Chapter 12 | The Assassin Is Targeted
Now done with our business in Milteu, I decided we should return home in a carriage. Running home would be much faster, but I had a reason for my decision.
“Dia, Tarte, what do you think the most frightening thing in noble society is?”
“Hmm, maybe political power. Or money!”
“I agree with Lady Dia. Nobles don’t even think of people like us as humans. Ah, but House Tuatha Dé is completely different.”
Influence and wealth were definitely symbols of an aristocrat’s might.
“Incorrect. There is reason to be afraid of money and political power, but the mere possession of them isn’t something to be feared. The problem is how they’re used. Three principles govern a noble’s conduct: the desire to move up in society, vanity, and jealousy. The third one is especially troublesome. You can control the other two to an extent, but there’s nothing you can do about envy.”
“…Ah, I see what you’re saying.” Dia nodded in understanding. She’d been raised as a major noble, so she grasped my words quickly. Tarte, however, tilted her head to one side, confused.
“When consumed by jealousy, aristocrats tend to become aggressive. Initially, they might only badmouth the object of their ire, and then they’ll start spreading false rumors. If that doesn’t sate them, they may move on to traps or something more direct,” I explained.
“Um, what do you mean by direct?” Dia asked.
“They’ll try to eliminate the pest that has become such an eyesore. Should the target be of a lower standing, they can squash them easily. I don’t think aristocrats can stand the idea of someone beneath them possessing something they don’t.”
Regardless of the world, the tallest blade of grass was the first to be cut.
Egotism inspired bigotry in the nobility, and their reckless use of power led to some serious character flaws. Still, being jealous of me because I was chosen as a Holy Knight seemed a little absurd. The central government was only using me as an excuse to keep the hero in the royal capital.
“Hmm, so that’s why you chose to return home in a carriage and why you brought that up,” Dia stated, having figured it out.
“Nice job. Some dangerous-looking people have been tailing us since this morning. They’ve evaded revealing themselves thus far, so they’re quite skilled.”
“I wonder if they’re just observing us,” offered Dia.
“I don’t think that’s it. Were that the case, I wouldn’t feel such bloodlust coming off them.”
Many people were interested in the new Holy Knight. Most of the time, they were content to watch. However, I was an assassin, and I could sense murderous intent in my bones. Those following our carriage wanted to kill.
“Um, then why did we leave the city in this buggy in the middle of the night? It’s like you’re telling them to attack us, my lord,” Tarte pointed out.
“That’s precisely what I’m doing. This is bait. Being stalked until who knows when would be uncomfortable, right? So I’m having them make a move. I’ll turn the tables and capture them, then force them to confess who they work for.”
I needed to identify whoever wanted me dead and eliminate them swiftly.
“But will this really work out?” Dia asked doubtfully.
“That depends. Fortunately, it looks like they’ve laid a trap for us. See the two trees on either side of the highway about three hundred meters ahead? Look carefully between them.”
The two girls did as instructed and gathered mana in their Tuatha Dé eyes.
“Ah, there’s a string there.”
“I’d feel awful for the horse if we crashed into that.”
A tough metallic thread was tied taut between the trees. The sun had already set, so no one but me could have noticed. If the horse struck the wire, it would go tumbling over, and our carriage would crash to the ground.
“My plan is to charge into their ambush.”
Dia’s eyes widened in recognition. “I get what you’re thinking now, Lugh. Going through the trap is the only way to get them to attack.”
“That’s correct. Let’s take a tumble. Don’t worry. I’ll guide the horse so that it falls gently,” I said.
“That’s not what I’m worried about!!” Dia snapped.
We’d borrowed this steed. Any injury meant paying large indemnities. Considering Natural You’s wealth, it was a small price to pay, but I still didn’t enjoy wasting money. I intended to steer the horse with meticulous caution to ensure a graceful fall.
“I suppose you two should know what we’re up against. The assailants trying to kill me are fairly adept.”
