Kilineiram.
It was one of the Swords of Darkness wielded by the hero known as the Black Knight, one of the Thirteen Heroes who ended the war with the Demon Gods two hundred years ago.
Legends say that the Black Knight was of mixed blood, human and demon, carrying four pitch-black swords.
They were Cursed Sword Kilineiram, which could unleash dark energy; Corrupted Sword Crocdabal, whose inflicted wounds could never heal; Death Sword Sfeiz, which could be fatal even with the slightest graze; and Evil Sword Hyumilis, rumored to hide some unknown special ability.
These four swords were scattered across the world, their whereabouts unknown, and over time, they became legendary weapons, inspiring countless dreams yet leaving people to wonder if they truly existed.
However, with the arrival of Lakyus, the legend turned into reality.
Why?
Because one of the Swords of Darkness, the one capable of unleashing dark energy, Cursed Sword Kilineiram, was now in her hands.
Yes, the massive greatsword she wielded was none other than the legendary black sword once held by the Black Knight of the Thirteen Heroes—Cursed Sword Kilineiram.
"Sorry, we didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. We just happened to step out of the inn and saw you two standing here, talking about something like that, so we couldn't help but speak up—hope you don't mind."
Lakyus bowed slightly to Riezel and Brain, apologizing as she took responsibility for Gagaran's sudden interruption of their conversation.
Meanwhile, the other members of Blue Roses didn't bow or apologize and just stood behind Lakyus, their gazes fixed on Riezel and Brain with curious intensity.
Tia and Tina, in particular, shifted their attention from Brain to Riezel, scrutinizing him as if they were evaluating something, their eyes never leaving him.
In contrast, Evileye remained silent, while Gagaran stepped forward with a grin directed at Brain.
"Well, well, looks like you've found your confidence as a warrior again, Brain Unglaus. Guess I gotta give you some respect now."
Hearing this, Brain dropped the childish, honest expression he had been wearing and shrugged.
"I just got a wake-up call from Lord Brynhart. Honestly, it was pretty embarrassing."
Brain glanced at the members of Blue Roses for a moment before smiling.
"I see now... So this is the famed Blue Roses, one of the two—no, four Adamantite Adventurer Groups in the kingdom, huh? Impressive. I can tell your strength is at least on par with mine—no, two of you are even stronger... My past self really was ignorant, huh..."
It was not strange for Brain to say this.
In the past, he had heard of Blue Roses but had never taken them seriously because he stubbornly believed that within the kingdom, the only one who could rival him was Gazef, while the rest were insignificant, even the highest-ranking Adamantite Adventurers.
In other words, he was convinced he could beat anyone other than Gazef.
However, now he realized how arrogant that mindset had been.
Facing them directly, Brain immediately noticed that Gagaran, Tia, and Tina were all someone not far behind him in strength, while Lakyus gave off the most dangerous feeling. He was certain he wouldn't stand a chance against her, a templar who had truly stepped into the realm of heroes.
As for Evileye, he had been puzzled by her since they first met yesterday. She didn't seem particularly dangerous, yet her presence triggered his sharp instincts, making it clear that he couldn't afford to underestimate her.
Because of all this, Brain spoke the way he did.
"You're not bad yourself, Mr. Unglaus." Lakyus smiled at him. "A genius swordsman who could hold his own against the Warrior Captain—I've heard a lot about you. I heard you had a rough patch recently and thought it'd take you a while to recover, but it looks like my worries were unnecessary."
"It's all thanks to Lord Brynhart."
Brain responded without a hint of arrogance.
"And please, don't call me a genius swordsman anymore. One setback nearly crushed my spirit, so someone like me doesn't deserve that status. Just being considered a swordsman again is already something I'm thankful for."
"Compared to someone like me, Lord Brynhart is the true genius, the true swordsman, and the true powerhouse, so please, let's not bring up my embarrassing stories in front of him."
Brain's words immediately drew everyone's attention to Riezel.
"We've definitely heard about Sir Brynhart's strength..." Lakyus said as she extended a hand toward Riezel, looking him straight in the eye. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir Brynhart. I'm Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, the leader of Blue Roses."
As soon as she finished speaking, the twins behind her, Tia and Tina, chimed in.
"I'm Tia."
"And I'm Tina."
"We've been dying to meet the famous Riezel Brynhart, who's said to be as strong as an entire Adamantite Adventurer Group."
"You're so young. Honestly, you look even younger than our evil boss. It's hard to believe a kid like you is that strong."
While introducing themselves, the twins tossed in some personal comments that came across as a little rude, making Lakyus smile awkwardly.
Riezel didn't seem to mind as he glanced at Lakyus's outstretched hand for a moment before reaching out to shake it.
Even though Lakyus had entered the Realm of Heroes at just nineteen years old, her hand was remarkably soft and smooth—not at all what one would expect from an adventurer's hand but felt like the well-cared-for hands of a refined noble lady.
Nevertheless, Riezel didn't linger on the thought as, after giving Lakyus's hand a light shake, he quickly let go.
"I've heard a lot about you all, Blue Roses' ladies." Riezel responded calmly. "If anything, you're all my seniors, so there's no need to pay attention to Brain Unglaus's exaggerations—just treat me normally."
"Fair enough." Lakyus nodded, giving him a long, thoughtful look before smiling. "Honestly, I'm not a big fan of formalities anyway. Since Sir Brynhart feels that way, we won't bother with them. Let's work well together."
"Finally!" Gagaran jumped in. "I can't stand all those rules and etiquette. Most of us here are adventurers anyway, so why not just get to know each other the adventurer's way?"
