IESKC | Chapter 004

Episode 04

An emergency executive meeting was convened.

After hearing Rosalyn’s explanation, the expressions of Hyde’s executives varied widely.

Our guild leader has finally caused a major disaster.

Should we make a run for it now?

And so on.

“Come on! Why’s the mood like this? It’s not like the guild’s fate is hanging in the balance.”

“The guild leader is now under the close scrutiny of the Black Iron Knights’ commander, and you say that?”

This was why everyone was so grave.

The unheard-of rulings of community service and probation were one thing.

But the fact that the supervisor was none other than the leader of the Black Iron Knights, who seemed hell-bent on taking them down?

It was a situation that reeked of deliberate sabotage.

“Isn’t this a ploy to dismantle our guild?”

“Why? We’ve got nothing to hide. Even if the Knights stormed in and rifled through our documents right now, they wouldn’t find a speck of dirt.”

“On the surface, sure.”

Yes, on the surface.

In her past life, as a detective, Rosalyn had been a model law-abiding citizen, but not in this world.

All that talk of law and morality got me killed like a dog.

A stickler for principles, an FM (Field Manual) purist.

That described Park Sohyun, her past self, in one sentence.

She’d clung to principles, digging into internal corruption she should’ve ignored, and ended up dead.

So, when given a second life, Rosalyn’s goal was clear.

Live well and prosper!

Living strictly by the rules only led to losses.

Unlike her past life, Rosalyn had operated between legality and illegality.

I mean, unlike Earth, if you lived too virtuously here, you wouldn’t just get your nose cut off, you’d lose your head!

As the guild grew, she took precautions for potential trouble, keeping double records.

She held every noble’s weakness in her grasp, naturally.

And we’ve sent quite a few heavy boxes, too.

Not to mention the slush funds stashed in secret banks.

All the tricks she’d learned from criminals in her past life as a detective were put to use.

With the investigative capabilities here, even a thorough search would yield nothing.

But her subordinates seemed uneasy.

“Isn’t it suspicious? Community service and probation—both unheard-of systems, and the guild leader just happens to get caught?”

“Well… that’s true.”

Rosalyn brushed off Zion’s sharp observation.

He was always nagging her to act with the dignity befitting a major guild leader.

But imagine saying, I bribed the judge, and he got petty because I crossed my legs in court, so he retaliated.

Zion’s gentle smile would accompany a hellish lecture lasting four hours.

Sorry, Zion. I can’t be honest about this one.

Rosalyn deflected by changing the subject.

“Speaking of which, dig into the young Duke Eindehart’s background.”

Zion’s eyes shifted.

Despite his gentle exterior, no one was colder than Zion when it came to work.

Rosalyn seized the moment to press forward.

“You all know what to do, right?”

Her low, secretive tone prompted solemn nods from everyone.

“Don’t worry too much. They may be big shots, but you guys know I’m no pushover either.”

The executives’ eyes gleamed with pride.

“This is our chance to find Cassius Eindehart’s weakness. I’ll work from the inside, you from the outside.”

Rosalyn’s red eyes sparkled.

“Find anything, even the smallest weakness. Whoever brings something gets a bonus.”

“Yes, Guild Leader!”

“Leave it to us!”

The meeting room’s atmosphere turned resolute.

Nothing motivated people like money.

“Good. Dismissed.”

Rosalyn straightened up, smiling contentedly.

Within days, her desk would be piled high with Cassius’s weaknesses!

* * *

A day passed.

Her desk remained empty.

I thought we’d have at least a few weaknesses by now…

Shockingly, there was nothing.

Instead, only unwelcome news arrived.

“They’re here to explain the interpretation…?”

Sitting at the head of the parlor, Cassius nodded with the same cold expression as yesterday.

Didn’t he say it would take a few days?!

Rosalyn was dumbfounded.

What kind of legal interpretation gets done in a day?

Did they work through the night, too? Like her people?

To lose at something like this… How frustrating…

It felt like a battle between their subordinates, yet somehow, it was as if she’d lost directly to this man.

But the immediate problem was that Cassius had shown up in just one day.

“You’re a busy man; you could’ve just summoned me to the headquarters…”

After the uproar from his brief visit yesterday…

Two days in a row? They’re probably wondering if we should really run…

As Rosalyn grimaced, Cassius set down an untouched teacup.

“It’s to inspect the environment of the supervision target. I didn’t get a proper look yesterday.”

“People live pretty much the same everywhere…”

Cassius’s gaze turned icy, and Rosalyn trailed off.

Why are his eyes so menacing?

No wonder he was called the Grim Reaper of the battlefield.

