I Became a Crazy Swordsmanship Instructor in the Game - Chapter 23:

Steam gracefully rose from her freshly bathed body, shrouding Lisriel Joseph like a veil of mystery.

“Heehee, heehee~”

She sang cheerfully, using her towel to dry off her damp skin.

These days, she was leading an incredibly busy life, leaving no time for herself to catch her breath.

The future that awaited her after her disappointing result in the succession battle was supposed to be harsh and unforgiving.

In the realm of politics, one’s fate could be as uncertain as a feather in the wind, and she might even end up as a victim of assassination, completely unaware. On the other hand, luck might favor her, and she could be sold off as an enticing commodity in some extravagant brothel.

But all that fear had dissipated now.

She held the most potent trump card in her hands.

The mere thought of it brought a spontaneous smile to her face.

“Sister, brother, you don’t possess a Golden Seal. So, what’s your plan then?”

As she carefully patted herself dry, she assessed the contours of her body with her fingertips—a perfect balance of not too dry and not too plump, an alluring figure that could captivate any discerning eye.

To attain this flawless form, she had put considerable effort.

“Even though the person who should be enthralled by it appears utterly indifferent.”

Philip Oswald.

The bearer of the Golden Seal and the esteemed martial arts instructor at Privia Academy.

If she could successfully enchant him, Lisriel could undoubtedly ascend to a position of power.

Yet, for reasons unknown to her, Philip seemed impervious to any romantic advances she might make.

Of course, even if they didn’t have that kind of relationship, it didn’t matter, but it would have been better if they had become a little closer, since they were at it.

The regretful one was always Lisriel, and if Philip let go of her hand and entrusted the Golden Seal to another Joseph, that was it.

Even for the sake of holding on to him a little more firmly or for personal feelings, the progress of their relationship was not a choice but a necessity.

“… How did he manage to do this?”

“Yes?”

The maid, who had come to deliver clothes just in time, asked. Lisriel blushed and waved her hand.

“No, it’s not something I said to you.”

“Really?”

Lisriel silently put on the red nightgown brought by the maid.

“Uh?”

And then, she suddenly noticed that something strange was stuck to her clothes. A thin piece of paper was wedged between the tightly stitched sleeves.

‘What’s this?’

Curious, Lisriel fiddled with the sleeves and soon took out the paper that was stuck between them and brought it close to her face.

The paper, the size of her palm, had been folded several times.

Feeling like it was some sort of secretive letter, she unfolded it.

“… What is this? Delin, did you do this?”

As Lisriel looked at the maid and asked, her eyes widened, and she shook her head.

“No! It’s not me. Why would I play such a prank?”

“Then who did? The contents are a bit strange. It says, ‘”You have been targeted as the next assassination mark within our organization. As soon as you receive this letter, seek refuge in what you consider to be the third safest location.’”

At the bottom of the letter, there was a symbol that Lisriel had seen somewhere before.

A black crescent moon pierced by a thin dagger.

The moment she saw that symbol, Lisriel felt the heat that still remained in her body dissipate in an instant.

“… Delin. Really, it wasn’t you?”

Housemaid Delin noticed the pallor in Lisriel’s complexion and couldn’t help but burst into tears.

“It really wasn’t me, Miss.”

“I wish it had been you instead….”

Lisriel’s eyes also welled up with tears. Her expression wasn’t just sad; she truly wanted to cry.

If this symbol meant what she feared it did, then she was now living a condemned life.

“Delin, if anyone comes looking for me after today, tell them you don’t know where I’ve gone.”

Without hesitation, Lisriel rushed out of the bathroom. But instead of using the door, she jumped out of the window, leaving Delin to stifle a scream.

“Surprising! Why on earth would she do that?”

* * *

Just before midnight, Phillip received an unexpected visitor.

The knocking on the door was so intense that it startled the maids, as if there were a war happening.

The one who entered upon opening the door was none other than Lisriel Joseph.

She was only dressed in a thin nightgown, which was torn in several places as if she had passed through a thicket, with branches and leaves still hanging from it.

“What happened in the middle of the night? And what happened to you?”

Instead of answering, Lisriel looked straight into his eyes and asked a question.

“What shape is inscribed in the Golden Seal?”

Phillip noticed the gravity in her expression and replied sincerely, “It’s the shape of a blue dragon.”

“What was I wearing the first time we met?”

“Weren’t you in a red dress with a fur scarf? I think that’s what you wore.”

Upon hearing the second answer, Lisriel let out a sigh of relief.

“Please take a look at this.”

Philip received a note from her and eagerly unfolded it to read its contents.

[You have been targeted as the next assassination mark within our organization. As soon as you receive this letter, seek refuge in what you consider to be the third safest location.]

[I will do my utmost to protect you from the blades aimed at you, as per our longstanding agreement, but I cannot guarantee your safety.]

[Stay hidden and take care until we can communicate further.]

Upon reading these words, Philip’s heart raced, and he recognized the symbol on the note – “The Crescent’s Mark.”

It was the emblem of “Crescent,” a notorious group of assassins known to be the most dangerous in the land.

