"Damn it, this thing barely fits through here." "Careful with the proboscis, you nearly took my eye out." "Shh, they'll hear us." "Liora is going to hear it from me," Larissa smiled maliciously. "What 'thing' do you think they're bringing?" As if answering her prediction, a long proboscis with a metallic gleam emerged first through the crack, followed by the head of a Deep Assassin. Everyone began to take defensive positions. The silence that followed was absolute. Suddenly, a flash of blue light appeared beside Taro, and Liora materialized as if she had been there all along. Her clothes were covered in dust and there were dark stains on her sleeves, but she maintained her composure with a noble's dignity. "Lady Liora!" The guards exclaimed in unison. "Hello," she greeted casually, as if appearing out of nowhere was perfectly normal. She looked toward the crack and then at the girls surrounding Taro, shrugging in a gesture that clearly said "oh well…" Ren emerged with difficulty, and it wasn't until he was out that everyone could see it was just a Deep Assassin's head, without the body. Ren, still clutching his macabre trophy, looked around and finally registered the scene: Taro trapped in the middle of a group of girls with expressions ranging from disbelief to fury, Liora standing casually to one side as if nothing had happened, and Min, the only one who seemed to be genuinely enjoying the moment. "Ah," Ren swallowed, his mushrooms pulsing nervously. "Hello." "'Hello'?" Maria was the first to recover her voice. "Is that all you have to say? 'HELLO'?!" "Surprise?" Ren tried, slightly raising the Assassin's head as if it were a gift. "Is that...?" Mira paled upon recognizing the creature. "It's a Deep Assassin! Those things are Bronze rank!" "A Deep Assassin!" the guards exclaimed in unison. "You were facing Bronze monsters?" Larissa stepped forward, her smile too sweet to be reassuring. "Lady Liora!" Maria seemed about to faint. "You faced a Deep Assassin!" "Technically," Liora clarified, "Ren faced the Assassin. I just provided the lighting." "That doesn't make it better!" Maria waved her arms. "Look," Ren tried to appease the mood, carefully placing the Assassin's head on the ground, "we weren't planning to encounter any beasts. I just needed to go to a specific place to process some crystals for my hydra and..." "And you decided to take Lady Liora with you without telling us?" Maria interrupted. "Do you know how dangerous that was?" "I wanted to go," Liora clarified. "And it was fascinating." "That's not the point," Mako added. "We're supposed to protect you. How can we do that if you disappear without warning?" "And you," Larissa addressed Ren directly, her smile never faltering though her eyes gleamed dangerously, "didn't think I might also be interested in this little adventure?" Everyone turned to look at Larissa incredulously. "I... umm..." Ren looked desperately at Taro for help, but his friend just shook his head, clearly communicating "you're on your own with this one." Min gave Taro a thumbs-up while Han turned away, finding one of Taro's walls extremely fascinating. "It wasn't personal," Ren finally responded. "I didn't want to bring anyone but Liora had already noticed what I was planning to do..." "Oh, so it wasn't personal," Larissa crossed her arms. "But you still could bring her... Wouldn't it have been fair to ask everyone if we were interested in the adventure?" Luna, who had remained silent as always, finally spoke: "I-it's not like others would have wanted to go," she said, avoiding looking directly at Ren. "You shouldn't generalize, Larissa. It's not like I was especially interested in knowing what they were doing." "Of course not," Larissa smiled, looking meaningfully at her cousin, whose cheeks had turned slightly pink. "But you didn't miss much, it was a short trip and the battle was quick too," Ren pointed to the Assassin's head. "Actually I thought bringing someone would be difficult but... I'd say it went pretty well." "'Pretty well'?" Maria seemed about to have an aneurysm. "Facing a Bronze-rank monster as Iron students isn't 'pretty well'! It's a miracle you're alive!" "Well, technically I am Bronze," Ren murmured. "What did you say?" Larissa leaned toward him. "Nothing, nothing," Ren stepped back. Min, who had finally approached to join the spectacle, examined the Assassin's head with genuine interest. "I have to admit," he commented, "it's quite impressive. How did you defeat it?" "That's not important right now," Maria interrupted. "What matters is that they took an unnecessary risk and..." "Actually, I'm quite interested in knowing how they defeated it," Larissa smiled. "How did they defeat it?" Maria asked, her attitude doing a complete 180 at her lady's interests. Larissa rolled her eyes and continued. "After all, if we're going to organize future expeditions, we need to know how capable our guides are." "Future expeditions?" Maria and Mako exclaimed in horror. "Of course," Larissa nodded with feigned innocence. "After all, it's evident there's much to learn in the depths. And since Ren and Liora have proven to be... competent, it would be a shame not to take advantage of their experience." Ren's expression fluctuated between horror and resignation as he understood the implications. There was no escape; somehow, he had gone from being in trouble to becoming the master guide for more expeditions with the noble girls. "I could make an exception and accompany you if you wish," Luna added. Read exclusive content at Freewebnovel "I..." Ren began, desperately searching for a way out. "I think it's an excellent idea," Liora interrupted, a small smile forming on her lips. "I'm sure there's much more Ren can teach us down there." "So he taught you things," Larissa smiled. The girls began to close the circle around Ren and Liora, their expressions promising a thorough interrogation. "Any last wishes?" Taro whispered to his friend. "Yes," Ren responded as the nobles approached. "Next time, bring Min as lookout. At least he knows how to keep something secret." "Hey!" Taro protested. "It's not my fault girls are so intimidating!" ♢♢♢♢ "It's strange," Klein murmured while reviewing the papers on his desk, the afternoon light casting long shadows across the room. "I think it's been a few days..." Astor Blackwood looked up from the advanced evolution book he was studying, his eyes sharpening with interest. "What is?" "Harold," Klein responded, frowning as he shuffled through his notes. "He's disappeared. I haven't seen him in classes, he doesn't come to the dormitory, and I have no idea where he is."