Royal Capital: Lifreya.
A man with a suspicious appearance sat by the side of a crowded street that night.
His head was covered by the hood of a pitch-black cloak, hiding part of his face. At his left waist hung a short sword in a simple sheath.
He sat amidst the bustling flow of merchants and customers moving back and forth through the night market festival being held in the capital. The sounds of bargaining and footsteps blended together, filling the night air.
Without drawing too much attention, he spread out a piece of cloth about 120x50 cm on the roadside. From a small bag he carried—a magic bag—he began taking out several pieces of bread and neatly arranging them.
The bag looked small, but its contents far exceeded normal capacity.
Once everything was set, he took a short breath.
"Delicious bread of noble quality, at a price friendly to your wallet! First come, first served!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the crowd.
Some passersby began to glance over.
But not because of his words.
The aroma.
Fragrant, soft… and unfamiliar.
Three pedestrians who happened to pass by stopped, exchanged glances, then approached. One of them hesitantly picked up a piece of bread and took a bite.
And—
he froze.
"W-Wha?! What is this…?!"
His eyes widened.
"The bread is so soft… and the taste—it's not bland at all!"
People nearby began to notice.
One by one, curiosity pushed them to try it.
And the result was the same.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Then—addiction.
After all, the bread came from a completely different standard. With the technology and knowledge of this world, producing something this soft with such balanced flavor was nearly impossible.
The man watched the scene before him calmly.
But deep inside—
he smiled in satisfaction.
And that man was Zen Noctis, now 15 years old.
—
Within seconds, a crowd began to form. Buyers pressed in, surrounding his goods that were now selling like crazy.
The crowd grew thicker.
Some people even started pushing forward, holding out coins and shouting for their turn. The noise filled that corner of the street, far louder than any other stall nearby.
"Easy… there's enough for everyone," Zen muttered casually, still sitting without any hurry.
Everything was going smoothly.
Too smoothly.
"Oi."
A rough voice cut through the noise.
Several people immediately stepped aside, instinctively clearing a path. Five large men approached, their faces marked with scars and their attitude clearly unfriendly.
The one in front grinned.
"You're new here, huh?"
Zen slowly turned his head.
"You could say that."
"Then you should learn the rules around here."
He crouched slightly, leaning closer.
"Every merchant… pays tax."
"Tax?" Zen repeated.
"That's right. Security tax."
"…doesn't sound very secure."
Some people nearby stifled laughter, but quickly fell silent when the man shot them a glare.
"Don't talk too much," he continued coldly. "Pay up, or we take it ourselves."
Zen fell silent for a moment.
Then—
his shoulders trembled slightly.
"Ah… this is bad…"
His voice changed.
Smaller. Slightly shaky.
"I… didn't know about such rules…"
He lowered his head, as if genuinely pressured.
"C-Could you… maybe lower it a bit…?"
The man in front grinned wider.
A satisfied grin.
"Look at that," he said to his companions. "Finally someone who knows their place."
"Good kid," another added with a laugh.
The crowd stepped back slightly. Some looked uncomfortable, but no one dared intervene.
"Alright," the man said, patting Zen's shoulder a bit too hard. "Since you're new, we'll give you a special price."
He named a number.
A number that clearly made no sense.
"…that's a lot," Zen muttered quietly.
"Then—"
The man sneered.
"—we'll just take everything."
His hand reached for the bread on the cloth.
"Ah… wait a second."
Zen slowly raised his hand.
The movement was slow.
Not threatening.
But enough to make the man pause.
"Hmm?" the man frowned.
"Heh… found you."
Zen smiled.
A faint smile.
But—
something had changed.
"??!"
Slaaaash—
A thin red line appeared cleanly across the man's neck.
Perfect. As if drawn.
"Ravengar Blackhand—a bandit with a bounty of 250 gold coins… collected."
Zen's voice was calm.
Cold.
Emotionless.
For a moment—
Ravengar didn't realize what had happened.
He was still standing.
Still looking forward.
But—
the world around him slowly… flipped.
The sky was below.
The ground above.
Sounds became distant.
And in the middle of that confusion—
he heard something.
The sound of something falling.
Heavy.
Dull.
It was… his own head.
His body collapsed, headless.
The crowd froze.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The remaining four men stepped back, their faces pale.
"W-Who… are you…?!"
Their voices trembled.
Zen slowly stood.
His hand still held something invisible to them.
