Chapter 93

SIDE: Dark Guild

"According to the report, 'that person' took action after seeing the assassination request."

"…You mean 'that person'? Could it be him?"

"Yes, as you guessed, it's him."

"…Well, the approach isn't bad. Although Owl seems to have high abilities, he's just a kid. If we can appeal to his emotions and make him let his guard down, the assassination should be easy. But, isn't he a bit difficult to handle?"

"His track record in assassinations is solid. …Although, his personality is a bit, no, quite quirky."

"His personality isn't the only issue, right? Because he is—"

---

SIDE: Owl

In front of me stands one of the most luxurious buildings in the imperial capital. At first glance, it looks like just another commercial building, but in reality, it's a high-end inn.

I've always wanted to go inside, and I have an important mission to expose the fake Yomi clinging to my arm. I have no ulterior motives or hidden intentions. This is a point I won't compromise on. …Well, it's not my fault that I can see various things, right?

"Wow, I'm so nervous since it's my first time here."

"Hehe, I'm also nervous since it's my first time."

The fake Yomi, who is holding my hand and guiding it to her chest, exudes a considerable amount of charm, even if it's not as much as the real Yomi. If I weren't so familiar with Yomi, I would have been completely charmed by now.

Even knowing she's a fake, I still feel a bit nervous, probably because she looks like Yomi. After finishing the registration at the counter, we head to our room.

"The room is 409."

"It's on the highest floor! The view must be beautiful!"

As the fake Yomi said, the view from the room is indeed beautiful, offering a panoramic view of the imperial capital. Still, how does she know so much about Yomi?

She must have done some research to impersonate her, but the level of detail is impressive. Could it be that she has some kind of advantage? Or is her intelligence-gathering ability exceptionally high?

In any case, I won't let my guard down. The magic power I sense from the fake Yomi isn't that strong, probably around the level of a mid-tier adventurer. Her skills are decent, but there's a chance that "something else" is exceptional, so I need to be on high alert.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! Better than I imagined!"

"Right? Shall we take a bath first?"

"Hehe, you can join me if you want, but let's make it a surprise! I'll go in first!"

If it were the real Yomi, she would definitely join me, but I doubt the fake Yomi will. I don't know when she'll make her move, but I suspect it will be when I get out of the shower. She might try to get me to drink something before we do anything.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm♪"

…She seems really happy. Is she really a fake? Would someone who's about to assassinate me be this cheerful? No, she's a professional at impersonating Yomi. If she's experienced in killing, she could easily pull off this level of acting.

Well, just waiting around would be boring, so I should do something.

(Alf, can you hear me? Is now a good time?)

"Ah, Master. What's the matter?"

I'm contacting Alf. I haven't given him a voice transmission magic tool, but for some reason, I can communicate with him by focusing my magic power.

(—This is the situation. If Yomi is nearby, can you ask her to come to the location I just mentioned?)

"Ah, I see. Quite an interesting situation. I'll inform Yomi. I'll take care of the girls I've been protecting temporarily."

(Thanks, I appreciate it.)

"No problem. Yomi says she's on her way, and she should arrive in about an hour."

Hehe, perfect. If she arrives in an hour, it will be just as I'm getting out of the shower and feeling good. It should be around the time I can have a little fun.

No, I have no ulterior motives! I just want to experience the skills of an assassin. Everything is about gaining experience!

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Your turn! Hehe, I have some preparations to make…!"

The fake Yomi comes out of the bathroom with her hair tied up in a bun. …Even knowing she's a fake, her flushed cheeks and slightly damp neck look very alluring. Most alluring of all is that she's only wearing a towel.

A towel after a bath is, in a way, the ultimate form of a man's romantic ideal. I can't deny that I'm captivated by the sight.

If she weren't an assassin, I might have been tempted to spend a night with her, even if it meant cheating.

…Calm down, me! What's wrong with me? This isn't like my usual thinking. I'll take a shower to clear my head. There's no point in worrying.

"Wait a moment, okay?"

