New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/2 chapters)

Black Delight*

(POV switch – Reingard)

A large trade ship connecting the Rauda Continent and the Rivada Continent. The ship was on its way toward the Rauda Continent, specifically to the Elindrois Kingdom. While its primary purpose was transporting cargo, it also carried passengers. However, this time, the ship set sail with very few goods on board.

Ever since a certain disaster led to the collapse of the Grand Labyrinth in Azarigrad, the number of tourists visiting the Rivada Continent had drastically decreased. Moreover, materials from the monsters, once a specialty of the labyrinth, had become difficult to obtain, causing tourism merchants and trade merchants alike to lose profits. As a result, not only the labyrinth city but also the port town of Dali Amor on the Rauda Continent side had been suffering from worsening economic conditions and public safety.

This ship, while mainly used for cargo, carried far fewer exports than in previous years. Wooden boxes containing magical tools and materials from monsters had decreased to about half their usual amount. In its peak period, this spacious cargo hold would have been packed full of export goods. In a dark corner of that sparsely filled cargo hold, an old man in tattered black robes crouched in silence. His name was Reingard Aldridge.

He was the nephew of the famous noble magician Isaiah Aldridge. Under normal circumstances, he should have led a life of elegance due to his bloodline. Why, then, was he hiding in a miserable state within the shadows of a cargo ship? That question was one even Reingard had asked himself countless times.

“Isaiah… Aldridge…” (Reingard)

Hateful.

He was so unbearably filled with hatred that Reingard muttered the name. Reingard’s father, Adalbert Aldridge, as the eldest son and rightful heir, was supposed to be fulfilling his duties in Barwitch by now. But it was Isaiah Aldridge, the second son, who despised conflict and was regarded as the greatest failure of the Aldridge Household, who suddenly rose to power. His father Adalbert had everything taken from him. Wealth, fame, even his spouse. His entire future was stripped away. And eventually, he took his own life.

The branch family, burdened by excessive debts and targeted by loan sharks, had all their remaining assets confiscated. Only one child, Reingard, was left behind. The place he ended up in was the “Light’s Droplet Orchestra”, a so-called paradise that took in many orphans and trained them as performers. There were many dependable adults, including the troupe leader Grace, the vice leader Medna Lauren, and Kreus, the former captain of the city’s guard. However, in the process of expanding the organization for the sake of these children without hope, that paradise also fell apart.

Thus, the next place Reingard drifted to was the labyrinth city, the slums. Just as he was now attempting to stow away and illegally enter a country by ship, he had also traveled there. Azarigrad, which had lost its legal system long ago and now functioned only under the non-binding “soft law” maintained by adventurers, was supposed to be a paradise for Reingard as well.

Of course, it goes without saying that Reingard, already mentally unstable at the time, had no such rational thoughts. However, his migration from the kingdom’s territory, where only despair awaited, was likely driven by a natural human instinct to seek hope. But Reingard’s misfortunes did not end there.

In the city of freedom, Azarigrad, Reingard, having lost his moral compass, committed countless acts of violence. What remained in him was only the blood of a great magician. Specialized in dark magic, he used his abilities to carry out all kinds of invasions. Murder, injury, robbery, extortion, rape, sexual assault, destruction. Having gone through adolescence with no support and in the depths of despair, Reingard had no sense that these acts were wrong. His desire for self-affirmation exploded, and he committed these actions merely as a form of asserting his existence.

However, during the Urban Fraternity Festival organized by the Adventurers’ Guild, he disrupted a battle tournament, which exposed his criminal record. As a result, he was placed on the guild’s wanted list. This meant he could no longer accept quests, the final lifeline for a wanderer. Once again, Reingard had lost a place to belong.

Driven away, he decided to sneak back into the kingdom. He had no particular plan. Foolish, perhaps, but by this point, Reingard’s repeated wandering was akin to the habitual behavior of an animal driven by base instinct.

—

Reingard arrived at the port town of Dali Amor.

