The chill of the moonlight spills through the gap in the swaying curtain.
Before long, the bedroom window was open. It must be the trace left by the woman who had appeared without a sound.
Even I, who had taken yet another step forward in skill, found it difficult to catch the sign. It was only just as the shadow settled in front of me that I became aware of her presence.
It was inevitable.
The opponent was an expert who had honed such skills for a lifetime.
With brown hair long enough to cover her neck and deep green eyes, she was a beauty with an impressive hairpin in her bangs.
Every time she stood before me, the woman would have an unusually pale complexion. Today was no different.
“Neoris,” the imperial intelligence officer I referred to as such cautiously opened her mouth.
“First, I apologize for the delay in my arrival. There was something I had to confirm during the process of collecting the relevant information…”
“Have you taken care of your injuries?”
At the sudden inquiry about her well-being, Neoris’s expression became strange.
She looked up at me with a bewildered gaze. At that moment, I was sitting at the table, looking at documents containing details about the missing individuals.
There were many names I recognized.
That made it all the more exhausting and troubling.
I pressed my temples firmly to calm my fatigue.
“I meant your injuries. Are they all healed?”
“Ah, well, that…”
Neoris lowered her head with a confused look. The tension and fear were palpable in her stiff body.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
It seemed I had somehow caused an unreasonable misunderstanding.
Thinking about all of this as arrangements made by the ‘me’ from the future was enough to give me dizziness. What on earth had I been thinking to torment this innocent woman?
In truth, she was not entirely innocent.
Neoris had previously tormented my precious people. It was just that she had paid a bit too high a price for it.
Because of that, every time Neoris saw me, she would conjure up all kinds of negative imaginations.
Today was no different.
My ominous premonition was, as expected, right on target.
“I-I’m so sorry! It wasn’t because I was taking care of my health… I-I really was collecting information…!”
“I’m not trying to blame you.”
With a sigh mixed in my voice, I tried to quell Neoris.
If I hadn’t, she would have struck her head against the ground again. No, in fact, she had already done so once.
Before I could stop her, a loud thud echoed, making my heart drop.
What if someone heard that sound and came to the bedroom?
The sight of spending the late night alone with a beautiful woman in secret would surely not look good.
After the incident in the previous bedroom, Ceria had seemed particularly uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the other party was either the eloquent saint or the blunt-tongued senior, Elsi. If Ceria had not strained herself to hold back, a disastrous situation might have unfolded.
Ceria was fundamentally timid and lacked social skills.
Yet, it was fortunate that she could hold back.
This was also a testimony that her social skills were developing.
It couldn’t be denied that she was still close to being a ticking time bomb.
While I was secretly proud of Ceria’s growth, I continued speaking.
“I was simply asking if you are alright, as I wouldn’t want Neoris to be unwell.”
As soon as Neoris heard my words, she turned her gaze with strong doubt.
It was a look as if she were seeing a proper lunatic.
To be fair, Neoris and I were not close enough for her to distinguish between me and the ‘me’ from the future.
From her perspective, the person who had previously struck her finger and the person now worrying about her might look like the same individual.
Even if she saw me as a person with a split personality, there was nothing to say.
In the end, having failed to convince Neoris, I exhaled another sigh.
“…It’s fine. I’m glad you look well. But more importantly, is there something you need to report?”
“Ah, yes… yes!”
Finally regaining her senses, Neoris carefully glanced at my expression.
She seemed afraid I might reprimand her again.
But as I showed no signs of admonition, Neoris, slightly encouraged, continued to stammer her words.
“Actually, I received information that strange rumors have been circulating around here… It’s a rumor that has been going on for over ten years, but coincidentally, similar rumors have resurfaced recently.”
A rumor that has begun to circulate again after more than ten years of delay.
This could possibly be related to the series of disappearance cases occurring recently in Perkus Manor. It was a matter that required consultation with the imperial administrator Raymond.
As a sort of suppressed sound left my mouth, Neoris quickly added.
It was part of her desperate effort to disturb my mood as little as possible.
“The way rumors spread is similar to the past. First, disappearances occur, and then strange rumors begin to circulate. There are claims of someone resurrecting the dead, or encountering someone who looks exactly like oneself in the forest…”
“…Could it possibly be a doppelgänger?”
“The likelihood is low. Monsters like doppelgängers don’t appear carelessly. Moreover, there haven’t been any lunar eclipses observed in this area recently.”
“A doppelgänger,” a monster that perfectly mimics the appearance and actions of others.