I'll wash myself more thoroughly than usual. Yes, more thoroughly. I might even use some scented oil. I don't want her to realize I'm suspicious. This is all part of the plan.

A man's battle attire is a towel around the waist. I've put on scented oil and styled my hair back. I've washed myself thoroughly, so there's no way she'll suspect me!

Time to make my move.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

When I come out of the bathroom, the fake Yomi is wearing a thin negligee, sitting on the bed with two wine glasses on the side table. A little bit of wine won't hurt, right?

Alright, let's drink and see what happens!

"To your health!"

Hmm, the wine isn't as good as the one I had at the castle. It's a common, ordinary wine. Hehe, she's watching me closely because I'm drinking the wine so casually.

But, poison won't work on me! She probably planned to poison me, but her plan is flawed. From now on, it's my turn to enjoy. There's still time before the real Yomi arrives!

"Let's go to the bed, then."

"Wh-What?!"

Hmm, she doesn't seem to understand. For an assassin, her slow reaction is fatal. But now it's my turn.

I'll start by carefully touching her chest… Huh? What?

Something just happened in my groin… No, no, it can't be that a Yomi who is this realistic and cute…

"You!!! You're not a woman!!!"

No way, no way, no way?! When did you become a man?! No, wait, were you a man from the beginning?!

"Owl-sama! I have arrived…?!"

Gah, Yomi?! You're early! …No, now that you're here, it's perfect timing!

"What are you doing to Owl-sama? Impersonating me and even using such a strong aphrodisiac incense. …And it's a very strong one. If it were a normal person, they would be in a frenzy like an animal."

Huh? …Incense?

Now that you mention it, I do smell something nice. Why didn't I notice it before?

Yomi must have entered through the window, and the incense must have dissipated outside, clearing my head. I'm more curious about why she came in through the window, but I'm more annoyed by my previous state.

What was I thinking, "Time to make my move"? It's a complete black mark… I wish I could just disappear into a hole.

The fake Yomi, who was trying to counterattack, was quickly captured by Yomi's water prison. Her skills are always impressive.

"…Owl-sama, I have many things to discuss, but please leave this person to me. Is that okay?"

You're giving me a choice, but it's practically a forced agreement, right? Because I can see a demon behind you that I've never seen before.

"…Yeah, I'll leave it to you. This person is probably working for the Dark Guild, so they might have some information."

"No problem. I'll extract the information."

Yomi is always so reliable in situations like this. I need to improve myself… I didn't realize I was affected by the aphrodisiac incense until now.

"The Dark Guild is quite resourceful. I'll work harder. Well, I'll be going now…"

"Owl-sama, this is one favor you owe me."

…This is a big favor. If Luna or Mirei found out, it would be a mess. Oh, right!

"Yomi, I forgot to give you this. I've adjusted the voice transmission magic tool to communicate with mine, so please wear it."

When I take out the ring, I can see her face light up with joy. I originally planned to put it on her ring finger when I made a wedding ring, but I'll do it now as a reservation. Luna was happy with it too.

"Hehe, thank you, Owl-sama. I'll treasure it forever! …I'll forget about this incident for now."

Great! I managed to cover it up. Now I just need to heal this emotional wound…

"Thanks for the trouble, Yomi. I'll be more careful."

Still, where did this fake Yomi get all the information about Yomi…?

---

SIDE: Dark Guild

"According to the intelligence, the mission was going well until the water beauty intervened, causing it to fail."

"I see… Well, he is a 'man' after all… However, we learned that indirect methods might have a higher success rate. You're dismissed."

"Ha, understood."

No matter how strong he is, he's still just a kid. He might even be a reincarnated person with special abilities, but in that case, indirect methods would be even more effective.

"Well, what should we do next?"

It's a busy situation, but I'll try to update as much as I can.

I'd be grateful for ratings and bookmarks.

Many of the authors who have won awards are active on Twitter… I received a question, so I'll answer here: I don't plan to advertise on Twitter or other platforms. Sorry.

Thanks to everyone, I won the [Net Novel Award] and will be published by Futabasha.