“What's this? They're nothing special like I thought?”

“Ye, yeah…”

'No, that's because you guys have far surpassed the level of mere students.'

Iliya thought so and looked around at the groaning assassins spread out on the floor.

From their skills, it was clear that they had lived while wielding blades for a long time. It made no sense for students to just subdue these people.

Of course, there are people who can’t be judged with common sense…

She then looked at the person who was quietly retrieving her sword with a wry smile after single-handedly slaughtering the enemies.

Even the other students, who had the power to easily deal with the remaining assassins, showed a sense of awe mixed with fear when they looked at this person.

However, such a reaction was normal for someone who subdued this many assassins with an undrawn sword.

Among the best swordsmen on the continent, Lady Tristan was praised as the greatest talent of all time.

The swordsmanship she displayed was in a realm that even Iliya, who had gone through numerous battles, could not help but admire.

‘How many people on the continent can imitate that?’

The Tristan Style Swordsmanship was a highly advanced skill where one was considered a genius just by being able to imitate it. If one was able to master it, one could destroy common sense regardless of the weapon they wield.

It was said that even a stick could be used to kill.

“…?”

Lost in her thoughts, Iliya suddenly noticed something.

Eleanor’s hand was shaking.

It was as if she was putting up with something excruciating.

From the perspective of a seasoned swordsman,

it was as if she was frustrated that she couldn't kill the other person.

It looked like her body was screaming at her to pull out her sword and start hacking.

“…”

Iliya felt silent goosebumps. Then as if noticing her gaze, Eleanor subtly hid her hand behind her and spoke.

“…It looks like we've subdued them all.”

It was a clear signal not to talk about what she had just seen, to which Iliya agreed.

If she tried to touch on the topic now, she might have a sword come and send her to heaven.

“Yes, I think we should hand them over to the Academy—"

Iliya suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

It was because she found a shining blue jewel on the body of one of the assassins.

It was a short-range communication device. It was something that she had seen several times before when subjugating monsters.

This meant that there were still others in the building that these guys kept in contact with.

"—It's not over yet.”

Iliya smiled as she approached one of the assassins.

“Hey, are there others besides everyone here right now?”

“…”

Seeing the assassin silently glaring at her, Iliya bitterly laughed inwardly.

Yeah, finding answers wasn't so easy—

—!

However, before she could even finish thinking, the assassin’s arm suddenly broke with a snap.

“…!”

The assassin's silent scream gave Iliya an idea of the amount of pain they were feeling.

Dumbfounded, she turned and saw Eleanor putting the sheathed sword back on her waist.

“If you don’t talk, I’ll break your neck next.”

“…”

“Hmm. No. That just wasn’t appropriate.”

When Eleanor said that, the dumbfounded Iliya also smiled.

'Yeah, but you really can't just say that out of the blue.'

“If no one speaks, I'll slit everyone's throat.”

“…”

Heavy silence permeated the surroundings.

Eleanor was talking in a calm manner, but it was precisely because of this that people knew that she would really do what she said she would.

Eventually, someone spoke in place of the assassin with a broken arm.

Listening to the tense words, Eleanor simply nodded her head expressionlessly.

“Yes. Hasmed of Crescent Moon. He steals the identity of his victims.”

Hearing those words, Eleanor, who had been silent for a while, opened her mouth.

“That assassin, is he here with you?”

“What?”

“Answer the question. Is he in this building right now?”

“…I can’t tell you that—"

The assassin suddenly stopped midway.

Anyone who realized that one of their arms has been slashed by a sword would probably do so as well.

And of course, it was none other than Eleanor who had drawn her sword in an instant.

“A, aaaak—!”

The assassin screamed in pain as his blood sprayed everywhere. However, Eleanor did not even think about wiping the splattered blood off her face and just grabbed the assassin by the collar.

Her red eyes shone ferociously in the dim surroundings.

“Is that assassin here?”

“A, aaaaak—!”

“If you don’t answer, I’ll cut off the other arm too.”