Then—
he raised his hand to his hood.
And pulled it back.
His face was revealed.
Ordinary.
No trace of nobility.
Nothing remarkable.
Calm.
As if nothing had happened.
"Hmm…"
Zen glanced at the headless body.
Then at the remaining thugs.
"If you have bounties too… I could take you all at once."
"…!!!"
In an instant—
they turned and ran without looking back.
Silence.
The crowd remained still, not daring to approach.
Zen looked at the remaining bread.
Some had been stepped on, others had fallen to the ground.
"…what a waste."
He let out a quiet sigh.
Then crouched down, calmly tidying his goods.
As if—
what just happened was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Zen picked up the head without hesitation and tossed it into his magic bag.
No blood dripped.
No smell lingered.
Everything… disappeared instantly.
"…this is really convenient."
Zen looked at the small bag for a moment.
Seriously useful… he thought.
Maybe I should make a bigger version later.
"Time to collect the reward," Zen muttered casually.
——
Five years had passed.
Not much had changed in the territory of the Noctis family.
Even so, rumors had begun to spread—the land was becoming more prosperous. Somehow, no one lacked food, clothing, or basic needs anymore. They lived simply… but without hardship.
Yeah.
That was Selena's doing.
Her little Robin Hood group—well… I mean, the assassins.
—
With the ability I call Particle Transmission, I can instantly move to places I've been before.
Including this capital.
Convenient.
…too convenient, actually.
That's why I come here every now and then, just to get some fresh air.
And while I'm at it—
I switched professions to bounty hunter.
For the sake of my allowance.
—
"Haa… this is all I've got left this month?"
I stared at the coins in my hand.
Pathetic.
Even though I'm the son of a Count, my allowance is the smallest among my siblings.
Like that saying—I don't even remember where I heard it—
"Those who don't work, don't eat."
And since I can't use mana even at the age of 15…
apparently, I don't count as working.
—
I stood on a rooftop, looking over the capital illuminated by the lights of the night.
A gentle breeze fluttered my black cloak.
This cloak… I made it myself.
Same with the mask on my face.
Plain white, with a striking red symbol in the center.
That symbol isn't from this world.
It's from another world… one that still lingers in my memory.
No particular reason.
I just think… it looks cool.
"…yeah, this works."
I nodded to myself, satisfied.
Sometimes, things like this matter.
—
"Now then… which one should be my next target?"
I looked down.
Several noble houses looked suspicious.
All of them looked suspicious.
…that makes it harder.
I paused for a moment.
Then raised my hand.
A small coin formed from particles at my fingertips.
"Heads, I go left. Tails, I go right."
I flipped it.
Cling.
"…it landed standing."
I stared at the coin for a few seconds.
"…fine, I'll just go for the biggest one."
A few moments later, I was already inside one of the mansions.
No sound.
No trace.
And… no plan.
—
"Hmm…"
I walked down the hallway.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Places like this are usually heavily guarded.
Or at least… there should be someone around.
"Is this a house or an empty warehouse?"
knock knock
"…no, this is definitely a house."
—
Suddenly—
a voice.
From inside.
"…tell us where the artifact is!"
Ah.
Interesting.
Finally, something's happening.
—
I moved closer.
Peeking in.
Several men dressed in black were restraining the residents.
A married couple.
A young girl.
And a few servants.
Ah.
A classic situation.
A robbery.
—
I paused.
Thinking.
If I walk in now…
I'll have to say something.
If I stay silent…
that doesn't feel cool enough.
—
I took a breath.
Then stepped inside.
Tap.
Everyone immediately turned toward me.
Silence.
—
"Who are you?!"
I stopped for a moment.
"…just passing by."
…
Silence.
One of them frowned.
"That's the worst excuse I've ever heard."
"…I'm practicing."
"…that's even worse."
—
I nodded slightly.
Yeah.
Still needs work.
—
"Kill him!"
Without hesitation, one of them attacked.
A sword shot toward me at high speed.
I simply shifted my body slightly.
CLANG!
The blade slammed into the floor.
—
"…"
"…"
We all went quiet for a moment.
—
"…did you do that on purpose?" one of them asked.
"No," I answered honestly. "I just dodged."
—
They attacked again.
This time, all at once.
I let out a small sigh.
"Alright."
I snapped my fingers.
—
In a single moment—
their weapons disappeared.
Not knocked away.
Not broken.
Gone.
