The resurgence of the organization had its reasons.
Becoming the undisputed ruler of the underworld wasn’t something that could be achieved by luck alone.
The ascent of the Ravenwing Society to the top was undoubtedly due to the intelligence and competence of each of its members.
While they valued remaining inconspicuous, their insistence on always wearing black attire or using luxurious carriages that were far too eye-catching was contradictory.
They prioritized honor over practicality, but aside from such flaws, they were all highly skilled individuals.
They were also adept at handling sudden changes.
***
And so, in the current unexpected situation:
A person who had gone to the Academy Festival inadvertently stumbled upon a transaction between suspicious men in black suits.
The witnesses, momentarily distracted by the scene, left themselves vulnerable.
Without hesitation, the men acted swiftly to handle the situation quietly.
One of the group stealthily approached the man, who was observing the scene as if he were a detective, and struck him on the back of his head.
The witness collapsed unconscious.
Although the group lacked any mysterious poisons for such scenarios, that wasn’t much of an issue—they had no intention of killing him.
Crime was a business, after all, and a living person was far more valuable than a corpse in terms of creating additional profits.
This was none other than the Imperial Academy.
Though temporarily open to outsiders due to the festival, causing a commotion would bring no benefits.
While the founder dragon could be set aside, the new professor was undoubtedly a figure to be cautious of.
Even if only a fraction of the rumors about him were true, Riyan was a superhuman capable of obliterating their organization in a single day.
It was best to avoid getting involved with him.
Considering the fate of any criminal organization entangled with him, staying clear from the beginning was the most prudent strategy.
With their trade complete and the witness secured, the Ravenwing Society had no reason to linger.
Swiftly leaving the area was the wisest course of action.
The members quickly prepared to return to their hideout.
That was undoubtedly the best decision they could make.
***
Unfortunately, the best decisions don’t always yield the best results.
Haste leads to mistakes.
Rushing caused them to lose their cautiousness.
Thus, when they struck the witness, something about the sensation felt odd.
It seemed as though a small intermediate-level magic shield appeared momentarily before disappearing.
The man briefly opened his eyes and looked at the members as if they were prey.
Such ominous signals went unnoticed.
This was how the witness was swiftly transported to the organization’s hideout.
***
The reason why the men now had dumbfounded expressions on their faces became apparent.
They all rubbed their eyes in unison, as if by some prearranged signal.
Blinking and looking again didn’t change what they saw.
The disguise removed from the captured prisoner—the mask, sunglasses, and other items used to conceal his appearance—revealed his true identity.
White hair.
Golden eyes that seemed to see through everything.
The new professor of the Imperial Academy.
Riyan.
There was no mistaking it.
‘W-why is he here?’
Yet, they couldn’t fathom why this man was here.
He was a powerful martial artist said to have reached the peak of life and death, capable of deciding such matters with sheer will.
Recently, he had even defeated Agares, the second-ranking demon, saving the Holy Kingdom in the process—a truly unparalleled individual.
And yet, he had been so easily abducted by them?
The Ravenwing Society’s influence was indeed impressive.
Growing without resorting to black magic, they thrived on the trade of drugs and human trafficking.
Recently, they had rapidly expanded by exploiting the void left by the collapse of the Silence of the Lambs.
But they weren’t on Riyan’s level.
This wasn’t because the organization was weak.
It was simply that no organization on earth could possibly match the power of that new professor.
No one could possibly stand against someone so powerful that even the founder dragon was said to be overwhelmed with a single finger.
‘If he wanted to eliminate someone, there was no need for such an odd approach—he could simply do so at any time. ‘
‘So why had he chosen such a bizarre method instead?’
The intent behind his actions was incomprehensible.
Yet, that no longer mattered.
‘Do humans ask livestock for permission before taking their flesh and hide? Do they apologize repeatedly to a bug before stepping on it?’
The overwhelming disparity in power was clear.
They were the weak, and Riyan was the strong.
The strong had no obligation to consider the weak.
Thus, there was only one choice for them.
***
“S-Sir! Our sincerest apologies!”
Their bowing put artificial humility to shame.
The Ravenwing Society members repeatedly lowered their heads toward the new professor, as though they might bleed from their foreheads.
After all, fighting him would undoubtedly end in defeat.
Unless one severely lacked self-awareness, who would dare confront someone whose hobby was demon hunting?
Submission was the wisest option here.
Riyan, the new professor, was unexpectedly merciful.
Judging by how he had only imprisoned someone named Schultz instead of killing him, there was hope for survival if they cooperated.
“We will remove your handcuffs immediately! Shall we summon medical personnel to check if you’re unharmed…?”
“No, there’s no need for that.”
The reply came in a sharp and resolute tone.
Despite their servile behavior, Riyan seemed entirely indifferent and opened his mouth to speak.
“Don’t let me stop you. Just focus on your work. Isn’t this a high-value slave? Figure out how to sell them off instead of releasing them. Don’t you plan to do business?”
Riyan, shockingly, advised them to continue their operations, even suggesting that selling the slave to the principality would yield good profits.
“It would be such a shame to release someone you went through so much trouble to abduct. Shouldn’t you at least show something for your efforts?”
‘Was he joking?’
Despite their doubts, his expression was entirely serious, as though he genuinely wished to be sold into slavery in another country.
At this point, it was hard to tell whether he was the victim of abduction or a defiant guest refusing to leave.
Regardless of his intentions, they couldn’t possibly keep Riyan detained.
Sure, his value as a “product” was exceptionally high.
But the problem was that it was too high.
The consequences of trying to sell him, given his connections to the Sacred Kingdom and the Academy, were too severe to bear.
The boss, concluding that releasing him was the only viable option, attempted to carefully persuade Riyan.
***
But something felt off.
As they spoke, Riyan wasn’t listening.
He simply smiled—a strange, unsettling grin.
The reason behind his smile became clear one minute later.
Urgent footsteps echoed.
A different member of the organization came running, holding a peculiar card in his trembling hands.
The man, pale and drenched in sweat, blurted out, “B-Boss! What in the world is this?!”
The card he handed over bore a statement—a declaration of crime.
It was written in the boss’s name, though the boss had never seen it before:
[We have kidnapped Riyan. If our demands are not met, I will torture and kill him immediately. Act wisely. Banish Riyan, who interferes with our plans…]
The boss urgently demanded to know where the card had come from.
The subordinate replied, “I just picked it up off the street.”
Apparently, such cards were being scattered throughout the Empire.
The boss’s face turned as pale as the messenger’s.
The card boldly featured the Ravenwing Society’s signature crow symbol.
To ensure no one missed it, even the boss’s middle name was included.
The letter was full of brutal threats about skinning Riyan alive should anyone act rashly.
The consequences were obvious.
The boss’s gaze naturally shifted.
He locked eyes with the person likely responsible for the distribution.
And there was Riyan, shamelessly smiling.
“Figured it out now?”
Still in handcuffs, bound to a chair, the victim declared boldly:
“You’re the ones who’ve been kidnapped.”
The leash wasn’t around his neck—it was around theirs.