Copyright

The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an

Aristocrat, Vol. 7
Rui Tsukiyo

Translation by Luke Hutton

Cover art by Reia

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is
coincidental.

SEKAI SAIKO NO ANSATSUSHA, ISEKAI KIZOKU NI TENSEI SURU

Vol. 7
©Rui Tsukiyo, Reia 2022
First published in Japan in 2022 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo.
English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION,
Tokyo through TUTTLE-MORI AGENCY, INC., Tokyo.

English translation © 2023 by Yen Press, LLC

Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of
copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to
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a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Tsukiyo, Rui, author. | Reia, 1990– illustrator.
Title: The world’s finest assassin gets reincarnated in another world / Rui
Tsukiyo ; illustration by Reia.
Other titles: Sekai saikou no ansatsusha, isekai kizoku ni tensei suru. English
Description: First Yen On edition. | New York : Yen On, 2020–
Identifiers: LCCN 2020043584 | ISBN 9781975312411 (v. 1 ; trade
paperback) | ISBN 9781975312435 (v. 2 ; trade paperback) | ISBN
9781975333355 (v. 3 ; trade paperback) | ISBN 9781975334574 (v. 4 ;
trade paperback) | ISBN 9781975334659 (v. 5 ; trade paperback) | ISBN
9781975343323 (v. 6 ; trade paperback) | ISBN 9781975367220 (v. 7 ;
trade paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Assassins—Fiction. | GSAFD: Fantasy fiction.
Classification: LCC PL876.S858 S4513 2020 | DDC 895.6/36—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020043584

ISBNs: 978-1-9753-6722-0 (paperback)

978-1-9753-6723-7 (ebook)

E3-20230601-JV-NF-ORI
 Contents

Cover
Insert
Title Page
Copyright

Prologue| The Assassin Stays in the Holy City

Chapter 1| The Assassin Accepts a Lie
Chapter 2| The Assassin Dines with a Monster
Chapter 3| The Assassin Becomes a Celebrity
Chapter 4| The Assassin Adopts His Merchant Identity
Chapter 5| The Assassin Develops a Product
Chapter 6| The Assassin Makes Cosmetics
Chapter 7| The Assassin Enjoys the Festival
Chapter 8| The Assassin Becomes a Saint
Chapter 9| The Assassin Returns to the Academy
Chapter 10| The Assassin and the Hero Face Off
Chapter 11| The Assassin Reunites with the Goddess
Chapter 12| The Assassin Makes Beautiful Raiments
Chapter 13| The Assassin Searches for His Friend
Chapter 14| The Assassin Infiltrates
Chapter 15| The Assassin Pursues His Friend
Chapter 16| The Assassin Makes a Decision
Chapter 17| The Assassin Kills a Friend
Epilogue

Afterword
Yen Newsletter
 Prologue | The Assassin Stays in the Holy City

We were staying at an inn in the holy city, the headquarters of the world’s
largest religion, Alamism. It wasn’t exactly by choice—the church held us
here to prevent us from leaving the city.
I was sitting on my bed and reading some documents. Three days had
passed since I’d killed the demon that took the place of the hierarch to
control the Alamite Church. I wanted to return to the academy immediately
but wasn’t allowed. The reason was simple—if word got out that the
hierarch had been a demon in disguise, the scandal would shake Alamism to
its core.
Is this really enough to cover up this incident? I wondered. Yesterday,
the church finally shared with me their plan to keep the scandal under
wraps. They wanted to make me into a savior and distract the people with
tales of my valor. Getting too famous is less than ideal as a noble
assassin… But the church is determined. Who’s gonna believe this story,
anyway?
The documents I read outlined their fabricated story. According to their
version of events, the high priests were aware that the demon had taken the
hierarch’s place. However, the demon’s strength prevented the church from
taking action—if they said anything, the demon would have revealed his
true identity and slaughtered everyone in the holy city. Thus, the priests
feigned ignorance and summoned Lugh Tuatha Dé, a Holy Knight, to the
holy city as a supposed traitor. Then, with the support of the high priests,
Lugh Tuatha Dé joined forces with the Alam Karla, the oracle of the
goddess, and defeated the demon.
I credit their imagination, I thought. It allowed the church’s
management to claim that all their wrongdoing, including publicly branding
me a traitor of the goddess, had been in the interest of eliminating the
demon. To fool your enemy, you must first fool your friends… That was
their excuse. This version of events would lead the public to think of the
church’s management as heroes rather than incompetent fools strung along
by the demon.
The church needed my cooperation to make this story into reality. It
wouldn’t be believable otherwise. They nearly executed me as an enemy of
the goddess. I want nothing more than to tell them to piss off. However, I
had no choice but to cooperate. A great many people relied on their faith in
Alamism, and the world would fall into chaos if the religion crumbled. That
was true in my home country of Alvan as well.
The church needed to maintain its dignity. Cooperating with its story
was in Alvan’s best interest. As an Alvanian noble, I had to prioritize the
kingdom over my personal feelings. Worst-case scenario, the church could
have tried to save face by fabricating a crime and executing me. This is
preferable.
The leaders of the Alamite Church were obsessed with appearances, but
I had to admire their pragmatism. Their incredible sense for management
was what allowed them to grow Alamism into the world’s largest religion.
Such a large-scale organization could not operate on faith alone. Plus, this
story wasn’t so bad for me. Regardless of its authenticity, it would erase any
notion that I was an enemy of the church.
“Hey, Lugh!”
Hearing my name jerked me out of my thoughts, and I sat up on the bed.
“Is it really okay for us to stay here? I’m starting to feel kind of
intimidated.”
The person speaking to me was a petite girl who was at once intelligent
and cute. She was fiddling with her distinct silver hair. Her name was Dia.
She was my little sister, according to the family register, but in reality, she
was my magic teacher and a romantic partner.
“Is this inn really such a big deal? It doesn’t seem luxurious to me.”
The room’s other occupant was an adorable young girl with blond hair
and a sizable chest that attracted male gazes. She was Tarte, my personal
retainer and assassination assistant.
“Are you serious, Tarte? Of course it’s a big deal. A never-ending stream
of nobles and merchants spend an exorbitant amount of money just to stay
here,” Dia said.
“Huh?! Is that true?! I can’t see why. The rooms aren’t that nice, and the
food is lacking,” Tarte responded.
As Tarte claimed, our room wasn’t particularly lavish. The food was
only better than average, and the service was ordinary. The price, however,
was out of this world.
“I suppose I’ve yet to teach you much about religion, Tarte… Sorry, I
should’ve gotten to that already. It’s essential knowledge for a personal
retainer. I’ll take this opportunity to educate you,” I said.
It was Tarte’s job as my personal retainer to accompany and serve me in
front of guests. Besides possessing the skills of a servant, personal retainers
needed the finest etiquette to avoid embarrassing their master and sufficient
social aptitude and education to keep up with the discussions of the
aristocracy. Retainer positions were typically assumed by decently educated
individuals from good families after they’d served for three years doing the
lowest servant work out of sight from guests, followed by another three
years aiding a top attendant. That was the ideal path to becoming a personal
retainer.
Tarte didn’t receive a decent education as a child, and although she
worked hard, two years was not enough time to acquire all the skills and
knowledge necessary of an assassin’s assistant and personal retainer. I’d
narrowed her focus to the culture she would come across most often in the
aristocratic world, knowing she could make up for whatever knowledge she
lacked with her tremendous effort, so I’d only lightly touched on religion.
“Don’t apologize, Lord Lugh. It’s my own fault for slacking on my
studies,” Tarte responded hurriedly. She was always debasing herself. I’d let
it slide until now, understanding that humility was a part of her personality,
but it was a bad habit she needed to fix.
“You’re too quick to apologize, Tarte. It’s a bad habit. Always assuming
you’ve done wrong causes you to lose sight of the truth and isn’t helpful.
People improve by learning from their mistakes… I’ll never grow if you
always put the blame on yourself, and as my student, you won’t grow,
either.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Tarte said.
She was apologizing again. Fixing this bad habit wouldn’t be easy. I
racked my brains for how to handle this, and Dia spoke up.
“You need to work on that, Tarte. It’s part of a servant’s duty to correct
their master. That’s especially true for a personal retainer. It’ll be in Lugh’s
best interest.”
“Yes, you’re right. Sor—er, I’ll do my best.”
“That’s more like it.”
Dia nodded. Her petite stature made her look childish, but she was a
smart and caring person. She’d acted like an older sister toward me from
the day we met, and it didn’t seem like that was ever going to change.
Lately, her stock phrase had changed from “your big sister knows best” to
“your first wife knows best,” and her sisterly attentions had expanded to
include Tarte and Maha.
Perhaps it was best to leave this matter to her.
“I’m counting on you, Tarte. You’re the best personal retainer there is,” I
said.
“My lord is counting on me… I—I will devote myself to improving!”
Tarte declared, clenching her fists. It looked like I had nothing to worry
about.
I needed to adjust my mindset, too. Tarte was more than an impromptu
servant—she was perfectly capable of becoming a truly elite retainer. I
needed to gradually teach her the things I’d omitted from her education.
“Okay, I’ll start by explaining what makes this building special. It’s
called the House of the Divine, and it’s one of the most revered sites of the
holy city. Only guests of the gods are allowed inside. The simple act of
staying here gives one the prestige of being recognized as a special person
by the Alamite Church. Many guests claim they were blessed by the
goddess.”
“Oh, I see. But Lady Dia said that a room costs a lot. No one finds it
weird that you can buy a blessing with money?”
That was a sharp observation. I didn’t expect Tarte to think of that. Her
purity was likely what allowed her to see the true nature of this place.
“If major nobles spend a great amount of money to stay here and boast
about it afterward, that’s enough to convince the rest of aristocratic society
that it’s something worth doing. Others will follow suit to gain the honor for
themselves.” Tarte nodded to show she understood me. “Also, it’s not
necessarily wrong to be proud of the money one spends here.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Alamite Church performs philanthropic work worldwide. Things
like feeding the hungry and managing orphanages. Donations enable those
endeavors. In a roundabout way, the high room price saves lives. The more
people stay here, the better the world.”
Some people questioned whether spending money was really enough to
win divine favor, but the funds went to a good cause. The vast sums
donated on the whims of the rich saved hundreds of times as many lives as
the poor did with volunteer work.
“Oh, that makes sense! So that’s how spending money earns the
goddess’s approval! Huh? Do you not agree, Lady Dia?” Tarte asked.
“Sounds like a real stretch to me,” Dia replied.
“The church really is saving many lives using that money. On that point,
they deserve nothing but praise,” I argued.
I truly applauded the church for constructing this system. The rich
satisfied their vanity, and the poor benefited. I couldn’t imagine a better
win-win situation… Except for the rumor that 70 percent of the donations
disappeared into the pockets of the church’s leaders. Even then, the
remaining 30 percent made the world a better place.
Religious leaders often attracted enmity. I assassinated many of them in
my past life, and from what I learned researching those targets, 30 percent
of donations going to philanthropic work was actually quite good.
By comparison, one religion in my previous world spent 80 percent of
its donations on wide-reaching commercials. The remainder was spent
primarily on publicity to propagate the faith’s teachings. The religion
collected donations equivalent to the revenue of a major company and
didn’t use it to save anyone.
“I know what it is like to be poor. When you’re hungry and near death, it
doesn’t matter how your food is prepared… You’ll take anything to fill your
stomach,” Tarte said.
Those words meant a lot coming from Tarte, who was kicked out of her
village to reduce the number of mouths to feed.
“Sorry, Tarte. You’re right. I didn’t consider the feelings of those
helped,” Dia apologized.
“Alamism is extraordinary for creating a system that aids people with
the indulgences of the wealthy. That’s why, under normal circumstances,
only the rich can stay here. All guests receive a sacred gift as proof of their
visit,” I said.
“What kind of gift?” asked Tarte.
 “A necklace with a gem blessed by an Alamite priest. You see people
flaunting them at noble parties all the time.”
The necklaces were finely crafted, but the gems were crude. Major
nobles and merchants regularly displayed the cheap accessories as though
they were things to be proud of. Religion was truly amusing.
“Why do they give out necklaces?”
“It would be difficult for noble guests to boast about a visit here
otherwise. It also prevents people from lying about staying. Anyone can
claim to visit the House of the Divine, but no will believe them without a
necklace. You have to pay to receive the real thing.”
“It sounds like a business.”
“Religious leaders have a much stronger sense for business than your
average merchant. The larger the faith, the more likely that is to be true.
After all, they need vast sums of money to expand their church, tough
negotiating skills to gain all the rights they want in multiple countries, and
the ability to curry favor and capture the hearts of powerful individuals.
Those are all skills required of elite merchants.”
Religious activity couldn’t survive on teaching doctrine and moving
hearts. There was a direct correlation between a faith’s size and its ability to
generate revenue.
“Oh, Lugh. I just thought of something. I’ll bet we could earn a ton of
money making and selling a bunch of those necklaces,” Dia suggested.
“That’s a bad idea, Lady Dia. We’d be punished,” Tarte chided.
“Really? I’m sure the goddess has more important things to worry
about.”
I thought about the goddess that Alamism revered. She claimed that
merely speaking to me consumed resources used to maintain the world, and
thus rarely showed herself. There was no way she’d punish everyone who
infringed on the profit of her religion. It wouldn’t be worth the resources.
However…
“Tarte’s right. Anyone who makes goods related to Alamism without
permission is branded an enemy of the divine. This gem is carved with the
holy symbol of the faith, and you’re finished if you use that without
permission. It means the death penalty in any country where Alamism is the
national religion… Some idiots actually tried that in the past,” I explained.
“Gods are surprisingly materialistic,” Dia commented.
 “Like I said, the larger the religion, the better its leaders are at business.
They can also get away with anything as long as they say it’s ‘for the gods.’
You’re asking for it if you pick a fight with them.”
A businessperson couldn’t permit anyone to infringe on their profit.
“Thank you very much, my lord. I feel like I learned a lot. I will take
care of the necklaces we receive… They will be a perfect source of money
should we ever need to flee!” Tarte exclaimed.
Dia and Tarte looked at each other and laughed.
“Yeah, they would be perfect for that,” I said.
“Totally. They’re small and would net us a ton of money,” Dia agreed.
Working as assassins was dangerous. The royal family would cut ties
with us at the first sign of any collusion. For that reason, we’d hidden
wealth throughout Alvan and abroad and prepared safe houses and fake
identities for ourselves.
However, it might still be difficult to reach safety when we needed to
escape. We could end up with someone right on our tail, giving us no time
to collect our money. The holy necklaces were convenient because we could
wear them at all times and easily sell them for a high price. The church
wouldn’t be able to identify who peddled the necklaces, given that there
were so many in circulation. I couldn’t think of better assets for a tight
situation.
It was the same reason gangsters wore Rolexes. They weren’t for show
—the watches were easy to carry and could be sold quickly for a good sum.
“I’m impressed you came up with that idea, Tarte… You’ve really
grown,” I said.
“Um, did I say something weird?” she responded.
“No, I’m praising you.”
One of the problems caused by Tarte’s upbringing was her inability to
act unless instructed. She struggled to think for herself. Her assessment of
the situation and subsequent suggestion were signs she was conquering that
weakness.
 Tarte mistook my praise for teasing and sulked. I laughed at her
response, and that caused her to sulk more. While I thought of how to clear
up the misunderstanding, someone knocked on the door—an Alamite
deacon assigned to look after us.
“Sir Tuatha Dé, the cardinals have summoned you.”
Cardinals ranked just below the hierarch in the Alamite Church’s
echelons.
“I’ll leave right away. Dia, Tarte, let’s go out to eat when I get back. I’m
sure you’re grateful for the food the House of the Divine has provided us,
but it’s rather lacking. I’m ready for a good meal,” I said.
“That sounds nice. We get nothing but bland-tasting vegetables here. I
want some salted meat,” Dia replied.
“I agree. We don’t get enough food here,” Tarte said.
The meeting with the cardinals was going to be a pain. Having dinner
with Dia and Tarte to look forward to would help me get through it.
 Chapter 1 | The Assassin Accepts a Lie