“Y-yes! He's here!”

Upon hearing that, Eleanor threw the screaming assassin to the ground.

She seemed stunned for a bit before running out, leaving the other students who remained still.

“Wait! What the hell is this madness?!”

Breaking an arm and threats were not the same as pulling out a real sword and slashing a body part off!

Eleanor's personality seemed to have turned a full 180° as soon as she heard that there was an assassin named Hasmed in the building.

Eleanor sighed and answered Iliya, who had quickly caught up.

“Because I needed an answer urgently. Lives are on the line and there's medical equipment nearby.”

“…”

That said, who would do such a thing without hesitation?

“What was that for…?!”

“They said the assassin kills and steals his victim's identity. Who do you think would be the easiest to target in this building right now?”

Iliya was speechless.

Come to think of it, there was one.

There was one person who dared to separate from the group, saying that it was necessary.

“…No way.”

Iliya said firmly.

“Did he use himself as bait to lure the strongest opponent there?”

Logically speaking, this was just all speculation.

He couldn't possibly know that an assassin like that was coming in the first place, and even if he did, there was no reason why he'd risk his life to do something like that—

—I quite like that person.

“…”

'It was possible.'

Now, it was clear that this assassination attempt was aimed at Lady Tristan.

And it was evident that Eleanor agreed, seeing that she kept her mouth shut without answering.

“I’ll have to go there and check.”

“Why are you doing this? What is the relationship between you two…?”

“…Didn’t I say that there's nothing between the two of us?”

Eleanor said.

“At least as far as I know.”

But, unlike before...

She wasn't even sure of herself now.

●

No matter how you looked at Elfante Academy, it was difficult to regard it as a normal educational institution.

The fact that there were things that would never be in a normal academy was already widespread among outsiders.

Since it was such an old and mysterious place, there were all kinds of abnormalities in the academy itself.

Secret rooms were hidden everywhere, ghosts popped out at certain times, and certain buildings were said to hold legends...

Hasmed was familiar with those things.

He had heard more than a few thousand things, but it had been a long time since he had memorized them all.

Regardless, he was a well-known professional assassin. He wouldn't have earned such a reputation if he couldn't put in that level of effort.

Hence, when he saw the translucent blue membraneon his arm, he couldn't help but be stunned.

‘The Guardian's Soul…!’

It was a suppressive defensive barrier and had the effect of greatly reducing the power of the weapon wielded by the attacker within the specified range.

Although it was said to appear in some buildings, both the exact time and place when it happened were random.

'But why did it appear here?'

As Hasmed was thinking that, the student in front began to approach him with the stick.

‘Fool!’

Hasmed snorted.

Even with a weapon-disabling barrier, a trained assassin themself was a weapon. Further, Hasmed ranked at the top among such assassins.

What could a kid do with a stick? Like what could that weak ass body without a hint of combat skill even accomplish?

At least, this was what Hasmed thought.

Until... the first blow.

—!

 

—!!!

A storm-like series of attacks raged in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, Hasmed was screaming. His vital point had been hit and he couldn't hold in the screams.

However, the psychological shock was hitting him more than the physical pain.

‘I can’t follow his moves…!’

As a top-rank assassin, there were only a few sword styles in the continent that he couldn't identify.

Not to mention, if it was wielded by a swordsman who could exert this much power with an object that was not even a sword to begin with!

‘Tristan Style Swordsmanship!’

Why was it that he couldn’t read the prowess of a guy who could execute such a technique?

‘…!’

Suddenly, a realization struck him like lightning.

If his thoughts were correct...

‘I shouldn’t have messed with this guy from the start…!’

Hasmed thought as he helplessly fell to the ground.

●

System Notification

[ Successfully used Attribute! ]

[ Tristan Style Swordsmanship Proficiency Increased. ]

“…”

'What's this?'

'Why is it so strong?'

I look at the fallen Hasmed in confusion.

