My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill-Chapter 262

Besides, why share valuable intelligence when I plan to kill the target myself anyway? Let Chronus think he’s just hiring me to eliminate another troublesome demon. Meanwhile, I’ll study this absorption ability, understand it, potentially even find a way to replicate it for myself.

Information is the most valuable currency. The one who controls information controls everything.

Satou understood then. Merc Assault’s philosophy—his absolute belief that knowledge was power—had prevented him from sharing the secret. The assassin had been too greedy, too confident in his own abilities, to warn others about the true threat Satou represented. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

And Chronus, knowing Merc Assault’s personality, had never worried about the assassin betraying him. Because Merc Assault kept secrets as a matter of professional pride. Revealing a client’s secrets would damage his reputation, make future employers hesitant to hire him.

The irony was perfect. The very traits that made Merc Assault such a valuable ally—his discretion, his pride, his philosophy about information—had protected both Satou’s secret and Chronus’s betrayals.

But now I know, Satou thought as the memories continued flowing. I know about Chronus’s dealings with humans. About how he sold out Demon Lord Baelor. About the secret agreements and intelligence he’s been providing to our enemies for who knows how long.

This information could destroy him. Get him executed by the council. End centuries of schemes.

The memories began fragmenting as Satou’s consciousness started rising toward wakefulness. The last thing he saw was Merc Assault writing in his journal:

Final note on Chronus: Valuable client but extremely dangerous. Keep all records of his betrayals as insurance. If he ever moves against me, release everything to the council. Mutually assured destruction is the only guarantee against betrayal by someone as cunning as the Time Demon Lord.

Then a voice cut through the dissolving memories.

"Lord Satou! Lord Satou, wake up!"

Kelvin’s voice, urgent but not panicked. Calling him back to reality.

Satou’s eyes opened, and he found himself still in the carriage, sunlight streaming through the windows. The vehicle had stopped moving.

"We’ve finally arrived," Kelvin said, relief evident in his voice. "We’re home, brother."

Satou sat up, rubbing his face as he processed both the memories he’d just experienced and the reality of being back. The dreams had felt so real, so vivid—like he’d actually lived through Merc Assault’s experiences rather than just observing them.

I need to be careful with this information, he thought. Chronus’s betrayals are dangerous knowledge. Used correctly, they could protect me. Used incorrectly, they could get me killed before I’m strong enough to defend myself.

He looked around the carriage. His companions were all stirring from sleep, roused by Kelvin’s announcement. Grimnir stretched with a groan that made his healing ribs protest. Urgot was rubbing his eyes. Freda looked exhausted but relieved. Sylvara—no longer wearing her Shadow disguise—seemed nervous about this arrival.

"Everyone ready?" Satou asked, pushing aside the troubling memories for now. There would be time to process them later, to figure out what to do with the dangerous knowledge he’d acquired.

Right now, he was home. And that was all that mattered.

They exited the carriage to find a small welcoming party already assembled. Word of their return had clearly spread quickly through the settlement.

And standing at the front of that party, arms crossed and wearing the most adorable sulking expression Satou had ever seen, was Jessica.

Her pink hair caught the afternoon sunlight, making it seem to glow. Her purple eyes were narrowed in what was supposed to be anger but came across more as wounded pride. Her bottom lip was pushed out in a pout that would have been threatening if it wasn’t so endearing.

The moment she saw Satou, her expression intensified.

"Dummy!" Jessica shouted, her voice carrying across the entire clearing. "Stupid, idiotic, thoughtless dummy!"

She stormed toward him, her small frame radiating indignation. But Satou noticed she was checking him over even as she yelled—looking for injuries, making sure he was intact, her healer’s instincts overriding her anger.

"Jessica, I can explain—" Satou started, reaching out to her.

"Explain?!" She swatted his hand away, though not hard enough to actually hurt. "You left! Without telling me! Without even saying goodbye! I woke up and you were just... gone! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"

"I didn’t want to wake you," Satou said, trying to sound reasonable. "You were sleeping so peacefully, and I knew you needed the rest after everything you’d been through. I thought—"

"You thought you could just disappear?!" Jessica interrupted, her voice rising. "You thought I wouldn’t notice? You thought I’d just... what? Be okay with waking up to find you’d gone off to fight a legendary assassin without me?!"

She punctuated each question by poking him in the chest with surprising force for someone so small.

"Dummy. Dummy. DUMMY!"

Despite the situation, Satou found himself smiling. This was so typically Jessica—caring so much that it came out as anger, worried so deeply that it manifested as indignation.

"You’re right," he said simply. "I should have told you. I’m sorry."

Jessica paused mid-poke, clearly having expected more argument. "You... you’re admitting it? Just like that?"

"You’re right to be angry," Satou continued. "I made a decision about your life without consulting you. That was wrong. I’m sorry."

The anger drained from Jessica’s face, replaced by something softer and more vulnerable. "I just... I worry about you, okay? And when I woke up and Lyra told me you’d left to hunt Merc Assault, I... I was so scared. What if something happened? What if you didn’t come back?"

Her eyes were getting misty, tears threatening to fall. "What if you died and the last thing I did was sleep through you leaving? I’d never forgive myself."

Satou pulled her into a hug, and this time she didn’t resist. She melted against him, her small body trembling slightly as the fear she’d been holding onto finally found release.

"I’m sorry," he repeated quietly, meaning it. "I’m here now. I’m safe. And I promise, next time I’ll wake you up first. Deal?"

"Deal," Jessica mumbled against his chest. Then she pulled back slightly, her expression turning stern again. "But you’re still a dummy for scaring me like that."