Chapter 1 | The Assassin Goes Shopping
Tarte finished setting the table and stationed herself behind me as she always did. I’m sure she wanted to eat with us, but that would’ve set a bad example for the other servants.
Our breakfast entrée was dried fish soup made of catches from a lake in our domain.
“Lugh, I’ve never seen this kind of fish. What’s it called?”
“It’s Runamass. It’s tasty, filling, and a common dish here in Tuatha Dé.”
“It smells so good,” Dia admired as she stared at the liquid and the large slices of meat.
“Let’s eat. Words cannot accurately portray a dish’s taste.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m excited to try it!”
Dia and I both sampled some of Tarte’s cooking.
It was exceptional, but that was to be expected of Tarte. The broth was filled with ample portions of fish and vegetables. In true Tuatha Dé style, she’d added a small amount of lemon juice to bring out the flavor. This dish was originally a specialty of Mom’s, and she’d taught it to Tarte.
In addition to the soup, we also enjoyed bread topped with goat butter.
It, too, was marvelous. The soy bread had been made with leftover sediment extracted from the soybeans used in Tuatha Dé to create emulsifiers, which were then sold to my Natural You cosmetics brand. Not only was a loaf tasty, but it was also good for you.
Since apples were in season, we drank their juice.
The day’s morning meal had been made entirely using ingredients from the Tuatha Dé domain, showing how great our food could be. I enjoyed the sumptuous dishes of the capital, but I fancied the modest cuisine of Tuatha Dé more.
“It’s delicious and simple. All the food here is,” Dia complimented.
“That’s the kind of domain Tuatha Dé is. That’s exactly why I like it,” I answered. “We live in harmony with the earth, and we’re a prosperous domain in the truest sense. There is no better example of that than our cuisine.”
As we neared the end of our meal, my dad spoke up, saying, “Now that we’ve all had our fill, let’s talk about the future. Continuing to live as Dia Viekone is going to be difficult.”
“Yeah, I understand that. I’m a fugitive, after all,” Dia remarked.
“For that reason, I have prepared a new name and identity in the family register for you. You will be Claudia Tuatha Dé, Lugh’s little sister.”
“What?! But I’m sixteen years old! It doesn’t make any sense for me to be Lugh’s little sister.”
“I know that you’re older, but it’s the only identity I have prepared on the family register. It wouldn’t be impossible for me to make a new one, but…identities made without proper preparation are easily exposed. I prepared the Claudia identity on the family register fourteen years ago. I doubt anyone would be able to discover it’s fake.”
That younger sibling character had been prepared as insurance in case a particular situation came to pass.
“But won’t people find it weird if I say I’m fourteen? It’s sure to sound suspicious,” Dia muttered, not on board with this proposal. Mom put a hand on her shoulder.
“It’ll be fine. You’re short, you’re still baby-faced, and even your chest is tiny. Heck, I think twelve would work!”
“…That wording hurts my feelings. Also, I don’t want to hear that from someone over forty who looks like they’re in their twenties!”
“Youthful features run in the Viekone family. But it’s not such a bad thing. When you reach my age, your friends’ skin will dry, and they’ll begin to sag in various places, but that’s not something we have to worry about!”
It was a fairly convincing argument, especially coming from my mom. As someone who looked half her age, she was living proof. Just like her, Dia would probably never age. In a way, my mom’s youth was a mystery deeper than magic.
“I’m still growing! I’m taller than I was last year, and my chest has gotten bigger, too!” Dia protested.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm, I wouldn’t get your hopes up. I felt the same way…,” my mom replied with an air of experience. Evidently, she understood where Dia was coming from.
“Ahem. Can we return to the topic at hand?” Dad cleared his throat to regain everyone’s attention.
My mom’s appearance had actually caused trouble for my dad as well. They elicited quite a bit of gossip whenever they went to parties or other social functions. People would regularly say he was too old for her.
“There is one more reason you need to be fourteen. In the Alvanian Kingdom, all mages are made to attend a royal academy for knights from the summer of their fourteenth year to that of their sixteenth year. Attendance is compulsory for nobles, and commoner mages are welcome to attend through an application.”
“The Alvanian Kingdom’s Royal Knights Academy? I’ve heard of it.”
The school must have been famous if Dia had heard of it. Until yesterday, she hadn’t been living in the Alvanian Kingdom.
