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I opened the door of the black building, which had no windows, and yellow light enveloped me.

The white young man, who had been dozing off, spotted me and grinned.

“It’s been a while, Young Master.”

I feigned surprise and asked,

“You’re still alive? The thugs didn’t bother you?”

“Pardon? Hahahaha.”

“Your laugh is still the same.”

I stared intently at Kant’s face and then said,

“Should I come back another time?”

“I’ve been waiting. Let’s go.”

I nodded nonchalantly and thought to myself,

‘His face is like a steel plate.’

Not in a bad way, but literally like a steel plate.

His fake expressions, then and now, made it difficult to read his thoughts.

I followed Kant to the second floor, where the interior was empty.

There was no one engaging in strange activities while emitting the acrid smoke of hallucinogenic herbs.

Kant glanced at me and said with a smile,

“Business hasn’t been good lately. Don’t know whose fault it is.”

Anyway, since I was in the same boat as Kant, I offered him sincere advice.

“I think the problem is your smile. How can business be good when you smile so artificially? Try smiling more genuinely.”

Kant didn’t respond and pushed through the rippling wall.

After passing through the passage and descending the stairs for a while, we arrived at the same secret room as before.

The black mask was waiting inside. Kant offered me the seat of honor and said,

“Please have a seat, Young Master.”

I sat down on the seat of honor and asked,

“How’s the investigation going?”

As if he had been waiting, the black mask handed me a booklet.

[Urgon Clan Power Analysis Report]

“It’s thin.”

“Urgon’s influence is so strong in Shan Kris that it was difficult to gather information. Please read it first.”

I opened the first page of the booklet and immediately closed it again.

The onslaught of numbers from the very beginning made my head throb.

“You want me to read this?”

The black mask replied in an absurd tone,

“I worked hard on it.”

I sighed and opened the booklet again, only to slam it shut in frustration.

“…There’s another idiot here. Is this supposed to be a ‘look how smart I am’ showcase? When you write something like this, make it simple, easy to understand at a glance for your superiors. Are you doing this on purpose because you think I’m weak with numbers?”

The black mask tried to make an excuse, but my rapid-fire words left no room for him to interject.

“Mask, you idiot. You have no idea how tired I am these days. I’ve been in meetings with those mercenaries all day, had a fight with the second Corpse Eyes, distributed gold bars to the elders… I’m already dying from a headache, and now you want me to read this? Fail.”

Maybe on another day, but today I wasn’t in the mood to read through all these details. I even had to cut into my sleep time to come here.

I waved my hand dismissively and pointed at Kant.

“Explain it to me in words.”

Kant glanced at the black mask, then grinned and replied.

“The Urgon clan consists of two magic divisions and the Council of Elders. The Azure Dragon Division handles external affairs and is further divided into three magic units…”

“….”

“Apart from that, there’s a special task force that protects the Lord and his direct bloodline. Due to the low concentration of clans in the southeastern part of the continent, they boast unrivaled power in San Kris. As for friendly forces…”

I, who had been listening silently, raised my hand and interrupted Kant.

I couldn’t quite grasp their level, so I decided to ask only the parts I was curious about.

“It’s complicated. Can you compare them to something in simpler terms?”

Kant nodded.

“If you give me a reference point, I can tell you.”

“Compared to the Noble Clans?”

Kant’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Are you referring to the Six Noble Clans?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible. No matter how influential the Urgon clan is in the eastern continent, they pale in comparison to the Noble Clans. They wouldn’t even be able to claim the lowest rank.”

“Be more specific.”

“Even if several magic clans like Urgon joined forces, they wouldn’t be able to match the Belusia clan, which holds the lowest rank among the Noble Clans. Moreover, in high-level confrontations, magic clans are inherently at a disadvantage.”

“How about compared to the Magic Towers?”

Kant, who had been answering readily, narrowed his eyes for the first time.

“Comparing them to the Magic Towers is tricky.”

“Why?”

“Let’s take the Blue Magic Tower as an example. In terms of sheer numbers, Urgon has more, but the Magic Tower has more high-ranking mages. To begin with, the Magic Tower doesn’t have that many permanent residents, and it’s a completely different type of organization compared to a clan. The Magic Tower also functions as a training ground for mages, so if they were to directly clash with Urgon, people from all over who claim to be disciples of the Blue Magic Tower might join the fight.”

“….”

“In reality, it’s more appropriate to compare the two in terms of authority rather than military power. Most magic clans either want to connect with high-ranking mages from the Magic Towers or have already received their tutelage. Urgon, in fact, has a deep connection with the Blue Magic Tower and treats its high-ranking mages with utmost respect.”

“So, in any case, the Magic Towers are superior.”

I suddenly looked at the stone bread on the table and said,

“By the way, there’s stone bread again. What is this stone bread made of that it’s so hard?”

“There’s stone inside.”

“It’s not for eating?”

“It’s a decorative item.”

“Wow.”

Finally understanding the mystery of the stone bread, I had a sudden thought.

This stone bread has saved many lives.

It saved the white mask, Grid, Garlic, and Bravo Khan.

If it weren’t for this stone bread, I would have thrown away the bread and picked up a spear.

The guys who got hit by the stone bread might feel wronged for getting knocked out by mere bread.

But if the stone bread hadn’t been hard, they could have been stabbed by a spear. Do they even realize that?

This is why people should be grateful even when they experience injustice.

I continued my stream of consciousness and said to Kant,

“Is there any reason for Urgon to hold a grudge against Samael?”

