Chapter 77

77. Changing Daily Life (6)

In a corner of the training ground.

There was a small desk and a dim light that faintly illuminated the area.

Under the light, Reje was sitting in a chair, shivering.

Bound tightly, that is.

“It’s definitely a spy sent by those guys. I’m sure of it.”

Luna, who had set up a makeshift interrogation room in the corner of the training ground, muttered to herself.

“Hmm, I don’t think so.”

“No, I’m sure. I even have evidence to prove it.”

Evidence (證據).

It means proof that can be used to substantiate something.

You found something I couldn’t?

There’s no way. From what I can see, this is just Luna’s perfect delusion.

We have already set a trap using the secret techniques of the Lester family.

The one who detected the trap and was sent to extract information is this child, Reje.

That’s what she must be thinking.

“Hmm, it’s probably just Luna’s delusion.”

“Is that so? Then why did he approach me?”

Well, that.

Why indeed? I’m a bit curious about that too.

“Have you ever conducted an interrogation?”

“Hmm, I’ve had some similar experiences.”

I’ve had the heart-pounding experience of dating Charon, where one mistake could get my neck broken.

Twice, in fact.

“Hmm, leave it to me. I’m at a professional level.”

Oh, is that so?

I wish you could say that in front of Charon.

‘Well, it looks interesting, so I’ll just let it be for now.’

There’s a possibility that Luna might be a master of interrogation.

If that’s the case, it could be a big help in the fight with Charon.

“Shall we go? Watch and learn from behind me.”

Luna gathered papers from here and there, making a fairly thick stack of documents.

Then she slammed it down in front of Reje.

“See this? This is all the evidence.”

“E, evidence?”

“Yes. Proof that you’re a spy.”

“H, help! I’m not a spy! I, I don’t know how to do scary things like that!”

“You’re still denying it even with all this evidence?”

Luna slammed her fist on the desk.

Bang!

“H, help!”

“It’s better to answer my questions honestly from now on! Otherwise...”

“O, otherwise?”

“You’ll be buried in a place where no one will ever find you.”

Luna smiled with a sinister grin.

Seeing that, I realized something.

What? A master of interrogation? I was a fool to have such expectations.

“You’re a noble, right? What’s your full name?”

“R, Reje de Leria.”

“Where are you from?”

“S, South.”

“A harsh and hot land. A place where many warriors are born.”

Luna scribbled with her pen.

“Let’s see... Despite your delicate appearance, you have the spirit of a warrior inside. A key point to note.”

“N, no! I, I’m weak!”

“Your resistance itself proves that there’s a hidden warrior inside you! You are a warrior! Check!”

Reje’s strength stat is only 3.

A strength that can’t even properly swing a club.

There’s probably no less scary warrior than that.

“What do you like?”

“C, carrots?”

“A peculiar taste for something tasteless. You seem to have a rebellious spirit against society. Check.”

“Huh!?”

“What do you dislike?”

“S, scary people.”

“I’m that scary person!”

Bang!

“H, help!”

“Answer me straight! Why did you approach us!”

“I, it’s...”

“You can’t say, right? You must have been sent by the Teleron guy!”

“No, I’m not! I came here of my own will!”

Luna jumped up and climbed onto the desk.

Then she leaned in close to Reje’s face.

“Hmm, to resist even this much. You’re a well-trained spy, indeed. But you made a fatal mistake!”

“A, a mistake?”

“You said it was fun to take a picture with me, right?”

“Y, yes.”

“Wanting to take a picture with me is strange in itself! No one wants to take a picture with me!”

Luna’s relentless self-deprecation!

But it’s logical. I want to applaud it.

“Speak! Why did you approach us!”

“I, it’s unfair! R, really, I’m not!”

“This isn’t working. We need to torture him to make him talk.”

“T, torture!?”

Reje’s face turned pale.

Luna, who had moved behind her, started to untie her hands.

And then.

She started to tickle her.

“How does it feel? It’s ticklish, right? You can’t stand it, can you? You want to confess the truth right away, don’t you?”

“H, ha ha ha ha! S, stop! Ha ha!”

She raised her hands to cover her face.

I can’t even watch this with my eyes open.

Wait, I was supposed to have my eyes closed, right?

“Confess the truth right now! Then I’ll make it easy for you!”

“H, ha ha! S, stop! N, no more!”

“Speak!”

“F, friend! I wanted to be friends!”

Reje’s voice echoed through the training ground.

Luna stopped immediately upon hearing Reje’s words.

As if she had broken down.

“F, friend... I, I wanted to be friends with Miss Luna... I, I chased after you.”

Reje’s confession, which slowly came out of her small mouth.

Only then did we realize.

“Zero.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think the same?”

“Yes.”

This child, Reje.

“She’s definitely a spy.”

“She’s definitely a spy.”

Wanting to be friends with our Luna.

She must be out of her mind.

In other words, she’s definitely a spy!

She must be feeling immense pressure.

“What are you saying! W, why would wanting to be friends make me a spy!?”

“Luna eats people. And you want to be friends with her! There’s no such pervert in this world!”

“Execution! Burn her! There’s no need to hear more!”

“H, help!”

Thud.

Was she too shocked?

Reje, still tied to the chair, suddenly fell over.

She even struggled to breathe.

“What, what! Why is she suddenly like this?”

“M, Miss Luna killed someone!”

