Annie's laughter had barely faded when Cassandra looked toward Rias.
The shift in her attention was small, but everyone around Martin caught it. Her silver hair was still perfectly arranged in its low bun, and her face stayed calm. Even so, the slight narrowing of her crimson eyes made Martin's smile stiffen.
"Now," Cassandra said, "I want to hear about the Monster Hunter Academy of the Endless Rain."
"You already know what happened."
"I know you met Captain Plume, helped the Storm Guild defeat a Sea Dragon Monster, and returned with valuable information."
She stepped closer and rested two fingers against the center of Martin's chest.
"What I don't know is what happened between you and Rias while you were traveling without us."
"We weren't alone," Martin said quickly. "Angel was there the whole time, and Shuri joined us later."
"I said without us, not alone."
