漫画大王

Chapter 248

Even as we boarded the magic train, I kept a vigilant eye on our surroundings.

I had successfully avoided the imminent assassination attempt. However, there was still a chance it could occur in a different location.

“What’s wrong, Reinhart? What’s going on?” Ellen asked.

Even after we boarded the train, I continued to sweat as I scanned our surroundings. Ellen looked concerned, scrutinizing my expression.

She had climbed off my back by then. While the train wasn’t packed, and there were some empty seats, I chose to stand.

Without a word, I pulled Ellen closer by the nape of her neck and held her tightly to my chest.

“... Why all of a sudden...”

“Just stay still. Just for a moment.”

Ellen seemed startled by my sudden embrace.

At that point, Ellen was weakened. She was in no state to fight.

I had to keep her close. If anyone made a move, I would summon Tiamata immediately.

None of the passengers seemed to pay much attention to us. Some cast annoyed glances our way, likely believing we were a couple of Temple students acting out in public.

I kept my distance from everyone, holding Ellen close and watching all the passengers intently.

Ellen, following my request, remained silent and still.

Despite the cool weather, I was drenched in a cold sweat.

“You smell like sweat...” Ellen complained softly, her face buried in my chest.

“Just stay still.”

“... Alright,” Ellen replied softly, a bit apprehensive due to my sharp tone.

***

Nothing happened on the train ride to the Temple station.

Unlike the area around the Rotary Club, the Temple station was overflowing with people. Someone could stab you in the side amidst the crowd.

Once we disembarked, I waited until the crowd thinned out. Ellen, sensing that something serious was going on, stayed close without questioning me.

Slowly, keeping an eye on our surroundings, we exited the Temple station. There might not be an assassin, but someone could still be tailing us.

Although night had fallen, there were many people around the vicinity of the Temple.

Still, I couldn’t relax. Whoever was after us was insane enough to contemplate killing two people in broad daylight. If they deemed an assassination was no longer feasible, they might resort to a direct assault.

Supporting Ellen on one side, I slowly made my way to the Temple entrance.

I couldn’t be certain that the Temple itself was safe, but I had to hope. If the assassin was an outsider, they wouldn’t be able to enter the Temple.

Given the circumstances, the decision to return to Temple had been the correct one, even though we couldn’t fully relax yet.

I moved through the crowd and toward the Temple slowly but surely, ready to summon Tiamata if anything happened.

It felt like an eternity.

As we passed through the Temple entrance, the familiar view brought some relief.

There were only a few staff members and students around. No one looked suspicious.

However, no one outside had appeared suspicious either.

‘Did the assassin give up? Maybe they realized I had caught on and decided to retreat for now.’

Even on the tram ride back to the Royal Class dormitory, I sustained a final thread of vigilance.

It was only when we reached the dormitory that I could finally let my guard down.

My heart, which felt like it was about to explode, was pounding even harder.

We’d survived. The assassin did not appear. One way or another, I had avoided the death that was supposed to occur that day.

I felt my legs give out from under me.

“Are you... okay now?” Ellen asked with concern after noting the relief on my face, unaware of the full situation.

I silently pulled Ellen into a hug.

“W-Why are you acting like this...?”

Ellen quietly held me, trying to comfort me.

I couldn’t say a word.

I couldn’t explain anything.

Was I afraid of my death, or was I more scared of Ellen dying?

Whatever the case, that fear had now subsided, and that was enough.

***

After Ellen received healing from the priest on duty, she regained her usual strength.

In the training hall that night, I explained the situation to Ellen, though I couldn’t tell her everything.

“Someone tried to kill us?” Ellen asked.

“I don’t know the details, but that’s just the feeling I got.”

“... Shouldn’t you see a counselor?”

Ellen believed that I was being overly paranoid.

I couldn’t explain the “Preview” function to her, so I had no choice but to accept being treated as someone with neurosis.

If the assassin had attacked us, she would believe me, but since nothing happened, there was no way for her to understand.

The assassin had probably been cautious.

Even I would think someone was having a panic attack or was a paranoid schizophrenic if they suddenly started sweating and claiming someone was trying to kill them while walking down the street.

“To be precise, they were probably trying to kill me, not you.”

“... You? Why?”

“Remember when I went to the sponsorship gathering to get funding for the Magic Research Club?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“At that meeting, I met someone named Sabioleen Tana.”

