Chapter 132: Premonitions and Plots

I left the cafe, parted ways with my friends, and strolled through the festival streets with Mariel.

Considering Mariel’s usual frugal self, I had resolved to pay for everything today, but surprisingly, Mariel didn’t hesitate to spend money today.

Of course, she didn’t pay the full price, using various methods to haggle down the cost somehow.

“Thank you for watching! After a one-hour break, we will resume the performance with a different cast!”

Leaving behind the loud voice of the theater staff member, who seemed to be promoting even to the surrounding streets after the audience had left, Mariel and I exited the theater where the play had ended.

Over in one corner, quite a crowd had gathered, hoping to get autographs from the actors, but neither Mariel nor I were particularly interested in the actors themselves, so we headed straight back to the street to find the next shop to browse.

“Hehe, how was it? Was it fun?”

“Ah, yes… It was enjoyable.”

The play was an adaptation of the first Hero’s life story, using familiar material to effectively enhance the audience’s immersion.

Even I, who had never seen a play before in my life, was able to enjoy it quite a bit.

“Hey, your face says you didn’t find it fun?”

Perhaps I had unknowingly let my expression show, as Mariel pointed it out.

But let me say it again, I did find the play quite decent.

“No, that’s not quite the face, is it? It looks worse than just a bored expression?”

Mariel tilted her head, examining my face closely, right in front of mine.

“Hmm… You don’t look tired… Is there something bothering you, perhaps?”

“Hey, there’s nothing like that. It’s really nothing.”

Seeing Mariel worry about me, I quickly hid my expression and forced a smile again, but having already seen my troubled look, Mariel wasn’t fooled by my smile.

“It clearly doesn’t seem like nothing… Come on, tell me.”

Mariel persistently pried.

However, when I remained silent without answering, instead of giving up, she grabbed my hand and started heading somewhere.

“This won’t do. Like last time, I’ll give you a consultation, so come here!”

The place she led me to by the hand was a corner seat in a quiet cafe, located in a secluded spot rarely visited by people.

It was even separated by a simple partition, making it seem suitable for avoiding prying eyes.

Without even asking what I wanted to drink, Mariel ordered two coffees appropriately and sat me down, getting straight to the point.

“Alright. No one should be able to hear us here, so feel free to unburden your worries to this Saintess!”

Mariel looked convinced that I had something troubling me, not just guessing or suspecting.

Faced with her confident demeanor, it was hard to deny it any longer, so I carefully brought up the thoughts that had been bothering me since earlier.

“Well… It’s really nothing much. Just déjà vu? Should I call it that? It feels like something similar has happened before, or maybe I saw it in a dream… That kind of thing has been happening often lately.”

“Really? Doesn’t that happen sometimes? Aren’t you being too sensitive, Hero?”

Mariel spoke nonchalantly, as if wondering what the problem was.

Normally, I would have dismissed it just like Mariel, thinking it was nothing significant.

However, the reason I couldn’t ignore this sense of familiarity and kept thinking about it was none other than the play I had just watched.

It was definitely a play I was seeing for the first time.

Moreover, since it was specifically adapted by the theater company, there was no way I could have known the content.

But throughout the play, I couldn’t help but feel bewildered, as if I could see one step ahead.

‘Here, it’s the turn for the actor playing the Hero to deliver his lines.’

‘And next, one of the Four Heavenly Kings will suddenly appear.’

‘The Hero’s party will struggle but eventually defeat him.’

‘And so on…’

Not only the major plot points but also the minute details – I was grasping them several beats faster than the play progressed.

Even the twists that none of the audience anticipated, I predicted them with near-prophetic accuracy, making it too unsettling to dismiss merely as déjà vu.

‘Am I having prophetic dreams or something?’

“Um… Saintess? You know more about the Goddess or the Hero than others, right?”

“I suppose so? Being the Goddess’s only spokesperson, she occasionally speaks to me in various forms.”

“Then… Do you happen to know anything about the Hero’s powers? Like maybe a precognitive ability…”

If I weren’t the Hero, and if the person listening weren’t the Saintess Mariel, it would be an absurd story that would likely be met with loud laughter.

However, Mariel listened with a completely serious face, devoid of any hint of laughter, and pondered along with me.

“Hmm? Well… Come to think of it, I heard that among some ethnic minorities living somewhere on the continent, they predict the future through divination… It wouldn’t be something like that, would it?”

