblewoman.]
“Well… if political conflicts or succession struggles are involved, it’s not that unusual.”
The real problem was: who had killed them? Was there a traitor among them? Judging by the lack of any struggle, they had either been ambushed or taken down by someone overwhelmingly powerful.
‘Of course, there are no clues about their identity.’
He searched through them.
Showing no disgust, Raven rifled through the corpses, checking their clothes and belongings, then let out a deep sigh.
“There are no wheel tracks or hoofprints, and aside from a few footprints, there are no other traces around the bodies… I should be on guard.”
That, in fact, was one of the strange details he had noticed when he first found the girl.
Not even at the spot where she had been found were there any signs left behind.
If they had fled the Gate, they should have used horses or a carriage at some point.
‘It’s practically impossible that they kidnapped the girl and brought her all the way here without any transportation.’
And yet, even along the paths they likely used, there wasn’t a single trace.
[The spirit guardian ??? asks if it wouldn’t be better to just abandon her.]
“…I’d rather keep her where I can see her than worry about what she might plot where I can’t.”
Thinking that, Raven let out a crooked smile.
“And besides, if I want to uncover her real purpose, it’s better to fall into her trap, right?”
[The spirit guardian ??? frowns.]
“At worst, I’ll just get killed, right?”
Not dying was really convenient in situations like this. With nothing to lose, he could afford to walk into any trap.
Even if they captured and restrained him, he could always keep dying voluntarily until he resolved the situation. The mere fact that they were breathing the same air as an immortal monster might terrify them enough to toss him into the sea, off a cliff, or into a smelting furnace.
Maybe even Death himself would intervene, unable to stand it any longer.
Either way, his body was bound to act to fulfill the immortality contract, so Death couldn’t just stand idly by.
If he used that to his advantage, escaping would be easy.
“…The girl must be waiting for me. She might’ve called out for me already.”
Time to head back.
After glancing briefly at the night sky, Raven turned without hesitation.
***
“Shhiii─.”
As Raven walked back toward the inn, Deceiver watched him from the top of a tree.
This time, he wasn’t alone.
He was firmly holding a crow in both hands.
“You really ought to fix that bad habit of following others around.”
He whispered words that no one else could hear, while covering the crow’s eyes and ears.
He watched silently until Raven finished inspecting the corpses and turned back.
Then, he finally allowed a faint smile.
“As expected, he’s so sensitive.”
Maybe it was his own fault Raven had become even more so.
Thinking that made him seem even more dear.
The mocking, playful laugh he let out now carried a different tone.
“Even when he thinks it’s a trap, he still keeps his promises he really acts like a master.”
It was to be expected. Given who Raven was, and considering the situation, Deceiver had counted on that from the beginning.
In another case, he might have found it frustrating. But this time, knowing who he was protecting, he accepted it gladly.
Deceiver tilted his head slightly.
“Rather… a ‘trap,’ you say?”
Was it really a trap? He didn’t think so. But he couldn’t be sure how Raven defined a trap.
If Raven thought it was a trap, then it was a trap.
He’d probably accept it that way.
Even so.
‘…Anyway, these ten years without Father have been so boring.’
Still, he had no intention of changing his plans. After all, disappearing for ten years without a word… this little prank was nothing in comparison.
‘Well, it was my fault he disappeared, anyway.’
Thus.
Deceiver smiled as he prepared to leave, but he paused. He glanced at the fragment soul he had captured.
…His expression turned emotionless again.
‘Should I kill it?’
He didn’t like how the crow clung to his father. In many ways, it rubbed him the wrong way. But…
If he killed the crow, the first suspect would be “Didi.”
After a brief consideration, Deceiver tossed the crow into the air.
Regaining its freedom all at once, the crow flailed awkwardly for a moment before stabilizing itself and searching for its captor.
But, as always, the unknown presence that had acted at will had already disappeared without a trace.
***
Raven, who returned to the inn without trouble, reached to open the door… but froze when he saw what was happening through the window.
“Ah…”
Inside, he saw Dan sitting at the table near the door, mechanically spooning soup into his mouth while keeping an eye on the entrance.
Maybe the innkeeper, wanting to be extra attentive, had arranged it, or maybe Dan had paid for the food himself.
But that wasn’t what made Raven stop.
‘…A human who can’t even remember a single day.’
His gaze was drawn to the steaming bowl of soup placed at an empty seat. Raven glanced sideways at the innkeeper’s back as she worked, unaware and waiting for the guest who had gone out for a walk.
He instinctively tried to turn and leave—but then his eyes met Dan’s through the window.
“…”
“…”
Although the fragment soul had disappeared after Raven had sent it away to talk with the spirit guardian, Dan, who had kept watch all that time, now stared at him with a gaze full of unbearable anxiety.
The sound of a crow’s wings fluttering in the night hit his ears.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but it felt like chains locking him down, telling him not to run.
After exchanging stares for a moment, Raven let out a soft sigh.
‘Well, as long as I don’t eat, it’s fine.’
After all, he didn’t plan to force food into a stomach that had gone over ten years without needing it.
It would be cruel to his body.
‘…Anyway, soon enough—or not even a full day later—she’ll forget why she had prepared soup for an empty seat.’
Probably she’d just clear it away later, slightly worried about her failing memory. Nothing to worry about.
Raising his head, Raven located his room’s window among the many windows of the building.