I headed for the cathedral, where I was to meet the cardinals. It was located
in the center of the holy city and was one of the symbols of Alamism. Just
setting foot inside this place was something you could brag about for the
rest of your life, as was the case with the House of the Divine, too.
Tourists were not allowed inside the cathedral. They could only observe
it from afar or offer their prayers in one of the many other churches in the
city. Many dreamed of earning the privilege to enter the cathedral by doing
good in the world.
A tall and polite young deacon guided me. “Sir Tuatha Dé, you will
speak with the cardinals. Please do your best to avoid offending them,” he
cautioned.
“I understand,” I responded with a smile.
Hierarch was the top position in the Alamite Church, followed by the
cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons. Priests and
deacons worked as ministers for an individual church, bishops governed all
the churches in a town, and the higher positions were executives who made
decisions for the entire Alamite Church.
The Alam Karla was not a part of the church’s hierarchy, just a symbol
with no real power.
The cardinals who summoned me were second only to the hierarch.
They were people I’d ordinarily never speak with. I’d always held a decent
amount of respect for them, but my opinion dropped considerably after they
publicly branded me a criminal.
I’m an Alvanian noble, though. I have to behave myself.
I was representing the Alvanian Kingdom in this meeting. I’d heard that
Alvan had sent a negotiator qualified for this occasion, but I’d yet to meet
them. This discussion was going to influence the fate of our nation—no one
wanted to entrust that to a child like me. I would’ve preferred to meet the
negotiator and learn about the kingdom’s wants beforehand, but it sounded
as though they’d arrived only just before the discussion.
All I had to do was figure out what this negotiator wanted and align my
words accordingly. It was better not to make any independent decisions, no
matter what the cardinals asked of me. If there were an instructor with me.
That would have helped me relax. Unfortunately, the instructors were told
they weren’t qualified to enter the cathedral.
That was probably a calculated choice. Sure, the claim that teachers
weren’t qualified was plausible, but I saw what the cardinals were up to.
They figured that winning over a child would be easy, no matter how strong
I was, and they wanted to get me as close to alone as they could. They’d
likely pay more attention to me than the negotiator, hoping to wring out
accidental promises from me.
Facing the cardinals would be tough. Large religious organizations were
essentially collectives of elite merchants. It was impossible to climb to the
top of such an organization without political skill, an intelligence network,
connections, and money; virtue and faith had nothing to do with it. You
needed to be a monster to become a cardinal.
A familiar face waited for me in the hallway.
“Hello, Lugh. Thank you for your service in the holy city. You can relax
now that I’m here.”
The man addressing me was inhumanly handsome. He wore a splendid
purple outfit few could hope to pull off so well. It matched the color of his
hair. He was the head of a noble family that had spent hundreds of years
performing selective breeding to create the ultimate humans. It was the
duke of House Romalung, patriarch of one of the four major dukedoms.
“It is nice to see you again, Duke Romalung,” I responded.
“Same to you. I’m glad to see you’re well after your latest ordeal. I
wouldn’t be able to face Baron Tuatha Dé if anything happened to you.”
“If that’s how you feel, you should have done something to help me
escape execution. Your information network surely knew of the church’s
plans before I was summoned here.”
I’d been invited on the pretense of commendation for slaying demons,
but the real intent was to execute me for misappropriating the goddess’s
name. My head was nearly cut off. I could have died.
“Yes, we knew. But this is you we’re talking about. You could’ve
contacted me through Nevan, but you didn’t. Instead, you marched to your
trial knowing it was a trap… I believed you’d escape without my help, and
that’s precisely what you did.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Constructing my telecommunications
network cost me as much as purchasing a small nation, but it was worth it
to gather information at unprecedented speeds for a world that relied on
physical letters. Somehow, Duke Romalung acquired the same amount of
information as I did, without that advantage. I definitely didn’t want to
make an enemy of him. I was glad the duke was an ally in the upcoming
meeting. No one was better equipped for this situation.
“I’m glad the kingdom sent you. I can follow your lead,” I said.
“Yes, please do. You’re brilliant, but you’re a man of action. You’re not
ready for politics,” the duke responded.
He spoke the truth. I was adept at gathering information, using my
intelligence network, and analyzing situations, and I could grasp the current
situation, but only those entrenched in government could properly speak on
political matters. Something I judged as the right course of action could be
seen as the wrong move by someone with knowledge of the bigger picture.
“You’re right. I’ll just do my best not to get in your way during the
meeting.”
“I knew you were special. I hope you will consider impregnating Nevan.
I know your seed will produce the greatest Romalung to ever live. We’d
finally achieve our family’s long-held ambition of creating humanity’s
ultimate masterpiece.”
“Let’s table that discussion for now.”
We walked to the conference room where the cardinals waited. What
were they going to throw at me?

