Published: March 21, 2026
"It seems the reason you are who you are now is because that guy taught you a lot. On top of that, he even helped you escape. Putting others before himself even though his own life was targeted—what a hypocrite... as expected of him."
Crow snorted at that.
Lately he'd been unusually soft, so his return to barbed remarks after a while was oddly moving.
"By the way, Akira, about that assassination squad—did you talk to them?"
I thought for a moment and shook my head.
"No. Or rather, I couldn't tell which ones were from that assassination squad. The soldiers who surrounded me when I left the castle definitely looked unfamiliar, but maybe I just hadn't seen them before."
It would have been easier if the unit called "night raven" wore clothing that made them recognizable at a glance, but unfortunately there were no such people.
Assassins' trade is to blend in without standing out, so if they were easily spotted the reputation of the royal household would be ruined.
"Actually, while I was looking into Gram I found something interesting."
Crow, who had been brooding, said that and lifted his face.
I tilted my head and looked at him.
Unusually, his mouth was curved into an arc.
"The drug Gram uses to enhance humans—let's just call it the 'enhancement drug.' I learned two things about that 'enhancement drug': its properties and its export route."
How was that related to the assassination squad?
"First, the 'enhancement drug' raises a human's combat power regardless of whether they're a combat profession or not, but in exchange they lose emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, becoming combat dolls that faithfully follow orders. Whether a single dose causes that or continuous dosing is necessary, we don't know yet."
Seeing Amelia and me nod, Crow continued.
"So far Gram's 'enhanced' mercenaries are only Beastmen, but we found the 'enhancement drug' does affect Humans as well. From what we dug up, it was exported once to the Kingdom of Reytis about ten years ago. The recipient seemed at first glance to be just a pharmacist, but that person is now in the castle as King Reytis's aide."
In other words, the recipient of the drug was effectively the king.
"Saran was strong enough that even the demon king respected him. There's no way he would lose to an ordinary Human. Moreover, a light magic user's specialties are barriers and purification. A normal assassination would have a one-in-ten-thousand chance at best... if anything could do it, it would have to be people strengthened by the drug."
I bit my lip.
"So you're saying the assassination unit 'night raven' are, like Gram's mercenaries, combat dolls made by the 'enhancement drug'? ...If that's the case, then the ones who killed Saran Misurei would be King Reytis, who had those soulless dolls made, and Gram?"
Amelia's casual mutter made me widen my eyes.
I glanced at Crow; his mouth remained in that curved expression as he watched my face.
"You've been gathering information recently for this, haven't you?"
I glared at Crow, and he shrugged.
"I was collecting info on you, but it's true I was surprised to learn a short while ago that you knew Saran. It's interesting how neatly the story ties together."
What's so interesting about it.
I scowled.
Amelia seemed unable to read the conversation and kept shifting her gaze between me and Crow.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice the light of vengeance burning in your eyes? Sorry, I don't have time. I can't afford to be picky."
Her eyes changed instantly from when we were talking about Commander Saran; now they held a cold cruelty.
"You've come this far. I intend to see you fall."
Amelia, sensing something, looked at my face in alarm.
"Akira, could it be that Crow's condition for guiding us through Demon Clan territory is..."
I didn't answer and instead glared at Crow.
Crow laughed and answered Amelia's question for me.
"Yeah. My condition was to assassinate Gram. Since I can't fight anymore, I want you to avenge my sister. If Gram is the one who killed your master Saran, that makes things simpler, doesn't it? Besides, it was Gram who brought Demons into the Brute Labyrinth where that princess was taken, right?"