Sephiros is the name of the most beautiful moth in this world.
Most moths look grotesque, but Sephiros has an appearance more elegant and captivating than a butterfly.
Its wings, edged in black and painted bright blue, are said to be unforgettable at first glance.
But no matter how beautiful Sephiros is, you must never approach it.
Because its lovely wings release a powerful toxin that causes hallucinations.
Sephiros feeds on the living flesh of animals lost in hallucinations from its poison, then leisurely flies away.
These crazy bastards are exactly the same.
The organization of monsters called Sephiros is no different from the moth.
On the surface, Sephiros monsters possess good status, captivating looks, and excellent professions, but behind the scenes they commit unspeakable evil and toy with the world.
[Creator's Eye has activated.]
[Name: Veil Fabien]
[Traits: Murderous Ghost, Pain Resistance lv4, Focus lv3, Steel Skin lv3, Herculean Strength lv4]
[Affinity: 0 (Neutral)]
[Current Mood: Wants to tear out his throat and devour it.]
As expected.
Affinity toward me was neutral, but his current mood said he wanted to rip out my throat. Completely insane.
Plus, with those insane combat traits while pretending to be a frail official, this was definitely Sephiros's Murderous Ghost, Veil Fabien.
"Marquis, it's almost time for the other nobles to arrive…"
"Ah, sorry. I must have held you too long. Haha."
"Not at all. Yuren, nice to meet you. See you later."
"Yes. Take care."
I kept Creator's Eye active. Veil's emotions still hadn't changed. He smiled on the outside, but inside he was probably dying to see my or the Marquis's blood.
"Are you close with Baron Fabien?"
I asked the Marquis, who looked pleased as we left the protected warp passage area.
"We get along well. Talking with him feels comfortable. Such friends are rare among nobles. You'll understand once you talk to Veil too."
"I see."
The Marquis clearly held great favor toward him; the smile never left his lips.
Trash.
This was how Sephiros operated. They showed their captivating side to draw people in, then used them whenever they wanted.
They named their alliance Sephiros precisely to devour every human except themselves.
"Did Baron Fabien inherit the title from the beginning?"
"His older brother went missing. Veil searched for him until the end, but when the previous baron passed, he had no choice but to take the title."
In the original story, his brother inherited it. I was certain Veil had killed his brother for some reason.
"Then he hasn't been working in the palace long?"
"Right. About two years? He was already famous for being competent, so he adapted quickly and showed his skills right away. He's known for his popularity and outstanding ability."
Chills ran down my spine.
I didn't know if only him or others had changed too, but if it was the latter, future events would become extremely difficult.
"Yuren."
"Yes?"
While biting my lip and lost in chaotic thoughts, the Marquis stopped and called me.
"I need to prepare my report to His Majesty, so go outside and look around."
The Marquis smiled gently and lightly patted my shoulder.
"Won't you need my help?"
"Hah, help? No need to suffer already. The whole capital is in festival mode, so enjoy sightseeing and walk around a lot. It's all experience."
"Understood. Take care."
"Hehe, yes."
After bowing to the Marquis, I headed to the room assigned to me. As expected of the royal palace, even the guest room was as large and luxurious as mine.
"Veil… Veil…"
Lying on the bed, I muttered the shocking name I had seen today.
"Why?"
There was no way that blood-crazed bastard came to the palace for no reason. Sephiros must have sent him here with some goal.
"The king? Royalty? Nobles? Treasures?"
There were too many things they could target.
"They wouldn't be aiming for that 'fake' either."
No matter how much I thought, my head only hurt and no answer came. Everything was still unknown.
"Anyway, I was planning to go there. Just one more request."
I got up from the bed and left the room. Arin and Peru weren't visible—probably unpacking—and only one assigned maid stood outside the door.
"I'm going out for some air. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them to go rest."
"Understood."
After leaving the message with the maid, I stepped out of the quarters. A colorful garden came into view. Young nobles gathered in small groups, laughing among themselves.
They glanced at me but didn't seem to recognize me, so I walked straight out of the garden.
"Whew, this is tough."
I had been inspected four times just leaving the palace. Completely different from the single check at the marquisate's main gate.
"Hm…"
The capital was already in festival mode, with countless people on the streets. My flashy clothes stood out too much, so I slipped into a quiet alley and changed.
"Agnes."
[What now?]
"Change my face."
[You really are a human full of secrets.]
Agnes grumbled as it clung to my face. It wriggled like kneading clay, then quickly covered my face and turned me into someone else.
"Nice. I like it."
[Of course. Who did it?]
Checking in a mirror, my face had become appropriately plain and ordinary, just as I wanted.
"This is why I live!"
Stepping out of the alley, I saw a young man in brown clothes enjoying the festival.
"Hello?"
"Hey!"
He seemed outgoing and well-traveled, so I spoke to ask for directions, but he replied casually.
"Can I ask for directions?"
"Sure. This whole area is my turf."
He didn't mind my casual tone. Even though it was still daytime, he seemed quite drunk.
"Do you know a tavern called Blue Bird?"
"…Blue Bird? Of course. I'm a regular there."
The young man paused briefly at the name but raised his voice as if nothing happened. I didn't miss his reaction.
"Let's go! I'll guide you."
He walked ahead without waiting for my opinion.
