It was the 25th of December...which doesn't actually mean anything since Christmas doesn't exist in this world.
Exams were over, and we'd be getting our results at the end of the month, after which our second year will begin sometime in the middle of January next year. A lot had happened in the past year, and it felt like it had gone by so quickl- actually that's not true at all. Between the Brawl of Glory, the Goldway Quest and the Rewind and Shuffle incidents, this year had felt like it had been going on forever.
The 2nd of December had been Persia's birthday, we hadn't been able to do anything major since exams and whatnot, but I had found the time to sneak away from studying to get her a present, settling on a pair of black earrings, which appeared to have the same type of black gem as the necklace I got her in Goldway did.
I also gave her a copy of my apartment's key, because these days she tended to spend more time here than in her own house.
As a result of training for just two days a week, we hadn't made much progress with her Retractable Anima control or my Karma tolerance. After my name appeared in the Student Adventurer rankings, more second years and even a few graduating third years challenged me to duels here and there, I managed to beat them all with relative ease.
I'd have liked to fight one of the graduating Big Five too, but it didn't quite work out. Fuo and Ekai refused because they wanted to focus on passing and making sure they graduate. I didn't bother asking Misen since I don't like talking to him. Siert looked like he was about to cry when I challenged him, so I took it back.
I had broken into the top twenty, but after the current third years graduate and their names removed from the ranking system, I would end up somewhere in the top ten. The only other first year who had been dueling besides me was Gela, she was just a few spots below me in the rankings. She said she wanted to fight me again eventually, but not yet.
While I had made an effort to avoid using Bloodlust Mode and letting my violent urges surface, she had really been tearing into her opponents, most of her wins came from her opponents giving up because she kept inflicting pain while ensuring not to do anything that'd teleport them out. She was starting to earn quite the reputation for herself.
Oh, and Az had attempted to quit his apprenticeship with Elina, but the moment she had him she made sure not to let him go. His skills were one in a million, after all. Poor guy, I felt bad...it was kinda my fault that he was in that situation.
Anyway, exams were over now, and I found myself aimlessly walking through the streets around evening time. Persia was spending the day with her parents, and the other three were busy too, so I didn't really have anything to do today.
As I turned the corner lost in thought, I bumped into someone, knocking them down.
"Oh, my bad, I wasn't looking where I was going...," I apologized as I helped them back up, "Wait, aren't you, uh..."
It was the other girl who had been in my shuffled group. What was her name again...?
"Niski...Niski Torfa. You're...Kuro Black. And it's okay, I wasn't watching where I was going either," She responded, as she got back on her feet.
"Oh, alright then...," I replied...okay, this is awkward, "Well, uh...see you around, I guess..."
"Actually, wait a minute...I need to thank you," She stopped me.
"Oh, uh...for what?"
"That Quest, of course...I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. So, thank you."
"Oh, right...uh, you're welcome, I guess...but if I'm being honest, I only saved you all because I would have been held responsible as the group leader otherwise," I replied bluntly.
"Well, yeah...you barely knew any of us, so that's obvious. That doesn't change the fact that you saved my life though. Don't get me wrong, you are incredibly strong, but...against those numbers, it would have been justifiable if you had decided to run away and abandon the rest of us. You certainly had the opportunity to," She responded.
Huh...this girl had a pretty realistic and logical view on life.
"Well, I may not be the warmest person in the world, but even I'm not that heartless," I shrugged in reply.
I almost added 'no pun intended' at the end there, in reference to the guy who got his heart ripped out...yeah, too soon. Good thing I didn't say it out loud...that was dark.
"Well, I should get going...I'll thank you properly one of these days. You know...you're a lot nicer than Gela led me to believe, she talks about you a lot, and always makes you sound like a bloodthirsty monster or something. Well, see you around!"
"Uh...sure, bye," I replied awkwardly, as she left with a wave.
Oh, that's right...she was in Gela's group.
...what the heck was that birdbrained freak saying about me, anyway?
...actually, knowing her...I can kinda guess.
...
...
After wandering around for a while longer, I decided to head back to my apartment. I had absolutely nothing to do, so I guess I'll just laze around till the day's over.
I entered the building and headed up to my floor. As I reached the second floor and began heading for my room...I heard a loud pounding coming from the direction of where my door was.