Kant pulled his chair closer, interlocked his fingers, and rested his chin on them. It seemed to be a habit he had when starting a serious conversation.

“You probably asked me to investigate Urgon because of that. Urgon attacked Samael about 20 years ago. But the more I looked into it, the stranger it seemed. Samael and Urgon had no connection back then.”

“You mean there was no justification?”

“The surface-level justification was that they were insulted by Samael, but that information couldn’t be verified. Even if it were true, it’s not enough reason to start a full-fledged war. Moreover, it’s incomprehensible why they’re still pressuring Samael now.”

“….”

“It’s even more strange considering Urgon’s nature. After all, Urgon is a clan that, at least on the surface, advocates for righteousness. They can’t ignore the public eye, so pressuring a remote clan like this while even taking over the Hamad Merchant Group is completely different from their usual behavior. In fact, when I contacted some members of the Cheongnyeong Division at a tavern in Shan Kris, none of them knew the reason.”

“So, it’s not even shared within the clan. Something smells fishy.”

Kant replied with a slightly grim expression.

“It seems to be classified information.”

I organized my thoughts for a moment and then said,

“It’ll be difficult to find out unless we directly confront them.”

“….”

“Well, it’s better this way. Is there anything else I need to know?”

Kant, who had a gloomy expression just a moment ago, curled his lips upward again.

I observed Kant’s face carefully and said,

“You seem pretty confident about something.”

“Yes.”

“I guess I read your expression correctly this time.”

Kant, with a confident smile, said,

“The eldest son of Urgon has entered the Demon Realm.”

“What’s the Demon Realm?”

“I’m talking about Keplan’s Demon Realm.”

“Keplan?”

Keplan was in the southwestern part of the continent.

Geographically, it was on the opposite side of Khaoto, at the very edge of the continent.

This is how I remembered Keplan.

It was where the White Magic Tower, filled with old geezers, was located, and

It was a city where monsters emerged from the western border, which was still untouched by humans.

“Is the Demon Realm referring to the monsters?”

Kant, assuming I was stating the obvious, went straight to the main point.

“It has been confirmed that the eldest son recently entered the 2nd-level Demon Realm.”

“….”

Kant looked at me strangely.

“Young Master?”

Observing my expression, Kant asked in a bewildered tone,

“Don’t tell me you don’t know what the Demon Realm is…”

Remembering the saying “the less you know, the more confident you should be,” I replied randomly.

“Of course, I don’t know. I’ve only been in the mountains. It’s something to be proud of. And what a terrible name, Demon Realm.”

“…You’re truly unpredictable, Young Master.”

Seeing Kant sigh and wet his lips, I assumed a long explanation was coming, so I cut him off.

“Let’s hear the explanation later. I’m a bit tired right now. Just the key points.”

“The Red Phoenix Division and the special task force are in Keplan with the eldest son.”

“Why?”

“It’s only natural, considering they would see the 2nd-level Demon Realm as having that much honor and value. The number of people currently stationed in Urgon is less than half of usual.”

I understood what Kant was trying to say.

“So that’s the key point.”

Currently, there weren’t many people stationed in Urgon. That was the key point.

If mages from a clan like Urgon were all absent at the same time, it meant that this Demon Realm thing was quite important.

“Anything else?”

“Nothing else that would particularly interest you, Young Master.”

“Good work.”

I stretched and leaned back in my chair, then suddenly noticed the black mask still standing behind me.

“You can sit down too.”

I pulled out a chair next to me.

“Sit. You’ll get tired if you keep standing.”

“I’m fine. I’ll stand.”

If he’s fine, he’s fine. What’s the psychology behind adding that he’ll stand anyway?

“Are you sulking because of what I said earlier? It’s okay, man. Everyone learns from mistakes. As long as your head doesn’t get smashed, it’s all good.”

I closed my eyes and carefully examined the booklet, then said,

“Looking at it again, you did put a lot of effort into it.”

While the black mask hesitantly approached from behind, I pointed at Kant and said,

“Ah, this is frustrating. Make him sit down.”

“Please have a seat, Marco.”

The black mask sat down on the chair, and finally, a quiet stillness settled in the secret room.

Kant, having finished what he had to say, suddenly started dozing off. The black mask was reviewing the booklet he had written, and I enjoyed the momentary silence.

The secret room, lit only by a small light, had a cozy atmosphere in its own way.

Finding moments of peace, anytime and anywhere, is important. A peaceful mind broadens your perspective. It’s one of the secrets to protecting your head from enemies.

Suddenly, Kant, remembering something he wanted to say, looked at me again and grinned.

“By the way, thanks to you, Young Master, it might become difficult to do business in Khaoto from now on.”

“Why?”

Kant clicked his tongue and replied,

“It used to be a quiet place. But changes are coming.”

“Are you thinking of moving?”

“I’m considering it.”

I shook my head and said,

“You won’t succeed in business if you keep blaming others. I told you, try smiling more genuinely.”

Kant curled his lips up even more.

“Not like that. Look at me. Smile with a chuckle.”

I chuckled to demonstrate, and Kant tilted his head.

“That sounds like a mocking laugh?”

“Whatever it is, the important thing is to smile genuinely.”

Suddenly, Kant pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and slid it towards me.

“What’s this?”

“You’ll like it.”

I casually checked the writing on the paper, and my recent question was answered, causing me to chuckle involuntarily.

“Wow. I was wondering where some guy suddenly got money from.”

———