I looked around the conference room. The church called it something

different, but the deacon guiding me thought that title would be easiest for
us to understand. The space was impressive.
It’s designed to influence the minds of those who enter.
 Ninety percent of the information processed by the human brain is
visual. This means you could influence a person’s feelings by manipulating
what they saw. This room was constructed perfectly to inspire awe in those
who entered. That was evident from the desk alone. Its shape, placement,
and the intensity and color of the light illuminating it had all been
meticulously planned.
As far as I was aware, psychology didn’t exist in this world. This layout
must have been the result of trial and error. The tenacity of working to this
end was admirable. It was clear that the Alamite Church didn’t become the
world’s most prevalent religion simply because its leaders had a girl who
could hear the goddess’s voice; the religion grew because its leaders were
clever.
Seven people sat on the church’s side of the table. Each one was a
cardinal who managed the churches in multiple countries and had the power
to manipulate believers under their jurisdiction.
The Alvanian Kingdom was a major power, but from the church’s
perspective, Duke Romalung and I were nobles from one of many nations.
The cardinals’ eyes and attitudes unmistakably communicated a feeling of
superiority.
“Greetings, Sir Tuatha Dé. You have served us most splendidly.”
I understood that the cardinals supremely outranked me, but I was
amazed they still remained haughty after screwing up so badly during the
Puppeteer demon incident.
“Thank you for your kind words.” I kept my thoughts about their
attitude to myself and sat down after the deacon motioned for me to do so.
“Thank you as well for coming all this way, Duke Romalung. You may
be seated.”
Duke Romalung smiled and obeyed without a word.
“Let us discuss the demon attack. Anyone ignorant of the true events
will think this incident to be the fault of the Alamite Church. This is despite
our efforts to fool even those closest to us in an effort to eliminate the
demon that supplanted the hierarch. That misunderstanding would be most
deplorable.”
The cardinals all looked at me. The message was loud and clear. They
weren’t asking me to align my story with theirs—they were insisting that
their version was the truth. The difference was subtle, but critical. Asking
me not to lie but to make that falsehood the truth changed everything.
How should I answer?
Duke Romalung simply smiled and signaled for me to be silent.
Alvanian nobles shared a set of unique signals that came in handy for
communicating information quickly and wordlessly while abroad.
I see. That’s what we’re doing. I smiled and did as Duke Romalung
requested. The cardinals’ surly faces twitched.
“As you are aware, we knew the hierarch was possessed by a demon. If
we said anything, however, the demon would have revealed himself and
rained fire upon the holy city… Only the hero or a Holy Knight could
defeat him. Openly asking for help would have also led the demon to
destroy the city. We had no choice but to summon you as a criminal to be
executed. We knew the demon would welcome your execution, as you’d
killed several of his brethren already. Your capture would allow him to
eliminate a threat.”
The duke was still signaling me to remain quiet, and I acquiesced.
“Word of your demon-killing exploits gave us a very high opinion of
you. It wounded us to brand you a criminal, even though it was a temporary
measure. Still, it was the only way to fool the demon!”
There was real passion in their acting. I expected nothing less of
cardinals—they all knew how to appeal to the heart. They’d likely
convinced themselves to the point that they weren’t aware they were lying.
“You more than lived up to our expectations. I knew we were right to
name you a saint! We must let the world know you are the eighth saint to
ever live. The truth of this incident must be made clear first, however. Can
we count on your cooperation?”
They dangled bait before me while presenting their lie as truth.
Becoming a saint wouldn’t grant me any direct authority, but I would be
able to get away with anything in countries where Alamism was the official
religion. I’d be treated as a god. That was worth more than all the money in
the world. My words would carry the power of a king’s. I wasn’t interested,
though. That sort of power only brought disaster and trouble.
I watched Duke Romalung from the corner of my vision without moving
my eyes. He gave me a new sign commanding me to agree.
“I understand. I will follow your orders,” I said.
“We’re glad to see you understand. We will make a spectacular show of
your canonization as a saint. There shall be a grand festival with nobles
from across the continent, members of the church, and major
businesspeople. It will be held in a week, and we shall do our best to make
yours a celebration of unprecedented glory.”
How shameless. They were clearly doing this for the church, not for me.
The spectacle was a distraction to bury the scandal and to help their version
of events pass unquestioned. This plan would likely succeed; the people
wanted the demons gone, and a demon-killer becoming a saint would stoke
tremendous joy.
“We have prepared a speech for you since you lack experience in such
matters. Please read this verbatim at your ceremony.”
The deacon handed me a thick bundle of papers. A quick scan revealed
it was quite thorough. It was written in the church’s best interest, of course,
but none of it put me at a disadvantage.
“This concludes the meeting. Thank you for your cooperation.”
How abrupt.
Duke Romalung raised his hand just as I thought that. “The Alvanian
Kingdom agrees with Lugh’s decision to cooperate. I cannot allow you to
have his support for free, however. He is taking a risk by spreading your
lies, so I expect appropriate compensation.”
He pulled documents out of a bag and distributed them to everyone
present. I looked them over and nearly laughed. The duke was really toeing
the line. The paper outlined conditions beneficial to the Alvanian Kingdom
that the church had the power to grant. The cardinals would be very
reluctant to approve these demands… But given the risk of their
predicament, they had to agree. Duke Romalung played this to perfection.
“What do you mean by ‘lies’?”
“Exactly what I said. The demon had you all dancing on his strings.
Lugh’s quick wit allowed you all to escape with your positions intact. I am
fine with telling your story publicly, but the truth must remain the truth
between Alvan and the church.”
Duke Romalung’s smile was impossibly beautiful, but looking at it gave
me the chilling sense that he could see into the soul.
“We have told no lies. What we say is the truth.”
“You’ve all been careless. I know that every one of you secretly tried to
gain favor with the hierarch while the demon had you under his thumb.
Your hunger for glory caused you to leave behind plenty of evidence that
disproves your story. Lots of people from other countries have noticed this
as well.”
Duke Romalung produced more papers, and more surprises. These
documents were based on information collected by Natural You’s
information network. And I could tell from the files’ presentation that Maha
wrote them.
Did Nevan tell her father about the telecommunications network and
that Maha managed it? No, there’s no way. Nevan wasn’t that kind of
person. I was confident she’d keep that secret, as promised. However, that
suggested Duke Romalung learned of the telecommunications network and
traced its management back to Maha on his own.
My poker face felt ready to crack. I knew the duke was a monster, but
this was beyond reason. The cardinals shared my sentiment, turning pale
when they read the documents.
Duke Romalung refused to let up, saying, “I take it you realize how bad
it would be for you if this information were made public? Especially the
multiple assassination attempts on the Alam Karla after Lugh rescued her.
You did a poor job covering your tracks in your efforts to earn favor with
the hierarch. Tracing the orders back to you all was simple. Alamism may
be the most influential religion in the world, but some countries will be glad
to be rid of it. You don’t want this information to get out.”
“Such insolence! Do you really think a noble representing a single
kingdom can threaten us?! We could crush Alvan in three days if we so
wished!”
The cardinals’ saintly skin had been torn off to reveal them for what
they were—small men obsessed with power. The problem was, they
genuinely could destroy Alvan. Most major countries on the continent
would attack if the church gave the command.
“You’re missing my point. I’m saying the Alvanian Kingdom will
support you. We’ll help spread your lie and erase the evidence you left
behind. I’m confident that your story will collapse without our assistance,
leaks or no leaks. Acknowledge the lie for what it is.”
Alvan wanted the cardinals to recognize the lie to put the church in its
debt. The kingdom couldn’t accomplish this by agreeing to propagate the
“truth,” but agreeing to spread a lie carried a sizable risk, giving Alvan
something it could hold over the church. The value of that was
immeasurable.
This was a dangerous negotiation. Push the cardinals too far and they’d
decide that Alvan needed to be destroyed. Duke Romalung was treading a
tightrope. He was confident he could pull it off, but this was beyond my
capabilities.
I could probably have pushed the cardinals to this point. After all, it was
my subordinate, Maha, who had gathered the information the duke
presented. However, I lacked the courage to take on this kind of challenge,
and I wouldn’t have any confidence in success.
After a long silence, one of the cardinals forced himself to speak through
a dry throat.
“Very well. We accept your conditions. Please cooperate and spread our
sequence of events.”
The cardinals were too stubborn to admit their story was false. Still,
Duke Romalung won this meeting. He’d successfully crossed the tightrope.
“Thank you very much. Let us work together for the prosperity of the
Alamite Church and the Alvanian Kingdom.” The duke grinned.
Geez, he’s unbelievable. I had to speak with him later. I needed to know
how he intended to use his knowledge of Maha.
 Chapter 2 | The Assassin Dines with a Monster

