I Became a Crazy Swordsmanship Instructor in the Game - Chapter 25:

‘Master… why are you staring at that adorable kitty like that?’

Ignoring Neria’s echoing voice in his head, Philip waited for the perfect moment to strike. He saw an opportunity when the cat let its guard down completely.

“Meow.”

The black cat twisted and turned its body, loosening its joints, and then let out a voice that seemed to drip with life and annoyance.

“What a bothersome woman. Of all things, you had to seek refuge in the headmaster’s academy?”

Startled by the rough voice that grated like iron, Neria called out to Philip.

‘Master… was that your voice just now?’

Philip made a slight movement, tilting his head.

“So, does that mean there’s someone else here?”

This time, instead of nodding again, he pointed at the cat with his chin.

The true identity of the black cat was a member of the ‘Shadow Cat Tribe’.

The Shadow Cat Tribe possessed the ability to conceal themselves in darkness and shadows, and they were inherently more agile and flexible than elves, with most of the tribe members engaging in activities as assassins.

Unfortunately, Neria’s naive hope was shattered completely when the cat opened its mouth again.

“I won’t kill you mercifully. Instead, I’ll make you taste the agony for eternity, enough for you to regret being born…”

It was a sentence one might hear from a demon crawling up from the depths of hell.

‘This can’t be…! That’s a creature from hell. Master, you have to kill it and eliminate it quickly!’

With Neria’s desperate plea, Philip sprang into action.

‘Now!’

He enhanced his physical abilities with Aura and aimed for the very moment the cat’s gaze and concentration were scattered.

Like an arrow, Philip’s body shot forward and covered the cat.

No matter how well-trained an assassin was, there was no defense against a surprise attack that penetrated their guard. In an instant, Phillip latched onto the cat’s throat with his claws.

“Kiyaaaaaoaaaoong!”

The sharp cry of a cat echoed through the clock tower as Philip swiftly pressed his index finger against its lips.

“If you make a sound, I’ll end you.”

“Meow… weeeeooong.”

Fearful eyes fixed upon the cat as Phillip hesitated.

‘Damn it, he knows who I am. Where did the information leak?’

“It’s Kane of the Shadow Cat Tribe. Did you think I came here without knowing your identity? It’s best to abandon any thoughts of transforming. The moment I sense your body growing larger, I’ll snap your neck.”

Reacting to Philip’s warning, the cat, Kane, bared its fangs and snarled.

“You annoying little brat, have you gone insane? You’re not my target. If you don’t want to end up dead with the Crescent, release me now.”

“I don’t think you fully comprehend your situation yet.”

Philip firmly held the cat by its scruff, lifting it before forcefully slamming it back onto the ground.

“Weeaaooong!”

The cat, unable to withstand such a shock in its feline form, groaned in pain and shot Philip a menacing glare.

“… What do you want? I won’t reveal anything about the client or the target. But I can provide any other information, just let me go.”

Despite the fierceness in Kane’s eyes, it surprisingly surrendered without much resistance.

As a race with a feline appearance, the Shadow Cat Tribe wasn’t known for their loyalty. If it weren’t for the magical contract they had with “Crescent,” Kane would have easily sold out any information about the mission.

Since Kane’s identity and its whereabouts were revealed, and with its fate under the hand of an enemy, Kane knew better than to challenge Philip recklessly.

Without hesitation, Philip began to bind him using the rope he had prepared around his waist.

He skillfully immobilized the cat’s front paws to prevent it from unsheathing its claws; Kane of the Shadow Cat Tribe gave up resisting completely. It was evident that Philip knew his weaknesses.

“I won’t resist any further. Just tell me what you want!”

“What do I want?”

Philip stared down at the restrained cat with an unyielding expression.

“I want to know the location of Crescent’s headquarters and their border level. Additionally, I need to know the position of their leader, Neffen. I don’t know if you have that information.”

“What? Are you completely mad, you little…Kyaooong!”

Once more, Philip slammed the cat onto the ground, silencing him.

“If you don’t know, then you might as well be dead. The person you’re supposed to assassinate, Lisriel Joseph, is under my protection. I won’t let anyone harm those close to me. I’ll ask again. Do you know Crescent’s headquarters, their border level, and the location of Neffen?”

‘… He knows the leader’s name?’

If Kane were in his human form, his face would undoubtedly have turned pale.

He was acutely aware of the grave mistake he had made.

“I-I don’t know. But Stella, the matriarch of the Shadow Cat Tribe, will probably have the answers. I’ll guide you to her.”

With a nod, Philip carefully placed the securely bound cat into the bag he had prepared earlier.

‘Master, what about Neria… Neria…’

Neria, who had witnessed everything, called out to Philip with a voice filled with shock and fear.

“Remember, the world is not just what meets the eye.”

After offering her some reassurance, Philip carried the bag containing the Shadow Cat Tribe assassin and descended the clock tower.

* * *

Philip’s next destination was the faculty dormitory.

‘Did you leave something behind?’

As Neria began to recover from the shock, she inquired, and Philip shook his head in response.

“I came to meet someone. To confront Crescent before sunrise, I need strong allies.”

“Strong allies? Are you talking about the Headmaster or the eccentric old man?”

Neria was referring to Professor Emil Phanoy.

