--Kingdom Castle Aristocratic Quarter. Klingbloom Mansion.

　On that day, Futa had been summoned to the mansion not by the landlord, Richter L. Klingbloom, but by his servant, Mion.

　The soft scent of wood and stone, typical of new construction.

　Naturally, he was ushered into the drawing room, not Richter's private quarters, which had become his hangout lately.

　The first thing Mion did was bow his head.

First of all, I apologize for calling you here when I should have come to you myself.
No, no, no. I'm sure you're busy.
I'm glad you said that. Thank you, Corona.
Yeah!

　Is that a yes or a no?
　It's hard to tell, the maid accompanying Futa replied.
　She raised her fist in the air, so it was probably more of a "yes".

Well...

　A small cough.
　The frequency of these meetings between Futa and Mion is not very high.
　So what is the purpose of their meetings?

"How does the princess react?
"Well, that's just great, Lilac. It doesn't seem to be working at all.
Oh, my God. ...... That's great. I think we need to take it up a notch.
Is there more to ......?
Yes, there is. Our noble mission, yes. Our noble mission is to be on a never-ending quest. If there is a God in this world, I haven't even got my toes on him yet.
That's deep. ......
Yes, it is. This is the boss playground!

　The two idiots clasped their hands over their mouths and exchanged words in a serious manner.
　I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you have.

"General Mion Presents! ～How to play with your boss...

　As a representative of common sense, Corona couldn't say what the theme was.
　I muttered to myself from the side to express my displeasure.

"Can the maids play with Master Futa, too?

　My complaint disappeared somewhere else.

I feel like Corona is playing with me a lot.
Is that so?　Maybe so. But the maid doesn't know how to play boss. Mion, Mion, do you have what it takes to be a maid?

　Mion looked up and gazed at Corona closely.

　Then, with a smile on his face, he stuck his thumb in the air.

We'll figure out a way to play with Futa next time.
"What, am I going to be betrayed?
"Betrayed?　I'm on the side of all my men - yes, General Mion.
I don't know what the hell you're doing!　Are you sure?　I'm going to collude with the people of this house and play with you, Mion.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. ...... I'm ready for that!
Why do you need to be so bold here ......?

　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it, but I'm going to try.

I'm not sure what to say.

　I'm not sure what to say.

That's right. Let's stick to it.
"Stick it out?

　I'm not sure what to do.
　A fist-fighting tag team of subordinates. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

Let's see. ......

　The odds are very much against us.
　I've already reported to you, so I'm going to change the subject and tell you why I'm here today.

"Speaking of which, Mion, why are you suddenly here today?
"Mr. Futa, you're not very good at changing the subject.
"You're so annoying.

　So.
　This is not the first time that Futa and Mion have had this discussion.
　Futa doesn't think anything of his visit to the Klingbloom residence where Mion is waiting.

　The only thing that bothered him was the fact that Mion had asked him to move up his schedule.
　Originally, this meeting was supposed to be held after the second combat tournament.

I'm also going to participate in the tournament with Prim. I think I told you about it the other day.
"...... Oh, yeah.
I have a pretty good idea why I'm down, but I'll spare you.

　Because I don't have any friends.



"The last time Aylan B. Smiles attacked ...... I realized my powerlessness. This is because I was unable to punish the woman who harmed Mr. Richter, for example. ...... Also, I was defeated by her head-on as a woman.

　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　He had heard that Arawn had joined the faction that had attacked Klingbloom's house, and that Mion had intercepted them.

　And that he was defeated.

　To Futa's eyes, Mion was a warrior who was used to fighting. He's also the type who specializes in assassinations and dark work.

　That's why Futa was happy to hear her announcement. If he hadn't been so worried about himself, he would have been overjoyed.

　This was because he thought that the place of the tournament would affirm her martial prowess.

It is possible that Richter will participate. As for me, I'd like to put all my energy into the tournament .......

　Then she looked up.
　I'm sure that's where you're coming from," she said, and Futa listened to her.

I've been informed that an assassin of an old acquaintance has invaded the capital.
It's also...
To be honest, he is a dangerous man. He'll sacrifice anything to get what he wants. He'll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, no matter how dirty. That's what ...... he is.

