It was clear that Baron Durford had secretly fed Peirlily the stolen potion.

And this assassin must have been sent for Peirlily as well.

‘It would have been better if she had just died. She seems to have quite a tenacious life.’

Lord Trow licked his lips in regret.

‘Things haven’t gone too wrong yet.’

There was no need to rush.

Though unexpected, this could even be an opportunity.

After all, Baron Durford had hired an assassin out of fear that his crime would be discovered.

Why would the Baron hire an assassin?

He must have thought that if he could just kill Leah, he could bury the fact that he had administered the potion.

‘Since the Piert Ducal Family isn’t suspecting the Baron and showing no immediate reaction, he probably thinks Leah Piert is keeping quiet considering her relationship with the royal family.’

However, the assassination failed.

When there’s one failure, fear only grows stronger.

The Baron would try even harder to kill Leah Piert.

‘Though the Piert Ducal Family is desperately trying to find the culprit, they probably won’t dare touch Baron Durford, a member of the royal family.’

Even if his connection to Trow was revealed, there was still a way out.

After all, this side never gave him the potion claiming it was a love potion, nor did they instigate the assassination.

They merely introduced him to a guild that handles various matters!

Since it was the Baron who stole the potion and directly requested the assassination, Grand Duke Calosi would try to cover it up.

In many ways, Baron Durford was a useful troublemaker.

Lord Trow gently consoled the Baron.

“There’s no need to worry too much. Who would dare suspect a member of the royal family?”

“Y-yes, that’s right?”

***

Leah arranged a private meeting with the Master.

“I am honored to meet Lady Piert.”

“We’ve already greeted each other earlier, so let’s skip the formalities.”

She met the Master’s eyes.

“I called you because I want to make a request to the Dark Guild.”

“A request, you say?”

“Yes. It’s nothing major though.”

The request itself wasn’t much. But the guild’s reputation was at stake.

Moistening her dry lips, Leah spoke.

“I want to know about any requests related to Count Trow.”

“So, you want me to inform you about any requests from Count Trow that come to our guild?”

“Is that possible?”

She asked carefully.

“It won’t be easy to reveal client information, but I’ll compensate you generously.”

The Master concealed his slight surprise as he looked at Leah.

Nobles usually tried to order the Dark Guild around arrogantly while wanting to keep their hands clean. But this young lady was actually proposing a deal.

‘I can see why the Guardian chose her as a contractor.’

The Master smiled.

“Understood. I’ll do it.”

“Really?”

Her face noticeably brightened, as if she hadn’t been expecting it. The Master’s mood improved at the sight.

‘Though Count Trow is a big client, he’s not worth making an enemy of the Piert Ducal Family.’

Honestly, even this time, if the Piert Ducal Family had wanted to, they could have uprooted the Dark Guild as easily as pulling up radishes. The half-elves in the guild would have scattered again, and Count Trow, far from helping, would have been the type to burn down the guild building to erase his traces.

Moreover, due to his consistent methods and ruthlessness, he had many enemies who were waiting for a chance.

‘Count Trow isn’t someone to stick with until the end.’

To the Master who was making this cold judgment, Leah asked.

“Then how much should I pay?”

“It’s free for you, my lady.”

Leah blinked at the unexpected response.

“…Until when?”

“Well, until your contract with the Guardian ends?”

The Master leaned forward in his seat with a smile.

“Aren’t you curious about the Guardian?”

For a moment, Leah’s eyes wavered, but she quickly replied primly.

“Helix will tell me what I need to know.”

“That’s true, I suppose.”

The Master agreed and stood up from his seat before speaking.

“He is certainly someone trustworthy, but.”

His voice lowered.

“Don’t trust him too much.”

“…”

“There’s an old elven saying I once heard: one whose heart lies outside can become either a god or a demon.”

But Helix’s heart is right there in his chest?

Remembering the thumping heartbeat made her own heart race for some reason. But that wasn’t what the Master was trying to say right now.

“One whose heart lies outside can become either a god or a demon…?”

“Yes. His heart lies outside.”

The Master declared.

“Normal people live according to their emotions, but not him. His heart isn’t guided by emotions but by mission. Justice, fairness, protection… things like that.”

“…”

“His hammer of judgment spares neither friend nor disciple. He’s not someone who would abandon his mission for sentiment.”

“I know that already.”

“If you do, that’s good.”

The Master bowed respectfully and withdrew from Leah’s presence.

***

After leaving Leah’s room, the Master immediately encountered Helix.

