The consultation with Lupina was a huge help.
The fact that I’m the transmitter of a certain… urge.
But knowing there’s a way to treat them even after the spread brings me a certain relief.
‘…The question now is who’s the culprit.’
The culprit who made me this way.
And their motive.
Knowing these answers might be the key to resolving this situation.
“Anyway, thank you, Lupina. This helped a lot.”
“Oh… yes!”
She nodded earnestly.
At first, I was doubtful, but I didn’t expect it would be this helpful.
Still, it’s hard to understand some of her actions.
For instance, why is she tapping her foot on the floor right now?
She finally spoke.
“Uh, Ian…”
“Hm?”
“Then, does that mean there’s no reward today?”
“What reward?”
Lupina fidgeted, pressing down her shirt as she spoke.
“You, you said I’d have to pay with… my body.”
“…Did I say that?”
What was I even thinking back then?
I wasn’t even in that… state.
“Actually, yes, I was the one who said I would.”
…I thought as much. Reward, huh.
Back when Lupina first tried to sabotage the club selection, I had demanded something like that from her.
“It’s fine. Helping me today is enough of a reward.”
“Oh. Th-thank you.”
Lupina lowered her head in gratitude.
Yet, she kept sneaking glances at me, her gaze lingering with a strange look of disappointment.
…I’m not sure why.
Then—
—Whooosh!
From one corner of the Occult Research Lab, an owl in a cage began to hoot.
Wasn’t that just a decoration?
“It’s an alarm.”
“…?”
“Someone’s watching us from the hallway.”
Thump, Thump, Thump.
She ran over to the door and pressed her ear against it.
“It’s quiet. Too quiet.”
I immediately spread a thin layer of mana.
The Earth element is naturally close to the ground, so I extended it quickly out into the hallway.
“…”
There’s definitely something there.
A person, perhaps fallen?
Whatever it is, it’s not natural.
I readied my Berserker’s Shield, preparing myself.
“I’m stepping out to check.”
The disturbance was right near the door. Maintaining caution, I slowly opened it.
Creak.
In the silence, the sound of the door echoed loudly.
Outside, the moonlight cast a dim glow, leaving the hallway in near-darkness.
I waited for my eyes to adjust before scanning the surroundings.
‘No one’s moving?’
The hallway was quiet, not a creak or sound.
“No… no one’s there?”
A faintly fearful voice from behind—it was Lupina.
“Aren’t you the head of the Occult Club?”
“Even so, it’s still scary!”
Though she raised her voice, Lupina was trembling.
Well, we’re in a situation where our lives feel directly at risk.
It’s understandable that it feels different.
“There’s no need to worry too much. There’s no sign of life, and the mana flow is stable. Stay in the room. I’ll check the surroundings.”
“Couldn’t I just stick with you?”
Is this girl really the head of the Occult Club?
“Fine, stay close, then.”
Feeling her close behind, I stepped into the hallway.
Silence and darkness filled the space.
Earlier, the detected figures were along the wall of the corridor to the right.
I tossed an artifact into the air to break the darkness.
As the surroundings brightened softly, the figures became visible.
Two silhouettes of people lay collapsed on the hallway floor.
“Lupina, light it up a bit more.”
They were masked figures, their bodies covered in black attire.
Well-trained, they looked agile and solid even at a glance.
‘Are they assassins?’
If that’s the case, it’s possible that even their collapsed state is an act.
I released mana to check their condition.
“They’re all dead.”
“Eek!”
Ignoring the trembling Lupina behind me, I examined the masked figures up close.
I kept my shield ready in case anything happened and studied them closely.
First, a long cut across their necks.
‘They must have died because of this.’
It was a wound inflicted by something very sharp—a deep and clean slice.
…There should have been blood from a wound like this.
But there was none; it was perfectly clean. I leaned in to examine the wound more closely.
‘It’s frozen.’
It seems the cause of death was the cut to their throats.
The other body was in the same condition.
I scanned them with my eyes.
The weapons in their hands and the hidden blades within their cloaks.
They were definitely assassins.
“Hmm…”
This naturally raises two questions.
Who were these masked figures targeting?
And who was responsible for taking them down?
Just then—
“Watch out!”
Lupina shouted urgently. I instinctively moved back, away from the corpses.
—Ssshhh!
An eerie sound I had never heard before.
I blinked as I watched the source of the noise.
The bodies were disintegrating, breaking down piece by piece like black pixels, sublimating into nothingness.
“…Black magic.”
Lupina muttered from behind me.