Was someone knocking on my door?
They sure were being loud...
I began to feel irritated...not only would all this noise scare Pero, but I might even end up having to deal with complaints from the neighbors, which would be a pain.
I stormed towards my door, getting a look at who was banging on it as I turned the corner.
He didn't notice me.
As I saw who it was, I felt my eyebrow automatically twitch in annoyance, before I fired a thin streak of lightning at him, zapping him on the neck.
"I'd rather you didn't hammer down my door...for that matter, I'd rather you didn't show up by my door at all...actually, for THAT matter, how the fuck do you know where I live, Ragiu?" I growled irritably, as I walked over to him.
"Ow...tch, like I would be here if I didn't have a choice. My father wants to speak to you...he didn't tell me about what, but I'm supposed to take you to him," He replied with a frown, gingerly rubbing the spot where I'd zapped him.
I hadn't hit him with that much voltage, and even if I did, it wouldn't leave a mark, because...well, I had zapped him where he was already scarred.
Remember, I left a scar on the area starting from his right earlobe and ending at his right shoulder during our fight in the Brawl of Glory.
"Huh, and why should I care- oh, wait...your father was one of the dudes we were guarding on the Goldway Quest, I totally forgot...," I recalled, before adding, "And what business does a royal representative have with me?"
As I said that, Headmaster Yiserir's words from a few weeks ago popped into my head...
Had I really underestimated my current standing in this country?
It felt pretty strange...as an assassin in my old world, my priority was to carry out my work as quietly as possible. As an assassin, the less known you are, the better it is. But in this world, as an Adventurer, or technically Student Adventurer, I had no need to do things that way. And as a result, I had ended up garnering a fair amount of attention.
I wasn't sure if I liked it or not.
"Like I said, I don't know...he didn't tell me anything except to bring you here."
Well...it's not like I have anything better to do. And I had to admit, I was kinda curious to see what this was about.
"Alright, then...errand-boy, lead the way!"
"...you little piece of shit."
...
...
He led me to his house, a large mansion that was three stories tall, surrounding by walls and a gate. It was fairly close to the royal castle. Should have expected as much, the Ragiu family worked very closely with the Rustlands' royal family, so they were bound to be rolling in dough.
Class systems and discrimination may not be a thing in the Rustlands, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a wealth gap, there were plenty of filthy-rich people, and plenty of dirt-poor people. It was just that the former weren't granted a higher social standing or whatever just because they had more money.
Titles like Lord or whatever didn't exist in the Rustlands, even the most influential and important royal advisors and representatives were to be treated like everyday people in their normal life. Trying to use that position to leverage authority over another person was a huge crime.
The gates opened and Misen escorted me in, letting me inside the house and taking me up to the second floor, into a large room that appeared to be used as an office or study.
Inside, was a tall man who looked to be in his late-forties, with neatly combed black hair, a close-cropped beard, a slightly burly build, and no noticeable Anima mutations. I recognized him from the Goldway Quest. Erhtaph Ragiu, one of the closest advisors and representatives to the royal family, he had been an A-Ranked Adventurer in his prime, and was retired now.
And he was Misen's father. Also that other guy...I forgot his name, but I'm talking about Misen's brother whom Persia and I killed in the Goblin maze...that seemed like it happened forever ago.
"Ah, Mr Black...I've been expecting you. Leave us be, Misen," He instructed.
Misen nodded and left, shutting the door behind him.
O...kay?
"Uh, sir...I don't mean to be rude or blunt or anything, but...what is this about?" I inquired.
"Of course, I shall cut to the chase. I am sure you are wondering why I requested your presence here. To put it simply...I would like to hire you for a...certain job. A job that I would not feel comfortable requesting from the royal family or any normal Adventurer."
...did he just call me abnormal? Still...this was piquing my interest.
"I'm not sure I follow...what exactly does this job entail? And why wouldn't you be able to ask someone else to do it?"
"It is quite simple, really. During the Quest to Goldway, you seemed to have a remarkable knack for sensing danger. The ambush you discovered and dealt with in that cave also proved your stealth, then there was your quick reaction to the incident during the dinner feast, and you were correctly suspicious of King Aurich's advisor Valse Darrte when no one else was. Particularly during the dinner feast, there was something rather...refined and calculating about you, you dealt with the situation efficiently and without any hesitation. And most of all...you appear to have no qualms about killing."
