Prologue | The Assassin Returns Home
Recent events left the academy temporarily closed, and Dia, Tarte, and I were returning to Tuatha Dé.
The demon orc attack a few days ago had destroyed the academy’s bulwark, rendering the structure useless as a stronghold and necessitating immediate repair. Many parents were in an uproar, as no one wanted to leave their child at the school when it was in such a state.
Nobles had a duty to fight monsters, and while there was a risk that another force could strike while the academy was out of commission, it didn’t make sense to force kids to live in a death trap. Thus, it was decided that students would be sent home until the bulwark was repaired. Functionally, this meant our two-month summer break was starting early.
“There really is no place like Tuatha Dé,” Tarte remarked.
“For sure. The artistic and well-organized streets of the royal capital have their appeal, but I prefer Tuatha Dé and its coexistence with nature,” I responded.
As had been the case for a while now, the land was covered in soybean fields. The crop was vital in the production of moisturizer, a popular product. For that reason, soybean cultivation was rapidly growing.
Maha’s regular reports suggested that Natural You’s sales were doing as well as ever. Monsters had started to appear, but profits hadn’t gone down because no city had suffered serious damage yet.
However, there was no telling what could happen in the future. One stronghold had already fallen. If the increase in monsters caused a disturbance in the transportation networks between cities, the economy would tank, and demand for luxury items would go down.
According to market research, prices for medicine and weapons were already climbing. Natural You would need to adapt. I wished to meet with Maha in person at least once to discuss this. We needed to form a plan of action soon.
“You look lost in thought again. You’re always so busy, Lugh,” remarked Dia.
“You’re right about that. But that hard work has paid off in spades,” I said.
Thanks to my status as a noble, my strength as a Tuatha Dé assassin, and my access to funds and information from the Balor Company, I could have Dia and Tarte at my side and live a life with no restrictions. When I considered that the reward for my work, it didn’t seem so bad.
“You toil so much for the sake of others. Personally, I’m most at ease when I’m giving my all to ensure that I myself am happy,” Dia stated.
“Lord Lugh seems like he would be able to handle as many wives as he wants…,” added Tarte.
“He can’t help but come to the aid of every girl in need he finds. Now that I think about it, he really could amass a sizable number of spouses.”
“He really could.”
“Just who do you two think I am?”
I couldn’t deny that I went all out to save Tarte, Maha, and Dia. But I wasn’t planning on helping anyone else and luring them into becoming my companion as I had done with those three.
There were things even I couldn’t do alone, and that necessitated a team. More people did not necessarily make that team function better. With more members, there came more noise, and reaching mutual understandings would grow more difficult.
Dia and Tarte were my assistants, and Maha provided support. That’s all I needed.
“Okay, I trust you… I’m okay with Tarte and that other girl you introduced to me recently, but if you reach out to any more girls, I’ll be upset,” Dia confessed.
“Ah, um, Maha and I don’t really have that kind of relationship with Lugh…,” protested Tarte.
“But you want to be that way with him, right?” Dia questioned.
Tarte’s eyes darted to my face and away again.
“W-well, yeah, but…”
“Then you should go for it. Like I just said, I won’t get mad if it’s you.”
Why is Dia actively encouraging me to cheat on her? I have no intention of being with anyone other than her.
Perhaps life as a noble had conditioned her to think that way. Continuing the lineage was more important than anything for one of high standing. Military strength was also directly related to the number of mages in the country. For that reason, it was an aristocrat’s duty to take multiple wives.
Siring offspring was so crucial that high-ranking nobles with difficulty producing children occasionally paid lower-ranking members of the gentry for reproductive assistance. Tarte didn’t have a good understanding of that, so she was blushing and averting her gaze from me.
I’ll take Tarte as my second wife.
Should I wind up in a situation where I required a second wife, Tarte could actually work nicely. Being wed to her would allow me to skirt around a few obnoxious hang-ups that came with marrying a noblewoman. Plus, I did take personality and compatibility into account. Regardless, it was too early to be thinking about matrimony.
“That kind of talk would be better saved for after we graduate, wouldn’t it?” I asked.
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“Wha—? Me, marry Lugh…? I, ummm…”
We continued chatting to pass the time and eventually arrived at the estate. I took Tarte’s hand, prompting her to blush more intensely than she already was, and led her out of the carriage.
I opened the door to the estate and was immediately tackled by a silver-haired woman.
