"What was that huge noise just now? Did something happen?" The ruckus seemed to have come from the torture chamber. "That bastard Darmon must have gone overboard again."
"Shuka, do you think it's possible Darmon just got drunk and lost control, making all that noise?" Karsis speculated.
Thinking about it, it wasn't uncommon. Darmon liked to indulge after drinking, but this time seemed especially excessive.
"Darmon isn't the type to lose sight of priorities like that. I doubt it," Shuka analyzed calmly.
"So you're saying something really did happen in the torture room?" Karsis followed Shuka's logic.
"I don't think so. The guards outside the fortress haven't reported anything. If someone had invaded, they would have sounded the alarm," Shuka continued.
"Then go check it out, just in case. We've gone through a lot to secure this place, and I won't have it ruined over something stupid," Karsis ordered, his tone calm but edged with a cold undertone that made Shuka shiver.
They had a working relationship built on shared interests, but their "friendship" was fragile. If the chain of profit broke, Shuka knew he'd be the first piece Karsis would sacrifice.
But they were all scum anyway. Shuka felt no loyalty; if staying benefited him, he would, but if it stopped, he'd leave—or sell Karsis out without hesitation.
"Fine, I'll go check the torture room. If there's an issue, we're all in the same boat, after all. Honestly, following you hasn't been too bad; at least I've had food and warmth these past few years."
A skilled negotiator, Shuka quickly eased Karsis' concerns.
Karsis trusted this subordinate for now. Shuka did his job well, knew his place, and didn't get too greedy—a rare trait in a dark guild. After all, who didn't want a workhorse that ate little but performed well?
"Damn it, what the hell is Darmon doing to make such a racket?"
Shuka knew Darmon liked his "games," but he hadn't expected him to get so out of hand—disturbing his rest and forcing him into an unpleasant conversation with Karsis.
It felt like being prey under a predator's gaze, and though Shuka ignored Karsis' sharp eyes, the oppressive atmosphere was undeniable.
Meanwhile, Noel was cleaning up the battlefield. The spell he used had made quite a commotion—far too much. It was inevitable that it would draw the enemy's attention.
Inside, Alice had come out, looking around at the wreckage, then at the blood-soaked corpse on the ground, and finally at Noel, who looked utterly exhausted.
"Ah—!" Alice screamed.
Noel quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. If someone came now, it would expose them.
"What the hell are you screaming for? Trying to get us caught?" Noel sighed, glancing at her in exasperation. "I'm starting to think saving you was a mistake."
But he couldn't really blame her. She was a noble's daughter, after all, unaccustomed to such scenes.
Still, this was his second time killing someone, and he was disturbed by how calm he felt. There wasn't even a ripple inside him.
Most people would still feel something after a second kill, wouldn't they? Maybe it was because he didn't even see them as people.
"Are you okay?" Alice asked, looking at him with concern.
"I'm fine," Noel replied coldly.
His patience with this noble girl was running thin. Couldn't she see how dangerous it was here? One mistake, and they'd both be dead.
He had no backup, no reinforcements. From the start, he had planned to take on the entire dark guild alone. But in the face of a debt owed, he had hesitated.
To Alice, what she'd done for him might have seemed insignificant, but to Noel, it was different. She had once given him a generous handful of coins.
And perhaps, he thought, someone with such kindness shouldn't die so easily. Otherwise, wouldn't the world lose a piece of its warmth?
Still, he had Oliver's revenge to carry out. He was alone now, with nothing else to do but this.
He had considered letting go of his hatred and simply living on. But wasn't that thought laughable? Why should he let go of his hatred?
If he could personally eliminate these scum and bring peace to the town, even for a while, why wouldn't he?
"You're so young, but you've already killed so many people?" Alice asked, frightened.
The person before her had saved her, but how could he stand there so unbothered by the corpse at his feet? It was terrifying.
She realized that staying near him, if she ever angered him, she'd probably be next. Without knowing it, Noel had become a terrifying tyrant in her mind.
"This is only my second kill," Noel replied calmly.
"That's impossible. Who's this calm after only their second kill?" Alice didn't believe it. That kind of nonsense might fool a child, but not her.
"But I am calm. Or maybe it's because I don't see them as people," Noel replied evenly. "I've hunted animals in the forest before."
"Hunting meant food, so I quite enjoyed it," Noel added, a trace of nostalgia in his voice as he remembered Tias and their hunt.
Suddenly, Noel chuckled. Alice was startled by the abrupt laughter, unsure what had come over him.
Perhaps he was mentally unstable, but wasn't it wrong to think that way about her savior?
Alice felt guilty for the thought, but all she wanted was to survive, to escape this place alive. She didn't mean any harm.
"Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?" Noel asked, noticing her fixed gaze.
"No, I'm just curious why you're like this," Alice admitted. She wondered what he had been through to become this way.
"It's just the most rational result of logical analysis, but with moral restrictions relaxed," Noel explained.
"You're actually pretty funny. You act all serious, but you're kind of ridiculous," Alice laughed, finding the supposedly fearsome boy in front of her unexpectedly amusing.
"What are you laughing at? I'm being serious."
"And I'm not lying either."
Noel let out a long breath. "Get some fresh air if you want, but then go back inside. It's safe in there, and even if something happens, you won't be affected."
He had decided. He would face the dark guild alone.
"What about you? Where are you going?" Alice's unease spiked. She had thought she was the princess of a fairy tale, with a knight who had come to save her. Now, it seemed her knight was leaving.
"I have other business. I didn't come here just to save you. You were just… along the way," Noel said honestly, though the words were harsh, shattering any illusions Alice had.
"Maybe it was my own wishful thinking that caused the misunderstanding. Sorry."
Without looking back, Noel turned and left.
Alice retreated into the torture room. For now, at least, it was the safest place she could be.
Author's Note:
Shuka and Karsis are original characters in this fanfic, part of the Black Dusk guild arc.
Shuka is a calm, sharp-tongued negotiator who knows how to survive in the shadows while keeping a cool head.
Karsis is a cunning leader who balances charm with danger, never letting his true motives show.
They are not in the original Fairy Tail canon, but I hope you'll enjoy how they add tension and depth to Noel's story as we dive deeper into the dark guild conflicts!
PS: Access advance (70+) chapters at
https://www.patreon.com/c/NanamiTL