I see...whatever job he wanted me to do was something dirty...and not in a sexual way. One thing bothered me though....
"You called my knack for sensing danger remarkable, but...all it really is is that I have a keen sense for detecting bloodlust or murderous intent. Is that...unusual or something?"
Come to think of it...I had been in this world for nearly a year, and to this date I was yet to meet anyone besides Gela who could actually sense bloodlust at all. I had been trying to teach Persia how to sense it, but she just couldn't quite figure it out.
"A sense for detecting bloodlust? Well, I believe people do realize when someone is being hostile towards them, but that is usually when they are right in front of the person, or at most, in the same room. That cave had been a few dozen meters away from our campsite that night...are you telling me that you were able to sense their murderous intentions from that far away?"
So, looks like I finally had confirmation...sensing bloodlust is not a common skill here. In my old world, my master put me through hell for a few hours each day for nearly two whole years in order for me to get a feel for bloodlust. I...would rather not get into the details of exactly what I had to face.
While it is a very instinctive sense, it is naturally very weak in humans. You've probably seen how animals often react to danger much faster than humans. And since detecting danger or bloodlust is such a naturally weak instinct in humans, you really need to hone and sharpen it to be able to readily sense bloodlust.
Mine was very refined because I had trained to sense it...but training wasn't the only way, mass murderers or people heavily involved in dangerous situations and murder could sharpen that sense without even realizing it.
Here, though...humans don't kill humans that often, thanks the abundance of monsters around.
Now that I think about it...it was kinda insane how well Gela could sense bloodlust in a world where no one else seemed to have figured it out yet.
Well, realistically there probably were others who could sense it to at least some degree, I haven't even seen half of this world yet, after all.
"Yes, that's right...I can usually feel it when someone is emanating bloodlust. It's pretty much impossible to fully suppress your bloodlust when killing, thinking of killing, or attempting to kill someone."
"I see...very intriguing. Well, then that ability makes you all the more perfect for the job I have in mind."
"And the job is...?"
"I would like you to investigate, and potentially assassinate, a few individuals."
Huh? Did I hear that right? Was I back in my old world or something?
That sounded...just like something I'd be tasked with in my previous life.
"Uh, I -."
"You see...it is clear to me that Goldway was felled so efficiently because the Magic Research- or rather, The Valaque Empire had planted inside men and spies to help them take the country down. Therefore, in order to prevent the Rustlands from suffering a similar fate, I would like to have any suspicious individuals within the walls of the Rustlands be covertly investigated. If they are found to be innocent, good. And if they are found to be guilty...eliminate them. None of our current existing Adventurers fit the bill for a job like this, very few have experience with killing other people. And I cannot inform the royal family of this either, King Rustlands is unlikely to approve of his citizens being placed under suspicion and surveillance...I should not be saying this, but the king is rather naive. He wants what is best for this country, as do I...and I will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our nation and citizens. There is also the matter of the ongoing alliance negotiations with Silvland, not to mention the recent developments regarding the Vampire Forbidden Zone...given everything that is going on, we must ensure that our country is internally stable. Another reason I cannot offer this job to an Adventurer is because if word gets out that citizens are being investigated under the suspicion of being spies, it would cause unrest and paranoia amongst the citizens. Adventurers are typically a rather talkative breed...however, I believe you are the type who will be able to keep a secret well."
This guy...he was pretty calculating, it was clear that he had thought this through pretty clearly. And he had a good eye...I doubt there's anyone in this world who's as skilled as I am in investigation and assassination.
I mean...I guess there could be...but it seemed unlikely.
"If I'm being honest...missions like this are right up my alley. But, I am still a student, you know...I don't know how much free time I'll have to-."
"Fret not. Currently, there are four individuals that I am suspicious of. You will have approximately two or three weeks free before the start of the next Academy year, correct? I believe that will be sufficient time to investigate these four. After that, I shall call on you when and if I discover any other suspicious individuals...of course, you are free to accept or refuse as you please. Naturally, you will be well compensated for your work."
Hm, that didn't sound like a bad deal at all...