Whoever wanted me dead likely believed my accomplishments during the battle with General Orc were fabricated. Even so, they had to know I was the best in my class and that I’d defeated a vice-commander of the Royal Order one-on-one. They weren’t going to throw amateurs at me.
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” agreed Dia.
“I thought this would make for excellent practice, so I’m leaving them to you two,” I declared.
The girls’ eyes opened wide at that.
“What? We’re going to fight them?” Dia asked.
“I-I’m not sure we can do it,” Tarte admitted.
“You’ll be fine. There are three people pursuing us, and each is as strong as a vice-commander of the Royal Order. Knowing that, it’s safe to assume the person behind this is a major noble.”
A mage’s strength was primarily determined by the amount of mana they were born with. Thus, aristocrats engaged in selective breeding to maintain strong bloodlines.
This resulted in capable children who brought wealth to their houses, and much was invested in their education. Strength and political power tended to be proportionate to each other in Alvan.
Being attacked by foes of this caliber worked out very nicely for me. After all, if they had noble blood, then surely they knew something of use.
“This doesn’t sound fine to me!” Again, Dia protested.
“I’m telling you, it won’t be a problem. They’re no better than vice-commanders. With how strong you two have become, your victory is assured. All right, it’s time to fall. Be careful not to bite your tongue.”
A few seconds later, the horse walked into the thread.
I slowed the horse as much as I could without tipping off our pursuers and skillfully directed it to tumble safely without injuring its legs. Next, I detached the steed and had the carriage collapse exactly as our opponents hoped.
There was a loud neigh as the startled horse stood and ran off.
All right, that went great. From their point of view, it looks like their trap got us.
That’s when a giant fireball came our way. The spell threatened to send the buggy up in flames in an instant.
Only those who’d been educated from a young age could use that sort of magic. These assailants had to be the children of the head of their house.
“Ugh, fine. You’d better save us if this goes poorly, okay?”
Dia raised a scream, and towering walls of dirt rose from the ground to surround the carriage. It was an original earth spell of ours. We’d simplified the chant as much as possible so that the barricade could be erected in only two seconds.
The fireball was scorching, but its lack of mass caused it to bounce off the earth wall without breaking through it. In the briefest moment, Dia had selected the correct spell and executed it artfully. Her situational decision-making was excellent.
“I’ll be watching from a distance. Just relax, and you’ll win this fight.” As soon as I said that, I used magic to burrow into the ground and slip from the scene in an undetectable way.
Tasking Dia and Tarte with handling these assassins served as good training, but I had something else I wanted to see to as well. This trio of attackers was conspicuously capable. Such adroit groups always kept another person hidden out of sight. While the girls took care of the immediate threat, I would stalk for the unseen one.
The dirt barrier crumbled, and out flew Dia and Tarte.
Two of the three assailants stood before their third, who was already working on another incantation.
Dia and Tarte took a similar formation, with Tarte in the front and Dia in the back.
“Earth Wall!”
Dia cast the spell she’d used to protect the carriage, and mounds of soil formed around her. This time, however, there was a gap in the front.
This was something Dia had conceived to keep herself safe while intoning spells. Using magic as a primary combat method came with the disadvantage of not being able to strengthen yourself with mana while working a spell. That left you defenseless. Even with a vanguard to protect you, there would always be blind spots to the rear and sides. Dia’s conjured barricade eliminated that concern.
So long as Tarte didn’t slip up, Dia had a safe environment to focus on what she did best. She’d left a gap in front so she could launch her attacks. Had she not trusted Tarte, that kind of strategy would have been impossible.
As for Tarte…
“They’re…strong.”
She was at a disadvantage, only barely holding off the killers because of the Wind Armor spells she’d activated while in the buggy. The reason for that was simple: She was dueling two opponents at once. Both were clearly skilled swordsmen, and they struck simultaneously.
A spear’s biggest boon was its long range, but Tarte couldn’t exploit that under these conditions. One of her foes easily moved in close, and without saying anything, he forced Tarte back with his blade.
