It was a given that Dia Rose, the Empire’s largest entertainment and gambling facility, was the best in the nation and often ranked among the top five on the entire continent.

But it suddenly shut its doors without any warning. Soon after, under the Empress’s decree, numerous individuals connected to Dia Rose were dragged before the imperial court.

The people thought the Empress had finally drawn her sword, but contrary to their expectations, they failed to reach the core of Abrarum.

This was because the connection between Dia Rose and Abrarum had been thoroughly severed. In the days following Dia Rose’s closure, mysterious corpses began appearing in the slum alleys, but no one paid them any attention.

Most people accepted it with a shrug—Abrarum had always been a mysterious organization, so what could be done? With that, they quickly turned their attention to another matter.

That matter was: Who had dared touch Dia Rose, one of Abrarum’s primary sources of income?

The official statement claimed that the Capital Guard had raided Dia Rose, a battle ensued, and evidence had been secured, but no one believed this.

Newspapers and magazines hurried to print whatever they could, flooding the streets with publications, but it was impossible for any journalist to uncover information that the imperial government was actively suppressing.

As a result, speculation disguised as stories ran wild. Perhaps because of this, after a few days, interest in Dia Rose waned rapidly.

“It’s a natural phenomenon. No one’s telling the truth, and all they’re doing is writing out their own delusions. Who’d keep reading?”

Standing at the Hound headquarters bar, Gilbert threw the magazine Boros had brought into the trash. Derrygan, sipping milk, nodded in agreement.

“It works out well for us. If any of this leaked and the truth about the Hounds came out, we’d be the first ones killed.”

There was no subject in Gilbert’s sentence, but there was no need to ask. Who else but the imperial government?

There’s a stark difference between rumors that a group exists and undeniable confirmation.

After the rebellion, the Empress had rapidly purged her enemies, overturned the political landscape, and quelled internal wars. She secured the loyalty of the people by championing herself as a supporter of the commoners.

During the previous Emperor’s corrupt reign, the Empire remained strong externally, but internally, especially among its citizens, morale had rotted to its core.

Thus, when the Empress climbed the execution stage herself and beheaded corrupt nobles and officials in dramatic public displays, the oppressed masses cheered her on enthusiastically.

Of course, revealing the existence of the Hounds wouldn’t spark another rebellion or topple her regime, but it would plant seeds of doubt and suspicion. Why take that risk? The Empress and her government could simply eliminate the Hounds temporarily and rebuild them when the dust settled.

That was their grim reality: tools to be used when needed and discarded when inconvenient. There was no glory or honor.

“But we do get paid. Let me tell you, I got to strut a little in front of my family yesterday. I didn’t even know my wife’s eyes could get that big. She started nagging for the first time, asking if I’d done something dangerous. I thought I’d die explaining everything.”

Gilbert laughed heartily, clearly pleased. Derrygan smiled faintly as he listened. Gilbert was a rare case: someone who had started a family after becoming a Hound.

Remarkably, Gilbert’s wife even knew about the Hounds. They had met through his work, after all, and despite everything, they now lived together and even had children.

Thinking about how miraculous that was, Derrygan’s thoughts turned to someone else.

“Speaking of which, where’s the captain? I remember he split the bonus with us and went into his office. Wasn’t he supposed to stay at headquarters?”

“Oh, the captain? He went out this morning.”

“Where to?”

“Where do you think?”

Gilbert gave Derrygan a look that said Do you really need to ask? And Derrygan finally remembered what their captain liked most.

“Who is it this time?”

“According to Haria—who went after him, cursing up a storm—it’s some merchant’s daughter this time.”

Gilbert’s explanation prompted Derrygan to stare thoughtfully at his glass of milk.

After witnessing the events at Dia Rose and hearing Haria’s explanations, no one in the Hounds doubted their captain’s strength anymore.

But… I still don’t understand what he’s thinking.

“Don’t worry, I won’t die,” the captain had said at Dia Rose. By deliberately showcasing his strength, he had aimed to ease their fears—fears rooted in the trauma of losing so many captains before him.

But why? Why would someone that strong care about a group of strangers he had just met?

After the Dia Rose incident, they had even investigated every woman Isaac had met, wondering if his relationships were a cover for something deeper. But they discovered nothing except the captain’s genuine fondness for women—and his extraordinary stamina.

“Hey, stop overthinking it. All we need to do is follow orders, same as always.”

Gilbert patted Derrygan’s shoulder reassuringly. He, too, had wondered the same thing. In truth, all the Hounds had.

But no matter how much they thought about it, nothing would change. Someone else held the leash, after all.

“The Empress and the government must be more concerned than us. They clearly had no idea how strong the captain was.”

“True. I wish I could’ve seen their faces when they found out.”

The two seasoned Hounds shared a wry grin.

“Shouldn’t we remove him from the position of Hound captain?”

The conference room fell into silence at the suggestion of one of the ministers. This was no ordinary daily meeting to discuss state affairs.

