"It's only been twenty minutes. Did you really have to make such a big deal out of it?"
Lunas and I walked toward the food section, which looked just as luxurious as the rest of the venue.
Five Fingers was no ordinary party.It was a celebration of extravagance held once every two months, typically attended by nobles. The event was organized by five prestigious ducal families.
It was also a place where many young nobles met one another, and where commoners were given the rare chance to interact and converse with nobility.
Of course, the price of entry was a membership card—and it was absurdly expensive.
Yet every time the event was held, countless people still attended.
The reason was simple: besides buying the card, there were… other ways to get in.
Putting that aside, we were currently in the Five Fingers dining area, and it was no less extravagant than the ballroom and main hall earlier.
Rich people really know how to spend money, I thought, recalling the organization's treasury.
I pulled a coin from my pocket and flipped it a few times while holding a roasted duck leg in my other hand.
My behavior could definitely be considered rude, but since I was standing in a blind spot and wearing a slightly irritated expression, no one seemed to care.
"Who taught you to eat like that??" Lunas said, pointing at the arm holding my duck leg.
"Why don't you wipe your mouth first?"
"What do you mean?"
Lunas raised his sleeve and wiped his mouth.
He frowned in confusion when a pink smear appeared on it.
"Since when—"
Lunas turned around and saw Marcus behind him, wearing a mischievous grin while eating a white ice cream.
Emma sat beside him, trying desperately not to laugh.
"Pff—"
I nearly burst out laughing.
Behind Lunas, there was a huge pink stain on his back—big enough to cover nearly a third of his red vest.
While Lunas went over to question the two of them, I placed the roasted duck leg down and continued flipping the coin.
Clink.
I flicked the coin upward.
It landed squarely on the head of the man sitting next to me.
"Oh—sorry about that."
I casually reached out and picked up the coin from the head of the man wearing a white vest.
He was holding a wine bottle and seemed to be sleeping in his chair.
He was none other than the leader of those drunkards from earlier.
I'm sorry, but I have to do this.
I couldn't help sighing as I thought about what I had done.
No matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, killing someone always left an unpleasant feeling.
And I always tried to avoid it whenever possible.
Ever since that day, killing had been my recurring nightmare.
I took another sip of red wine, frowning slightly.
"Hmm… there's no taste at all."
Clack!
The man in the white vest suddenly stood up.
He staggered forward while finishing the rest of the wine in his bottle.
Such behavior was obviously out of place in a party like this.
Of course, I noticed it.
In fact, I had been waiting for it.
His face looked absent-minded, yet strangely peaceful—almost relieved.
I didn't follow him immediately.
Instead, I carefully memorized the path he took, each turn he made.
Only when he disappeared completely from view did I finally begin following him.
I wasn't particularly strong.
In fact, Lunas—with his Level-6 mana core—could probably kill ten people like me.
But the reason I didn't call him over was simple.
I wanted them to enjoy their time a little longer.
Soon enough, they won't get to rest anymore.
I sighed as I remembered the novel I once wrote.
The man in the white vest walked out into the park, heading toward the central hall where the nobles' auction was being held.
I transformed my vest into a cloak and climbed onto the dining building while no one was looking.
Tap… tap…
Raindrops began to fall.
The rain grew heavier, though it would probably stop soon.
Still, we needed to finish everything in the rain—to avoid being discovered.
Unlike earlier, when the guards had been deployed to stop the brawl in the ballroom, this area was much closer to the central hall.
There were many patrols around.
The place was designed with a vast garden covering half the area, while the other half consisted of buildings arranged in a U-shape.
The man in white approached a wooden bench and sat down.
He opened a small metal box and took out a Five-Leaf token.
It was the device used to activate the mana bomb the organization had forced him to wear.
He had served the organization since he was very young.
Back when he ran away from the orphanage to join a gang—believing it would give him a better life.
He was a magical prodigy.
Even without guidance, he reached a Level-5 mana core at just ten years old.
That achievement rivaled the geniuses educated within noble circles.
And it made him arrogant.
He was reckless.He caused chaos.He robbed people.
But above all—
He was responsible.
Responsibility was what allowed him to stand firm in the gang.
It earned him the admiration of his superiors and the respect of his subordinates.
He led them from one job to another.
And he had to remain responsible.
Because it was the only thing preventing him from becoming someone who laughed at others' deaths.
That was what turned people into monsters like those who killed his mother.
He killed them.
Many who followed him died.
His hands were stained with blood countless times.
Because that was his responsibility—to the place that gave him a new life.
After finishing the bottle of wine, he noticed a shadow in the distance.
A figure in a black hooded cloak.
Only a pale mouth was visible—white like a corpse.
The figure walked calmly through the heavy rain pouring like a waterfall.
Haha… just my luck. Running into the Grim Reaper today.
He chuckled to himself.
He already knew he would die today.
Because that was his mission.
To become a living bomb.
He had to take responsibility for this.
Because he carried an even greater responsibility.
He had to die in the flames of the explosion—
To protect something born from his own irresponsibility.
"You got some girl pregnant and just left her like that??"
"Who would marry trash like you? A gangster like you would only ruin her life."
"I heard she gave birth but no one knows who the father is. She got kicked out of her house and now works at an orphanage—with the kid."
…
"You're very kind, sir. Thank you for your donation."
"You came again this month? On behalf of our director, thank you for supporting our orphanage."
…
"I know you're responsible. You've led your division through many tough situations."
"But our trust in you is starting to waver. Lately you're not as loyal as you used to be."
"I've got a mission for you. Top secret."
"You just need to activate this in the central area. Leave the rest to us."
"Don't worry. Do it well and you'll get money for that kid of yours… like always."
…
"Responsibility is just a tool for control, you fool…"
"No… I must take responsibility for what I've done."
"Hey, Ron."
"…"
"We meet again. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"…Yeah…"
"Then would you listen to me for a moment?"
The man in the black cloak calmly approached.
His tattered cloak fluttered wildly in the pouring rain.
"…Go ahead."
"I'm going to die anyway. We're both going to die—you know that."
"But at least… I won't let my death be meaningless."
He muttered those words and slowly raised his hand.
Suddenly—
Space itself began to distort.
His mana attribute was Dominion.
His Path was:
Endless Advance.