Aiden could already imagine it.

Undead armies advancing while Dragmar led the front line, protecting the undead from attacks.

Against ordinary forces, he would be a nightmare.

Aiden crossed his arms slightly.

"What do your abilities do?"

Dragmar answered immediately.

"Iron Wall strengthens my defense."

"Undying Guard allows me to continue fighting even after receiving fatal damage for a short time."

Aiden’s eyes sharpened slightly.

"And Earthshaker?"

Dragmar paused briefly. Then he spoke.

"A destructive area attack."

Aiden smiled faintly.

"Show me outside later."

Using something like that inside the inn would probably destroy the entire building.

Dragmar lowered his head once more.

"As you command, my lord."

Aiden slowly looked between the two undead standing inside the room.

Kael, and Dragmar.

Aiden leaned back in his chair slowly, his eyes moving between the two undead standing inside the room.

Kael stood quietly near the wall, sword resting at his side, calm and composed like a disciplined guard.

Then there was Dragmar.

The giant undead practically filled half the room by himself.

The inn suddenly felt too small.

Aiden stared at him for a few seconds longer before rubbing the side of his forehead.

"...Now the problem is," he muttered, "how the hell am I supposed to make you blend in with humans?"

Kael was easy.

As long as the swordsman wore a cloak and kept his mouth shut, nobody would suspect much. His skin was pale, but not unnaturally so. Plenty of practitioners looked strange after training for so long.

But Dragmar...

Aiden looked up again.

The giant undead stared back silently.

Even kneeling, he looked massive.

His armor alone was enough to draw attention from an entire street.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the shield.

That thing looked less like equipment and more like a city gate ripped off its hinges.

Aiden let out a quiet breath.

"No matter what I do," he said flatly, "you’re basically a walking ’look at me.’"

Kael lowered his head slightly, clearly understanding the problem.

Dragmar remained silent for a moment before speaking in his deep voice.

"I can remove the armor, my lord."

Aiden immediately shook his head.

"No."

Without the armor, Dragmar would somehow look even more suspicious. A giant gray-skinned man covered in scars walking around the city would probably start another panic.

Aiden crossed his arms.

"Can you at least hide your eye?"

The pale-blue glow in Dragmar’s exposed eye was impossible to miss in darker areas.

Dragmar reached up slowly and pulled part of the broken helmet lower over his face.

The glow became dimmer.

"...Better," Aiden admitted.

Still terrible.

But better.

Kael glanced toward Dragmar before speaking calmly.

"We could disguise ourselves as a mercenary."

Aiden looked at him.

Kael continued.

"Large cities often attract wandering fighters. Men with strange appearances are not uncommon."

Aiden thought about it for a second.

"...Actually, that might work."

At least partially.

Aiden stood up from his chair and stretched his shoulders lightly.

"Alright," he said. "Let’s go out first."

Kael gave a small nod.

Dragmar simply rose to his feet.

The moment he stood completely upright, the room seemed to shrink again. His head nearly touched the ceiling, and the wooden floor groaned under the sudden pressure of his weight.

Aiden glanced up at him.

"...You really weren’t built for subtlety."

Dragmar lowered his head slightly.

"My apologies, my lord."

"It’s not your fault," Aiden replied while walking toward the door.

Kael quietly stepped behind him.

Unlike Dragmar, Kael blended into the shadows naturally. Once his dark cloak covered most of his armor, he looked like an ordinary wandering swordsman.

Dangerous, yes.

But believable.

Aiden opened the room door and stepped out into the hallway.

Kael followed silently.

Then Dragmar came out last.

Creeeak.

The wooden doorway shook slightly as the giant undead squeezed through carefully, his tower shield scraping lightly against the frame despite his effort to avoid damaging it.

Aiden immediately heard footsteps stop downstairs.

Then silence.

The common room of the inn had been lively moments ago. Merchants talking loudly, practitioners drinking, waitresses moving between tables.

Now almost everyone was staring upward.

At Dragmar.

One man nearly dropped his cup.

"H-Holy hell..."

Another instinctively stepped back.

"Look at the size of that guy..."

A young servant carrying food froze completely near the stairs, eyes wide as Dragmar slowly descended behind Aiden.

Each heavy footstep made the wooden stairs creak loudly.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

The innkeeper’s face twitched nervously every time the wood groaned.

A middle-aged mercenary sitting near the entrance let out a low whistle.

"Wow," he muttered under his breath. "Look at that guy..."

"No kidding," the man beside him replied quietly. "Is he even human?"

Dragmar’s armored figure drew every eye in the room.

The black armor looked oppressive indoors, especially with the massive shield strapped to his back. Combined with his towering height and scarred appearance, he looked less like a person and more like a moving fortress.

Aiden calmly walked downstairs like none of the attention existed.

