It was a troubling development. The only consolation was that the Iron-Blooded Lord showed no visible discomfort around me—or perhaps he was too embarrassed to notice. Either way, it was unclear whether this counted as a positive outcome, though it seemed I had at least survived the immediate danger.
" Ugh... " I pressed a hand to my temples while staring at Nalu in the mirror. I wanted to remove my mask immediately, yet abandoning my current identity felt wasteful.
Judging from the Middle Names' words, most of them appeared to be experts in the Dark Church. I couldn't tell what precisely—they could excel in pursuit, exploration, survival, or hunting like the Iron-Blooded Lord. In any case, it seemed prudent to conceal my true identity for the foreseeable future.
I don't want to run away. The Iron-Blooded Lord had seen through my disguise, so fleeing without reason would only raise suspicion.
I sighed and left the bathroom.
Surprisingly, the Iron-Blooded Lord stood at the door, watching me. Did he still have something to say?
"Lu— Nalu."
"Yes."
"Aside from your personal preferences, creating a false identity was a sound decision," he said.
This isn't about my preferences! I protested inwardly.
"Family head, you must have some as well, right?" I asked, forcing my nerves in check.
"Quite a few."
"How many?"
"These days, I keep it to about twenty."
That many? Even remembering the names must be a chore.
He continued evenly, "Are you considering joining the Hero Society?"
"Most likely."
It was my strongest candidate for the next step, though I had not fully decided. I wanted to observe the Middle Names today, then make a choice once I felt confident in concealing the Dark Qi. If the monsters here could not see through me, deceiving others would be simple.
The Iron-Blooded Lord nodded. "It is a wise choice. The Hero Society's ranking system is organized, and missions align with one's level. The risks are high, but as long as you survive, your growth will far outpace training alone."
"I see."
"And..." His distinctive purple eyes fixed on me. "From this moment, you are my squire."
I blinked. "Squire?"
He offered no explanation, only turning and leaving. He had not abandoned his habit of speaking his piece and departing. Well, I was away longer than expected.
Squire?
Did he mean it literally, as a knight's retainer? That system had long since vanished. In the past, wandering knights used the title to make young admirers run errands. Calling them squires lent a veneer of nobility far above the reality of servitude.
Technically, a squire was a reserve knight, but the practice died out as times changed. Aspiring knights now sought professional training centers.
Perhaps I would only grasp the full meaning of squire once I joined the Hero Society in the future.
Suppressing my sigh, I followed the Iron-Blooded Lord.
***
The good news was that the journey back to the tiger's den felt slightly lighter than before. The transcendent presence of those in the room remained, but the greatest threat among them was the Iron-Blooded Lord. The fact that he had not discovered my secret offered some peace of mind—not that I could afford to relax.
Still, when I stepped back into the room, something else caught me off guard.
What now?
The crowd had grown. For a moment, I feared the number of Middle Names had increased. Fortunately, that was not the case. Behind each existing Middle Name stood one to three younger figures, as if serving as attendants. Most appeared to be my age, and I recognized a few.
These two... The ones standing behind Maxim were Haro and Zial.
"Huh?!" Haro gasped at the sight of me, then ducked her head under the weight of everyone's gaze.
Maxim asked, "What? Do you know each other?"
"Ah, yes. Just briefly earlier..." Haro flushed and looked at me, but I ignored her and sat down.
The attendants' eyebrows twitched, especially the one with tattoos etched into his temples, standing behind the thug. His glare was hostile enough to translate clearly: What the hell are you doing?
What do you think? I wanted to respond violently, but I settled for a sneer, making the veins on the temple-tattooed attendant bulge in anger.
"What are you doing?" his master snapped.
"Nothing." The thug's subordinate lowered his head. It looked like the typical boss-and-underling dynamic.
By the way, what are these kids supposed to be?
I observed them briefly. They hardly seemed ordinary. Even standing quietly, their aura exuded power. The Middle Names overshadowed them, but they were formidable for their age.
I noticed a side door on the left, separate from the main entrance. That had been their waiting place all along. As the realization clicked, so did the Iron-Blooded Lord's earlier mention of squires.
"There must be traces of the Dark Pope somewhere in the academy," Maxim said once the Iron-Blooded Lord sat.
Although the Iron-Blooded Lord dominated the room, Maxim's words carried equal weight. It was clear he led the meeting.
"Then six Middle Names were summoned just to chase a trace?" the pirate asked sarcastically, tapping her nails against the table. Her restlessness made it clear she wasn't lying when she claimed to be busy.
"Eight," the priest corrected. "The other two are checking somewhere outside the academy."
