Chapter 3

There is an expression for when someone dies.

It was a stormy night with thunder and rain.

The rain pounded against the cobblestones, sending up white splashes.

Hikaru, who had rushed out without even putting on a coat, arrived at the destination, the Count Morgenstadt's villa, drenched to the bone.

(25 minutes)

He considered entering through the back door, but the lock was closed, causing a 5-minute delay.

He decided to enter through the front door boldly.

The front entrance was open for night security, so there was no lock.

He wrung out the hem of his clothes under the eaves and opened the door.

"---The customer the other day was a real nouveau riche---"

"---Wasn't that the day I was on leave---"

Bad timing.

Two servants passed by.

But---they passed by without noticing him.

The two servants who passed by did not notice Hikaru at all.

Unbelievable.

To enter so boldly and not be noticed.

Hikaru realized that the three skills he had acquired, "Stealth" and its related skills, were working better than he had imagined.

It seemed to be possible to turn it on and off, and when he focused---it felt strange, but---"Stealth" activated.

He felt a strange sensation as if his body was becoming thin.

There were no night lights, so the inside of the mansion was dark.

He had the skill, but he still chose to move in the shadows. He climbed the stairs to the third floor.

"......"

Two men, who seemed to be night guards, were walking towards him.

They were lightly dressed knights with swords at their waists.

Count Morgenstadt, a noble who boasted of power and influence in the country, could use knights as security guards.

"Hmm"

"What's wrong?"

One of the knights stopped.

"......I feel something's off"

"What? I don't feel anything"

"Maybe there's an intruder"

"!"

The other knight reached for the sword at his waist.

"......But, there's no one around, right?"

"That's what I think......"

One of the knights crouched down and touched the floor.

"......It's wet"

"Of course, it's raining outside"

"Did someone come back in the rain?"

"Didn't you send someone to the Alchemists' Guild to investigate the 'daughter'?"

"Oh... That's right, I did"

The crouching knight stood up with a face like he had bitten into a bitter bug.

"Let's go"

"Hmm, is it okay?"

"It seems to be a false alarm. ...Besides, that count is so infuriating, I can't even guard properly"

"Well, don't say that---"

The two of them left.

"......Phew......"

Hikaru, who had been standing in the shadow of a pillar, let out a long breath.

He thought he would be caught.

But "Stealth" did a great job. "Perception Block" was the right choice. The knights seemed to rely on their senses, smell, and experience. There was no doubt that a detection skill would have picked him up.

Plus, he had a bit of luck.

One of the knights, when he mentioned the "count," briefly turned his head.

That meant the count's room was in that direction.

(15 minutes)

He had time.

Actually, he had heard a voice say "20 minutes" earlier, which had surprised him. He even thought the knights might hear it as they approached.

"......Let's go"

He started walking.

The knights did not look back.

As their light source moved away, the surroundings were enveloped in darkness.

There were windows for lighting at the top, and when lightning flashed, the corridor would brighten slightly.

He wished he had a "Night Vision" skill, but he had no more points left.

The darkness was actually a blessing.

The faint light leaking from doors was easy to spot.

Only one room had light leaking out.

He stopped in front of the door and listened.

The sound of the rain made it hard to hear---but.

"---Hmm? That foolish baron... his arrogance---"

He heard a man's voice.

An elderly man's.

The Count Morgenstadt in Roland's memory was a man with all-white hair.

The target was here.

Hikaru's hand, reaching for the door, was trembling.

"---"

He clenched his hand tightly. It's okay. It's okay. I can do this.

He had a moment of fear after coming this far.

Are you going to do it?

Kill and survive?

He talked to himself.

As he clenched his hand, he gradually calmed down.

He had sympathy for Roland. He was interested in the new world. His curiosity was piqued.

But in the end, what drove Hikaru to the act of "murder" was---his "death" in his previous life.

People die easily.

And this world is different from modern Japan.

It's a world where you have to kill to survive.

(10 minutes)

When Roland's countdown was heard, Hikaru opened the door.

Count Morgenstadt was facing the entrance of the room.

He was sitting at his desk, reading something by the light of a lamp.

"Hmm?"

He looked at the door.

It seemed to have just opened.

"Who is it? A security knight?"

Or a butler---he thought, but no one would come at this hour without being called. It was also impossible for someone to come without knocking.

The door was closed.

"......Must be my imagination"

He looked back at his work.

The papers on the plant paper were several reports.

When he read the last one,

"Hmm, success"

It was a document written in code. On the surface, it said "the fire in the territory was extinguished," but in reality---it meant the son of Viscount Zarasha was killed.

