Judas had earned the hatred of Balak and Narcissi.
Narcissi was already in exile, so she had no spare energy to deal with Judas.
Therefore, the only one to be cautious of was Balak.
For Judas’s sake, Eliya personally selected a knight to protect him.
The most important value was one thing: skill.
After all, the opponent was Balak.
There was no room for complacency.
Next in importance was loyalty.
As a bastard who had to protect a commoner like Judas by his own orders, Eliya couldn’t leave it to someone who might feign loyalty.
Thus, after much selection, she filtered out the most skilled knight who also had decent loyalty: Hermis.
She was a young woman, but that didn’t matter.
As long as she had the skill and will to protect Judas, it didn’t matter who it was.
She seemed to have distant relatives to support, giving her reasons to be loyal.
Yes, that was definitely the case during selection.
However…
“…….”
Today was the day Hermis would meet Judas, which completely slipped Eliya’s mind.
Thus, she didn’t come prepared.
However, she arrived at the training ground right as Judas’s training session ended because she had something to discuss with him.
The two people she faced were none other than Judas and Hermis.
Their hands were clasped together, perhaps in a handshake.
It seemed they had just met.
And their faces were leaning closer.
Whispers.
There’s a saying that the volume of one’s voice reflects their psychological distance or emotions.
When two people are close or have good feelings toward each other, their voices become quieter.
On the contrary, if they are distant or have bad feelings, their voices get louder.
It’s similar to the way angry people yell.
In that moment, Eliya couldn’t determine the cause of this hypothesis.
All she knew was that the close and stiff appearance of Judas… didn’t sit well with her.
She used teleportation.
There was no real need, and it wasn’t about the distance.
In an instant, she was at their side.
“What are you two doing?”
“Ah, Lady…?!”
While Judas startled and flapped around, Hermis simply widened her eyes.
Eventually, she calmly explained.
“Lady Eliya! As instructed, I was here to greet Lord Judas.”
“Hmm.”
“What brings you here?”
“I had something to ask Judas.”
“Y-Yes, me?”
He was still calming his racing heart.
His startled mind hadn’t settled down.
It was shocking enough that she suddenly appeared.
But for her to show up right after hearing she was an informant for the Information Guild, he nearly fainted.
Surely she didn’t hear that?
“Yeah, but… no, let’s just greet each other first, and you can follow me.”
Eliya didn’t even wait for a response and returned to the carriage.
Sitting in her seat, she quietly pondered.
It was uncomfortable.
Just a tiny annoyance.
Like a small pebble stuck in her shoe.
Taking it off revealed nothing, and putting it back on reminded her it was still there.
With her face buried in her cat doll, she avoided looking outside at the two.
Lost in pleasant scents, she pondered.
What was the source of this discomfort?
Whether she could name the feeling she was experiencing.
No matter how much she searched her mental dictionary, she could find no answers.
It was a riddle.
While Eliya was tormented by this conundrum, Ria turned her gaze outside.
Out there, she saw Judas.
With cold eyes, she scrutinized his actions.
*
“Wow, that surprised me.”
Hermis laughed slyly.
“I didn’t expect you to suddenly appear at that moment.”
“You have a strong heart….”
I feel like I’m on the verge of death.
It feels as though my heart was struck from my toes to my crown and finally returned to place.
“Anyway, you said the blind star sent you, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
When leaving the Information Guild, I had informed Yurideke to let me know.
Considering how difficult it was to visit often, I asked her to make contact.
It had been quite some time, so I had forgotten.
But I didn’t expect it to work out like this.
“The Information Guild sent an informant to Eliya’s Mansion…. How is that even possible?”
I directly asked the question.
“How is this possible?”
“There was a recent reshuffle of the knights employed by Lady Eliya. I heard it was due to internal corruption.”
Ah….
After I knocked out Kale, several knights were replaced.
Due to that incident, the Information Guild managed to embed an agent in Eliya’s Mansion.
“I was fortunate enough to be assigned there right after, originally spying on the Bevel family under Duke Balak but came here after finding a substitute.”
Seeing my dazed expression, Hermis smiled.
“Were you surprised?”
“I was, but thanks to you, I’m a bit less surprised now.”
“The information you provided was directly confirmed by the blind star.”
I had sold information to Yurideke, the master of the Information Guild last time.