Tarte’s Wind Armor wasn’t only for defense—she could boost herself in a direction by releasing a blast of air. Thus, when an enemy drew too close, she could use her magical wind to deflect any slashes she could avoid and speed away to regroup.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep that up for very long. Wind Armor was powerful but brief. Tarte wasn’t quick enough with incantations to invoke it again in the thick of a fight, either. Her defeat was only a matter of time.
The third assailant completed their spell, which turned out to be the same sort of fireball they’d loosed earlier. Perhaps it was the most powerful bit of magic they knew.
How dull, I mused.
“Is that the best they can do? Their mage is nothing special,” Dia quipped.
She fired a burning javelin that knocked the incoming fireball out of the sky. The lance then continued forward, piercing the hostile caster.
It was an original fire spell that Dia had created called Flame Spear. Unlike most fire magic, it had excellent puncturing capability. It could be guided midflight, too. Dia had sensed that mage was going to hurl a spell at Tarte, so she’d prepared something to counter.
With the rearguard disposed of, Dia had no need to provide support and could participate directly in the skirmish. The two assailants with swords, realizing this, began to swing more frantically.
Tarte’s Wind Armor dissipated. Its time was up.
One of the killers dashed forward while Tarte was distracted by the other one. Her response was going to be too late. The assassin raised their weapon, looking pleased.
Spears were ineffective without proper space between the user and the target. With his distance and timing, the assailant was undoubtedly confident of his victory. He was mistaken, however. While Tarte used a polearm, it was not the only armament at her disposal.
Three gunshots sounded. Tarte had thrown down her spear, drawn her pistol from the holster strapped to her right thigh, and fired rapidly.
Handguns functioned well at close range, even better than swords did. That pistol shot rounds with twice the force of a Magnum, and its projectiles were strengthened with mana so that they could pierce through flesh. I had designed them to make that possible.
Tarte was following orders well. When a gun with a barrel that short possessed that much force, accurately aiming was impossible. Thus, I’d taught Tarte to use her pistol at close distances, to target her opponent’s center of mass rather than vitals, and to always fire three times, regardless of whether she hit the mark or not. And that’s precisely what she did.
If you aimed for the middle of the body, you’d likely hit even if you were a little off. Loosing three rounds ensured a kill.
Truthfully, she ended up shooting the assailant in the right shoulder, the left knee, and right through the stomach. She’d gone wide of his center by a significant margin. Had she aimed for the man’s head, she probably wouldn’t have hit at all. A single strike wouldn’t have been lethal. That was why aiming for the middle of the body and pulling the trigger three times was best.
“Lord Lugh’s gun protected me… Just one more left!” Tarte exclaimed, and she turned her pistol toward the final assassin.
The last remaining assailant immediately tried to flee. It was a wise choice. Dia and Tarte had bested their two compatriots, so he had no chance of winning alone. Unfortunately for him, the girls weren’t foolish enough to allow his escape.
A single gunshot cracked in the night. Compared with Tarte’s weapon, it was higher-pitched. A rifle round pierced the retreating man’s leg, and he crashed hard to the ground.
“Don’t underestimate my sniping.”
That was Dia’s Gun Strike. Unlike Tarte’s handgun, which was intended for close quarters, this spell created a rifle that fired accurately from long distances. Dia had grown accustomed to this spell at a very young age.
Furthermore, she’d used it conjointly with another bit of magic that raised accuracy, enabling her to sharpshoot anything within three hundred meters, give or take a few centimeters of calculation error. She could pinpoint aim for vital points with that level of accuracy, and all she needed was one shot.
Both of the girls had grown a lot. As I’d said, those three killers each rivaled a vice-commander in the Royal Order. But they were no problem for Dia and Tarte.
“Tarte, hurry and restrain him. He’s the only one left,” Dia called.
“Okay!”
Because of how dangerous these opponents were, disabling the first two rather than killing them hadn’t been an option. We chose not to kill the last one, though, so we could get information out of him. That’s why Dia had aimed at his leg instead of his heart.
