Human Resources Management Master

His earlier guess had been completely correct!
He just never expected the process to be this twisted!

In a way, his involvement had created many variables—but overall, the plot still followed the game’s main path.

A stroke of luck in this mess.

“Mother!”

Alice burst through the rubble blocking the bedroom door—rushing in.

The chaotic scene stunned even this usually decisive girl.

But when she saw her most admired mother, pale and weakly clutching her abdomen—Alice’s world nearly shattered.

Then—fury erupted.

That girl, collapsed before her mother, hands covered in blood—was clearly the assassin!

Who else?!

Her perception spread—locking onto Black’s position.

Without looking, she hurled her red longsword!

It screamed through the air—BOOM!—obliterating an entire row of wardrobes!

Luckily, Black had expected it—already deep into the passage!

“Don’t think you can escape!”

Alice dashed forward, grabbing her sword—about to pursue—when Black vanished from sight.

The tunnel was long, winding, narrow.
Impossible to chase.

“Damn it!”

Watching the masked man vanish, Alice clenched her lips—furious, humiliated.

But she’d memorized his build.
She’d hunt him down later on the Hodir.

Now—her mother’s safety came first.

With that thought, Alice rushed with Lucy to check Elizabeth’s wounds.

“Get a healer—now!”

Lucy barked orders—maids scattering.

“Lucy… seal this. No one speaks of my injury. If word spreads—execute them.”

Elizabeth forced out the words.

“Yes!”

And so, in the near-ruined chamber—chaos reigned.

Every maid and healer who knew—sworn to silence.
Leak the truth? Death.

****

Several days later—dawn.

On the Hodir’s deck, a furious roar echoed—like a tigress enraged.

“Where is he?! Where’s Black?! That lazy deck cleaner?!”

Housekeeper Mary screamed at a male laborer.

“I—I don’t know! Maybe he’s hiding, slacking off again?!”

The poor man was near tears. How should he know where the pirate went?

“You’re driving me mad!”

Mary, the empire’s most experienced household manager, prided herself on zero tolerance for laziness.
She’d even awarded herself the title “Master of Human Resource Management.”

But now—her reputation hung by a thread.

That deck cleaner had skipped work for three days straight!

No notice. No leave. No approval.

Mary felt her authority under unprecedented attack.
She’d drag Black out—and make him clean every deck on the entire royal fleet!

Not a speck of dust allowed!

Far away, inside a hidden storage room, Black listened—heart pounding.

Why did this housekeeper feel more oppressive than the empress?!

For days, he’d hidden here—recovering.

Loyre’s casual strikes had nearly sent him to the afterlife.

For days, Black suffered—bones nearly shattered, organs displaced.

But—he’d played the game.
He knew where the Hodir hid rare herbs.

After consuming them—his body recovered fast.
Now, almost fully healed.

Yet facing Mary’s raging fury?
He didn’t want to move.

If possible—he’d stay here forever.

As expected, the battle in the empress’s chamber had been sealed.

Black understood.
With war looming—against Jörmungandr—the empress severely wounded?
Morale would collapse.

So the news was suppressed.
But not perfectly.

Loyre’s Divine Edict—[Thousand Nights’ Dominion]—had covered the entire royal fleet.

Everyone felt its effect.

Anyone with half a brain knew: only an Emperor-Tier Assassin could unleash such power.

Why use it on the Hodir?

Confusing—but combine it with the empress’s disappearance?

Obvious.
The assassin came for her.

So rumors spread in whispers—a creeping dread among the crew.

Their enemy? The dragons—the oldest, strongest race.
If the empress fell—would the entire fleet be doomed?

Sigh.
Black’s body no longer hurt—his head did.

Loyre’s actions had wounded the empress, sparked fear—drastically lowering the chance of a good ending.

And now—the Dragonblood Council was still plotting.

At this point—he had to sabotage their plans.

If he could disrupt them, the path to victory remained open.

The Dragonblood Council was hidden aboard the Hodir—in disguise.

Some as nobles. Some as servants. Some as Dragoncleaver Guards.

To a player like Black—their disguises were useless.
He remembered exactly who they pretended to be.

And he already had a plan.

He couldn’t fight them.
Only use information gaps to ruin their schemes.

But—these weren’t ordinary enemies.
If they grew suspicious during contact—he’d be silenced permanently.

Sigh.
Another sigh.

Since arriving in this world—he walked on blades.
One mistake—death.

Come to think of it—he hadn’t seen Jiaye in days.

She’d escaped first—no one suspected her.

But her injuries were severe—an Emperor-Tier Assassin’s strike.

She must be healing in her room.

Still—Black wasn’t worried about her recovery.
Or that this main character would die mid-story like “a ruler who started great things but died too soon.”