Her husband, Orphe. Codename: The Sun That Rises at Night.
I lied, saying I was looking for a person named Yurideke to facilitate a meeting between them.
Along with the implication that he wanted to meet her.
Through this, I planned to build trust with the Information Guild and gradually prepare my escape while trading information.
“I have one thing to confirm….”
Hermis glanced sideways.
She checked to see if Eliya was in her carriage.
“Do you have time? It seems Lady Eliya has something to discuss.”
“I just found that out, so I’m not sure. Let’s quickly talk about only the essentials.”
“Understood. First, I want to ask you about something you told me before: what is your relationship with the Sun That Rises at Night?”
That was the question I expected.
So I prepared my response in advance.
“I’m a bit worried too. How much can I disclose….”
I knew who Hermis was.
Though she wasn’t a frequent character in the game, I had just remembered.
She was a distant relative of Yurideke.
The last family member who stood by Yurideke after losing her husband.
“I like your cautious attitude. But you can rest assured. I know even the real name of the blind star.”
I nodded.
There was no need to provide evidence.
The mere fact that I knew Yurideke and our codenames was enough.
“Understood. In truth, my relationship with the Sun That Rises at Night isn’t that significant. I merely received a bit of help from him.”
“Were you at the front lines?”
The war between humanity and demons wasn’t over yet.
During this time, Orphe would roam the war zones, saving people.
It was a form of penance to alleviate the guilt of inadvertently making Yurideke lie.
I planned to pose as someone who received help from him.
“I met him in a refugee village near the front lines.”
“I see…. But why would you make such a request for someone you’re not close to?”
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.
“Actually…. I kind of insisted on it.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s a long story…. I overheard him muttering about missing someone named Yurideke because he was drunk.”
That was half truth.
When drunk, he occasionally talked to himself.
However, he wouldn’t do that in front of others, and that wasn’t in his character.
I simply fabricated a scene that was provided only to gamers.
While intoxicated, he often yearned for his beloved Yurideke, speaking to himself.
“At that time, I was drifting around and in a tough situation, and he helped me out. He became my benefactor, so I wanted to give him something in return, and that’s how I ended up asking for his help.”
Lying was still awkward and difficult.
But as long as it was somewhat rooted in truth, I could manage.
Eliya, who could see through me like an open palm, was unusual.
Usually, it wasn’t so easy to figure someone out.
“Originally, I wasn’t going to disclose this, but after questioning him persistently during his drunken state, he reluctantly shared it with me.”
Especially if the person was someone I had proven my trust to.
Moreover, Orphe had a weakness for kids.
“Hmm…. I see. First, I want to confirm one thing: the blind star is looking for a person named Yurideke, and Judas is essentially his agent, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Understood. I easily confirmed the identity of the individual named Yurideke, but as for how to meet the Sun That Rises at Night….”
She suddenly fell silent, as if realizing something.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t disclose more detailed information than this….”
“Well, I only need the request to be fulfilled.”
Hermis smiled gratefully, seemingly satisfied.
Fortunately, my lie seemed to have worked.
This long-term plan to escape was off to a successful start.
Now, I just needed to sell the information I knew to them.
“I need to methodically complete the escape plan using the funds I gain from selling.”
Buying and selling information inherently takes place in the shadows.
While they operate under different names for various businesses in the light.
And I knew a lot about that.
I was aware of which regions would stabilize first due to the front lines.
Which cities, currently unlivable due to war, would see a revival in the future, and so on.
“Revealing too much at once would raise suspicion. I should share intriguing details one at a time, starting from the most plausible ones.”
The source of information is crucial.
While I could mask it as a secret during negotiations, maintaining trust would benefit more from revealing as much as possible.
Even though it was successful, it was still essential to remain cautious.
“By the way, does this mean I’ve become a potential customer for selling information?”
Hermis smiled at me as if I were a child.
“From the moment you received a codename, you became our customer. Do you have any information you’d like to sell?”
Though it felt a bit guilty, there were certainly times being childlike was advantageous.
Hermis pulled out a small note.
“Jericho is about to be recaptured.”
“That territory that was taken by the demons?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Hermis tilted her head in curiosity.
“Can I know your source?”
I’m not good at lying.
Inventing falsehoods is of course just as difficult.