This was the center of the Empire—the inner circle, attended only by Empress Marianne Blata’s closest allies and the leaders of the faction that had brought her to power.

In this meeting, sensitive and dangerous information—matters that could not be spoken of openly in state assemblies—was constantly exchanged. Today’s meeting was no exception.

These individuals were among the few who knew of the Hounds’ existence. Even most nobles of the Empire were unaware of the Hounds’ true nature.

For generations, whenever nobles committed transgressions, word would reach the emperor’s closest advisors. The emperor and their circle would dispatch the Hounds to eliminate the cause of the problem, collecting their payment afterward.

That role had not disappeared; it had merely shifted from the former emperor’s circle, who had been purged, to Marianne and her closest confidants.

Today’s topic, of course, revolved around Isaac. Public interest in Dia Rose had waned surprisingly quickly, but there was no guarantee that such an incident wouldn’t happen again.

As such, they were debating Isaac’s future role, but opinions were far more divided than expected.

“This is absurd! He single-handedly annihilated the top-tier combatants of Dia Rose—warriors even Imperial Knights wouldn’t dare confront! Instead of dismissing him, we should be making use of his strength!”

“No one is suggesting expelling him from the Empire! Besides, there’s no concrete proof that he was the one who killed them!”

The Capital Guard’s late investigation reported an almost unbelievable conclusion: a large group of former A-rankers and Class-1 criminals had been defeated by a single individual.

The Capital Guard, unaware of the Hounds, could not identify who that individual was. However, those present here had received the Hounds’ report and knew that person was Isaac.

This divided the room into two factions. One group argued for appointing him as a knight to bolster the Empire’s strength, while the other insisted on sending him far away, fearing his unforeseen power.

“It’s obvious the Hounds orchestrated this and used him as a shield!”

“What would they gain from such a scheme? Do you honestly believe the Hounds alone could take on Abrarum’s elite forces?”

Neither side attempted to persuade the other, and the debate showed no sign of ending. Normally, Marianne would have stepped in with her imposing authority to mediate, but she simply rested her chin on her hand, observing silently.

This only allowed the discord to continue unchecked. Among those present, some genuinely served Marianne and her family, but most did not.

The majority were individuals who had been sidelined by the previous emperor’s power and had been brought into Marianne’s fold during her rebellion, gaining power after her victory.

‘They fought as one during the rebellion… and now look at them.’

Marianne suppressed a sigh. If it were up to her, she would dispose of everyone except her true confidants, but purging the merit-holders so easily was not an option. Just as she was about to intervene, someone else spoke.

“Let us all calm down. You are discussing the consort of Her Majesty the Empress.”

Marianne narrowed her eyes with suspicion. The voice belonged to Fabian Jericho.

Fabian was the head of the Jericho Ducal House, a family whose ancestors had played a key role in founding the Empire alongside the first emperor.

Originally one of the core pillars of the former emperor’s faction, Fabian had shrewdly sensed the rebellion’s success and switched allegiances just in time to maintain his power.

Though she had no choice but to align with him for her victory, Fabian sat at the very top of Marianne’s “people to eventually kill” list.

Confirming that all eyes were on him, Fabian continued.

“It is true that Isaac possesses an unexpected level of power, but at the end of the day, he is just one individual. It is difficult to imagine him as a significant threat.”

Fabian’s words struck directly at their fears. That was what truly unsettled the shouting ministers: the fear that the Empress’s consort might someday threaten their power.

Fabian pressed on.

“Furthermore, the role of the Hound captain has always been to act as a shield, drawing attacks that would otherwise be directed at us. If he possesses exceptional strength, he will simply fulfill that role for a longer time. This is, in fact, advantageous to us.”

“Your argument has merit, Duke Jericho… but what if he causes another incident like this?”

Fabian smiled. The minister who asked felt insulted, mistaking the smile for mockery, but Fabian spoke again before he could react.

“What is the issue? The Hounds are a secret organization. There’s no risk of their existence becoming public knowledge. Besides, Abrarum was already a target we needed to eliminate, though various factors prevented us from acting. Now, someone has taken care of it for us without orders. Isn’t that a boon to us?”

The other ministers, including the previously agitated one, began nodding in agreement. On the surface, Fabian’s argument was sound.

No matter how strong Isaac was, he was still just one person. The Hounds were a secret organization that could not operate in the open. Moreover, Abrarum would undoubtedly retaliate, leading to further conflict.

If Isaac destroyed Abrarum in the process, it would be beneficial; if not, their power would still be weakened, much like in the Dia Rose incident. In any scenario, they stood to gain.

On the surface, at least.

“Well, that’s true enough.”

“The Duke has a point.”

“Perhaps we were overreacting.”

With consensus reached, the meeting quickly settled down. Fabian returned to his quiet, observant demeanor, prompting no further concern from the others. But the Empress and her closest aides were not so easily fooled.

‘What are you plotting this time, you bastard?’

The meeting concluded without Fabian speaking again.