Assassination Thwarted (5)
I opened my eyes just as the sun was beginning to rise. A groan slipped out of me at the sunlight sneaking through the window cracks, and as I groggily blinked awake, I realized something heavy was lying on top of my body. I looked down. There was Eve, sprawled across my stomach like it was the most natural thing in the world, fast asleep.
I glanced around. This looked like the infirmary… but could they really keep it open this late? Was someone on night duty? I remembered Eve carrying me back from the forest entrance… but after that, I must have passed out because everything went blank. She probably healed me, which is why I was awake now. The thought that I might have been out for days sent a chill down my spine. I hadn’t racked up too many unexcused absences and tanked my grades, right? Did this world even have make-up classes? If I got down on my knees and begged the professor until my hands wore out…
“Mmm… Cain…?”
“Uh, ahaha… Eve. Hey there?”
The memory of that day suddenly flashed through my mind and made things feel awkward. A little embarrassed, I turned my gaze toward the window. She seemed to feel the same way—she rubbed her eyes a few times but didn’t say anything even when I looked away, simply waiting quietly for my next words.
“Did I… stay unconscious for a long time?”
“Hmm~ How long do you think~?”
Her voice was still sleepy and playful as she teased me. I’d been staring at the window, but I couldn’t help but chuckle and turn back to look at her. Those pink eyes were still full of curiosity, yet they overflowed with goodwill.
“Well… maybe two days?”
“Wrong~ The correct answer is…”
“Cain! You’re awake!”
The infirmary door burst open and a familiar woman rushed in. It was Panzy Vlad. She hurried over and immediately started checking every part of my body to make sure nothing was wrong.
“It’s only been half a day and you’re already up? Your recovery really is fast!”
“Uh… I think it’s probably because Eve healed me…”
Panzy kept inspecting every inch of me as if Eve, who was sitting right beside me, didn’t even exist. Eve’s eyes were slowly turning into axe-blades. She’d been trying her best to ignore Panzy, but she finally couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed her with both arms.
“Panzy Vlad! Cain is still a patient! What kind of disrespectful behavior is this?!”
“Ah, Eve Abraham. You were here too. My apologies.”
Panzy acted like she had only just noticed Eve’s presence. It was clearly intentional disregard. She grabbed my arm and kneaded it, lightly tapped my face, and even touched my legs—thoroughly checking my condition. She must not have trusted Eve’s holy magic, which was probably why Eve looked so angry.
“Panzy. I think you’re underestimating Eve’s holy arts a bit too much. I’m really fine.”
“Oh~ So you thought I was disregarding the Saintess’s holy arts? Hmm… I suppose that misunderstanding is possible. I apologize.”
“No… that’s not what I—”
Eve looked like she wanted to protest with an aggrieved expression, her mouth opening and closing, but she eventually let out a sigh and gave up, closing her lips. Panzy smiled brightly at the sight before turning back to me. She seemed to have something to say and paused for a moment, so I spoke first.
“By the way, what brings you here at the crack of dawn?”
“Ah… I originally planned to talk to you in the classroom, but my patience ran out.”
Panzy glanced briefly at Eve before shifting her gaze back to me. Panzy Vlad, impatient? In the game and in the setting materials, she was always described as someone with mercury instead of blood in her veins—cold and composed. I never expected her to be the type to joke around like this. Even when you maxed out her favorability, all she’d say was, “You are the strongest, so I will accompany you.” Back then I thought that was the most affectionate thing her icy personality could manage…
“You really do seem different.”
“Hm? Different?”
“Ah… I meant your body feels different from before. Looks like the training’s paying off.”
“Of course. The Vlad family’s training methods are systematically divided from the weak to the strong. I’ve been doing it since I was four years old, so there’s no way it wouldn’t be effective.”
So you’re saying I’m doing the same training you started at age four? A wave of self-loathing hit me instantly and I felt depressed, but I forced myself to accept it as a difference in natural talent.
“Still, isn’t it a bit much to openly say you gave me the same training you did at four years old?”
“I only wanted to show you that even someone born with a weak constitution can still become a proper person.”
Fuck. I let out a deep sigh and hung my head.
“Yesterday, Cain was stronger than anyone else in this academy. Don’t get so discouraged just because of something as trivial as the ‘physical’ aspect.”
“Ph-physical? Eve Abraham! To call a knight’s training something so vulgar—”
“Who said it was vulgar? Your mind is quite lewd, Panzy Vlad. You should reflect on that.”
Eve smiled sweetly as she comforted me. Yeah. It really is only Eve. I will pledge my eternal loyalty to you, Saintess!
“As expected of the Saintess. She really knows how to groom people.”
“G-groom? Isn’t that word a little… too creepy?”
“The student council will probably investigate separately, but Eve Abraham. Why exactly did you come to the commercial district in the middle of the night to slit slime throats?”