“She’s not dead yet!? Don’t kill a perfectly fine child! You’re responsible!”

While we were circling the desk, trying to avoid blame,

“...I did.”

“Huh?”

“I... talked... too much...”

“...?”

“I exceeded... today’s word limit... I need to... rest.”

What is she talking about?

Exceeding the daily word limit?

I couldn’t understand what she meant.

Suddenly, Reje’s eyes changed.

She looked at us with half-open, sleepy eyes.

Squish.

“What, what is this!”

“???”

Luna and I were completely taken aback.

Reje wiggled her hands, which were tied behind her back, and untied the ropes that bound her tightly.

Her wrists, legs, and then her body.

She slipped out of the ropes as easily as a snake sliding away.

‘What is this? It’s scary.’

A special ability that doubles agility and intelligence in times of crisis.

She used overwhelming stats to free herself from the bindings.

Rustle.

Thud.

Reje rummaged through her subspace pocket and pulled out a box.

The box had the pattern of the training ground wall on it.

“I need to... rest... The rest... next time...”

Those were her last words.

She attached the box to the wall, crawled inside, and closed the lid.

The box then disappeared.

It had blended into the training ground wall, making it impossible to see with the naked eye.

This was proof that the box Reje made was exactly the same as the training ground wall.

‘...What is this all about?’

I’ve never seen such an eccentric character.

Not only does she live inside a box, but her daily word count is also limited.

She’s a really strange kid.

“What? How did she get free?”

“Hmm, maybe you tied her up wrong?”

“No way. The rope must have been defective. Hey, tie me up and see.”

Luna crossed her arms, and I tied her hands as she requested.

Then I tied her feet and put tape over her mouth.

“Ugh!”

Luna grunted and started to untie the ropes.

Indeed, Luna is cutest when she’s quiet.

She seemed to want to say something to me, but I ignored it lightly.

I had something to think about.

‘Reje... Is she okay?’

What I’m thinking about is whether it’s okay to recruit Reje as a companion.

The first and absolute condition for becoming our companion.

‘She shouldn’t be sociable.’

While she might attract unnecessary attention, she could also bring main characters into our party.

Those popular kids are surprisingly good at persuading others.

They might bring Raymond along.

‘But Reje is clearly a loner.’

From the conversation, it seemed she had no friends.

Her timid personality, eerie appearance, daily word limit, and obsession with boxes.

There’s no way someone with such a personality could make friends.

This means she’s a perfect candidate to be accepted as a companion.

However.

‘The Coward title is a problem.’

We can’t have a child who runs away in battle as a party member.

If we spend time training her and she runs away, it would be a huge loss.

Troublemakers shouldn’t be included.

‘Well, she might be useful until the mid-game...’

But it would be difficult from the late game, where area attacks are common.

After considering everything, she’s still a no-go.

I want a companion who can be with me from the beginning to the end.

“Mmm!”

“Oh, right.”

I approached Luna, who was wriggling while tied up.

I bent down and grabbed the rope.

The leftover rope from tying up Luna.

‘I should put it in my subspace pocket.’

I might need it again someday.

While I was organizing the rope to put it in my pocket,

“Excuse me, our reservation time is over...”

A group of girls opened the training ground door and came in.

“...”

What is it? Why are they looking at me with those eyes again?

Moreover, this time they’re looking at me like I’m a real pervert.

I slowly looked around.

The desk and chair, the dim light illuminating them.

Luna, tied up and groaning at my feet.

And the rope in my hand.

Ah... This is.

“I’m sorry. Have a good time today...”

“Hey, no! Shouldn’t you report this? It’s a complete pervert.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve heard of such things. It’s a kind of play (?).”

Thud.

The girls closed the door and left.

The next day, I found out. I, myself.

Was called the greatest pervert in Andwood Academy.

* * *

Rian’s Swordsmanship Basics Class.

Today’s class was outdoors.

To be precise, it was the day for basic swordsmanship practice.

“Each family has a unique secret technique that represents them. As you know, these secret techniques can be quite difficult to master.”

This is because they embody the characteristics of the family.

If you don’t understand the basic swordsmanship that forms the foundation of the family, you can’t use the secret technique.

“However, secret techniques are not exclusive to them. Even without the foundational swordsmanship, you can still achieve a certain level of mastery, though it’s more challenging.”

Rian took out a sword.

“Even those unrelated to the family can use secret techniques and special moves.”

The foundational swordsmanship, the principles contained within, and the specific muscle groups.

“It requires considerable effort, but it’s not impossible. This is important. Specifically...”

This is how it’s done.

The third special move of the Lafrel family.

Illusion Sword.

Rian’s use of the Lafrel family’s secret technique struck the wooden dummies directly.

Crack!

Clang!

“Wow!”

“Wow!!”

Three wooden dummies, spaced about 30 cm apart.

All three dummies had a hole precisely in the heart.

“I can currently use the swordsmanship of five families. Not all, but at least two from each.”

In other words, she can use ten secret sword techniques.

“Amazing! Different families’ swordsmanship!”

“Totally cool!”

“So this is ‘Rian the Imitator’... She deserves the name.”

“Maybe I should learn it too? Honestly, our family’s swordsmanship isn’t that cool...”

The children’s mouths didn’t stop moving.

As they praised Rian’s greatness in unison, Yuridia raised her hand.

“Teacher, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“By any chance...”

The one technique of the Lester family.

“Can you use it?”