“Welcome home, my little Lugh! I was so worried when I heard about the demon. Thank goodness you’re safe.”
“Hey, Mom. There was a demon, but I didn’t do anything dangerous. The hero took care of it for us in no time.”
“Stop lying! I know what you did. They said you crossed deep into enemy territory alone and alerted the academy to the demon’s location.”
That was one thing I hadn’t concealed in my report to the academy. Evidently, my family had found out.
Epona was first among those credited for repelling the demon attack, but I was second. If we hadn’t been able to find the demon, those defending the academy would have fallen from exhaustion. I received great praise for infiltrating the horde of monsters alone, finding the demon, sending up the signal flare to alert the hero to its location, and monitoring the demon until she arrived. Even at that prestigious academy, the number of people capable of such a feat was severely limited.
“We got a letter saying you are going to receive a medal at the royal capital,” my mother informed me.
“That’s going overboard.”
I’d heard from the headmaster that my efforts were greatly appreciated, but there’d been no word of anything like this.
“Oh, come on. You and Cian are the only two in the world who would make that face at receiving an award. You’re becoming more and more like him every day.”
The Tuatha Dé family lived in the shadows and preferred to stay out of the spotlight. I wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths to defeat the demon had it not been necessary. More than anything, drawing attention went against my nature. My dad was of a similar mind.
As if ecstatic over realizing that I was growing similar to my dad, my mom hugged me tighter and pressed my head into her chest. Her breasts were small, so this wasn’t incredibly comfortable.
She and Dia really did look alike. Their shared features must have run in the Viekone family.
My mom looked unbelievably young for her age. Dia, my fiancée, was similarly youthful and slim. I was confident she’d always stay that way, no matter how much time passed. However, that also meant her chest would remain underdeveloped.
“Hey, what’s with the weird look?” Dia suddenly inquired.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I answered.
Dia could be really perceptive at times.
The door then opened again.
“So you’ve returned, Lugh.”
Dad strode into the room. It looked like he was in work mode.
“Yeah, we just got back,” I said.
My mom released me, mumbling something and glancing at me reproachfully.
Most of the time, she wouldn’t let me go simply because my dad walked into the room, but she never interfered when he was acting as the head of the Tuatha Dé clan of assassins. While a very lovely and free-spirited woman, she was still a member of this family.
“First, allow me to praise you for a job well done. You did very well at getting close to the hero and gaining his trust. It seems like you did brilliantly in your first battle with a demon as well,” my dad remarked.
“Apologies for my recklessness,” I responded, bowing my head in remorse for standing out more than was necessary.
“No, it’s fine. The circumstances have changed. This actually works to our benefit.”
Under what circumstances would it be okay for our secretive clan of assassins to stand out?
“That battle was the first skirmish between humans and demons—the opening act of a long fight. For that reason, the Alvanian Kingdom wants to play up victory to raise morale. Everyone expected the hero to give the performance he did, so his triumph lacked impact. That’s why they plan to celebrate your accomplishments. The conferment of a medal has a lot of weight behind it. Make sure you behave in a fitting manner.”
“Understood.”
A stronghold of young nobles from all over the country falling after the appearance of a single demon could be seen as a demoralizing defeat. The royal family wanted to ensure the populace didn’t think that, and the only way to do that was to commemorate what Epona and I had accomplished.
This came as a surprise to me. At least, partially.
“Once you reach the royal capital and receive your honors, many nobles will wish to curry your favor. Make sure not to let them take advantage of you,” my dad advised.
“I’ll be careful.”
“Those are the only matters I had to discuss.”
My dad took in a large breath. His demeanor then transitioned from the head of the Tuatha Dé clan of assassins to that of a doting parent.
“…It’s nice to have you back. Esri has prepared a feast. I want to hear all about your time at the academy.”
“Hmm-hmm-hmm. I made all of your favorites, Lugh. I even prepared some special roast duck and baked my first berry pie in a while.”
“That sounds exciting. Dia, Tarte, let’s save today’s training for after we eat,” I said.
“Yes, my lord,” Tarte replied.
“Oh, come on, Lugh. Let’s just take today off. If we’re going to train after we eat, then I can’t drink any alcohol,” Dia objected.
The pair were clearly excited about the meal. Many strange things were afoot in the world outside, but for now, I was going to enjoy the warmth of home. Having fun and clearing the exhaustion from your mind were important. I’d learned that in this world.
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