With a beaming Luna in tow, I headed for the Central Library.
I laid Shizel the pervert’s book, Transformation of the Mind in Pain and Pleasure, on the desk where Luna sat waiting.
"Do you recognize this book?"
"……? No, I don’t."
Luna tilted her head in confusion.
Shizel had claimed she’d erased Luna’s memories, and it seemed that loss of recollection extended to the physical book as well.
"Read this for me, would you?"
"Understood."
With a solemn expression, Luna began to look through Shizel’s book.
Every hypothesis required verification. I needed to know if Luna would be pulled into Shizel’s world again. Naturally, if she were taken, I intended to confront Shizel once more myself.
However, based on my predictions—
Luna stared at the book, her eyes fixed on the pages. She turned them one by one, then another, and another. She read with genuine interest, but that was as far as it went.
...Just as I thought.
Shizel had said she wanted to watch Luna’s ruin from afar and wouldn't interfere directly. Most likely, Luna was being denied entry to that mental space for now.
The first step was a success.
"What do you think?"
"……Well, it feels a bit strange. It’s as if there is something suggestive hidden behind the actual text…… That’s the feeling I get."
Wonderful!
Unlike me, who had used Shiunin’s power to intrude upon Shizel’s world, Luna had managed to penetrate that domain through her own sheer talent. During that encounter, she must have unconsciously absorbed a significant amount of the "Secret Content Hidden Behind the Text."
On top of that, Luna was by no means ordinary. In the original game, she was the only character capable of reaching the powerful "Great Sage" class; even among the potential Ally Candidates, she was considered a top-tier unit.
Unconscious knowledge paired with innate talent—if she combined the two, she would eventually be able to fully decipher Shizel’s book.
I would have her relay the contents to me as she progressed, and then I would cross over into Shizel’s world myself. To be honest, Shizel was an opponent I’d rather avoid if possible, but she was an unavoidable obstacle on the path to Ancient Magic Completion.
My mind was made up.
"Luna. I want you to assist me with my research."
"—Eh!"
"You mentioned wanting to be my apprentice. The word 'apprentice' doesn't quite sit right with me, but we can call it something like that. What do you say?"
Luna didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes went wide, as if she were staring at a white crow. Her shoulders began to tremble, then her hands, then her fingertips—until tears suddenly spilled from her eyes.
"Is it really, truly all right!? Wi-Will you guide me!?"
...I asked her to help with research, and she turned it into something as grandiose as "guiding" her.
No, I shouldn't nitpick. I understood what she expected of me; Shizel had made that much clear back in her world. As long as I was using Luna, I might as well provide her with what she sought.
Besides, I needed her to eventually defeat the Demon King alongside the Hero Leon. Her leveling up was nothing but a benefit to me.
"I’ll expect you to offer up something appropriate in return. You’re prepared for that, right?"
"I will give you my everything. So please—grant me power."
The expression on Luna's face as she responded was one of pure ecstasy.
...Seriously, do you think I’m some kind of god?
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
After accepting the request from Victor’s father, Georg, the assassin Milia donned the uniform of the Royal Arcana Academia and infiltrated the school as a student.
Even compared to others her age, her body was small, and she looked swamped in the baggy uniform. Her fingertips barely peeked out from the long sleeves.
"Uhehehe, Milia-chan-sama is finally making her elite school debut~!"
Having never attended a proper school, a strange sense of sentimentality welled up within her. However, the feeling vanished as quickly as it came. She never forgot her true nature as an assassin.
—I want you to assassinate Albert von Kronstadt.
How to carry out the mission Georg had given her was the only thing on Milia’s mind.
She found Albert without even having to look for him. With his heterochromia of blue and purple, he was impossible to miss. Furthermore, he was a conspicuous student who drew the eyes of everyone around him just by existing.
(Ahahaha, target spotted~!)
Milia often spoke and acted like a child, but she was a consummate professional. She carefully observed and analyzed her target’s behavioral patterns, waiting to strike at the moment with the highest success rate—a success that had to include her own escape.
After all, her title as the "Strongest Assassin," the kind one would hire to kill a Demon King, wasn't just for show.
Despite Albert’s flashy aura, his daily life was remarkably plain. He went to class, read books in the library, and returned to the dormitory to sleep. It was an ideal student life, but few people actually stuck to such a routine so single-mindedly.
(Hmph, he’s a total bookworm, isn't he!)
Milia couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration, mostly because she had never studied a day in her life and hated the very idea of it.
(But all that hard work won't help you in the future. Because Lord Albert is going to die. Ahh, what a shame.)
Incidentally, she had a habit of attaching "-sama" to everyone she encountered.
Once she had gathered enough information, Milia finally moved to execute the assassination of Albert von Kronstadt.
That day, she tracked Albert as he emerged from the Second Library.
(What should I do? Pushing him down the stairs and making it look like an accident wouldn't be bad.)
Even if the fall didn't kill him, it would be simple enough to follow up by crushing his windpipe or kicking his head in before he could stand. If she was lucky and it was ruled an accident, the investigation would end right there.
(Well, he’s a high-profile client’s target, so let’s be certain about this.)
Milia checked the Poison Needle hidden in her cuff. The beauty of wearing oversized sleeves was how easily they concealed weapons. She viewed her short stature as a tactical advantage; no one thought it strange for her to wear clothes like this.
As she followed him, however, Milia felt a prickle of unease.
(……No way. Has he noticed me?)
Albert was frequently acting as though he were trying to check his surroundings. Of course, as a professional, Milia hadn't made any blunders that would give her away. But even the fact that he sensed something was a significant risk.
(No, that’s impossible.)
Milia decided to ignore the doubt. Very few people could detect her presence; she could deceive even her own peers in the trade. There was no way a mere student like Albert could perform such a feat.
Caution was vital, but there was a fine line between caution and cowardice. In this instance, Milia judged her hesitation to be the latter.
It wasn't that she underestimated Albert’s strength. It was simply that Albert’s abilities were so far out of the norm that they defied standard estimation. Milia had not yet adjusted to the "Albert Scale."
Eventually, Albert left the main building and walked toward a deserted area. It was the perfect opportunity for an assassination.
(Has he really noticed? Am I being lured out?)
The danger crossed her mind, but she pressed on regardless. She made the professional judgment that it was time to be bold rather than timid.
(In the first place, even if you did notice, do you have any idea? This Poison Needle can kill you with just a single second of contact.)
A mere student couldn't possibly do anything to stop her.
Milia drew a small throwing dagger she had hidden in her sleeve.
(Actually, I don’t even need to touch you.)
She just had to throw it into Albert’s back from ten meters away. The deadly poison coated on the blade would do the rest.
"Hah!"
With a sharp exhale, Milia hurled the deadly blade. It flew true, aimed straight for the center of Albert’s back—
"—!?"
Suddenly, the dagger veered off into an unnatural trajectory. It should have been flying in a straight line, but as it neared Albert, it jerked violently to the side. It was as if an invisible string had yanked it downward, and it thudded harmlessly into the ground.
Some mysterious force had intervened.
(Wait, why……!?)
Albert turned around with slow, deliberate movements. He looked down at the dagger at his feet, and then his gaze shifted to Milia.
Purple sparks crackled in the palm of his hand.
"Since you've committed a hostile act, I'll assume you're prepared for the consequences. Spell: 'Lightning Bolt'."
Without a moment's hesitation, he unleashed a flash so blinding it defied the label of a mere "Lightning Bolt," searing Milia's retinas.