As if they had never existed.
—
Silence.
—
"W-What did you do?!"
I tilted my head.
"Cleaning."
—
They panicked.
Rushing in with bare hands.
I stepped back.
Dodged.
Turned.
—
"…this is kind of annoying when there's too many."
I raised my hand.
And—
they stopped.
Their bodies froze.
Unable to move.
—
"Alright."
I walked past them one by one.
Touching each of their shoulders.
And with every touch—
they collapsed.
Unconscious.
Without a sound.
—
A few seconds later…
the room fell silent again.
I glanced at the symbol on their clothes.
A sword… wrapped by a snake.
…for a second, I thought it was an apothecary symbol.
Apparently not.
At least, they're not Selena's group.
The noble family, still tied up, stared at me with pale faces.
"W-Who are you…?"
I paused.
That question again.
—
"…Zero."
I held my mask, then struck the pose I'd been practicing for weeks.
Yeah.
This should look cool.
From the corner of my eye—
the young girl looked completely captivated.
Good.
—
"Thank you, Lord Zero! You've saved our family!"
The man—probably the head of the household—bowed deeply.
Ah.
So this isn't my target after all. I was aiming for a corrupt noble.
—
"What were they looking for?"
"An artifact… they were trying to take our family's artifact."
An artifact, huh. I think there's one back at my house too.
—
"If they're after it… then it must be important, right?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Then don't lose it."
"R-Right!"
"Good."
I nodded, satisfied.
—
I turned around.
Then jumped out the window.
—
But—
outside, several more people—similar to the earlier group—had already gathered. A few guards lay dead around them.
Backup, huh.
Persistent.
—
"Why are they taking so long?!"
"I don't know!"
I casually walked up to them.
Then tapped one of them on the shoulder.
"Mission not going well?"
"Yeah, if this drags on, too many witnesses might show up—"
"Oh, the artifact job?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, nice. Keep it up."
I nodded casually.
"…"
"…Wait a second… why are you dressed differently? WHO ARE YOU?!"
"Oh… just passing by."
"Crap, a witness! Kill him—!"
Ghaaak!
I didn't even have time to properly dodge.
Several thin, square objects shot in from an unseen direction—
and pierced straight into their heads.
Playing cards.
One after another.
Perfect accuracy.
Only one person uses tricks like that.
"…Syv, huh?"
I let out a quiet sigh.
From the nearby tree, a small figure dropped down lightly—agile, almost like a sugar glider.
A girl.
Around Luna's age.
Long blonde hair, wearing flashy, mismatched colors. On her face was a joker-like decoration, making her smile look even more suspicious.
"MASTEEEER!!"
"BAM!"
She crashed straight into me without hesitation.
If I hadn't reinforced my body with particles… I probably would've been sent flying.
"T-That's enough…"
Syv didn't let go.
Instead, she rubbed her cheek against my mask enthusiastically—like a pet that hadn't seen its owner in ages.
—
I found her in one of the capital's darker districts.
Back then, I was just testing my abilities.
She used to be the daughter of a fallen noble family.
Sold.
Treated like an object.
I still remember her eyes back then—
empty.
Like someone who had already lost their reason to live.
…and now?
Too lively.
"What is it?" I asked, trying to peel her off me.
"I finished my hunt!"
"Hunt?"
I blinked.
Ah.
Right.
I told her to patrol the Noctis territory… once a week, to clear out monsters.
Also—
can she stop clinging like this?
This girl really likes physical contact.
"If that's the case… I've got another task for you, Syv."
"EEEEH?!"
Her voice jumped an octave.
Clearly not happy about where this was going.
"Call everyone."
I looked at her.
"Gather at the base."
"…ugh."
She finally let go, her expression instantly turning sour.
"Fine…"
Her body slowly broke apart.
Not disappearing—
but transforming into a flock of white doves.
Dozens of them.
Wings fluttered as they flew into the night sky in one direction.
I looked up for a moment.
"…still weird seeing that."
That ability—
was one of the powers I gave her.
——
Forest of a Thousand Curses.
A forest feared by the people nearby, lying deep within the western mountains at the edge of the kingdom. Even seasoned hunters avoid coming anywhere close to this place.
This is where I built my base.
Without warning, something stirred from behind the trees. A monster as tall as a tree itself emerged—its body long like a serpent, covered in purplish scales that shimmered faintly in the dark.
