Night had fallen over the dormitories of Arcana Academy.
I was lying in bed alone, staring up at the ceiling and letting out a long, weary sigh.
"Haaaaaaaaaa... I’m so exhausted..."
The words leaked out from the very bottom of my soul.
The fatigue of the day—no, the accumulated stress since the start of summer vacation—was weighing heavy on my bones. My battle with Milia had been grueling enough, but the aftermath had proven to be just as taxing.
Take Luna’s Frenzy, for instance.
According to the reports I’d heard, she had personally wiped out about forty percent of the monsters during the incident. When you rack up a body count like that, people are going to talk. It didn't help that she’d been so caught up in the heat of the moment that she’d started laughing like a maniac.
Given that she’d put such overwhelming power on display, it was only natural for the other students to corner her and demand to know how she’d done it.
Luna’s response had been terrifyingly simple.
"It is all thanks to the greatness of Lord Albert!"
She’d declared it with a beaming, energetic smile, looking as proud as could be.
No, no, no! That just meant the entire burden of proof was tossed straight onto my lap!
Naturally, every eye in the place had turned toward me. I certainly couldn't tell them about the Blood Covenant. If I did, I’d have a line of people around the block asking me to make a pact with them. Or maybe not—would anyone actually want to bind their soul to a pariah like me?
Regardless, I’d had to put my sharpest brain cells to work and offer a semi-plausible excuse.
"It isn't my power," I’d told them. "I simply helped Luna unlock her latent talent. It’s a specific ability that triggers when she’s in a life-or-death crisis. I call it the Earbone Effect. Luna simply happened to have the right aptitude for it."
The students had all gone "Ooh" and "Aah" as they looked at her.
By framing it that way, I ensured the ability was seen as something unique to Luna, keeping my own involvement strictly limited. I have to say, my Salaryman Skill from my previous life—the ability to lie through my teeth with a straight face—really saved my skin there.
However, even after the rest of the students were satisfied and left, Princess Eliana had remained behind, her eyes boring into me.
"I’ll expect a formal explanation of the details eventually, you know?" she’d said.
Good grief... that Princess! She just had to doubt everything I said, didn't she? I mean, I was lying, but still!
Thanks to all that drama, I was physically and mentally spent. This bed was the only sanctuary left where I could find some peace. Drowsiness began to cloud my mind.
...Please, let nothing happen for a while...
I prayed for that with everything I had. And honestly, I felt pretty confident that my peace would last. I’d driven off Milia, who had been hunting me, and I’d managed to put a leash on the volatile Luna.
I took a certain pride in having neutralized every troublesome flag in sight. There shouldn't be any events left to disturb my quiet life for the time being.
...Well, once the second semester starts, Chapter Two of the original game will begin. If the plot follows the script, that’s when the death event for the actual Albert von Kronstadt is supposed to happen.
But until that day comes, I want to enjoy the quiet! I’m going to spend the rest of this summer vacation in total tranquility! Milia, Luna, and everyone else—just please, don’t cause any more problems!
I just want to relax. You guys get that, right?
Believing that my wish would be granted, I drifted off to sleep.
Unfortunately, trouble had already found its way into Arcana Academy.
Six shadows—foreign invaders—were scaling the walls and infiltrating the grounds. They moved with practiced ease through the moonlit gloom, navigating the terrain without a hint of hesitation. These were the elites of the Assassin Guild, known as The Six.
They didn't make a sound. They even suppressed their own breathing, erasing their presence entirely as they melted into the darkness.
Leading the pack was Farman, a tall man in his thirties and the guild's Rank 2.
To think Milia failed this job... Hmph. That’s what happens when you insist on acting alone.
The reason they were called The Six was because they frequently operated as a team. Sometimes they worked in pairs, sometimes in fours, and on nights like tonight, all six moved as one. Farman’s philosophy was simple: an assassination was a complex project, and the probability of success skyrocketed when handled by a group. He had never been able to understand Milia, who possessed monstrous talent but lacked even a shred of cooperativeness.
The time has come...! Finally, we will surpass Milia!
To Farman, this was more than a job; it was a chance to prove that his methods were superior.
They sprinted through the academy’s wooded courtyard and finally drew near the dormitory. Their target, Albert von Kronstadt, was just ahead.
He’s supposedly quite a handful, but it doesn't matter. That idiot Milia only lost because she was by herself. If first-class professionals like us strike together, there isn’t a target in the world we can’t kill.
