When it came to Chief Baek, the only fair way to describe him was as an utter madman.

As if he had been born to catch evil ghosts. As if he lived with the resolve to slaughter every evil ghost in the entire world.

Only ghosts.

He cared nothing for humans, like the only thing that filled his head was killing ghosts.

Around the time I joined that damned company, there was exactly one thing I heard.

“Don’t get involved with Chief Baek.”

The moment you get tangled up with that lunatic, you’re finished. That was the warning I received, but as if to make a mockery of it, I was assigned directly under him.

The reason was that the lunatic had personally requested me, saying he liked me. Thanks to that, I was dragged off to him under the distant, pitying gazes of my fellow new hires.

“Good to meet you. You’re the youngest?”

When I got there, he had a lit cigarette in his mouth and was holding some kind of club.

I let out a low groan at the sight. Evil ghosts were everywhere.

And not just any evil ghosts.

They look crushed.

They had the shape of things that had been beaten and crushed by something. Seeing that, I had to laugh in disbelief.

What the hell was that? It was terrifying.

You could beat evil ghosts like that? Even if the club had blood talismans stuck to it, it made no sense.

“Judging by your face, you can see them pretty well, huh?”

“......Pardon?”

“Normally, once they’re in this state, other bastards can’t see them.”

Heh heh.

Chief Baek laughed and crushed out the cigarette he had been holding in his mouth. That did seem to be true. The evil ghosts were on the verge of vanishing, nearly finished with what you might call passing on peacefully...... or exorcism.

“You’ve got good eyes. I knew I picked well.”

“.......”

“Let’s get along from now on, yeah?”

That was the sound of hell opening.

I am not exaggerating. From that day on, it really was hell.

How many things did I go through while being dragged around by Chief Baek?

How many gods did I kill?

Later, when I, of all people, reached the point where I had to save the world, I truly wanted to tear that man’s throat out.

But what could I do? That was karma.

I learned many things from him, and in the end, he even saved my life.

If I had to name a parent, it would be my grandmother. If I had to name a teacher, it would have been him.

“Just know one thing.”

Before he died, Chief Baek said to me,

“Humans and gods are the same in the end. Neither breed can be trusted.”

“Still, humans are a little better. They’re things that can at least receive something called salvation.”

It was not even funny. For words spoken while he was being betrayed by humans and killed by gods, they were absurdly weak.

“Endure. And hold on.”

Chief Baek smiled.

“And keep going.”

That was his last.

*****

“......That is.”

The blood talismans brought Chief Baek to mind. The method was quite similar to the one that man used. It would be absurd to say they were exactly the same, and there were differences, but they were far too similar.

“It looks terribly ominous.”

The branch chief said. She was right. It did not look ominous. It was ominous.

That was true in reality as well. The very fact that blood talismans had been attached like that was ominous to begin with. And the fact that blood talismans even I could call decently made had been attached that way was already a serious problem.

Even with them attached like that.

Something was faintly leaking out.

Death energy.

The energy of death was seeping ever so faintly from that jar.

I had not noticed while it was wrapped for the escort run, but now that it was being brought in on a cart, it became a problem.

What a filthy energy.

What the hell was hidden inside? It was even leaking despite being sealed away like that? This was bullshit of the highest order.

My expression twisted on its own. Seeing that, the branch chief asked,

“Why? Our prince. Do you know what that is?”

“......Who knows.”

As if I could. The fact that I did not know was the real problem. The idea that the North Sea Ice Palace Lord had something like that, and that Heavenly Fist had sent it as a shipment, was completely absurd.

Was she insane? Did she even know what that was?

Heavenly Fist.

What was her purpose? Had that old woman gone senile?

While I stared at the jar, the people of Aju Merchant Caravan carried the jar from the cart into a room.

I could not move as I watched.

Normally, I would have stayed well away from it.

But now that I’ve seen it.

I could not move.

Now that I had seen that thing, there was nowhere I could go.

*****

“The item has arrived.”

Go Munjin spoke as he looked at the delivered item. Mo Yong Yeongsun nodded as well.

It was a bizarre jar plastered all over with talismans.

......This is.

Mo Yong Yeongsun frowned at the sight.

This was her first time properly seeing the item as well.

That was because the White King, the Family Head, had ordered even her not to look at it.

Just looking at it made her stomach churn.

She felt sickened without knowing why.

Why had they entrusted an escort shipment like this to her? She could not understand it either.

“Then—”

Caravan Head Go Munjin spoke to Mo Yong Yeongsun despite that unpleasant sensation.

“You are asking us to send this item to the North Sea.”

“That is correct. The Mo Yong Family will put its name on the shipment. And this......”

“You want it delivered directly to the North Sea Ice Palace......”

“Yes.”

“I have heard what you are saying, but this is a considerably difficult matter. The aura of the item itself is one thing, but the North Sea Ice Palace...... is not a place one may enter carelessly.”

“Are you saying it is impossible?”

“Nearly so.”

The caravan head spoke with a troubled expression. However.

“But.”

As if there was not no method at all, Go Munjin said to Mo Yong Yeongsun,

“It may be different if you receive direct assistance from the Murim Alliance.”

“The Murim Alliance?”

