Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Crescent's Assassination Notice
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Steam rose from her body, fresh out of the bath.
"Hm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm~"
Lizriel Yusuf hummed a little tune as she dried her bathwater-soaked skin with a soft towel.
These days, she was busier than ever, barely having a moment to catch her breath.
For someone who had come in dead last in the succession battle, her future would normally have been brutally grim.
If luck was bad, she might have been assassinated without a trace. If it was a bit better, she could have ended up sold off as an entertainer in some high-end salon.
But now, there was no need to fear.
She held the strongest card in her hand.
Just thinking about it made her smile involuntarily.
'Sis, bro. You don't have the Golden Seal, do you? Tough luck.'
She meticulously wiped away the moisture, checking for any flab on her body with her fingers. Not too skinny, not too plump—just the perfect figure.
She put in quite a bit of effort to maintain a body that no one could complain about.
'Though the guy who might put it to use doesn't seem interested at all.'
Philip Oswald.
The owner of the Golden Seal and swordsmanship instructor at Previa Academy.
If she could seduce him well, Lizriel could seize real power in the Yusuf Merchant Guild far more easily and quickly.
But for some reason, Philip showed no romantic interest in her whatsoever.
Of course, it didn't have to be that kind of relationship, but getting closer wouldn't hurt.
She was always the one left wanting more, while Philip could just hand the Golden Seal to another Yusuf and wash his hands of her.
To hold him tighter—and for her own personal feelings—advancing their relationship was not optional; it was essential.
"...How do I seduce him?"
"Pardon?"
The maid who had brought her clothes tilted her head. Lizriel flushed and waved her hand.
"Not talking to you."
"...I see."
Lizriel silently took the red nightgown the maid offered and slipped it on.
"Hm?"
Then she noticed something odd attached to the gown. A thin slip of paper was tucked between the heavily stitched seams of the sleeve.
'What's this?'
Tilting her head, she fiddled with the sleeve and pulled out the paper, bringing it close to her face.
It was a piece of paper about the size of her palm, folded several times.
Feeling like a secret letter, she unfolded it.
"...What is this? Dellin, did you do this?"
The maid shook her head, eyes wide.
"No! It wasn't me. Why would I pull a prank like that?"
"Then who? The content's weird. 'You are currently marked as an assassination target by our organization. Upon receiving this letter, flee immediately to the place you consider your third safest option.'?"
At the bottom of the letter was a symbol Lizriel recognized from somewhere.
A black crescent moon pierced at the intersection by a slender dagger.
The moment she saw it, the lingering warmth in her body vanished in an instant.
"...Dellin. This really wasn't you, right?"
The maid, Dellin, saw Lizriel's face drain of color and made a troubled expression.
"Really, it wasn't me, miss."
"I wish it had been you..."
Lizriel looked equally distraught. It wasn't just her expression—she genuinely wanted to cry.
If that symbol was what she thought it was, her life was now on a countdown.
"...Dellin. From now on, if anyone asks for me, say you don't know where I went."
Lizriel bolted out of the bathroom without hesitation. She didn't go through the door—she leaped out the window, forcing the maid Dellin to stifle a scream.
"That scared me. What's gotten into her?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A little before midnight, Philip received a visitor.
The pounding on the front door was so frantic, like a ghost's, that the maids thought war had broken out and jumped in fright.
The one who burst in was none other than Lizriel Yusuf.
She wore only a thin nightgown, torn in places from whatever path she'd taken, with twigs and leaves clinging to it.
"What's going on in the middle of the night? And what happened to your clothes?"
Instead of answering, Lizriel stared straight at him and asked a question of her own.
"What shape is the inscription embedded in the Golden Seal?"
Philip noted her extremely serious expression and answered honestly.
"A blue dragon."
"What was I wearing the first time we met?"
"A red dress with a fur stole? Something like that."
After his second answer, Lizriel let out a deep sigh of relief.
"...Take a look at this."
Philip took the slip of paper she offered and unfolded it.
You are currently marked as an assassination target by our organization. Upon receiving this letter, flee immediately to the place you consider your third safest option. Per an old contract, we will do our utmost to shield you from the blade aimed your way, but we cannot guarantee your safety. Hide and stay cautious until we contact you again. "This is..."
Philip spotted the familiar symbol and nodded.
'Crescent's emblem.'
