episode_0094

“But how do you know?”

Sepia took off the mask Loki had put on her and asked Loki, who was being tormented by spirits.

The torment wasn’t much; just sulking spirits pulling at Loki’s hair or clinging to his sides.

*It’s more comfortable than I thought.*

Sepia looked at the white mask in her hand.

Perhaps because of the smiling eyes and upturned mouth, it made the person wearing it look amusing.

She had always wondered if Loki found it uncomfortable to fight while wearing it constantly, but trying it on herself, it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

It was so comfortable that if she wore it for a long time, she would forget she even had it on.

“Ahahaha, that tickles! Please stop. Huh? Sepia-nim. What did you just say?”

“How do you know who killed my parents?”

“Hmm. It’s understandable that Sepia-nim would be curious. But you’re asking about it now?”

“…..That’s because I was too excited earlier……”

Sepia mumbled softly, her face reddening.

Upon hearing that he knew who killed her parents, she had been too excited and completely forgotten to ask.

“Just answer quickly! How did you know?”

It wasn’t surprising that Loki knew about the tragedy that occurred in her village.

Marquis Revieden had stated that he would either find the identity of the person who killed Sepia’s parents and the villagers, or bestow a significant reward upon the one who killed him.

Countless adventurers, detectives, and knights had investigated to gain money, fame, or the Marquis Revieden’s favor, but not a single person had found out.

As Sepia became famous for her extraordinary talent, her tragedy also became widely known.

Some looked at Sepia with sympathy upon hearing of her tragedy, while others used it as a weapon to hurt her.

Sepia’s tragedy had spread to the point where no one was unaware of it, yet no one had discovered the identity of the man who caused the tragedy until now.

“Sepia-nim, do you remember what I said earlier? I told you I avenged my siblings recently, didn’t I?”

Sepia didn’t know what that had to do with knowing who killed her parents, but she silently listened to Loki.

“I’m just like Sepia-nim.”

Just like her?

Sepia didn’t understand Loki’s words.

“What do you mean?”

“The one who killed my siblings was also a necromancer. He’s a different necromancer from Betzdo, who killed Sepia-nim’s parents, though.”

“……………………….”

Loki calmly told Sepia his past story.

The children he met in the alley. How they died at the hands of a necromancer, were controlled, and how he had personally killed them.

Sepia couldn’t say anything while listening to Loki’s story.

She never imagined that Loki, who always smiled, would have such a past.

Loki said that he obtained information about Betzdo during the process of killing that necromancer.

“Honestly, if I show you this, Sepia-nim will surely believe my words. Originally, I didn’t plan to show you, thinking about the shock Sepia-nim might receive……”

Loki recalled Betzdo’s face. He had never seen him directly, but he had seen his face many times in games.

He seriously pondered whether he should do this, but to give Sepia unwavering trust, he had to.

Recalling the face, Loki created Betzdo’s image in the air using an illusion.

“…………!”

Sepia stared at the man’s face that appeared in the air.

It was that man, the one who killed the villagers and her parents.

The man she had recalled every day to never forget that day, to kill him instantly if she ever met him, was right before her eyes.

Rumble rumble rumble!!!!!

Just as Sepia’s emotions intensified upon seeing Betzdo’s face, and the spirits were about to rampage again.

—A soft tap.

She felt the same cold sensation on her face as before.

Loki had put the white mask back on her.

“Sepia-nim, breathe slowly. That’s just a fake I made.”

“Haa….. haa……”

Sepia listened to Loki’s words and took slow, deep breaths.

Loki silently waited for Sepia’s breathing to calm.

“……….I’m okay now.”

Sepia herself didn’t know if she was saying this to Loki or to herself.

“You can believe me now, right?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you! But!”

“I know. It’s a very important matter to Sepia-nim, so it’s natural for Sepia-nim to be excited and curious.”

“……….Can I do it….”

Sepia buried her face in Loki’s chest and mumbled in a weak voice.

Her body was trembling.

Just moments ago, she thought she could surely take revenge if she followed Loki’s words.

But if her whole body trembled just from seeing a face, could she really take revenge?

Just then, while she was feeling anxious.

—Pat pat.

She felt someone gently patting her head with their palm.

And a serious voice, different from usual, entered her ears.

“As I said before, don’t worry. I’ll help you right by your side, Sepia-nim.”

“…………..Okay.”

—Pat pat.

The palm on her head felt a little awkward, but strangely, her heart felt at ease.

To the point where she wished this state would last a little longer.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat.

—Pat pat pat pat pat pat pat pat pat.

Snap!

“How long are you going to touch it?! That’s enough!”

She had wished for this to last a little longer, but she never imagined he would keep touching her for an hour.

Her head started to ache from how much he had patted it.

“Well, you see? Sepia-nim’s hair is so incredibly soft that my hand just goes for it on its own. Even now, even now! My right hand is moving on its own!”

Loki’s right hand trembled as it moved closer to Sepia’s head, while his left hand grabbed his right hand.

“Pfft!”

Watching that, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Right, there’s no need to be scared when a guy like this is helping me.

