Caron stopped in a place where people were scarce, deep in the woods darkened by densely packed trees.
“…What’s the relationship between you two?”
Caron muttered without turning around.
He’s asking this? He was a character who had no interest even in the gender of animals, let alone human relationships.
Luna, her face turning red, desperately waved her hands.
“No, no, there’s nothing between us! Definitely not dating or anything like that!”
“I’m not interested in that. What I am interested in is…”
Caron spun around, his eyes sparkling.
“Luna de Lester, are you close enough to share secrets with each other?”
Just two sentences.
But it was enough to make Luna’s complexion turn stiff.
I felt the same, though it probably didn’t show due to the power of my skills.
“Judging by your reaction, it seems you knew.”
This is bad. Luna is the sole survivor of a treasonous family.
In this world, that’s reason enough to be killed.
‘Could this be a bad ending right here? So suddenly?’
I opened the stat window. This was no time to conserve stat points.
I was about to invest everything into strength.
“Pathetic. If I hadn’t experienced the Lester family’s swordsmanship firsthand in the past, I wouldn’t have noticed.”
“…Excuse me?”
“You should have trained more. Skimping on eating and sleeping to wield the sword. I had expectations… but what a disappointment.”
I stopped thinking about raising my stats.
It wasn’t a threat or oppression, but more of a rebuke.
The nuance of ‘why are you so weak’ was evident.
Luna seemed to feel it too.
“W-wait a minute! What are you talking about? Do you know something…!”
“Improve your skills. Saying anything before that would only shorten your life.”
“What do you mean…! Just tell me!”
“Suggesting you forget might be cruel to you. But it’s better to forget. That’s my advice.”
“Wait…!”
Luna tried desperately to cling to him, but it was futile.
He moved like a ghost, evading her effortlessly.
Luna fell to the ground, but he didn’t spare her a glance.
“What’s your name?”
“…Keke, it’s Zero.”
“I don’t know how much you know… but stop it. You’ll both be disqualified and sent home.”
Disqualified?
Caron once again moved past me like a ghost.
But I couldn’t let him go.
I was in the middle of a quest to pass the entrance exam.
‘What were Caron’s characteristics?’
Intimidating. High-handed. An uncommunicative personality.
But a child who stands bold and unflinching before such a person is…
‘A pervert who you dislike, yet admire at the same time.’ (TL Note: It should be obvious by now, but the Author sure does love the word Pervert)
Yes, he likes people with a strong will.
That’s the key to winning him over.
“Heh, disqualified? That’s funny.”
“…?”
“A teacher who can’t even lend a hand or a word of comfort to a crying child. I cannot accept such a school…”
I used the [Eye Opening] skill and glared at him.
“I will leave on my own. Meaning, I wasn’t disqualified by you.”
Caron looked away from my gaze.
Was it my imagination? It seemed like he was slightly smiling.
“…Is that so. Can’t let the likes of you insult the academy. I’ll pass you both. Be more careful in the academy, there are many eyes watching. Though, it seems unlikely you’ll be caught, given the gap in skills.”
With those words, Caron vanished.
Left behind were only me and Luna, who lay on the ground, sobbing, her face buried in her hands.
“Why do you stay silent even though you know…”
“…”
“Please tell me… I beg you… someone… clear my family’s name…”
Luna trembled and wailed.
I too shivered just as much as her.
Because I felt sorry for Luna? No!
‘Caron is such a talkative character?’
It’s so fresh! Thrilling! Enjoyable!
My stepping forward was partly for Luna, but only a very small part.
I was more eager to uncover Caron’s hidden dialogues.
“Uhhoo…”
But it was time to console Luna.
I’m not a psychopath.
My thoughts were purely for Luna’s growth and future. Really.
‘As Caron said, it’s not yet time to know the truth.’
Luna is only fifteen years old. She couldn’t handle the truth.
In this world, fifteen is the age of an adult, but to me, she’s still a child.
Even if she’s a character in a game.
“Keke, Miss Luna. Cheer up. Everything is going according to my plan, isn’t it.”
“Uh, uhuh… Plan?”
“I didn’t have you use your Swordsmanship for nothing.”
“…!”
The reason Luna wants to enter the academy was to gather information from the children of noble families.
If someone is framed, it’s likely the culprit is the one who benefits from it.
‘There are emerging noble forces that rose after the Lester family’s downfall.’
To dig into them, approaching their children is best.
They’re impulsive, thoughtless, and easy to intimidate.
That’s why Luna was obsessed with getting into the academy.
“Do you understand why Caron spared your life?”
“…It means he knows my family is innocent.”
Exactly.
“You haven’t even entered the academy yet. To obtain such information already. Heh, you’ll be able to gather much more in the future.”
“…!”
