“What’s wrong with you!? You can’t reach an agreement, so you try to kill me!”

Just as young Sang was berating Hyacinth for fighting dirty, Hyacinth sheathed the knight’s sword, shook their head, and put on a cold, merciless expression. “Sometimes, for the greater good, you have to sacrifice some people… It’s one of the choices a warrior must make.”

“What exactly are you talking about?” Sang asked, confused.

The next second.

Hyacinth pointed the knight’s sword toward the area outside the bathroom and said coldly, “You’re about to become the True Ancestor’s Blood Servant. Your status is too sensitive for me to kill you here… But if you refuse to accept the mission for The Hunt, then once you’ve been taken away, I’ll go on a killing spree. No one in the orphanage will survive.”

A threat!

That was an outright threat!

Young Sang suddenly felt helpless, like he’d been laid out on a chopping board. Even if he defeated the two people in front of him, the organization would still be out there, threatening everyone at the orphanage. And if he exposed the two of them as the True Ancestor’s Blood Servants and sought protection from the Blood Clan… No, no, no. The Blood Clan didn’t offer humans that kind of considerate service.

After turning it over in his mind, he realized accepting was his only choice.

As a transmigrator, Sang was a lazy soul who was used to freedom and enjoyed a comfortable life. He hated feeling so constrained, but there was nothing he could do about it.

No matter how powerful someone was, they were still weak in the end. They couldn’t just cast everything aside. They would always be at the mercy of others, and they would always have a weakness.

But then again…

It was precisely because of that that they could be called “human.”

The next second, Hyacinth continued, “Sang, if you’re willing to accept the mission the organization gives you, then no matter how much information you can provide in the future—even if you die the moment you get near the True Ancestor—the organization will anonymously donate money to this orphanage every year.”

All right.

The carrot-and-stick approach really was clichéd, but effective.

Young Sang was tempted. He felt utterly helpless about his fate, but this really was the best choice. The next moment, he let out a long sigh and answered without hesitation, “Yeah, okay. I’ll take the mission!”

If he died, he died. His life was worth next to nothing anyway. At least he could get everyone at the orphanage a decent meal in exchange.

“Oh… There’s one more thing.” Sang’s gaze was unwavering, his expression righteous, as if he were about to deliver a declaration of independence.

Hyacinth paused. Since their conversation began, this was the first time they’d seen the boy look so serious. It seemed he’d come to terms with things. “Go on.”

“Could you turn around? I’m embarrassed to change with you watching…”

Damn it, Sang was still soaking in the wooden tub, completely naked. Having a beautiful woman stare at him the whole time was embarrassing.

Hyacinth: “…”

……

Oh.

By the way.

Those two members of The Hunt weren’t spies who’d been planted inside House Ben Loren. He was only a petty baron; the organization wouldn’t bother with a long-term infiltration of his family. The two had simply knocked out two of the Ben Loren family’s knights last night, taken their clothes, and pretended to be knights of the Loren family so they could get close to Sang.

After that.

Escorted by the two knights, young Sang changed into a brand-new, all-black outfit and walked out of the orphanage bathroom.

The clothes had been prepared for Sang by the lord, Ben Loren: a black nobleman’s shirt, black tapered trousers, and high-heeled boots. Paired with Sang’s rare head of black hair, they made even someone as plain-looking as him seem a little extraordinary. Clothes really did make the man.

But…

It was ironic. This was the first time Sang had ever worn such fine clothes, and it was for a moment like this.

When Sang appeared at the orphanage gate, a huge crowd was still packed around it. Even so, the people parted of their own accord, leaving a wide-open path directly in front of the entrance.

At that moment.

A large group was heading this way. The others might not have been able to count them, but Sang had excellent eyesight. He estimated there were more than fifty, all on horseback. They wore dark red capes, but the bright red pattern emblazoned on them was unmistakable: the manjusaka, also known as the Flower of the Other Shore.

It was the crest of one of the four great ducal families—House Capet.

There was no doubt that the True Ancestor ruled the world and held supreme power. That said, as an immortal Blood Clan member, they supposedly weren’t interested in much of anything and often fell asleep. Sometimes, they would sleep for decades at a time.

Gradually, the True Ancestor’s power fell into the hands of one of the Grand Dukes—and that Grand Duke was the Duke of Capet.

Even now, the other three Grand Dukes (Dukes) were based in different parts of the continent. Only the Duke of Capet remained at the Hub, holding the reins of power. The True Ancestor was king in name, but the Duke of Capet was the one who truly ruled.

As young Sang watched the line of knights draw closer, he knew he didn’t have much time left. The Blood Clan wasn’t particularly considerate toward humans. They certainly wouldn’t give him time to say goodbye.

The next second.

Sang turned toward everyone at the orphanage in the distance, forced a strained smile, and said brightly, “Goodbye! I’m off to Central, so don’t miss me too much.”

Among the more than thirty children from the orphanage, even the ones who usually didn’t like Sang looked sad and reluctant to see him go.

The matron, Lillian, along with Luna and Adolf, were especially devastated. They knew better than anyone that this journey might be a one-way trip to the underworld for the boy.

Luna still had so much she wanted to say to Sang. She even wanted to push past the knights and run up to hug him. But the knights wouldn’t let anyone approach—or even let them raise their voices.

Yeah.

That’s right.

They weren’t even allowed to say goodbye. The knights of House Capet had arrived, and the whole scene fell deathly silent. Any noise or commotion would be seen as an insult, and could even get them killed.

Adolf was even more hot-blooded. He secretly gripped his battered knight’s sword, wishing he could rush over and rescue Watermelon. But he couldn’t. He didn’t have the strength. He’d not only fail to save Watermelon, but would drag everyone at the orphanage down with him.

Sang was still smiling. “Luna, make sure you learn how to run the orphanage from Sister Lillian. You have to become a wonderful matron one day. Adolf, you should work hard on your swordsmanship too. Become a great knight and protect everyone… And, Sister Lillian, thank you for taking care of me all these years!”

Sang said something to every child at the orphanage.

After that, he still seemed to think it wasn’t enough. He even rambled on to some people he knew around town, leaving everyone both amused and exasperated.

That unlucky kid had always been so annoying. Even at a time like this, he still managed to get on everyone’s nerves.

Just then.

The knights from Central finally reached Sang. They came with the oppressive force of storm clouds gathering over a city, ready to crush it. The knights of House Ben Loren—and even the knights who’d come to draw blood not long ago—couldn’t compare to them.

Every one of them was an elite.

The Blood Clan knight at the head of the group glanced at Sang, drew a knight’s sword without a word, and slashed the back of Sang’s hand with a stroke too fast to follow. The knight caught the scent of the blood flowing from the wound and confirmed his identity. “Take him away.”

The whole thing happened swiftly, without a hint of hesitation.

And just like that, Sang was taken away.