The Guardian he was seeing after hundreds of years looked as if he had bypassed time itself. He was still looking down at him with those cold eyes that kept everything at a distance, his face expressionless.

The Master sighed.

“You really haven’t changed at all.”

“Neither have you.”

The Master smiled bitterly. Though he didn’t age, the years of hardship had left their scars in his expression and eyes. He changed the subject.

“How does it feel to return to the world after hundreds of years?”

“Hmm…”

Helix looked at the half-elf before him.

“I didn’t expect you, Keron, to be running a Dark Guild. And as the Master no less…”

“The elves left this continent, didn’t they? There were very few half-elves, and living in human society for so long wasn’t easy.”

At first, the half-elves had tried to run small kingdoms or territories using their superior physical abilities and longevity.

However, they were too few in number, and the world that had fallen into chaos after the day of destruction was plagued by famine and war, with many coveting the half-elves’ lands. The half-elves who had no choice but to blend into human society had to struggle to make a living while hiding their identity.

“…And so I ended up leading a Dark Guild. There’s always been demand for hurting people over the hundreds of years. It’s also good for hiding our identity and laundering our status.”

“…”

Helix fell silent, his face showing uncertainty about what to say.

The Master was inwardly surprised at this reaction.

‘Has he changed?’

The Guardian he knew would have said something like ‘One shouldn’t speak of harming people as mere demand. Making it one’s business is even more evil’ in an icy tone. The Master couldn’t help but ask.

“You’re not going to say anything?”

“…I’ve been told that one shouldn’t judge carelessly without having experienced the situation themselves.”

“…Who said that?”

Even as he asked, the Master felt he knew the answer.

“Leah did.”

The girl that Dragonlord Azura had sent to wake Helix?

“She’s certainly an intriguing young lady.”

After observing Helix’s expression, the Master changed the subject.

“What are your plans now, Guardian?”

“I plan to regain my strength that weakened after the sealing, and investigate the extinction of the dragons.”

“Then… have you found the Holy Maiden?”

“You mean the Dragon’s Holy Maiden.”

Helix shook his head. The Master whispered.

“Will you kill her?”

“I must.”

At his resolute words, the Master swallowed hard.

‘…I guess I was wrong to think he had changed.’

There was not a trace of mercy or hesitation in his frozen gaze and cold voice. He was exactly the same Guardian he had known.

The very Guardian who had wielded his ice blade powers to execute mad dragons and arch-mages.

The Master shuddered at the chill he felt after so long.

***

The commander of the Snake Knights of the Oken Empire was also trembling.

It was because of a palm-sized letter his subordinate had brought.

“This time, you’ve found the right one, right?”

He muttered fearfully.

Prince Archaik Oken, who was practically his true lord, had recently given a strange order.

‘Find the blonde noble woman who nearly died near the Hel Mountains.’

The prince intended to find the mage who had expelled him from his dream.

Though he couldn’t see her face from afar, a woman with long blonde hair wearing a dress made of expensive fabric must be a noble. If the mana circle was dangerous, it meant the mage’s life was also in danger.

So these were the clues he had sorted out.

A blonde noble woman who nearly died near the Hel Mountains.

For the subordinates who had to search, it was like finding a needle in a sandpit, but they had to do it.

Because Prince Archaik was a lord who knew neither disobedience nor mercy.

“Huu.”

Taking a deep breath, the Snake Knights commander opened the letter. His mouth fell open in surprise.

“Your Highness… we’ve found her.”

***

Once Leah determined that her body had definitely recovered, she went to see the children at the magic school.

By then, all the children had woken up.

“Lady!”

“Sister!”

“Master!”

She smiled at the children running toward her, calling out, but then paused.

“…I think there was something strange mixed in at the end?”

Karai rolled his eyes around.

“P-perhaps you misheard?”

Leah decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed. After all, thanks to Karai’s efforts, the children were able to stay healthy like this.

“Phil must have been the only one who saw me while awake, but the children seem to follow me well.”

“Haha, we talked about you until our mouths wore out.”

The chief physician said with a good-natured smile, while saying something frightening.

“You have to brainwash them when they’re young.”

“…I know that’s a joke, but considering the children’s situation, it’s a bit scary, you know?”

“Oh my, of course it’s a joke. We just told them the truth. How bravely you rushed in alone to threaten the slave trader, how you said without hesitation that you would take in these children so save them, and how thanks to those efforts, you children are now…”

“Stop. Please stop.”