“The Headmaster isn’t close enough to me to make such a request, and if the person I’m going to see refuses, I might not approach Professor Phanoy.”

“…?”

Philip ascended the faculty dormitory stairs, making his way to the floor where the female faculty members resided.

Passing through the corridor, he paused in front of a door and knocked gently.

Fortunately, the room’s occupant was still awake.

“Who is it at this hour?”

“It’s me, Philip. Can we talk for a moment?”

“Huh? Oh, sure, just a second, I’ll be right out!”

Priscilla, the Instructor of the Magic Department, opened the door in her pajamas and slippers.

“Why… Why are you here at this late hour? And what’s on your back?”

Though her thoughts were hard to discern, her cheeks were noticeably flushed.

Approaching her, Philip whispered softly into her ear.

“I have something important to discuss with you.”

“Something important?”

“Truth be told, I’m about to face an ancient assassination organization on my own, and there’s a chance I might get seriously hurt or even killed. I wanted to give you a heads up because you’re my friend… Sigh.”

Priscilla’s hand quickly covered Philip’s mouth.

“… Daringly summoning me to use my powers. Do you wish to meet your end?”

Philip realized that Priscilla had allowed herself to be possessed by the guardian dragon of the academy.

Her irritated expression made it evident that she found this situation bothersome.

“It’s fascinating every time. What kind of principle is it? Are you possessing her body?”

“Do I have any reason to tell you that? I told you to leave me alone, why have you come to find me now?”

Dragon Privia narrowed her eyes, shooting Philip a menacing look. However, Philip remained unfazed.

Under different circumstances, he wouldn’t have sought her out, but dealing with Crescent, the assassination organization, made him consider seeking her assistance.

“As I mentioned to Priscilla, my objective is to destroy the ‘Crescent’ assassination organization.”

“… So, are you asking for my help to prevent witnessing your demise?”

Observing her repressed anger, Philip quickly extended his hand.

“No, that’s not it. Do you happen to know who leads Crescent?”

“Do I really need to know that?”

In response, Philip nodded.

“Yes, the leader of Crescent, Neffen, is a demon.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Privia seized Philip’s collar and opened a portal without hesitation.

“… Huh?”

Before Philip could even react, he was compelled to follow her through the portal.

In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed. Astonished, Philip realized they were now at the back mountain of the academy.

“Can you take responsibility for your words? If it turns out to be false, whether you are the successor of the Moonlight Sword or not, you will bear the consequences for deceiving me.”

Dragon Privia prodded Philip with a cold demeanor. However, Philip remained composed, and smiled warmly.

“You already know I’m telling the truth, don’t you?”

Indeed, Privia was already aware that Philip wasn’t lying. Nonetheless, her pride wouldn’t allow her to overlook his superficial ploy so easily.

“You should be grateful for your talent. If it weren’t for you being the rightful heir to the Moonlight Sword, I would have cursed you horribly.”

Unable to contain his curiosity, Philip asked, “What kind of curse are you talking about?”

“Erectile dysfunction,” came the short and blunt response, sending a shiver down Philip’s spine as he rubbed his chest.

“I wonder, what kind of pact did Master Ottem make with the demons?” Philip felt compelled to delve deeper into this matter.

“If the leader of the Crescent turns out to be a demon, then it’s my responsibility to confront them. It directly goes against the pact between demons and dragons.”

‘That’s right!’

Philip inwardly exclaimed. However, his excitement was abruptly interrupted as Privia restrained him, her gaze seeming to have an inexplicable ability to suppress him.

“But… it’s audacious. How could a human dare to manipulate and use a dragon? How will you bear the consequences of such actions?”

‘Master…? Is that sister truly a dragon?’

Neria’s frightened voice echoed in his mind.

At that moment, Privia’s gaze shifted to Neria, who was bound to Philip’s waist.

“What’s this?”

As she reached out, Neria was freed from her tie to Philip’s waist and ended up in Privia’s hand.

“Please, don’t torment the child!”

Shocked, Philip sharply protested. But Privia seemingly disregarded his plea and mumbled something as if engaged in a conversation with Neria.

“Alright, stop crying. No, I said stop crying? Ugh, what’s gotten into you….”

With a gentle touch on her temple, Privia handed Neria back to Philip.

Once he realized his body was free to move, Philip held Neria in his hands.

B-byeeng! Hweeeng!

Neria’s frightened cries echoed in his mind. Philip tenderly stroked her head to soothe her.

Privia let out a deep sigh and waved her hand.

“Damn it. Just this once, I will play along with your act.”

“What?”

“The saying goes, ‘One can overlook your trickery once.’ However, the bitterness of your actions will linger for centuries to come.”

Surprised by the sudden change in her attitude, Phillip whispered to Neria, ‘What did you say?’

*Sniff*

‘…I just told the master not to torment me… *sniff*… that’s all.’

Neria, who started to calm down under Phillip’s touch, replied.

“What’s going on?”

He didn’t know what had happened exactly, but the outcome was good nonetheless. Phillip bowed to her in gratitude.

“Thank you very much.”

Perhaps this would be the end of it, but he managed to resolve the situation by riding on the dragon’s back. He preemptively mourned the assassins from the Crescent faction whom he would encounter in the future.

They would most likely have a high chance of dying or meeting their end.

———-

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