“Wha!?”

I jolted awake to find myself in the castle’s infirmary. What happened after that? Let’s see… The princess ordered me to kill Mizumoto Yamato and Rio.

Right, I remember now. I attacked Rio when her guard was down and stabbed her. But then Mizumoto retaliated and completely crushed me…

As I pieced the events together, a chill ran down my spine, and I started trembling. I never want to experience that again. If I recall correctly, I passed out after taking a direct hit from his counterattack. I don’t remember much after that, but it seems I survived.

“Huh… nothing hurts anymore?”

I remember waking up a few times earlier, and my whole body had been in so much pain that I couldn’t move. But now it’s gone? Am I healed? Did someone cast healing magic on me?

Wait a second… This feeling…

“I can sense… Rio’s mana…”

The mana of the person I stabbed—Rio—is lingering around me. Could she have been the one who healed me? But why would she…?

—No way.

Haha, that can’t be it. But what other explanation is there?

Could it be that Rio actually likes me? I mean, I stabbed her, and yet she healed me. You wouldn’t do that unless you had feelings for someone, right?

That must be it. It has to be.

“Hahaha… ahahahaha!”

As the realization dawned on me, I couldn’t stop laughing.

When I gained the Assassin class, I was disheartened, thinking I’d been cursed with the power of darkness. But now I see—it was destiny. It was all to tie the red thread of fate between Rio and me.

“I can’t just sit here anymore.”

Jumping out of the infirmary bed, I hurried back to my room. Mizumoto, who’s always with Rio, is unpredictable. I need to prepare thoroughly.

I also need to leave the castle before the princess finds me and issues more commands. As long as her order to assassinate those two is still in effect, going to them wouldn’t count as disobedience, right…?

“…Huh?”

When I reached my room, I noticed something strange. That overwhelming compulsion to follow her orders was completely gone. Curious, I touched my neck.

“...It’s not there.”

I sank down onto the bed and tried to think. Why is the slave collar gone?

Did the princess remove it? No, that’s impossible. Someone as arrogant as her wouldn’t release her “dog” so easily. But then, who else could have removed it?

“Wait… Could it be!?”

Is this… the power of love!? Rio must have poured all her strength into breaking the collar for me! That would explain why I can still feel traces of her mana on me.

“Kufufufu.”

But why would Rio disappear from my side if she cared about me so much? If she loves me that much, there’s no reason for her to leave, is there?

As I mulled it over, one person’s image came to mind.

Yes… Mizumoto Yamato.

The one who inflicted such grievous wounds on me.

Now that I think about it, he was with Rio, wasn’t he? Why? Rio must have gone with him. No… she must have been forced to follow him.

Ah… That’s it, isn’t it?

No matter how I think about it, that’s the only conclusion that makes sense.

“Mizumoto… Yamato!”

It’s your fault!

Rio must be trapped by Mizumoto. Just like I was bound by the slave collar, there must be something tying her to him. Don’t worry, Rio. I’ll rescue you. Just wait for me!

And so, I left the royal castle and embarked on a journey.

To save my beloved Rio, imprisoned by the Demon King known as Mizumoto!