"Why were you lying there, really?" I asked.
"Huh? Of course I was protecting you," Verita replied with clear confusion.
"Protecting me?" I echoed.
"Delac C. Badniker is the person the empire should be most wary of," Verita claimed.
It isn't the empire, but the Dark Church. No, is it actually the empire? I wasn't fully awake, and the distinction blurred in my head.
Then I shook my head and said, "Don't do this. What if you get caught?"
"I already did," Verita replied nonchalantly.
"Come again?"
"He saw through my hiding spot."
My mouth dropped open as the Iron-Blooded Lord's words and behavior came back to me.
"Bloody Mace Razbet. I had heard of her, but she exceeds the rumors when seeing her in person. If you work together, she will be of great help no matter what mission you do."
I groaned. No matter how capable Verita was, escaping the Iron-Blooded Lord's senses seemed impossible.
At any rate, Verita emerged from under the bed, dusted off her clothes, and stood facing me.
Silence stretched between us until I finally spoke. "Do you have anything you want to say?"
"Ah, yes. I heard that you have decided which clan to join," Verita said.
I nodded. "Yes. I'm going to join Corrupted."
"I see." Verita showed no reaction to the name. She didn't try to stop me or question my sanity. Instead, she asked, "Have you signed the contract?"
"No. I'll do it tomorrow."
"May I come with you?"
I almost reflexively asked, "Why?" before I remembered. Verita planned to join the same clan, which gave her every right to meet them and learn more about them.
"Alright," I said. "We're meeting around noon, so let's go together."
"Understood."
"Then please leave for today," I added.
"Yes. See you tomorrow." Verita bowed and left the room.
Damn, Verita's sudden intrusion completely woke me up. I was alone in my room again, ready to sink back into my thoughts.
I took out the Iron-Blooded Lord's letter. It bore no seal. He had said that I didn't need to read it and to throw it away, but after a moment's hesitation, I decided to keep it for now.
***
The next day, at lunch, I left the Hero Society's headquarters with Verita. The restaurant we agreed to meet at was the same meat place that I had visited with Chain Scythe the day before.
I stepped inside and repeated the same words he had used. "Two people."
The owner emerged from behind the curtain, nodded silently, and disappeared again.
I turned to Verita and asked, "Do you eat meat?"
"I can, if you want to," Verita replied.
"Well, you don't have to. Boss, do you have anything other than meat?" I asked the owner.
The owner reappeared, looked at Verita, and nodded again. The menu had only one dish, but even a meat restaurant would keep something in reserve for such a situation.
"Over here. Here," someone called out.
Lanfero and Ramon were already seated.
Still, why did they choose to sit in the corner? I set aside my doubts and took a seat across from them.
Glancing at their empty table, I asked, "Aren't you eating anything?"
"We've already ordered." Lanfero spoke with a smile. Then, as if something had just occurred to him, he added, "By the way, did anything happen last night?"
"There was a bit of a commotion," I said.
"What kind of commotion?" Lanfero asked.
"A guy called Zach or Jack brought a large group with him. Twenty clans joined forces and challenged me to a Heroic Battle, one after another. I picked up a few injuries because of it," I answered nonchalantly.
At once, both Lanfero and Ramon fell silent.
They exchanged a look before Lanfero asked cautiously, "So what happened?"
"I held my own for a while, but they even brought an S-class hero. I did my best but lost in the end. I was in serious trouble when I got some help. There was Sister Razbet, and..."
Every gaze shifted to Verita. She nodded slightly and offered her characteristic gentle smile.
How good would it be if this was her true self? She was the very image of a devout nun, convincing enough to inspire faith where none truly exist.
"And the family head," I added.
"W-who do you mean by the family head?" Ramon asked.
"Of course, the Iron-Blooded Lord," I replied.
Ramon immediately turned to Lanfero.
Lanfero didn't look nearly as shocked. Instead, he hummed and scratched his forehead in a sheepish manner. "You have been through a lot. I apologize for our clan's bad reputation. Sincerely."
"It is fine. More importantly, I have a question."
"Go ahead. If I know the answer, I will tell you," Lanfero said.
"They seemed determined to prevent me from joining Corrupted. Why is that?" I asked. "All the clans fall under the Hero Society, yet everyone I've met has warned me not to join. Some even interfered and threatened me. I don't understand it."