“That’s right. As you know, the strength of an army depends on how many spellcasters it has. But just having mana alone isn’t enough to make one useful in battle. For that reason, the young mages in this country are trained in the art of war to be called upon in times of emergency. That’s the purported purpose of the academy anyway.”
None doubted the power of mages. Just by enveloping themselves in mana, they rendered the swords and arrows from ordinary soldiers completely trivial, and they gained enough strength to cleave through an armored person with a single stroke.
Untrained amateurs were incapable of employing that incredible power to its fullest. That’s why all mages now spent two years training.
Because the Alvanian Kingdom maintained only a small standing army and relied on its nobles for almost all of its military strength in times of emergency, having capable magic users was very important.
“Do you mean to say there’s another reason for the academy?” Dia inquired.
“That’s right. The nobles in Alvan have a strong sense of independence. Many don’t even see themselves as subjects of the kingdom. They view themselves as kings of their own little countries. That sort of mindset creates closed-minded people. The kingdom wants to use the school to expand the worldviews of young members of the aristocracy. Interacting with other nobles their own age should instill them with a greater sense of scope and loyalty to Alvan they would not otherwise have. My generation may have forgotten where its allegiances lie, but the next generation will not.”
I think it was mainly for the second reason that this system was introduced five years ago.
“Ah, so that’s why nobles are forced to comply, while commoners are not. The reason my being sixteen would look bad is that people would think I skipped out on the mandatory attendance,” reasoned Dia.
“Correct. If you are fourteen, you’ll be able to go to the academy this year. I want you to go to study with Lugh next month.”
My dad failed to mention that the hero had also recently been discovered. They were the same age as me and had similarly been born a noble. Whoever they were, they would be attending the academy. It was the perfect chance to get close and ingratiate myself with them as a school friend.
These next two years would be the perfect opportunity for me to study the hero as much as I wanted. Assassinating them was sure to be a cinch if I could get close to them.
“Okay. I’ll be Lugh’s younger sister. It’s a little unfortunate, though… I wanted to marry Lugh someday.”
As Dia smiled sadly, my dad tilted his head in confusion. “Why would being brother and sister make you give up on marriage?”
“Huh? Isn’t that obvious? Because we’re siblings. They can’t get married.”
“What are you saying? That’s normal in Alvan,” commented my mom, also appearing confused.
Guess I need to fill Dia in.
“Dia, in the Alvanian Kingdom, producing mages is the first priority. Suppose both parents are not mages. Then the odds of their child having mana decrease. Aristocrats surely possess the means to search for a suitable partner, but if they can’t find one, they can pay a member of a lesser noble family for the service of helping to produce a child. Sometimes even that option isn’t available, however. In such a case, a noble may have no choice but to make do with a relative,” I explained.
“Huh?! You’re saying people spend money to have children?! And by ‘make do with a relative,’ do you mean siblings?!” Dia exclaimed.
“Yeah, that’s why marriage between family members is allowed in Alvan.”
Dia’s face flickered between a deep shade of red and ghostly white. “I’m glad I can marry Lugh, but it may take a bit to sort out how I feel about this,” she admitted.
“We’re not closely related by blood, so it should be fine. It’s not as if we need to tell people we’re relatives when we go out.”
Dia went silent for a bit.
“Okay, fine! I won’t worry about it. But don’t expect me to refer to you as my older brother!”
“Even though you’ve always made me call you my big sister?”
“I’ve got two years on you, so that one makes sense! Also, you can keep calling me that.”
I felt like we were acting a little careless. If Dia was okay with it, however, then that was all that mattered.
My dad nodded in satisfaction. “So from now on, Dia is Lugh’s little sister and my daughter. You’re welcome to call me Papa if you want.”
“Ooh, you can call me Mama, too! I’ve always wanted a daughter!” my mother chimed in.
“No way. That’s too weird,” Dia answered, immediately shooting that idea down.
From that moment forward, Dia was my younger sister.
“Lugh will teach you our clan’s ways of assassination. As a direct descendant of House Tuatha Dé, you are entitled to that knowledge. I’d feel uneasy about conducting your training myself since you leave for the academy in only a month. With Lugh as your instructor, though, you can continue your lessons at school.”
“Understood. I’ll take responsibility for instilling Dia with the knowledge of our clan,” I stated.
I’d already been thinking about how to guide Dia. We were going to be a team from then on, after all.