Even as he gazed at that familiar scene, no particular feelings arose. It was time to say farewell to the foul-smelling cargo hold where he had spent so long. For someone who lurked in the shadows like him, perhaps it had been a fitting place to stay. Irritated by the sunlight of day, Reingard quickly left the port, seeking out the shadows. He passed through the poorly maintained checkpoint with practiced movements and easily slipped back into the kingdom’s territory. No one paid any attention to that filthy young man.

The scenery of Dali Amor, where he had once lived, had changed significantly. Above all, the deterioration of public safety stood out. In the past, even elegantly dressed noblewomen would walk along the glamorous, lamplit streets at night, but now there were few people around. However, that was convenient for Reingard, who wanted to avoid being seen.

He needed to find a new place to sleep while he could. He had a feeling there were many vacant houses. The abandoned apartment complex looked lonely somehow, and for the isolated Reingard, it seemed easy to grow attached to. With efficient movements, he forced open the lock of the building and broke in. The lock had already rusted from the sea breeze and seemed easy to break. It appeared that management had become quite careless as well. He advanced through the dark hallway, climbed the stairs, and began searching each room. He fixed his eyes on a door that still retained its proper shape and opened it without hesitation.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” (Thug)

“!” (Reingard)

He had been discovered. He had just been caught by the resident. Cold sweat formed on his brow as he realized his blunder. But this so-called resident looked strange. He had the face of what one would call a thug. A well-trained body, a face covered in scars, tattoos crisscrossing all over his body. He had the look of someone who lived in the underworld.

“Trying to sneak into our hideout, what a damn idiot.” (Thug)

“What’s goin’ on, Aniki?” (Thug’s Underling)

“This little rat was trying to sneak in.” (Thug)

“Tch, filthy bastard, ain’t he?” (Thug’s Underling)

It seemed this place was being used as the hideout of a group of thugs. For an ordinary apartment complex to be used that way, the city’s public safety must have truly hit rock bottom.

Reingard, acting on reflex, grabbed a nearby candleholder and infused it with mana. Dark Magic: “Structure Conversion (Alternative Square)”, a spell that rearranged the structural components of a material to alter its shape. This technique, which he had learned from Medna Lauren, allowed instruments to be transformed directly into weapons. At a lower rank, one could only turn stick-like objects into spears, but Reingard was a Rank B. If the candleholder was already sharp, converting it into a dagger was a trivial matter.

“Oh…? Pretty cocky, ain’t you.” (Thug)

*Clang*

An impact jolted his arm. The thug’s clenched fist came crashing down on Reingard’s arm, causing him to drop the dagger.

“Ah… guh…” (Reingard)

Then the thug grabbed Reingard’s thin, numb arm and hoisted him into the air.

“You a damn kid? I don’t care. I don’t go easy on brats.” (Thug)

“Guaaa!!” (Reingard)

The thug applied more and more pressure with his grip. At this rate, his right arm was about to snap.

“Hah?! How’s that, huh?! Don’t think I’ll let you off with just one arm!!” (Thug)

“…Satan… send forth my servant…” (Reingard)

Yet Reingard did not give up and began chanting dark magic. His only companion, the summoned beast Black Dog. It was a dog formed from crystallized black mana. He summoned it behind himself and, with a flick of his finger, gave it the signal to bite down from behind the thug.

*Gyaiiin!*

But immediately afterward, the cry of the Black Dog echoed through the room. Turning around, he saw another one of the thugs striking the creature with a blunt weapon. For them to strike such an eerie beast without hesitation, it was clear these thugs had nerves of steel.

“Heh heh, Aniki, this guy’s got some funny tricks up his sleeve.” (Thug’s Underling)

“Yeah, looks like it… Hey, lemme see that face of yours.” (Thug)

Still holding Reingard suspended in the air by the arm, the thug grabbed his chin and cheek with the other hand, roughly shook his overgrown hair left and right, and exposed Reingard’s face.

“Filthy bastard, you’ve got a face that’d make some perverted guys happy.” (Thug)

The thug grinned crudely. The underlings behind him also wore creepy smiles and watched the situation from a distance.

