Chapter 8
When you kill soone, whether it's self-defense or not, there's always cleanup afterward.
But this ti, that wasn't much of a concern.
The horse-faced demon had turned to ash, not even bones remaining, and the other three attackers had been blown to bits by a spell the horse-faced demon had cast back when he was still human.
The spell I thought had been aid at right after those three were killed probably wasn't targeting at all, but rather ant to destroy the evidence—and I was just collateral damage.
According to rceja, who inspected the scene, there were fragnts nearby of sothing resembling a magic tool used on high-level criminals that explodes if they try to escape, and with that added power, the attackers' bodies were thoroughly obliterated.
In short, we didn't get a single piece of evidence that could lead us to the attackers' identities.
rceja did recover the swords the attackers used, saying he might as well investigate them, but he didn't seem hopeful about learning anything from them.
All we knew was that the enemy was ticulous, capable of deploying attackers around Rank 6 in strength, and possessed so unheard-of thod of turning humans into demons.
Honestly, I had no idea what was going on, but I did know that staying put here would be a bad move.
So we resud our journey by carriage.
*
"About that, don't you think it might be the other way around?"
Inside the carriage, where the door with a hole in it rattled, more hanging than repaired with rope, Erika Solnzari said that.
I asked "What do you an?" with just a look, and she answered.
"Rather than a human transforming into a demon, what if it was a demon transforming into a human?"
Ah, I see—thinking of it that way is possible too. Both are ridiculous ideas I've never heard of, but psychologically, it's easier to accept a demon pretending to be human than a human becoming a demon.
But that's probably not it.
I shook my head and spoke.
"Sorry, Erika Solnzari. I think that's wrong. One of the attackers definitely said he was giving up being human. He also said sothing like, 'You'd give up being human for this?' If a demon had just disguised itself as a human, I doubt he'd say that."
Erika Solnzari thought for a mont, then said, "You're right, that does make sense," abandoning her idea.
It wasn't that she was convinced, but more that the idea of a human turning into a demon, sothing she hadn't seen with her own eyes, was just too hard to believe.
If she trusted a little more, it might've been different—but I was just so guy she barely rembered from class, so of course it was too much to expect.
"So, Erika Solnzari, that ans it's going to be hard to even guess who attacked you based on the attackers. Is there anything that cos to your mind?"
Erika Solnzari gave a faint, lonely smile at my words.
The fact that Erika Solnzari—*that* Erika Solnzari—was smiling so weakly shook more than I expected.
Maybe she sensed sothing from my expression, because she raised a hand as if to stop my words.
In truth, I had wanted to say sothing, but nothing ca to mind.
"I can't think of any reason I'd be exiled from the kingdom and then have soone try to kill on top of that."
"More importantly," she said, changing her expression.
"Why do you keep calling by my full na?"
Her face wasn't accusatory—just genuinely puzzled, like she was trying to figure sothing out.
That puzzled face was beautiful and adorable too.
As I stared at her, entranced, she suddenly furrowed her brows in a clearly displeased look, as if rembering sothing.
"Co to think of it, I don't even know your na. Isn't that rather rude to a lady?"
It was a perfectly reasonable point, but as soone who'd been her classmate for three years, I couldn't help feeling a little hurt.
Well, between a marquis family and a viscount family—no matter how rich or poor—there's just too big a gap in status. That's how it goes.
I placed a hand on my chest and made sure not to let any of that show on my face as I apologized.
"Please forgive my earlier rudeness, milady. I am Shin Longdagger, second son of a viscount family and barely scraping by at the bottom of the kingdom's nobility."
Ugh, why can't I ever stay serious all the way through at tis like this?
I lifted my bowed head slightly and saw Erika Solnzari touching her well-shaped chin in thought.
It seed she was going to let my little joke slide.
"I thought you were just so adventurer hired as a bodyguard or sothing... Longdagger, that na rings a bell. Actually, now that I look closely, you do seem familiar... Where was it?"
Isn't that muttering a bit too loud?
I kept that thought to myself out of politeness, and then Erika Solnzari clapped her hands.
So cute.
"You were in our class, weren't you?"
Thank goodness... Really, thank goodness.
Erika Solnzari rembered . I'm glad I lived. My life wasn't a waste.
Erika Solnzari placed her right hand to her temple, as if digging deeper into her mory.
"Yes... that's right. You were one of the countless nobodies who just watched from afar."
In that instant, I felt my face flush bright red.
She'd noticed—Erika Solnzari herself.
She'd noticed the way I looked at her, harboring feelings far above my station.
I was so embarrassed I almost wanted to praise myself for not screaming.
I turned my face away without thinking.
"Why are you suddenly turning away?"
Erika Solnzari asked, clearly puzzled.
Does she even realize what she just said?
"You were watching ," she said—what kind of face is soone supposed to make when the person they were watching says that?
"What are you so embarrassed about? It's not like the person in question is even here."
I must've looked so pitiful that Erika Solnzari tried to cheer up with a joke.
So kind. I love her.
My affection outweighed my embarrassnt, and I felt myself calming down.
When I turned back to face her, I was t with Erika Solnzari's exasperated expression.
"So then..."
Erika Solnzari hesitated for just a mont.
"Am I to assu that you're my husband in na only?"
Oh, rciful God.
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