…Also, the boys at the academy were going to have about as much control over their sexual appetites as monkeys. I intended to safeguard Dia from their evil influences, but there was a small chance she could get into a situation where she’d have to protect herself. Training her would equip her with the necessary tools to ensure her own safety.
“Uh, Lugh, you’re scaring me a bit with that face.”
“I was thinking about your practice regimen. You have nothing to worry about. I promise to help make you stronger.”
“Don’t go too hard on me.”
“I’ll be careful not to overwork you.”
I vowed to get her ready without pushing her too far.
We had one month before we’d go to the academy. That intervening time was going to be spent on a lot more than just assassination practice. The most pressing was that Dia, Tarte, and I needed to do some shopping.
The three of us were going to be heading to Milteu to make some essential purchases. Everything we required could be found there. I had a few matters to tend to as Illig as well.
We were traveling to Milteu by carriage. The journey would typically take a few days. That was far too long for my liking, so I made use of a few tricks to speed us up and cut the trip down to a single day.
“I can’t believe how fast we’re going. Everyone we pass looks at us in shock.”
“I’m using a little bit of medical magic. I cast some spells to increase the horse’s physical ability and stamina recovery. I’m also changing the horse every time we stop in a town. There’s no limit to what one can do with money and magic,” I declared.
“…Sometimes it’s hard to believe you’re human, Lugh. Ah, I almost forgot. Let’s go on a date once we get there.” Tarte looked on in jealousy as Dia snuggled up against me.
Conveniently, “Dia” works as a nickname for my new little sister “Claudia.”
“If you’re fine with it mostly being shopping, then yeah, let’s make it a date. We’re going to Milteu to buy things we need for the Royal Academy. You read the letter, right?”
“I did. I’m not sure what the purpose of some of these items is, though,” Dia admitted as she took out the list.
The school had sent a similar missive to every fourteen-year-old noble mage.
It included a permit for entry into the Royal Academy and a list of things we needed to bring with us.
“Um, Lord Lugh. Would it be okay if I went to the academy with you?”
“Of course. I need you, Tarte. I want you at my side.”
“…I’m pleased to hear it. I’ll do my best!”
Common folk could apply to attend the academy so long as they had mana. Aristocratic students were also permitted to bring a retainer with them. Those servants were even allowed to take classes with their lords or ladies. Tarte was in a unique position to apply as either a commoner mage or a servant, but the latter afforded her more flexibility, so we went with that.
“Whoa, so this is how Lugh picks up girls,” Dia remarked.
“…I didn’t mean it that way,” I shot back.
“I’m not angry. It makes me proud to see you do so well with the ladies.”
Our carriage continued to move with incredible speed. I prayed for nothing to go wrong in Milteu.
We arrived in the city ahead of schedule.
It was the first time I’d come as Lugh. During my two years here, I’d lived as Illig Balor of the Balor Company. Walking the streets, I passed many people I recognized, but none of them noticed me. It was a funny feeling.
“Let’s look at athletic wear first, since tailoring will probably take a few hours.” I was talking to Dia, but when I turned around, she wasn’t there. Tarte laughed. She raised a finger to point where the other girl had ventured off to and led me there.
“Lugh, what’s this?” Dia asked, entranced by the sweets being sold at a food cart. She looked cute as she drooled.
The trolley was carrying baked bread made from dough filled with honey and various flavors of jam. The smell wafting from the cart was sweet and pleasant.
“This is a popular sweet in Milteu, called barta. You pick the jam you want when you order. They’re delicious.”
“I have to try one… There are so many jams, I don’t know which one to pick… All right, I’ve decided. I’ll go with loquat jam.”
“What kind of filling would you like, Tarte?”
“Um, I like apricot.”
“Excuse me, sir, can we please have one blueberry, one loquat, and one apricot?”
“Coming right up. Look at you, young man. How’d you end up on a date with two beauties?”
“Jealous, right?” I said, grinning jokingly.
“You bet I am. I’m so jealous I’m gonna do this!” While laughing merrily, he gave us all a large serving of jam on our bartas.
It was kind of him to treat us, and I tipped him accordingly. Once they were ready, I handed Dia and Tarte their sweets.
“Thanks, Lugh. Wow, this is good!”
“Sorry for pressuring you into getting me one, my lord.”
“No need to worry. These are cheap, and I was hungry, too.”
