Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 70: Baron Ashro’s Estate

[Clown?]

Having quickly assessed the situation, I immediately muted the communication device I had received from Johanna.

I couldn't exactly hang up on Yerika to take another call. I felt a twinge of guilt toward Johanna, but I decided I’d just call her back once I was finished with Yerika. I spoke as if nothing were wrong.

"Hmm? I didn't hear anything. Are you sure you didn't mishear, Yerika?"

Even I knew it was a flimsy excuse.

Of course, not every communication device made the exact same sound, but since both Yerika’s and Johanna’s were high-end models, the ringtones were remarkably similar.

[Really? Well, if you say so, I must have been mistaken.]

Despite the weak explanation, Yerika didn't seem particularly suspicious and let it slide. She didn't bring up the noise again.

[Come to think of it, I heard there are so many famous restaurants near the Academy. Have you ever been to any of them, Clown?]

"Yes, I actually went to one today. I think I’ve scouted out all the best spots around here by now."

[Then you have to take me to one later, okay?]

"Of course. If the opportunity arises, I shall escort you to the very best one."

[I can look forward to it, right?]

"Yes, you certainly can. I’ll take you to a very special restaurant where you can taste things you've never experienced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before."

[You really have to treat me once I enroll in the Academy next year.]

Next year, huh...

By next year, I’ll surely have eliminated all the necromancers and be enjoying a peaceful life at the Academy.

"But Yerika? I don't believe I ever said I was paying."

[Oh, come on~ surely you can buy a meal for your cute junior.]

As Yerika said, buying her a meal wasn't difficult. To be honest, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I actually wanted to.

"If I buy you dinner, what will you do for me in return?"

[If you treat me once, then I’ll pay the next time we eat together.]

"Does that mean you intend to go out to eat with me twice?"

I said it expecting a flustered reaction, but...

[Is that how it works?]

Yerika countered nonchalantly.

After that, we talked at length about the distant future—about what would happen after she enrolled in the Academy next year.

[You'll eat lunch with me, right?]

"Wouldn't it be better for you to eat with your friends?"

[No, I don't want to. It sounds much more fun to eat with you.]

[Oh, right! You have to show me how to use the training grounds next year, too.]

"I don't know the details myself yet, but I suppose I should look into it beforehand so I can teach you."

[Heehee, I’ll be counting on you then.]

[And let's go to school together in the morning!]

"Won't you be commuting from the Imperial Palace instead of staying in the dormitory?"

[At school time, I can just wait for you in front of your dormitory building.]

"It’ll be a disaster if I oversleep, then."

[I’ll wake you up with the communication device so you don't oversleep.]

It was like a calm lake. A conversation that truly put my mind at ease.

[Then let's talk tomorrow, Clown.]

"Sweet dreams."

[I feel like I always have good dreams after talking to you.]

I paused for a moment at her words.

".......I always have good dreams after talking to you, too."

After finishing the call with Yerika, I put her device into my Pocket Dimension and pulled out the other one. Then, I blinked in surprise.

The person who had called wasn't Johanna, but Askal.

Oh, right. Askal took my device earlier to link them.

I didn't expect her to call so soon. Since it was getting late, I debated just calling her tomorrow, but curiosity won out. I dialed her back.

[Why didn't you pick up earlier?]

"I was tied up with something for a moment. But what brings Lady Askal to call me?"

[I was going to tell you, but you're calling me 'Lady' again? Now I'm annoyed, so I won't tell you.]

"What? I'm curious, so won't you please tell me?"

I was dying to know what she had to say, but Askal refused to budge.

[Tell me if you ever need help later. I'll grant you anything except telling you what I was going to say today.]

With that, Askal hung up.

I was curious about what she had originally intended to say, but... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right now, my priority was figuring out why I hadn't had a nightmare earlier.

Ever since the day the children died, I had been plagued by the same recurring nightmare. After meeting Duke Adelian, the medicine he gave me allowed me to sleep without them, but I hadn't received any more since coming to the Academy.

Thinking back, it was a real stroke of luck that I talked to Yerika that time.