"Adventurers actually need to follow etiquette the most sometimes..." Evileye muttered, giving Gagaran a side-eye. "You're just lazy, you muscle-headed brute."
Everyone burst out laughing at this.
"Are you guys heading out on a quest?" Brain asked, noticing how the members of Blue Roses were fully geared up. "Judging by your equipment, it must be something pretty challenging."
Upon hearing this, Riezel recalled the storyline from the original work.
If his memory served him right, at this point in time, Lakyus and her adventurer group were in the royal capital because they had accepted a commission from the third princess to eliminate the criminal organization that lurked in the Re-Estize Kingdom's shadows—Eight Fingers.
Eight Fingers was a massive organization that dominated the kingdom's underground world, engaging in numerous illegal activities, including but not limited to slave trafficking, assassinations, smuggling, larceny, drug trade, security, banking, and gambling.
Given this, they were, without a doubt, a criminal organization.
Not only did they have deep connections with nobles across the kingdom, working secretly with many of them, but they were also the overlord of all illegal activity within the kingdom.
In short, they represented the kingdom's darkness.
Even more astonishing, they even had a group of enforcers known as 'Six Arms', each member boasting strength comparable to an Adamantite Adventurer—anyone who wanted to challenge them had to carefully consider their chances of survival.
In the original work, Blue Roses accepted a commission from the third princess to deal with Eight Fingers with the hope of wiping them out entirely and erasing the kingdom's darkness once and for all.
'Now that all the members of Blue Roses are fully armed and ready to move out... are they getting ready to handle Eight Fingers?'
Riezel knew that this was actually pretty dangerous.
Because adventurers usually took on commissions through the Adventurer's Guild, under normal circumstances, they were not allowed to accept commissions directly from clients.
Lakyus and the others skipping the guild and taking a commission directly from the third princess were undoubtedly breaking the rules. If it were serious enough, they could face punishment from the guild or even be expelled.
Not to mention, the guild had an unwritten rule that adventurers weren't allowed to casually get involved in national affairs. Lakyus and the others helping the third princess eliminate an underground organization was a matter tied to national policy, which meant another violation of the rule.
If Blue Roses weren't one of the kingdom's rare Adamantite Adventurer Groups, with every member being incredibly valuable, the guild wouldn't just let this slide.
In the original work, the reason Lakyus accepted the commission was not only because she was a noble of the kingdom but also because she had ties to the royal family and was even a close friend of the third princess.
Considering this, this time was probably for the same reason.
'If that's the case, then Nazarick will probably get involved soon, right?'
Riezel thought to himself, some unknown emotions flickering in his eyes.
However, what Lakyus said next would surprise Riezel.
"We are preparing for a commission from someone, and it's a very tricky one." Lakyus exchanged looks with her adventurer companions, then continued seriously. "You might not know this, but recently, a very terrifying monster sneaked into the royal capital."
When Lakyus said this, Evileye, as if on cue, moved her hands under her cloak.
In an instant, the surrounding noise seemed to fade away, and it felt as though a thin membrane enveloped them, completely blocking out the nearby commotion and any sounds from the area.
"What's this?" Brain quickly asked as he noticed the change.
"Don't worry, it's just a magic item." Evileye explained calmly. "Even though the conversation we're having now can be heard by you guys, if others overhear, it could cause quite a stir."
"Yeah..." Gagaran nodded seriously. "If you guys know about it, you can be on guard, but if regular people hear about this, it could probably just cause trouble."
Seeing the members of Blue Roses take on a very cautious attitude, both Riezel and Brain felt the gravity of the situation.
"A terrifying monster has sneaked into the royal capital... Are you serious?" Brain asked, instinctively lowering his voice.
Riezel, on the other hand, furrowed his brows and gazed at Lakyus, waiting for her explanation.
Lakyus nodded and then explained the situation to both of them in detail.
"First, this is information currently known only to the royal family and nobles. It hasn't been made public yet to avoid causing panic among the people. We also learned about it from the third princess."
"It was said that about a week ago, a very powerful monster caused a huge disturbance abroad. It attacked a city in the Slane Theocracy, causing a massive uproar. Afterward, the people sent by the Cardinals managed to force the monster back, but it escaped into our kingdom."
"Some reliable information from high-ranking officials of the kingdom said that the monster made its way to the royal capital and has been hiding in the shadows."
"It seems the monster has considerable intelligence. Not only can it summon and control lower-tier monsters and undead, but after arriving at the royal capital, it also took control of the underground world, defeating and occupying the long-established territory of Eight Fingers, turning the people in charge into its servants."
"In other words, the monster had now become the ruler of the kingdom's underground world."
"Because of this, the royal family and nobles took this matter very seriously. Several times, they sent out troops for reconnaissance and extermination, but every troop they sent has gone missing, returning only with limited information."
At this point, Lakyus's expression turned stern.
"We received a secret commission from the third princess to investigate one of Eight Fingers' hideouts, which is now controlled by the monster. Our goal is to gather as much intel as possible and, if possible, eliminate the monster."
"Although adventurers are usually forbidden from interfering with national affairs, what we face this time is a monster that has enslaved Eight Fingers. As adventurers who specialize in hunting monsters, it's our duty to take on this commission."
"Now, we are planning to visit the hideout mentioned in the intel sent back by the fallen troops and confront the monster."
At Lakyus's explanation, Brain furrowed his brow deeply and fell silent.
Riezel, on the other hand, lowered his gaze, his mind focused on one thought.
'Is this the so-called butterfly effect? It looks like the original plot has changed...'