“Philip, I believe you should be aware of this situation as well. Somehow, information about the Golden Seal has leaked, either from you or from me. At this point, the source of the leak doesn’t matter. What’s crucial is that one of my siblings knows I possess the Golden Seal.”

Though her assumption was not accurate, given the limited information available, Philip couldn’t help but entertain the idea.

“What am I supposed to do now? If Crescent has marked me, there will be no safe place to hide.”

The reputation of Crescent was fearsome, with stories of their daring assassinations circulating like ghostly whispers. From taking down a nobleman amidst a procession of knights in the city to eliminating a priest in front of a crowded harvest festival, their ruthlessness was known far and wide.

Lisriel’s fear was understandable, and she nervously bit her lip while contemplating the situation with Philip.

“As instructed in the letter, I should hide myself in the third safest place. In my case, that would be the academy. I plan to seek protection from Headmaster Graham and Professor Phanoy, with whom I am dealing.”

“Then until you meet the Headmaster or Professor, I’ll be the one guarding you. You seem to be in a hurry, so take a rest for a moment.”

Upon hearing Philip’s proposal, Lisriel looked at him with a grateful expression.

“Just by being here, I could become a target for Crescent. Are you really okay with this?”

Philip nodded lightly.

“It’s fine.”

Of course, he knew that an assassination attempt wouldn’t happen immediately.

‘The fact that this event came out means there’s an assassin among the academy students.’

It was one of the significant subplots that Philip remembered well. Within the protagonist’s reach, in other words, among the first-year students taking swordsmanship classes, there would be an assassin affiliated with Crescent.

The actual assassination attempt would occur when Lisriel began receiving protection from Headmaster Rosello at the academy.

“Thank you so much, Philip. I will definitely repay this favor someday.”

Of course, Lisriel had no knowledge of that fact.

She only thought that Philip was willing to take risks for her sake.

“As soon as the sun rises, I’ll try to contact the Headmaster. Until then, you’ll stay by my side.”

“Yes.”

Lisriel replied with a mesmerized voice. Philip patted her shoulder and tried to make her feel more at ease.

* * *

“What? Crescent? Those damn lunatic assassin bastards?”

The next morning, Philip commuted to the academy with her. Dean Rosello Graham was absent, leaving only the senior professor’s office as their destination.

Emil Phanoy examined the note with the crescent pattern and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“Miss, you’ve been through quite an ordeal. It’s unfortunate to fall into the hands of those lunatics. I won’t pry into the reasons, but I want to offer some words of comfort.”

Lisriel nodded, her expression somber.

“I’ve already informed the Joseph Association Headquarters. It’s a bit shameless, but I’d appreciate personal protection until the situation is resolved.”

The Senior Professor readily agreed.

“The dean won’t be back until late afternoon, so stick close to me until then.”

For someone as formidable as him, an assassin’s attack didn’t pose a fatal threat. Moreover, the academy was safer than they initially thought.

Even if the Crescent was a notorious group of assassins, causing a major incident in a place filled with powerful households’ children would be unlikely.

“… Thank you for your kindness. I’ll find a way to repay this favor someday.”

Philip offered reassurance to Lisriel, who seemed to have found some relief.

“It will be resolved sooner than you think, so don’t worry too much. I’ll do my best in my own way as well.”

She nodded firmly, and the Senior Professor, observing them closely, narrowed his eyes.

“… You seem unusually close. What’s your relationship?”

Philip replied promptly.

“We’re friends.”

“Ah, really? Well, if that’s how you feel, then I suppose it must be the case. In that event, why don’t you go and prepare for the class?”

The Senior Professor shrugged nonchalantly, as if he understood.

After exchanging a brief nod with Lisriel, Phillip left the Senior Professor’s office.

Now, it was time to play detective.

“… At least it’s a relief that we’re not completely clueless.”

If he had to find the assassin from scratch, without any prior information, it would have taken him at least several days. However, Phillip had already narrowed down the list of suspects to just four individuals.

“They will be inconspicuous. Quiet in nature. Relatively average in appearance.”

Assassins disguised as students often fitted those characteristics.

In the game, investigating from the protagonist’s perspective required adhering to a fixed academic schedule and conducting exploration activities during any spare time. However, as a current faculty member, Phillip enjoyed the freedom of moving around without morning classes.

“Instructor Oswald. Are you here?”

“Ah, Instructor.”

While walking through the corridor, he bumped into Diana, another instructor. She smiled politely and informed him that Felicia was urgently seeking his assistance to organize some paperwork cluttering her desk.

Phillip paused for a moment, and contemplated his next move.

Then he whispered discreetly to Diana, “I have something urgent to attend to. I’d appreciate it if you could say you haven’t seen me.”

Naturally, Diana wouldn’t lie, and Felicia would likely be a bit miffed, but matters of life and death outweighed any inconvenience.

Diana gazed at Phillip with a hint of curiosity, wondering what was going on.

“… Is that so? Well, then, take care.”

After expressing his gratitude, Phillip followed the trail of the first candidate to the student dormitory.

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