"Count, Count!"

A thirty-year-old man sitting in a leather chair behind his wooden desk glanced toward the door at a man who had just entered, panting heavily from excessive running.

"What happened?"

He was cold, a man in his thirties with immense wealth, power, and a domain so vast that proposals from noblewomen filled his trash bin. His handsome face, amber eyes, black hair, and chiseled jawline made him a supermodel in the world of women.

"The two-hundred-man search regiment that went to the Forbidden Mountain hasn't returned!"

Count Frank C. Solar raised an eyebrow and put down the paper in his hand.

"That's the third search team, isn't it?"

His servant nodded in confirmation.

"The noble houses under your command have been severely affected by the loss of their elite knights. They demand that you personally lead an expedition to the Forbidden Mountain to investigate."

"If I march with my army, it might cause diplomatic issues with those demons and break the temporary peace from our side. That would bring a lot of trouble for me…"

"But Count, if you don't act—"

"Interesting news is spreading in the surrounding cities. New and large guilds are forming, some with powerful individuals that intrigue me even more. According to the intelligence I bought, they call themselves 'Heroes'."

"Yes, you're right. Many guilds have been established by these so-called heroes. Their goal is the extermination of the Demon Kings—monstrous beings that, according to them, have invaded our world from another dimension."

The Count gazed at the mirror reflecting the vast expanse outside his grand palace.

"What if this disappearance is related to those creatures called Demon Kings?"

"That's a plausible assumption. Reports indicate that these creatures have caused destruction in the Empire, Castlevania, the Land of the Dead, the Ice Mountains, and the Frozen Plateau. Based on our intelligence, these Hero Guilds are eliminating them at an alarming rate."

"Then we won't have a problem. If these guilds act, we'll just send a few heads rolling and claim ignorance. Secretly, hire all the guilds to uncover the truth behind the missing search teams."

"But hiring all of them won't go unnoticed!"

"I know. Just make sure it doesn't trace back to us. Have one of those incompetent nobles appear as the employer. Worst case, we get rid of a nuisance."

"Understood. I'll carry out your orders."

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The door closed, and the Count returned to his documents. Tax profits from trade and the sale of monster parts and magical resources had surged, thanks to the Hero Guilds. With King Arthur's support for these groups, they were growing in power rapidly.

"We just need to send them into dangerous places and increase their casualties. That way, they won't get out of control."

—

In the Golden Eagles Guild, located in the heart of Solar's grand trading city, heroes—who had taken over various bodies—were either forming teams to hunt a Demon King or eliminate monster nests.

Among them, a lone hero sat quietly, dressed in simple cloth with minimal iron armor covering only his weak spots. He watched the other members. The lowest-ranked hero present was Level 2, with many Level 3s and 4s, while the guild leader was rumored to be Level 5.

He himself was a Level 4, recognized as an elite among the city's heroes. However, he was isolated—because on his last Demon King hunt, all his teammates had died. He had returned alone after slaying the Demon King, and many believed he had found something valuable in the Demon King's treasure and killed his own team to keep it for himself.

"Ahhh, this damn lonely life… What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Just then, a young girl's voice reached him.

"Um, hello. Do you have a moment to talk?"

He turned to see three teenage girls—two wizards and one priest. The problem was that the priest was only Level 1, while the other two were Level 2. He wouldn't have even glanced at such a low-ranked team before. But that was back when his peers still formed parties with him.

"What do you want?"

The girl who spoke was a fire mage, standing in front of an ice mage, who was her twin sister, and the priest, their friend.

"We wanted to see if you'd team up with us."

"To hunt a Demon King?"

"Yeah!"

Alas gave them a serious look.

"Do you have any experience fighting them?"

"No!"

Alas confirmed his suspicion, then stood up and walked toward the guild's exit.

"So, does that mean you're in or not?"

He raised an eyebrow and looked back at them.

"You're joking, right? You expect me to carry a bunch of dead weight and boost your levels for free? Go scam some other unlucky girl."

"But without you, even Demon Kings aren't a threat to us!"

Alas clenched his long, narrow golden sword and laughed at her words.

"If they weren't dangerous, three of my Level 4 teammates wouldn't have died to one."

With that, he left. The other guild members who had been listening to their conversation could see the sorrow and anger in his face. Some began to doubt the rumors about him, though others still believed he was playing a role.

"Nina, Tina, let's go find a tank."

The priest girl, with long golden hair down to her waist, blue eyes, and a long golden robe, spoke.

"Even with all the bad rumors about him, I still wanted to give him a chance to clear his name."

The ice mage placed a hand on her twin sister's shoulder.

"Still, we would've been using him too."

"Ahhh, I know… but it would've been mutually beneficial…"

—

At that moment, on the second floor of the guild, a large door opened. A towering, 2.5-meter-tall man with dark skin, long braided African hair, and a massive, battle-scarred muscular body stepped out. He placed his hands on the railing and looked down at the adventurers below.

"All members of the Golden Eagles Guild, along with the other guilds in the city, are being sent to investigate the disappearance of a group of knights in the Black Mountain. The bounty for uncovering the truth—with proof—is ten million gold Arthurian coins. Everyone must participate. This is a full-scale operation, and there's a chance a Demon King is behind this."

The three girls smiled. An adventure had practically fallen into their laps, and they might even earn some rewards from it.

Meanwhile, Alas, standing at the guild's entrance, listened to the announcement. He muttered a prayer for whoever their enemy was and started heading home—the home that once belonged to the original owner of his body.