Chapter 5 | The Assassin Goes on a Family Trip
Dia and I were holed up in the workshop for two entire days. We’d been researching passionately nonstop.
“And it’s done.”
“Whew. I can’t believe we’ve come this far in just two days.”
I looked back over the formula for the spell we’d just completed.
We’d spent the last forty-eight hours working on a formula for gathering natural mana at the ideal ratio. Had I done this alone, I guessed it would’ve taken me half a month. It was because of Dia that we swiftly discovered how the law for gathering natural mana functioned. Although it possessed terrible efficiency, we now had a spell that met the minimum requirements.
“The next part is up to me,” I said.
With the spell completed, the only thing left to do was practice. The field would only form if I could successfully gather the five colors of natural mana at the ideal distribution, add the correct wavelength of physical mana, and use energy to combine them. Controlling all of that came down to skill.
“Don’t worry. I know you’ll be able to do it. The real problem is that we can’t actually prove it works. I don’t doubt your theory, but we won’t know how effective this is without a real demon,” Dia remarked.
“You’re exactly right.”
In the end, all we did was realize a theory based on my recollections of what I’d seen in a battle. We’d only get to test it in actual combat, and failure meant death.
Should it come time to fight a demon and this formula didn’t work, we’d have no recourse but to flee. Running hadn’t been an option at the academy, but knowing when to escape was a talent like any other.
“Now we can go on our date, like you promised. I’m looking forward to seeing where you’ll take me, Lugh.” Dia cheerfully wrapped her arm around mine. Her smell and the softness of her skin were making me dizzy. The incident with Tarte a few days ago still had me feeling a little uneasy.
A date, huh? I’m sure I could find time for one when we’re away for my award ceremony.
“I guarantee we’ll have a great time. I know a decent amount about the royal capital,” I replied.
While the academy was in a more suburban area, it was still part of the city. I always thoroughly investigated the places I lived. Knowing how to use the land was vital for an assassin.
Dia rubbed her eyes.
“Are you tired?” I asked.
“A little, yeah.”
She’d hardly slept these past two days. Once Dia went into research mode, she forgot all about exhaustion. I had Rapid Recovery, so that wasn’t an issue for me, but she needed rest.
“I’ll carry you to your room.”
“Okay, that would be great.”
I picked Dia up in my arms like a princess, and she put her hands around my neck. Then we made for her room.
As was ever the case, her chamber was filled to bursting with various implements and books related to magic and sported no girly affectations whatsoever. I laid her down on the bed.
“We’re here, Dia. Can you let go of me?”
Although I wasn’t carrying her anymore, she didn’t seem at all willing to release me.
“Oh, Lugh, you never take my invitations.” Dia sighed, looking up at me with mischievous eyes.
I swallowed hard. “Someday. It’s still too soon.”
“I’m waiting for you. I’m ready anytime… Doing this is embarrassing, you know. But I’m afraid if I’m too passive, someone else will get to you first.”
She really is adorable. Hearing her sound so eager nearly made me lose control.
Early the following day, my dad and I pulled out the horses and the carriage and furnished them with expensive raiment and gaudy bridles that we didn’t regularly use.
Receiving a medal in the royal capital demanded a certain level of etiquette. That extended even to the carriage. Arriving in a shabby conveyance would cause people to make fun of House Tuatha Dé and call us country bumpkins, so this preparation was essential.
“This should do,” muttered my dad as he completed the flawless decorations.
An assassin needed to be able to deal with any situation. As such, my dad and I could do just about anything. Even the carriage was homemade.
“You’ve got a talent for this, Dad. If we had a little more time, I would have been able to procure some things from Milteu to make it seriously fancy, though,” I stated.
“It’s fine as is. We’ve made it good enough. Anything more would be pointless.”
As Dad said, this was just enough for us to avoid scorn. If we went flashier, people might start to think we’d grown full of ourselves despite our lowly station as a baron family. Aristocracy was truly fickle and annoying.