He kicked off the ground, used a tree for leverage, and landed silently on the open window frame.
──And immediately spun around, throwing a knife backward.
Pof!
“…!”
The knife, flying at high speed, grazed the crow and skewered a snake that had been lurking, pinning it to a tree.
It had clearly been aiming for the crow.
As the crow alternated between looking at the dead snake and Raven in shock, Raven let out a chuckle.
“If you leave your heart exposed like that, things like this happen.”
If a fragment soul dies, the host dies too. That’s why most soul fragment users always kept them nearby.
In normal life, Raven hadn’t needed to use a crow soul fragment, and after being captured by slave traders, hiding it had been a necessity.
It was a miracle the boy had survived this long.
“You shouldn’t forget that a careless soul fragment is basically no different from any ordinary animal…”
Muttering as if lecturing, Raven soon fell silent, annoyed.
The smile faded from his face like the tide receding.
As he had said earlier, Dan wasn’t his disciple or anything like that.
There was no reason to lecture him.
“…Tomorrow morning—no, until noon, I won’t be going anywhere. So you should rest too.”
He had worked hard enough already.
Perhaps startled by the unexpected shift in tone, the crow stared at him as if trying to figure out if he was serious.
Without caring about that gaze, Raven turned his back.
He thought about closing the window but left it open, just in case Didi called from the next room.
He collapsed onto the bed.
It was a little cold.
***
The Four Association Leaders’ Search for the Master Became Even More Intense. Even though it had sparked sinister rumors when they installed themselves in a windowless room with a tray of food, they didn’t care.
They sought help from the two largest information organizations on the continent.
They had already made separate requests before, but now they combined their efforts, increased the payment offered, and demanded results.
As the head of Esperanes’ information organization, Stave couldn’t refuse.
“Assign more personnel.”
“We’re already short-staffed. I don’t know where we’d even find more…”
“Then minimize other missions to the bare minimum. I want every available agent focused on this.”
Stave spoke firmly.
“It’s a request from the association presidents.”
The reason didn’t matter.
Whether they wanted to kill or imprison the person, it was irrelevant.
The best in each field, individuals respected even by national leaders, had come together to make this request.
“This request takes top priority.”
Esperanes was strong in history and politics, but not particularly skilled at finding individuals outside political circles. Still, refusing this mission wasn’t an option.
After giving orders and reorganizing his personnel, Stave bowed his head with a tired expression.
Amid the curtain of silver hair falling over his face, the file describing the target lay open.
‘We must find him at all costs.’
The name: Raven.
Gender: Male.
Hair: Long, black, reaching down to the waist.
Eyes: Changing between gray and green.
A red collar around his neck.
‘Gray or green, why not just one or the other? I don’t get it…’
At least, he was attractive.
Sometimes using his looks as a weapon, so tracking him through that wouldn’t be impossible.
Of course, if it were that easy, the leaders wouldn’t have requested outside help. He needed to find Raven before anyone else.
‘We can’t let someone else find him first.’
Especially Aurel, the rival organization that had grown rapidly in recent years.
Tired but unable to rest, Stave closed his eyes briefly.
‘They say Aurel refused this request…’
But they were clearly pursuing Raven independently. It was obvious they were hiding something.
Stave was sure of it. He had to use this opportunity to uncover their true intentions too.
‘We must keep a close watch on Aurel’s movements.’
For the sake of his own position.
There had already been too many complaints from higher-ups about the growth of an organization that had risen from the slums.
Recently, he had even lost a source of income. He couldn’t afford to lose any more.
‘I hope I can catch something this time.’
His violet eyes gleamed with a dark light.
***
[Rejected.]
Eddar, head of Aurel—the information organization that had risen to rival Esperanes within just ten years—responded thus to the request.
[…Why?]
[Aurel must maintain its credibility.
People only look at results and success rates. No one cares about excuses behind failures.
That’s why we must carefully choose our missions.]
Eddar calmly tilted his head.
[Finding someone that even the association presidents have failed to locate for ten years… As interesting as it sounds, the probability of success is too low.]
He agreed to cancel their previous requests but refused the new ones.
At his firm stance, Liv—the second disciple of Raven—frowned and spoke sharply.
[Isn’t that the same as being a cowardly dog running from a fight?]
[I know you’ve lost your soul fragment. I assume that’s making you nervous now that your death draws near…]
[What?! You—!]
[At least let me finish speaking.]
Eddar smiled coldly.
[From now on, Aurel will pursue Raven independently.
Not as a commission—but as our own investigation.]
[…!]
Despite Raven’s striking appearance, even Aurel hadn’t been able to track him down. That made him even more interesting—and frustrating.
[That’s our decision. Don’t bother us again with contracts or demands.]
It meant that if they found Raven, they might inform the association leaders out of courtesy.
But it would be a free bonus, not an obligation.
Three of the four leaders accepted in silence and cut the communication.
The last one, though furious, also had to retreat reluctantly.
Of course, not without throwing a final threat.
[You should watch your tongue. You never know when someone from the slums like you might fall.]
[Threatening someone who’s already fallen as low as possible… I’ll keep that in mind.]
Eddar accepted the threat with indifference. And as soon as the communication ended, he addressed his subordinates.
“You heard them. I don’t need to repeat myself.”
“…”
“Find him.”
His golden eyes gleamed like a beast’s.
“Find him—and erase all traces.”