I bit into my barta.
Not only was the honey-filled dough sweet, but it was moist as well. In contrast, the jam had a refreshing tartness that made it seem less sugary. It kept the taste from being overpowering.
The jam was even spread onto our bread in the shape of each of our chosen flavors.
You could see many food carts selling bartas throughout Milteu, but very few were as good as this one. My merchant’s instinct was telling me to entrust this man with a full store.
Maybe I’ll mention that to Balor next time we meet.
“This is delicious! It looked like a lot of food, but it’s not very filling, so I think I’ll be able to finish it no problem,” said Dia.
“I’m surprised, too. I want to know how to make this jam. This is so much better than the kind I make. It’s a little frustrating,” admitted Tarte.
“This is probably the best barta in Milteu,” I remarked.
“Hey, Lugh, can I try a bite of your blueberry one? It looks really good,” requested Dia.
“If we’re trading, let me in, too!” Tarte insisted.
We all traded bites of our pastries. The loquat and apricot ones didn’t disappoint, either.
Admittedly, sharing food with Dia and Tarte gave me a greater sense of happiness than any treat did.
When I looked up, I realized the three of us had attracted a lot of attention from the people around us.
Eating with two beautiful girls evidently attracted a lot of wandering eyes. The staring was starting to feel uncomfortable, and I decided we’d better leave.
After we finished eating, we went shopping and perused some street vendors. I spent two years working in this city for the Balor Company, so I knew the popular stores pretty well.
We bought only the highest-quality products. Cheaping out on tools would only come back to bite us later.
“The tailor should have our clothes finished by evening,” I said.
“Sounds good. We were able to buy better stuff than I expected,” Dia replied.
“I do like what we’ve purchased today, but when it comes to ease of movement, my usual clothes are better,” Tarte added.
She was talking about her assassin outfit. The academy’s list made it clear that a student could bring anything to use as athletic wear, so long as it was easy to move in. Unfortunately, those assassin outfits were made using the secrets of House Tuatha Dé. Wearing such a secret material in public wasn’t allowed.
“Those Tuatha Dé clothes are functional and comfortable, but they’re a little embarrassing. They’re very formfitting,” Dia objected.
“You have nothing to be shy of, Dia. Your body is lovely and attractive, like a fairy,” Tarte reassured.
That wasn’t flattery. Dia’s chest was flat, and she wasn’t very tall, but she didn’t look like a child. Her frame was that of a slim model, and her waist was enviable.
“Oh, it’s not like I don’t have confidence in my appearance. I just feel shy about being ogled.”
“There’s nothing to be done about that. You have to do what it takes to ensure ease of movement,” I declared.
The best way to ensure mobility was to wear formfitting attire. An inevitable consequence was that such garb displayed the contours of your form.
“Um, my lord, can I have a little time later for a personal errand? There’s something I want to buy,” Tarte suddenly asked.
“Sure, but what are you looking for?” I inquired.
“I—I need some new underwear. I’ve gotten bigger, and it’s difficult to find that sort of thing in Tuatha Dé. The quality of such products is better in Milteu, too…”
Ah. So she’s getting bigger.
For a moment, I thought I saw a coldness in Dia’s eyes as she gazed at the fidgeting Tarte.
Our final stop for the day was at a blacksmith to buy some swords. My magic could forge blades, ones that were undoubtedly better than could be found in any store in Milteu, but I couldn’t use them in public. For that reason, we’d sought out the most skilled crafter in the city.
No sooner had we entered than I felt someone watching me. It almost felt like we were being appraised.
“This isn’t a toy store for kids. Get out of— Hmm? You don’t look like ordinary children, especially you, boy. That blond girl, too. All right. I suppose you can pick something out.” The man tending the store looked to be in his midthirties. He gave us a stern look when we first entered, but his expression quickly softened.
I’d heard he was picky about customers, but I hadn’t known he took it to such an extreme.
“Thank you. Can we also purchase a sword for Dia…for this girl, please? I’m going to be training her.”
“I don’t mind. She seems quite capable. If you’re gonna be teaching her, then she’s no doubt worthy of using a sword of mine.”
…I can’t tell him, can I? We were only going to be using the blades we bought from him during classes. In any real combat scenario, we would be using far superior weapons. If he knew that, he’d probably turn us away.
“Thank you. We’ll take a look around,” I said. Then I began to inspect the different swords he had on display.
