The snow had stopped falling. The streets were chilly. Right now, I was heading toward the parking lot with Adele.
Ever since I awoke in Dante’s body, we’d been walking this path together every day.
Tap, tap...
Adele’s footsteps made noise when she walked. That was unusual in the Department of Assassination.
I, too, hardly made any sound when walking now. It had become second nature as an assassin.
So once, I asked her, “Why do you make noise when you walk?” In response, Adele smiled and suddenly began moving quickly around me. Her footsteps vanished entirely.
— I do it on purpose. I don’t want to hide.
— You don’t want to hide? But you’re an assassin.
— Hmm. That’s true... But I just don’t like it. It’s not like I became an assassin because I liked it... Besides, don’t you think people sound more like people when their steps make a little noise?
It was nonsense. At the time, that’s all I thought of it.
Tap, tap, tap, tap...
Now, though, those footsteps sounded strangely off. And as I was thinking that, my eyes drifted to Adele’s necklace.
「 Ω 」
The Omega symbol. A sigil representing the star “Grim Reaper Star Ω.”
My connection to it... Well, Senior Professor Angela had once wielded the scythe Grim Reaper Ω during the fight against Jinksythe. That weapon bore the [Stigma] of the Grim Reaper Star.
Just a few days ago, Kaiser had been crowned boss of a group called the “Reaper Society,” a cult that worshipped the Grim Reaper Star Ω.
At that moment, Adele turned to look at me and asked:
“Where are you looking?”
Then she used her hand to cover her chest.
“Pretty necklace.”
“Huh? Oh my.”
Adele buttoned up her shirt.
“Why cover it?”
“Oh, no, I wasn’t hiding it—the button was just undone. I usually keep them all fastened.”
I stared at Adele’s eyes for a moment.
“......”
“......?”
Adele blinked and smiled at me.
This was the second time I’d seen that necklace. Come to think of it, the “Grim Reaper Star Ω” was a rather major religion in the Empire.
Wasn’t it called the “Go World” or something?
I’d looked into it a little because the doctrine intrigued me. According to them, there existed a god named GoΩ in this world. The teachings said that one should refine one’s mind to draw closer to GoΩ.
A strange premise. Originally, in this setting, there weren’t any personal gods aside from the Saint Mother, the avatar of the Cross Star†.
Clearly, this was a retcon post-[DLC].
“Adele. Do you worship the Grim Reaper Star?”
“No? I just bought it because it’s pretty.”
“It is pretty.”
“Right? Wanna take a closer look?”
Then Adele took off the necklace and handed it to me. There wasn’t anything strange about it—it was just a necklace.
“......”
I quietly stared at it. Then we resumed walking.
Looking back, there were small, nagging details in Adele’s behavior that stuck with me. Like the odd things she did in daily life.
As I mentioned, Adele currently lives with me. I’m on the second floor, and she’s on the first.
Housekeeping is taken care of twice a week by an academy maid, so we don’t have much to worry about.
Still, there are occasional things we have to handle ourselves. I, for one, manage my own clothes.
Say Adele spilled coffee on an important outfit she needed to wear that day. Normally, she’d just hand-wash the stain out.
But instead, she threw the clothes away and went out to buy something new.
— Why’d you buy that?
— Oh, this outfit? Well, it got dirty, didn’t it?
— Could’ve washed it.
— Ugh, forget it. Easier just to get a new one.
She sometimes did the dishes in bizarre ways too. (I caught her pouring dish soap directly into a bowl.)
And she watered the same plant every single day—until it died. (It was only a decorative tree.)
So yes, there was a sense of distortion in her daily habits.
There were other incidents, too. Once, we went to Commercial District 5 to buy teaching materials. We saw a claw machine, and suddenly Adele’s face hardened. She went completely silent.
— What’s wrong?
— Nothing. Just... bad mood.
It was a voice I hadn’t heard from her before. Adele hated claw machines.
She also had an abnormal aversion to anything sexual—especially when it involved women in provocative attire. The “I always button my shirt all the way up” thing? That was just one symptom.
If she saw some shady flyer on the street, she’d kick it away. If a late-night film came on TV, she’d flip the channel in disgust.
Once, in the Department of Assassination, we visited the Costume Room—a place used for disguise work related to missions.
Like how actors wear costumes suited for their role, assassins borrow clothing to match their assignments: guard uniforms, janitor outfits, noble attire, even ball gowns or risqué outfits for underground casinos and such.
During that visit for materials, Adele secretly tore one of the more revealing dresses.
— What are you doing?
— Ah, sorry~ It was just frayed, so I tugged on it... Honestly, don’t the assistants here know how to take care of clothing?
— ......
— Ugh, I’ll pay for it.
At the time, I let it slide. But thinking back on it now... her expression had been different from usual.
She had clearly been angry.
A skewed everyday life. A deep hatred of claw machines. A visceral loathing of sexuality.
None of these things, on their own, are enough to prove anything beyond Adele being “a little strange.”
But still......
“Ah, Professor, what do you think about a quiet meat place?”
“Sounds good.”
“Then let’s go. I know a great spot~”
I watched Adele walk ahead, then followed her silently.
***
Adele is probably a spy. Maybe for Kreutz?
I don’t know where exactly she came from, but one thing is certain—she doesn’t belong here.
Before “Rebellion and Collapse,” not once did she display any thoughts that might raise suspicion in the 【Script】.
But during “Rebellion and Collapse,” I felt something odd on multiple occasions.
The first was when I went [Offline].
