Chapter 17 | The Assassin Goes on a Date with His Little Sister
I was staring out of the window while eating breakfast at the inn.
The royal capital was in a frenzy after the announcement that Prince Ricla had died of sickness. Newspapers had recently come about thanks to the development of printing technology, and a special edition detailing the second prince’s demise was flying off the shelves. I had a copy in front of me.
I sipped some fruit juice while reading.
“It’s bad manners to read a newspaper while eating, and it’s rude to the girl you’re with,” Nevan chided. We were still in disguise.
“I’m working. I need to check how they reported the prince’s death,” I answered, speaking with Frank’s casual tone.
“Men are always hiding behind their work. I do love the capable sort, though.”
“I don’t need your flattery. Want to head out? I want to get to the next town before long.”
“That wasn’t flattery,” Nevan replied with a sigh. “This is humiliating. I tried all night to seduce you, but you didn’t lay a hand on me.”
“Starting to hate me yet?”
“No, my passion for you burns brighter than ever.”
“That’s too bad.”
I had no reason to dally here. It was time to depart.
We left the royal capital by carriage and traveled to a neighboring settlement. Upon arrival, we headed toward the designated inn and turned over our carriage and luggage upon arrival.
Duke Romalung would take over the case from here and destroy all evidence. This place we were staying at was one of House Romalung’s bases.
I changed my clothes and entered another room. Nevan, now back to her radiant self after removing her own disguise, was waiting there with Duke Romalung.
“Excellent work, Lugh Tuatha Dé. I trusted you would be able to pull it off, but this was brilliant. Absolutely incredible. I’m impressed by how convincingly you made it look like a natural death. No one even suspects assassination.”
Duke Romalung had also been in the royal capital yesterday. The heads of the four major dukedoms always gathered for the Founding Festival. As such, he knew how the higher-ups were handling the second prince’s sudden demise.
“That must mean that death by illness isn’t just the public stance; it’s what the top brass in the government believe as well,” I said.
Sometimes, a government would report that a death resulted from sickness even if they knew it was an assassination to keep the public from panicking. I had seen that kind of thing happen a lot.
“That’s correct. He had no external wounds, there were no traces of poison, no intruders in the royal castle, and he suffered a heart attack in his private chambers. Foul play seems all but impossible. Did your knowledge from the public Tuatha Dé profession enable you to kill him this way?” the duke inquired.
“It did. No one understands how to kill better than doctors. They’re also the ones who determine the cause of death,” I answered.
“That is equal parts enlightening and terrifying. If you felt like it, would you be able to make it look like even I died of illness?”
“Under the right conditions, yes. But I would never. We Tuatha Dé wield our blades only for the sake of the Alvanian Kingdom, and the country needs the Romalungs.”
There was a lot about them that rubbed me the wrong way, and they tended to do whatever they pleased, but there was no doubt they put the nation’s best interest first.
“What an exemplary answer. Heartfelt, too. I knew I liked you. You continue to grow greater in my eyes. I’ll send your reward through the usual route, so please look forward to it. I added a little something extra this time,” said Duke Romalung.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to head out,” I announced.
“Wait a moment. I want to ask you something first. It’s a dire matter.” Duke Romalung spoke calmly, but there was an edge to his voice that brooked no refusal. I had stood to leave, but this stopped me in my tracks. “How long will it be before I get to see the faces of my grandchildren?” he asked.
What a stupid question.
“I wouldn’t know,” I responded flatly.
“…I see. That is disappointing.”
“I’m sorry, Father. I tried my absolute best, but the disguise must have halved my charm. He didn’t lay a finger on me,” Nevan apologized.
“So that’s what happened. After hearing that Nevan failed to seduce you, I admit I wondered if you were homosexual. Hmm, so you will begin your efforts anew when the academy reopens, Nevan?”
“Yes, I guarantee I will find a way to become pregnant with his child during our next semester.”
His daughter is even worse.
Still, Nevan’s mentioning of the academy reminded me that, according to the newspaper, restoration on the building was progressing rapidly. The reopening was scheduled for next month.
