Nicolai’s mocking tone carried a sharp edge.

John Doe. Why did you fight for Seorn’s people?

He hadn’t been there to witness it himself, but based on rumors and eyewitness accounts, the conclusion was obvious.

And more than anything, Ludger had been awarded a medal by the Imperial Court for stopping the terror attack. He had become a hero.

That alone was enough for Nicolai to tear into him.

“You’re not planning to betray us, are you?”

Of course, that was just the pretext.

The real reason Nicolai was furious was that Ludger had ruined his plan.

He had secretly manipulated the Liberation Army into staging a terror attack while simultaneously trying to eliminate John Doe. But everything had failed spectacularly.

He needed to grab hold of Ludger here, to claw at him somehow.

But Ludger’s reply came without the slightest hesitation, as if he had already anticipated this.

“You’re talking nonsense. I didn’t fight to save anyone. I simply eliminated those pests because they got in my way.”

“Then why accept a medal?”

“Because I killed the most pests. That’s probably why.”

“What? Is that what you call an excuse? If you had just stayed put, the Liberation Army could’ve dealt a heavy blow to Seorn. To Seorn.”

Nicolai’s voice was gradually rising with anger.

Ludger, on the other hand, remained calm and cold.

“There were high-ranking mages and elite Imperial troops present. A ‘heavy blow’ would’ve amounted to a few fledgling chicks dying at best. Those pathetic Liberation Army rats wouldn’t have accomplished anything. Strengthening my own position was far more beneficial.”

“From where I’m standing, it looked like you stepped in precisely to save those ‘fledglings.’ Am I wrong?”

“You seem unusually emotional today, Nicolai. Or did some of those Liberation Army scum happen to be your cherished subordinates?”

It was true. Nicolai had used the Liberation Army, setting up their hideout in a massive abandoned facility beneath the capital.

“If not, I don’t see why you’re so upset.”

“......”

The effort, time, and resources Nicolai had poured into that plan were immense. And John Doe had ruined it all. Of course he was furious.

“Or do you have anything else you’d like to say?”

“Hahaha. Of course not.”

But Nicolai forced himself to stop there.

Losing his temper further would only hurt him. If he let himself get dragged into an argument, he’d be the one swept away by his own emotions.

“Why would I bother with such useless pawns? Don’t underestimate me.”

Nicolai smoothly laughed it off, pretending he hadn’t been involved.

Ludger looked at him with mild surprise.

For someone whose elaborate plan had just failed, Nicolai was surprisingly quick to accept reality.

A bit of a shame. It would’ve been better if he’d been more emotional.

“Everyone’s here.”

At that moment, Zero Order entered the chamber, as always accompanied by his aide. He took the highest seat at the table.

“The reason I’ve gathered you today is to introduce a newly recruited First Order.”

A new First Order?

The gathered First Orders exchanged glances, their interest piqued.

A new comrade—or perhaps a new rival. Such an arrival always added a different kind of energy to the normally tense atmosphere.

“Introduce yourself. This is Helia.”

At Zero Order’s words, the new First Order revealed herself.

“Yoo-hoo! Nice to meet you all! I’m Helia!”

Her cheerful, lively voice clashed jarringly with the solemn atmosphere.

The other First Orders’ gazes immediately chilled.

What is this woman?

Most of them had the same thought.

From her overly bright greeting to her casual demeanor, she lacked any of the composure or charisma one would expect of a First Order.

Of course, being a First Order didn’t necessarily require dignity—Victor was a prime example.

But Victor had proven himself through sheer ability and unmatched madness.

She seems unreliable. But... Zero Order personally selected her.

If Zero Order picked her, then her skills must be beyond doubt.

Still... a woman? And replacing Esmeralda’s vacant seat? Quite the coincidence.

While everyone silently formed their own opinions, Helia tilted her head.

“Huh? Why’s everyone giving me such a cold look? We’re all going to be colleagues now, so let’s get along!”

“Hmph. Colleagues? Just don’t get in our way.”

The sharp voice came from one of them.

Bentmin?

All eyes turned to her.

Bentmin glared at Helia with clear disdain—no, with outright contempt.

Even without visible eyes, everyone could feel it.

Bentmin’s voice was usually sharp, like thorns on a rose, but now it was laced with raw emotion.

Even Victor Dreadpool, who was notorious for his inappropriate laughter, restrained himself to avoid provoking her.

“Zero Order may have chosen you, so you might be capable. But we work in entirely different fields. Just do your own job. Don’t bother with pointless things like friendships.”

“Wow. That really hurt my feelings.”

Helia’s tone, of course, didn’t sound hurt at all, making Bentmin bristle even more.

“You’re a shallow, frivolous thing, lacking even a shred of seriousness.”

“Huh? I take everything seriously.”

“Ha! Is that a joke? Nothing about you feels serious. Even if it were a joke, you have no dignity. You’re foolish and flighty.”

Despite the harsh words, Helia didn’t back down. Instead, she tilted her head and asked innocently,

“Heeeh. So you think you’re noble and important, huh?”

“If it weren’t for this setting, you wouldn’t even be allowed to look at me, let alone speak to me.”

“Oh, really? Then I’m curious.”

“...What.”

“What’s your name?”

“......”

“Now that I think about it, I introduced myself, but we never properly exchanged names, did we?”

“If you’re that curious, find out yourself.”

Bentmin, clearly no longer willing to deal with her, dismissed Helia outright.