Unlike ordinary monsters, which are simply beasts, these were beings born as monsters from the start.
They typically live in the demon realm ruled by the Evil God Omelos, where occurrences of lunar eclipses sometimes allow beings from there to cross over into the mortal realm.
Of course, it was exceedingly rare for such monsters to accidentally cross over into this world.
It was more credible to hypothesize that they were summoned artificially.
However, the boundary between the mortal realm and the demon realm had not been breached since the Divine Monster War. It was recorded that many sacrifices had to be made prior to the final battle when Delphrium faced the opposition.
If someone had intentionally summoned a being from the demon realm, there must have been some forewarning.
The collision between worlds was a matter of that magnitude.
As Neoris said, it seemed better to rule out the likelihood of doppelgängers being the cause.
“…It would be wise to investigate.”
“Yes, I thought you might say that, so I brought a few leads regarding the source of the rumors.”
Saying that, Neoris handed over several sheets of documents.
These were papers indicating places where testimonies related to the rumors had been gathered. It seemed she’d conducted quite a meticulous investigation, as the specified area was not very wide.
While examining the documents for a while, my gaze paused momentarily.
A somewhat unusual place caught my eye.
“This place is not part of Perkus Manor.”
“Yes, yes… but I thought it would be prudent to check that location as well…”
Neoris glanced at me nervously as she spoke.
I could sense a slight tremor from her shoulders. Perhaps she feared she had made a mistake.
Of course, I didn’t particularly want to blame Neoris.
Being thorough in everything was a good attitude.
The reason I specifically asked about that place was different.
“It’s the stronghold of the Yuridina Clan…”
Just then, I remembered that Ceria was supposed to head to the stronghold tomorrow.
Since it had come to this, it wouldn’t be bad to gain Ceria’s cooperation.
After all, the chances of obtaining more valuable information were higher when an insider stepped forward rather than an outsider. In that sense, accompanying Ceria would be very helpful.
As I was organizing my thoughts for a moment, Neoris displayed an even more anxious demeanor.
Her lips seemed parched, as she repeatedly wet them with her tongue.
I only noticed this after a while.
It was a moment of realization.
From Neoris’s perspective, having no words from me could only cause anxiety. In her mind, I must be a person wielding an axe without a care.
Thus, I quickly cleared my throat to grab Neoris’s attention.
The customary words of praise slipped from my lips.
“…Well done.”
However, it seemed such a common compliment was unexpected for Neoris.
She looked at me with wide eyes.
“…Huh?”
“I said well done. I particularly appreciated that you took the time to gather related information carefully, even though it took a bit longer.”
Generally, a compliment should address the specific points that were good to feel genuine.
After swapping her lips in confusion for some time, Neoris eventually bowed her head deeply.
I sensed a ripple of emotion.
Was there really a need for such an intense reaction from just a single word?
That question flickered across my mind, but if Neoris was happy, I had no intention of dousing her enthusiasm. The heavy atmosphere did not last long in the first place.
It was because Neoris’s complexion suddenly turned pale.
As if she had just realized, Neoris trembled and bowed her head.
“I-I didn’t mean to question you… Absolutely! I did not… Oh, forgive me…”
“…It’s fine, just stop.”
In the end, my sighs didn’t seem to cease.
It would seem that more time was necessary to repair my relationship with Neoris.
The early dawn of Percus Manor was serene.
Only a few servants bustling about were preparing breakfast.
I enjoyed the cold morning air and the twilight. It was a privilege that only a handful of diligent people could enjoy.
Today, I planned to head with Ceria to the place where the Yuridina Clan’s soldiers were stationed.
Of course, this was a schedule hastily decided the night before, so I needed to consult with Ceria.
That was the reason I was wandering around the manor so early in the morning.
In any case, Ceria must be out somewhere swinging her sword by now. If we happened to meet, it would be nice to train together again after a long time, I was walking with such a laid-back mindset.
Provided I didn’t run into anyone along the way.
“…Ah, I really get it!”
“Elsi!”
As I heard a loud voice, the reception room door swung open, and a girl rushed past me. The middle-aged man following her was a familiar figure to me as well.
It was Senior Elsi and Mr. Raymond.
Mr. Raymond reached out his hand in vain and then sighed in annoyance, placing his hand on his face.
I could only watch the scene with a bewildered expression.
What a commotion so early in the morning.
Of course, it was clear who I needed to console.
I quietly began to move in the direction where Senior Elsi had dashed out.
To be honest, I had no interest in comforting a middle-aged man.