"Ah, my thanks for the reminder, Priest." Her voice dripped with mockery, yet her expression betrayed no scorn. If anything, she watched the priest warily, even more than the Iron-Blooded Lord.
I remembered hearing that surprisingly many sailors were religious. Pirates, despite their plundering ways, often held superstitions. Human contradictions like these were nothing unusual.
Maxim said, "If the church has ravaged a place, cleaning up afterward matters just as much. You know about Christallow's Calamity, don't you? The empire rejoiced when the demon king's descent was defeated, only to discover the tainted relic too late. As a result, 2,700 people either died or suffered fates worse than death."
Laughter vanished from Maxim's voice. The pirate's expression showed dissatisfaction, but she had no argument.
"The followers of the Blood Moon Demon King have grown so secretive they are called the Assassination Church. That alone justifies summoning eight Middle Names."
"Fine." The pirate raised her hands in mock surrender. "However, the mainland isn't my territory. I only stopped here because I was sailing nearby. Tomorrow, I set off again. No objections, I trust?"
"As long as you do your best while you're here."
"If I do it, I'll give it my all. That's my creed. Don't worry."
As Maxim nodded, the thug spoke up. "I won't sit idle either. But my goal in this mission is to earn favor with high-ranking figures."
He glanced at the Iron-Blooded Lord. "So, the martial arts competition will still be held as scheduled, right?"
It struck me as strange. The thug seemed to ignore everyone else, yet he showed deference only to the Iron-Blooded Lord.
By the way, what is the martial arts competition?
While I tilted my head, the Iron-Blooded Lord replied, "Yes. The schedule remains unchanged, as do the rewards."
"Then it is settled." The thug nodded with satisfaction and rose. "I'll get going. I will contact you if I find any clues about the church."
He and his subordinate left. The subordinate shot me a hostile glare before disappearing. I responded with a subtle, invisible middle finger.
Once the thug departed, the pirate and the priest also stood and left. Only the witch remained.
Her gaze clung to me from the moment I entered, sticky and unpleasant. Behind her stood boys, all strikingly attractive.
So that's why she kept staring at me...
"Hey, what is your name?" she asked.
"Nalu."
"Nalu. You have a pretty name." She chuckled softly and snapped her fingers. A precious-looking gem materialized in her hand. "Do you want this?"
"Why all of a sudden?" I asked.
"Don't feel pressured. I give gifts to children I like."
I usually didn't refuse kindness, but this felt wrong. I shook my head. "No, thank you."
"Really? That's a shame." Her smile widened. The jewel shimmered and transformed into an apple. She bit into it with a crisp crunch before rising. "See you soon, Nalu."
Her laughter echoed as a strange mist swallowed her figure. When it cleared, she was gone.
Finally, only the Iron-Blooded Lord, Maxim and his two disciples, and I remained in the room. The tension eased, but there was little to say. I naturally wanted to leave.
Then Maxim spoke up. "What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to visit the imperial family," the Iron-Blooded Lord replied.
"For what purpose?"
"Personal business. I'd rather not say."
"Always so secretive..." Maxim chuckled. "Then can you answer something else instead?"
"If I can."
Maxim pointed at me. "Is this child going to participate in the martial arts competition? From your attitude, I assumed you already knew each other. If you intended to keep it secret, my apologies."
"It doesn't matter," the Iron-Blooded Lord said flatly. "As for the competition, nothing has been decided yet."
Maxim looked surprised. "Really? There isn't much time left."
"It isn't a particularly important event for me."
Maxim laughed like it was absurd.
"In any case, I have a proposal," the Iron-Blooded Lord continued.
"For me?"
"I plan to participate in the Abyss Auction. I would like you to accompany me."
The Iron-Blooded Lord's sudden suggestion caught Maxim off guard.
"That is unexpected," Maxim admitted. "Not only that you would attend, but that you'd ask me to join. Looking for something in particular?"
"I can't tell you what."
"I didn't expect you to, my friend. But didn't you say you were going to see the imperial family?"
"It's late today. I'll go tomorrow morning."
"Then you mean to leave for the Abyss Auction right now." Maxim grinned. "I have no objection. May my disciples join us?"
"Of course."
"If something catches my eye..."
"Choose as much as you want," the Iron-Blooded Lord said.
"A gift from the Iron-Blooded Lord. How precious," Maxim remarked.
It was a conversation between the two heroes, so Zial, Haro, and I remained silent.
Still, I frowned slightly at the mention of the Abyss Auction. I had heard of it before. Rumor said only those with membership could participate. I didn't know the exact conditions, but it didn't seem like something money alone could buy.
And the reason for my frown? The Abyss Auction was infamous not only for rare goods but also for its slave trade.