I’d thought it would take all the girls had to beat those three, but I’d vastly underestimated them. I resolved to praise them for this later.
The girls delivered their victory, and now I had to do my part.
When killing covertly as a team, there was a kind of ironclad rule. It was to station an observer some distance behind those in battle. This watcher’s job was to either recover allies or destroy evidence if things went south. Should either of those options prove impossible, then that observer would return to base and report on what had occurred. Our enemies were organized and skilled, which was how I knew they’d have someone watching from a concealed place.
Such a person couldn’t be overlooked. The guns and original spells that Dia, Tarte, and I used were all things I didn’t want others to know about. There was no way I could let word of them leak.
I’d left Dia and Tarte to fend for themselves so that I could locate the fourth member of the group of assassins trying to kill me. While I’d thought it might be difficult, I got a bit of help from an unlikely source—the third killer. He’d looked in the direction of the observer in a plea for help when he tried to escape.
I crept up from the watcher’s blind spot and threw a knife that wouldn’t strike any vitals. True to my aim, I pierced the side of their torso.
“Hrngh…” The observer repressed a scream and let out a muffled sound.
I’d laced the knife with a neurotoxin strong enough to render an elephant immobile. They wouldn’t be able to move anything from the neck down.
“Relax, I won’t kill you,” I said from behind them.
The observer looked to be a woman. She had a slender build, but the mana surrounding her rivaled Dia’s, which put her capacity at the peak of humanity.
This came as a surprise. Her three allies were significantly weaker. Why was someone with so much power being wasted on watch duty?
“I have a few things I want to ask. Answer honestly, and I won’t harm you. But if you don’t cooperate, I’ll use a more forceful method,” I cautioned.
There’d been more than a little off about this attack. We’d come to Milteu in secret and had traveled by running, which should have been difficult to detect. How had we been found?
Considering the elite talent of the assailants, only a major noble could’ve been behind this. However, it all seemed a bit rash for someone of such high standing.
No matter what it takes, I need to get her to talk.
“All right, first question,” I began, but no sooner had the words left my mouth than the woman’s skin tore, and a giant snake emerged from inside her body, baring its fangs.
A monster disguised as a human?!
I clicked my tongue as I barely dodged the serpent. Then I swiftly drew a knife from a hidden pocket and stabbed it. Despite what should have been a mortal wound, it passed by me and made off.
“NeEd To TeLl EvErYoNe, ThIs OnE DaNgErOuS. dAnGeRoUs,” the snake hissed as it departed.
I felt a sudden assault of dizziness and fell to my knees. Some of the creature’s blood had splashed onto me.
It must have contained a deadly poison. One strong enough to immobilize me even though I’d built up a resistance to toxins from a young age.
Hands shaking, I pulled a gun out of my Leather Crane Bag. Then, unable to rely on my blurred vision, I used wind magic to find the snake and aligned my barrel. Instead of using my shaking hands, I operated the firearm using a spell that controlled magnetism.
I have no choice but to kill it.
I wanted to capture it alive to obtain information, but it was a snake. If I hit it anywhere other than its head, its powerful vitality would allow it to escape. The top priority was not letting it return to report what happened here, so I had to aim for its skull. If I tried to capture it and fail, it was all over.
“Gun Strike!”
I fired a bullet and pierced the serpent’s head. Unable to stand after that, I staggered back against a tree.
After washing the poison out with water I had on hand, I used mana to strengthen my self-healing and immune strength. This was the most potent poison I had ever been subjected to. Even making full use of Rapid Recovery, it was going to take a while to heal.
No normal monster held such incredible strength. Once I felt a bit better, I gathered up all the snake blood I could manage. There were many uses for venom that potent.
After a brief rest, I returned to the girls.
“Ah, there you are. What took you so long, Lugh?” Dia inquired.
“Sorry about that. I came across more trouble than I expected. You two did great. Well done capturing one of them alive.” I looked at the captured man. He was bound with rope, and Dia and Tarte had stopped his bleeding.