When choosing a blade, finding one that matched your physique and arm length was paramount. I picked out several weapons that seemed suitable and carefully examined their make. Then I decided on everyone’s swords and had Dia and Tarte take a few test swings with the ones I’d chosen for them.
“It feels so nice!”
“Mine fits me well, too.”
“…Hmm, actually, the grip isn’t quite right. It would be better if you could change the material to something softer. Can we go ahead and get these?” I asked the blacksmith.
“I was about to propose the same thing. It makes me happy that you understand swords so well.” While humming to himself, the craftsman unraveled the grip on the hilt and carefully and nimbly wrapped it with a softer material.
“There you are. The price will be…”
The total per weapon was roughly twice that of a typical blade, though that seemed appropriate. Not wanting to haggle, I paid the man.
“Thank you. These are high-quality products,” I remarked.
“It’s my pleasure. Customers like you are a rare blessing. Come back any time. Anyone who understands swordsmanship as well as you do is always welcome.”
I thought I knew everything there was to know about Milteu. After encountering the food stall from earlier and this exceptional blacksmith, it became apparent that there were still many interesting places and people left to discover in Milteu.
After we finished making small talk with the owner, we walked outside.
I then noticed a group of three young men walking toward us. One of them was clearly wealthy.
I knew this because everything about him seemed to be screaming, “I am an important person.” His two followers were undoubtedly guardsmen.
The rich man loudly instructed the others to go buy him a fitting sword. Perhaps he was preparing to go to the same academy Dia, Tarte, and I were.
Young nobles born with silver spoons in their mouths, much like that guy, were always the type to cause trouble.
After catching sight of Dia and Tarte, his eyes lit up, and his breathing intensified. His excitement was even visibly manifesting in his crotch.
Anyone could’ve guessed what was likely to happen next. Even if I told that upstart who I was, he looked the type to merely scoff at my lowly baron rank and try to whisk Dia and Tarte away.
Using my position as an assassin to scare the haughty noble was obviously not an option. This guy looked too stupid to understand the importance of the connections I held as a doctor, either.
Our social standing differences meant I couldn’t win in an argument, and striking the young man would only lead to problems down the road.
What should I do here?
The answer was simple. All I had to do was nip the situation in the bud before he had a chance to cause any trouble.
I quickened my pace and walked ahead of Tarte and Dia.
Taking long strides, I passed one step ahead of the rich man as he advanced toward the girls. A few paces after we parted, he and his swollen crotch fell to the ground.
The guards’ faces turned pale, and they ran to help him up.
I’d fired a Wind Bullet at the noble’s chin, throwing off his coordination and causing him to fall.
Using a trick of mine, I hid my mana until the moment I cast the spell and knocked him out from his blind spot. Doing something like that after he’d tried to grab Dia and Tarte would’ve given him a reason to suspect me. Because I’d knocked him out before he made a move, however, there was nothing that could tie me to the fall.
My work complete, I slowed down and reunited with Dia and Tarte.
“That guy fell really suddenly. What happened to him?” asked Tarte.
“It’s been scorching out lately. Maybe he got heatstroke?” conjectured Dia.
There was no need to tell them I’d just saved them from danger. That would only ruin the fun we were having.
“That’s everything we needed to buy. What are we doing next?” Dia inquired.
“I made a reservation at an inn for us. Take the rest of the day to rest, then go sightseeing with Tarte tomorrow morning. I have something I need to do, so I won’t be joining you,” I replied.
“That’s strangely vague. Are you hiding something, Lugh? Ah, are you meeting a local wife or something?”
“…No, nothing like that. It’s for work.”
Dia wasn’t entirely wrong. I was visiting Maha, after all. Getting together with her wasn’t without essential purpose, though.
“Hmmm. All right. Tarte, let’s have fun together tomorrow.” Dia seemed to accept my explanation.
“Yeah, I know a lot of great shops I think you’ll love,” Tarte answered cheerily.
“Great, I’m looking forward to it!”
It was nice to see Dia and Tarte warming up to each other.
I’d arranged a meeting with Maha because she’d recently informed me that she’d finally obtained a divine treasure.
While I was genuinely happy she’d managed to find a powerful weapon, I was more interested in anything that could be gleaned from studying a divine treasure. If I analyzed it, there was a possibility I’d be able to make them myself.
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