Early Morning

    A faint morning light filtered through the window of the inn, signaling the start of a new day.

    Daniel, lying flat on his back, stirred as his eyes twitched from the light.

    Reflexively, he slowly opened his eyes, turning his head toward the window, and let out a faint chuckle.

    “Morning already. I was sure I’d sleep until noon...”

    Despite intentionally staying up late, his body had woken with the morning—an ingrained habit from his time as an operations officer.

    “Well, after a year as a staff officer, it’s not like habits will change overnight.”

    Smiling wryly at himself, Daniel sat up, running a hand down his face.

    His body felt a little stiff, but the fatigue seemed to have faded, which was a good sign.

    “Let’s see... What’s on the agenda today...”

    Gradually recalling his plans through his morning haze, Daniel nodded.

    “Today’s the day to visit Lef’s estate.”

    The mischievous young lady had successfully lured him into accepting her invitation with the promise of money.

    The problem was that Lef hadn’t told him where her estate was located.

    When he’d asked how to find it, her only reply had been, “When the time comes, I’ll send someone to fetch you,” before she left the cocktail bar.

    “I should’ve asked what she actually does.”

    Though, judging by her cautious demeanor, she probably wouldn’t have answered even if he’d asked.

    “Well, in any case...”

    With Lef offering to fund his plans, there was no reason to refuse her dinner invitation.

    “She said it was a dinner invitation...”@@@@

    It was still early morning, which meant there was plenty of time left.

    While he could have spent the morning idly in his room, Daniel found himself wanting to try some of Vellanos’s local desserts while he was there.

    Deciding it was time to head out, Daniel got out of bed and slid on his slippers.

    He walked over to the wardrobe and opened it.

    Inside, carefully hung on the rack, was a new set of clothes: a jacket, waistcoat, and trousers made of tweed.

    The ensemble was dark gray, with a subtle checkered pattern on the waistcoat adding a touch of elegance.

    Daniel had purchased the outfit with his own money after accepting Lef’s dinner invitation.

    “She definitely looks like nobility...”

    To maintain at least a semblance of dignity, he had spent extra on proper attire.

    To some, it might seem overly cautious, but to Daniel, it was an important matter.

    “There’s bound to be Lef’s family at the dinner.”

    The money likely wasn’t coming directly from Lef but rather her parents.

    This meant that the ones Daniel needed to impress weren’t Lef but her parents.

    Winning their favor would naturally increase the amount of money he could secure.

    With that in mind, Daniel had invested in high-quality clothing.

    Nobles were notoriously sensitive to appearances, after all.

    Realizing the absurdity of his actions, Daniel chuckled to himself.

    “To think I escaped, only to find myself looking for the spy who tried to kill me...”

    It was a reminder of how deeply ingrained his habits were.

    “Still...”

    If Lucy were here, the experience might have been more enjoyable.

    He imagined her trying the dessert—utterly overwhelmed but refusing to admit it was delicious. He could almost see her suppressing her amazement with a composed facade.

    Watching her react like that had always been a small source of amusement for him.

    Even so, the thought of returning to the Empire didn’t cross his mind—not even for a moment.

    “I should just be content with this peace.”

    Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Daniel took another forkful of the trifle and brought it to his mouth.

    This time, however, it didn’t taste as good as the first bite.

    *****

    At Tentarbachem Port in Vellanos, a trading ship had just arrived, its anchor lowered and docking position secured.

    The crew connected the ship to the pier using mooring lines and set up the boarding ramp.

    As the ramp was fastened, workers began moving cargo to and from the ship.

    Amidst the bustling crew, a group of thirty individuals dressed in black suits descended the ramp and entered Tentarbachem.

    This was the secret organization known as Black Swan.

    They moved in unison, their coordinated steps so imposing that even the merchants and peddlers near the port dared not approach them.

    Their tightly pressed lips and stern expressions radiated an intense fury that made onlookers freeze in their tracks.

    No one knew who they were or why they had come to Tentarbachem, leaving the locals to speculate.

    Whispers spread quickly: “Could they be a mafia group?”

    But the leader of Black Swan, Hamtal, ignored the murmurs.

    The reason for their conspicuous attire—a black suit instead of their usual covert gear—was to honor the memory of Daniel Steiner.

    “Daniel Steiner is dead. Right here in this land...”

    The prophet, who had become a symbol of the abolition of racial discrimination, had martyred himself in Vellanos.

    While Black Swan understood this intellectually, they couldn’t accept it emotionally.

    Their inability to come to terms with his death transformed into anger, driving them to an obsessive need to find those responsible for Daniel Steiner’s death—no matter the cost.

    "Leader," one of Hamtal’s subordinates approached him.

    "Shall we focus all our efforts on uncovering the perpetrators, as you instructed?"

    Hamtal nodded.

    "Vellanos is corrupt to its core—from its nobility to its politicians and military. Hand out bribes, and they’ll tell you who gave the order to open their waters. Piece the clues together and follow the trail."

    "Understood. But if someone refuses to cooperate..."

    "Make them cooperate."

    Hamtal’s cold tone left no room for argument, and the subordinate nodded silently.

    The meaning of “make them cooperate” was clear.

    As the subordinate stepped back to relay the orders, Hamtal clenched his teeth and stared straight ahead.

    “I don’t know who you are. But you will regret killing our prophet. We will find you, and...”

    He clenched his fists so tightly that the leather of his gloves creaked under the strain.

    "...deliver absolute judgment!"