Chapter 6 | The Assassin Gains New Power
“Tarte, can you come with me?” I called out as I was getting myself ready.
“Yes, my lord!”
“I’m gonna stay here,” said Dia.
I left the room together with Tarte.
The idea that the hero was going to grant me some of her skills seemed too good to be true. Still, I had no reason to refuse. I trusted Epona.
The higher you climbed in this castle, the more opulent the furnishings became. Only the royal family was permitted on the top level, and the one below it was used by those directly beneath the royal family in terms of rank.
Tarte and I were brought to the second-highest floor. As the lowly son of a baron, it was unthinkable to enter such a place. That was just how highly regarded the hero was.
I felt many gazes on me as I walked. These people already recognized what I looked like.
“Did they send around a portrait of me or something?”
While I disguised my face during assassination jobs, I still wasn’t happy about all this popularity.
Our destination was a conservatory that protruded from the castle proper. The ceiling and floor were constructed from special glass, making it feel like we were in a floating flowerbed.
Epona was in the middle of the room. As soon as she saw me, she ran up and bowed her head.
“Lugh, I’m so sorry! You told me not to say anything, but I ended up losing my temper and revealing everything. It’s because of me that you wound up involved in all of this!” She then proceeded to bend at the waist a few more times.
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“I’m telling you, it’s okay.”
I understood that Epona was the sort who would say anything when her emotions got the better of her. Going forward, I would have to be careful not to let slip too much critical information around her.
“Um, well, I know apologizing isn’t enough, so I thought I’d use my skill. It’s called My Loyal Knights.”
Guess we’re getting straight to it.
“What kind of skill is it?” I asked knowingly.
“Let’s see, I can lend my power to three people throughout my lifetime. I say lend, but that doesn’t mean I give away my strength—I still remain the same. To be more specific, you get mana, physical might, and a few of my skills,” explained Epona.
“That would be a significant boon. I’m going to be fighting demons, so every little bit will help.”
“There are some conditions, though. If you oppose one of my orders, then you will lose the effects of My Loyal Knights, and the same thing will happen if you suffer defeat in a battle with something important at stake. Those conditions still apply even if I were to die. Once a person loses my power, I can’t grant it to them again.”
Losing this boon if I disobeyed her meant doing whatever she commanded, no matter how impossible. That could be troublesome.
However, the biggest drawback was probably the loss upon being defeated in combat. Once you obtained this skill, you could never lose again.
I hadn’t known it had to be a struggle with something precious hanging in the balance, though. If what Epona said was correct, then being bested in training was no problem.
“Have you ever used it on someone?” I inquired.
“I actually have used it once. Shortly after I awoke as the hero, I used it on a huge man with blue hair near the Soigelian border.”
Wait. I know someone who fits that description. It couldn’t be…
“His power hasn’t come back to me yet, so I think he’s still doing well,” added Epona.
“I’m curious, what skills did you give him?”
“Berserk and some others. I don’t think I can choose which ones someone receives from My Loyal Knights. Those that best suit the recipient are chosen.”
Did this mean that Setanta, the man I’d fought to protect Dia, got his strength from Epona? He’d mentioned something about never having a real fight before, so he must have been incredibly strong from the get-go. Somewhere along the way, he presumably met Epona and became a monster.
When I faced him, I thought it couldn’t have been a coincidence that he happened to have Berserk and a skill that allowed him to maintain his reason even in that savage state. However, I may have gotten it backward. There was a chance Setanta possessed an ability that kept his mind clear first, and that was the reason My Loyal Knights had given him Berserk.
Epona had unknowingly confirmed something terrible. Her sensing that Setanta was okay meant he had somehow survived our encounter. We’d probably meet again at some point.
He did wager something important during that battle. Does the fact that he didn’t forfeit his power mean he’s aware that he didn’t lose the duel, but was instead caught off guard? If that’s the case, then that stipulation seems quite lenient.
“I see. So that’s how it works. Are you sure about this, though? You can only use it on three people,” I said.