“Okay, I’m really going now,” I insisted.
“Good luck on your date,” remarked Nevan.
“I don’t think I ever mentioned that to you.”
“It’s obvious just by looking at you.” Nevan was acting clever, but some servants had likely done an investigation on that matter for her. “Also, I expect my idiot childhood friend is going to cause some trouble. But please remain his friend,” she added.
Idiot childhood friend?
It took me a moment to recall that Nevan had referred to Naoise that way. She was worried enough about him to go through the effort of disguising herself and sneaking into his party. Undoubtedly, she was still monitoring him. Perhaps she’d even discovered something.
“Don’t worry. I won’t abandon him,” I assured her.
Precisely what was Naoise getting involved in? I left for my date with more than one thing to fret about.
After departing the inn, I made for the restaurant where Maha and I were supposed to meet. A merchant I trusted had recommended the place, so I had high expectations.
The eatery maintained a trendy feel. It was pricey, but it felt less like an establishment for rich people and more like a place for ordinary folks to eat when they wanted to splurge. This resulted in a warm, casual atmosphere.
I told them the name of the party I was meeting, and I was led inside.
“You’re right on time, dear brother.”
“Long time no see, Maha.”
Natural You had also participated in the Founding Festival, so Maha had been in the royal capital, too.
We ordered some tea and cookies to snack on as we talked.
“You get prettier every time I see you,” I complimented her.
Her lustrous blue hair was so dark that it appeared nearly black. Although Maha’s chest wasn’t big, she possessed a perfect figure. Today, she was dressed stylishly and wore light makeup.
Unlike Tarte and Dia, whom I would consider cute, Maha was best described as beautiful.
“Yeah, and you have no idea how many pests I get following me around as a result. It’s rough. I need some insect repellent,” she lamented.
“Have you considered hiring a bodyguard?” I suggested.
“There is a more cost-effective option, you know. I would be thrilled if you gave me a band for the ring finger on my left hand.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Maha enjoyed teasing me, but that hadn’t been a complete joke. Whether or not it was for her ring finger, I was sure it would make her happy if I sent her jewelry. I decided to find a nice piece for her.
“I’m impressed you were able to make time to meet me,” I said.
Looking exasperated, Maha explained, “It wasn’t easy. I had to push myself to do it. Truthfully, I’m exhausted. I’ve barely slept the last few days. As soon as I arrived in the capital, I was flooded with requests to form a partnership, offers for technological assistance, demands to open new branches, deals for support if I broke from the Balor Company, and so on. They were all after Natural You’s products.”
“Natural You is still the only company that knows how to make moisturizer,” I pointed out.
“That goes for chocolate now, too, and our numbers have soared for it. Just recently, I got a letter from the third prince explaining that the royal family had received demands from a foreign noble house that included a request for a gift basket containing moisturizer and chocolate.”
“So we’re serving the royal family now, huh?”
“It’s such an honor I could cry.”
Maha and I both laughed.
She was the proxy representative of the cosmetic brand I had created, Natural You. The company’s secret to success was selling attractive products that no one else could make. Primarily, we focused on items from Earth that I remembered how to create, were difficult to reproduce, and would earn a significant profit.
“What happened next?” I questioned.
“I requested enormous compensation,” Maha answered, outlining what she had asked for.
“That’s wicked. I’m impressed you got them to agree to that.”
“It was easy. I identified the foreign aristocrat who sought Natural You products, and I found out what they present to the kingdom. Then I merely appealed for the highest possible price the royal family would still be willing to meet. The royal family knows that there are many influential people among our customer base. They don’t want to put undue pressure on Natural You. I surmised that they would yield if I gave them a price just within their range.”
Maha had employed a standard mercantile tactic. Information meant everything in a negotiation. Victory was assured when you knew how much your opponent was willing to compromise.
With our business concluded, Maha and I chatted about a variety of things. She spoke to me very cheerfully, and it became apparent that she wanted me to applaud her efforts. I met that desire by listening attentively and enthusiastically praising her at every opportunity.