There, I received a psychic message from people in the other world.
<⧉ Many are intrigued by the fact that you still face a great threat!>
<⧉ Everyone keeps telling you to beware the one closest to you.>
The one closest to me.
I didn’t miss that keyword. The person closest to me... was Adele.
Around then, the meat arrived.
“Wow, looks delicious. Thank you for the meal~”
The second incident was during Rebellion and Collapse, when Adele disappeared.
She vanished right around the time Jinksythe appeared at the cat café. She didn’t show up again until everything was over, when Elize was rummaging through a trash bin.
Those missing days were a mystery. I checked—but she couldn’t be found anywhere.
Seriously. Nowhere.
So what was she doing at the time?
Before answering that, one last point.
The third and # Nоvеlight # final reason: right after I began doubting her, the System⧉ also started “doing something.”
While we toured District 9 earlier today, I became convinced.
“Adele.”
I spoke as she was about to take a bite of meat.
“Yes?”
“Think of a number. Just one. Keep it in your mind. I’ll guess it.”
“Oh? What’s this about~? Hmm...”
【Neutral Professor Dante: “Adele.”】
【Teaching Assistant Adele: “Yes?”】
【Neutral Professor Dante: “Think of a number in your mind. I’ll guess it.”】
【Teaching Assistant Adele: “Ooh~ What is this? Hmm...”】
【Teaching Assistant Adele: “......”】
【Teaching Assistant Adele: “Okay, got it. What’s your guess?”】
【Neutral Professor Dante: ‘Well, look at that.’】
【Neutral Professor Dante: ‘Now I can’t think of anything at all.’】
“One.”
“Wroong! It was seven”
Her 【Thoughts】 were no longer coming through.
The one governing the system is the System⧉, so it must have been the System⧉ that shut it down.
Paradoxically, that only nailed my suspicions in place.
The System⧉’s job is to ensure the player “enjoys the game.”
My guess is that it decided—if I could no longer read Adele’s thoughts, then that must be more “fun.”
“Your turn now, Professor. Think of a number too~”
“......”
Based on those three reasons above, I was certain now.
Adele was a spy—or at the very least, something akin to one.
And during those few days she went missing, I even found out what she did—through Ezekiel’s 【Script】.
She had tampered with a “national treasure.”
National Treasure of the Kingdom, Item #4 — “The Registry⧉”
A [Legendary III]-class artifact.
The Empire, and other nations alike, covet it.
Input specific criteria, and the Registry⧉ will precisely locate a person.
When the situation broke out, Ezekiel hurriedly borrowed it from the royal family.
Thanks to that, our assassins were able to carry out retaliatory strikes—targeting Kreutz infrastructure and key figures.
That was the role of the Registry⧉.
But Ezekiel noticed something strange.
【Dean of Magical Studies, Ezekiel: “Why are there 9 extra uses on the Registry⧉?”】
Ezekiel had used it 212 times.
But the artifact had recorded 221 uses.
There’s no way someone as brilliant as Ezekiel would miss that discrepancy.
So he questioned the Registry⧉ again:
【Dean of Magical Studies, Ezekiel: “User: Adele?”】
Adele, who had vanished—
Somehow, she had secretly accessed the Registry⧉.
She had used it to search for “someone.”
And then she returned to my side.
Pretending to be the ever-smiling assistant.
<⧉ Many are intrigued by the fact that you still face a great threat!>
Right now,
I’m having dinner with someone like that. Just the two of us.
“You thought of a number?”
“I did.”
“Hmm... What could it be. Seven!”
“Wrong.”
“Ehh? Then what was it?”
“Three thousand, two hundred thirty-nine.”
“What the hell! You said just one number, you scammer...!”
Adele laughed brightly and took a bite of meat.
From this point on, even if she lies, I won’t be able to tell. I can’t see the 【Script】 anymore. Now I’ll have to extract the truth from Adele using my own skills alone.
With that in mind, I casually asked:
“Adele.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know Go?”
Her eyes rounded.
“...Huh? That’s sudden.”
“Your necklace just reminded me.”
“Ah, you mean the Go World? Like I said, I just bought it because the design’s pretty. I’m not really into Go World stuff. Why do you ask, Professor?”
“It’s an interesting religion. Saint Motherism relies too much on the divine, I think. But the Go World emphasizes looking inward, right?”
“Because you have high self-esteem, Professor?”
“No. It’s more like—I actually need the Saint Mother’s god. I’m weak.”
“Whaaat? Really? Huh... Maybe that’s why Go World feels fresh these days? I heard it’s been gaining tons of followers across the Empire lately.”
“Doesn’t it clash with Saint Motherism?”
“Hm... I haven’t paid that much attention, so I’m not sure...”
At that moment, Adele spotted something on the menu.
“Oh! Professor, is it okay if I have a drink?”
Nothing from that conversation got me anywhere.
Maybe alcohol would loosen her up.
“Let’s have a drink. It’s the weekend.”
“Yay~ Our first drink together!”
A drinking session with the enemy.
Fortunately, since Dante had been an assassin in his former life, this didn’t feel uncomfortable.
This is what assassins do. Deceive, be deceived, and search for answers within that.
Just like how dogs run for fun—I was deeply enjoying this.
Adele... who are you?
What exactly is this “great threat” you carry?
Will I... need to kill you?
* * *
Two hours later, Adele was touching my cheek.
Nestled in my arms.
“Who does this with a friend?”
She whispered with a soft laugh.
“...I guess some people get like this when they drink.”