“So, cheer up. Your grudge against them isn’t small enough to crumble over something like this.”
A spark of life returned to Luna’s eyes.
“I will help you. I’ll gradually share what I know. So… let’s be strong together, Miss Luna.”
I’ll nurture you well as you grow stronger.
You’ll become a key player in defeating the final boss, right?
‘I really am amazing, aren’t I?’
Not only using an extra character, but continuously uncovering hidden pieces in the entrance exam.
I can’t help but praise myself for being so impressive.
“…Thank you.”
“Excuse me?”
“…I said, thank you.”
Luna tried to hide her slightly flushed face.
Tough, harsh, the epitome of a tomboy Luna showing such a side.
“Heh, why don’t you say it again? I couldn’t quite hear you.”
“Tha-tha-tha-tha…”
Tha?
“I’m not thankful at all!!”
Luna’s shout filled the forest.
On the way back to the third exam site.
Caron reflected on the recent encounter.
‘…I never expected to meet that child here.’
Luna.
One of the Lester family’s descendants, the sole survivor.
Her parents used to praise her endlessly for being adorable.
-How about it, Caron? My daughter is incredibly cute, right?
-Ah, hello. I’m Lu, Luna.
He remembered young Luna peeking out from behind their cloaks, shyly greeting him.
‘She doesn’t seem to remember me.’
It made sense, she was very young, and he was in disguise.
Well, he had seen her a few times after that, but always with a different face.
As he recalled those few encounters, he thought of the Lester family.
The Lester family.
Once one of the pillars of the empire.
A proud family that never succumbed to threats or political maneuvering.
There were aspects he related to, so they occasionally interacted, but his nature prevented a close relationship.
However, he definitely liked them.
He had thought of them as the true pillars protecting the empire.
‘No, maybe…’
He might have been the one wanting a close relationship with them.
The Lester family was known for their strong family bonds, as much as their pride.
For Caron, who had lived his life alone, their harmony was a shock and an object of intense admiration.
But it was forbidden for him, an outsider and a lifelong spy, to become part of their family.
He had wished for their happiness from afar.
But those bastards…
“…Huh.”
He took a slight breath to calm himself.
He was agitated. Now was the time to keep a low profile and wait for the opportunity.
Revenge could wait.
‘No, the idea of revenge is strange in the first place.’
He had no real connection with them.
Even if he admired them, he couldn’t casually speak of ‘revenge.’
Especially not him, the ’empire’s rat,’ dealing with the empire’s dirty work.
All he could hope for was that the empire’s enemies would become ‘them.’
That was all.
‘So don’t expect anything, Luna.’
He wouldn’t help her with her revenge, nor in the academy.
Even if she was the child of the Lester family he admired, there would be no leniency.
Professional and personal lives are separate.
There’s nothing allowed for him beyond serving the empire.
So, he would not extend a hand to Luna. Never.
Passing the third exam? That was…
‘If she learns something, she can survive outside. That’s why I let her pass.’
He remembered Luna desperately fighting in the arena.
Her One Flash, clumsy compared to the Lester family’s.
But…
“It was an excellent One Flash, Luna.”
Caron didn’t realize.
A faint smile was lingering on his lips.
Soon, Caron reached the site of the third exam.
“You’ve arrived!”
“The third exam is over! 239 survivors!”
The instructors’ respectful greetings and their sparkling eyes.
They seemed thrilled.
‘…Do they think they’ve earned my approval?’
Delegating authority for the third exam.
He had to delegate reluctantly, but they mistook it as trust.
‘And why so fast? I just went to group 13, and it’s already over?’
There should have been over 800 left.
So, over 80 groups, but it’s all done?
He was fast at handling things, but this was excessive.
What exactly happened…
“Ugh, so tired.”
“This is Annwood Academy… Indeed, lives up to its reputation.”
“The exam ended like lightning. Guess we need to adapt to this pace.”
“Hmph, this much is nothing. I’ll never give up, let’s see what you got!”
The enthusiasm of the candidates.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter. The waiting time during other groups’ exams is enough.’
No worries about the level of the passers.
They are instructors of Annwood Academy after all.
Professionals who would be respected anywhere else.
Their judgment wouldn’t be flawed.
“Shall we move to the next exam site?”
The instructors and students’ eyes lit up.
Their morale skyrocketed.
But…
‘Luna hasn’t arrived yet.’
Luna, crying with her face buried in the ground.
She might still be crying.
It was a considerable distance from here.
“Caron sir?”
The instructor shone his eyes again.
But it’s fine. There’s a valid reason.
“Let’s wait for a while. The injured need time to recover… and we have to conduct ‘that.'”
“Ah…! I see. My apologies.”
The instructor quickly retreated.
‘That.’
Knowing it meant a secret test.
–TL Notes–
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