CHAPTER 01.
Boom! Bang! Boom bang bang!
Someone was hitting the front door of Baron Aderet’s old, broken house very hard. The door shook, and dust fell from the edges. It looked like it might fall down any moment.
“Open up!”
A man shouted angrily. His voice echoed through the whole house.
“If you don’t open this door, I’ll break it down! Baron, do you have the money ready?”
Inside, Luna stood still with her hand on the doorknob. She was alone in the house. The angry voice scared her. The man clearly wanted something from her grandfather—and it didn’t sound like a friendly visit.
“I tried to be polite! But if you won’t listen, then bring the axe!”
“W-Wait! I’m opening it!”
Her hand shaking, Luna unlocked the door. It opened with a creak, and several men dressed in black rushed in like a group of crows.
“Grab anything valuable! Find the Baron—he’s hiding somewhere!”
The biggest man gave the order.
“Grandfather isn’t here! Get out! I’ll report you—!”
“Stop crying,” one man said calmly, but his cold voice was scarier than shouting. “You should be glad we’re not arresting you.”
Luna’s heart pounded. She was frozen in place.
These men were from the Raven Guild—famous for collecting debts in cruel ways. The Vice-Captain himself began searching every room for Baron Alonzo Aderet.
He returned soon, looking angry and disgusted.
“I heard nobles were going broke, but this is just sad.”
“The Baron isn’t here. What now?” someone asked.
“Damn it!”
The captain wiped his sweaty face, swearing loudly. If they couldn’t get the money, maybe they’d take the Baron’s organs instead. That thought made his eyes darken.
“…Wait. Maybe there’s another way.”
He looked at Luna, who stood quietly in the corner.
“You say you’re from a wizard family, but you have no magic? Aren’t you ashamed?”
Luna’s face turned red. She couldn’t say anything back. He was right.
Her family had once been famous for magic, but now… nothing. Her parents had been powerful magicians, but they died in an accident five years ago. Her grandfather tried to save the family with risky plans but only made things worse. Now, they were deep in debt.
She looked away from the captain.
He slowly walked toward her, spinning a sharp axe in his hand like he was getting ready to kill. His eyes studied her like she was meat at a butcher shop.
“Do you know any magic?” he asked slowly. “Think carefully. If you want your grandfather to keep his eyes.”
Luna’s body shook with fear.
The captain stared at her, and suddenly, something changed in his expression. He looked more curious.
‘Maybe I should just take her instead,’ he thought.
She was beautiful. Her soft pink hair, rare in the East, looked like spring flowers. Her pink eyes were deep, and her skin was so pale it looked see-through.
She looked like a fragile little rabbit.
Maybe she was worth more than the money her grandfather owed.
He grinned. If she was ruined, it wasn’t his problem. She could blame her foolish grandfather.
Normally, the Raven Guild didn’t touch family members. But there were exceptions.
This girl had no money, no power, no one to protect her.
His golden teeth shone as he smiled.
Luna flinched.
“I… I know a little purification magic,” she said, her voice shaking.
“What?” the captain said, surprised. “Say that again?”
She paused. Using magic hurt her a lot, but she had no choice.
“I can do purification magic.”
“Purification? Like removing curses or bad effects?”
The captain looked unsure, and the others started whispering.
“Yes,” Luna said quietly.
“Hmph.” The captain told one of his men to bring a cursed item. “Let’s see it.”
While they waited, he stared at her, licking his lips. Purification was rare and needed touch to work. That idea made the captain smile wider.
Finally, someone handed Luna a black stone filled with dark energy.
“Go on. Show us.”
Luna felt sick. She took a deep breath and touched the stone. She pushed her magic into it.
Pain stabbed her chest like a needle. She bit her lip and kept going.
Slowly, the black color disappeared… and turned white.
The captain’s bored face turned to shock.
She wasn’t just a pretty little rabbit.
She was a golden goose.
And he needed to keep her.
“You’re lucky,” he said. “Forget the debt. You’re working for us now. If you do the job, we’ll leave you and the Baron alone. That’s the deal.”
He took the white stone and smiled.
“But remember—if the Empire finds out you used purification magic without permission, you’re done.”
That’s why Luna had never used her magic before. The Empire controlled purification magic very strictly. Even though she was a Baroness, it was safer to keep it secret.
The captain didn’t care. He shrugged.
“Oh, right. I never introduced myself. You’ve heard of the Raven Guild, right? I’m the deputy commander.”
Of course she had. The Raven Guild didn’t care about your age or gender—as long as you had power or money. They were cruel and dangerous.
“I’ll keep this mission off the record,” he said. “If you succeed, your debt is gone. No more thugs at your door. Sounds like a dream, right?”
“Really?” Luna asked, unsure.
He dropped a heavy money pouch on the floor.
“An advance. If this works, there’s more. Enough to pay off everything.”
Luna looked at him.
His creepy smile had changed. Now he looked more like a serious businessman. Still scary, but different.
If she said no, the axe would fall—on her or her grandfather.
She didn’t want to do this… but she had no choice.
“Fine,” she whispered. “But… we just have to hold hands, right?”
“Of course,” he said, grinning.
Luna took a deep breath and nodded.
The golden goose had a sweet voice, too.
The captain gave her a map with the Raven Guild’s hideout marked.
“You’ll meet the client tomorrow night. Don’t be late.”
He rested the axe on his shoulder.
“If you don’t show up…”
Luna clenched her fists tightly.
“That won’t happen. I’ll be there. Where could I even run?”
“Good.” The captain nodded. If she broke her promise… he’d just take both of them.
