My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's

"Why did you leave this magical tool to me?"

At Lord Crow's words, even I could feel the air tense with a sharpness.

As if sensing something like killing intent, I found my hand rising to prepare to activate a barrier with my staff.

Behind Lord Crow, Lord Tsuda likewise raised his shield a little.

Yoru, at our feet, wasn't exactly on guard, but perhaps unconsciously he was tensing his legs a bit.

"Now, now, shouldn't we be celebrating this reunion instead?"

Ignoring the atmosphere entirely, the former Hero chuckled.

I wasn't sure whether to admire his boldness as befitting the former Hero, or to shoot him a reproachful look for not reading the room.

Lady Aria sighed when she saw our reactions.

"My goodness, even in death Lord Ritter hasn't changed... Still can't read the room, as always..."

She glanced briefly at the former Hero, then at me, Yoru, and Tsuda.

"I'm sorry, but could you please leave my brother and Lord Ritter alone together? And besides that, we have a request for you—would you listen?"

We exchanged looks and nodded.

To be honest, I didn't want to stay in this oddly chilled atmosphere any longer.

Seeing that, Lady Aria relaxed with a relieved smile.

Her expression reminded me somehow of Crow's calm face when he doesn't have a frown between his brows.

"Thank you. ...We've been watching you all the time—more precisely, my brother. We have a rough grasp of the current situation. With that in mind, we'd like Yoru to go and fetch the current hero, and Tsuda to bring my brother's and my mother, Noah. We can remain in this world for about a day, but we don't know what will happen after that. If possible, please be quick."

Yoru and Tsuda nodded and dashed for the exit.

Lady Aria turned back to me, smiling cheerfully.

"Ria, would you talk with me while we wait? I only ever had my brother, so I've always longed for an older sister."

Her voice tinkled like a rolling bell; I couldn't say no to Aria's cheerful tone.

If she'd been watching us all along, she must also know something of how I feel about Lord Crow.

Resigned, I nodded, and Aria's smile deepened.

We left the awkward room—where sparks seemed to be flying between the former Hero and Lord Crow—and moved to the adjacent parlor-like room, sitting down on some chairs there.

The room was quite dusty, and though the chairs had been brushed off, they weren't exactly clean.

A room like that was perfectly suited for talking with the dead.

"Hehe, don't be so tense. We don't have the power to interfere with the living world. Let's talk until your mother arrives, shall we?"

She covered her mouth and giggled; her bearing was more refined, more polished than I remembered from when she was still royal.

I couldn't imagine Crow forcing that kind of behavior on her—surely it was Noah's upbringing.

Her features were such that she wouldn't be outshone even standing beside Crow; I almost thought perhaps she, not he, might be the one from the royal family.

"...What is it you want to talk about?"

The table in front of us was covered in a thick layer of dust rather than tea or sweets. It hardly looked like anything resembling a tea party.

"Oh, don't be so wary. I really just want to talk... with my future sister-in-law."

Ria froze, mouth hanging open for one beat, then two.

Even though she looked so foolish, what Aria had just said was what stunned me more than her expression.

"F-future sister...?"

I couldn't find the right words and replied as I was.

Sister...?

"But you're going to marry my brother, aren't you?"

"Geh!?"