Beyond the crystal ball, not only Lindy was there, but Luna, Presia, and even the bear and Tokki were all present as I sat on my knees.
“Uh… How much longer do I have to stay like this…?”
I stealthily glanced around at everyone watching me with their eyes slightly raised. However, Luna had a beet-red face, quietly fidgeting her fingers, Presia was absentmindedly touching her palm, and Lindy beyond the crystal ball sighed deeply.
Regardless of the aching legs, I couldn’t properly sit down due to my heels pressing against my buttocks, and it was truly uncomfortable to remain in such a position. Just as my sore bottom from being hit by Presia the night before had started to calm down, I received another blow moments ago, and it hurt at least twice as much as yesterday.
“Actually, why in the first place am I in this position?”
-You should be more ashamed of not knowing that.
It was Lindy’s voice, filled with annoyance.
But, after some contemplation, I began to wonder why exactly I had gotten into this situation of kneeling in front of everyone. It’s true that I had asked Luna, without much explanation, to take off her top. However, I only had her lift her blouse enough to reveal the mark on her chest, around the sternum. Between women, such minor exposure shouldn’t matter, right? For instance, if men tried to peel off each other’s shirts, it would immediately escalate into punches being thrown. But among women, this level of intimacy should be considered normal. Recalling my days at the academy, this sort of interaction among friends felt quite ordinary.
Besides, there’s no one else, no men, in this room aside from us. Well, I am technically a man, but outwardly, I appear more feminine than most women.
Ah, Lindy knows I’m a man, and that’s probably why she’s reacting this way. In fact, I’ve completely blocked Lindy’s perverted tendencies, while I, on the other hand, remain in this embarrassing situation. Still, I acted purely out of a desire to help Luna.
“Of course, it was wrong to act first without explaining, but Luna ultimately agreed, right? Isn’t that correct, Luna?”
The only person who could free me from this predicament was Luna, who had inadvertently become a victim without actually being harmed. Truly an incomprehensible verdict of a perpetrator without committing any harm and a victim without being victimized can hardly be found in this world.
“…Senior, the reason you tried to take off my clothes was to show the mark of mastery magic to that woman, right?”
“That’s right! The mark on Luna needs to be shown in order for the boss to remove it.”
See? Luna has fully grasped my intentions, unlike the two people who misunderstood the situation. In fact, she understands the current situation quite clearly.
Since all misunderstandings about me have now been resolved, I nonchalantly stood up with a slightly shameless face.
“I never agreed to let anyone see the mark of mastery magic on me.”
“Eh?”
However, while getting up, I froze awkwardly upon hearing Luna’s voice and looked at her with a perplexed expression.
“What? What are you talking about, Luna? You clearly said you were fine with it, and so I let my guard down.”
Just as I was about to be freed from this suffering, I quickly asked Luna in a frantic voice.
“As long as you don’t know, it’s fine. Anyway, I never consented to showing anyone my master-slave mark, and I only want to remember the emotional trauma caused by you, Senior.”
But Luna kept voicing things that were hard to understand and refused to come to my defense.
If Lindy and Luna won’t stand up for me, then the only one left is Presia. Of course, Presia also hit my buttocks due to the misunderstanding, but if I calmly explain the situation, she will surely understand. We’re connected by bonds of trust, and our hearts are linked; I believe Presia will definitely understand my true intentions.
“Ah, didn’t you hear, boss? Luna clearly said she was fine with it, didn’t she? Right?”
“Stupid Alicia.”
…What happened to the kind and pure boss from three years ago, and why is all that remains this bad-mouthed boss?
Thus, the last potential ally has disappeared.
Why don’t they understand my genuine intentions? The three people declared that, at this moment, a perpetrator who had not harmed anyone and a victim who had not suffered anything were truly born.
Even though I can’t clear up everyone’s misunderstandings, I place my hope in our celestial goddess, Serena, who resides in heaven, knowing fully well my innocence and injustice.
Rumble Boom!
Even though this is a soundproof room, the thunder was clearly audible. Look, isn’t the sky showing its wrath on my behalf?