The symbol of 'Crescent,' the most dangerous assassin organization in the land.
"I thought you needed to know about this, Philip. It seems information about the Golden Seal has leaked—either from you or me. At this point, the source doesn't matter. What matters is that one of my siblings knows I have it."
Philip gave an awkward smile.
Her guess wasn't correct, but without the full context, she had no choice but to think that way.
Philip knew almost the entire story behind this incident.
"What now? If Crescent has marked you, there's nowhere to run."
The assassin group 'Crescent' was infamous for always killing their designated targets.
Among the ghost stories, there were tales of them assassinating a noble right in the middle of a knight commander's parade through the city streets, or a bishop dropping dead before a crowd of spectators during a harvest festival he was hosting.
It was only natural that Lizriel was terrified.
She bit her lip at Philip's question.
"As the letter instructs, I have to hide in the place I consider my third safest. For me, that's the academy. I'll ask Dean Graham and Chief Professor Panoy for protection."
"Until you meet the dean or chief professor, I'll guard you. You look like you ran here in a hurry—rest a bit."
Lizriel gazed at him, touched by his offer.
"Just me being here could make you a target for Crescent. Is that okay?"
Philip nodded lightly.
"It's fine."
Of course, he knew no assassination attempt would come right away.
'This event means there's an assassin among the academy students.'
It was a fairly significant sub-story, so he remembered it clearly. Within the protagonist's line of sight—meaning among the first-years taking swordsmanship classes—there was a Crescent assassin.
The real attempts would start the moment Lizriel began receiving protection from Dean Rosello Graham at the academy.
"Thank you so much, Philip. Truly. I'll repay this debt someday."
Of course, Lizriel had no way of knowing that.
She just thought he was risking himself for her sake.
"Contact the dean at sunrise. I'll stay by your side until then."
"...Yes."
Lizriel answered in a trance-like voice. Philip patted her shoulder and made sure she could rest comfortably.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...What? Crescent? Those damn lunatic assassin bastards?"
The next morning, Philip headed to the academy with her. Dean Rosello Graham was out, so their destination was the chief professor's lab.
Emil Panoy examined the paper with Crescent's emblem and clicked his tongue.
"You've had it rough, miss. Of all people, to get tangled with those crazies. I won't pry into why, but my condolences."
Lizriel nodded gravely.
"I've already sent word to the Yusuf Merchant Guild headquarters. Shameless as it is, I'd like to ask for your protection until this blows over."
The chief professor nodded readily.
"The dean's not back until late afternoon, so stick by me until then."
To a powerhouse like him, an assassin's attack wasn't much of a threat. Plus, the academy was safer than it seemed.
No matter how reckless Crescent was, they couldn't cause a major incident where the children of influential families gathered.
"...Thank you for your kindness. I'll repay this someday."
Philip comforted Lizriel, who seemed a bit more at ease.
"It'll resolve quicker than you think, so don't worry too much. I'll put in some effort too."
She nodded vigorously. Watching them, the chief professor narrowed his eyes.
"...You two seem awfully close. What's the relationship?"
Philip answered immediately.
"Friends."
"Ah, is that so? If you say so, then that's it. Go prepare for your classes."
The chief professor waved him off dismissively.
Philip exchanged glances with Lizriel and left the lab.
Now it was time to play detective.
'At least I don't have to start from scratch. Lucky.'
If he'd had to hunt the assassin with zero info, it would've taken at least five days. But Philip had already narrowed it down to four candidates.
'Low presence. Quiet personality. Relatively androgynous build.'
Assassins disguised as students usually fit those criteria.
In the game, investigating from the protagonist's POV meant following the school schedule and squeezing in searches during free time. But as an instructor, Philip had more freedom—like now, with no morning class, he could move for hours.
"Instructor Oswald. There you are."
"Ah, instructor."
In the hallway, he ran into Instructor Diana. She smiled lightly and relayed Felicia's summons.
"The professor's been looking everywhere for you. Her desk is buried in paperwork—she wants help sorting it."
Philip hesitated.
Then he whispered to Diana conspiratorially.
"I've got something urgent right now. If you could say you didn't see me, I'd appreciate it."
Of course, Diana wouldn't lie, and Felicia would get annoyed, but a life was at stake.
Diana stared at him impassively.
"...Is that so? Good luck, then."
Philip thanked her and headed to the student dorms, following the trail of his first suspect.