Wait a second…
“Why is he dead?” I asked.
Dia did inflict a severe wound with Gun Strike, but the assassin should have survived if the bleeding had been stopped right away.
“I’m so sorry, my lord! We treated him immediately, but he still perished. We lost a valuable source of information,” Tarte said, bowing her head vigorously.
I examined the corpse. “You have nothing to be sorry for. The cause of death was poison. They’d planned to commit suicide upon capture.”
There was something else bothering me, but I kept that a secret from Dia and Tarte. The composition of the toxin that killed this man was the same as what was in that giant snake’s blood. That meant they actually were working with that monster.
Also, he didn’t commit suicide after being detained. From what I could tell, he’d been made to drink an altered version of the poison that had a delayed effect. No matter how this battle went, these assailants were going to die. They’d been disposable from the start.
Dia furrowed her brow. “Hold on. This person is a noble. From a really good family, too. I’ve never heard of someone in so high a standing dirtying their hands directly like this.”
I understood why she was surprised. This man’s large mana capacity was the kind of thing found only in the greatest families. The crest on his armor was that of House Auraina, a count’s house. They were a major noble clan well out of House Tuatha Dé’s league.
Someone that important was used for a job that required ingesting lethal poison? Just what is going on here?
“…His armor and family insignia belong to House Auraina. I also recognize him. This is Count Auraina himself. What would move him to do this kind of thing?” I wondered.
“Really?! What was he doing here? He was an idiot, though. Even after going so far as to commit suicide not to reveal anything, he still used equipment with his crest on it,” remarked Dia.
That definitely didn’t add up. I would have recognized Count Auraina even without the armor, but it was still careless. Usually, an assassin would want to conceal any affiliation.
Perhaps that’s not the case this time, though…
“There’s probably some piece of information more important to them than whatever noble houses were involved, and that’s what they wanted to hide,” I stated.
From the very beginning, this attack had been bizarre. Knowing we were in Milteu, using a noble as a disposable pawn, cooperating with a monster—none of it added up.
Then I was struck by an idea. Maybe their goal was to conceal the true mastermind behind all of this? If someone like Count Auraina was a mere tool, then it was natural to assume something bigger was going on.
One possibility was a demon lurking in the center of noble society, manipulating many more nobles beyond just Count Auraina. The monster I killed was likely assigned to keep an eye on the manipulated aristocrats. If I thought about it that way, things began to make sense. What’s more, the one who took the observer role in an assassination attempt was usually of higher rank. In this case, the monster outstripped the humans.
Did the demon know my location because it had already wedged its way into the center of noble society? I thought this an attack by aristocrats born out of jealousy, but what if it was set in motion by a demon who saw me as dangerous? If that hypothesis was correct, then things were dire.
“Dia, Tarte, I have a question. If demons could wear people’s skin, infiltrate society, and turn nobles into their puppets, what do you think would happen to this country?”
“What are you saying? That’s impossible,” replied Dia.
“But if it did happen, the Alvanian Kingdom would be finished,” said Tarte.
I wanted to believe it was impossible, too. But given the circumstances, it seemed feasible. The sight of the giant snake biting through that woman’s skin and emerging from her body flashed before my eyes again.
“…Anyway, let’s go home. My attempt to capture these assailants failed. Dia, burn all the corpses so that we don’t leave behind any evidence of what happened here,” I instructed.
“Do you really want to do that? We have clear evidence we were attacked by Count Auraina’s house. We can get them to pay compensation,” she said.
“That could just stir up the hornet’s nest. Let’s pretend this never happened.”
“All right, I’ll do it, then.”
I watched Dia get to work. From here on, I would need to be warier of the central government. Natural You’s information network would need to look into that organization.
If I could confirm that a demon was among the lawmakers of this nation, assassinating it needed to be my top priority. It would pay for thinking they could do as they liked with my country. Eliminating malignant presences was the long-held mission of House Tuatha Dé.
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