"......You surprise me. I didn't expect him to be in Pound---"

The son of Viscount Zarasha in this town.

He might have come to kill him. It was fortunate that he had confirmed his location and sent someone to take care of it.

"Truly, a hateful family. But the Zarasha family is finished. Now it's my time---"

---No, it's not.

Suddenly, he thought he heard a voice, and Count Morgenstadt was confused.

But there was no other presence in the room.

"Who's there!?"

He opened the drawer and reached for the bell inside.

It was an item that could alert the guards wherever they were in the mansion.

"AAAAAAH!?"

But his hand stopped on the drawer.

A palm had pierced it from above.

"Y-You...!?"

Pain and fear hit him.

There was someone right next to him, where no one should be.

"Roland Nui Zarasha... or rather, his stand-in. I'm taking your life"

"Why...?"

"Die"

Blood dripped from the dagger as it was pulled out.

It slid into the flesh unnaturally smoothly.

But without hesitation, the boy stabbed the dagger into Count Morgenstadt's heart.

"---Gurk"

As he twisted the blade, Count Morgenstadt spat blood and fell to the ground---

"Ha, ha..."

Hikaru's eyes were on Count Morgenstadt's dead body.

His body was hot. He felt like running out and screaming.

For a moment, just a moment, Hikaru's body didn't move.

Roland had tried to take control of the body from Hikaru.

Using the remaining 10 minutes, Roland tried to seal Hikaru's will and kill the count "himself."

(......You)

Roland's voice, sounding exasperated.

"I won't let you. ...I decided I would do it myself"

He decided to live.

If the condition was "murder," he had to do it.

He found himself surprisingly calm.

(......Thank you)

The warmest voice he had ever heard from Roland.

It sounded like he was truly regretful, but also satisfied.

(......I'm disappearing. I can't leave you money or honor, but this body is yours...)

He felt Roland's soul fading from his body.

(......What's your name?)

Hikaru answered, "Hikaru."

(......Thank you, Hikaru... our family's benefactor... I will always pray for your... bright future...)

The last fragment of Roland disappeared.

"......He's gone"

There was almost no sense of accomplishment in fulfilling the promise.

The heavy feeling of having killed someone overwhelmed his heart.

He felt like collapsing on the spot.

"Did you kill him?"

"!?"

At that moment, he noticed the door was open.

A girl was standing there.

Silver hair, blue eyes, and skin as white as porcelain.

A girl of unearthly---beauty.

She saw? No, she noticed.

What should he do?

There was no way to talk his way out of this situation.

"......The bell rang. The knights are coming"

"!!"

Hikaru hadn't noticed, but when he pulled the dagger out of Count Morgenstadt's hand, his fingertips had touched the bell.

The bell had rolled and made a small sound in the drawer.

He could hear footsteps approaching the room.

What should he do, what should he do, what should he do.

Could he escape with "Stealth"?

Then, the girl pointed.

"There's a rope ladder on the balcony. You can get down to the first floor from there"

"---"

Was it true? No, why would this girl tell him such a thing?

"Hurry"

He had no time to hesitate.

Hikaru dashed.

When he opened the door to the balcony, the storm clouds had cleared, and the rain had stopped, though a strong wind was blowing.

There was indeed a rope ladder. It might be for emergency escape.

He lowered it outside and started to climb down.

His hands were shaking, making it difficult to descend.

Noisy voices could be heard from the other side of the closed door.

"---Miss Ravia, why are you here---"

"---Is it related to the count ringing the bell---"

"---O-Oh, this! The count is down!!---"

The commotion grew louder.

"It's an assassination"

By the time they reached that conclusion and opened the balcony door---the rope ladder was just swinging.

"......Well, if I've made it this far... I should be safe..."

He was exhausted.

He couldn't return to the high-end hotel.

There were two reasons. One, there was nothing left at the hotel. The valuables had been taken by the assassin to make it look like a robbery. So there was no point in going back.

The other reason---his face.

"......This is my body"

It was around 4:00 AM.

It was early summer, and it started to get light after 4:00.

The face reflected in the puddle.

Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes.

There was almost no trace of Roland---his face was becoming more like Hikaru's from his previous life.

The color was gradually changing from brown to black.

His soul was settling into the body.

"......Still, I'm exhausted"

Hikaru was in a part of the city with little foot traffic.

A cemetery.

Leaning against a giant tree in the cemetery, Hikaru closed his eyes.

---By the way... that girl. Why did she help me escape---.

His first sleep in this world.

He didn't dream.