“At present, the Alliance Leader’s side, which can make entry into the North Sea Ice Palace possible, would have to communicate directly with the North Sea Ice Palace. What we can do is go to the North Sea and receive or deliver an entrusted item. But if there is direct communication from them, the matter changes.”

“......Then.”

At those words, Mo Yong Yeongsun answered while lightly biting her lip.

“You mean we need the Alliance’s help so this can be handed over to the North Sea Ice Palace.”

It meant showing that ominous object to the Murim Alliance and receiving permission to send it to the North Sea Ice Palace.

In a word.

That means no.

It meant it was absurd. Mo Yong Yeongsun let out a low groan. This was something no one could call possible.

“Or is there no way to directly inform the North Sea Ice Palace that we have the item? This item is being sent by our side, but I heard it is an item they want.”

“Mm—”

Go Munjin looked at the jar.

“An item the North Sea Ice Palace wants, you say.”

“I do not know the details, but that is what I was told.”

“Naturally, you cannot tell me anything about the person handing it over.”

“That is correct. Even Family Head Mo Yong kept silent on the matter.”

“Hmm.”

At those words, Go Munjin nodded.

“In that case, it is certainly no ordinary item. I also heard you went through a dangerous incident on your way here.”

“That......”

“I understand that strange people are targeting it. That means the item carries some kind of significance.”

“.......”

The value of the item rose.

An affair significant enough that they attacked a shipment personally handled by the Mo Yong Family. Furthermore.

“Though I heard Moon Hero stepped forward and stopped him, they say the unidentified master’s level was also exceedingly high.”

Bang Seongyeon had stepped forward and blocked him. Considering that he had dealt with that absolute master, the value of this item was—

“Would it not be fair to say that, at least under the present circumstances, its value is quite high?”

“I am not sure what you wish to say, Caravan Head. Do you want the price for sending it to the North Sea adjusted?”

“Well, as of now, the risk has increased. Also.”

Rustle.

Go Munjin passed something over.

It was a letter.

“I said it was nearly impossible. I did not say sending the item to the North Sea was impossible. I thought it might be best to discuss this matter as well.”

“......This is—”

Mo Yong Yeongsun narrowed her eyes after checking the letter. Its contents listed future transactions between Aju Merchant Caravan and the Mo Yong Family. There were adjustments to the ratios involved, along with several conditions that would raise Aju Merchant Caravan’s standing.

It seemed modest at a glance, but it was meticulous.

Seeing it, Mo Yong Yeongsun had to laugh inwardly in disbelief.

What a frightening old man.

It was absurd. The fact that he had written something this detailed meant it could not have been prepared in a short time.

In other words, the moment he heard that an incident had occurred, he had begun preparing.

He had assessed the value of the shipment and prepared to profit from it.

In that very instant.

She understood why her father had told her to be careful of this man.

This old man was dangerous.

Very much so.

*****

Is this all right?

I could not see what was happening inside.

I expanded my energy sense, but it was the same. An energy membrane had already been put up, so I could not check.

If I wanted to force my way through, I could.

But if I did that, the people who had spread the membrane would notice my energy sense.

So I could not check carelessly either.

“Prince. What exactly are you doing? You said you weren’t interested and were just going to leave.”

“......I was going to, but something came up.”

“What? Do you know what that item is?”

“No. But it bothers me. My gut says so.”

“Ha ha—”

The branch chief laughed as if dumbfounded and shrugged. Her reaction did not matter. Once that item had caught my attention, there was nothing else I could do.

I had to watch it.

Just as I was thinking that.

“Hm?”

I turned my gaze away from the room and looked in the opposite direction.

I sensed something far away.

What was it?

It was an enormous presence.

As if there was no intention of hiding it at all, it was violent and dense.

Domineering.

That word suited the energy well.

CLACK.

Before I realized it, I had gripped my sword.

“Hm? Prince, why are you......”

The branch chief stopped mid-sentence. She was not a martial artist of especially high level, yet even she could sense that vast energy.

And that was not the end.

“What is happening!”

“What is this energy......!”

Every martial artist stationed at Aju Merchant Caravan came rushing out. It seemed all of them had sensed it. Tension spread through the air.

An absolute master.

It felt similar to the presence I had sensed from Primal Origin Blade.

That meant it was an energy of the same level as his.

Could it be one of Sky-Crushing Palace’s people?

No. It isn’t that kind of energy.

It was orderly.

The momentum bursting out was sharp and violent, but its essence was clean and composed.

It was the same kind of energy possessed by someone from the orthodox faction.

What the hell was it?

Why was it this intense?

What was falling for it to be like this?

My breath caught in my throat.

Just as I was wondering whether I should draw my sword or not—

KRAAAAAASH—!!!!!

The energy that had erupted in the distance finally crashed into the ground.

A cloud of dirt rose.

As it blocked my sight, I opened Moon Eye.

I cleared away what obscured it and grasped what was inside.

That was the moment.

“Huh.”

I sensed a presence I knew.

It was more violent than usual, but it was definitely the presence of someone I knew.

WHOOOOOSH—!!!!

The dust vanished in an instant.

It surged upward, clearing my view.

And there—

“......Family Head?”

The Family Head of the Mo Yong Family, one of the Five Kings Under Heaven.

The White King was rising to his feet with blazing eyes.