Duke Romalung and I left the cathedral and went to a favorite restaurant of
his. I wanted to return to the inn for dinner to keep my promise to Dia and
Tarte, but I couldn’t refuse an invitation from the head of one of the four
major dukedoms. Plus, I needed to discern his intentions for Maha.
The restaurant Duke Romalung led me to was a perfectly normal café,
except for its private rooms.
“The owner of this establishment is from Alvan. He’s always been
willing to help me out,” Duke Romalung said. He probably came here for
work often. It was perfect for private conversation.
A patron entered the restaurant after us and complained furiously when
he was told there were no tables available.
“He’ll even turn customers away for you. Must be why you chose this
place,” I remarked.
“Precisely. I would rather our discussion not be overheard.”
The person who made a fuss had tailed us from the cathedral. He was
almost certainly an Alamite Church agent. The cardinals didn’t fully trust
us. The man could have forced his way in by claiming affiliation with the
church, but he had to keep his identity secret.
“Hello, Sir Lugh. It’s a pleasure to see you.”
“I am so sorry for the trouble I have caused you.”
Two people were waiting in the private room. I’d expected one, but not
the other.
The first was Nevan, Duke Romalung’s daughter, the family
masterpiece. The other was the Alam Karla, the living symbol of Alamism.
She looked no different from an ordinary girl without the makeup and wig
she wore to resemble the goddess.
“I heard that House Romalung is safeguarding the Alam Karla,” I said.
“Technically, the Alvanian embassy has taken her into custody,” Nevan
replied.
I saved the Alam Karla’s life from assassins. She would return to her
position after a thorough investigation confirmed she wouldn’t be in danger.
That’s what the Alvanian Kingdom proposed. I couldn’t imagine how
anyone got the church to agree. Undoubtedly, it involved a lot of work
behind the scenes.
“I’m glad to see you are well, Your Holiness,” I greeted her.
“And I am glad you are unhurt, Sir Lugh,” the Alam Karla answered.
I’d worried for the Alam Karla, but Nevan was doing a good job taking
care of her.
“I’m hurt. Were you not even a little concerned for me?” Nevan asked.
“You can take care of yourself, Nevan,” I responded.
Nevan was undoubtedly the strongest person I’d met in my age range.
She was clever, physically gifted…and smart. I didn’t mean that she was
great at math or possessed a strong memory. Nevan was resourceful and
always chose the best course of action.
Perfection in one so young was frightening. I had to wonder if she was
reincarnated like I was.
I turned to Duke Romalung. “So why did you invite these two?”
“Would you believe me if I told you that it’s to support my daughter’s
love life?”
He played that off as a joke, but I bet he was more than half serious.
Duke Romalung’s goal was to produce the ultimate humans. He’d devoted
himself to finding superior blood. And I knew he and his daughter thought
highly of me.
“I can’t imagine that’s the only reason.”
“You’re right. I want to ask something of the Alam Karla, and given the
nature of the request, I thought it would be best to have you here. My
daughter is present as the Alam Karla’s bodyguard.”
Nevan also served as a body double for the princess of the Alvanian
Kingdom. That was how she met the Alam Karla and built a friendship with
her, and how she learned of the oracle’s predicament before anyone else. No
one was more qualified to safeguard the Alam Karla.
“My gratitude knows no bounds, Sir Lugh… You’re also the only person
in the world who shares my gift, so I will offer my help with whatever you
need,” the Alam Karla said.
 Duke Romalung grinned. “Your ‘gift’? Are you referring to your ability
to hear the goddess’s voice? Color me surprised. I thought you made that up
to spread the demon-killing formula you created, Lugh.”
Scarily enough, he was actually right. The goddess did speak to me, but
she had nothing to do with Demonkiller. I claimed the goddess gave the
spell to me because it was a convenient excuse.
“I do hear the goddess’s voice,” I replied.
Nevan smiled. “I have no doubt that’s true. Whether or not you’ve
shared everything the goddess has told you, or if all the words you’ve
attributed to her genuinely came from her mouth, is a different matter.”
Nevan was as sharp as her father. She saw through my misleading
statement.
“All I can say is that I convey the goddess’s words. More pressingly,
what do you require of the Alam Karla, Duke Romalung?” I inquired.
“Ah, yes. Your Holiness. I have a request for you as a duke of the
Alvanian Kingdom and as a friend of Lugh’s. I want you to affirm anything
and everything Lugh says. Depending on how things play out, we could
make an enemy of the Alamite Church. As long as you side with us,
however, justice will remain with Lugh.”
The Alam Karla was a symbol with no real power. There was no need
for the girl who filled the position to be a true oracle; the church would be
glad to have a puppet who spoke lies that benefited their organization.
The Alam Karla had nearly been replaced the other day, but the attempt
ended up strengthening the current one’s position. Everyone knew the
demon had prepared a fake Alam Karla, making it difficult for the church to
repeat the same stunt on its own. Now no one would believe a new Alam
Karla was born days after the current one’s disappearance. The church
couldn’t replace her. Thus, her friendship was an enormous weapon for us.
“Of course. I promise I’ll do just that.”
The Alam Karla squeezed my hands tight, looked me straight in the eye,
and nodded. Duke Romalung smiled bitterly.
“You’re a real lady-killer, Lugh. First my daughter falls for you, and
now the oracle of the Alamite Church.”
“N-no, I do not think of Sir Lugh that way. He saved my life. I am
grateful to him, and I respect him.” The Alam Karla was quick to refuse
Duke Romalung’s claim, but she was obviously lying.
 Given her position, she presumably lacked experience with romance. I
decided to help her out.
“Do not insult Her Holiness, Duke Romalung. My social standing is
hardly worthy of hers.”
A mixed expression of relief and disappointment showed on the Alam
Karla’s face. I pretended not to notice. I’d never be able to return her
affection, and I wanted to avoid rejecting and hurting her, which risked
losing her cooperation. Surely, Duke Romalung was aware of that
possibility. Why was he going out of his way to instigate?
“Thank goodness. That’s one less rival to worry about. I am serious
about you, Lugh. Please consider my offer of marriage,” Nevan said.
“My answer has not changed since we last spoke,” I responded bluntly.
“How cold.”
It wasn’t a bad proposal. I suspected that Nevan didn’t harbor romantic
feelings for me and simply wanted my superior blood. I’d be free once she
was pregnant, and any compensation I received would mean greater
prosperity for the Tuatha Dé domain. Still, I had no intention to accept. My
heart only had room for Dia, Tarte, and Maha.
“That concludes my business. Let’s enjoy some tea and sweets.”
Duke Romalung snapped his fingers, and waiters carrying drinks and
snacks entered the room. I’d seen these people before, in House
Romalung’s castle.
He said the café’s owner is from Alvan… House Romalung runs this
place.
“That sounds wonderful. Is that agreeable for you, Sir Lugh?” Nevan
asked.
“Naturally. I have some questions, though.”
I needed to learn how the duke got ahold of Maha’s documents.
“Ask away. This is about Maha, yes? She’s a good girl. Were Nevan a
boy, I’d want her for House Romalung,” the duke said.
He really did know about Maha.
“How did you learn that Maha is the center of my information
network?”
I’d assumed the duke knew about my information network, but I never
expected him to trace it to its manager.
“I suppose it was because of how she worries over you. She’s normally
untraceable, but the moment you wind up in danger she gets so desperate to
save you that she fails to cover her tracks… My agents don’t miss
something like that. That’s the only reason we found her. You have nothing
to worry about—none but House Romalung could notice her mistakes.”
Easy for him to say. Maha definitely pushed herself hard for my sake,
but she never left evidence. What constituted as “tracks” differed for Duke
Romalung, though. He could pick up on the most trivial details.
“What are you going to do now that you know about her? Do you have a
demand for me?”
Maha was irreplaceable. She was the heart of my funds and information,
and I would pay anything to protect her.
“No. I don’t intend to hold this over you. Doing anything to torment and
limit you harms the kingdom. Producing the ultimate humans is my
family’s top priority, but we remain aware of our duty as Alvanian nobles.
You have nothing to fear.” That Duke Romalung demanded nothing actually
frightened me more. “Oh, right. Since you’re asking, I do have one
request.”
“…What is it?”
“I would like permission to use your so-called telecommunications
network when I have need of it. Just once. You’ve built something
incredible. I could never have assembled documents like those I presented
at the meeting. Maha has my gratitude. Negotiation would have been
impossible if not for her.”
His request sounded like nothing, but it was actually quite a big ask.
“Very well. I’ll let you know how to contact the intelligence agents I
have stationed in each city.”
Allowing the duke to use the telecommunications network at any time
meant sharing information on the agents I kept deployed in each city. After
all, I definitely couldn’t reveal the locations of the switchboards or the
terminals connected to them. There was no option but to give up the people
who handled the terminals.
“My apologies for imposing,” the duke said.
“Don’t worry about it. Take care when using the telecommunications
network, though. You should assume that I will hear anything you say,” I
warned.
“Yes, I’ve heard that about the system already.”
 That warning was a lie. One Maha had apparently been spreading, too.
Changing the channel restricted who heard a message sent through the
network, but I kept that feature hidden.
Duke Romalung sighed. “I think it’s a waste to keep your invention
secret. It will change the world.”
“Absolutely. The need to relay information through physical parcels is
restricting. It hinders the world’s development,” I agreed.
“Then you should unveil this technology to the public.”
I shook my head.
“That would cause an upheaval. Going public with this would flip
society upside down, for better or worse. We’d lose the current stability.”
Duke Romalung smiled in his usual icy way and clapped exaggeratedly.
“I like you more with each meeting. You’re a smart man. I’m relieved to
hear you say that. If you’d announced an intention to upset the world with
that invention… As someone who works to protect our kingdom, I
would’ve had to kill you.”
“That’s not a joke, is it?”
“Why, of course not. I’m telling you this because I trust that you’ll keep
the telecommunications network private. If you didn’t, I wouldn’t hesitate
to kill you and ensure no one ever learned what became to you.”
I forced a smile and wet my throat with a sip of tea. There was no way I
could reciprocate Nevan’s feelings. I didn’t want this man for a father-in-
law. I wouldn’t be able to take it. I’d do my best to maintain our current
relationship: close enough to remain allies, but not too close.
 Chapter 3 | The Assassin Becomes a Celebrity

