Chapter 102: Those who dwell in the shadows [2]
Leon slowly placed the cup of tea back on the table.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
He didn’t turn to look at the intruder right away.
Instead, he calmly finished his tea. Only after taking the last sip did he set the cup down, stand up, and turn around.
"There’s always the front door. Why don’t you try using it the next time?" Leon said flatly. "You know, like a normal human being."
His voice was calm, but his body was alert beneath that casual tone.
Seated on his couch was a young woman. She was small in height, with chestnut hair tied loosely at the back and sharp brown eyes.
In her hands was a thick stack of papers—Leon’s research notes. She seemed completely absorbed in reading them, flipping through them as if she were studying every line.
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly but didn’t interrupt.
After a few seconds, the girl side-glanced at him, set the papers aside with quiet precision, and stood up.
She lowered her head in a slight bow.
"Greeting," she said in a steady, emotionless voice. "My name is Yoru, and the commander has sent me here to invite you to today’s gathering."
’Yoru, huh...’ Leon thought, studying her face carefully. ’If I remember right, she was the one who got kidnapped by Lucian.’
Leon crossed his arms, his tone cool, as he teased.
"Yoru, huh? So, you’re the one who let yourself get caught by that Primordial."
He saw a small twitch at the corner of her mouth, a flash of irritation that she tried to hide.
She didn’t like the way he remembered her.
"You’ve got a sharp memory," she said quietly, admitting.
Leon smirked.
"So," he asked, tilting his head slightly, "when do I have to visit this gathering?"
"Right now," Yoru answered simply.
"..."
Leon’s face didn’t change, but inside his mind, he was groaning.
He had other plans for the evening. Like checking the Spirit Ring, visiting the red-light district to meet his broker, and also doing a bit of window shopping.
But apparently, Twilight Order didn’t care much about personal schedules.
"Isn’t this too sudden?" Leon asked. "Doesn’t your princess know I have classes?"
"You do," Yoru said, "but we invited you because we knew you ditched today’s class."
Leon’s eye twitched.
’Talk about privacy.’
He leaned slightly forward. "How long were you in my room again?"
Yoru didn’t hesitate. She simply said two words. "Gaming console?"
Leon froze.
’Ah, fuck. She was here from the start.’
She probably didn’t even know what a ’gaming console’ was, judging by how she struggled to pronounce the word.
Leon didn’t bother explaining.
He rubbed his forehead lightly. "You’re a creepy one, aren’t you?"
Yoru blinked once.
"Efficient," she corrected.
Leon let out a dry laugh.
Yoru didn’t move. She just stood there, still as a statue, as if calculating the best way to respond next.
Then, without any change in her expression, she opened her mouth.
"Before that... I was told to thank you."
Leon blinked once. "...What?"
"I thank you for saving me," she said in a flat, rehearsed tone. It was so dry that Leon almost thought she was reading lines from a script.
’Yeah... this is definitely Eula’s doing,’ Leon thought, rubbing his temple. ’She probably forced her to say this.’
Leon gave a lazy shrug.
"It wasn’t me alone. Your beloved princess did most of the work. I just gave her a few directions."
Yoru simply nodded as if that was exactly what she expected to hear.
"I was told to thank you."
She said it again in the same monotone voice, as if it were an obligation to repeat it twice.
Leon sighed quietly. It wasn’t easy talking to someone who sounded like an emotionless robot. Talking to Yoru means talking to some enchanted wooden doll.
But as he glanced at her again, something else caught his eye.
Her uniform.
She was wearing Eclipse’s first-year student uniform. And from the badge on her chest, she was from Class-A.
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly.
’Class A... of course. Most of Eula’s little side pieces and "hidden assets" are enrolled here in Eclipse. It’s a perfect way to gather information.’
Eula had always been clever.
She had specifically chosen female operatives to befriend or manipulate noble boys. Nobles had a weakness for beautiful faces, and Eula had no problem turning that into a weapon.
Leon folded his arms.
’So, she’s one of them too, huh?’
His gaze drifted back to Yoru.
Her petite frame, soft chestnut hair, and clear brown eyes would be enough to make half the noble boys trip over themselves.
It was a strategy that worked frighteningly well.
’Wait... don’t tell me...’ A thought clicked in Leon’s head, and his expression stiffened.
’Is she assigned to me?’
He could imagine Eula’s smug face doing something exactly like that.
She would absolutely be the type to plant someone next to him without saying a word, just to keep an eye on him.
Yoru tilted her head slightly.
"Why are you staring?"
Leon snapped out of it.
"Nothing."
"...You’re thinking something suspicious."
"Yes, because you’re suspicious," he countered.
She didn’t react to that either.
Leon sighed again.
"So," he said, changing the topic, "you enrolled here because of a mission?"
"Yes," Yoru replied instantly.
"What mission?"
"I can’t tell you that."
Leon frowned. "But I’m one of you now."
Yoru lowered her gaze slightly. For a moment, it looked like she was actually considering his words. But then she repeated, in that same calm tone, "I can’t tell you that."
"Ah, for god’s sake," Leon muttered irritably.
He didn’t expect her to spill everything, but he had hoped for something. Anything.
He stretched his neck lightly.
"Alright. Let’s go, then."
Yoru nodded and, without missing a beat, walked straight toward the window.
Leon stared at her back. "...What are you doing?"
"Guiding you to the location," she replied without hesitation.
"No, I mean, why the window?"
She tilted her head like a confused bird. "Because that’s what the commander told me to do."
Leon stared at her for three long seconds. His mouth opened slightly, then closed again.
’What in the brainwash... What the hell did Eula do to them?’
He rubbed his forehead again.
"You do realize we’re inside Eclipse, right? And you are wearing Eclipse’s uniform. You think jumping out of a window at this hour won’t draw attention?"
Yoru blinked once. "...Commander said—"
Leon raised a hand, cutting her off. "Either we go through the door, or I’m not going."
Yoru fell silent. She just stood there, looking at him blankly as if weighing his words against Eula’s.
It was almost funny to watch.
A few seconds passed before she finally nodded.
"...Alright."
Leon’s lips curled into a faint grin.
’Heh, looks like I’m her top priority here.’
He didn’t know how long that would last, but he would use it to his advantage while he could.
.
[A/N]: Support me with PowerStones and Golden tickets. To keep me motivated to write 2 ch/day!! Thanks.