“Boss, could this one make us money?” (Underling)

“Yeah, if we sell him off, he’ll fetch a pretty high price.” (Thug)

Reingard had been involved in many crimes. He understood the meaning behind this conversation. It was human trafficking for perverted individuals, essentially, they were going to sell him off as a plaything for those with twisted sexual desires. This was not only a humiliating prospect but also meant that he would lose his future. In this country, where slavery didn’t exist, the buying and selling of people was, unfortunately, the work of those who dwelled in the underworld. It seemed that these thugs were involved in such dealings. This was a pitiful future that Reingard would do anything to avoid.

“…Uahh!! Aahhh!!” (Reingard)

He howled like a dog in a pitiful manner and kicked the large thug. But with Reingard’s emaciated body, he was unable to inflict any damage on the large man.

“Whoa. Heh heh… Good for you. I’ll make sure you live a life worth more than a sewer rat.” (Thug)

Right after those violent words, a powerful blow struck Reingard’s face, and he lost consciousness. Just before he lost consciousness, he heard these words:

“Heh heh, it’s gonna be a fun future, huh?” (Thug)

A fun future… a fun future…

He had never imagined such a thing in his life.

—

He woke up, but his vision remained dark. It seemed that his eyes had been tightly covered with cloth, and his hands and feet were bound. He also realized that he had a gag in his mouth.
He became anxious, wondering if he was about to be sold off to some pervert, but he didn’t remember being asleep for a long time. Even if he had been asleep, it likely hadn’t been more than one night, Reingard thought.

“Well, well, well, you’re awake, sewer rat.” (Thug)

The voice of the thug who had knocked him out reached his ears. In the dark, it was only the voice that could be heard. Judging from the echo, it seemed he was still in one of the apartment rooms. Both he and the thug knew that Reingard had no strength left to resist. But Reingard couldn’t stop himself from trying to resist. He had to avoid that tragic future, no matter what.

“F…f…f…” (Reingard)

“Now, now, don’t get so worked up.” (Thug)

Reingard’s resistance was quickly pacified, as if he were an animal being tamed.

“Selling you off to some perverted noble is easy enough.” (Thug)

“—Ugh! G…ah…” (Reingard)

“Hey now, calm down. But what we’re really interested in is your magic. Look.” (Thug)

The thug roughly removed Reingard’s gag and freed his mouth. Along with that, Reingard began coughing.

Reingard’s specialty was dark magic. Among that, his summoning magic, which primarily involved “servitude”, was what had caught the attention of the thugs the previous night. They figured that, rather than selling him off, he might be more useful if they made him help with their underground work. That was their thinking.

“…My magic… you say…?” (Reingard)

Reingard, upon hearing those words, let out a surprisingly bright voice. He was simply happy. After a life of being belittled, this was the first time he felt like his magic had been acknowledged. Ironically, those words were spoken in this filthy room, by a thug of all people.

“Yeah, that’s right. There are tons of people who can cast fire or water spells. I can even light a match myself. But I’ve never seen magic that can summon an animal like that. That’s a special talent that doesn’t come around often.” (Thug)

“Tch… kuhhh hah…” (Reingard)

Reingard coughed as he laughed mockingly, then spat phlegm at the thug.

“Hey, you… have you lost your mind?” (Thug)

“Geh… hah… that’s nothing… my magic… haa… haa…” (Reingard)

That mocking laugh was directed at the thug, who was impressed by the Black Dog. Reingard couldn’t help but find it amusing how low the thug’s standards were. He wondered how they would react if he summoned a Black Octopus, or even more bizarre and monstrous creatures.

The thug seemed to be annoyed by the judgment of his ability but was fully aware that merely barking orders wasn’t the sole duty of a boss. Swallowing his anger, he provocatively spoke to Reingard.

“Hoh, is that so? Then what kind of magic can you use?” (Thug)

“Heh heh heh… If it’s black magic, I can use anything.” (Reingard)

“Black magic”, that was a slang term used in that circle. “Black” didn’t just mean dark magic. It encompassed any magic that, regardless of whether it was fire magic or ice magic, would make one hesitate if they had any moral conscience. These were the types of spells that could never be learned through proper magic education. They were the kinds of forbidden magics that thrived in the underworld.

