Volume 2, Chapter 6

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Having lost the battle, I managed to get onee-sama out of the arena and we’re now in a hotel. Specifically, Ingrid’s hotel, the place I told the assassin who fought onee-sama to meet me. Of course, I knew that it wasn’t the smartest thing in the world to do, but there were a few reasons that I decided to come here.

These reasons were things such as; Ingrid’s hotel was quite a distance away from the arena, meaning that anyone from there won’t be able to find us (hopefully). The place seemed to be of quite high quality, so it might quicken onee-sama’s recovery. And I really am interested in meeting this assassin. I’m fairly confident that Yuuki would be able to fight off the assassin, but hopefully the assassin doesn’t hold a grudge against onee-sama. Or a contract. That would be irritating.

Okay, now what should be done about onee-sama? So far, I’ve simply laid her down on the bed in the room. If we were back at the castle, or the academy, it would be easy to find someone who could take care of onee-sama’s injuries. Firstly, because of the status held by each of those places, there are many physicians. Secondly, when we are in those places, we are not in disguise.

Well, it’s not like I lack in someone with medical skills. After all, Zynthia does possess talent in that area… It’s just, she and onee-sama don’t get along one hundred percent so when onee-sama wakes up, I’d have to hide her again. Yuuki, well, her magic is totally in the battlemage area. She does not have any healing magic.

“Zynthia. Wake up.”

I flick at the fairy who is currently sleeping on my shoulder.

“Huh? What do you want?! I was having a nice sleep! You want me to help that person who disagrees with my research? Fat chance!”

Well, although she’s like this, she’s pretty easy to control.

“I’ll buy you some materials for your research if you are obedient.”

“Really? Any sort of materials.”

She probably wants live specimens. Oh well.

“Yeah, anything.”

“Awesome! I’ll do it! You asked that other girl to come here, right? Well, though she might not come, you really did have an interest in her! You came here even though your precious onee-sama was injured!”

Precious onee-sama… what is she talking about? I’m only concerned about her because she got injured protecting me, and she is the future ruler of the continent. Even though that should be my job, it’s hers due to my illness. Thus, she cannot have problems like this happen to her. It’s just as well we came in disguise, or else her reputation may have suffered.

Zynthia goes to check out onee-sama’s injuries… A white light is surrounding onee-sama as she does so. Hmm? She’s using magic, so perhaps this is something similar to an x-ray machine? Well, not a machine, obviously. Simply a magic that does the same job.

“How awful! She broke so many bones! Hmm, if I cut off her-“

“NO!”

I stop Zynthia from thinking of doing anything crazy. She’d probably want to replace onee-sama’s arm with the arm of another person. It’s pretty easy to work out that onee-sama would not be happy with me if I let something like that happen. In fact, if I was unable to work that out, I would be a fool.

Ah, well, it’s not as though I am not a fool. I somehow idiotically got myself into this mess, huh? If I wasn’t trying to make onee-sama see me in a better light, then she wouldn’t have been injured, right? Or maybe it’s not my fault… Ugh, it’s annoying. Why am I so weak?

When I think that, it’s as though the world turns grey every time my heart beats…

Nah, I must be fatigued. No way something like that’s really happening, right? Man, if I’m reacting like this, then I really need to rest.

Okay, deep breaths…

In…
Out…

Nope, this isn’t working…

Well, looks like all of us here will pass out, huh?

“Sorry onee-sama. I’ve failed again”

——–

“Hello? Are you here, sir?”, a voice called out.

“Sir? You asked me to come and I was told you were here… is something wrong?”, the voice called out again?

“…maybe something really is wrong? Should I sneak in? I do want to know what he had to say…”

The voice belonged to the assassin that Lun Zana had fought earlier, and she had chosen to accept the meeting out of curiosity. However, now she was suffering a dilemma. Should she sneak in or simply leave?

“Well, sir, I’ll be inviting myself in. Sorry about this.”

She made her decision, and began voicing a strange chant.

“Faceless Warrior, O’ hear thy Master and Servant, bound by blood. Activate, Zero!”

Finishing her chant, her shadow began to move on its own and then it began to await her commands.

“Unlock the door and let me in. Well, if sir and his friends are there and awake, we will simply leave.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the shadow began to complete her commands. It went under the door and slid across the ground, searching through the inns room for the masked man and comrades. After spending around ten minutes investigating, the shadow returned from under the door and once again became the assassins shadow, as though it had never left.

Once the shadow had merged back with the assassin, a small string of black could be seen streaming from the shadow to the assassin’s head. As it did so, the assassins face constricted and her eyes began to redden.

Soon, the memories which were originally the shadows became the assassins. She thought about the technique. Originally, it was quite painful for her to use as it was forcefully altering her brain. However, as the technique originated from her own unique situation, as she used it more and more frequently, the irritation reduced. She feels that soon, it will be almost like recalling her own, true memories.

When the process was finished, she sifted through the memories. After around ten minutes had passed, she made her decision.

“I’ll go and ensure that sir and his friends are alright. Something seems to be wrong.”

For some unknown reason, without even realising it herself, the assassin ignored her training to leave at the first sign of trouble and went to investigate.

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