At that moment, Lesley stepped in.

“Bentmin, enough. Don’t embarrass yourself in front of Zero Order.”

“Hmm. So your name’s Bentmin, huh?”

Helia’s eyes gleamed mischievously. A small black flame flickered playfully, and the other First Orders glanced at her, curious about the sudden change in her demeanor.

“Huh. I thought you’d be using an alias, but I guess some of you just go with your real names.”

“...What did you say?”

“Bentmin. That’s not an alias, is it? What a coincidence! I know that name!”

Bentmin’s gaze sharpened instantly.

Just as she moved to stop Helia from speaking—

“Of course I do! Bentmin is the name of the head of the Lifret Family in the Elven Kingdom!”

Helia said it with childlike innocence, almost teasingly.

A wave of silence crashed over the chamber.

“...How do you—”

Bentmin immediately realized her mistake.

She should’ve feigned ignorance.

The very fact that Bentmin reacted this way was as good as confirming Helia’s words.

“Bentmin... are you an elf?”

“Oh, hohoho. My, my. Not just an elf, but a family head, too.”

“I never met you in person before, so this is quite a shock.”

The other First Orders murmured in surprise; apparently, none of them had known this either.

Ludger was just as taken aback.

Bentmin, the head of the Lifret Family...

Not long ago, he had fought against the Shadewarden pursuers—pursuers sent by none other than the head of the Lifret Family.

A First Order of the Black Dawn... and she turns out to be the head of the most powerful of the Seven Elven Families.

Ludger’s gaze instinctively shifted to Zero Order.

So Zero Order commands someone like her...?

Both were ancient beings, but this clearly meant Zero Order stood higher in rank. Unless... Perhaps, back in the days when Basara was sealed away, the two had struck some kind of deal.

The revelation was unexpected, but Ludger saw it as an opportunity.

Knowing Bentmin’s true identity was valuable—something he could use against her should they ever become enemies.

When we first met, she was searching for someone... that must have been the surviving member of the Plante Family.

The irony was almost laughable.

The person she’d been looking for so desperately turned out to be working right under her nose—as a Second Order of the Black Dawn.

Truly, the darkest place is right beneath the lamp.

I’ll have to keep Sedina’s identity even more tightly concealed now.

Finishing his quick mental calculations, Ludger returned his attention to the two women.

Bentmin wasn’t silent out of anger—she was carefully weighing her words.

“...You. Are you an elf, too?”

“Hm? Nope. I’m not an elf.”

“Then how do you know about me...?”

Bentmin began to press further but then shook her head.

“Fine. I’ll admit it. You do belong among the First Orders.”

“Oh, really? Thanks for acknowledging me!”

“If you ever visit the kingdom, be sure to seek me out. I’ll give you a... proper welcome.”

Her tone was calm, but the killing intent beneath it was unmistakable.

Helia, of course, must have felt it, yet she only grinned as if amused.

An ancient elven matriarch versus an ancient demon... what a matchup. You wouldn’t see this anywhere else in the world.

Just as that thought crossed Ludger’s mind, Zero Order spoke.

“That’s enough.”

With that single sentence, silence fell instantly.

“The reason I called you all here is simple. First, to introduce our new First Order, Helia. And second—”

Everyone leaned in, attentive.

“I will be leaving for a distant place for some time. In other words, I’ll be absent.”

“You... you’ll be absent?”

Lesley, sounding almost disbelieving, couldn’t help but ask. It was borderline insubordinate, but the question slipped out anyway.

“I will return. But if the organization encounters problems while I’m away, that would be... unfortunate.”

Zero Order tapped the table lightly with his fingers.

“So I’ll leave this space as it is. Even if I don’t summon you, you may gather on your own and hold meetings if necessary.”

A First Order meeting without Zero Order present?

Ludger nearly scoffed. Most of these people wouldn’t bother gathering even if ordered to—let alone voluntarily.

Of course, Ludger knew Zero Order didn’t mean a word of it.

Zero Order had no real attachment to the Black Dawn Society. To him, they were nothing but convenient chess pieces.

If he truly cared, he wouldn’t even consider leaving.

I don’t know why he’s leaving, but... this could ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ be an opportunity for me.

With Zero Order absent, Ludger now had the chance to remove other First Orders without his interference.

His gaze drifted to Lesley.

The loyal First Order was trembling, his black-flame form flickering in visible agitation.

“Lesley.”

“Yes, Zero Order, sir.”

“The time is soon.”

“...Yes. That’s correct.”

“I hope you achieve what you desire.”

“...!”

Lesley’s voice quivered with emotion as he answered, almost reverent.

“Yes. I’ll see it through.”

Ludger didn’t yet know the exact details. But for Heibach Kadatushan to issue a warning, and for Lesley to be this confident, it had to be something significant.

Something that would cause a major upheaval in the magical world.

I can’t allow that to happen.

Just knowing something was coming was enough. He wouldn’t be caught unaware.

Then Zero Order turned his attention to Ludger.

“John Doe.”

“Yes, Zero Order, sir.”

“I hope you achieve what you desire as well.”

“......”

The timing was far too deliberate to be meaningless.

Zero Order likely knew—he knew Ludger would attend Mystic Night. And he knew it might put him at odds with Lesley.

And yet, he was telling Ludger to go ahead.

In that case—

“Yes. Understood.”

There was nothing left but to accept.