“That secret passage was something I made and played in when I was little, but lately Dad’s been acting a bit suspicious… I got curious if he might have found a woman or something, so I started watching a few days ago… But Zion, how did you get in here?”
After hearing the explanation, Zion clapped his hands and nodded in understanding.
No wonder the secret passage was crafted so perfectly.
“Well… I’m kind of similar to Yuria in that regard.”
Zion awkwardly mumbled his answer.
He couldn’t exactly say he came to spy because he suspected his father of colluding with monsters.
“Did Dad do something bad?”
“Huh? What?” Zion almost jumped up in surprise.
“You don’t look like you came for anything good… And Zion, you always get nosy when something bad happens, don’t you?”
[Zion, you shouldn’t show signs of agitation there. That would be admitting Yuria is right,] Arcs advised, and Zion swallowed his groan desperately.
Her observation was unnervingly sharp.
Yuria’s already exceptional eyesight was gradually surpassing all normal limits with practice.
“It’s not like that. It’s just that there are a few suspicious things.”
“Is that so? Then fine.” Yuria nodded quietly.
She didn’t really believe him but simply stepped back to avoid making Zion uncomfortable.
“That guy really must have something going on. He’s still pretty rattled.”
Through the crack in the secret passage floor, Benya was visible, sitting with a cold expression that looked like he could kill anyone, buried in paperwork.
Occasionally, he would pause with his pen, frown, or let out a long sigh as if trying to suppress his anger.
Anyone could tell something was off.
“Looks like it’s not because of a woman.” Yuria muttered in a low voice.
“Zion, you know something, right? Something’s going on with Dad…”
“Damn it!”
Suddenly, a harsh bang against the desk and a fierce curse echoed through the room.
Yuria swallowed hard.
“I’ve never seen Dad so angry.”
“Who is it? Who keeps disturbing me? What the hell is going on… Zion? That boy? Did I misjudge him? Just one last step to go… but it’s not working. Damn it.”
Benya stood up and started pacing around the president’s office.
Zion flinched nervously when his name was mentioned but, fortunately, they hadn’t been noticed hiding there.
As Benya approached the bookshelf on one side of the room and fiddled with several books, a part of the floor cleverly folded back, revealing a hidden staircase.
“Uh… I didn’t make that.” Yuria blurted out defensively without realizing it.
Benya cautiously looked around, locked the door, then disappeared down the stairs.
Only then did Zion and Yuria exhale deeply and stretch their bodies.
‘I have to prepare for the worst.’
Though they hadn’t caught perfect, undeniable proof, judging by what they just witnessed, it was almost certain that Benya was the one preparing a massive monster army outside Kornika.
Zion didn’t want to believe it, but the signs were too obvious to deny.
Anyone can stray down the wrong path.
And if it’s not too late, they can still be corrected.
‘But first…!’
“Yuria, get out of the way!”
“Huh?”
Zion grabbed Yuria’s waist urgently.
Something black and sharp leapt out from the shadows, narrowly slicing a few strands of her hair.
Yuria tensed, sensing danger.
Zion drew his longsword with his free hand and sharpened his senses.
‘The smell of monsters… Why didn’t I notice it until now?’
[Whoa! It’s a Night Crawler!] Arcs shouted in surprise.
‘Night Crawlers?’
[Their combat abilities are similar to Goblins, but they have this annoying trait where they blend into shadows. Be careful! In such darkness, each one is even more dangerous than an Orc.]
Zion had never heard of this monster before.
Perhaps its special nature meant it was unknown in Zion’s world.
“Yuria, hold on tight. I might have to move roughly.”
“Uh, okay?”
Holding her with one arm, Zion stomped on the ground.
From the previous attack, he remembered the Night Crawler’s scent.
There were four monsters nearby—one prowling close, and three others silently hiding a little farther off.
Zion’s target was the three.
[Night Crawlers are tricky because unless you destroy their core precisely, they don’t die easily. You have to aim exactly for the center.]
It was a difficult task, but not impossible.
Zion stabbed one right in the core, and the black shape collapsed like a sandcastle in the dark.
Having gotten the hang of it, he immediately moved toward the next monster.
“Wait, wait! Zion! What are you—Are you an assassin or something?!”
“Far worse and more dangerous than an assassin.”
“Put me down! I can fight too!”
“It’s too dangerous. Stay still.”
Zion quickly dealt with the three and intercepted one that chased him.
The last Night Crawler fell, its two arms severed and core pierced.
Silence returned.
[Not as bad as I thought… Zion, what are you doing? Don’t let your guard down!]
At Arcs’ shout, Zion reflexively reacted.
There weren’t just four Night Crawlers.
The last one had been hiding, concealing its presence until the final moment, then suddenly lunged from behind, swinging razor-sharp arms.
Zion twisted his body to barely block the strike.
The unstable follow-up swipe only grazed the monster’s shoulder.
Just as Zion clicked his tongue, Yuria moved.
She thrust her dagger like lightning into the monster’s core as it tried to vanish into the darkness.
The monster stopped moving and collapsed.
“Oh… wow.”
Yuria’s stunned exclamation echoed through the now silent secret passage.
“Our Zion, you know what I mean even if I don’t say it, right?”