"Just so you know, when I'm investigating or spying on someone, I pretty much exclusively prefer to do so at night, I tend to avoid tasks like that while the sun is still out...so I might be a bit slow in my information gathering. However...I can guarantee my effectiveness."
"That is perfectly fine...I have no intention of telling you how to do your work, I shall leave that up to you."
I smiled as I made my decision.
I usually dislike and antagonize people in positions of authority, but that was mainly because they generally acted like they were better than me, like I was nothing more than a pawn.
But this man was speaking to me like an equal, not like a hired grunt...I think I'm going to enjoy working with him. I definitely wasn't used to being shown respect like this by a client.
"In that case...I accept. What are the exact specifications of the job?"
He nodded and took out a list of names.
"Investigate these four people. Their names, addresses and reasons for why they're suspicious are all written here. I would like you to initially look to prove them innocent, and only look for evidence of guilt after the former proves to be wrong or inconclusive. If you find evidence of innocence, you may conclude your investigation of the individual in question. And if you find evidence that they are working with The Empire...interrogate and dispose of them as you see fit. And try to do so in a manner that is...not messy. It will be easier for me to cover it up that way."
Wow...he was giving me a generous amount of freedom to act as I pleased during these investigations. This was...a great deal.
"Oh, and as for your compensation...will this much suffice?" He inquired, writing down an amount on a piece of paper and sliding it towards me.
I kept myself from exclaiming in surprise as I saw the amount written on it. This was even more than you get paid on S-Ranked Quests.
"Yeah, uh...this is plenty. I'll start investigating one of these four tomorrow night," I responded, taking the list from him.
"It must go without saying...do not inform anyone of what you are doing."
"Right, about that...there's, uh...someone I spend pretty much every night with, I'll need to give her- er, I mean, that person -an excuse or reason...and I'd rather not lie, if I'm being honest."
"Oh, a lover? Hm, it will not do if you have to deal with a loved one being suspicious of your behavior. Very well, you may say that you are taking on a job from a royal advisor or representative and that you cannot talk about the details...I'm afraid I cannot permit you to reveal any more than that."
This guy was seriously sharp. And flexible too. If I explained it like that, I wouldn't be lying to her, while at the same time not revealing too much about this job. I wouldn't want to put her in danger by getting her mixed up in this anyway, so it was just as well.
"Sure, that works perfectly. Well, sir...if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way now."
"Very well, I look forward to your correspondence. You may report your investigative results to me whenever you please. And rest easy, in case you are caught while investigating one of the targets, I shall cover for you."
A confident grin spread out across my face.
"Oh, don't worry about that...I won't get caught."
...
...
I was almost back to my room, heading up the stairs to my floor. I was pretty thrilled at this, not gonna lie.
I reached my door and pushed the key in, before realizing that it was unlocked.
Huh? I was sure that I'd locked the door.
I swung it open and poked my head in...Persia was on the bed, playing with Pero. Her ears perked up as I opened the door.
"Thought you weren't coming over today," I grinned, as I closed the door behind me.
"No, I only said that I won't be able to come over during the day...I'm still gonna sleep over, you know. I'm more comfortable sleeping here than in my own bed now," She replied, as she rolled over lazily and beckoned me to come over to the bed.
"I can relate...I usually sleep better when you stay over than when I sleep alone...though some nights with you I get no sleep at a-," I began with a smirk, before she cut me off as she threw a pillow at my face.
"So, what were you upto today?" She asked, laying her head on my lap as I sat on the bed.
I then told her about my new job, leaving out the details and the identity of my client, of course.
"...and that's about it. I can't really talk about it too much, but I'm definitely pretty excited about it. And...I'm sorry, we won't be able to sneak out and train at night for a while. I was thinking maybe we could use the Academy training halls during the day though, if you're up for that."
"I don't mind, but what if we break something...they'll make us pay for the repairs, you know."
"Let me think...what if we use one of those safety barriers?"
"Hm...yeah, that could work."
After that, we didn't bring up that topic again that night, as we spoke and whatnot before eventually going to sleep.
It had been a long time since I was taking on a mission like this...the anticipation felt quite nostalgic.
A break from monsters and magic...just good old fashioned investigation and assassination, it felt like quite the blast from the past.
It was time to revive the spectre of my past self...
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