And without hesitation, it bit into part of my head.
Yeah… it bled.
"I was thinking of cleaning things up while I'm at it," I muttered casually.
I grabbed its jaw, pried it open without effort, then yanked its body forward, spun it once, and hurled it away like a lasso gone wild.
The sound of its body crashing through trees echoed faintly in the distance.
Still, I didn't kill it.
The monsters in this forest are part of my base's natural defense system. Not perfect, but effective enough to filter out unwanted guests.
One of the reasons I've needed so much money lately is because of this place.
The base is layered with my particle manipulation, creating a camouflage that doesn't just hide its location, but also distorts perception itself.
To ordinary people, this place is nothing but an endless forest.
To us… it's home.
The structure follows the style of an eastern noble residence—a yashiki.
Around it stretches a wide courtyard, with stone paths, carefully maintained trees, and a small pond reflecting the faint glow of the night.
The entire area is enclosed by long, roofed walls—tall and solid—completely shutting out the outside world.
As for the building materials, I still buy them normally. I don't use my power to create everything from scratch.
Large-scale material manipulation… could disrupt the balance of this world.
At least… that's the conclusion I've reached so far.
"…not bad," I murmured quietly.
Didn't expect I'd think about things like that.
"Oh… they're already here."
In the open area, several figures were lined up neatly. The moment they saw me, they all bowed.
Each of them wore a mask marked with a unique number as their identity.
Aside from Selena's assassin group, they are another force I built myself. It started as nothing more than a passing whim over the past five years.
I call them De Numina.
From the vague memories of my previous life, masked heroes in stories usually had quite a few members, each with different colors as their signature trait. For some reason… that idea just felt cool.
So I tried applying it to them.
"…Should I have called it Order of the Apostle instead?" I muttered to myself.
I paused for a moment, considering it.
But… De Numina isn't bad either.
"We answer your call, Lord Zero!" they replied in unison.
"Umu… umu…" I nodded as I counted them one by one.
Eins, Deux, Treu, Fa, Quin, Exi, Syv, Hachi, Nwee, Tien.
Alright… all present.
I stepped forward—
and nearly lost my footing.
…right, I was standing on the roof.
I quickly regained my balance, clearing my throat as if nothing had happened. Then, without hesitation, I struck a pose again.
"The earth will tremble…"
I paused briefly, searching for the next line.
"And… a sea of blood shall follow."
Silence.
Everyone stared at me seriously.
…huh?
"W-War?!" one of them blurted out.
I see. So that's how they interpreted it.
Even though I was just saying random cool-sounding lines.
I nodded slowly, maintaining my composure.
"Yes."
Might as well.
Quin stepped forward. "I've also received information about troop movements from another kingdom near the Lifreya border."
"I happened to run into some of them," Hachi said in a calm tone. "But… unintentionally, they ended up as food for my pet."
"Ah, their mage troops also faced me at one point!" Exi exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Unfortunately… they were all wiped out in a single explosion."
"…I see," I replied shortly.
Inside, I fell silent.
I had no idea they were even did somethings like that.
I thought they were just… living their lives peacefully after gaining power from me.
That's why I decided to build a base here—a place for all of them to live.
Turns out… they're even crazier than I thought.
Great.
"Should we assist this kingdom?" Eins asked, already in a combat-ready stance.
I looked at them one by one.
If I say the wrong thing here… this might actually turn into a real war.
"…no need."
They fell silent.
"Let the night swallow the chaos."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"…as expected of you, Lord…" someone muttered softly. It was Deux. As mysterious as ever.
"So we won't act openly… instead, we let the chaos grow, then take advantage at the perfect moment…!"
"What a profound strategy…!"
I froze.
…huh?
I just didn't want to get involved.
But somehow… it turned into a grand plan.
I crossed my arms, keeping up the act.
"Do not act recklessly," I said coldly. "You will move when I give the signal."
"Understood!" they responded in unison.
Good.
Safe.
At least for now.
I looked out toward the dark forest.
The night wind blew softly, carrying the scent of earth… and something heavier.
So there really are movements from other kingdoms. It'll be dangerous if they reach Noctis County.
And there's a groups of bandits searching for artifacts as well…
…this world is getting busy.
Anyway, I should head back to my room before morning comes.
A faint smile formed beneath my mask.
"Well then… let's just watch."
Not because I have some grand plan.
But—
if something interesting shows up…
there's no harm in playing along.