“F-finally found it!”

Lucy, the apprentice knight of the empire, felt like bursting into cheers right then and there.

It seemed only natural. Today, she had finally discovered the location of the black market.

For someone as ordinary as her, not only was it a challenge to obtain an entrance ticket, but even finding out where it was held was an almost impossible feat.

Moreover, as an apprentice knight, she was stuck with assisting her seniors and running countless errands.

Finding time to gather information was incredibly difficult.

But Lucy had succeeded in the end. Although her family had fallen from grace, she had managed to leverage her noble status to keep tabs on the magic train passengers.

She couldn’t just take leave whenever she fancied, so arriving on time was out of the question.

But the fact that she’d figured it out was what truly counted.

After a day of being bossed around by her seniors, she wasted no time getting to the magic train.

“Stop right there! Drop your weapon and surrender!”

“Me?”

Her shabby outfit led to misunderstandings; she was mistaken for a commoner and subjected to questioning.

Even when she proved her identity, she faced remarks like, “Valierre? Oh, that family? I didn’t know anyone from there was still alive!” which made her face flush red.

And while inside the train, complaints about a commoner hiding among them turned into chaos, with accusations of terrorism flying around.

Various incidents had unfolded, but…

“B-but reaching here is what counts!”

Lucy quickly regained her composure.

What if things went a bit awry?

Ever since her family’s downfall, frustration had been a constant companion in her life.

But that didn’t mean she could resign herself to gloom forever.

Positive thinking was essential.

Thus, Lucy gazed at the magically concealed entrance to the black market, allowing herself a slight smile.

Her motivation was simple.

She might feel embarrassed to admit it, but… it was all about punishing the wicked and bringing justice to the world.

The black market was a den of vile transactions.

Slave trading was just the tip of the iceberg; it was an outright lair of evil where all sorts of horrendous crimes unfolded.

She couldn’t just stand idly by and watch.

“Because I’ve decided to become like him!”

When her family was consumed by disaster, a hero had saved her. To become like that hero, Lucy had resolved to become a knight.

So, she had to save people and do good just like that hero…

[Heroes don’t exist in this world.]

Suddenly, a whisper echoed in her ear.

She stood dazed for a moment, then an unsettling realization hit.

Come to think of it, heroes did not exist in this world.

The black-haired man.

Ian, the name he had used when supposedly rescuing her from disaster eleven years ago, was a hero who never existed.

Why had she been roaming in such a foolish delusion?

Creating a nonexistent person out of thin air. Maybe the stress lately had taken its toll.

“…Huh? Then how did I survive back then?”

[That’s not important.]

She pondered for a moment. It really wasn’t important.

If she couldn’t even remember it, it surely wasn’t significant. Dwelling on it would only waste her time.

What mattered was that she had to do something about the black market where these atrocities were taking place.

For whatever reason, she felt an overwhelming need to act, as if it were her life’s purpose.

She swallowed hard, maintaining her tension, and slowly made her way toward the entrance.

She had thoroughly investigated the black market.

Therefore, she knew well about its strict security system. She’d have to breach some serious defenses.

“Can I really do this?”

It was natural to have such thoughts.

She felt pretty confident in her swordsmanship.

Among her fellow apprentice knights, none stood a chance against her.

Plus, she had a special ability that she kept hidden from everyone. Eyes that could see things that shouldn’t be visible.

The psychic eyes that could pierce the very essence of souls.

A power inherited from her parents.

But still… this was the infamous black market.

Operated by that Archmage.

No matter how confident she was in her skills, she wasn’t a match for an Archmage.

Thus, entry had to be absolutely secretive.

She needed to be extremely cautious to avoid attracting the guards’ gaze. The moment they reported her, it would be all over.

She nervously ripped a scroll inscribed with an invisibility spell.

In an instant, a month’s salary vanished, and it felt like her heart was ripped apart too.

But there was no time for hesitation. Cheap scrolls didn’t last long.

So, Lucy hurriedly dashed towards the hidden entrance of the black market and then…

“Uh…?”

She let out a baffled sound.

It was to be expected. Her body was, by no means, invisible.

Lucy quickly grasped the situation.

– The lady looked so kind, she gave me a special half-price discount.

…She had been scammed.

She had fallen for a fake scroll.

She had sensed something was off, but the allure of a half-price deal had completely deceived her.

In a heartbeat, Lucy’s face turned pale.

Regarding the current situation.

She could roughly predict what was about to unfold.

Could she really die over something like this?

Was the Archmage about to personally come and slay the intruder?

She shouldn’t have been fooled by such words; in hindsight, she should have secured the scroll from a more expensive but verified store, filling her mind with regrets.

But it was too late for any of that.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before grim-faced men pointed their swords at her, shouting, “Intruder!”

She was supposed to have lost her life there, leading to the extinction of the Valierre bloodline.

…but that didn’t happen.

“…?”

Lucy looked around in confusion.

Despite rushing brazenly toward the entrance, there was no one trying to stop her.

What was going on?

Wasn’t this the entrance to the black market?

It looked like just an ordinary wall, but it was supposed to lead to the black market, right?

Why were there no guards present?

She couldn’t make sense of the situation.

She had thought she was cloaked in invisibility, but apparently not.

Why was security so lax? No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t understand why, but she couldn’t just stand there doing nothing.

Eventually, Lucy steeled herself and stepped into the black market.

In an instant, the scene shifted.

The streets of the black market, hidden by illusion magic, lay before her.

Grotesque items were displayed openly. The sights were horrific enough to make her stomach churn.

But more than the gruesome scenery, something else left her bewildered.

“Why is there no one here?”

This was bizarre.

Very bizarre.

No matter how much she looked around, there wasn’t a soul to be found.

The streets of the black market were eerily silent.

“What on earth is this?”

Moreover, upon closer inspection, blood stained the place. It was impossible to determine how many had died here.

Marks of explosions,

Iron bars of cages that seemed to have held slaves lay unnaturally bent,

Shops left abandoned as if someone had hurriedly fled, carrying only their valuables.

The more she scrutinized, the more questions arose. It was impossible to guess what had transpired here.

All that she could be certain of was a dreadful premonition.

Lucy’s hands and feet began to tremble.

She had resolved to dedicate herself to justice, but that was separate from feeling terrified.

On nights when her playful father told ghost stories, she could never fall asleep.

She despised this kind of atmosphere.

In these desolate streets, it felt like she was the only living being left in the world.

Lucy shivered as she looked around.

As anyone would do.

She desperately needed someone to talk to.

In such a level of fear, sticking with others was essential.

Fear diminishes the more it is shared.

Desperately, she wandered the streets calling out, “Is anyone there? If there is, could you please respond?”

And then… perhaps it was divine intervention.

Before long, she caught sight of a figure in a black robe.

A smile spread across Lucy’s face. She had never been so glad to see another person before.

In this situation, Lucy knew what she had to do.

She quickly ran towards that person.

…Or, she tried to run.

Something felt off.

Her eyes went rogue, uncontrollably revealing the true essence of the person before her with a painful throbbing.

“…Ah.”

Her head spun.

Her legs buckled, and she helplessly collapsed to the ground.

Lucy realized the source of all these strange phenomena.

It seemed only natural.

She sensed something intensely sacred yet terrifying, and above all, something incredibly ominous.

She was witnessing something incomprehensible that should never be comprehended.

…The figure standing before her was not a person, but a monster.