I returned to my room in the House of the Divine after leaving the café,
then went out with Dia and Tarte for an evening of fun. As always, someone
was assigned to tail us. I wished the church would assign someone more
covert.
“I’ve never seen you look so tired, Lugh. You’re always so composed,”
Dia said.
“Today was mentally exhausting.”
“I’m not surprised. That’s what I’d expect from a meeting with the
cardinals. I hear they expect people to call them ‘Your Holinesses.’”
I hadn’t called them that, and I never would as long as I lived.
“The meeting with the cardinals wasn’t actually that bad. It’s my
conversation with Duke Romalung that has me so fatigued… I’ll tell you
about it later.”
Duke Romalung discovering the telecommunications network was
something I couldn’t keep to myself. Worst case, my intelligence agents
would be attacked and stolen. I needed to share this development with the
entire team.
“I’ve never met him, but he sounds intimidating. Like father, like
daughter, I suppose,” Dia remarked.
“It’s scary just imagining what Nevan will be like when she grows up,”
Tarte added.
They both smiled weakly. Neither one of them seemed comfortable
around Nevan.
“Let’s forget about that for now. I’ve been waiting for a chance to have
fun and explore the city,” I said.
The holy city was considered the most popular place in the world for
tourists. Believers traveled from all over, and every company under the sun
sought to open a shop here to capitalize on that. The more competitive a
city, the higher quality its shops. Adding to the fun, some tourists brought
local specialties from their homelands to sell. As a result, storefronts
displayed a variety of products from around the world. That gave the holy
city an even greater international flavor than Milteu, which had the
advantage of a trade harbor. Simple window-shopping was a fun pastime
here.
“It’s so lively. You’d never think a demon attacked,” Dia observed.
“That’s because there weren’t many victims. Fortunately, this demon
preferred to remain hidden rather than attack openly,” I replied.
Tarte nodded. “That’s a good point. That giant caterpillar would have
sunk the entire city.”
“Now, that would’ve been a disaster. Destruction of the holy city
would’ve sent the world into a panic,” I said.
The world’s largest religion being wiped off the map could only mean
immediate chaos.
“Out of the way!”
A horse-drawn carriage raced up from behind, forcing all three of us to
dodge. The carriage only barely fit through the narrow street.
Dia scowled. “Geez, they’re going to hurt somebody at that speed.”
“There are so many carriages in the city today,” Tarte remarked.
Few were driving so recklessly, but there definitely were an inordinate
number of buggies, and they were all in a hurry.
“Guess that’s what happens when the church announces a festival with
only a week’s warning… Everyone is working furiously to prepare.”
Normally, people would spurn such an abrupt celebration. No one would
show up, and companies would pass it over because they lacked preparation
time. An Alamite Church event was a different matter, though. It was meant
to honor a man being canonized as the eighth saint in history, one named a
Holy Knight for killing demons. People were desperate not to miss this.
I felt eyes on me. Actually, I sensed that whenever I walked through this
city.
“Hey, have people been watching us?” I asked.
“Yep,” Dia responded.
“They have,” confirmed Tarte.
They sounded very casual.
“Why?”
 Dia sniffed. “Because you killed the demon who replaced the hierarch.
Duh.”
“Well sure, but how do they know that was me?”
A few people saw my face on the scaffold, but they were only a small
fraction of those living in this city. Yet it seemed like everyone knew who I
was.
In my previous world, information traveled visually through mediums
like television and newspapers, but in this world, it was very rare for a
person’s face to become widely known. Cameras were still prohibitively
expensive and bulky. Most towns didn’t have a single one. Plus, picture-
taking was a service only offered in shops. Hearsay wasn’t enough to be
recognized.
“You’ve been getting summoned to one meeting after another for a few
days, but Tarte and I have been free to explore the city.”
“What does that have to do it?”
“We know what’s happening. Look at this.” Dia took my hand and led
me to a general store. I saw copies of an expensive book on display through
the window. The high price was unusual given the spread of the printing
press.
“What?”
The cover had me stunned. It depicted the leader of the cardinals, the
Alam Karla…and me. A talented artist had glorified our appearances, but
the illustration still captured my likeness well.
“Wow, you’re the Holy Knight! Please, come into my store. Would you
mind signing one of my prints? I have a large one back here.”
The pushy shopkeeper dragged me inside and brought me to a bigger
copy of the picture. It was a woodblock print, lower quality than the book
covers, but my visage remained unmistakable.
“What is this?” I asked.
“It’s a book published by the church called The Truth Behind the Holy
City Demon Incident: To Fool Even the Divine. It’s flying off the shelves. I
get a bonus from the church for every copy I sell, too. You can bet I’m
gonna push out as many as I can,” the shopkeeper explained.
“Can I read a copy?”
“You can if you sign my picture.”
I scribbled my name on the large print and opened a book. It gave me an
immediate headache. The church’s invented story had been embellished to
be more romantic and heroic. All the cardinals at the meeting today got a
moment to shine, while I was portrayed as rather pompous. I even had a
love story with the Alam Karla.
Unsurprisingly, the cardinal on the cover came off the best. He got the
key line of the book right before the demon perished: “This was all a
performance to catch you unawares, you filthy demon. We will fool even
the divine if that is what it takes to protect the gods and their people.”
Ah, the title comes from this scene. I remembered this cardinal falling to
his knees and wetting himself when the demon made itself known.
“Everyone is reading this, huh?” I mumbled, crestfallen.
Dia put a hand on my shoulder. “That’s not all. Plays and puppet shows
based on this book are being performed all around the city.”
“The church is scary when it gets serious, my lord,” Tarte commented.
“Y-you’ve got that right.”
I’d explained how the leaders of the Alamite Church were merchants at
heart, but I had no idea how far it went. This was an absurd amount of
effort. Clearly, playing politics wasn’t the church’s only job; propagating
the faith was just as important. It was natural that the cardinals would know
better than anyone how to disseminate information throughout society.
Well played, Church.
“This is great, Lugh. You’re a living legend now,” Dia said.
“I feel so proud,” Tarte added.
“…You do understand what this means for my main profession, right?”
Pilgrims from all over would buy this book and return to their homes
with multiple copies as souvenirs. I didn’t particularly mind the name Lugh
Tuatha Dé becoming widely recognized, but having your face printed on the
cover of a book was fatal for an assassin.
Dia laughed. “Ah-ha-ha, whoops. You’ve become the most famous
person in the world.”
“You can always disguise yourself while on the job!” Tarte offered.
Perhaps it was best to look at this positively. There were surely
numerous ways to take advantage of this sudden fame.
“Anyway, let’s get dinner. At a restaurant with private rooms,
preferably,” I suggested.
“Yeah, it’d be difficult to eat with everyone ogling us,” Dia agreed.
 Tarte gasped. “Oh-oh, I messed up.”
“What do you mean, Tarte?”
“You said you wanted to eat out, my lord, so I searched for good
restaurants… And the one I picked doesn’t have private rooms.”
She looked dejected. I didn’t ask Tarte to find a place for us. She’d taken
the initiative as a favor, so I understood why she felt so down about the
mistake.
“You made a mistake, but your heart was in the right place. Next time,
think a little harder about our needs when you make a decision,” I ordered.
“Yes, my lord. I’ll do better next time!” Tarte exclaimed.
I patted her on the head and started walking. I’d investigated every
corner of this city and knew plenty of good restaurants with private rooms,
but I elected not to say anything. Tarte put real effort into finding a dinner
spot. Entrusting this to her would help her grow, and it sounded like good
fun.

