A purple-haired girl was waiting in front of a room with a maid beside her. They were Yoon Murasaki and Yukiko.
"Yukiko, is my appearance strange today?"
Yoon asked a little shyly while turning herself around to ask for Yukiko's opinion.
"Take it easy, Hime-sama! You're always beautiful at any time!"
"Is that so? Ahem, by the way when is He going to come out of his room? It's already noon!"
Yoon grumbled in annoyance while looking at the door in front of him even so Yoon looked like he was enjoying the wait.
"...Hime-sama..."
Yukiko could only sigh, seeing her master who was very disciplined should not like people who were late but right now Yoon was enjoying waiting.
(I should do something about Hime-sama's strange fondness for men... But it's true that it's rare that young master Zend doesn't go out...)
Feeling awkward, Yukiko chose to ask a maid who passed by them.
"Excuse me..."
"Yes? How can I help you?"
"Do you know the whereabouts of young master Zend?"
Hearing the word young master Zend instantly made the maid's pupils and body tremble with fear.
(Does this maid have a trauma with young master Zend? As I thought, young master Zend seems to be a dangerous person... But)
Yukiko looked at Yoon who was still staring at Zend's room while continuing to tidy up her hair.
(Haa...)
"Y-Young master has been out of the room since this morning..."
"Eh?"
...
For some reason my ears were itching, was someone talking about me...
Of course such a cliché sentence wouldn't appear, after all how could such an unrealistic thing happen.
I was currently walking around the city disguised as a traveler with a slightly dirty robe that I found in a warehouse.
I started my training earlier than usual and went straight out without breakfast. Probably because I wasn't well-liked by the workers, even if I went out or disappeared for a while no one would care on the workers' side.
But fortunately thanks to that I was able to leave with peace of mind but if I had wandered around with my face then the entire town would have run away from me. So the best solution is to hide myself.
Today I plan to look at the situation outside and find a suitable place for the organization I'm going to create as well as look for suitable members.
I only brought Nifl and left Muspel in the room. Although I wanted to take Nifl out for a walk, it seemed like Nifl was still asleep.
Nifl, who is a Soul Weapon, shouldn't need sleep but because my ice element affinity is weak, Nifl drains a lot of energy just to talk to me.
(I need to increase my affinity as soon as possible.)
(Recently, the cold has been getting stronger in Wolfled territory. Is Titan's awakening able to have this kind of effect too?)
While thinking about things, I suddenly smelled a delicious smell from a food stall.
I approached the food stall and saw what was written on the board, Mora.
"Do you want Mora, boy?"
I nodded and the stand owner handed me the food.
"How did you know I was a boy?"
"Heh, even though you're hiding yourself in that messy cloak, I can see the well-formed body of a real man."
(Judging from this man's injuries. Looks like this guy was a former soldier at the frontier wall huh?)
"Not bad for a retiree..."
"I feel honored. Even though you're supposed to be a child but somehow you're so mature. Are you an Invander? That small but muscular creature, what's it called...duar?"
"Dwarf?"
"That's right! Are you a Dwarf?"
"No, I'm not a Dwarf. Just an ordinary human like you."
After that I took a sliver coin from my wallet and gave it to the owner of the stand.
"Just take the change..."
"T-thank you very much!"
I looked for a nearby seat and sat down. I then looked at the food I bought, Mora, a food that looks like fried rice.
Mora, a food derived from some monster meat and dangerous plants. Although it sounds dangerous but by mixing each ingredient, it makes the dish delicious and loses the element of danger.
(It's very nostalgic, the first time I ate it I was also very surprised. I never thought that street food would be this good...)
While eating the food, suddenly a blond-haired boy ran up and bumped into me. Instantly the Mora that I had just half eaten spilled out.
"S-sorry!"
The boy bowed his head apologizing to me with great regret.
"No, it's okay. Be careful next time, okay?"
"Okay! Goodbye!"
As the boy walked away, I took out 2 wallets, mine and someone else's. It was the wallet I had taken from the boy.
Why would I take a kid's wallet? Of course it was because the boy tried to steal my wallet so I stole his wallet.
"Is that kid from the slums?"
Looking at the boy's dirty appearance and unkempt hair plus stealing is typical of slums.
I looked at the wallet I stole, the wallet I just took from the boy seemed too luxurious to belong to someone from the slums.
"I wonder what kind of expression that boy will show?"
...
"There is nothing! Nothing!"
A boy shouted in confusion as he rummaged through his pockets, the wallet he had taken some time ago was missing along with his other wallets.
"Brother?"
"Is it the day we won't eat again?"
Some starving children asked the boy. From the condition of their bodies, it was obvious that they were malnourished.
Seeing their plight, the boy clenched his hands tightly.
"I'm sorry everyone-"
"Did you just give up?"
A voice that was confusing whether it was a man or a woman sounded from behind the boy.
To the boy's surprise, there was someone in a dirty robe that he should have stolen his wallet from.
(Did that person already know I stole his wallet? Is that person here to kill us?)
"Take it easy, I'm here to return something."
The person threw something and the child caught it.
"Here!"
"Yes, your wallet, or should I say stolen wallet?"
"Kh!"
The boy was instantly alert and tried to protect the children behind him.
"Heh, I'm always waiting for those eyes..."
The person smiled ghastly from behind the darkness in the hood of his cloak.
"Do you want to protect those children?"
"...Yes..."
The person's smile instantly formed a crescent moon, then the person removed the veil covering his face.
What the boy saw was a person who could not be seen clearly as the face was blurred chaotically but the boy could see that the person in front of him had black hair and red eyes.
"Then, work for me. Hero..."
...
(It's amazing! It's really amazing! I never thought a 'Hero' was here!)
'Hero', a special entity directly chosen by Heaven to kill The Evil One, and the one who slaughtered the most of The Evil One's troops in episode 1.
Although I only met him once, I still remember the face of 'Hero'. Blond hair like the sun, blue eyes like the sky and a handsome face filled with monster blood.
And the stature of 'Hero' was right in front of me.
I looked at the boy in front of me who looked confused by my invitation to work for me.
The role of Hero in this episode will be empty because I am indirectly a 'Hero' because I was chosen by Heaven but I can't do heroic things like a real Hero because I have to be a Villain.
But if I have this person, I can solve problems that require a Hero to come out directly.
But unfortunately the work I want to do is not suitable to be called a Hero.
(Is that okay?)
While puzzling over my own choice, the Hero walked over to me with a bit of fear towards me.
(It seems like the Hero is afraid of me because it can't see my face clearly.)
I'm currently wearing a mask that I bought from the system.
[Cognitive Mask: A mask capable of hiding the wearer's face. Used to create confusion and forget the owner's face from anyone who looks.]
"If I work for you, will I be able to support my family?"
I looked at the children behind the hero and smiled.
"Of course."
"Then, I accept the offer!"
"Good!"
...
"M-mister?"
"..."
"Mister!"
"What do you mean me?"
*Nod*
"But I'm not that loyal... So what's up?"
"Where are we going?"
I'm currently taking Hero and the other kids with me to one place.
"B-but this place is so quiet? Don't tell me-"
"We're here..."
Before Hero could speak further, I pointed out that we were already at our destination.
"Eh?"
But Hero and the other kids looked confused, which was only natural since the place I pointed out was just a wall of an alley in a slum.
"As I suspected, you're trying to-"
I put my hand on the wall and channeled Mana.
Instantly a downward staircase appeared in front of my feet.
"Welcome to my base..."