Internally though...

’Yeah, this is a disaster.’

Kael moved behind him naturally, completely ignoring the stares.

Compared to Dragmar, nobody paid attention to him at all.

Aiden reached the bottom floor and glanced around casually.

The atmosphere had become strangely tense.

Nobody wanted to provoke the giant armored man.

Even veterans in the room were carefully observing him instead of speaking recklessly.

One young warrior frowned slightly while staring at Dragmar’s shield.

"...That thing alone probably weighs more than a horse."

Another nodded slowly.

"And he carries it with one hand..."

Dragmar stopped behind Aiden silently.

The floorboards beneath him creaked again.

The innkeeper hurried over nervously with a forced smile.

"G-Guests," he said carefully, "are... are you heading out?"

Aiden nodded calmly.

"Just taking a walk."

The innkeeper glanced at Dragmar again before forcing another laugh.

"Ah... yes... of course..."

His eyes clearly said please don’t destroy my inn.

As they headed toward the entrance, whispers spread quietly through the room.

"Are they mercenaries?"

"Maybe from Breim City...."

"That giant looks terrifying..."

One drunk man laughed loudly from the corner.

"If that bastard punches me once, I’ll probably become meat paste!"

A few people chuckled nervously at that.

Dragmar suddenly stopped walking.

The laughter instantly died.

The giant undead slowly turned his helmet toward the drunk man.

The pale-blue glow beneath the cracked helm flickered faintly.

The drunk man’s face immediately turned pale.

"I-I was joking."

Dragmar stared at him silently for two seconds longer.

Then calmly continued walking.

The entire inn released a quiet breath afterward.

Aiden rubbed his forehead lightly while walking outside.

"...Yeah," he muttered. "You’re definitely staying behind me from now on."

Behind him, Kael gave the faintest hint of amusement.

While Dragmar asked seriously,

"Was my appearance offensive, my lord?"

Aiden opened the inn door.

Sunlight poured in from outside as people moved nervously through the busy streets beyond.

Then he answered honestly.

"No. You’re just terrifying."

----

The streets outside were far busier than usual.

Ever since the news about the fallen towns and the attack spread through the city, people had become restless. Groups gathered near intersections whispering nervously, merchants packed their stalls earlier than normal, and armed practitioners could be seen almost everywhere.

Fear had changed the atmosphere of the city overnight.

Aiden walked calmly through the crowd with Kael and Dragmar following behind him.

Or more accurately...

Dragging attention behind him.

People instinctively moved aside the moment Dragmar approached. Some tried not to stare, but that only made it more obvious when their eyes kept drifting back toward the giant armored figure.

One child pointed openly.

"Mom, look! He’s huge!"

The mother immediately lowered the child’s hand in panic.

"Don’t point at people!"

"But—"

"Quiet!"

Dragmar tilted his head slightly.

"...Was the small human frightened of me?"

Aiden nearly sighed.

"Yes."

"I see."

The giant undead sounded genuinely thoughtful about it.

Kael walked silently beside them, cloak swaying lightly behind him. Compared to Dragmar’s overwhelming presence, Kael almost disappeared into the surroundings.

Aiden glanced around the streets casually.

There were more armed people moving through the city than yesterday. Mercenaries, wandering practitioners, even smaller clan members patrolled openly now.

Everyone was preparing for something.

After walking for nearly fifteen minutes, a large stone building finally appeared ahead of them.

The Commission Hall.

Unlike the elegant buildings owned by sects or noble clans, this place looked rough and practical. Thick stone walls, iron-framed windows, and large wooden doors scarred by age and constant use.

A massive board hung near the entrance, covered with countless mission papers.

Monster hunts.

Escort missions.

Bandit exterminations.

Herb gathering requests.

The place was crowded.

Dozens of warriors moved in and out constantly. Some wore armor stained with blood, others carried massive weapons openly across their backs.

This was the kind of place where strength mattered more than status.

Aiden looked up at the building.

"Since we’re already here," he said calmly, "we might as well earn a little money before leaving this city."

Kael nodded once.

"As you wish."

Dragmar looked toward the building entrance.

The moment the three of them stepped closer to the Commission Hall, the noise around the entrance noticeably dropped.

Not completely.

But enough to feel it.

Several people standing near the mission board instinctively moved aside when they saw Dragmar approaching. Even experienced practitioners stared for a second too long before pretending not to.

Several people standing near the mission board instinctively moved aside when they saw Dragmar approaching. Even experienced practitioners stared for a second too long before pretending not to.

The giant undead simply followed behind Aiden quietly, his massive shield strapped to his back while the black iron mace rested against one shoulder.

A bald mercenary near the entrance blinked twice before muttering,

"What the hell do they feed that guy?"

The woman beside him snorted.

"At that size? Probably horses."