Fortunately, talking to Yerika had kept the nightmares at bay, but on the days I didn't talk to her, the nightmares returned immediately.

So why didn't I have one earlier? Only one thing had changed in the meantime.

I had killed Mordor—the very source of those nightmares—with my own hands.

Honestly, the most certain way to check would be to sleep tomorrow night without calling Yerika. Even if the nightmares were gone, however, I had no intention of stopping our calls.

At first, I talked to her to avoid the nightmares, but it was different now.

"Let's save the experiment for later."

* * *

After Loki and Johanna returned to the Academy, Askal heard the story from her father and mother.

The secret of the Freya family.

At first, she found it absurd. To think the family secret was a literal obsession with one's lover. It was hard to believe. If her mother had said it, she would have taken it as a joke, but the one who brought it up was her father.

When there are siblings, the trait only manifests in one of them...

"I don't think it's me, so Johanna is the one who inherited it, right?"

If she hadn't seen Johanna today, she never would have imagined her sister had inherited such a thing. Normally, Johanna was someone who rarely expressed emotion, always training with her sword with a vacant look in her eyes.

But the Johanna she saw today was so expressive she couldn't believe it was the same person. And every emotion Johanna expressed was rooted in jealousy and obsession.

"The target of her obsession is clearly Loki..."

Her father lowered his head and muttered Loki's name as if he wanted to kill him, but since he acted like that every other day, she ignored it.

"But they aren't even a couple yet, are they?"

Because of the mask Loki wore, she couldn't tell how he looked at Johanna, but it seemed certain they weren't in a relationship yet.

"To be precise, it's the person they want to make their lover. Or the person they consider to be their lover."

Is that why she reacted like that earlier just because I put my hand on Loki's shoulder?

"Then is she going to be that intensely obsessive all the time? What if Loki finds it too hard and distances himself?"

"She can probably control it normally. The problem ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is when she loses control due to some kind of trigger..."

A trigger...

Askal recalled when Johanna's obsession with Loki had been at its peak.

The mask!

Every time Johanna grew sensitive, it was when Loki was about to take off his mask and show his face.

* * *

The students of the Special Class gathered in the classroom.

Normally, Professor Elicia would tell them to "come at her," but today she said something else.

"I'm sure you're aware that the Special Class receives missions."

The students looked at Professor Elicia with eyes full of anticipation.

"That's right. Our first mission has come in."

The students' eyes were now a mix of excitement and worry.

"Raise your hand if you know anything about the House of Baron Ashro."

Upon hearing Professor Elicia's words, mostly the Imperial citizens raised their hands. The swordsman from the East and Kuran didn't raise theirs, seemingly unfamiliar with the name.

"I didn't think you'd know since it's a noble family on the outskirts, but you do?"

Sepia, who was sitting next to me, spoke while looking at me with surprised eyes.

"I happened to stop by that area a while ago. The night view there was quite lovely."

Specifically, the night view I saw while stealing drugs from the Baron and evading his soldiers was quite beautiful.

"Raise your hand if you know about the Phantom Thief Cardinal."

This time, every single student raised their hand. Naturally, I raised mine too. Since that was me.

They probably didn't know about the Phantom Thief Cardinal originally, but they must have learned about him when he reappeared recently.

"The place where the Phantom Thief Cardinal first appeared after decades is none other than Baron Ashro’s estate."

The students' eyes widened as they began to realize what the request was.

"The client is Baron Ashro. The request is to find the family heirloom stolen by the Phantom Thief Cardinal."

"I guess the reason it wasn't in the newspapers was because they didn't want people to know their heirloom was stolen," Sepia muttered to herself beside me.

Wow. So Baron Ashro's "family heirloom" was actually drugs.

Then I really did steal their heirloom.

Anyway, I couldn't believe he actually made a formal request. I couldn't understand what he was thinking. What was he going to do if the Special Class students found out about the drugs?

As expected, is his target one of the Special Class students?

But I wasn't worried. I had an ace up my sleeve.

"Are you coming with us, Professor?" I raised my hand and asked Professor Elicia.

"Of course, I'm coming too."