Though I could certainly explain why Jericho would be recaptured.
I simply couldn’t explain how I knew that.
So I had to respond as simply as possible.
“I overheard the imperial troops supporting near the front line talking. They had been saying that those were the things I used to hear.”
Street-bound orphans easily get mixed up in bad business.
Theft, pickpocketing, eavesdropping, among others.
Such children are common in this world.
However, it wouldn’t be easy to believe on just the basis of having overheard.
I quickly added a little more information.
“There’s a lot of movement among people near the front lines. I gathered their conversations, and it turns out Jericho is the next city they’re planning to reclaim. What was that again… Ah!”
A sudden thought struck me.
If I were clumsy at lying, it would be better to deliver it as if I were conveying someone else’s account.
That way, they might think I was stammering as I recalled the information.
“Apparently, the number of imperial soldiers deployed is oddly high compared to the size of the village they’re supposed to protect. Around that time, it was mentioned that supplies have been coming in aplenty, but they weren’t relief supplies for refugees. They were entirely military supplies.”
I tried to come off as oblivious.
I felt a bit embarrassed, but there was no other choice.
“Stealing military secrets….”
Hermis covered her mouth with a smile.
“Really impressive!”
Her mouth widened broadly under her hand.
Luckily, it seemed to be a convincing approach.
“My goodness, I wonder how much value this information holds…. Although we’ll need to verify it, if this is true, getting this first is truly….”
Hermis mumbled excitedly.
With joy glowing in her eyes, she eagerly scanned the note I had just provided and tucked it into her garments.
“For now, let’s leave it at this. We shouldn’t keep the lady waiting too long.”
“Indeed. Oh, could you perhaps look into my parents?”
In truth, I was more curious about Judas’s past than his parents.
But since asking directly would seem strange, I opted for a different approach.
It’s quite common for orphans to be curious about their parents.
Hermis nodded, as if to say she understood.
“I’ll look into it. We’ll settle the cost for this information and request later.”
I had kept Eliya waiting too long.
We hurried back to the carriage.
Eliya was visible through the half-open door.
With an expression void of emotion, like a doll.
But….
‘…Did she get angry?’
There was something oddly different about her.
Was she sulking, or just grumpy? Or perhaps both?
Either way, it was a subtle difference. Was it just my imagination?
“…We’re late.”
“Y-Yes?”
“No, come in.”
Facing each other were Eliya and Ria.
I sat beside Ria.
There wasn’t any particular intention behind it.
Eliya looked right at me.
With big, cat-like eyes.
Sometimes, when she did this, she acted like a cat too.
“May I sit, as well?”
Hermis asked, and Eliya nodded.
She settled right next to Eliya.
The carriage set off again.
Since I felt Eliya wouldn’t volunteer information unless I asked, I inquired.
“Um… you mentioned having something to discuss with me?”
“We’re on our way to do exactly that.”
“What are we heading for?”
“To buy flowers.”
“…What?”
Eliya didn’t offer any further explanations.
Resting her chin on her hand, she gazed out the window.
The scenery passed by over her crimson eyes.
‘…Wait, suddenly, what’s with the flowers?’
I glanced at Ria.
She didn’t seem inclined to provide an answer.
Or perhaps she simply didn’t know.
Nonetheless, Ria’s gaze looked colder than usual as she looked down on me.
I cautiously lifted my head and met Hermis’s eyes.
She seemed to ask with a glance.
‘What is happening?’
I had no clue….
*
Eliya had brought me to a flower shop instead of just buying flowers.
I had never seen so many flowers in my life.
It wasn’t just a flower shop; it felt more like an entire garden.
The large area was filled only with people cultivating flowers.
There didn’t seem to be any customers.
The woman who looked to be the owner came to welcome us.
“It is an honor to meet Lady Eliya. We’ve cleared the place in anticipation of your arrival so you can explore comfortably.”
…Did they really empty such a large space just for Eliya?
It felt so surreal.
“If you need anything, please call out.”
“Okay.”
Unlike me, Eliya was calm.
She answered briefly before looking at me.
“Pick one.”
“…What?”
“I need to buy a pot, but I’m not sure which is good.”
“Um, I have no expertise in this….”
“It doesn’t matter.”
What is this?
What does she want from me?
