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Arriving at the location with information about Lindy, just as she said, there were three demonic beings there. The disappointing part was that they were only mid-level demons, but the good news was that even those three were just in the middle tier.

Through some simple interrogation, I found out there was another hideout not far away with more demons. However, it was unexpected that the demon who was about to spill the secrets ended up dying before I could ascertain their exact level and number. If I had known this would happen, I should have left one more alive.

“Hmm… It seems like it’s going to get dangerous from here, so stay hidden nearby.”

I said this to Luna, who was still following me around, unlike Lindy, who had already gone back. It wouldn’t have been difficult to shake off Luna completely, but if I did that, she might get abandoned by the Assassin Guild. At the very least, I needed her to keep pretending to attempt her mission like now.

“Can’t I just follow you inside? With my skills, I should be able to hide reasonably well, right?”

Luna was playfully making small noises while hiding behind me.

Although Luna failed to assassinate me, she indeed had decent skills since she was chosen to assassinate a hero. That said, the problem was that I could see right through her.

“I’m saying this out of concern for you, so just listen quietly. Otherwise, there will be no dinner tonight.”

As I playfully tapped her head, Luna made a pouty face.

“Hmph…”

Luna stealthily hid her body without a word.

Despite being a handful, dealing with Luna wasn’t hard. Trained by my excellent cooking skills, Luna would generally relent whenever food was brought up.

I was ready, and if I wanted to return before sunset as I told Luna, I needed to hurry.

Just as Luna had vanished, I too concealed myself in the darkness and headed toward the hideout where the demons were lurking.

*

“Phew….”

Under the dark night illuminated only by moonlight, I took a moment to catch my breath.

I had come in with some level of preparation, but the resistance from the demons was fiercer than I had expected. There was even a high-level demon among them, and the vigilance was quite terrifying.

It was a life-or-death tightrope act, but now I was merely accustomed to it. In fact, considering what I’d been through, this was manageable.

It had been tougher during that whole month when I had to survive on jerky alone while continuously assassinating demons without rest, and far more dangerous when I was caught in the middle of a demon-controlled village.

Of course, I wasn’t afraid of dying. I just regretted not being able to take down even one more demon.

Just as I was resting, reminiscing about the past, I suddenly felt something sharp poke my back.

How exhausted was I that I hadn’t noticed something creeping up so close? Startled by how easily I had exposed my back, I sprang up.

I grabbed the Holy Sword I’d set down next to me and pointed it toward the unidentified presence.

Even in the dark woods that lacked any light, I could still see well enough to recognize a face illuminated by the moonlight without the shadows of the trees.

“Luna….”

“Didn’t you say not to worry…? What is this, senpai…?”

It seemed the thing that had poked me was Luna’s dagger. Having followed along with me, she had managed to mimic my movements well enough and had now reached a level where I couldn’t ignore her stealth skills. Even though I was utterly exhausted, she could still sneak up on me like that.

Still, it was rare for her to come across a good opportunity to carry out her assassination request, yet she gave up so easily.

I had no idea what made her decide to abandon killing me. Maybe she had developed a certain fondness for me, or perhaps she thought there was still much for her to learn from me and decided to postpone it.

“If that’s the case, why not just bring me along? You’re being stubborn for no reason….”

Luna puffed out her lips and grumbled, showing her displeasure. But no matter how much her skills had improved, to me, she was still just a kid. In terms of skill and actions.

It was better for me to risk swinging my sword one more time rather than let Luna face the danger of a blind attack.

“Enough. As a junior, you should watch quietly from behind, keeping an eye on your senpai.”

To soothe the sulking Luna, I reached out and ruffled her hair a bit roughly.

“Ugh! You’re messing up my hair!”

Luna screamed, but despite her words, she quietly accepted my touch until my hand left her head.

“And by the way, you completely caught me from behind earlier, you know? I’ll be counting that as a debt! I’ll stab you twice tomorrow!”

“Okay, okay. Tomorrow, you can come at me three times with interest, but for now, let’s head back. It’s getting late.”

“Because of you, I’ve been starving for dinner! You better take responsibility for this!”

As I turned around and stepped out of the woods, Luna quickly followed by my side, arms crossed, while repeatedly smoothing down her messy hair with her hands.

“Hmm… Then how about today, I’ll treat you to something special? You’ve never had my meat pie, right?”

“Meat… pie?”

“Oh, so you’ve never even had a meat pie before. Look forward to it. I’ll make it delicious for you.”

It seemed Luna hadn’t enjoyed good food growing up, as she didn’t know much about it. Being able to eat my tasty cooking made it even more tempting.

It was time for me to show off my skills after a long while. I knew my meat pie was a bit difficult to eat, but there’s a saying, after hardship comes joy. The harder it is to consume, the more special the taste.

By the way, these demons never seemed to end. Even high-level ones felt excessive, just thinking back over the past few years. I must have killed over ten of them in the last three years alone. Among them, the worst fights were certainly with those of the same type as me.

Even though we both knew we were hiding from each other, neither of us knew where the other was hidden, and even if we wanted assistance from someone else, the instant one of us exhaled loudly, we’d give ourselves away…

As a result, I ended up going over a week without food, unable to sleep, which made that the most memorable fight for all the wrong reasons. Of course, becoming a Sword Master had mostly solved the physical issues stemming from the differences between humans and demons, yet the struggle was mutual for both parties.

Fortunately, a passing merchant inadvertently dropped a magical potion on the hidden demon, causing an explosion, thanks to which I was able to claim its life after ten days. Without that merchant, I’d likely have had to wait over a month.

*

Since the distance back to the nearby village was unclear, I decided to sleep on the road instead. At this late hour, trying to find a proper inn in the village would be a hassle; it’d be better to rise early and head to a city where I could get in touch with Lindy and gather information.

“Hehe… Senpai…”

I had made a considerable portion, but once again, I ended up giving all my share to the greedy Luna, leaving me nibbling on jerky. A satisfied Luna, having enjoyed my meat pie, was already drifting halfway into dreamland.

That Luna. Lying on my thigh and making pleasant sounds like a purring cat, the way she acted felt more like a cat the more I looked at her. She seemed to pester Lindy often, while she loved to cuddle up to me, only to complain together with Lindy at times, too.

Her appearance also seemed to fit her cat-like demeanor strangely well.

By the way, speaking of cats… it reminded me of my academy days after a long time.

There was a stray cat with glossy black fur that didn’t look a bit like a homeless street cat. Initially, it showed no interest in me, but after we became friends, it would often come to my room to sleep. Of course, it was impossible during the second semester since I shared a room with friends.

Even as it pretended to dislike being petted, it secretly enjoyed getting patted on the back.

I wonder if that cat is doing well. On that day three years ago, when the demons invaded, I had to leave in a hurry, and I didn’t get to check if the cat was safe. At least after leaving, I hurriedly confirmed that the magical connection I had established with the cat had not vanished, knowing it was okay.

If I could determine the cat’s exact location through our linked contract magic, I might consider going back to find it, but since it was merely a temporary contract, it would be quite challenging to pinpoint the location. I could only guess the cat’s location vaguely.

Still, there were times like this when even with a temporary contract, the feeling of being connected through magic brought me solace. Look, I’m thinking of the cat connected through contract magic right now, so its figure is clear before my eyes. Its still glossy black fur, sleepy yet bright green eyes, and the tiny claws it hid in its little paws…

I could nearly hear its voice right next to me.

Huh? Clear before my eyes? Claws…?

“Meow!”

Huh…?