“Cian, Lugh, we’re ready, too.”
“Wow, I wouldn’t have thought the ever-practical House Tuatha Dé would have this kind of carriage.”
Mom and Dia walked up to us, their silver hair dancing in the wind behind them. Both were carrying large suitcases that held spare underwear and dresses for parties. I was being recognized for my accomplishments, and as my family, they needed to sport the appropriate attire.
“Wait, Dia, what will you be wearing?” I inquired.
She had come here from the Viekone domain with nothing but the clothes on her back. All the daily necessities were provided for her, of course, but she didn’t have any formal gowns for parties in the royal capital.
“I’m wearing some of Esr…er, Mom’s old dresses,” Dia answered.
“They fit her perfectly. I wanted to have Tarte wear some of them, but they’re too tight on her chest,” my mom elaborated.
“I’m sure Tarte will be fine in servant clothes,” I replied.
Each house was permitted to bring one or two servants to the festivities. There were exceptions, but most of them wore attendant garb instead of formal vestments.
Speaking of Tarte, where is she?
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than she came running over to us, carrying a large basket.
“I’m sorry I’m late!”
“There’s no need to rush. We still have plenty of time before we need to leave,” I said.
“That’s a relief.”
“What’s that?”
“I made us all some boxed lunches. I planned to get them finished a little earlier, but this morning, Mr. Hans brought some eggs as a thank-you gift for curing his cow. I thought it would be a waste not to eat them today while they’re fresh, so I added them to our meals,” Tarte explained.
“Ah, thanks. That was very kind of him,” I said in return.
Hans had gone through the trouble of coming by so early because he wanted to give me the eggs at their best. Tarte knew leaving them for after we got back from the royal capital would be putting that goodwill to waste. She had always been the type to show deep consideration for others.
“I’m sure they’re very high quality, so I hope everyone’s looking forward to eating them. I made the faloodeh you love, Lord Lugh,” Tarte added.
“That sounds wonderful. If there’s nothing else, then we should be on our way,” I declared.
“Yes, my lord,” answered Tarte.
The entire family climbed into the carriage, and the horses got moving.
“This is our first family trip in three years. We haven’t had any opportunities since you went to Milteu, Lugh,” my mom remarked.
“Yeah. The last time was when we went to Margrave Gullanar’s party,” I replied.
That had certainly been an obnoxious escapade. Margrave Gullanar was a prominent noble who managed the entire region and held political power equal to a duke. From the position of a lowly baron’s family, he may as well have been living on the clouds.
Along with all other noble households in the area, my family had been asked to attend his heir’s wedding. Despite our usual dogged persistence in avoiding such high-profile social functions, even we hadn’t been able to refuse.
“You looked so cute in that outfit I had you wear,” my mom said with a sigh as she reminisced.
“…That was traumatic for me.”
As per usual, my mom had forced me to don clothes she’d made. While that particular outfit thankfully had pants instead of a skirt, it still looked undeniably feminine. Adults at the wedding had fallen over themselves at how cute I looked, and the kids made fun of me for looking like a girl. It was best not to care what other people thought of you, but I’d wanted nothing more than to melt through the floor back then.
“You’ve been getting so mean lately, Lugh. I went through all the effort of tailoring your outfit for this ceremony, and you refused to wear it.”
“Sorry, Mom, but I’ve already picked out one I like.”
As a young executive of the Balor Company, Illig Balor required regular formal attire, so I had plenty of outfits to choose from. Naturally, the ensemble I selected was one I’d never worn out before, to keep people from suspecting that Illig and I were the same person. Maha had sent it to me in advance because I’d anticipated that my mom would try to put me in something homemade.
While making conversation with my family, I noticed a presence and gave my dad a sign. The Tuatha Dé clan possesses a technique that allows us to communicate to an extent without using our voices.
Dad, we’re being tailed. Two people.
I detected them, too. Judging by their movements, they’re here to observe.
Should we go after them? They’re decently skilled, but no trouble for us.