Her eyes were shining, and she nearly talked herself hoarse. Maha was a very mature girl, but she tended to act more her age at times like this. She really was an adorable little sister.
Watching Maha act so excited wound up making me feel happy, too.
“You’ve been working hard,” I stated.
“That I have. I’m doing my best. That goes for your secret efforts as well. I’ve been looking into Countess Granfelt and Naoise, just as you requested,” she responded.
Maha handed me some files. I had asked her to look into Countess Granfelt, the false identity of the snake demon, for obvious reasons. I’d added Naoise to the job out of concern for him.
“If House Romalung is already cooperating with you on this, why did you go out of your way to seek my help? Couldn’t you have just left it to them?” questioned Maha.
“My information network and theirs are equal in scale, but they’re of different varieties. Two investigations on the same target can produce different results when performed from a different angle.”
House Romalung conducted professional research using intelligence agents.
I used similar operatives, but they were civilians who focused primarily on marketplace rumors, the flow of money and goods, and other types of knowledge that merchants had a unique eye for.
“…Thank you. I get the picture. I would never have thought Naoise might cast aside his knightly honor,” I said.
Despite having promised not to involve himself with Countess Granfelt after losing the duel, he still had. It was difficult to believe that the prideful Naoise would sully an agreement that he’d staked his honor on, but the investigation results couldn’t be denied.
“Yeah, though he doesn’t seem to have been bewitched like the second prince was,” Maha added.
“That worries me. The first thing I’d suspect upon learning Naoise had abandoned his principles would be a love affair,” I remarked.
What was he hoping to achieve by getting close to that demon?
An image of Naoise’s face suddenly appeared in my mind. It was the expression he’d made after losing his duel to Tarte.
“Tell me! Tell me how you obtained that strength! I need… To grow stronger…”
His words hadn’t been born from desire. They felt more like the pleading of a man at his wit’s end. Was that why he’d gone to Mina?
That didn’t make sense, though. It felt unlikely that Naoise knew of Mina’s true identity. Even if he did, was he truly willing to become an enemy of humanity just for strength?
My eyes caught a particular line in Maha’s report. “…It says here that he disappeared.”
“Yes, he reportedly told his acquaintances and family that he was leaving on a training trip. Countess Granfelt vanished at the same time,” Maha explained.
“Do you think that was a coincidence?”
“Probably not.”
What in the world was Naoise thinking?
Nevan had asked me to remain Naoise’s friend despite whatever trouble he caused. That concerned me, too.
“Do you mind looking into where Naoise is now?” I questioned.
“I already am. Our agents will contact me right away if Naoise shows up in a town within the Balor Company’s distribution network,” Maha replied.
“You’re so good at this it’s scary.”
“You are the one who trained me, dear brother… I work hard because I want to be helpful to you, even if this is all I can provide.”
Just like Tarte did occasionally, Maha tilted her head, asking for a pat. I did as she wished, and her calm expression melted into that of a pampered child. I was probably the only person in the world who got to see this side of her.
“All right, our work is done. What do you say we begin our date proper?” I suggested.
The trouble with Naoise was worrisome, but there was nothing to be done at the moment. Maha had done a lot for me recently, and I wanted to make her happy.
“Yes, let’s. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time,” she responded.
I picked up the receipt and stood.
“What fun activities do you have planned this time?” Maha asked.
“That’s a secret.”
“I like it when you take the lead because I always discover something new. Lugh, I’ve meant to ask this for a while. Isn’t it about time to finally upgrade me from little sister to little sister and girlfriend?”
“…You’re family, Maha.”
“Wow, I’m surprised. I’ve made more progress than I thought. You usually answer immediately, but this time, you had to think for a second. Perhaps you’ve had a change of heart? I’ll have to press you further on this,” she said with a giggle. Then she jovially put her arm around mine.
I was taking the lead on this date, and I had made thorough preparations to reward Maha for her hard work.
My only focus for the rest of the day was to show Maha a fun time.
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