Chapter 20

AS Chapter 20~Trap~

After breaking the princess’s curse, I immediately held onto the crystal and snuck into Commander Saran’s room .

「Oya, Akira-kun, that was fast . 」

Even though I have completely entered stealth and should’ve been in a blind spot, he had sensed me, my pride as an assassin took some damage .

I went around the front of the desk with a dejected look on my face, and when I put the crystal down onto the desk with a thump, Commander Saran finally raised his head and looked at me .

「Please don’t make that face . I told Zeal-kun to take the day off today, and it’s because you’re the only one who would come .

「That’s not it . I’m not satisfied with having been detected . 」

「Oh my, was it not due to the connection between you and I?」

「Gross . 」

When I cut him down, Commander Saran fell on top of the desk .

However, his recovery was just as fast, he immediately picked up the crystal in front of him .

And then, he narrowed his eyes .

「This is… . 」

「Nn? The curse still hasn’t been broken?」

「The curse has been terminated . It’s just that, I’ve seen this crystal before… . 」

Deeply furrowing his brows and glaring at the crystal, I was able to see the intense rage and hatred in Commander Saran’s eyes .

It was unusual for the always smiling Commander Saran, it was the first time I saw Commander Saran like that .

「…can you tell me where you’ve seen this?」

When I said that, Commander Saran’s grim face quickly vanished, and his usual smiling face came back .

However, that look on his face was a little strained .

It seems that he was forcing a smile .

「No, please give me some time . I should be able to tell you about it tomorrow . 」

「…I got it . 」

「Well then, like usual, why don’t I answer your questions . 」

While he said this like usual, the eyes of Commander Saran who was always calm and collected were wavering the entire time .

「No, it’s fine . I’m worn out from today, so I’m going to bed early . 」

「Is that so . …well then, have a good night . 」

「Good night . 」

I randomly left through the window .

It’s going to be a habit now .

「…if I ask Vice-Commander Zeal…no, would it be better to not pry into it?」

That look on the Commander’s face, it seems that he doesn’t want me to pry .

For me who didn’t really care about other people, I didn’t know, what I should do .

「…let’s go to bed . 」

I, who thought that I would understand everything tomorrow and escaped from reality, would go through hell the next day .

As expected, I should’ve killed the king and princess, at that time .

「Akira! Akira, wake up!!」

I was violently being shaken and when I woke up, I saw the hero who was conscious for the first time in a while .

「What is it . …or rather, how did you find out about this room?」

「I asked Zeal-san . More importantly, something happened to Saran-san! Hurry up and get ready!」

Seeing something unusual in the impatient look on his face, I reluctantly did as he said and got ready .

I changed into black clothes, wrapped a black cloth around my neck, and equipped ‘Yatonokami’ onto my waist .

When I went out into the hallway, the hero who left my room when I was changing was urging me to hurry up .

Was it ok for the guy who was in bed up until yesterday, to be moving like this .

When I went towards the courtyard while being hurried by the hero, all of my classmates were gathered there .

The king and princess were also there .

…only Commander Saran, wasn’t there .

「Vice-Commander Zeal, where’s Commander Saran?」

When I asked Vice-Commander Zeal, he sorrowfully looked down .

Did something happen to Commander Saran?

「Don’t tell such an obvious lie . 」

From behind, someone suddenly said this .

When I turned around, my classmate who bumped into me even when we were in our original world was glaring at me with eyes filled with malice .

「Ha?」

「Saran-san is, over there . 」

I was nearly caught up in the trivial pretext of a small fry, but I followed the hero’s gaze and was at a loss for words .

Commander Saran was, over there .

He was lying there at the king’s feet .

His chest was dyed a dark color, and in the middle was a silver dagger .

It was obvious, that he was dead .

「That is, the dagger that you were using, right? You killed him . Murderer . 」

My classmates were, glaring at me .

Only the hero was, looking at me with imploringly .

「…I see, it seems that I’ve been caught in a trap . 」

I muttered this and looked at the king and princess .

The two people, had a sad look on their faces, but their eyes were glaringly bright with pleasure .

「Naa, Akira, if it’s a misunderstanding, then say so . 」

The hero said this and looked at me, but I was staring at Commandr Saran, and did not look at the hero .

Honestly, including the hero, regardless of what my classmates think of me, regardless of how they see me, I don’t really care .

It’s just that, even though they were students who strived in their studies in Japan, their ability to remember was extremely disappointing, was what I thought .

Did these guys not see that the dagger shattered when I attacked the Minotaur?

「Say something!」

My righteous classmate shouted at me .

I just sighed .

「Even though I saved you in the dungeon, it’s come to this, huh . Really, I’m fed up with you guys . 」

「Shut up! Even before we came to this world, I was unable to stomach someone like you . Anyways, it was obvious that you were sneaking around even within the dungeon . 」

I didn’t waste my time talking to the classmate who targeted me from the very beginning, and walked towards Commander Saran’s corpse .

The king and the princess didn’t stop me, and just attentively watched over what I said and did .

Commander Saran’s face was, twisted in anguish .

My heart was uncomfortable .

Was this emotion rage?

I quickly offered a silent prayer, and pulled out the knife from that corpse .

A red liquid flowed out from the body .

That body was already cold to the touch .

When I did that, my classmates screamed .

I stood up and glared at the king .

「I’m a hindrance, aren’t I? I’ll leave right away, so don’t worry . 」

「What are you saying? I have not intentions of letting you go . 」

「We will not let you go . The serious crime of killing this country’s last stand, even if you are a part of hero-sama’s party, we will have you atone for it . 」

Those words were the signal .

It wasn’t the chivalric order, the palace guards surrounded me .

My classmates also joined the encirclement .

Vice-Commander Zeal merely, was telling me something from far away .

「Seize him . 」

In accordance with the king’s order, the encirclement gradually became smaller .

「…no matter how many small fries gather, you should realize that you’re small fries . 」

I muttered this and invoked stealth .

In an instant, I disappeared from their field of vision, and the human encirclement was bewildered and raised their voices .

Come to think of it, this might’ve been the first time that I’ve so brazenly erased my presence in public .

I jumped over their heads and approached Vice-Commander Zeal .

Perhaps Vice-Commander Zeal knew that I would come this way, although his eyes wandered around, he said the things that he wanted to say in a small voice .

「The ones who killed Commander Saran was the king’s assassin legion ‘Night Raven’ . You are also being targeted by them . Be careful . Also, there is a letter addressed to you in Commander Saran’s room . It is together with the necessary items needed for the journey that Commander Saran stole from the castle’s treasury . …hurry, please escape from the castle . 」

「…I got it . Vice-Commander Zeal as well, take care of yourself . 」

I saw Vice Commander Zeal’s weak smile, and jumped onto the castle’s roof while in stealth .

In the courtyard, the palace guards were running around looking for me .

My classmates looked as if they regretted letting me get away, and the hero secretly sighed in relief .

I snuck into Commandr Saran’s room, took everything and anything that I needed, and left the castle .

Commander Saran’s death was outside of my calculations, but everything up until now was as I had predicted . .

I had asked Commander Saran for a handbook for when I left the castle .

I did not kill Commander Saran .

Regardless of what my classmate had said, it didn’t change that fact .

I will destroy Commander Saran’s enemy without fail .

However, before that, there’s something that I must do .

I thought of Commander Saran’s gentle smile and roughly wiped away my distorted vision, and sprinted with all my strength down the path that we used during the dungeon campaign .