Dinner had long ended, and I was still sitting in my room, waiting for Penelope to come out of the bathroom. It had been over an hour, and I was starting to get worried. What was she doing in there?Usually, I wouldn't care how long she stayed in the bathroom; it was none of my business. But today was different. I felt like everything was connected to me. I hoped my paranoia wouldn't upset Penelope too much, but I'd rather risk that than miss something important. I quietly slipped out of the room and headed towards the bathroom. At the very least, I needed to knock and check if she was okay. As I was about to raise my hand to knock, I heard Penelope speak."I know, I'm sorry."Her voice was extremely soft, but my hearing was pretty good. Who was she talking to? There was no one else in there. I carefully and stealthily approached the door and began to eavesdrop. After a brief pause, Penelope continued:"It's not fair to either of us, I'm sorry."Another pause followed."You know I can't do it."This time, the pause was shorter."Because I don't want to die. We both know the consequences of doing that."..."Yeah, I know, I know! I'm sorry."She sighed shakily, and I could tell she was crying."Listen, I can't do any of the things you're asking. It's too risky. Maybe someday, but not now."The final pause."I'm sorry, I understand. Listen, I... I can't talk to you anymore right now, okay? I need to leave before someone comes looking for me."But it was already too late. I heard her stand up, and I didn't have much time to ponder the conversation I had just overheard. My first thought was that it was very suspicious. Remus had said that my paranoia was good for the team, and I couldn't ignore my instincts in this matter. I folded my arms and waited there for her to finish and open the door. As soon as she opened it and saw me standing there with a serious look on my face, she took a step back. If necessary, I was ready to rush in."Penelope, who were you talking to?" I demanded.Her face turned pale, and she swallowed hard."What... what? Vita, I'm just in the bathroom. Why would —""I heard you talking to yourself. There's no one else in there except you and that slime monster. Were you talking to the slime monster? Or are you the slime monster?""Vita," Penelope raised a hand, trying to calm me down, "just calm down. It's me, Penelope. I just... can you keep this a secret for me?"I frowned."...Alright, what secret?""I was just talking to my fiancé."As she spoke, she slowly reached into her clothes and pulled out a small necklace. At the end of the necklace was a tiny pendant, diamond-shaped and shiny like Remus's sword, made of metal."This is a resonance magical ornament," she explained, "very expensive, usually only used in military affairs. It's my engagement gift."My frown deepened. This... sounded reasonable, but I still didn't quite believe it."Well, then why were you saying those strange things? Is your fiancé asking you to do things that you know will get you killed?"She frowned at that."This... it's private.""Now is not the time for private matters. Remus told me to keep an eye on you. I heard you talking about life and death, and that makes it my responsibility, my business.""This has nothing to do with your duty, your business!""Let's just agree to disagree. I want to talk to your fiancé to make sure you're not lying to me.""Mistwatcher," she cursed, "Vita, please, don't tell him anything about hunters, hunting, or our hunting mission, or... all of this! Okay?"I frowned, sensing that there was definitely something fishy going on, and it wasn't a small issue. But if it wasn't about the slime monster... did it really concern me? Did I care? I thought about it, and right now, I didn't seem to care that much. Caring about a teammate's well-being was one thing; using it as an excuse to interfere in someone's private matters was another. If I could be sure she wasn't lying, then I'd let it go for now."Alright, activate it."Penelope grasped the small metal diamond and concentrated for a moment. Then, a male voice came out of the necklace."Ah, Penelope! What a surprise!""Nice to see you again, John," Penelope said irritably, "I know it's strange to call right after hanging up, but someone I know insists on having a chat with you.""Oh?" John responded, his voice sounding friendly and professional, "And who do I have the pleasure of speaking with today?"Well, that did sound like a real fiancé. Unless Penelope was some kind of hidden soul-controlling mage, but even in that case, it was a bit too paranoid to suspect that much."Hey, it's Vita. Sorry to bother you, just wanted to confirm something. Have a good night.""No trouble at all, you too."Penelope removed her hand from the gem, and the magic ended. She hid the necklace back under her shirt and frowned."There, are you satisfied? Now promise me you won't tell anyone! It's a secret!""I think if it's a secret that could get someone killed, I should probably lecture you on that." I said casually.Penelope's face turned red, and she averted her gaze."...Alright, I'll apologize for that again, I'm sorry. Now can you promise me you won't mention John to anyone? Please.""I promise I'll keep the secret of your fiancé," I said solemnly.There was a silence, and she gave me a strange look before I realized the ambiguity in my words."I... I mean, I promise to keep the secret that you have a fiancé! That's all!"She snorted and walked past me, heading back into the guild."Alright.""Sorry, I was a bit too forward just now," I said quietly, following her, "I really don't want to be the kind of person who could have stopped those mind-controlling slime monsters but messed up."Penelope shuddered."I don't think you need to worry about that too much. But, um, where did you get the idea of 'mind-controlling' from...?""It can't just be an ordinary parasite," I said frankly, "It's too powerful. It was already strong as a parasite and is getting stronger at an insane rate. It must be intelligent or have some special ability... I don't believe it just sits there doing nothing.""Yeah, that makes sense. It's pretty unsettling. Regardless of your perception talent, the whole team believes your judgment now. I just hope Remus is okay.""Speaking of which, where did Remus go?""I have no idea. He just gave the order and then disappeared."She frowned, clearly annoyed."Anyway," she continued, "if you're up for it, we can go find Orville now and have him start teaching you magic. At this hour, he's probably practicing on his own.""Ohhh! Magic!"I perked up immediately, the gloomy mood from before vanishing in an instant. Penelope laughed."Wow, look at you getting excited.""Of course I'm excited!" I exclaimed, "Who wouldn't want to be a magician! It's a dream, you know? Being a natural magician is like a one-way ticket from the slums to a life of luxury!""Well, you're not a natural magician, and you'll have to work hard to learn," Penelope said."I know," I deliberately didn't mention that I was actually a natural magician, "Back where I'm from, no one expects to become a magician who learns magic through study, except maybe Rowan, I guess. Anyone could be a natural magician, but no one would teach a street urchin, right? But now that I have a teacher...""...You're very excited," Penelope picked up the thread, "It's understandable. Magic is indeed powerful and fascinating. However, if you want to be an efficient hunter, the path of magic might not be the best choice.""Why do you say that?""I'm not boasting, but I'm one of the best magicians you'll ever meet," Penelope said proudly, "With me around, that hunting mission went from impossible to a piece of cake. But I needed an escort the whole way and was constantly in danger. Remus, on the other hand, could probably navigate that forest on his own. People who are proficient in martial arts wield their power in a way similar to magic, but that power comes from their own bodies. They're stronger, tougher, and faster than ordinary humans. So I think they're more self-sufficient in combat."Hmm, that sounds pretty impressive and practical. I need to get close to those soul-sucking creatures, and being strong, tough, and fast seems like the ideal way to get close without losing my life."...Can I be super strong, fast, and still know magic?" I asked.Penelope laughed."Well, you can give it a try, but people have
