Chapter 25

EP.25 Growth-2

Before the madness and obsession intertwine into a chaotic maelstrom, I will rewind time by about five minutes to explain the situation.

***

[Quite impressive, isn't it?]

The old sage marveled at the splendid view of the party hall.

<Didn't you have parties in your time, Sage? >

[...Damn, do you think I'm a caveman? It's just a filler.]

Indeed, calling me a caveman would be a great insult to ancient people. Nodding, Leo began to enjoy the festival of civilization.

[But where's your lover?]

<But I'm single.>

[...Idiot... Where's Aria?]

I don't know why he's deluding himself and cursing, but I decided to understand him as a human worse than a caveman.

<She's probably wearing a dress. She can't be here with me.>

Even as a personal knight, there's no need to be present at a dressing scene. If I were, I'd only be called crazy.

<Let's just eat and wait.>

In such situations, eating is the best option.

The party hall is also well-stocked with high-end dishes that are usually hard to come by.

[Then try the black pastries first. They look delicious.]

<Okay, I will.>

As Leo walked towards the brownies, the people around him began to look at him.

[Why are they staring at you?]

<Maybe I smell like a commoner.>

[Sharp self-deprecation.]

Leo picked up a brownie from the tray. Coincidentally, there was only one left on the tray.

“Ah...”

At that moment, someone else's hand touched Leo's.

“...Uh...”

The person reaching from the opposite side was a rather small girl. Judging by her elaborate dress and head ornament, she was certainly not a commoner or a servant.

“I'm sorry. Please, go ahead.”

Leo yielded the pastry to the young noble lady.

“Ah, thank you.”

The young lady bit into the pastry with a satisfied look. There were plenty of other desserts, and showing such consideration would likely earn him good points in the eyes of the people.

“...Hmm...”

But something was strange. The girl kept looking at Leo.

<Why is she doing that?>

[It's not because you're handsome... Could it be...]

“Ah...!!”

Before the sage could say anything, the sage's intuition had already become reality.

“You must be the Joke Assassin!!”

The problem was that it was a negative premonition.

“...Yes?”

“You are the Joke Assassin, right?!”

The pastry was untouched, but he felt a choking sensation and a burning in his throat. But in such situations, one must remain calm.

[Ha...! Kuhahahaha...!!]

Even if the old man next to him burst into maniacal laughter.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. I...”

“You are!! The Joke Assassin!!”

Another girl shouted. She even showed a newspaper photo she had torn out. The burning in his stomach, fueled by shame, began to explode.

“You're the Joke Assassin?!”

“Yes!! Just like the person in the newspaper!!”

Surrounded by her friends and acquaintances, who were all well-versed in current affairs, Leo felt like they were pouring coal on his burning shame.

“You're the one who made Alfred the butler faint with just a joke, right?!”

“Teach me that joke!! It would be great for self-defense!!”

“No!! It has a unique pronunciation like a dragon's roar, so it can't be easily learned!! Even the Blood Shadow fell to it instantly!!”

They were well-versed in the legend of the Joke Assassin.

[Keh...! Kuhahahaha...!!]

The sage let out a hoarse laugh, accompanied by breathing difficulties.

The urge to tear the old man's nostrils made Leo's face turn red.

"...Haha...Haha...!"

Joke Assassin

***

And now.

“You said you love Aria Spiel so much that you have secret meetings with her!?”

“I heard you openly declared to the head of the family that you would have Aria Spiel! Is that true?!”

“No! He even told everyone in the entire mansion that Aria Spiel is his goal...!!”

“And you even used the forbidden Joke Assassin technique to protect her from assassins, right?!”

For some reason, the topic had shifted from the "Joke Assassin" to the "relationship with Aria Spiel," but this was better.

‘At least this isn't in the newspaper...’

The relationship with Aria Spiel could be misunderstood, but it was just a rumor, and it could be smoothed over at any time.

The immediate fire to put out was the damn Joke Assassin.

The false legend of the Joke Assassin needed to end here. Otherwise, they might start saying he killed demons and dragons with jokes.

[It could happen, you know?]

<Shut up.>

He maintained the most radiant smile possible. Reacting emotionally here could backfire and create more resentment.

“Excuse me, there seems to be some misunderstanding...”

“...Aria Spiel!!”

In the midst of the turmoil, just as he was about to explain, a name like a savior was heard.

Everyone's gaze and attention shifted to the young noble lady of the hero's family.

[Oh, she's really beautiful.]

As the sage said, she was indeed beautiful. Though partially hidden by the surrounding girls, her piercing eyes and white hair were more than enough to reveal her beauty.

Even Leo, who usually paid little attention to appearances, was quite surprised by her.

Clack, clack

Her steps, firm and dignified, even the sound of her heels was beautiful.

Aria Spiel walked towards Leonardo like a swan gliding on water.

[...But...]

The sage, both rationally and instinctively, sensed the current situation, and more specifically, the state of the girl named Aria Spiel.

[Her eyes are dead...]

Clack, clack

The increasingly sharp sound of her heels confirmed the sage's intuition.

But there was no time to say more.

“...Leonardo.”