The holy city had a great variety of shops, a by-product of the diverse
travelers who visited. People of all races, cultures, and customs walked the
streets, and the full financial spectrum was on display as well. There were
plenty of rich customers, but there were restaurants serving the less wealthy,
too. Our chosen restaurant was a slightly pricey option for middle-class
patrons.
“Hey, this place is nice,” I said.
Tarte looked pleased. “I am glad you like it.”
“Lugh’s always been a fan of this sort of establishment,” Dia remarked.
“I like good food in a more laid-back atmosphere.”
High-class restaurants with strict dress codes and etiquette made it
difficult to relax. However, if a restaurant was too inexpensive, the dishes
would suffer from cheap ingredients and poorly compensated employees to
keep costs down. Restaurants of this grade used fair ingredients and
allowed their employees the time necessary to serve quality food, but it
didn’t require the clientele to act formally.
 It was my favorite way to dine. Tarte knew my tastes well.
“I like this kind of restaurant, too. Expensive restaurants are too stiff and
boring,” Tarte agreed.
“Tarte. I get what you’re saying, and I’m sure you chose this place
because of Lugh’s preferences. But Lugh is a noble, and you’re his personal
retainer. Both of you need to get used to high-class establishments. You’ll
be visiting more of them in the future, whether you like it or not.” Dia was
in full-on big sister mode.
House Viekone, Dia’s family, was composed of major nobles from
Soigel. Dia was raised to maintain perfect table manners. Even the way she
used her silverware was beautiful.
“You have a point. We can’t be too picky. I’m beyond exhausted,
though. At times like this, I just want to enjoy myself,” I responded.
“Yeah, I’ll give you a pass today. But next time, you should pick the
most expensive and stuffy restaurant you can find. You both need training.”
“You just want to eat at a high-class place.”
“No, not particularly. I’ve had enough of that kind of food. I like your
home cooking the most.”
Dia’s favorite food was my gratin, a surprising pick for one of her
standing. Gratin was thought of as restaurant food in Japan, but it was a
classic home dish. The ingredients were cheap, and it was easy to make. It
had a folksy appeal.
“Got it. We’ll go to an expensive place next time. Don’t hold back on
my training,” I said.
“Heh-heh, what are big sisters for? I’ll turn you into a pro,” Dia
answered.
The first wave of food arrived just as Dia’s surge of big sister behavior
settled. I went with the chef’s choice—that was the most fun thing to do
when visiting a restaurant for the first time.
“This salad isn’t very fresh,” Dia complained.
“Yeah, it’s mushy,” Tarte agreed.
“There’s nothing they can do about that. The holy city doesn’t grow
vegetables, and imported ones lose freshness during transport,” I explained.
“But the royal capital and Milteu had fresh greens.”
“That’s not the norm for large cities. The capital and Milteu are trying to
improve their food self-sufficiency in preparation for potential sieges.”
 Being able to eat fresh vegetables was a luxury. It was possible in the
royal capital and Milteu because they were large cities with plans for demon
and monster attacks or invasions by foreign nations. The capital and Milteu
had fields to grow crops inside the city walls.
It was nonsensical from a business perspective to grow crops on such
expensive land. Many believed the cities should get rid of the fields to make
room for shops and homes, and buy vegetables from elsewhere. I opposed
that mindset, however. I believed that large cities should secure food
without relying on external help.
“Wow, I didn’t realize how much thought went into stuff like that,” Dia
said.
“I’m sure the Viekone domain was self-sufficient, too,” I replied.
“Yeah, it was. The Viekone domain was large, wealthy, and rich with
tradition, but we were far from the capital, and our trade wasn’t very
developed. We actually exported leftover food, now that I think about it.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Viekone produced the most food in Soigel. Our wheat fields
stretched as far as the eye could see in autumn. It was beautiful… We’ll
have to visit Viekone when it’s restored. I’ll show you around.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
“It’s a promise.”
House Viekone fell to ruin after siding with the royal faction and losing
during Soigel’s civil war. Dia’s father was hiding, building strength to
hopefully restore his domain one day.
“I might be able to lead an army and recover the Viekone domain, now
that I’m a saint,” I remarked.
My new title carried a lot of power. I could change public opinion in an
instant by claiming that the Soigelian royal family was just. The noble
faction only won the civil war because of Setanta Macness’s abnormal
strength, and he was no longer around. I could reclaim Viekone for Dia with
some effort.
“I’d be furious if you did that. I want my domain back, but I’d worry
over the repercussions of relying on corrupt external aid… Dad said he’ll
restore our home, and I know he’ll succeed. All I can do now is wait for
him to ask for help. That, and better myself so I can meet his expectations.”
“You’re really strong, Dia.”
 “I’m a Viekone, after all. Will you support us when the time comes?”
There was no reason for an assassin of the Alvanian Kingdom to help a
Soigelian noble. However…
“What husband could refuse aiding his wife’s family?”
“D-don’t just spring words like ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ on me. That’s
embarrassing.”
“What do you mean? We’re engaged.”
“That’s true, but… Geez, little brothers aren’t supposed to be so
cheeky.”
Dia sipped her soup to hide her embarrassment. I couldn’t help but
chuckle—she managed to look beautiful even with gestures like that.
“I’m not impressed by the salad and soup, but maybe the entrée will be
better. If it disappoints, I’m blaming Tarte for choosing this place,” Dia
stated, forcibly changing the conversation.
“Huh? I-I’m sure it will be delicious!” Tarte insisted, flustered.
“Relax. See how many customers there are? A bad restaurant wouldn’t
pack the seats,” I assured her.
The food arrived as if in answer—roast lamb seasoned with rock salt. It
smelled wonderful, likely because it was wrapped in herbs while being
cooked. This technique prevented meat from drying out and enhanced its
aroma. I often used it myself.
We followed the waiter’s instructions and picked up the meat by the
bones to eat.
“Wow, this is amazing,” Dia praised.
“It really is. Such a rich flavor,” Tarte agreed.
I nodded. “…This meat was aged.”
Meat didn’t necessarily taste its best when fresh. Protein required time to
gain flavor. Thus, allowing meat to sit before cooking it was typical. This
restaurant took it further by aging the meat. This went beyond letting it sit.
Employees adjusted the humidity and ventilation of the storage room to
create the desired environment. That was the only way to achieve this taste.
“This more than makes up for that salad,” Dia said.
“I agree. It’s so good I want a second helping,” Tarte declared.
“…I wonder if the restaurant or the butcher is responsible for aging the
meat. If it’s the latter, I’ll have to buy some for myself,” I mumbled.
Dia frowned. “Lugh, no talking about work while we’re eating!”
 A few more dishes followed the entrée. Mutton was the primary local
meat. The holy city was landlocked, which meant no fishing. Nearby
villages that raised livestock came to favor lamb over time because the cold
climate of this region created a high demand for wool.
 “The meat dishes were all really good,” I said.
“Yeah, I’m more than satisfied,” Dia agreed.
“Was that the last course?” Tarte asked.
“No, there’s still dessert… Here it comes.”
Our final dish was cheesecake with sheep cheese.
“Ugh, this stinks,” Dia complained.
“You really think so? I don’t mind,” Tarte said.
Sheep’s milk had a peculiar scent that intensified when made into
cheese. Many struggled to eat it, even in Europe, where people consumed
ten times more cheese than in Japan. I didn’t like it much, either, but I
pushed myself to give it a try.
“…The smell is a hurdle, but it’s good. It has a stronger flavor than cow
cheese.”
Tarte bobbed her head. “I like it a lot.”
Following our example, Dia reluctantly used her fork to cut herself a
small piece of cake and eat it. “…It’s not terrible, but man, I don’t think I
can handle any more. That stench is inescapable.” She washed down the
rest of the cheese in her mouth with alcohol.
“I am so sorry. I should have performed a more careful investigation. I
know Lord Lugh would have been able to find a restaurant you would like,
Lady Dia,” Tarte apologized.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, Tarte. This was a great meal. I didn’t love the
salad or dessert, but the meat was delicious. I’m satisfied,” Dia said.
“Um, so you really liked this place?”
“Totally. I want you to keep taking me to new restaurants. I’ll never
encounter new tastes if you only choose restaurants that serve my favorites.
I don’t like this dessert, but it was a fun new experience.”
That way of thinking was very like Dia. She was a curious and
adventurous soul, my total opposite. That was probably what attracted me
to her.
Dia put a finger to her lips. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you
be picky about food, Tarte. Do you like everything? You’re not just
pretending to like it for Lugh’s sake, are you?”
Tarte tilted her head as she chewed on a bite of cheesecake. “No, I have
never thought that way about food. I was always hungry before Lord Lugh
found me, and I’d eat anything I could, regardless of taste. I truly mean it
when I say ‘anything.’ Rotten food was far from the worst of what I ate… I
often consumed things only used for ingredients. I’ve never thought
anything was too gross to eat.”
Dia looked awkward. She’d lived an impossibly luxurious life in
comparison to Tarte, who spent her early years starving.
“I, uh… I’m sorry, Tarte. That was insensitive of me.”
“Don’t worry about it. We were just raised with different values. Also,
House Viekone took good care of its hardworking citizens, right?”
“Yeah, we did. I’m proud that no one died for lack of food in Viekone
after Dad took over. He took measures to prevent that from happening, like
storing food to distribute whenever there was a bad harvest.”
I’d researched the Viekone domain a lot in preparation to help Dia
reclaim the region someday. I’d feigned ignorance for the sake of
conversation when we were talking about vegetables earlier.
“That is wonderful… There is nothing I hate more than evil nobles who
exploit their people to the point of starvation so they can live in luxury,”
Tarte said.
Tarte’s home domain bordered Tuatha Dé. It was blessed with good
weather and soil, and the people would have been able to live in comfort if
not for the awful ruler. He took everything from his citizens and wasted
money on his own luxury. When the citizens’ productivity worsened
because of their suffering, he responded by raising taxes. That further
lowered the quality of life and productivity, creating a hellish place to live.
People had no choice but to sell themselves into slavery or abandon their
elderly and children. Tarte was one of those cast out. It’s why she hated
nobles who lived in excess, especially those who mistreated their subjects.
“Hey, what would you have done if House Viekone was a wicked noble
family?” Dia asked.
“Nothing. I’d keep my hatred for you to myself,” Tarte responded.
Dia’s face stiffened. It was almost better to have someone hate you
openly than to hold a silent grudge.
“Good thing you managed your domain well,” I said.
Dia sighed. “You’ve got that right. I need to thank Dad and my
ancestors.”
Tarte ate the rest of the cake unbothered by the awkward atmosphere.
She looked happy as could be. Dia and I were both taken aback.
 I truly was glad I found Tarte in the mountains that winter. I wouldn’t
have been able to save her otherwise, nor would I have obtained such a
lovely and diligent servant.
 Chapter 4 | The Assassin Adopts His Merchant
Identity