"You're really lucky, friend. That tavern is tucked away in a corner, so most people don't know it."
"Really?"
"Probably ten out of ten wouldn't know. Hehe. Your precious time got saved, so you gotta buy me good booze."
"Got it."
The guy who introduced himself as Toms started acting friendly. I played along while memorizing the route to Blue Bird.
"Here it is. This is Blue Bird. Looks shabby outside, but inside's decent. Come on in."
As Toms said, the exterior looked like rags. Unless someone deliberately searched for it, no one would enter. The name Blue Bird felt wasted.
"Boss! I'm back! Brought a customer too!"
"Hmph, a customer you brought? Must be obvious."
Opening the wooden door that looked like tree bark, the inside was surprisingly clean, just as Toms said.
Four of the ten tables were occupied, the rest empty. Honestly, having four tables filled in a place like this was surprising.
"Hey, friend. Can I order some booze?"
"Sure."
Toms already sat at the counter and ordered from the owner.
"Haha, thanks."
I sat beside him and looked around, confirming this was the place I was looking for.
"So, what will this sucker my friend brought order?"
"Hey, boss! Calling the generous guest a sucker! Friend, their dark beer is good. Hehe."
Toms gulped the dark beer refreshingly and giggled.
"Then one dark beer and…"
Hearing my continuing words, the owner who was going to get the beer turned his head again.
"'The blue bird cannot fly. It only pecks at food fallen on the ground.' Was that it?"
"Pffft!"
Everyone in the tavern who had been laughing and chatting suddenly froze as if on cue. Toms, who was drinking, spat out his beer.
"H-hey, I knew from the start you were looking for the 'guild,' but you should say that code quietly…"
Toms beside me looked at me with dumbfounded eyes. The owner in front also wore a flustered expression.
"No problem. Everyone here right now is a member of your guild anyway."
If the previous atmosphere had been shock, now it turned ice-cold like the North Pole.
Slide.
Thud.
The people drinking at other tables all stood up and began surrounding me. Toms beside me didn't know what to do, looking between me and them. The owner stared quietly into my eyes.
I shook my leg leisurely and smiled.
Tap.
In the tense moment, the small door beside the counter opened, and a middle-aged man with an eyepatch over his left eye appeared.
"The guest… is invited inside."
"Mm…"
At the middle-aged man's words, those who looked ready to rush me all returned to their tables.
"Huk… y-you, who the hell…"
Toms let out a sigh of relief and looked at me with trembling eyes.
"I'll pay for the drinks, so enjoy and go home, friend."
"Ah…"
I smiled at the dazed Toms and followed the middle-aged man through the door.
Inside was a storage-like warehouse for alcohol. The man touched a faint gap in the floor, and stairs leading downward appeared.
"Go down."
I nodded and slowly descended the stairs. Feeling people hiding, I expanded my senses and located the five hidden in the darkness.
When I deliberately glanced at each hiding spot, I felt all of them flinch.
"Heh."
Teasing the hidden ones, I continued down until I reached a small room with glowing orbs embedded in the ceiling.
"Welcome."
At the round table in the center sat a captivating red-haired beauty resting her chin on her hand, smiling with a face like she had just woken up.
"Welcome to Rackard."
Rackard was an information guild that bought and sold information.
Their specialty was collecting, supplementing, analyzing, and judging the countless pieces of information sent by Rackard members scattered across the world, then selling reliable information tailored to the client.
"I came to buy information."
I sat heavily on the chair opposite the woman.
"What kind of information do you want?"
When the woman lifted her head from resting her chin, the cloth covering the round object on the table slipped off from the movement.
"Ah, oops."
"Squeak!"
The round object wrapped in cloth was a small cage made of dense iron bars. Inside was a single small mouse.
The mouse's eyes sparkled like clean black beans, its fur harmoniously mixed white and brown. Its tail curled plumply, giving it the appearance of a cute squirrel rather than a mouse.
"Hehe, it's not as cute as it looks. Anyway, nobles have unique tastes."
She spoke while trying to cover the cage with the cloth again.
"Can I take a look for a moment?"
"Well, if you can handle it."
She pushed the cage with the mouse toward me, her expression saying "try if you dare."
"Really?"
I still had Creator's Eye active, so I knew exactly what kind of mouse this was and why she used the word "handle."
Seeing her provocation, I barely held back a laugh.
"Squeak!"
I slipped my little finger into the thin, dense bars. The mouse that had been still in the middle instantly rushed over and bared its teeth at my little finger.
"It's dangerous!"
She hadn't expected me to actually put my hand in. The moment the mouse tried to bite my finger, she screamed.
[You have been poisoned by Blind Mouse toxin.]
[Trait Hundred Poisons Immunity removes the pain and symptoms of Blind Mouse toxin.]
"It's fine. I can handle it."
The woman's eyes widened twice as big as before. Enjoying her reaction, I used Poison Absorption on the mouse still biting me.
[Poison Absorption has absorbed Blind Mouse toxin from the target.]
[Poison Absorption assists the operation of Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique.]
[Proficiency of Poison Absorption has increased.]
[Achievement of Ten Thousand Poison Immunity Technique has increased.]
[Absolute Blind Ghost Powder has been unlocked.]
Since I can handle it, if you want me to take it, I'll take it.