“I know. The commander of Shanapell,” Ellen said with a nod. It was a name she recognized, which was rare for her.

“She mentioned that I’d gained many enemies because of the recent Orbis Class incident.”

The massive ordeal that the Orbis Class had gone through, and the subsequent harm it caused. The displeasure the sponsors felt. Sabioleen Tana had said that many people now disliked me because I was the cause of it all.

No matter how much they disliked me, though, I hadn’t expected that they would actually try to kill me. Of course, they weren’t the only suspects.

There could be other reasons, unknown to me, for why someone wanted to kill me.

“I’m not really sure though...”

Ellen still seemed puzzled about why I had acted so suddenly in that situation.

“Regardless, if it’s dangerous, maybe you should avoid going outside the Temple for a while,” she suggested.

“... Yeah, I think I should.”

Ellen didn’t seem convinced that there had really been an assassination attempt, but she agreed that the situation was dangerous.

Ellen looked at me quietly.

Thanks to various incidents, I had ultimately made many enemies, ones that I couldn’t easily deal with.

“Don’t die.”

“I won’t.”

“If you die, I’ll die too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll kill the person who kills you, and then I’ll kill myself too,” Ellen said so calmly. “So please, don’t do anything dangerous.”

That seemed to be her main point, as she clasped her hands around mine.

“You thought, if someone was going to kill you, they would also kill me, didn’t you? That’s why you acted the way you did,” Ellen said. She seemed to be reflecting on how I was always trying to protect her.

“... Yes.”

“If I’m a burden, leave me behind. I’ll be fine—”

“Don’t say that kind of bullshit,” I interjected. I pushed Ellen away and looked directly into her eyes. “You’re not the only one.”

Ellen had said she would die for me.

Just as she had gained conviction in the Dark Land, I too had realized during this harrowing journey back to the Temple, even though nothing had happened.

“I would die for you too.”

I could finally say those words to her.

Ellen’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at me for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand.

Whack!

“Ouch!”

“Stop saying such ridiculous things.”

Ellen laughed and gave me a flick on the forehead, mirroring the response and light slap I had given her before.

“Make something for me. I’m hungry,” Ellen said.

I couldn’t look directly at Ellen’s smiling face.

***

Even though nothing had happened, it wasn’t over.

[New Event Update - Assassination Threat]

[Description: Someone is trying to kill you. Crush or eliminate the source of the threat.]

[Reward: One related trait]

After a long gap in time, an event had finally been triggered.

The reward was ambiguous. However, the traits that such events offered as rewards were generally powerful one.

However, rewards were secondary when my life was on the line. I couldn’t consider this an optional event, even in the absence of a reward.

The Preview had not only helped me avoid death, but the system had also set a task for me to resolve.

Someone, or some group, intended to kill me and I needed to identify who they were. It could be a group of them, or an individual holding a grudge.

But who would want me dead, and for what reason?

The most significant thing was the Orbis Class incident. But in that case, killing me would simply be an act of revenge. It wouldn’t solve anything.

More importantly, I needed to find the assassin who had targeted me.

Even though the assassination attempt hadn’t actually been carried out, that individual had intended to kill not just me, but Ellen too.

I had to find them.

I didn’t know if it was right to seek revenge for something that didn’t happen, but someone who made a living by committing such acts deserved to die.

They hadn’t killed me or Ellen, but they’d intended to.

‘I will find them and kill them. And I will find their backers and ensure they face consequences as well.’

I had never had such a cruel thought before, but I didn’t feel any inner conflict over it.

I couldn’t afford to relax. I couldn’t assume my enemies were solely outside the Temple. Someone within the Temple could also be plotting against me.

I had to stay vigilant.

I constantly wore the single-use Protection Bracelet.

Whether attending classes or walking around the Temple, I remained on high alert.

I couldn’t be sure if the Preview feature would alert me to another threat again. I couldn’t rely solely on that.

I felt like I was living a cold-blooded, emotionless life.

The only somewhat safe place was the Royal Class dorm as I was familiar with the faces of the staff, which made it impossible for any strangers to go unnoticed.

Unfortunately, utilizing my network was difficult in this situation.

Even Ellen, who had been with me at the time, thought I was being paranoid when I mentioned an assassin.

Claiming that someone wanted to kill me without any evidence would get me nowhere, and I would be regarded as someone who’d lost his mind after going through various incidents.