“A dark art that erases traces of one’s existence from this world. If you’re too close, you could get drawn into it.”
Is that so?
That’s quite a terrifying spell.
Just as Lupina said.
The evaporating bodies left no trace behind.
With no evidence remaining, there was no chance of a proper investigation.
I couldn’t even assess their level of skill.
Do all assassins use this spell?
It’s a frustratingly powerful spell.
“It’s a very complex and expensive spell… Why would people like that come here…?”
Expensive and complex, huh.
Lupina’s words gave me a useful hint.
“Lupina, have you done anything that might make someone want to target you?”
“Well, not to this degree.”
“But there is something.”
“No! It’s just small things, like hypnotizing people or sprinkling water to collect their emotions, or sometimes touching people randomly… only things like that!”
“You’ve certainly committed quite a few minor crimes.”
“…I admit it.”
She admitted it rather quickly.
Still, none of those things warrant an assassination attempt.
‘So, that means I’m the target.’
“I can think of plenty of enemies.”
Even from a quick list in my mind, there are a few candidates.
There’s the Second Prince, who showed clear hostility when I visited the palace.
Emilia, who seems to be waiting for an opportunity since the promotion match.
And Dave, Aria’s escort knight.
Any of them could be sending assassins after me.
Just as I’m dealing with enough chaos from my current state, now an assassination attempt?
My head is pounding.
“I figured you’d have a lot of enemies.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hmm.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Lupina began to speak.
“On the outside, you seem obnoxious, but inside, you’re warm. You seem to have a clear sense of principles but are open to various things. Most people recoil or hate my research, but you’re the first person to take it seriously.”
“I am quite exceptional.”
“Yes. You’re so exceptional it’s annoying.”
“…Thanks, I guess?”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can help with. Let’s be allies.”
Lupina held out her hand.
It was white and, for some reason, looked slightly glossy.
“Did you wash your hands after whatever you were just handling?”
“…Of course!”
“Alright, looking forward to it.”
I shook her hand firmly.
But I didn’t let go when she tried to pull her hand away.
“?”
“Then since you’re already here, help me out right away.”
“…Right away?”
“Yes.”
I glanced down the dim hallway.
“There are likely more assassins in this building.”
◆
Meanwhile, in a professor’s office for the Aether class.
Sasha Asilia leaned against the window, gazing out.
The moonlight caught on her delicately curved eyelashes, casting a warm glow as it neared fullness.
With a few soft blinks of her long lashes, she opened her lips in a faint sigh.
“Haah.”
A sigh that was deep, yet somehow tender, slipped out.
Asilia lightly bit her lip, as if swallowing the bittersweet feeling.
‘…Something’s strange.’
Lately, her body felt unusual for some reason.
At night, she felt her body heating up, almost feverish.
She tried various ways to calm her simmering body.
Training.
Meditation.
Channeling her mana.
Reading.
But each attempt was only a temporary fix.
On quiet, moonlit nights like this, it all returned the same.
It puzzled her.
For someone at Asilia’s level, controlling her own body should have been a simple task.
Since she reached a certain stage, she hadn’t experienced anything like this.
“…”
The Snowflake Swordmaster.
Sasha Asilia felt a certain restlessness within her heart.
Her life had always followed a disciplined path.
The pursuit of a better sword.
Training, honing herself, and striving toward mastery.
Even the arranged marriage, something she couldn’t refuse for her family’s sake, hadn’t disrupted her path.
Her child was endlessly precious, but Asilia hadn’t strayed from her course.
Not even after she was absorbed into the Northern Grand Duke’s faction.
Her life had been all about the sword… and yet—
“Why does my heart keep aching like this?”
Asilia shut her eyes tightly.
But it only made things worse.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Memories of that day surfaced, causing her heart to beat even faster.
She knew very well what this feeling was. And she knew exactly who it was for.
“…How foolish.”
So, Asilia rebuked herself.
She told herself she couldn’t act this way.
That she should close her eyes and let it fade.
But it only grew stronger each day.
Hoo—
Exhaling deeply, Asilia tried to calm herself down.
And then a possibility dawned on her.
‘Maybe the more I try to forget, the harder it is to let go.’
The harder she tried to forget, the clearer the memories became.
So, perhaps—
If she could just bring herself to say his name, maybe she could let go of this feeling.
Her lips moved silently.
Even so, no voice came.
The idea of saying his name for this purpose felt wrong.
It was something she shouldn’t do.
But despite this—
After much hesitation, she finally let the name slip from her lips.
“…Ian.”
