A year had passed since Zane rescued Eris, a year in which they had become regular correspondents. “I’ve successfully retrieved them again,” Gideon reported. “Is that so?” The news was welcome. “Did you send them to the orphanage?” “Yes. That makes the fifth one.” Zane nodded at his aide’s words. Over the past year, he had managed to rescue all three of the Sins he had originally planned to save, rounding out the set. Saving the Calamity of Avarice was a bit tricky, he recalled. The third Calamity he rescued, a girl currently known as Lyra Vance, had been difficult to track down, but the actual retrieval hadn't been a challenge. The same could be said for the others. It had taken a few months to locate each of them, but with Zane diligently applying his knowledge of the game to direct Gideon’s search, they had all been found. He looked at the man who had spent the better part of a year running across the continent to rescue the Five Calamities. “You can take a break now,” Zane said. “Is it over?” “It’s over.” “That’s a relief.” Gideon let out a genuine sigh and studied his master. “But, Young Master… aren’t you happy?” “Of course, I’m happy.” “You don’t look it.” “Really?” Zane turned toward the mirror. Staring back was the face he had grown accustomed to seeing. His own. Indeed… The man in the reflection wore a blank, placid expression. On closer inspection, the corners of his mouth were lifted in the faintest suggestion of a smile, but the change was so subtle it would go unnoticed by a casual observer. Zane tried to force a wider smile, but stopped when the expression twisted his normally handsome features into something grotesque. He looked like a madman. It’s as if my facial muscles never fully adapted to this body. Unlike his past self, whose emotions were an open book, this new face rarely betrayed his feelings. When it did, the change was infinitesimal. Not that it’s a bad thing. He didn’t give it much thought. His emotional inscrutability was a problem for others, not for him. He certainly wasn't bothered by it. Anyway, this concludes everything I needed to do for now. A true, if invisible, smile touched Zane’s thoughts as he pictured the five potential Sins, all gathered safely at the orphanage. I didn’t expect things to go this well. In truth, he had been prepared for setbacks. The Five Calamities had every reason to become the monsters of canon. No matter how hard Zane tried, he couldn't prevent every misfortune that might befall them. His greatest fear had been that he would find them too late, after their hearts had already turned to darkness. But contrary to his worries, all five were, for the moment, growing up as normal children. “Gideon.” “Yes.” “When you visited the orphanage last, you said there were no problems, correct?” “When I checked, yes. Even Lyra and Celeste, who were in a terrible state when they arrived, have returned to a semblance of normalcy.” “Really?” “Yes. When I first rescued Celeste, she was like a broken doll, utterly still and unresponsive. At the orphanage, she was getting along with the others. Likewise, Lyra kept her eyes shut tight, as if she refused to see the world. The last time I saw her, she was engrossed in a book.” Gideon’s report matched what Eris had written in her letters, and Zane nodded in satisfaction. I didn’t expect Eris to do such a good job. He had initially left her at the orphanage not only to keep her at a distance but also because the game’s lore mentioned her having an attachment to the place. He hadn’t been certain she could care for the other children, and had planned to have Gideon check in and hire professional help if needed. But that’s not necessary anymore. Zane smiled. Everything had gone better than he could have hoped. Thanks to Eris, only one task remained for him. I need to develop some means of self-defense. As the third son of the Valerius family, his life wasn't in any immediate danger, especially with Gideon at his side. But this world was a dark fantasy. The ability to protect himself was essential. He was considering learning magic. “Oh, by the way, Young Master,” Gideon said, pulling Zane from his thoughts. “Have you heard of the ‘Sapphire Order’?” “The Sapphire Order?” “Yes. They’re a new organization that’s become infamous in the eastern regions. From what I hear, they’ve been hunting down other organizations.” “An organization that hunts other organizations?” “Yes.” “Then they’re doing a good thing,” Zane replied dryly, his perspective now fully acclimated to this grim world. If the Sapphire Order were massacring civilians, he would be concerned. But preying on other criminal groups? That was another matter entirely. He’d yet to hear of any organization on the continent that didn’t have blood on its hands. If they were targeting those who played with human lives, he had no reason to view them negatively. “The problem,” Gideon added, “is that they’re also killing nobles.” “Gideon.” “Yes, Young Master?” “Starting tonight, you’ll sleep in the room next to mine.” Zane’s decision was immediate. This Sapphire Order wasn’t in the original story, which means they probably disappear before the main