Let’s leave them be. I don’t think they’re enemies for now. Likely, they’re here to evaluate.
We weren’t even at the royal capital yet, and already we had a tail. My award ceremony had saddled House Tuatha Dé with a lot of attention.
Although our work as assassins was kept secret, my family was still famous thanks to its achievements in the medical field. As the Tuatha Dé heir and acting substitute for the hero, I was going to stand out whether I liked it or not.
I could only guess at who these pursuers worked for. My dad and I had decided not to engage them, but if they showed any intention of hostility, I’d exterminate them without holding back.
After a long journey in our horse-drawn carriage, we arrived at the royal capital. On the way, we passed by the academy and saw that the reconstruction was progressing swiftly. From what I could tell, it might reopen sooner than planned.
Some knights from the Royal Alvanian Order came to guide us after we passed through the city gate and announced our identity. We were to head to the palace immediately. Living quarters had been prepared for us.
That was an unexpected revelation. My family and I had intended on staying at one of the city’s inns until the day of the award ceremony.
“I can’t believe we’re going to be staying in a castle. My little Lugh has become such an amazing young man,” my mother said with a sigh.
“This is incredible. I’m sure the structure has plenty of rooms for visitors, but a baron’s family typically isn’t extended this courtesy,” I remarked.
“You never cease to impress, my lord… Still, I’m nervous at the idea of staying in a palace,” Tarte admitted.
My mom and Dia were in high spirits. The same could not be said of my dad, however, who seemed troubled.
“This is likely an indicator of how much they’re expecting from Lugh,” he stated.
“We don’t know if that’s their intention. It might only be a front so that those upset about keeping the hero in the capital don’t lose faith in me,” I replied.
Our carriage rolled along the city streets and onto the grounds of the alabaster castle. As one would expect of the nation’s seat of power, it was an impressive building. High walls and a deep moat encircled it, and countless ballista and mechanisms for pouring molten iron dotted the parapets. Soldiers were stationed in every tower, constantly on the lookout.
Despite such features, it managed to look resplendent. Violence and beauty coexisted in this place. I actually quite liked it.
Beyond the castle gate was an incredible garden that had to be several hundred meters wide. Every flower was in bloom, and the trees were pruned in an artful fashion. Decorative fountains littered the area.
“Wow…it’s so pretty. This kind of garden would be impossible even in Viekone,” commented Dia.
“I wonder how much money this all costs,” I mused idly.
The amount of money spent every month on this garden’s upkeep could feed hundreds. That said, this enclosure didn’t exist for pleasure alone. It also served as a symbol of the nation’s prestige, so I couldn’t declare it a total waste.
Our carriage and horses were taken into the care of palace staff, and my family and I were led to our quarters by a group of servants. They asked us to relax until summoned.
The rooms were practically a home unto themselves, with a fully furnished kitchen, a living room, a few bathrooms, and six bedrooms. There was also a simple refrigerator stocked with plenty of water and an impressive collection of foreign fruits. Should we have required anything more, there was a bell to summon servants at any time of day. It was palatial in every sense of the word.
Tarte looked dumbfounded. “All these paintings and vases are amazing.”
“If you broke one of those, you’d end up enslaved for life trying to pay it off.”
When maids committed careless mistakes, they were occasionally forced to pay with their bodies. However, breaking any of the expensive pieces here earned you a debt even a lifetime working in brothels couldn’t pay off.
“Eek!” Tarte moved away from a vase and cowered. I understood the feeling.
We each picked out a room. Trembling, Tarte asked me whether it was appropriate for her to be here, but I assured her that I didn’t mind. Depending on the situation, I’d prefer her as my servant to any of the castle staff.
As soon as we changed into the comfortable loungewear provided for us, an attendant arrived. They informed me that Epona had requested my presence.
Evidently, the time had come for Epona to bequeath some of her power to me using her skill My Loyal Knights. I wondered exactly how much she could give me.
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