Chapter 24: Riven and the Pursuing Shadow

It happened on the day the unexpected boss battle ended and everyone, exhausted, went their separate ways. The exploration was finally over, and I returned to the inn.

"Good work today, Riven-san."

"Yeah."

Neil greeted me with his usual irritating grin, but I wasn’t in the mood to entertain him right now.

"Oh my, you really do look exhausted, huh?"

"Pretty much."

I removed my equipment and tossed it carelessly onto the floor.

This exploration had been rough. The boss had too many attack patterns, and the waves of monsters along the way had slowed us down more than I liked.

It would’ve been fine if we’d gotten some decent results out of it… but that wasn’t the case.

"By the way, is it normal for dungeon explorations to take several days? I still don’t really know much about adventurers' work."

"If you think about how far expeditions usually go, getting it done in a few days is fast. You should expect it to take at least a month, maybe two."

I still didn’t fully understand how adventurers operated. I’d come to realize that dungeons were beyond common sense, but understanding that didn’t make things easier.

We’d accepted this investigation request, but who knew how much time it would consume in the end?

I knew rushing was pointless, but I couldn’t help feeling impatient.

…Maybe I should ask her tomorrow. That was the agreement, after all. If I ask, she’ll have to answer.

"So, how’s your side of things progressing?"

"Well, it’s only been a day, so not much has changed… or so I’d like to say, but I did get a few messages."

Messages? The moment I realized what that meant, my hands stilled for just an instant.

"'Hyden' has started moving, apparently. Chances are very high they’ll be coming after you."

"…That crazy woman, huh. She really doesn’t know when to give up."

"Must be tough, huh? Having your own family be this obsessed with you."

"Shut it. I don’t want to believe I share the same blood as her."

Hyden… that was the name of my sister’s personal unit.

They mainly operated in the shadows and were said to be skilled enough that even the current king would occasionally hire them.

What made them truly terrifying, though, was their absolute loyalty. If ordered to die, they’d cut their own throats on the spot. If commanded to jump into lava, they’d dive in without hesitation.

I had no idea what could drive someone to warp people’s minds that far.

"Pretty harsh words, you know. If she heard you, she’d probably cry again, you know?"

"Let her. She can cry as much as she wants."

That woman… she honestly thinks I’m some kind of pet to dote on. She’s a bona fide lunatic.

Where in the world does she get the idea that I’m so fragile I’d die just from tripping over? Her eyes must be broken.

She’s always been like that. She can’t stand unless she’s keeping everything under her control — a complete, incurable control freak.

That’s exactly why I ran away to this town in the first place. I knew nothing would ever change unless I got out from under her influence.

Annoyance simmered inside me, and I accidentally gripped my gear too tightly, leaving deep creases in the leather.

"Since you said ‘messages,’ I assume you also know when they’ll arrive, right?"

"Of course. They’re expected to reach us in about a month."

"Damn it. That’s fast."

A lot less time than I was hoping for.

I finished removing my gear, feeling lighter without the extra weight. My armor wasn’t heavy to begin with, but the restriction on movement was always unpleasant.

I briefly considered diving into the dungeon in normal clothes… but wandering into an unpredictable place without armor was nothing short of suicidal.

If only I had one piece of magically enhanced equipment ready… but even for me, some things are hard to obtain — especially when a certain lunatic is actively interfering with every potential acquisition.

"Move your men and slow them down as much as possible. I don’t care how you do it — just don’t let them get here until we’re done with our current job."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. But I can’t buy you that much time, you know."

"Just don’t get anyone killed. I don’t have many men to begin with, and wasting them on that bunch is out of the question."

With so many enemies ahead of me, I couldn’t afford to get bogged down fighting just one person.

That insane woman wasn’t even my real opponent. Letting someone else swoop in and take advantage while I was distracted would be the stupidest possible outcome.

"Sure, sure. Running errands is our specialty, after all. So you focus on dungeon exploration, Riven-san. And, for our sake, find that dungeon’s treasure fast, yeah?"

"I know. That’s why—"

I stopped mid-sentence, a memory from today flashing through my mind.

"—Neil, sorry, but I’m adding another job for you."

"Huh? What happened?"