Is this some new form of tyranny?
I couldn’t fathom her intentions.
Why go through this trouble?
Still, if the owner says to choose, then I should choose.
There was no need to walk around the expansive garden.
Among the many displayed flowers and pots, I noticed a familiar name.
‘Anemone?’
That was the flower Anna had picked for me last time.
However, it was already cut and sold at that time.
Now it looked like the pot just contained seeds.
‘Regardless of what I choose, it’s probably all the same.’
So I decided to choose what I recognized.
“How about this?”
Eliya came closer to me.
She checked the flower’s name.
“Anemone….”
It seemed to brighten up at the name, smiling brightly.
I didn’t know anymore.
Was she sulking or suddenly smiling from picking a flower?
If I imagined her as a cat, it would make it easier to understand.
A cat acting on its own will.
Eliya told the shop owner, “Give me two of these.”
“Understood. Will you be taking them right away?”
“Yes.”
The shop owner immediately returned with two new pots.
The pots were safely wrapped, and Ria received them.
That inexplicable flower shopping came to an end.
As we got into the carriage to head back, Eliya patted the seat next to her.
“Sit here.”
“….”
Without question, she was directing this toward me.
Silently following suit, I took my place beside her.
Now side by side with Eliya.
Opposite us sat Hermis and Ria.
The carriage started moving again with a different arrangement than when we left.
‘What the hell…. What situation is this!’
My head became a whirlwind of confusion.
*
Hermis shared a room with Anna.
Which meant, it was the same room opposite mine.
In case of emergencies, this was to allow for quick responses.
After having a hearty dinner, I returned to my room to rest, but…
“…What is this doing here?”
There was a pot of Anemone flowers I had bought earlier.
It sat on the nightstand beside my bed.
When I asked Anna about it, she said Eliya had given it to me.
I quietly looked down at the pot.
Still empty with only soil, nothing had bloomed yet.
If well cared for, Anemone would eventually blossom.
Tragedy.
Eliya tightening her grip on my neck.
The more Eliya behaved this way, the more vividly that scene floated back to mind.
As if to warn me not to let my guard down.
*
Eliya changed into fluffy pajamas but neglected to remove the red blanket.
She wore it around her neck when going out, just like the first time Judas wrapped it around her.
At bedtime, she didn’t need to wear it.
She simply used it as a regular blanket and placed another cover over it.
Once she hugged her cat plushie, her preparations for sleep were complete.
Eliya lay on her side, staring out the window.
The pot with the flower she had with Judas.
The unbloomed Anemone sat quietly on the windowsill.
Moonlight spilled through the window.
The soft illumination cast a glow onto the pot.
Eliya smiled gently at that comforting sight before drifting off to sleep.
‘Perhaps I could fill the mansion’s garden with Anemones…’
*
Watering should be done once a week.
Make sure to give plenty during that single watering.
Keep it near the window for sunlight as much as possible.
Even in winter, if the window isn’t opened, it can stay there even at night.
So, for the first time in my life, I was tending to a pot.
Several days had already passed.
It hasn’t even been a week, so I had only watered it once.
However, I couldn’t help but check on it every day out of worry.
‘Nothing seems to be happening…’
It’s still alive, right?
This was given to me by a noble, and if I let it die, I’d be doomed as well.
‘If I kill the Anemone, will I be choked to death?’
How tragic would that be?
The only slim hope to avoid that tragedy.
This reality wasn’t a game where choices were given.
I had to remain active and judge in this reality.
Could I escape that fated tragic end?
Or would it be effective to prepare some countermeasures for when that situation arose?
The reason Eliya would need to choke my neck.
Would I meet my end then?
If so, why would Eliya have to do such a thing?
Though Eliya was sometimes chilling, she didn’t seem like someone who would suddenly choke me now.
Assessing the current situation against the future tragedy.
The gap between those two.
What would happen in between?
If I could know the reason,
Understanding Eliya’s thoughts might allow me to form a new solution.
A question suddenly came to mind.
A question Eliya had asked once.
‘How do you see me?’
If I returned that question to Eliya, what would she say?
With my thoughts lost in turmoil, I gazed at the unbloomed Anemone pot.
*
“Lord Judas.”
Hermis spoke in a heavy tone.
I was on my way back with her to the mansion.
