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Chapter 240: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (33)

Despite my heightened skills, I struggled to detect the subtle intrusion until her shadow loomed before me.

It was an unavoidable situation.

After all, she was an expert who dedicated her life solely to this craft.

She was an impressive beauty, with cascading brown locks and her piercing green eyes accentuated by a delicate hairpin gracing her bangs.

Her complexion remained as pale as ever, a characteristic trait whenever she appeared before me, and today was no exception.

The spy from Imperial Intelligence, known to me as Senior Neris, cautiously began to speak.

"My apologies for the delay in my arrival. Certain details needed confirmation during the process of collecting relevant information."

"Have you taken care of the injuries?"

Senior Neris\'s expression turned peculiar at the unexpected question.

She looked at me with a shocked expression as I sat at the table, poring over the profiles of the missing individuals.

Among them were many familiar names, making it even more exhausting and distressing for me.

I massaged my temples, trying to suppress the fatigue with sheer willpower.

"I’m talking about your injuries. Have they all healed?"

"Ah, um, well..."

Senior Neris lowered her gaze, her expression tinged with confusion, her body tense with apprehension.

I clicked my tongue.

It seemed that there was a ridiculous misunderstanding.

Why had I burdened this innocent woman with such negative thoughts?

Thinking of all this as an assignment assigned by my future self made my head spin. What could the future \'me\' have been thinking to subject this innocent woman to such torment?

Well, she wasn\'t entirely innocent.

Senior Neris had a history of tormenting my loved ones before, though she had paid a somewhat excessive price for that misstep.

As a result, whenever her gaze met mine, she seemed to harbor a myriad of negative thoughts.

Today was no exception.

My ominous premonition proved to be accurate, as anticipated.

"I-I\'m sorry! I wasn’t late because I was taking care of my injuries… I-It was really because I had to gather information..."

"I\'m not blaming you."

I quickly interjected with a sigh.

Otherwise, Senior Neris might have slammed her head on the ground again.

Unfortunately, I couldn\'t prevent it this time either, and a thud reverberated, causing my heart to sink along with the sound.

I was worried that someone might be alerted by the noise and come to investigate my bedroom.

It wouldn\'t reflect well if anyone stumbled upon a beautiful woman and me secretly alone together in the dead of night.

Ever since the prior incident in the bedroom, Seria appeared particularly uneasy.

Thankfully, the other witnesses were the Saintess who was good at speaking, and the outspoken Senior Elsie.

If Seria, feeling the tension, hadn\'t restrained herself, who knows what disaster might have ensued, given her natural shyness and lack of social skills.

Fortunately, Seria managed to keep herself composed.

It served as evidence of her growing social skills.

She was still like a ticking time bomb, but her progress was undeniable.

I silently applauded Seria\'s development as I resumed speaking.

"It was merely a concern for your well-being. It would be inconvenient if Senior Neris were unwell."

Upon hearing my words, Senior Neris leveled an intense, scrutinizing gaze at me—one typically reserved for a lunatic.

Well, Senior Neris wasn\'t close enough to me to be able to distinguish between my current self and the future \'me.\'

Therefore, to her it might appear as though the individual who inflicted harm upon her and the present me expressing concern were one and the same.

If she ended up thinking of me as someone with a split personality, there was little I could do to dissuade her.

Failing to convince Senior Neris, I sighed once again.

"...Forget it. It\'s a relief that you seem fine. But more importantly, what\'s your report?"

"Ah, yes... yes!"

Only then did Senior Neris, having regained her composure, cautiously gauge my reaction.

She appeared fearful, as if expecting punishment for any further missteps.

However, after a moment of tense silence and noticing no reproachful expression from me, she mustered some courage and continued hesitantly.

"I-I received information about a strange rumor circulating in this area... It\'s a rumor that has persisted for over a decade, but it has recently resurfaced."

A rumor reemerging after lying dormant for more than ten years.

It could potentially be linked to the recent string of disappearances in the Percus Territory. It was a matter that needed consultation with the Imperial Administrator, Arthur, for detailed information.

As a hum escaped my lips, Senior Neris hastened to add, evidently desperate not to disrupt my mood.

"The pattern of how the rumor spreads is also similar to before. It begins with a string of disappearances, followed by the emergence of strange tales. Some claim there\'s an individual capable of resurrecting the dead, while others say that they\'ve encountered someone identical to themselves in the forest..."

"...Could it possibly be a doppelganger?"

"It\'s unlikely. Demonic monsters like doppelgangers aren\'t typically so easy to come across. Moreover, there haven\'t been any recent lunar eclipses observed in this region."

\'Doppelgangers\' were Demonic Monsters capable of mimicking the appearance and behavior of others.