To be honest, I didn't expect much from the Tristan Style Swordsmanship because what I had was only the basic version. It was out of my expectations that I could take down someone like Hasmed in just a couple of swings.

After all, wasn't he still a decent mid-boss during the main quest?

He was a renowned assassin, his name bore some weight in the criminal underworld.

‘…How strong will this be if I complete it?’

I knew that this would be strong considering it was the swordsmanship used by the Final Boss, but I didn’t expect it to be this overwhelming.

In the first place, I planned to buy time and dip to get help.

“…Haa. I see. It was a trap from the beginning.”

That was why I felt bewildered when this guy, who collapsed in front of me, muttered those words.

'What are you talking about?'

“I don’t know how, but you definitely knew that the Guardian’s Soul would appear. That must have been the reason why you chose the stick as your weapon from the beginning.”

That was just the game's mechanics.

Fighting with weapons was impossible at save points that existed in all buildings. That was why I brought this guy here.

“And in order to use that method, you lured me in by hiding your abilities from the beginning, didn't you? That’s why you purposely broke away from the group. To keep me away from Lady Tristan.”

“…”

Not really.

Actually, I was going to run away after distracting you a bit.

System Message

[ Skill: Fatal Charm has been activated! ]

[ A villain is in awe of your elaborate plans! ]

[ Rewards Available! ]

“…”

'What elaborate plan?'

Was running away and crying for help considered an elaborate plan now?

Where had the common sense of this world gone?

“Bastard, who are you? Are you raised by Duke Tristan? Or an agent of the Imperial Central Intelligence Agency?”

“…”

I was from a remote place who raised cows and farmed for a living.

“Looks like you have no intention of answering. Alright, kill me now.”

“…I don’t intend to kill you.”

“You're not going to kill me? Why?”

As if my words were really that shocking, Hasmed's eyes widened.

I had no intention of murder.

‘In the first place…’

He was a member of the criminal organization, Vagabond, a key part in Chapter 3 of the scenario.

If I touched him carelessly, Vagabond would obviously come for me.

However...

‘I can't just say that.’

So, I need to come up with a reasonable excuse.

What would be the best…?

Ah, yes.

“Spread the word to not approach Lady Tristan. Say that you, an assassin of your caliber, almost died trying to mess with her."

I didn’t know who this guy’s client was, but given that this happened during an academy event, there was a good chance that they were no ordinary lunatic.

Even with this failure, there was a high chance that they would try again and again, ultimately stacking Eleanor’s Corruption.

It would gradually increase the odds of the Gray Devil being unleashed.

Hence, it was best to cut off any kind of attempt at their source.

Hasmed was a well-known assassin in his own right. Shouldn't something like this deter others from taking on the assassination request?

“…”

Hasmed’s expression turned strange.

“What are you going to do if I don’t keep my promise? If you let me go, we might aim for Lady Tristan again.”

Actually, I didn’t think so.

Considering how Vagabond was in the original game, they definitely wouldn't. They weren't the type who would go against someone who saved their life.

Strangely enough, they were criminals who strictly upheld honor.

But let’s spit some talk here.

“Try again, then.”

I continued with a smirk.

“I'll still be there to protect her.”

“…Is Lady Tristan that precious to you?”

“You can think of it however you want.”

Let's just gloss over it since it's a pain to explain in detail.

Saying, "Because she favors me,' will lead to more questions. This should be fine…

System Message

[ Skill: Fatal Charm has been activated! ]

[ The skill efficiency is extremely high! ]

[ The Villian's Favor Has Greatly Increased! ]

[ The Villian's Favor Increases Dramatically! ]

[ The Villian's Favor Has Crazily Increased! ]

[ The Villian's Favor... ]

“…”

What was this?

As soon as I finished talking, system prompts began to rapidly appear one after the other, effectively blocking my vision.

Uh.

No way.

“…”

Turning my head slightly, I saw a wide-eyed Eleanor at the end of the hallway.

It was clear that she had heard everything.

“…”

“…”

'I'm in deep shit.'

I didn’t know why, but I felt that way.