Leo stared at the man without saying a word.
The man stood near the door, shifting his weight slightly, clearly uncomfortable under that calm, unwavering gaze.
"…What?" Leo finally asked.
The man cleared his throat, glancing away for a brief second before speaking again.
"…I don't have any money," he said, his voice lower this time.
A small pause followed.
"…Since you took everything."
Leo didn't react immediately.
He simply continued looking at him, as if trying to decide whether this situation was real or not.
"…So?" he asked after a moment.
The man forced a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"…So… I need some."
Another pause stretched between them.
"…From me?" Leo asked, his tone as flat as before.
The man nodded slowly.
"…I'll return it," he added quickly, as if trying to salvage what little dignity he had left. "In the future."
Leo's eyes narrowed just a little.
"…You're asking me for money," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "that originally belonged to you."
The man let out a small breath, almost like a defeated laugh.
"…When you put it that way, it sounds worse than it actually is."
"It is worse."
The man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"…I didn't expect to get robbed and then come back to ask the same person for help."
Leo didn't respond to that.
Instead, he reached into his pocket.
The faint sound of coins clinking against each other filled the quiet room.
The man's eyes followed the movement immediately.
Leo pulled out a few coins and held them in his palm.
For a moment, he simply looked at them.
As if reconsidering everything.
Then he extended his hand toward the man.
The man reached out quickly, almost instinctively.
His fingers wrapped around the coins.
But—
they didn't move.
Leo's grip hadn't loosened.
The man blinked.
Tried again.
Still nothing.
"…Are you going to let go?" he asked, forcing a small smile.
Leo looked straight at him.
"…I'm thinking."
"…About what?"
"…Whether I should take them back."
The man stared at him in disbelief.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or get angry.
"…You're joking, right?" he said slowly.
Leo didn't answer.
A faint twitch appeared on the man's face.
This boy… he thought inwardly, took my money without hesitation… and now he's hesitating to return even a part of it… even after I promised to pay it back…
"…You already handed it to me," the man said, trying to reason with him.
Leo tilted his head slightly.
"…I haven't let go yet."
Silence.
Then, after a long second—
Leo's fingers finally loosened.
The man immediately pulled his hand back, gripping the coins tightly, as if afraid Leo might change his mind again.
"…Thank you," he said, though his voice still carried a faint trace of disbelief.
Leo said nothing.
The man turned toward the door and began walking.
Leo's gaze followed him.
Sharp.
Steady.
The man felt it immediately.
His steps became slightly faster.
Not enough to look suspicious—
but enough to create distance.
"…You're not going to take it back, right?" he muttered under his breath.
Leo didn't respond.
The man walked a little quicker.
Then a little more.
By the time he stepped outside, he was almost in a hurry.
Leo watched him disappear into the distance.
For a brief moment, he considered calling him back.
Then he exhaled softly.
"…Troublesome."
He turned and went back inside.
......
The guards returned to the mansion.
Their earlier confidence was gone. Their movements were slower now, weighed down by the knowledge that something had gone wrong—badly wrong.
They walked through a long corridor lined with tall pillars and dimly lit torches. The flickering light cast uneven shadows across the walls, making the atmosphere feel heavier with each step they took.
When they reached a large wooden door, the captain hesitated for a brief moment.
Then he pushed it open.
Inside, the room was spacious, filled with expensive furniture and neatly arranged documents.
At the center—
a man sat behind a wide desk.
He didn't move when they entered.
He didn't need to.
His presence alone made the air feel suffocating.
"…Report," he said.
The captain swallowed.
His throat felt dry.
"…We lost the target."
The man didn't react immediately.
For a moment, he simply stared at him.
"…What did you say?" he asked again, his voice quieter this time.
"…He escaped into the forest," the captain replied.
Silence followed.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
Then—
The man slammed his hand against the desk.
The impact echoed through the room, splitting the wooden surface and sending objects crashing to the floor.
"You lost him?" he shouted, rising from his chair.
The guards flinched instinctively.
"Do you have any idea who that man is?" his voice dropped, but the anger in it only became sharper.
The captain's face turned pale.
"…No, sir."
The man stepped forward slowly, his eyes burning with restrained fury.
"If that person is still alive," he said, each word deliberate, "then your deaths will be the least of your worries."
The room fell silent again.
The captain felt a chill run down his spine.
Until now—
he hadn't realized.
That letting that man escape…
was far worse than failure.
The man turned away, his expression dark.
"…Find him," he said coldly.
His gaze drifted toward the window.
"…Where could he have gone…"
.......
BACK AT THE VILLAGE---
Leo had already returned to work.
The inn was filled with noise.
People talking, laughing, arguing over drinks.
The smell of cooked meat and ale filled the air.
The owner noticed Leo immediately.
"…Leo," he called out.
His eyes moved to the boy's forehead.
The dried blood.
The injury.
"…What happened?" he asked, his voice carrying clear concern.
Leo wiped his hands casually.
"…I fell on a rock."
The owner stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed quietly.
He knew better.
There were men in this village who picked on the weak—men who found amusement in beating someone who couldn't fight back.
And Leo…
was an easy target.
But what could he do?
He wasn't a warrior who could fight them.
He wasn't a mage who could scare them away.
Those men belonged to the Black Wolf Gang—a group known for roughing up anyone who crossed their path and dealing with problems in the most brutal ways possible.
And their leader—
was someone no one dared to provoke.
The owner looked away.
"…Be careful," he muttered.
Leo didn't respond.
Hours passed.
Work continued as usual.
Then—
The door opened.
The sound was heavier than usual.
Slower.
Deliberate.
The conversations inside the inn began to fade.
One by one.
The owner looked up.
And froze.
His face tightened slightly, his hands pausing mid-motion.
Why is he here…?
A man stepped inside.
He didn't rush.
Didn't speak.
But the way he walked—
the way the room reacted—
made it clear.
This wasn't someone ordinary.
Because the man who had just entered—
was the leader of the Black Wolf Gang.