The festival was only three days away, and the city was rife with
excitement. All who were here to do business had determined looks in their
eyes, whether they were part of a large company or selling products as
individuals. The bigger the festival, the more money to be made. This was
no ordinary celebration, either. It was being held in the holy city, and the
Alamite Church had reached out to all countries for cooperation. This was a
perfect opportunity to gain fame.
I was taking a stroll through the city on my own. Nobody addressed me.
That wasn’t because the Lugh Tuatha Dé boom was over. On the contrary,
the craze had worsened—the book was flying off the shelves, and plays and
puppet shows were gaining popularity.
I moved unnoticed because I was disguised. No one has any idea who I
am. Looks like my fame is going to have no impact on my assassin trade. I
concealed my identity both to avoid being swarmed and to see if people
would recognize me. This was the epicenter of my sudden popularity. If no
one here saw through my facade, I’d have no trouble continuing my
assassination work.
I wasn’t thrilled with the option, but I could alter my face with plastic
surgery if my disguise wasn’t sufficient. Changing the contour of my face,
the length of my nose, or the shape of my eyes would make me look like a
completely different person. I would have done that without hesitation in
my past life. I’d changed my face multiple times, in fact.
I didn’t want to do that anymore, however. I didn’t want to betray the
love of my three fiancées.
“What are you doing, Lugh Tuatha Dé?”
I gasped. The voice sounded like a man’s, but it was a little high. Did
someone see through my disguise? I hid my agitation and kept walking,
ignoring the voice like an unrelated person would.
“I’m talkin’ to you, buster. You really think that disguise is gonna
work?”
The person addressed me again. Their voice was a little higher this time;
they were straining their voice to change it. It was likely they were a
woman. I didn’t know why they were pretending to be a man… Wait. I
know what’s going on here.
This was a prank, and I knew the culprit.
“Stop joking around, Maha. You almost gave me a heart attack.”
I turned around to see a beautiful girl who appeared wise beyond her
years. She was wearing light makeup, and her clothes were modest but
fashionable. The male voice I’d heard earlier came from her. Maha had no
talent for combat, but I’d trained her in various other fields. She knew how
to change her voice.
“Drat, you found me out.” Maha smiled with a ladylike grace that could
not have been more at odds with the gruff male voice she’d produced.
“You’ve still got a ways to go,” I responded.
“I’ve been too busy to practice. I admit defeat… Anyway, welcome
home, dear brother.”
“It’s good to be back, Maha.”
This obviously wasn’t my home, but I could tell Maha wanted to have
that exchange, so I obliged.

The Alamite Church called on businesses from all over the world, so
naturally, it reached out to Natural You, the cosmetics brand rapidly gaining
popularity all over.
Maha and I were in the store Natural You was using during the festival.
Lower-ranking companies had to share the floor of a building with other
enterprises, but we were given an entire store with a good location. We’d
have to meet some high expectations.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Illig and Ms. Maha.”
Everyone we passed greeted us with hasty bows. I was currently
disguised as Illig Balor, the illegitimate, prostitute-born child of the Balor
Company’s president. I founded Natural You under this identity with
support from the Balor Company. That was why everyone addressed me so
formally.
Maha and I entered an office and locked the door.
“I’m impressed you made it. It usually takes longer than a week to travel
here from Milteu,” I said.
Horse-drawn carriages were much slower than one might think. A horse
couldn’t run for half a day without getting tired, and they could only
manage about twelve kilometers per hour, slower than a bike. No matter
how much you hurried, it took at least a week to make the trip from Milteu.
“You have no idea the effort it took. Instead of a carriage I raced here on
horseback, trading for the fastest horse I could find at every village I
passed. Whenever I couldn’t get a horse, I strengthened myself with mana
and ran instead… It would’ve been a lot easier if you made good on your
promise to give me a hang glider,” Maha replied.
“Sorry. I haven’t been able to find the time.”
In an era where even the main roads weren’t well maintained, being able
to ignore topography and move at high speeds in the air was incredibly
useful. That’s why I wanted to make a hang glider for Maha, but I kept
having to put it off because of all the recent trouble. Maha’s elemental
affinity being water was also an issue. Figuring out how to power the hang
glider would be difficult.
“Don’t worry, I know everything you’ve been through… I have to
apologize as well. Duke Romalung approached me personally and pressed
me into admitting what I do for you and the existence of the
telecommunications network.”
“There was nothing you could do once he found you. Not even I can
hide all my secrets from that monster. I’m at fault for underestimating him.”
“Had I known there was such a formidable person out there, I would’ve
taken the proper measures to ensure he didn’t discover me.”
“Act too carefully, though, and we lose our greatest weapon—the speed
at which we gather information.”
Certain restrictions were necessary to prevent an information network’s
secrets from being discovered. It was a trade-off between safety and results.
The information network wouldn’t turn up much if we played it overly safe
because of Duke Romalung.
“Yeah, that’s a difficult balance.”
“For now, he’s an ally. Just make sure you’re not discovered by anyone
else. Let’s maintain the status quo.”
“You got it. I admit I also gave him documents because he said he
needed them to save you.”
“I was at the meeting when he used them. They did end up saving me.
You made the right call.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
I doubted that Maha gave Duke Romalung the documents simply
because of a threat. As my information network’s manager, Maha saw all
information collected. That enabled her to confirm my situation and decide
that sharing the data with the duke was the best decision. I left her in charge
because she could make calls like that.
Maha was the best person I knew at information analysis and decision-
making. She wasn’t fit for combat, but honestly, her talents were much
rarer. She was irreplaceable.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” I said.
Intel was your sword and shield against political schemes. I had no
choice but to work Maha to the bone on such occasions. Overseeing Natural
You was a significant burden on its own, but Maha was the only person I
could trust to handle my company and information network.
“No need to thank me. I was doing my job, and I’m happy to be of help
to you… But I will accept an apology if you insist,” Maha responded.
I smiled. She always tried to play it cool when asking for things from
me.
“I do insist. What can I do to make up for this?”
“Hug me tight and kiss me. I’ve been so lonely without you.”
I embraced Maha’s thin body and kissed her. She put her tongue in my
mouth. Clearly, she’d been studying hard.
We moved apart after we finished kissing.
“I forgive you.” Maha tried to appear mature and calm, but her flushed
cheeks and the tremor in her voice gave away her embarrassment. I found
that side of her adorable.
“Is that really all you need? It’s not like you to let me off the hook so
easily.”
 “…Hee-hee, you’re right. Stay by my side a little longer.”
Surprise showed on Maha’s face for a moment, but she quickly resumed
her relaxed act and took my outstretched hand with ladylike grace. She
hesitated and blushed slightly when our hands touched. Maha didn’t have it
in her to be a bad girl.
“I’ll stay with you as long as you like, my princess.”
“I’m no princess… But thank you.”
A spring entered Maha’s step. She was in a great mood. Evidently, I’d
see plenty of her cute side today. I wanted to spoil her as much as I could,
and not simply because I frequently worked her so hard.
 Chapter 5 | The Assassin Develops a Product

My date with Maha was underway. We were taking a break in a café after
spending some time visiting famous tourist spots. It wasn’t long before we
ended up discussing work. Dia hated talking about real life during our
dates, but Maha was the opposite—she continually brought it up. She likely
thought of business as a hobby rather than just a job.
“You said you rushed here using the fastest horses you could find, but
how did you get the staff and product needed for the festival?” I asked.
I’d been wondering about that all day. Maha could accomplish difficult
feats on her own using her power as a mage, but how did she get everything
else here in time? She didn’t have any special items like my Leather Crane
Bag to make transporting easier. Setting up a temporary Natural You store
in the holy city by herself was nearly impossible.
“I got lucky. I’m in the process of opening a Natural You branch in a
nearby town. I sent orders to that branch via carrier pigeon when I left
Milteu, requesting to borrow the staff and stock for the celebration. I
planned on holding a grand opening sale, so the branch had plenty of
stock,” Maha explained.
“Oh yeah, you put that in your report.”
Natural You currently consisted of its headquarters in Milteu, one branch
in the royal capital, and another in Maha’s hometown. I’d heard that she
wanted to open another branch, but I didn’t know it was near the holy city.
“A flood of pilgrims visits the holy city every day. I’m opening the
branch to capitalize on those customers. I wanted a store in the holy city,
but I had to settle for a town twenty kilometers away.”
“I’m sure it’s hard to establish a business here, even for a company of
our stature.”
There were a great many enterprises competing for a coveted spot in the
holy city. Many of them wanted in for religious purposes, not just for profit.
The waitlist was years long, and even opening a small shop cost a fortune.
To make matters more difficult, money wasn’t enough—you needed
powerful connections as well.
“Yeah, that might be a pipe dream. Even the price of land in the nearby
town was insane… The lord of the domain helped us out because he
happens to be a Natural You fan, but it’s going to take a while for us to get a
return on our investment.”
The profit margin of Natural You’s cosmetics, the business’s main focus,
was extremely high. That applied to all cosmetics. In my past world, it was
common for skin lotion to sell for one hundred times what it cost to make.
We weren’t that egregious—most of our products sold for about ten times
the production expense. The price of opening the branch must have been
enormous if earning back the investment would take a while.
“Even if the branch loses us money, the price will be more than worth it
if we consider it an advertising expense. We’ll gain a lot by serving
customers in the holy city,” I said.
Maha nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I decided to go ahead with it.”
Pilgrims came from all over the world to visit the holy city. Selling to
them would spread our products far and wide. The new branch might not
make a profit, but the cost would be cheap, considering the publicity it
would bring. It was an example of Maha’s incredible wit as a merchant that
she was able to make that call.
“If you’ve got staff and our regular product covered, then we have to
think up a special item suitable for the festival,” I said.
“I was worried about that. I’m sure we’d make a fortune just selling our
regular merchandise, but that’s not enough to leave a mark on the
celebration, I suppose,” Maha replied.
“Natural You is still a young company. You could consider our lack of
experience with this kind of event a weakness of ours. We were given a
great location—we have a duty to live up to the expectation.”
Festivals were special occasions, and companies tried to rise to the
occasion by offering unique goods that couldn’t be bought anywhere else.
“I understand that, but I think it’s a little ridiculous they expect us to
prepare in a week.”
Companies normally spent half a year preparing for something like this.
Product development was a lengthy process.
 “These difficult circumstances are the perfect opportunity to set
ourselves apart from the pack… We were finally able to improve our
production lines, too. I want to use this chance to reach more people.”
Natural You had never been able to keep up with demand. Our
production lines were less than adequate, and our inability to serve all our
customers meant there was no point in trying to increase popularity. I had
viewed this as an issue since the first store opened, and we’d only recently
succeeded at increasing production.
Keeping the recipe for Natural You’s flagship product, moisturizer, a
secret was what made increased production challenging. If the formula got
out, anyone could easily fabricate an imitation. Rival companies regularly
attempted to bribe our employees or sent secret agents into our factories, so
we had to stay on guard.
“I want to impress, but I’m at a dead end. Which means it’s your turn,
dear brother,” Maha said.
“What, are you leaving this product entirely to me?” I asked.
Maha wore a teasing expression. “Says the guy who counts on me to run
Natural You by myself year-round. You need to step up and do some work
every now and then, too. Let’s go back to the store.”
Work on a product didn’t end with its development. You also had to
produce a sufficient supply, package everything, and explain the item to
employees. That left us only one day to work on development.
“No, let’s continue our date for a little longer,” I responded.
“You’re not giving up, are you? We won’t get anywhere by hiding from
reality.”
“No matter what we make, we’ll need materials, right? Given our
limited time, the product has to be something we can manufacture in good
quantity while remaining within budget against the resources available in
the city. It would be most efficient for us to continue our date and look at
shops to figure out what we can make.”
“Ah, that’s a good plan.”
“Also…” I trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.
“Go on.”
“You work so hard for me. I want to show my appreciation. Is a date
sufficient?”
Maha giggled and gave me her best smile. “Yes, and then some. Let’s
head out.”
She stood and urged me to do the same. After taking my hand, she
leaned against me as we left the café.