Aria Spiel was already dangerously close to Leonardo.

The crowd around them parted as if by a miracle, creating a path for Aria and Leonardo.

“...A...Yes...?”

Her eyes, devoid of any life, were a color that could only be seen after experiencing a shock greater than the death of a family member or friend.

“...Follow me.”

“...What? Suddenly...? What's going on...”

“Follow me.”

He followed without asking for a reason.

Of course, this was because of his deep loyalty. Following his master was a knight's duty, after all.

Absolutely, definitely not because he was scared. No way.

“...”

“...A...Excuse me...”

Aria turned her head and looked at him.

It was best to just keep quiet and walk.

Speaking would get him demoted or even killed.

Not a metaphor.

“...Leonardo.”

Outside the ballroom, at the still unopened terrace, Aria stopped.

“...Yes...? Miss...?”

“...How was the party?”

What was the purpose of this question?

One wrong word and my life could be ruined.

“Answer.”

No, my life could be ended.

“Very...! Very good!! The food was delicious!! The ballroom was splendid!! It was amazing!!”

[You're being too submissive.]

Leo knew.

<Am I going to die here?!>

That's why he was acting this way.

Life was irreplaceable.

“...Is that so? Good?”

“Yes!! It was great!! I really enjoyed it!! Everyone was so kind!! So friendly!!”

Fear made the hair on his skin stand on end. Even when fighting a manticore... no, a dragon, he had never felt this way.

“...You really enjoyed it?”

Is it right? Is that why she's asking again?

“Yes!! I enjoyed it!!”

“Did you really enjoy it?”

Is it... right...?

“Yes...?”

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

“Did you enjoy it?”

No. The sage's look, like that of a lamb being led to slaughter, confirmed it.

“...Actually... I didn't...”

“You didn't?”

“Yes...?”

“Didn't you?”

This wasn't right either.

The life in her eyes was replaced by a fierce glare.

I thought it was a multiple-choice quiz, but it turned out to be a subjective essay.

“...Are you lying? Just to please people?”

“No... I'm sorry.”

He tried the third answer, an apology.

Smack!

Suddenly, the sage hit his forehead. What? What's wrong?

“What?”

“Yes?”

“What are you sorry for?”

I'm dead. If I can't properly defend myself, I'll be executed.

“...What are you sorry for?”

With that look, she could kill me with a joke.

“...Well...”

I tried to think as hard as I could. I recalled all the visual, auditory, and tactile information I could. Each second felt like a year of my life.

“...Right now...”

“Your shoes are hurting your feet, and I made you walk quickly!!”

I was already dead. What kind of answer was that? It was true, but it wasn't the answer she was expecting...

“...What...?! You knew...?”

...What? I'm still alive? Am I still in this world? I thought I saw my mother in hell...

“Yes? No one knew?”

Can't you tell from the sound of the heels?

Everyone would have noticed when the clacking turned to clattering.

[Oh, right. This girl memorized the entire female musculoskeletal system.]

It was true, but there was no need to say it.

Explaining it so incoherently made him seem like a complete lunatic.

“...I thought your feet must be hurting...”

“...R...Really? Is that so...”

The ferocity in her eyes subsided, and life returned to them. Leo felt life returning to his own body.

“...If your feet hurt, can you let me see them?”

“...My feet...?”

Following Leo's request, Aria sat down and extended her feet.

“...You're wearing shoes with too high heels. They're a bit swollen.”

Though she had a superhuman body, it wasn't severe, but he couldn't quite understand it.

“Why didn't you wear something more comfortable?”

“That's... The person who gave me the dress said these were pretty...”

That made even less sense.

“Why? You look beautiful enough as it is?”

“...Yes...?”

What's with the formal tone?

“Beautiful...?”

“Yes? Yes, yes. You're beautiful.”

Unless your eyes are as bad as the sage's, it would be strange to say she wasn't beautiful.

“You're beautiful to begin with. Your hair is neatly combed and scented, and the dress suits you better than anyone else’s.”

Why is he saying this so suddenly?

“...R...! Really...! T...T...!”

Aria, or rather, any person, vibrating that fast was a first for Leo. Was she resonating?

[...Leonardo, you're one of two things.]

<What?>

[An homme fatale, or a human scum.]

What's the difference between a fool and an idiot?

“...Anyway, walking in those shoes is impossible.”

“...Really?”

“I'll carry you. Come on.”

Leo offered his back, indicating she should get on.

“...That... That's a bit...”

“...Why? Is it bad?”

“No...! I'll get on... It's just... How do I...”

Aria carefully grabbed Leo's back. Leaning against his broad back, she felt a comforting warmth. At the same age of 13, this boy's back felt incredibly sturdy.

“Let's go...”

Leo couldn't say anything.

The back and build, several times larger than his own,

The paralyzing sensation from just a glare.

“My granddaughter seems to be quite close to you?”

Marken Reinhardt, the head of the Reinhardt family's execution knights,

“...G...Grandfather?”

Aria's grandfather, who had a history of crushing a knight's genitals for making lewd comments about Aria in a past life.

Leo was very afraid that this might be his future in about 20 seconds.

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