Unlike Demonic Beasts, Demonic Monsters were inherently monstrous beings.

They predominantly inhabited the Demon Realm under the dominion of the Evil God Omeros, occasionally breaching the Mortal Realm during lunar eclipses.

However, accidental crossings by Demonic Monsters like doppelgangers were exceedingly rare.

It seemed more plausible to consider the notion of deliberate summoning if such entities were involved.

Yet, since the War of Gods and Demons, the boundary between the Mortal Realm and the Demon Realm had remained stable. Even during the war, historical records indicate that Delpherim had to make significant sacrifices for the final battle.

If someone intentionally summoned creatures from the Demon Realm, there would have been a sign due to the cataclysmic nature of the collision between worlds.

As Senior Neris suggested, it seemed more reasonable to exclude the possibility of doppelgangers.

"...We should investigate this further."

"Yes, that\'s what I thought you\'d say. So, I\'ve compiled several potential sources regarding the rumor."

With that, Senior Neris handed over several documents.

Each document pinpointed locations where evidence related to the rumor had been gathered. It was evident she had conducted a thorough investigation, as the specified area was not extensive.

I scanned the documents for a while before my gaze paused at one particular detail.

Something peculiar had caught my attention.

"This place isn\'t within the Percus Territory."

"Y-Yes... b-but I thought it would be good to investigate that area as well..."

With these words, Senior Neris anxiously waited for my reaction.

A faint tremor shook her shoulders, indicating her worry over any potential mistake.

Of course, I had no intention of blaming Senior Neris because being meticulous in everything was a commendable attitude.

I had a different reason for singling out this particular location.

"The Yurdina family’s military post..."

I recalled that Seria was scheduled to visit the military post tomorrow.

Given these circumstances, it wouldn\'t have been a bad idea to get Seria\'s help.

It was likely that information accumulated by an insider would prove more valuable than that from an outsider. In that regard, having Seria accompany me would be advantageous.

As I took a moment to gather my thoughts, Senior Neris appeared even more anxious.

Repeatedly pursing her lips, as though they were drying out, betrayed her nervousness.

It took me some time to notice Senior Neris in such a state.

It was a moment of realization.

As a senior, Neris must have been anxious since she was unable to voice her thoughts. In her mind, I was someone who would swing my axe without any good reason.

Clearing my throat to capture her attention, I offered a brief word of praise.

"...Well done."

Yet, even this simple compliment caught Senior Neris off guard.

She stared at me wide-eyed.

"...Pardon?"

"You did well. It was especially good that you thoroughly collected all the relevant information, even if it was a little late."

Normally, a compliment required mentioning specific positive aspects to make it feel sincere.

After a brief hesitation, Senior Neris, who had been repeatedly opening and closing her lips, finally bowed deeply.

I could detect faint traces of emotion from her.

Was such an intense reaction necessary for a mere compliment?

The question briefly crossed my mind, but I saw no need to dampen the situation if Senior Neris was fine with it. Besides, the tense atmosphere dissipated quickly anyways.

Suddenly, Senior Neris\'s complexion paled.

I realized it a bit late, but she had been trembling as she repeatedly bowed her head.

"...I-I absolutely didn\'t have any doubts or questions... Absolutely! I-I didn\'t question anything, I swear... _Sob. _F-Forgive..."

"...That\'s enough. You should stop."

There was no end to my sighs.

It seemed like repairing the relationship with Senior Neris would take longer.

****

The Percus Manor lay quiet in the early dawn.

Only a handful of servants bustled about, preparing for the day ahead.

I appreciated the chilly morning air. It was an indulgence reserved for the diligent few.

Today, I intended to visit the location where the Yurdina family\'s soldiers were stationed along with Seria.

Since the plan had been hastily arranged the night before, consulting with Seria was necessary.

So, I found myself wandering the manor\'s halls early in the morning.

Anyway, by now, Seria would probably be swinging her sword somewhere. If our paths crossed, it would be nice to train together after a long time. With that thought in mind, I was walking with ease.

However, I unexpectedly encountered someone along the way.

"...Ah, stop it! I said I already got it, for real!"

"Elsie!"

At the sound of a raised voice, the door to the reception room creaked open, and a young woman dashed past me. Trailing closely behind her was a middle-aged man—both familiar faces.

It was Elsie and Sir Reynold.

Despite Sir Reynold\'s futile attempt to reach out, he soon emitted an annoyed sigh, his hand resting on his cheek.

I could only watch the scene with a puzzled expression.

Such commotion at this early hour.

However, of course, it was clear who I should console.

Quietly, I began to follow the path Senior Elsie had taken, because, to be frank, consoling middle-aged men wasn\'t exactly my /genesisforsaken