“I’m innocent. Please present me with a valid reason.”

“Ha! You’re all talk. Fine then. Rem! Tell this wicked assassin what he said!”

What did I say?

What did I say again?

As I blinked in confusion, the girl, Rem, started speaking while sniffling.

“He said… he’d beat Fron… and kill her… Sob, I was so scared… I couldn’t do anything…”

“…Well, um…”

I did say something like that.

But I didn’t actually mean I would hurt Fron.

I just meant I would teach her a lesson for her bad behavior.

But explaining that would probably just make the situation worse, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

“See, the assassin has nothing to say for himself.”

“Yeah, well, that’s how it is.”

There was no point in saying anything when they wouldn’t listen anyway, so I decided to stay quiet.

I let out a deep sigh.

So, how would Fron deal with me now?

Fron glared at me and shouted,

“Tie this guy up tightly with a rope and throw him in there!”

“Yes!”

At that moment, the children rushed towards me and tied me up with a rope.

I could probably break free if I used my mana, but I decided to play along for now.

If I used force here and the children got hurt, it would ruin any chance of building trust with Fron.

And so, I was thrown into a corner of a giant prison cell.

But then…

“…He really does look shady.”

“Hey, what’s your name?”

“Dummy, he told Fron his name was Adel.”

What are they up to now?

The children began to gather around me and whisper amongst themselves.

I felt uncomfortable, like a monkey on display at a zoo.

Then the children whispered again.

“Why is he making that face?”

“Idiot, he’s hungry, that’s why.”

“Hungry? Are you hungry, Adel?”

“No, maybe he needs to use the bathroom.”

Is this what you call children’s curiosity?

I thought they wouldn't be interested in me since I was labeled an assassin, but the children continued to show interest in my peculiar appearance.

Among them was the girl who had burst into tears when she first saw me.

Rem, was it?

“Did you say your name was Rem?”

“……!”

Startled by my words, Rem quickly hid behind another child.

I found it adorable, but I knew I had to clear up this misunderstanding quickly.

“I apologize if I scared you, Rem. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“…But, you said you would hit Fron…”

“Hey, I was just kidding.”

“Really…?”

Rem seemed to relax a little at my explanation.

Yes, she's coming around.

Or so I thought.

*Thud*

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Someone punched me in the head, and I turned around in frustration.

It was Fron, looking down at me with displeasure.

“You’re as thick-headed as you are stupid. Rem, don’t listen to this wicked assassin. Assassins are known for their lies.”

“Uh, uh…!”

Rem looked at me with a betrayed expression, as if to say,

“I almost fell for your lies!”

This is really bad.

“I hate you!”

Rem shouted at me, using the harshest words she could muster.

My heart ached.

Adel, you messed up again.

Ignoring me, Fron turned to the children who were still showing interest in me.

“Don’t mind him, everyone. Get ready, because ‘it’ will be starting soon.”

“It?”

What’s ‘it’?

At Fron’s words, the children began moving in unison.

They picked up wooden swords and stones from who knows where, their faces determined as they faced the solid wall.

What in the world was about to happen?

As I observed the situation quietly…

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

A child muttered with a tense voice.

And when the child finally shouted “Zero”…

*Rumble*

The wall began to move with a loud roar.

One side of the wall rose upward, revealing another space beyond.

And what I saw there left me utterly speechless.

More children, all looking just like Fron,

were walking out of the newly opened space.

“Everyone, battle stations!”

Fron shouted, watching them emerge.

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