“…Yes.”
That brief lapse almost put both Zion and Yuria in grave danger.
‘I… I was arrogant without realizing it.’
[…Huh? Arrogant? No, no, that’s not it. Everyone makes mistakes, Zion included. It’s okay. Fortunately, nothing serious happened. Just reflect and don’t repeat the same mistakes.]
Nodding stiffly, Zion turned to look at Yuria.
She stared at her own hand in disbelief.
He was just as shocked.
If that last strike was luck, it was incredible.
But was it really just luck?
In Yuria’s eyes, faint violet flames flickered.
[That’s a Ma’an!]
Arcs’ eyes widened.
‘Ma’an, you mean the same power as Uncle?’
[It’s the same lineage, but not nearly as strong. Yeah, there were signs. I told you Yuria’s eyesight is exceptional, right? She was originally gifted with the potential to awaken the Ma’an. Our Zion’s training, consistent MP Boosters, and finally contact with monsters triggered it.]
When Yuria blinked several times, the violet flames disappeared naturally.
She seemed completely unaware of this fact.
“Did… did I just kill it? Did I really kill it…?”
“Yes, you did. A monster.”
Zion conjured a small flame with magic.
The dark secret passage brightened, revealing the monster’s remains.
Piles of crimson ash were scattered throughout.
“Monster?”
“What you just killed was a monster. It hides in shadows and ambushes people. There were five of them here.”
“A monster, here?” Yuria’s question was valid.
For monsters to appear in the heart of a city of 100,000 people was unthinkable.
Such an incident would throw the entire city into panic.
“Wait… This must be connected to Dad, right?”
Before Zion could dodge, Yuria’s sharp observation pierced the core without hesitation.
Zion tried to hide his agitation and carefully asked back.
“Why do you think so?”
“Because Zion’s behavior… was too natural. Like he was expecting monsters to appear here.”
That was a blind spot.
Trying to remain calm thanks to Arcs’ advice had backfired.
[Hahaha! Zion really isn’t good at lying. It’s okay, it’s okay. Honesty is a virtue, isn’t it?]
No matter how much he hemmed and hawed now, it wouldn’t work.
The question was how much of the truth to reveal.
[Can’t be helped. Might as well tell everything and ask for help. We’re short-handed anyway. This works out.]
‘Won’t Yuria be in danger?’
[Benya and Yuria are family. Yuria has the right to know the truth. And now that her Ma’an has awakened, she’s probably much stronger than Zion thought. The only problem is battle experience, but since she just killed a Crawler without hesitation, I think that’s manageable.]
It was a valid point.
Accepting her advice, Zion finally made up his mind.
“What I’m about to tell you isn’t certain. Most of it’s my guess, and I have no concrete proof yet. So…”
Zion carefully explained everything that had happened over the past two weeks.
As the story unfolded, Yuria’s face turned pale.
When he finished, she looked like she was having a terrible nightmare.
“Dad, with monsters…? Why on earth?”
“I don’t know either.”
The most plausible explanation was the presidential election.
Still, Zion didn’t want to believe that Benya was someone who’d ally with monsters just for power.
[Zion, don’t underestimate power. People can become devils for the sake of power.]
‘Could Benya really be that kind of person?’
[Well, that’s what we have to find out from now on.]
Those words were the truth.
“We have to stop Dad. Before it’s too late.” Yuria, deep in thought, suddenly lifted her head.
“It’s going to be dangerous.”
“I know. I saw you fight just now with my own eyes. But… a family’s mistakes must be corrected by the family. Just like Dad did for me when I was young. Now it’s my turn to do the same for him.”
Zion inwardly admired her.
Despite facing the harsh reality that her family had taken the wrong path, she didn’t succumb to despair but moved forward with a radiant resolve.
“Let’s divide the roles. Zion, keep dealing with the monsters gathering outside as you have been. But don’t push yourself too hard. If it gets too dangerous, run immediately. I’ll move my influence inside the Merchant Guild and secure evidence, then use it to persuade Dad.”
“Do you think Benya will listen to persuasion?”
“I don’t know. But that doesn’t mean we don’t try.”
Yuria’s eyes shone with firm determination as she questioned him.
“Alright. I’ll leave everything about Benya to you.”
“Okay!”
Before Benya returned to the president’s office, they sneaked out of the Merchant Guild Headquarters.
There was no time to hesitate.
Yuria headed straight to the main gate to gather her forces and give orders.
Zion made his way outside Kornika.
“Zion, I got a rough update on your situation from Arcs.”
On the way, Frey’s communication magic rang.
Zion brightened and answered eagerly.
“Uncle! What happened to the monsters?”
“Ah… Well, there’s one bad news, one worse news, and one somewhat good news. Want to hear?”
“What kind of options are those?”
“Stop whining and choose.”
“Let’s start with the worse news.”
“We swept up all the monsters we could see, but it didn’t matter. More monsters are gathering again.”
It was horrible news.
Zion groaned and pressed further.
“What’s the bad news then?”
“The summoning time limit is almost up. Less than a minute left.”
“Then what’s the good news?”
Frey delivered it in a nonchalant voice.
“We found out where all these monsters are spawning from.”