I had no real intention of withdrawing from Corrupted, but I had no reason to reveal that so easily. For now, I acted conflicted so I could learn more about Corrupted's internal affairs.
Ramon glanced at Lanfero, as if asking for his permission.
Their relationship appeared casual, but that glance made it clear that Ramon still acknowledged Lanfero as the clan leader.
Lanfero shrugged.
Ramon sighed. "Okay. You were even attacked, so there is no point in hiding it now. Corrupted became the Hero Society's public enemy because... it is the only lesser race clan in the entire organization."
I tilted my head slightly. "By lesser race, you mean..."
"Yes, races other than the Seven," Ramon stated.
Seven races had played a decisive role in the Nameless Empire's founding, and they remained influential to this day. They were collectively known as the Seven: humans, fairies, dwarves, giants, beastfolk, the winged race, and dragons.
Under imperial law, only those seven races were recognized as full subjects of the empire. In practice, over ninety percent of the empire's population belonged to them. For clarity, black fairies were classified under the fairy race.
That raised an obvious question. What about the other races or tribes excluded from the Seven Races?
Their status within the empire was deeply ambiguous. Authorities often barred them from entering medium or large cities. At best, they lived on the distant outskirts of the continent. Even there, discrimination and persecution followed them. These limited protections applied only to sapient beings. Non-sapient beings with low intelligence received no such consideration and faced treatment no different from that reserved for monsters. The law imposed no punishment for killing them.
"Then, Ramon, you aren't a mutant or half-blood?" I asked.
Ramon nodded with a sheepish smile. "Yes, yes. I am a full-blooded goblin. I look like a half-blood because... there is a crazy alchemist in the clan, and I received some help from her."
I turned to Lanfero. "Then what about you, clan leader?"
"I am a vampire." Lanfero lifted his lips with his fingers as he spoke, revealing sharp fangs that clearly weren't human.
A vampire... It was the rarest among the lesser races. It was my first time actually seeing one. Frankly, I hadn't known they still existed.
Confused, I asked, "Then what about the other clan members?"
"Not all of them, but most. The ones who aren't from lesser races are usually eccentric," Lanfero answered.
I hummed and asked, "Were you planning to hide this until the end?"
Lanfero chuckled at my words and patted Ramon's bald head. "That was originally the plan. As you said, I intended to play dumb until you signed the contract. Now that you have already suffered direct harm because of us, how could I stay silent?"
At that moment, I realized that Lanfero was not suited to lead a group. Had he been more selfish and ruthless, the clan likely would not have fallen to this state. The higher the position, the less room there was for sentiment.
I told him, "Then I will listen to the rest."
Ramon, who had been listening in silence, exclaimed with delight, "Uh? Really?!"
He quickly realized how loud he had been and cleared his throat. "So... Sir Luan, are you still considering joining, even though this is a clan of lesser races?"
"I haven't decided yet," I replied. "Still, I can at least look at the contract, right?"
Ramon rummaged through his bag with a bright expression. "Of course you can!"
Meanwhile, Lanfero studied me with open curiosity. "This is unexpected. You are human, and a noble on top of that. Don't you feel any aversion toward lesser races?"
"I can't say whether I had one until today. Since I don't feel any disgust while listening to you now, I suppose I don't," I reasoned.
"How interesting," Lanfero said with a laugh. "You are indeed Delac's child."
I felt a flicker of confusion. The Iron-Blooded Lord seemed to know this man, which raised questions about their connection. His name was not something the leader of a mere C-class clan could invoke lightly.
Ramon pulled out a document, spread it across the table, and grinned, flashing yellowed teeth. "Here is the contract! The conditions are written at the bottom. You should check them carefully."
I skimmed through it. The contents reminded me of the contracts I had read during my mercenary days. The key points were familiar: the number of missions required every quarter, the pay, the percentage of commission shared with the clan, the expected length of service after joining, and any penalties for leaving.
There don't seem to be any major issues.
I was about to nod when the large owner arrived with a steak.
"Ah."
The document still lay on the table, leaving no room to set the plate down. As I had mentioned before, the steak here was large enough to qualify as a specialty.
Ramon spoke with an awkward smile. "If you sign first..."
"Ah, yes." I reflexively reached out to sign, but Verita snatched the document from my hands.