A young genius knight who led the Black Iron Knights, said to have built mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.

Cassius Eindehart.

His cold gaze soon became impassive, devoid of emotion.

“The purpose of community service is to reflect on one’s crimes through volunteer work at places like temples or relief centers.”

Rosalyn nodded, as she was already aware of this from her own knowledge, even if she hadn’t found his weaknesses.

“And probation allows you to live freely in society under certain conditions, with the supervisor’s guidance to reintegrate.”

“Right.”

“However, if you volunteer elsewhere, I can’t supervise you, so we’ve decided to count assisting with my duties as community service hours.”

“What?”

“Starting tomorrow, report to the Knights and assist me.”

Rosalyn’s eyes widened.

Assist the knight commander?

Going to the terrifying Black Iron Knights’ headquarters was bad enough, but sticking by this menacing man’s side?

Starting tomorrow?

“But you said I could live freely in society!”

“Correct.”

Rosalyn blurted out in a panic, “If I have to report every day, how am I supposed to maintain my normal life?”

She didn’t know the Knights’ hours, but if most of her day was taken up, running the guild would be impossible.

I’ve got a mountain of work! And I haven’t found his weakness yet!

Every day was absolutely out of the question.

Unlike the resolute Rosalyn, Cassius remained expressionless.

His unreadable blue eyes studied her quietly before he spoke.

“Then I’ll call for you when needed.”

“Thank you.”

Rosalyn bowed deeply.

Long live the principled!

But her gratitude was premature.

“It’ll take a while to complete the hours, then.”

“Hours?”

Cassius explained in his detached voice.

“The 1,000 hours designated for community service.”

…She’d forgotten.

With everything else so intense, she’d overlooked the 1,000-hour condition.

Wait, 1,000 hours is how many days?

Eight hours a day, every day…

125 days… Four months?

Every other day, eight months? Once a week… over two years?

As the calculations piled up, Rosalyn’s face filled with horror.

Good heavens.

But I don’t want to go every day!

After some thought, she held up two fingers.

“Every other day. Let’s do alternate days.”

“Fine.”

Cassius agreed readily.

Why do I feel like I’ve been played?

But since Cassius had been consistently impassive, Rosalyn brushed off the uneasy feeling.

“You said you came to see my usual environment today, right?”

“Correct.”

So, no special business.

Fine, let’s just think of it as a minor inconvenience.

Optimistic, Rosalyn stood abruptly.

“Let’s get to work, then!”

Without checking if Cassius followed, she strode out of the parlor.

Marching boldly into the lobby, she stood in the center and took a deep breath.

Her shout echoed through the building.

“Everyone, assemble!”

First, she’d explain Cassius to the guild members.

So they don’t pack their bags and run…

* * *

“…So, for today, just think of him as an observer.”

The guild members, scattered across chairs, counters, and stairs, turned pale in unison.

“Why the long faces? Just pretend he’s not here.”

“B-But… what if we bump into him by accident and… our heads roll…?”

At the cautious remark, Rosalyn sighed again.

The guild was always bustling, so collisions weren’t uncommon.

No one’s head would roll over it, but if the person bumped was Cassius, it was natural to worry.

“Well…”

“There’ll be no such thing.”

Just as Rosalyn tried to reassure them, Cassius spoke for the first time since the assembly.

His deep voice instantly froze the air.

He continued in his impassive tone.

“I don’t harm the innocent.”

It was the epitome of chivalry, but unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.

In a guild that operated in shades of gray, who could claim to live entirely upright?

Seeing the terrified guild members, Rosalyn intervened.

“You came to see my usual environment, right?”

“Correct.”

Rosalyn flashed a wide smile.

“If they’re scared, it’s hard to show my usual environment, don’t you think? If you promise not to interfere today, no matter what, I’m sure they’ll act as usual.”

Emphasizing “usual,” she caught Cassius’s gaze.

It was a cheap trick, but not wrong.

That was her angle.

He seems like the type to agree if it’s not incorrect.

Sure enough, Cassius turned to the gathered crowd.

“I promise. You don’t need to mind me.”

“…”

No response came, of course.

The silence was so thick you could hear a pin drop.

Rosalyn tried to lighten the mood.

“Come on, you heard him! No need to be scared. Sir Cassius is actually quite gentle if you get to know him… or maybe not?”

Glancing at Cassius, she saw his predictably cold face.

Giving up, Rosalyn waved both hands.

“Alright, dismissed! Get back to work…”

As everyone began to disperse, the front door burst open.

All eyes turned.

A guild member, pale and gasping for breath, shouted.

“Guild Leader! Billy, Billy…!”

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