　He clenched his fists.
　I'm not sure what to make of that. 　
　You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

　There was a strange feeling in Mion's words.
　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure it's something that both Futa and Corona are curious about.

"...... that, Mion.
I'm sure you're right.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　The usual, slightly screwed-up secretary was not there.

　There was only one--yes. An assassin.

...... "Orkestra

　The words he muttered didn't sound familiar.
　Not to Huta, not to Corona.

"It's like the mercenary army I used to be a part of. A group of assassins, if you will. We'd take killing jobs as a group, and the ends would fulfill the orders. That's how it works.
...... Mr. Mion was there.
Yeah. I've already washed my hands of it. I've already washed my feet. ...... Was it more accurate to say that you washed yours? You could say that my desire to get away from the battle led me to choose to spend my days doing paperwork as Richter's secretary.

　A gentle smile.
　I'm sure he has no regrets. This was the only factor that gave Futa some relief.

I was a useful pawn in my own right, but there were a few people who were better than that. The man was one or two of the best in the orchestra.
And he's in ...... King's Landing?
Yes. If he was just an assassin, he'd be fine. If you're just an assassin, you'd have to be a warrior to be able to compete with this assassin, but for what purpose did he come here? I don't want to leave a presence on the loose that could disrupt the tournament.
I see. ...... So, you want to talk to me?
Yeah. Well, at least I know you'll be competitive.

　Orquestra.
　Futa doesn't know what kind of organization it is.
　But surely, with such a skilled assassin on the scene, it should be considered dangerous.

Is there a group working on this by any chance?
"A group ......?　I don't know. I don't know. At least, I don't have any information that anyone else from the Orquestra has set foot in this place.
Well, .......
Do you have any idea?
No. There was a break-in at the royal castle yesterday. I heard later they went into the treasury or something. --Nothing was stolen, which is creepy.
"...... break-in. Well, I don't know. I'll just give you the name and what it looks like. I'll just give you his name and what he looks like, although he may not have the same name and appearance now.



　--His name is Libra Robinson. He is a tall man with pure white hair and bright red eyes.



"...... Hmm.

　Futa jogged his memory.
　At least the intruder - the young man with the silk hat - had blue eyes, and his hair was definitely darker, although it was hard to tell in the darkness.

　Another person, I conclude.

All right, I'll be careful.
"Yes, please do. If you need anything else, you can contact me or tell Her Highness .......


"Well... If Lilac-sama is going to destroy the tournament, she might be able to come up with some countermeasures.

　I'm sorry that I'm relying on her so much, but I don't think I need to weigh it against the tournament.
　It was only because he knew how much Lilac cared about the tournament.

　Thank you," Mion said, bowing his head once.

I don't want to disturb ...... the battlefield after a long time, either.

　I'm not sure what to say.
　This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your time with your family and friends.









...... "Orkestra, huh?
"What's wrong, Futa-sama?

　On the way back.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　They knew that they had a carriage and that they needed to buy something. And they had the whole afternoon free.
　All three made for a good time.

　--And there was one more reason.

　Futa's potential partner was not available. I was planning to look for a partner for him in my spare time at Spectacula or something.

　But there was no time left before the tournament.
　Suppressing his impatience, Futa was lost in thought.

No, I was just wondering what kind of people they are. Mion's former colleagues.
You couldn't ask Mr. Mion?
Well, ...... I guess.

　He didn't seem to have a very good memory.
　I asked him his name and face because it was an emergency, but I felt a little uncomfortable going into his background and past life.

　A group of drift killers.
　The term "assassins" is a bit of a misnomer, but I understand that it is necessary in a world where assassins are a profession.

　But that doesn't mean that I'm going to let them interfere with my martial arts tournament.

I'll report to Lilac-sama when I get back.
"Right. ...... too.

　She thinks for a moment and smiles.

"Or maybe it's just a personal trip!
Haha. I guess so.

　I hope so.
　I hope so. Futa doesn't want anything too rough.

　He smiled at her, letting her know that there is such a thing as a happy ending, and looked up.

"...... Corona.

　As if to protect her, he narrowed his eyes, wary of his surroundings.
　At the end of this alley--the smell of blood.