Farman raised a hand, signaling his subordinates to halt. He planned to take a final breath here before launching a coordinated raid on Albert’s room.
"H-Hey... Farman..."
Farman shot a sharp, reprimanding glare at the man who had spoken. Unnecessary chatter was forbidden during a stealth op.
However, Farman should have been more observant. The men gathered here were professionals ranked from 2 to 6; under normal circumstances, none of them would ever dream of breaking silence for no reason.
"Sorry... but look... aren't there only five of us...?"
Five.
Farman’s eyes darted across the group, counting. One, two, three, four—counting himself, there were five.
His heart gave a violent thud. Rank 7 was nowhere to be seen.
Did he get separated?
Impossible. The route hadn't been that difficult, and there were no morons among The Six who would simply lose their way.
Which meant... had he been picked off?
The answer only led to another question: By whom?
A deliberate, heavy footstep crunched against the ground. It was a sound designed to intimidate, radiating a clear sense of pressure.
We’ve been spotted?!
Farman whipped his head around and saw a short silhouette standing in the shadows. As the moonlight hit her, it revealed pink hair and a relaxed, familiar face that looked entirely out of place in a life-or-death confrontation.
"Milia?!"
The shock was so great it felt like a physical blow to his chest. It was as if he were looking at a ghost.
"Oh my, oh my. It’s been a while, Farman-sama and everyone. You all doing well?"
That flippant tone was unmistakably hers.
"You... how...? Why are you here? Weren't you killed...?"
"Aha! Milia-chan-sama is doing just fine, see?"
"The guild sent an investigator... did you not run into him?"
"Oh, that guy?" Milia let out a high-pitched, mocking giggle. "He was sniffing around Lord Albert, so I killed him."
"—!"
Farman and the four other assassins reflexively drew the daggers at their waists.
"You killed him? You’ve betrayed us!"
"Don't be like that! 'Betrayal' is such a nasty word. I’ve retired from the assassination business, so it doesn't count as betrayal, right?"
"Do you think we’ll fall for that nonsense?!"
"Since I lost, my life belongs to Lord Albert now. I’m the weak one here, so I don't get a say in the matter. You know how it works, don't you, Farman-sama?"
The lives of the weak belong to the strong.
It was a maxim Farman knew well, but to him, it was just a convenient excuse assassins used to justify their dirty work. No one actually believed it in their soul. Yet, this girl seemed to believe that ridiculous philosophy with every fiber of her being.
This is why she was always a liability!
To be an outlaw meant having a mind of steel. This girl was far too unstable.
"How did you know we would be here?"
"Huh? There aren't that many ways for pros to sneak in, you know. Besides, I’m the one who leaked the internal layout to the guild in the first place. It wasn't exactly hard to guess."
"And why are you waiting for us?"
"To kill you, obviously. You’re here for Lord Albert, aren't you?"
Milia flicked her wrists, and two daggers appeared in her hands like a magic trick. Farman steeled his resolve.
"Don't think you can win against the rest of The Six alone, you lunatic!"
"Ahaha! There are only five of you left, remember? Honestly, I could take six or seven of you by myself, but..." She continued to grin playfully. "I’ve brought a special guest!"
Milia’s eyes shifted to a point behind Farman.
He felt it then—something approaching from the rear. He heard a wet, dragging sound. Zuri... zuri...
Without taking his eyes off Milia, Farman cast a glance over his shoulder.
Emerging from the depths of the darkness was a girl dressed in the Arcana Academy uniform. Her eyes were like twin voids, staring at Farman and his men with an intensity that bordered on the divine.
Zuri... zuri... zuri...
In her right hand, she was dragging a man by the collar. A man who was no longer moving. One look at the body was all Farman needed to realize it was the corpse of Rank 7.
"—!"
The assassins gasped in unison.
The girl—Luna—tossed the corpse dismissively at the feet of the group.
"So, you are the insolent fools seeking to take Lord Albert’s life? You shall atone for this blasphemy with your deaths."
There wasn't a trace of mercy in her voice. The sheer weight of the mana radiating from Luna was enough to make Farman choke.
"Ahahaha! Well then, shall we get started, Farman-sama? Let’s see who dies first!"
Only one thing was certain now. If they wanted to leave this place alive, they would have to find a way to kill these two demons.