"Start gathering information on the ‘White Clan.’ Do it alongside the dungeon treasure search."

The grin fell from Neil’s face at my words.

He probably couldn’t believe it. I didn’t blame him. I wasn’t even convinced myself — I’d only gotten a faint hint of possibility.

It’d been over ten years since we’d last heard anything about them. The last report was that they’d been hiding in some remote settlement. Since then, silence.

So yeah, Neil probably thought I was crazy for bringing it up now.

But what I told everyone back in the dungeon wasn’t some fairytale. It was real.

A race of devils that distort the very form of life itself. The ones we call the White Clan — monsters.

They can transform humans, beasts… any living thing into creatures no one’s ever seen before. They’re a living disaster.

And we cannot, must not, allow a single one of them to survive.

"You’re… not joking, are you? Did you find some kind of lead?"

"Inside the dungeon, I found a white stone. Pure white, just like in the stories."

Wherever the White Clan appears, they always leave behind a white stone.

That’s why, whenever we find one, we immediately begin a search.

It’s a vow spread to every last branch of our bloodline — the mission to eradicate those abominations once and for all.

The history of battles with the White Clan has been buried. The truth is far too tragic, too surreal to accept.

Even I only know fragments. The full account of what happened back then is shared only with the king of our country and his closest aides.

And yet, another conclusion comes to mind.

That collapsed, flesh-like thing… was it not a monster, but actually a victim of the White Clan? No way… But if that’s true, then it explains why it seemed like it understood our words.

Then why did it shrivel up? Where did it vanish to? Is it connected to something I don’t yet know?

"Riven-saaan? I get that you’re lost in thought, but could you give me a little more info here?"

"Mm, yeah. It’s possible I might’ve run into a victim of the White Clan inside the dungeon."

"…Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah. Seriously."

A crease forms between Neil’s brows.

If there’s a confirmed victim of the White Clan, then it means the clan itself is secretly operating in this very town. That’s both an opportunity and a disaster.

"This is trouble. If Hyden catches wind of this, it’ll blow up fast."

"Yeah. If that happens, the home country will definitely send agents. And when they do, there’ll be no time for us to focus on the succession war."

Worse, every other ambitious faction will send their forces here, hungry for merit. We won’t have the luxury of talking about dungeon treasures anymore. It’ll turn into a battlefield—no, into a war.

And when that happens, everyone living in this town will be dragged into it… and slaughtered.

"You’ve got that ‘I’m hiding something’ face right now, you know?"

"…Don’t be ridiculous. I’m only thinking about becoming king. That’s all."

Reynard’s face flashes through my mind. That guy might survive on sheer skill, but if he gets caught, the resistance he puts up will just make his punishment worse.

And that woman, Charlotte… yeah, she’d suffer too. No way she’d survive. She’s the type who only knows how to trust people. Even right after we defeated the boss, I saw her relaxing around Trishel without a care.

If a war breaks out, she’ll be one of the first to die.

"We’re covering this up. The home country must not find out."

"And what about the white stone?"

"Huh?"

"The white stone. Someone else might figure things out like you did, Riven. Best to handle it quietly before that happens."

He’s right… and then it hits me.

I tossed the stone to Charlotte and left it at that.

Think. What would that woman do afterward? …She’ll probably submit it to the Guild as evidence.

In that case, keeping this under wraps just got a lot harder.

"…Might already be too late."

"Ah well. Let’s not stress too much about it. A bunch of people saw it anyway, so sooner or later, the info’s gonna leak from someone."

Then we’ve got no choice but to take another approach.

"Anyone Hyden sends here… we eliminate them. That way, there’ll be no one left to report back."

"Guess that’s how it has to be, huh. Well, if that’s the plan, I’ll play along."

Neil’s face slips back into that cocky grin of his. Then he walks out of the room, probably off to get started on his tasks.

I’ve given him a lot of important work, and our future hinges on how well he handles it. I trust him—even if I don’t say it out loud.

Feeling a bit lighter, I wipe the grime off my body and lie back on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, I raise my hand toward the sky.

"The head of the White Clan… I won’t let anyone else have it. I’ll take it myself and use it as the reins to my throne."

My outstretched hand clenches tightly into a fist.