Finding solace in the fact that there is at least one deity who believes in me, I obediently kneeled again.
Rumble Boom Boom!
-Ahhh, I know those guys well. They were the ones troubling my intelligence operatives, giving me a headache, but thanks to you, maybe we can conveniently dispose of them.
With Presia’s help, the mastery magic mark engraved on Luna disappeared effortlessly. The master-slave scroll from the assassination guild was now merely a piece of ordinary paper. Luna hesitated for a moment and then revealed everything she knew about the guild she belonged to.
“Do we have to be cautious because of anything? Will killing them affect Lindy in any way?”
-There’s nothing like that, so you can just sweep them all away. Of course, it will be difficult to capture all the assassins who are out there, but since our goal is to set Luna free, it will be enough if we create enough chaos that they have no time to look for her.
Then, it will be enough just to eliminate the guild master and a few members of the leadership.
“If that’s the case, let’s go now. Umm… Will the boss wait here for a while?”
-No! I must come along!
“…She said so.”
After asking Luna about the guild members’ skill levels, it seemed like it wouldn’t take long. Still, I didn’t want to bother Presia again, who had already helped us, but Lindy’s response came through the crystal ball. Even Luna, who’d been acting snappish toward Presia since last night, silently nodded in agreement with her involvement.
Luna still looked bewildered, as if she couldn’t believe she was now a free person. Yet, amid all the chaos, she didn’t forget that she had been helped by Presia. Feeling proud of her, I reached out to pat her head, and Luna reacted as she usually would, shouting loudly.
“Hey! Though I’ve given out an unforgivable wound to my delicate heart, I haven’t forgiven you completely yet, Senior. Be kind to me!”
Yes, this is Luna. Her quiet demeanor without any reaction seemed out of character compared to her lively and spirited self.
“So, do you dislike it?”
“…Not really.”
When I slightly withdrew my hand that was roughly patting her head and asked, she whispered so softly I could barely hear her while pulling my hand back to her head.
With a smirk, seeing Luna’s cute behavior, I gently smoothed her hair this time, as she had asked.
Though flipping an assassin guild upside down might not be impossible if I put my mind to it, I didn’t know how many others apart from Luna were forced into this line of work. So, rather than causing unnecessary chaos, we simply eliminated the officers hidden deep within the guild.
Of course, neither the regular guild members nor even the officers noticed our presence. Of course, for me, it’s expected, but Luna, who practiced closely observing my techniques during her time, had improved leaps and bounds. Furthermore, Presia, aided by the hidden spells of Tokki and Bear, who even made the demons’ eyes ineffective, trailed leisurely behind us.
Now, the only one left was the guild master before us.
“Cough…! You…!”
“You are someone I would want to kill immediately, but unfortunately, there is someone else designated to take your life.”
Even though he’s not the master of the Black Moon Guild I used to belong to, this guy is no different, so I couldn’t expect him to say anything good. But as I stated, there is someone assigned to deal with him.
“…Master.”
“Y-you… Luna? Then, is that silver hair and that form… Could you be the hero?”
“Sharp observation. After all, you are the master of an assassin guild.”
“K-kill that woman immediately! What are you doing just standing there? Kill her! Kill her now!”
Even as the guild master thrashed on the floor, he reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper, thrusting it towards Luna while screaming. But Luna, who had already been freed from her master-slave mark, didn’t flinch.
He’d known it was futile since the moment he brought me here, yet he clung to a last, desperate hope, and it filled me with satisfaction to see him scream pitifully.
“The master always said, didn’t he? That the target must be killed at once. Otherwise, you will die.”
Luna drew her dagger, something she had not done once throughout our journey.
Carrying the dagger slowly up to the guild master’s neck, Luna’s sharp blade was so finely honed that drops of blood trickled down from the neck it lightly touched, streaming down through the blade.
If she drew the line now, it would all be over, but Luna retracted the dagger from his throat.
Hope returned to the eyes of the guild master, which had been filled with fear. And then…
Thud!
“Krraaak!”
With a piercing cry, Luna’s dagger pierced the hand holding the master-slave scroll and pinned it to the floor.
