"N-N-No, I d-d-don't know where O-Onimaru Kunitsuna is…" Iris responded to the pink-haired woman, who introduced herself as Hailey, as she sat across from her on the plush sofa and table set at the center of the luxurious guest room. "T-That chair of yours is probably mistaken…"

Hailey sighed, inwardly chuckling and thinking: 'Yeah, right. You look believable.'

"I see…that's a shame…is there any specific reason why you can't tell me?"

Poor Snowflower instantly nodded in the next moment.

"Yes! He probably wouldn't prefer it so…I don't know where he is…"

"I see…he, huh…so Onimaru Kunitsuna is a man…" The pink-haired executive smiled, allowing Iris to realize her blunder.

She looked at Hailey with a hint of resentment, thinking: 'Witch!'

"Don't worry, that's fine if you don't want to tell me. The government shall fully respect his privacy. For now, just knowing his gender and confirming he exists is good enough for us," the pink-haired executive suddenly followed up.

Iris certainly didn't expect such lenient words.

Since she's been caught by the witch big sister's trickery already, acting dumb likely wouldn't be effective anymore, so she switched tactics:

"I…can't tell you…only he should tell you…Do what you want to me, but I will absolutely not tell you who he is without his consent…" Iris gripped her training shorts tighter, her eyes reflecting her resolve.

Hailey sighed.

She knew just from Snowflower's gaze that it would be impossible to make her speak without resorting to drastic measures, which had been forbidden by her superior, Aurelius.

So, the pink-haired executive decided to simply make lemonade out of lemons:

"Ah, sorry if big sister scared you, alright? Don't worry, we won't do anything to you, so you can rest assured. Thank you for admitting you know him. At the very least, we know that he truly exists now. We'll respect his wishes and wait until he decides to reveal his identity."

"Ahh…that would be best, thank you…" Iris responded in a slightly disbelieving manner.

With how she was taken away from the academy, she was quite sure she would be forced to reveal Daru's identity one way or another, and while the tea, pastries, and claw machine threw her off a bit, her resolve remained steadfast deep in her heart.

Iris certainly hadn't expected that she wouldn't need it in the first place.

Still, she wouldn't let her guard down that easily, locking eyes with the smiling executive with a hint of doubt in her gaze.

Hailey naturally detected it.

"Then can you be our link to him instead? Like, if we want to give him gifts or have something to tell him, can we reach him through you? Or would that be too much?" the executive asked with hopeful eyes, further weakening Iris' resistance.

"That's…fine…but please don't disturb my training too much. You can talk to me at maybe around 7 PM up to 9 PM only, if that's alright?" Snowflower responded, trying to set boundaries.

This was far more acceptable than being forced to reveal Daru's identity.

"Ahh! That's absolutely fine. Thank you, Lil sis Iris. We'll contact you if something important comes up, then. At your preferred time, of course."

Iris bowed, still a bit doubtful, but also a bit less displeased at the witch's face.

At least the executive didn't force her…

"Sorry for ruining your training for today. How's it going in the Myriad Sword Realm?"

The two chatted for a while, chipping away at Snowflower's distrust further, before Hailey released her, promising her an experience boost tonic right after the event ended to compensate for her time today.

Iris naturally wouldn't reject.

Her background wasn't that good, at least compared to her problems. She would take all the help she could get, just not from that family.

This was also why she was very thankful to "Onimaru Kunitsuna" for the seven-day experience and swordcoin boost.

She couldn't kick her benefactor and training partner in the teeth, could she?

She wasn't raised that way.

***

**

The darkness of the night once again veiled the skies of Neo-Earth.

Four whole hours had passed since the news that Snowflower knew who Onimaru Kunitsuna was spread like wildfire in the academy, becoming the main topic in canteen discussions and night-training sessions.

Even those who usually went home early stayed behind today for the buzz.

Iris was quite lucky to be escorted by academy security the moment she was dropped off at the gates by Hailey herself.

Otherwise, the more thick-faced among the students would naturally bother her to no end.

Not that it wouldn't happen tomorrow.

Her peace was bound to be ruined for a few days at the shortest…

Meanwhile, the mysterious novice himself was clearing his mind, or at least escaping his worries in the Myriad Sword Realm, bisecting nightmarish swordspawns of the Somber Swamp—mostly level forty abominations that somewhat resembled crocodilians.

Basically the distorted versions of Vyrrkans, though all they could mutter were harrowing gurgle-hisses that would've scared the wits out of regular human bladeborns.

Daru imagined them to be the annoying team leader who visited them today to ease his frustrations a little.

Nonetheless, the night, the lecture class, and the morning grind passed relatively peacefully for him, even though his heart was pounding while he was having his lunch at the academy canteen.

He couldn't wait to see Iris and ask her what happened, if she was even back in the first place…

Food got stuck in his throat and chest multiple times due to rushing his meal.

The moment he finished, he quickly returned to his dormitory to prepare, then headed over to the Sixth Training Field, almost jogging as his anxiety continued to rise.

Has the government learned the truth already?

Was the peaceful grind earlier today his last?

The closer he got to the training field, the faster his heart raced.

Soon, he arrived, and his heart sank.

Everyone surrounded Iris, and he didn't know whether he should approach or not.

People finally noticed him, and Daru involuntarily froze.

But then, in the next moment, they shifted their attention back to Iris, and so he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, the battle hadn't ended yet.

He was yet to know whether she was forced to spill his secrets by the accursed team leader.

The damned witch…

With his resolve steeled and reinforced by his dislike for the older woman named Krishna, Daru braved the crowd, gently forcing a few people aside.

He then decisively grabbed the disoriented Iris' wrists and pulled her out of the chaotic center.

"Ah?" the crowd murmured in startled confusion at the sudden, forceful interruption.

"Stop bothering her, or I'll report you all for harassment." Daru threatened coldly, silencing the rowdy crowd, though they naturally resented him.

Still, what they were doing could indeed be considered harassment.

The students of Class 69 who were courageous enough to bug Snowflower could only leave while giving Daru a piece of their displeasure.

"Hmph, who do you think you are, her knight in shining armor? Look at yourself in the mirror," exclaimed one in anger.

"You think you're her boyfriend just because you train together? Delusional F-ranker…"

More such words flew his way, but he couldn't care less.

He immediately pulled Iris, who looked at his hands, then at him, then at his hands again, to his class's side of the outdoor dojo.

Daru couldn't see it at that moment, but the poor maiden had a look of grateful appreciation on her face.

"Let's train like usual first. Let's talk about the matter yesterday later…" he muttered just loud enough for Iris to hear.

She opened her mouth for a moment, then closed it the next, nodding instead and proceeding to strike the dummies with her training partner.

That's right…

They couldn't be too obvious...

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