The heavy oak door clicked shut behind Yasha as he stepped into the private office of the branch guild leader. Unlike the usual cramped utility offices that were common on the third floor, this was far different. The room was spacious, quiet, and smelled faintly of expensive imported coffee and old parchment. Sitting on a red couch was a middle-aged man no less than fifty years of age, his legs crossed as he calmly sipped from his glass. He didn't look like a mercenary, nor like a fighter, or even like a retired soldier. He wore a clean, tailored black suit that fit him perfectly, with his hair neatly combed and his posture calm. Despite not looking like a fighter, no one dared go against him or the guild. He possessed a quiet aura of authority that made it clear he was not a man to be underestimated. The two of them sat opposite each other. A ceramic cup of steaming coffee was placed on the small table between them. Yasha leaned back casually in his chair, completely unbothered b

It hadn't even been long since the sharp strike to the neck before the young woman bounced back once again. This time, her face burned red with a mix of humiliation and rage. She clenched her fists tightly, repeatedly smacking Yasha on the chest.After a while of strike after strike, her hands became tired, while Yasha just stood there, taking all of her blows quietly. His face showed clear displeasure, but he couldn't afford to lose a chance like this.Instead of showing an ounce of gratitude for saving her life, she threw her hands up and began stomping her feet furiously against the dirt."Why are you hitting me?!" she shrieked, her voice echoing shrilly through the quiet trees. "Even my own father doesn't dare touch me like that! You absolute peasant! Who gave you the right to put your filthy hands on me after you just stood there and watched those thugs—"Yasha stood frozen, his fists clenched tightly as he held himself back even more. A thick vein throbbed violently at his templ

​The Princess immediately bolted out of the hut upon seeing the tense, worried expression on Yasha's face.​“What's wrong? Why do you look so tense?” she quizzed anxiously.​“Since we've both shaken hands and formed an alliance, I need you to understand a few things.”​“I am not in an alliance with you. Are we on equal footing? No! You are serving me, and in return, I am granting whatever foolish wish you have stored in that head of yours,” the Princess snapped, dragging him closer by his shirt. Her words carried the same haughty arrogance as before.​“That attitude won't help you, because you will have to follow every single order. If I say run, you run. Furthermore, do not question my decisions if you want to make it out alive—it is for your own good in the first place. We need to leave this place immediately in search of civilization where we can blend in seamlessly. Understood?” Yasha demanded.​The Princess nodded in reluctant agreement, and the two of them began their journey.​

Valen clicked his tongue as he shut the book he had been reading in frustration. His thoughts hadn't been this unsettled since the Church announced his stepsister as the candidate they supported.That menacing aura he had felt in her room was no joke.A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.It was his elite retainers. They stepped inside and immediately bowed before him."What have you got?" Valen asked."Unfortunately, Master, we couldn't find any information about this strange peasant. No noble lineage, no mercenary records, no Adventurers' Guild registration, no record of him entering the capital, and no record of him entering the palace. What's even worse is that our intelligence network has never even heard his name," the leader of the elite guards reported, his head lowered to the floor.Valen let out a heavy sigh as his eyes wandered around the room. Suddenly, he clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table."Damn it!"A man with no past? No records? How am I supposed

The silence over the royal castle in the night was torn apart by the sounds of iron clashing against iron and the loud screams of people. The inside of the royal palace, which had once known only calm and peace, had now turned into a war zone where blood spilled everywhere. Soldiers from opposing factions clashed violently in the grand halls, their heavy armor denting the marble pillars, while masked men and soldiers from the second prince's faction pushed relentlessly toward the innermost rooms, their sights set on the Emperor's chambers. Amidst the chaos, Princess Sofia Ravenshade, who had been sleeping, bolted upright in her bed, her instincts screaming at the sudden silence surrounding her chamber as the noise hadn't reached that far. A split second later, a heavily armed intruder lunged out of the shadows, bringing a longsword straight toward her heart. In an instant, Sofia threw her body to the side, narrowly avoiding being stabbed through the heart by the incoming stri