-???’s POV-
The news covered the incident of the attack during the Orienteering event at the Magician Academy Middle School. 
Annal, who could be considered the right hand of the mercenary leader Ymir, had returned to the island that served as the headquarters of Yggdrasil and was taking a vacation.
He’s sipping coffee and operating a terminal, Annal gazed at the news displayed with a slightly tired expression in a somewhat .
“Using Lost Magic… by Kanna , so it’s Lost Magic, huh?”
Recalling the child from the Orienteering event they encountered recently, Annal muttered while furrowing their brows.
Despite Aegir setting up traps that could be considered excessive, it was surprising to see Shinn effortlessly overcome them all.
Shinn’s skill with a sword and combat sense were formidable. Seeing Shinn, who was still a child, display such strength made Annal think he wouldn’t want to face them head-on.
“Even though I did something bad to Aegir-danna, things turned out as the captain predicted.”
Turning their face towards the window, Annal rested his elbow on the table while looking at the deserted pier. Ships visiting the island, which was the headquarters of Yggdrasil, had significantly decreased recently.
The captain had predicted that this mission would fail, and he would witness Shin’s power. The captain even said Shin could fight on equal terms or even better, no matter how serious Aegir-danna became.
It was truly surprising to see Shin defeat all those powerful Flesh Golems. Annal was genuinely amazed, 
When Annal fought Shin, he wasn’t just pretending.
“I should be getting a lot of money from this, huh?”
Shin’s actions were all over the news, and his younger sister Tsuki and fiancée Elizabeth were the talk of the news. 
It should serve as good publicity for the weakening Kanna Dukedom. Perhaps they could now compete with the Emperor faction. However, there were some concerns.
“But then again, the Emperor faction’s achievements are also getting attention in the news.”
Because the news also covered the achievements of the Emperor faction members like Genshin Sena, Aguni Masatoshi, and Akita Sei, even though it was supposed to be a one-sided victory for Shin and the others, the result was disappointing.
Even though all their mana was supposed to get absorbed and die, they had prepared mana potions. There was even a healing mage to restore their mana. 
As a result, they didn’t just get killed, they fought back. Several of Annal’s comrades were defeated, leading to a painful outcome.
“If Aegir-danna had supported us, we might have been able to kill them… His act of fleeing was too hasty.”
Initially, Aegir was supposed to observe, then escape, but he suddenly started running away.
“… Why did Aegir-danna flee…? No, I guess it went according to plan. He’s an inflexible bunch. And he ended up disappearing.”
Feeling like he was seeing something, Annal shook his head, dismissing the thought, and drank his coffee.
After fleeing, Aegir-danna went missing. The High Priest is a capricious Lich, so it was easy to pass it off as he couldn’t endure the humiliating act of fleeing and disappearing.
“Now, there are only two remaining executives. It seems like the ship is sinking, doesn’t it?”
Perhaps it was time for Nidhogg to distance themselves. Annal believed that an organization whose executives started fleeing would eventually collapse.
“Calling it a sinking ship is quite harsh, Annal.”
“Oh, Captain, hello.”
“Are you seriously drinking coffee with that ridiculous mask on, Annal?”
As Annaal pondered their next steps while watching the news, the captain sat across the table. Raising a hand, the captain signaled the waiter and ordered coffee.
Eri, with a mocking expression that seemed to belittle Annal, also sat, as if guarding the captain.
Offering a slight nod, the captain, wearing a silver mask, sipped their coffee and leaned back in the . 
While Annal was aware he had a mask too, it was thanks to a magical disguise tool, making them appear as ordinary faces to others.
“This is our home turf, you know. I think you should be careful with your words and actions. Things have been quite tense around here lately.”
Glancing at the barista who had begun preparing coffee at the counter, the captain offered a cautionary reminder. Scratching their head, Annal responded silently, assuring them they were fine.
“In this district, Nidhogg is unlikely to be present.”
“Being cautious is still advisable. We don’t know for sure where ears and eyes might be.”
“Well, yeah, you’re right… I’ll be careful.”
While uttering an apology, Annal decided to convey his concerns.
“Captain, we’ve managed to obtain new identities, and made a lot of money, right? So, how about we lay low from here on out?”
This time, they had crossed a quite dangerous bridge by attacking the noble’s children. Annal remembered that the reward was an exceptionally hefty sum.
Having been mercenaries for a few years, he knew that the scent of danger could translate into gold, but it could also bring about heightened peril. This time, there was a growing sense that the risk might not be worth the reward.
“Let’s distance ourselves from this organization a bit. We’re being treated as disposable, aren’t we?”
“…Indeed, as Annal suggests. However, there’s a bit of a problem. Payments from Kanna Dukedom are overdue.”
“Huh? Why is that? We did the job, didn’t we?”
Rising from their seat instinctively at the unexpected words from the captain, Annal confronted the situation. Eri’s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint, but even so, the captain met their stern gaze.