“There’s no way I’d know how to practice divination. Besides, isn’t that sort of thing considered superstition anyway?”

“Sorry, Hero. No matter how much I think about it, I really don’t know. As I mentioned last time, even the Goddess doesn’t know the future. One of her teachings is to learn from the past and move forward.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it too much. It’s not particularly inconvenient or problematic, just déjà vu at most.”

“If you say so, Hero… But still, if anything feels strange, if you feel you need help, you have to tell me right away, okay? Your body isn’t just your own.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Unlike at the beginning, now I was the one with a composed face, while Mariel wore a look full of concern.

I wondered if I had needlessly worried her by bringing it up, but I didn’t feel sorry towards Mariel.

That would be rather disrespectful to her.

Instead, let’s express gratitude, not apology.

“Still, thanks to talking about it like this, I feel more at ease. Thank you, Saintess.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing! This is part of the Saintess’s job! Ah, you don’t have to pay the consultation fee I mentioned last time! I was the one who grabbed you first today. Festival period service, service!”

Indeed, Mariel’s face, which had been etched with deep worry, broke into a smile again at my words of thanks.

Her bringing up the consultation fee even then made me think, ‘That’s truly like the Saintess.’

…No, wait a minute?

Consultation fee and Saintess?

Doesn’t that sound a bit strange?

“Well, well. Aren’t you quite relaxed? Going to watch plays with the assassination target.”

Back in my dormitory room after wandering the festival streets with friends.

A familiar yet disgusting voice spoke to me from the darkness.

“…I don’t think that’s any of your concern?”

In the dark room with the lights off, Number 2 was leaning against the sofa, greeting me as I stood at the door.

“Looks like your skills have improved somewhat? Enough to bypass the dormitory security.”

This was an academy dormitory where children of high nobility resided, so its security was top-notch.

Before I accepted this assassination request and came to the academy, Number 2’s skills weren’t this advanced; it seems a lot of time has indeed passed.

“Well, our dear Number 3 has been away on a mission for so long, it’s understandable you wouldn’t know.”

Seeing Number 2 respond to my snide remark with one of his own was utterly detestable.

“Today is already over, and now only two days remain on the deadline. Surely our Number 3 wouldn’t betray us… Are you perhaps planning some grand assassination scheme? Truly befitting the Master’s favored assassin!”

“F*ck. Aren’t you tired of coming here every day to babble? That damn Master, Master, Master! Can’t you just shut up and crawl into some corner?”

It was a word I used to utter frequently in the past, but now the curse felt incredibly awkward as I spat it out, speaking loudly and argumentatively towards Number 2.

However, Number 2 merely shrugged his shoulders, showing no particular reaction.

“Indeed, with the master-servant imprint, betrayal is impossible even if you wanted to. Heheh…”

Number 2 started laughing, quietly at first, then increasingly louder.

“That’s right. You’re nothing more than the Guild Master’s sword, merely capable of thought. Ah! The Ego Sword from the stories was right here all along!”

As I stared at Number 2 with a hardened face at his unfunny joke, he finally stopped laughing and continued speaking.

“Well, if you ever need any help, just let me know anytime. Our Number 3 seems to be struggling, so I should help out.”

I considered grabbing the empty teacup rolling nearby and throwing it at Number 2, but realized it would only cause unnecessary commotion outside without improving anything, so I slowly put it back down.

Number 2, having finished saying his piece, stood up, patted my shoulder condescendingly as he passed, opened the door, and left just like that.

Since this was a female dormitory, seeing the unfamiliar Number 2 would cause an uproar, but perhaps his stealth skills had reached a master level, as everything remained quiet without incident.

Long after Number 2 left, I remained in the room without turning on the lights, simply lost in thought, until it was deep into the dawn.

Although not elaborate, the plan was already set.

All that remained was to see how Number 2 would react.

For now, neither the Master nor the master-servant imprint scroll was nearby, so there shouldn’t be any hitches in proceeding with the plan, but Number 2’s behavior, visiting daily just to taunt me, remained unpredictable.

But I’m not overly concerned.

At the very least, no matter how much Number 2’s skills have improved, they are still inferior to mine.

Sabotage the assassination plan, kill Number 2, and protect Celian.

Setting aside the finer details, I just need to keep these three things in mind.

Until my eyes closed and sleep finally came, I repeatedly vowed to myself, again and again.