“Yes, it’s no problem. You saved me, after all. It’s thanks to you that I can be the hero. This will help you keep your promise,” replied Epona.
I’d sworn that if she ever became a monster, I’d put her down. That was the very reason I’d been sent to this world.
“Got it. Then I accept your offer,” I stated.
“All right, here goes.” Wasting no time, Epona placed her hands on my shoulders. They glowed with a faint green light, which sank into my body.
“Okay, it’s done. You should be able to use some of my skills now, Lugh.”
“Was that really it?”
The entire thing was wholly anticlimactic.
“All I did was use the skill. Next, I’d like to give you this. I had to pull some strings to get it for you.” Epona produced an appraisal sheet, a rare item that revealed what skills you had.
I went ahead and used the magical item. The hero had granted me five new skills. Out of those, two caught my eye immediately.
The first was My Loyal Knights. I couldn’t believe I had miraculously gained the very skill that bequeathed me this new power in the first place. Regardless, I was grateful for it. I could use it to strengthen Dia and Tarte. They would be joining me in battles against demons, and I had been worried that their standard training would be insufficient.
Possibility Egg was the other big prize. I’d gone back and forth about picking this A-Rank skill a lot before being reincarnated. Based on the owner’s nature, it could become any other skill from S Rank to B Rank. Had I used my A-Rank slot on it, there was a chance I could have ended up with another S-Rank skill, but I hadn’t thought the gamble was wise at the time. There was a risk it could never become another skill.
The rest of the new abilities were all versatile and mighty, precisely what I’d expect from skills chosen from among the hero’s collection.
“What skills did you get?” Epona questioned.
“Surprisingly, I got My Loyal Knights. I wonder if that happened because I have experience teaching a lot of people,” I answered.
“I think it’s perfect for you… You know, I honestly believe you’re capable of killing a demon. But, Lugh, if you prove unable, flee and call for my help. I’ll come running even if it means disobeying the king.” Epona took my hand in hers as she made her declaration. She must have felt closer to me than I had assumed.
“Should it come to that, I will. But I’ll do my best to ensure that won’t be necessary. Focus on protecting the country, and I’ll do the killing. Those will be our roles.”
Hopefully, that would leave Epona less likely to destroy the world. Because the hero thought so highly of me, however, my death could now be the trigger for her going mad. I didn’t appreciate that twist of irony.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s guard the world together. You’re more of a hero than I am, Lugh.”
“That’s not true. I’m as far from it as you can get.”
No matter where life took me, I was an assassin.
Epona released my hand and stood up. “Okay, I’m going to head back. Someone important is expecting me. I think your workload is only going to increase from here, but do your best. Actually, you’ll probably fare much better than me. All right, see you.”
Once the hero was gone, Tarte, who had been standing behind me the entire time, spoke. “That was quick, my lord.”
“Yeah, it was a bit uneventful. But this is even more power than I was expecting.”
If this was the secret of Setanta’s might, then I at least wanted to match his strength. I hoped to run some tests on these new skills.
“After I experiment a bit, I plan to use My Loyal Knights on you, Tarte. If I do, you’ll have to stay with me for the rest of your life. Are you okay with that?” I asked.
“M-my entire life? Th-that sounds amazing! Please use it on me. I belong to you, Lord Lugh!”
Tarte excitedly balled her fists in front of her chest. She looked adorable.
“Let’s head back. Tomorrow’s going to get very busy. You’ll need to pay more attention to your conduct than usual because of who we’ll be interacting with,” I cautioned.
“You can count on me. I’ve practiced thoroughly to keep from embarrassing you.”
Judging by how Tarte had carried herself at the academy, I had nothing to fret over. She had always been reliable. Truthfully, I was more likely to commit a breach of etiquette than she was.
While I’d gained some new abilities today, there were a few more souvenirs I intended on making mine before returning home. If the government was going to shove me into a deadly role, then I was going to get what I could from it.
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