plot begins. Still… now that I think about it, Darius’s been in a foul mood lately. Could it be because of them? He shrugged the thought away and began to compose a reply to the letter he’d received from Eris yesterday. “Hmm…” As usual, her letter was a mix of polite greetings, a brief update on the children he’d asked her to watch over, and a list of sponsors. After reading it through, Zane considered mentioning the Sapphire Order, but decided against it. They might be hunting criminals and nobles, but it was unlikely they would target an orphanage full of children. He finished his letter and sent it off through the mercenary guild, just as he always did. It was another quiet, uneventful day. A few weeks later, at an orphanage in the eastern region, a meeting was underway. Eris sat reading the letter Zane had sent, an activity that had become a weekly ritual since their operations had officially begun. “Is that a letter from him? Let me read it! Me too!” “Me too, I want to read it.” A girl waved her hand with boundless enthusiasm, while another across from her raised hers in quiet curiosity. Even in the dimly lit hideout, their golden and green eyes sparkled. They were Celeste and Lyra, the future Sins of Vanity and Avarice. “Here.” “Really? I can really see it? You didn’t let me last time!” “It’s about time you did.” Eris smiled and handed the letter over. Celeste and Lyra, along with Nox, who had been watching silently from the side, leaned in to read it. A moment later, a shared confusion settled over them. “…Is this… an instruction sheet?” “It just looks like an ordinary conversation…” They reread the letter, but its contents remained stubbornly mundane. Nox turned a questioning gaze on Eris, who smiled and explained. “That’s how it’s supposed to look. He ordered me from the beginning to write as if we were just having a normal conversation.” She then pulled a slightly worn letter from her tunic and showed it to them. The text was simple, beginning with casual greetings before naturally suggesting they exchange regular letters about the orphanage’s progress. “…?” “…?” Celeste and Lyra frowned, still puzzled. But Nox, his mind piecing it together, understood. “He doesn’t want any secrets to be leaked, so he exchanges letters this way?” “Correct.” “I see.” Nox nodded, then glanced at the two girls still staring at the paper. “But if he’s worried about leaks, wouldn’t it be better to use magic communication? Or have us report in person?” “It would.” “Then why insist on letters?” “Because that is his will,” Eris said, a faint, serene smile on her lips. “If he has decided to do it this way, we follow. There is no need to question it.” Her words left a dry, chalky feeling in Nox’s mouth. Eris was normally a pillar of calm, but whenever she spoke of him, her voice took on a deep, unsettling conviction that made his skin crawl. “…Understood.” Nox gave a quiet nod, looking into her red eyes, which now gleamed with a fervent, zealous light. Eris collected the letter and carefully tucked it away in her tunic, marking the end of the ‘meeting.’ “Celeste, what of the north?” “You mean the slavers?” “Yes.” At Eris’s question, Celeste’s face broke into a bright, cheerful smile. “I took care of them all.” “And your identity?” “I wasn’t exposed! The clothes Lyra made worked perfectly. I even gave them a little quiz. I told them I’d let them live if they could describe my face, but nobody could answer.” “And then?” “I plucked them. All their heads.” The words were shockingly brutal coming from a girl with such an innocent laugh, but Eris merely turned her calm gaze to Nox. “And the south?” “Cerberus was running rampant, so I cleaned them up. While I was there, I found something else we need to discuss.” “What is it?” “The head of Cerberus is the eldest son of the Count in whose domain he resides, correct?” Eris nodded silently. Nox took a breath. “…It seems the eldest son is trying to poison him.” The instant he finished speaking, the air in the room turned to ice. “What?” The atmosphere shattered. Celeste, who had been smiling moments before, flattened her ears against her head and looked around nervously. Lyra, who had been a silent observer, fixed her gaze forward, her expression hardening. The only one who could meet Eris’s eyes was Nox, who had braced himself for this reaction. But even he felt a cold sweat trace a path down his spine as he felt a wave of killing intent, far more powerful than he had anticipated, emanate from her. After a long, tense silence, Eris spoke, her voice dangerously soft. “…Are you certain?” “There was an instruction sheet.” “Did you bring it?” “Yes.” As if he had been waiting for the command, Nox pulled the letter from his coat. Eris took it, her eyes scanning the page without a single blink. She read until the final line. [Once the Count, whose lifespan is nearly over, dies, quietly poison him and dispose of the body.] After reading that sentence, she closed her hand. “I see.” The paper crumpled in her fist. “So, it’s true.” A chilling glint entered her eyes as she stared into the darkness, her voice a low, murderous whisper.

Chapter 3: A Joyless Victory