“……Hoh, I like that. How about joining our organization? If you become one of us, we won’t sell you to the black market. But you’d have to do the work. Use your peculiar magic to help out.” (Thug)

“…” (Reingard)

Reingard understood that there was no real choice in that proposal. He had been living a life that defied morality from the start. Joining these people and hiding away from the public might be his best option. Reingard thought this over and shook hands with the man.

“What’s your name? I’m Ugo. They call me the Solid Ugo. That’s what they call me around here.” (Ugo)

“Reingard…” (Reingard)

“Reingard, huh? From now on, you’ll call me boss. I won’t bother teaching you the ins and outs of the organization. You’ll learn by experience.” (Ugo)

“Solid”—indeed, Ugo was a man like a rock, unmoving even when kicked.

Reingard thought so and gripped Ugo’s rough hand.

—

After that, Reingard became a member of the underground organization “Arcana Orcus”. It was said to mean “Underground Thugs,” but the origin of the name didn’t really matter to him. The work wasn’t particularly remarkable. It was just an extension of the acts of invasion that Reingard had been doing. Arcana Orcus, connected to the black market, specialized in kidnapping. They targeted specific races for the owners’ orders and snatched women and children. It was extremely violent and inefficient.

To make matters worse, the members wasted the money they earned from kidnappings on alcohol and women, drowning in lethargy. But it seemed Ugo was a strong presence, and the organization was well-coordinated. They did their work properly, and they never touched the “products” they captured. However, not long after Reingard joined, a member snatched an elven woman and tried to forcefully rape her. But Ugo, having witnessed the scene, immediately punched the would-be rapist.

Reingard, puzzled, once asked Ugo, “Why didn’t you join in, boss? Don’t you want to have fun too?”. Whenever the scum of the organization witnessed something like that, they’d just join in, ruining the product they’d worked so hard to capture. It was strange to Reingard that Ugo reacted differently. Ugo’s response was, “If the product gets damaged, it won’t sell. It’ll cause trouble for everyone”. Reingard learned that for a boss running a large organization, this kind of self-discipline was essential.

At first, Reingard was relegated to the role of a mere watchdog. His job was to prevent the target from escaping during kidnappings and to make sure the royal guards, who patrolled the city, didn’t spot them. The role was no different from what he had done when he was part of the “Light Dew Orchestra”.

One day, Reingard was called by the boss and was led to the room where he had first encountered Ugo and fought him.

“Reingard… looks like you’ve gotten pretty good at this work, huh?” (Ugo)

“Well, that’s not really my concern. It’s just something I’m used to.” (Reingard)

He was doing well financially and getting proper nutrition. Ironically, it was only after joining this underground organization that Reingard’s mind had returned to its normal state. It was different from the madness he had experienced when he was in the labyrinth city. He could even say that he had become fully sane again, feeling more alive than ever.

“Heh, still as cheeky as ever, huh? Well, whatever. Today, I’ve got a little more advanced job for you, Reingard.” (Ugo)

“I see. What kind of job?” (Reingard)

“Listen carefully. Even lowlifes like you get secret jobs sometimes, you know? Don’t go blabbing about it to the loose-tongued guys.” (Ugo)

Ugo’s smug tone began to irritate Reingard. Whether it was secret or not, he didn’t have any intention of talking about it. If anything, he had always wondered why these people were so talkative. It was as if they couldn’t help but gossip. To Reingard, Ugo’s warning was just something to ignore.

“If you’re knowledgeable in magic, you must have heard of it, right? The name of Aldridge.” (Ugo)

At that name, Reingard shuddered.

Aldridge… The magical noble, Aldridge…

He had lived his life harboring a deep resentment for that name. Reingard himself also belonged to that family, but he absolutely did not want to acknowledge that. He could never bring himself to bear the same surname as someone he hated so much. He never wanted to claim such a name, even if asked by anyone.

“So… what’s that got to do with anything?” (Reingard)

Reingard tried to act calm.