The smiling merchant’s face stiffened.
Only her eyes moved to glance down at a wristwatch.
I too felt a twinge of tension and asked, “Why do you say that?”
“You are indeed quite popular, as everyone’s heard of you.”
“Y-Yes?”
“You’re being followed.”
I desperately tried to maintain a calm demeanor, nodding.
Though I was panicking inside, I couldn’t let that show.
The stalker might be watching me.
“I actually noticed someone observing you the day I first met you. I didn’t mention it before since it wasn’t certain at the time, but having seen them follow you for a few days confirmed it.”
“…For a few days?”
Hermis smiled reassuringly as she looked at me.
“You can rest easy. I’m sure Lady Eliya chose me for this situation, right?”
“Wait, she chose you herself?”
“There was a selection process, yes. But yes, that’s correct….”
Hermis suddenly cut off her statement.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she smiled and asked, “Are you heading back to the lady’s mansion now?”
“Y-Yeah? Well…. The training is done, so we should head back now.”
“Let’s hurry. The young lady will be eagerly awaiting her ‘one and only’ knight.”
With that unexpected joke, I squinted at Hermis.
She too was smiling playfully like before.
A mischievous smile that was almost childlike.
One side of her laughing eye winked.
‘…What on earth? What is she doing? Why is she acting this way? Is she winking at me? I mean, I am way younger than her. No, I guess the age gap isn’t that significant between us…. But more importantly, I….’
The nonsensical thoughts that entered my mind quickly dissipated.
She had sent me some kind of signal.
We were currently being followed.
‘That is, there is one person behind us….’
Another clue was added.
She stopped what she had initially wanted to say and changed the subject.
‘That means the person is close enough to overhear our conversation.’
I too decided to match her lead.
“Don’t say anything alarming. I’m not a knight yet, nor do I possess that kind of skill. By the way, what level of knight are you, Hermis? How do you compare to an average knight?”
“Well… though I’m on the younger side, I’m confident in my skills.”
“I’d love to see that.”
“That opportunity will likely come soon.”
We exited the training center and took a right toward the parking area for the carriage.
Our carriage was there too.
There was nobody on the road we were taking.
It wasn’t a long walk.
A brief moment of silence enveloped us.
Suddenly, Hermis, who had been walking beside me, vanished.
With a loud thud, I heard something collapse behind me.
“Cough…!”
When I turned around, I saw a collapsed man and Hermis pinning him down.
She was so quick I hadn’t even noticed.
‘I knew she was skilled, but I didn’t expect her to be like this at such a young age….’
My admiration was fleeting.
Seeing the man pinned down by her knee, I was left with only shock.
‘This guy was the one following me?’
“This man was tailing you.”
Hermis confirmed my doubt.
The man pinned down was a knight from the training center.
Shylock.
He smiled cheekily even in this situation.
“Wow, you’re much stronger than I heard, Hermis.”
I silently gazed down at Shylock.
I didn’t know the purpose of his following me.
It’s unlikely Shylock held a personal grudge against me.
While it was a possibility, it wasn’t really important.
What mattered now was that I knew quite well who Shylock was.
‘A person who would sacrifice his life for his desires, unaffected by personal emotions.’
And I likely knew what wish he was hoping for now.
The method to grant that wish too.
“What will you do with him?”
Hermis asked about Shylock’s fate.
How should I resolve this situation?
As much as I hate admitting it, Eliya’s way of thinking is rather useful at times like this.
‘Thankfully, I know Shylock well. Thanks to knowing him from the future, I’ve learned his past. There’s a high chance he isn’t chasing after me for mere personal reasons at this moment. There must be someone behind him pulling the strings. This person probably has a grasp on Shylock’s weaknesses.’
If it were Eliya, she would use Shylock to uncover the forces behind him.
It wouldn’t just be beneficial to get rid of Shylock alone.
So how to use him?
That was something I couldn’t replicate.
So I’d take a simple, brutish approach.
I nestled down before him, bluntly throwing out the main point.
This is surely a sore spot for him.
I’m glad I know about Shylock from the future.
“Do you want to solve your family’s incurable disease?”
Shylock’s expression stiffened quickly.
His loosely smiling eyes widened, and he glared at me coldly.
Now, I became the one to leisurely smile.
With just one line, the tables have turned.
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