“If you like it that much, I’ll especially allow you to touch it.”

Sepia said, flipping her pink hair back with a swish.

“………….”

Contrary to her expectation that he would touch it immediately, Loki folded his arms and just stared.

“Now that you told me to touch it, I don’t want to anymore.”

—Whack!

“Go die!”

* * *

The next day.

Loki and Sepia were walking through the academy grounds after lunch to attend Professor Gedra’s class.

“Speaking of which, how is Rania-nim doing?”

Rania was Sepia’s younger sister, whom they had met when they went to the restaurant with Johanna. Unlike Sepia, she was not adopted; she was born to the Marquis and his First Wife.

“Haa………….”

Sepia let out a deep sigh at Loki’s question.

“Is something bothering you?”

“It’s not like she has any serious illness, but perhaps because she takes after my mother, Rania-nim is rather frail and catches colds easily. It seems she caught a cold again this time after secretly playing outside.”

“I should go visit her later. Do you have any other siblings besides Rania-nim?”

—A slight pause.

Sepia paused briefly at Loki’s words, then frowned.

“I do, but I don’t really want to talk about him. I don’t even consider that bastard family.”

Unlike when she spoke of Rania, there was no hint of affection on her face.

“If you’re feeling down, should I pat your head like yesterday?”

“….No need!”

—A slight pause.

As Loki and Sepia continued on their way to Professor Gedra’s class, someone appeared before them.

Sepia’s expression visibly crumpled when she saw the man at the very front.

The man had hair in a blue shade similar to Rania’s, but it was much duller compared to hers.

*Daron.*

Behind the man, more than ten people stood, holding weapons.

* * *

Currently, Marquis Revieden had two wives.

The person Sepia considered her mother was only the First Wife.

When the First Wife, inherently frail, was unable to have children, the Second Wife gave birth to a son and named him Daron.

The First Wife later had a child too, but like the First Wife, she was inherently frail.

Thus, Daron believed without a doubt that he would become the Marquis. Then, Sepia appeared.

Daron was not without talent in swordsmanship or combat, but Sepia’s talent was unprecedented, making Daron’s talent seem insignificant.

Daron, believing Sepia would usurp his position as head of the family, tormented Sepia in secret.

*Did your parents intentionally fake their suicides to bring you here? Or did you kill them yourself?*

*Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense that only you survived. Ah! Did you perhaps sell your body and beg to be saved?*

Daron spoke of Sepia’s tragedy without hesitation, attacking her.

Of course, Sepia cursed back every time, but she never told the Marquis or the First Wife about it.

If Sepia found happiness through Marquis Revieden, the First Wife, and Rania, then all the stress she received from the Marquisate came from Daron.

Seeing Daron, Sepia reflexively swallowed the curse that was about to come out.

Normally, she would have unleashed a torrent of curses, but Loki was behind her.

She didn’t want to show Loki fighting such a guy.

So, just as she was about to ignore him and pass by.

“Hello, I’m Daron Revieden, a second-year student. Nice to meet you.”

Daron extended his hand to Loki with a hypocritical smile.

*Don’t get close. Ignore him.*

Sepia couldn’t voice her thoughts.

She couldn’t make him ignore the Marquisate’s greeting just because of her personal feelings.

Long ago, shortly after Sepia was adopted into the Revieden Marquisate, when she became friends with another noble girl, Daron tormented that girl relentlessly without bothering Sepia herself.

Sepia found out about this later, but there was no concrete evidence.

As Sepia wished for this moment to pass quickly and closed her eyes.

Strangely, no sound was heard.

Sepia slightly opened her eyes and looked at Loki.

Loki stood with both hands in his pockets, staring blankly at Daron’s outstretched hand.

“Ah, are you asking me to grab ‘this’?”

—Sliding out.

Daron’s lips twitched at the word “this,” but he didn’t say anything when Loki took his hand out of his pocket.

Daron thought Loki would grab his hand once he took his hand out of his pocket, but Loki scratched his head with the hand he had taken out.

—Scratch scratch.

“But what should I do? I’m not particularly glad to meet you.”

“……….Ahahahaha, you’re as interesting as they say. May I at least know your name?”

Daron’s smile was distorted, unlike when he first spoke to Loki. He, too, realized that Loki was ignoring him.

But he hadn’t gotten angry at Loki yet because Daron wanted something from him.

It was the magical artifact Loki used when he fought Ropri and during the midterm exams.

If he could discover its manufacturing method and sell it, he could raise his standing within the family.

*A commoner like that can be easily deceived with money.*

Daron intended to just exchange brief introductions and then leave.

“I am Sepia-nim’s friend, Tomb Cruise.”

Everyone present stared at Loki with dumbfounded eyes. No one here didn’t know Loki’s name.

“……Weren’t you Loki?”

Daron asked Loki, his smile broken.

He never thought Loki would lie about his name.

What followed was even more unexpected.

“What, you know it, so why are you asking?”

As everyone stared at Loki, dumbfounded.

Loki continued calmly.

“Are you perhaps trying to pick a fight with me right now?”