Bringing Presia here was a good decision. Thanks to the barrier she cast, the guild master’s screams remained trapped inside the room, unable to escape.
Still, the level of pain at which he screamed like this made it seem as though he had been far away from the action for a long time.
As Luna tapped his pierced hand with her finger as if playing with it, she opened her mouth.
“But I don’t plan to kill you with one cut.”
I cared little, but surely showing Presia this sight would do nothing good for her mental health. So, I moved behind her and covered her eyes. With my hands already occupied, Tokki and Bear covered Presia’s ears in her place.
Fortunately, Presia didn’t seem bothered and remained quietly leaning against me.
“You also know, Master. Among other things, I learned the art of torturing here in this hell. I’m going to show you that very art of torture I learned from you, so you’ll be expecting it already.”
I meticulously checked the hands covering Presia’s eyes, ensuring even the smallest crack wouldn’t allow her to see.
“Congratulations on being free.”
After finishing everything, we celebrated her newfound freedom modestly at a restaurant in the city. It may seem odd to celebrate after killing someone, but celebrations are for celebrating.
Unlike me, who can never be free of past sins, Luna is now completely liberated. She no longer has to commit any killings against her will.
“What will you do now that you are free? Do you have any plans?”
“According to you, what do you think suits me?”
“Let me think… Um… How about going to the Griffin Academy? Though I only attended for one year, it’s a decent place.”
Around this time, the Griffin Academy is reopening its doors to new students. It will be a good opportunity for Luna, who has nothing to support her. Surely, with the Emperor’s help, getting her into the academy shouldn’t be too difficult.
“Wow! Then, you’ll become my senior again? That might be a little tempting!”
Well, wherever Luna goes, she will excel. Her skills, despite being specialized in assassination, are top-notch and her personality is harmonious without any major issues.
Thus, chatting about various matters, we finished what would be our last dinner together.
“…Since today’s our last day, I’ll make a rare exception.”
Though why using the larger bed alone counts as an exception, I don’t know, but in the end, Luna and I ended up sharing a bed. With our parting tomorrow, Luna’s words flowed freely.
Stories from the day she first attempted to kill me, and how she ended up being saved by me…
She rambled on for quite a while, still speaking even as her eyes started to close.
However, exhausted from the events of the day, Luna eventually fell asleep, leaving me the only one still awake in the room.
Luna resting her head on my chest.
Since she’s free from the master-slave mark, there’s no longer any reason for her to target my life.
Which also means she no longer needs to follow me around.
Between us, there have been so many experiences that I, too, felt a sense of loss as she prepared to part ways.
But rather than grieving over our farewell, I quietly kissed her forehead as she had already drifted off to dreamland, blessing her journey ahead.
May happiness always fill her path ahead.
Upon waking in the morning, Luna was already gone without a trace, seemingly having left on her own. At least she deserved a proper goodbye.
Feeling the void of her absence, I prepared to rouse Presia for the start of the day, when a voice reached me before I could.
“Ta-daa! Senior! Look what I have! I got free bread from the owner!”
With a loud bang, the door opened, and Luna rushed in, bread held in both hands, shouting loudly.
“Come on, come on. I’ve prepared breakfast for you, so hurry up and eat. I even brought milk!”
Even more, a milk bottle was hanging from her waist. But more importantly…
“What’s going on? Weren’t you supposed to leave? You don’t have to follow me around anymore.”
I was utterly surprised, believing she had already gone. However, upon seeing my shock, Luna tilted her head and asked instead.
“Does the senior not want me to follow?”
“Not necessarily, but it’s still dangerous…”
In the future, I’ll continue hunting demons and eventually head to the Demon King’s castle. It’s a task I can’t bring Luna along for.
Before I could finish answering Luna, she laughed heartily and interrupted me.
“This is my choice, senior. While I followed others’ will so far, now, I will follow my own and stick with you for a long time! You’d better prepare yourself, senior!”
Declaring this as if making a grand announcement, Luna stood confidently.
Thud!
“Oof!”
“Stupid Luna.”
However, her confident posture quickly dissolved with a pillow thrown by Presia.
Seeing her fall, I couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