Panzy waved her hand and approached Eve with the question. I was curious too. What kind of sudden change of heart made her go all the way to the commercial district to hunt slimes in the middle of the night? I stayed quiet and looked at Eve as well. Her face turned bright red and she didn’t know what to do with herself.
“Th-that’s…”
“I’m quite curious what incredible reason brought the Saintess all the way to the commercial district.”
Eve looked back and forth between me and Panzy in panic, hesitating, before she squeezed her eyes shut and forced the words out.
“If… if I brought back a lot of that mucus… they’d give me a lot of money… and then… Cain… Cain would praise me…”
“...”
She was way too diligent for her own good. The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant. Both I and Panzy Vlad didn’t know where to look.
“Th-then why did you tell me to say it!”
“Ah~ I had no idea the reason would be so wholesome. So… um, should I stamp a ‘Good Job’ seal on your forehead?”
“Good Job seal? Hey!”
Eve finally couldn’t hold back anymore. An angry Saintess, huh… Hmm. Not bad.
“Cain. I came here because I said I would tell you my business secret. The job ended well, but a promise is a promise.”
“Business… secret…?”
“Ah.”
That’s right. I gave a small smile to Eve, who looked puzzled, and told her it was nothing important before pausing for a moment. Eve didn’t know everything about spirits, but she at least understood they were a foreign power. The problem was deciding how much to tell Panzy.
While I organized my thoughts and looked out the window, I saw a familiar girl staring at me. Gnome. She seemed to have come for the contract.
“Panzy. Shall we step outside for a bit?”
I had no intention of revealing everything about the spirits. Honestly, even I didn’t fully understand what these guys were. But I did know that once they opened their eyes, there were things like that crazy Sylph who instinctively tore living beings apart. They were searching for something without knowing what it was. But one thing was certain—I could use the mana of nature to attack without any incantations or magic circles.
“I’ve become able to use magic in exchange for my life force.”
“Hmm… So that’s why you were coughing up blood every time you used magic. Then the no-cast and no-circle aspects…?”
“I’m not sure. It just felt more natural to do it that way ever since I started using magic.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. I felt a slight pang of guilt as I spoke to Panzy. But I couldn’t tell how far I should go, and I couldn’t predict the consequences. So I had to hold back.
“Thanks for believing in me and helping me even without any solid evidence, Panzy.”
“It was a friend’s request. A knight does not refuse a friend’s request.”
“Haha… Still, you really shouldn’t be vouching for me or anything like that.”
“What an obvious thing to say!”
Panzy glared at me with axe-like eyes. I burst out laughing and walked ahead of her as I spoke.
“Let’s talk about the details tonight. I still have… some things to take care of.”
“...Understood. What I’ve heard is enough for now.”
Panzy nodded as if she accepted it, then turned around and headed toward the dormitory. She didn’t even say goodbye to Eve? Seeing that, she really is cold. I let out a dry laugh and quietly watched her leave.
-Hey. Time to fulfill the contract now, isn’t it?
“Ah, you were still here.”
-You were still here? Hey!
“Juuust kidding.”
She was pretty fun to tease. Her way of speaking was just like a normal girl’s too. She was supposed to have lived for a very long time, so I found it fascinating how she kept that tone.
I naturally held out the back of my hand in front of her. When Gnome saw the summoning circles engraved on it—the ones for Sylph and Kasa—she frowned.
-Seriously, what were they thinking, overlapping the summoning circles like this? This is why those ignorant fools…
“You must be the smart one, huh?”
-Obviously. I’m much better than those lizard or fairy-looking ones. Earth spirits have the closest connection to humans, after all.
“Well… I don’t really know what that has to do with anything… but just go ahead and make the contract.”
-...What a weird guy.
Gnome finally snapped and cursed at me. Was this her limit? Or could I tease her a bit more? With a mix of anticipation and excitement, I watched as she engraved her summoning circle on the back of my hand.
-The contract… Sylph already made the standard template. I’ll just pour my mana into it.
A moment later, a somewhat heavy sensation entered my body, and Gnome’s summoning circle was engraved on the back of my hand. As I stared at the ochre-colored circle, Gnome tapped my leg a few times to get my attention.
-I look forward to working with you again. I am Gnome, a lower-tier earth spirit. As long as the compensation is appropriate, I will accompany you anytime.
“So it’s a mutual contract, huh? For a spirit, you’re pretty good at calculating profit and loss.”
-Tsk! It’s the other kids who are weird! I can’t stand taking a loss either!
“Yeah~ Sure you can’t~”
I said that and turned back toward the infirmary. Eve was still waiting for me, and since things had turned out this way, lying down there a bit longer before lazily heading to class didn’t sound so bad.
“I should pick up an item this weekend too.”
Since Act 1 Chapter 3 was over, I could finally start seriously farming equipment items. Raising my level and training alone wouldn’t make me stronger in a short time, so I needed to borrow the power of items to raise my specs. I decided to go find Rhea’s Ring, which was hidden somewhere in the academy.