You've grown a lot stronger since the last time I've seen you.
"..."
"Stop talking inside my head."
The figure's eyes narrowed slightly.
Seems like you've also gotten enough gall to talk back to me.
It approached me, stopping just a few steps away.
Amon, you seem to have forgotten the deal we've made in the past. Are you going back on your word?
What word?
Moreover, what deal?
The last time we talked, I blacked out right after this thing mentioned a contract.
And I know for a fact I would never accept any kind of contract.
So just what was this thing talking about?
The two of us just stared at each other, until eventually, the being turned around and walked back to its earlier spot.
With its back turned, it spoke once again:
Regardless of your insubordination, how has your progress been?
I had a feeling this thing wasn't exactly asking about my progress, but something else entirely.
So I decided to gamble a little.
"It's nearly done."
And thankfully I did.
Good. I saw you switched continents. Is there a reason for that?
"There is."
I acted as bland as I could, and the being thankfully didn't question my intentions.
But this just confirmed two things for me.
For one... this being made a deal with the original Amon Everness.
Second, this being can't see my memories, nor can it see through my eyes.
All it can do is haunt me like this every time I go to sleep.
Still... I was teleported into the Dark Forest that one time.
Could it have been a coincidence?
I need to pry further.
What kind of deal did the previous Amon make with this being, and just what progress was he talking about?
But how can I mention it without arousing suspicion?
After pondering for a moment, I came up with something.
"I'm asking just to be sure, but are you going to hold up your end of the deal?"
The being suddenly turned toward me, its eyes narrowed in fury.
I thought I messed up.
But I was wrong.
You dare question my sincerity? When I told you I'd spare their souls, I meant it. Your parents' souls are still intact, but you better hurry up, because when souls stay between the boundary of life and death, they tend to dissipate quickly.
I held back from widening my eyes at that statement.
He has the souls of Amon's parents?
More importantly...
Could this be the same demon that had possessed Amon when he was still a child?
In the game, not much was known about the demon, except that it was powerful, and supposedly survived the purification after the priests arrived.
Still, since I was sure my thoughts were right on the mark, I was a bit at a loss on what to do.
I already set that life behind me, so I didn't care about Amon's parents all that much.
But I was also a little concerned about what Amon's role in all of this was.
"..."
"Do you think I could get some help?" I asked, meeting the being's eyes. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish in time."
You have a little over half a year to finish it, and I will not...
The being suddenly froze.
Then, it took a few steps back and closed a single eye, while staring at me with the other.
I maintained my composure.
A few seconds passed, then a few minutes as we stared at each other.
But soon enough, the being reopened its second eye.
Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I must take my leave for today.
I will contact you at the same time next rendezvous.
It took a few steps forward and placed its shadowy hand on my shoulder.
It almost seemed like it wanted to tell me something more, but instead, it shook its head and turned around.
Until next time.
With those words, the being finally vanished.
The moment it did, my consciousness faded once again.
I felt like I was floating.
But then I snapped out of it as I abruptly opened my eyes.
The sunlight was bright, and because of how Clementine's house was built, it was shining directly into my eyes.
But as I was about to get up, I felt something heavy on my chest.
Glancing down, I froze.
Clementine was lying on top of me and hugging me tightly as she drooled on my chest.
Really...
Sometimes it felt like she was just testing how much I could take before my sanity snapped.
But it was too soon for it to snap.
After all, I was sure she didn't know much about relationships.
So I would teach her first, then make my moves.
Nonetheless, as I brushed her hair and wiped away her drool, I thought over what just happened in my dream.
I remembered it clearly.
And among many other things, I needed to somehow figure out what Amon was involved in.
For that, I needed to interrogate a demon.
Back when I was fighting the five demon barons, one of them recognized me.
That was my only clue for now.
So with that in mind, I began pinching Clementine's cheeks, and finally, she woke up.
"Mmm~"
She rubbed her body against mine for a moment, then sat upright.
Of course, she was sitting directly on my abdomen.
And when she realized that, her entire face flushed red as she got off me in the blink of an eye, nearly falling to the ground.
Then, she bowed at me apologetically.
"I-I—"
"It's okay," I said with a chuckle. "I felt warm, and I liked it. I didn't even need music to fall asleep."
That was perhaps one of the things that surprised me the most.
Regardless of that...
"Do you mind if I move in?"
Clementine blinked.
"Move in? But there's only one room..."
Seeing how my smile remained, her ears turned red once again, but unlike a moment ago, she didn't freak out.
Instead, she turned her head away with a slight smirk, and nodded at the wall.
"I-I suppose you can stay here. That's the least I can do because you let me stay over at your house before."
Haha.
At times like these, she really acted like a tsundere.
"I'll be looking forward to it."
I once again glanced at the sun out the window, then looked over to Clementine.
"Remember what I said yesterday? About how I started working at the library?"
"Um... Yes. You said you want to join the assassin's guild, right?"
I nodded, then pulled out a ring from my dimensional ring, and tossed it over to her.
She caught it, confused.
"It's a ring that can alter your appearance. As it so happens, I found a second one."
There were several of them throughout the continent.
So with the future in mind, I got one for Clementine too.
Though...
"But why...?"
"You're not planning on being a shut-in, are you?"
She flinched.
Obviously, I wasn't going to let her be a shut-in.
I was alive, and now she had no reason to be depressed.
"You're coming with me, and we'll both work in the library. Then, we'll both join the assassin's guild, and we'll do missions together."
It looked like her whole shut-in life she had going for herself had shattered with every word I said.
But despite that, I approached her, took the disguise ring out of her palm, and slipped the ring onto her ring finger.
Then, I simply infused my own energy into it, immediately changing her crimson hair to black, while also keeping her obsidian-colored eyes.
They were too beautiful to hide.
So when I was done, I changed my appearance back to Mikael, and with a smile, I interlocked my fingers with Clementine before turning to the door.
"Let's get our little shut-in employed, shall we?"