It was a frustrating feeling.

The assassination threat was real, but to others, it sounded like nonsense.

I needed evidence, but that meant I would have to actually encounter the assassin. And I was uncertain if I would survive that ordeal.

Of course, I could firmly request protection or assistance from Vertus, Charlotte, or the Temple, but that would likely result in measures that would keep me constrained within the Temple.

Such a situation would prevent me from playing my most important cards.

I also had allies I could only control on my own terms.

So, I sent a letter outside the Temple, as going out by myself was too risky.

***

A few days later...

Someone tapped on my window.

It was a bird. It pecked on the glass as if it had an important message.

When I opened the window, the little bird hurried into my room, and I pulled the curtains closed.

Last time, it had been disguised as a maid; this time, it was a bird.

The small bird fluttered and then transformed into a neat and tidy maid.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”

It was Sarkegar.

I had sent a message to Loyar at the Rotary Club in our coded language, summoning Sarkegar to the Temple, and he had arrived promptly.

I didn’t think of myself as a good leader. If anything, I tended to favor my subordinates based on personal fondness rather than professional reasons.

I was the epitome of a biased superior.

I often visited Eleris for no particular reason, just to chat about Temple life since she was a good listener, and I visited Loyar for business reasons.

On the other hand, I almost never saw Sarkegar, who operated under the alias of Count Argon Pontius. I didn’t even know where Sarkegar lived.

Moreover, Sarkegar was always very high-strung, and I feared he might realize that I didn’t particularly care about restoring the demon realm, so I kept my distance from him.

Because of this, it had been a long time since I’d last seen Sarkegar.

Though we were in my private room, since we were at the Temple, Sarkegar didn’t say anything unnecessary.

“I knew that Your Highness was doing well! You’ve already taken control of the imperial city’s transportation network, and—”

‘I take that back.’

“Enough.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sarkegar began spouting nonsense as soon as he saw me, clearly overwhelmed by the joy of being summoned after not having seen me in such a long time.

“I swear, I would plunge into the fires of hell for you, Your Highness. Whatever you command.”

I wished he wouldn’t say such menacing things in such a soft and refined voice.

“I’m not sending you into the fires of hell. But it feels like I might be wading into it on my own right now.”

“... What do you mean, Your Highness?”

“I think someone is trying to kill me.”

“Which vile scum of the earth would dare to plot such a heinous act?”

Sarkegar’s voice was very quiet, but the intensity of his words made him seem almost cute.

“If you command it, I will tear their limbs apart and hang them in the marketplace for attempting to murder the rightful heir of the Demon Realm—”

“Why on earth would you do that in the imperial city?”

I explained the situation to the excited Sarkegar, who had grown anxious upon hearing that my life was in danger. I recounted the events that had transpired and how I had made many enemies because of them.

“Hmm, so, you don’t yet know who is targeting you, Your Highness?”

“Yes, but someone definitely is. I have a strong intuition.”

“Intuition. A great ruler is always accompanied by great intuition. Your Highness’s intuition must be correct. I will find this assassin and whoever is behind them.”

‘Such unwavering trust... Very reassuring.’

I hadn’t specifically summoned Sarkegar because of his abilities, but because he was necessary for contacting others outside the Temple.

Count Argon Pontius could do some investigating, but other groups needed to be involved as well.

“Inform Eleris about the situation, and tell Loyar too. Also, notify the Thieves’ Guild. They should know about any assassins or assassin organizations.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Everyone will work together to uproot this vile force that seeks to assassinate you.”

‘Hmm.’

Those who sought to assassinate an individual might be considered vile villains by human standards, but in the eyes of humanity, if that individual was the Demon Prince, they could be seen as heroes or saviors.

Sarkegar, being on my side, naturally saw it differently.

***

Nobody within the Temple would have believed me if I’d said my life was in danger. Therefore, I needed to handle things on my own.

In a twisted way, part of me wished that the assassin had attacked right then.

If that had happened, many of my allies would have rallied to find the assassin.

The assassin could be part of an organization or just an individual harboring a personal grudge against me. If it were the latter, that would make them extremely difficult to catch.

I had a list of potential suspects in my mind, but it was too extensive.

There were too many people who could hold a grudge against me.

Therefore, I had to begin a thorough investigation, ruling out possibilities one by one.