Those present were visibly confused, while the owner set the plate down with an indifferent expression and walked away.
The steak was perfectly seared, and its aroma was mouthwatering. Even so, a chill settled over the table. The source was the smiling Verita beside me. She was definitely wearing a smile, yet it didn't feel like one.
Verita asked, "By any chance, who wrote this rude, disgusting, and deceitful contract?"
"S-Sister Verita?" Ramon stammered. "What do you mean....?"
Her gaze locked onto him. "Was it you?"
What she really seemed to ask was, "Are you the bastard?"
I realized then that Verita was furious. Her anger was not as explosive as the night before, but her normally calm hair lifted slightly, a sign that her internal energy was raging.
"Why are you like this all of a sudden? Calm down first," I told her.
"I am calm, Brother Luan." Verita said so, but her appearance said otherwise.
She turned to Lanfero. "I heard you are the leader of Corrupted?"
"So...?"
"Then may I assume that this contract was approved by you, as the clan leader?" Verita pressed.
Lanfero hummed softly. "Something like that. However, I don't review every detail..."
"The average clan contract lasts two years. In some cases, it is defined by the number of completed missions rather than a fixed term. Still, this isn't a common scenario, so I will set it aside." Verita pointed to a specific passage. "Here, however, the contract duration is stated as three years?"
Ramon hurried to explain. "Y-yes, but that is just the maximum period. The contract can be broken through negotiations held every year—"
Verita cut in, "That clause also bothers me. It states that to negotiate, you must notify the clan leader at least one week in advance. If the clan leader happens to be away on a long mission during that time, the contract renews automatically. Is that correct?"
Ramon fell silent, as if his mouth was glued together.
Verita continued, "The mere fact that the contract is automatically renewed if we say nothing already puts us at a disadvantage. Moreover, it states that salary negotiations occur only when the contract term accumulates, and they aren't based on performance. So even if we complete several difficult missions or achieve A-class or higher during the contract period, there will be no negotiations. Is that right?"
"T-that..." Ramon couldn't find the words.
Verita went on, "Of course, there is more. I don't see a list of consumables available for purchase from the clan, let alone their prices. Don't tell me that a Hero Society affiliated clan like yours doesn't even have a merchant company sponsoring it."
"T-that's right..."
"Nothing? Really? Truly? Can you look me in the eye and say that clearly?" Verita asked sharply. "Your hesitation is only making me suspicious. Don't you know that any C-class hero with a clan affiliation can enjoy various benefits in cities that have a contract with the Hero Society? We can stay at an inn for free or request an audience with the city lord without going through formal procedures."
Ramon remained silent.
Verita added, "By the way, I have heard that a very small number of clans who have no results in the Hero Society will have such privileges revoked. Is that the case with Corrupted?"
Ramon looked close to collapse. His eyes rolled helplessly as he silently begged Lanfero to save him.
Meanwhile, Lanfero was frantically eating the steak. "This steak is really superb. It is thick with blood and has plenty of meat."
After I realized he was a vampire, things started to look different. For example, the steak was barely cooked. Blood dripped from it with every bite.
Verita spoke again, her smile sweet. "Even if your clan rank is low, there are unpleasant rumors about you, and your members are made up of lesser races, you are still a clan of the Hero Society. Surely, you wouldn't slip such unreasonable clauses into the contract, right? That must have been a joke."
Her smile never faded as flames blossomed from the palm of her hand and consumed the contract in her hand. It was neither magic nor an artifact.
I watched with a serious expression. It's Samadhi True Fire... How strong is this woman?
"T-that..." Ramon was at a loss for words once more.
Verita looked at him. "Was it a joke?"
"Joke?" Ramon echoed weakly.
The smile disappeared from Verita's face. "Then I can't treat it as one."
The goblin who had offered me the contract let out a hollow laugh. "I'm sorry. It was a joke. Please spare me."
Verita smiled with quiet satisfaction. "Let's draft the contract again, from beginning to end. My knowledge is limited, but I have seen and heard many things. That experience should still be of some help."
"Yes..." Ramon pulled out a pen in a deflated manner and started revising the contract.
I looked at Verita and gave her a thumbs up for the first time. "Well done."
Verita looked as if she would float away. To be honest, I felt a little reassured today.