“Take a look at this.” (Ugo)

Ugo roughly threw a piece of paper at him. It was a quest request form, the kind commonly seen at adventurers’ guilds. The notice, under the name of Ozeas Skillward from the Melpeque Church, was calling for musicians. Reingard read the request carefully.

It stated that next weekend, at the main mansion of the Aldridge Household, there would be a grand celebration combining the graduation ceremony of the eldest son, Isaiah Aldridge Jr., from the magic academy, and his birthday party. The “Melpeque Church’s direct musical group” was to be called in for the event, but they were short on performers, so they were seeking additional musicians.

“Ozeas Skillward…” (Reingard)

Reingard recognized the name. It was the elderly man who, during his time with the Light Dew Orchestra, had provided funding for the construction of the paradise Cyans, and had also helped brainwash the children they had imprisoned. The word “musical group” in that request caught his attention. Ozeas, a musical group. That combination reminded him of the past.

“Your job is to mess up that party and steal the valuables from the servants of the Aldridge Household.” (Ugo)

“What…? So it’s kidnapping after all?” (Reingard)

“Yeah. The noble’s servants are well-trained. They don’t cause trouble, so they’re easier to sell.” (Ugo)

“Wouldn’t it be easier to kidnap the noble themselves and get a huge ransom?” (Reingard)

“…” (Ugo)

Reingard didn’t hesitate to voice his thoughts. At that, Ugo froze for a moment.

“…You’ve got a point. Damn, you’re sharp, Reingard.” (Ugo)

Ugo gritted his teeth and slouched in frustration. However, it was only a brief moment, and he quickly straightened up and spoke again.

“Ah, no, that won’t do. Demanding a ransom is too risky. It’s easy to trace back.” (Ugo)

“My dark magic won’t be a problem.” (Reingard)

“I’m not doubting your magic… but when you’re taking a big risk, you need to have the right kind of resolve. The fact that Arcana Orcus has been stable up until now is because we’ve been careful.” (Ugo)

“I see…” (Reingard)

However, for Reingard, this was an opportunity to finally bring harm to the noble himself.
In other words, it was revenge on the Aldridge Household.

“How about it? Can you do it? This time, it’s on their turf, so it’s pretty risky, you know?” (Ugo)

This theft couldn’t be carried out in the same organized way as before. In the past, the method was to establish territory in the city, lead the target there, and then abduct them when they wandered. That was the usual tactic of the organization. However, they couldn’t rush into a noble’s mansion with a large group of thugs. There would probably be many guards and soldiers with them. That’s why, for this job, it seemed that Reingard was being told to handle it alone.

“I figured with a skilled magic user like you, you could make a big profit in one shot.” (Ugo)

“I’ll do it, of course.” (Reingard)

Reingard answered immediately, without hesitation. Ugo liked this man. Unlike the other thugs, he understood what an organization was. His magical abilities were more than adequate, and his mind was sharp.

“Well, don’t overdo it since you’re going alone. At the very least, if you get something valuable…” (Ugo)

“I’ll be fine.” (Reingard)

It was rare for the usually solid Ugo to offer words of caution, but even that was interrupted. Reingard no longer saw Ugo. His mind was already filled with something else.

“…Heh, I’ll leave it to you. I trust you.” (Ugo)

More than Ugo’s filthy laugh, Reingard wore a wicked smile that he had never shown before. That smile held within it his desire for revenge against the Aldridge Household. How would he expose these nobles? How would he make them taste humiliation? He was filled with such delusional thoughts. At that moment, Reingard felt as if the future had been brightly illuminated for the first time.

—

A fun future, huh?

He recalled the words he heard when Ugo knocked him unconscious. It was exactly as Ugo had said. For the first time, Reingard realized that “revenge” was something enjoyable. This realization slowly penetrated deeper into his heart over time, settling there naturally. It gradually began to corrupt his heart, and in time, this opportunity began to feel like fate, something orchestrated by the gods themselves.

Revenge. On Isaiah Aldridge… That tyrant who brought about misfortune…

—

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