We walked to a shopping district. The variety of businesses in the holy city

truly was astounding. There were plenty of souvenir stores offering goods
that came very close to breaking the rule against selling items related to the
church.
“That book has to be exceeding every sales record,” Maha said.
“Please, don’t bring it up. I get a headache just looking at that fairy tale
drawing of myself,” I grumbled.
“The book was actually pretty interesting… I want to hire the author.
They couldn’t have had more than one or two days to draft it.”
“Yeah.”
That book was written absurdly fast. It was put to print three days after I
killed the Puppeteer demon, which gave the author only two days to create
the story. They likely had to deal with a long list of meticulous requests as
well, including giving each of the cardinals a moment to shine and fitting
the signature line into the last scene. That was to say nothing of the most
important mission of improving the image of the Alamite Church. Only a
talented author could have completed this book on such a short deadline
while satisfying all their clients’ demands.
“The author’s name isn’t in the book,” Maha noted.
“It was probably left out in the interest of disseminating the church’s
‘truth.’ They decided it would be best for people to not think about the
author of the story,” I explained.
“That makes sense… Excuse me, can I please buy five copies of that
novel? Oh, really? It’s only three per person…? Then I’d like three of them
delivered to the building where Natural You…”
“Hey.”
Maha ignored me and finished checking out.
“What are you playing at?” I asked.
 “Oh, come on. You— Ahem, Lugh Tuatha Dé is so cool in this book. I
have to buy it. I’ve already purchased a personal copy, but I want more as
souvenirs. I think Mother will love it.”
An image of Mom gushing over how cool her “little Lugh” was while
hugging me flashed through my mind.
“…I’m sure she would, but I wouldn’t be able to take it. Please don’t do
this to me.”
“Hee-hee, no promises.”
“What are the other two for?”
“One is a spare and the other is for Tarte. She won’t buy a copy in front
of you, but I’m sure she wants one very badly.”
“How kind of you.”
“She’s a friend… Actually, I’m not sure I think of her as a friend
anymore.”
“Tarte would cry if she heard that.”
Maha was Tarte’s best friend.
“No, that’s not what I mean. ‘Friend’ just doesn’t feel right… She’s
more of a clumsy and cute little sister. Yeah, that’s it. That might be why I
don’t get too jealous of all the time she spends with you.” Maha clapped her
hands and nodded as though satisfied.
“So she’s family.”
“Once your harem is complete, we’ll have to make our family official on
the register.”
“I don’t know how I feel about the word harem.”
“What else would you call it?”
Ouch. In noble society, people would call Dia my first wife and Tarte
and Maha my concubines, but I wasn’t comfortable with that, either.
“We’re a team.”
Maha giggled. “We’re certainly more than that.”
We continued to look around the shopping district as we talked. When
we entered the back alleys, we found fewer shops geared at tourists and
more that primarily served other businesses. Nothing gave me the
inspiration I was looking for, though.
“Any good ideas yet, Illig?” Maha asked.
“I have a few, but I can do better. Let’s look around a little more.” There
were a couple of candidates. I could throw something together using the
city’s resources, but I wanted a quality product.
“I’ve always liked your refusal to settle.”
“You’re the only one who would put up with this.”
We kept walking until we reached the end of the shopping district. There
was a church at the end of the street. Unlike the cathedral, which was built
to flaunt the authority of the Alamite Church, this was a more compact
establishment that also served as an orphanage.
There were children in the yard selling candles made of beeswax. It
didn’t look like their business was going particularly well. Cheap oil lamps
were widespread, decreasing demand for beeswax.
“Beeswax… That could work,” I muttered.
These orphanages received little from the church’s headquarters to give
the kids comfortable lives, necessitating side businesses to make more
money. Beekeeping was the primary industry in this quarter of the city. It
was time-consuming and came with the risk of getting stung, but it didn’t
require much strength, making it accessible to children. This region’s
climate was too cold to grow sugarcane, driving up the price of sugar and
creating a high demand for honey as a sweetener. Beekeepers earned a
decent amount. They could also sell beeswax.
“What are you staring at that church’s yard for?” Maha asked.
“Maha. If you had to divide cosmetics into two major categories, how
would you do it?” I questioned.
“Hmm… Broadly speaking, I’d divide it into skin care and makeup. The
first is for improving the condition of skin, like Natural You’s signature
moisturizer. The latter is for enhancing one’s appearance. Lipstick falls into
that category.”
“If we were to make a new Natural You product, what should it be for?”
“Skin care,” Maha answered immediately.
“Why? Skin care is our core business, but we could find a new market if
we put effort into a makeup line,” I argued.
“I disagree. The makeup market is too competitive and difficult to break
into. It’s better to play to our strengths than to take on that challenge.
Natural You became successful by making novel skin care products. We are
associated with bringing out women’s original beauty, not embellishing it,
and we should protect that image.”
I nearly grinned at the perfect answer. I’d taught my pupil well.
 “That’s right. It’s important that we use festivals like this one to convey
what makes Natural You special.”
I approached the kids in the yard and told them I’d buy their entire stock
of beeswax, including what they had in reserve. They excitedly sprinted
into the church and returned with handfuls of containers.
“What are you going to do with all these candles, Illig? I thought you
wanted to make a cosmetic product,” Maha said.
“Yeah, I am. I’m buying them for the beeswax. I can use it to make
something great.”
Beeswax was formed from honeycombs, making it safe to digest. It was
perfect for the item that would convey Natural You’s core message.
“I can’t imagine how a candle can be used for cosmetics.”
“I think you’ll like it once you see the finished product. Also, I’m not
just using this beeswax because it’s a good ingredient. It will add value that
will make this new commodity into the perfect festival item… I need to
speak with the priest.”
Quality wasn’t the only factor that determined a product’s success—the
packaging and added value mattered, too. I had to negotiate with the priest
to ensure I could present this product how I envisioned.
 Chapter 6 | The Assassin Makes Cosmetics

I got to work after we returned to the temporary Natural You store. I was
using a kitchen installed in the office, which meant no professional
equipment found in a workshop. Fortunately, this cosmetic could be made
in any kitchen.
Employees from the branch watched me at a distance. My excellent
hearing meant I picked up all their whispering; it was clear they admired
Illig Balor and thought of him as a legend for founding Natural You.
“Will you really be able to make anything with so few tools, Illig?”
Maha inquired.
“Absolutely. This product isn’t difficult to create,” I responded.
I laid out the ingredients on the counter. There were only three.
The first was grape seed oil, derived from grape seeds removed in the
process of making white wine. Natural You sold it as a product. The oil was
soft and fragrant, unsurprising, given its origin. It was expensive because of
the time and effort necessary to produce it, but it remained popular.
The next was an essential oil extracted from a plant. This volatile
substance was part of many Natural You products. I found the herb it came
from by the sea after a prolonged search for the ideal aroma. The oil raised
the quality of the company’s goods, and its fragrance had become
associated with the brand.
The beeswax I bought from the church was the final ingredient. It was
collected from honeycombs, which bees constructed using their naturally
secreted wax.
“Are those all the ingredients?” Maha inquired.
“Yes. This is a simple product, but it’s high quality and original. I’m
using the grape seed oil and essential oil because they’re key Natural You
ingredients. This beeswax is of only average quality, but being produced at
a local church gives it special meaning,” I explained.
 “Oh, I see what you mean. I can’t imagine anything better for the
celebration.”
Maha figured out why I was using the beeswax from that explanation
alone. She really was smart.
I poured grape seed oil and beeswax into a pot and placed it in hot water
to warm. Once the beeswax melted, I mixed the ingredients together and
added the essential oil. All that remained was to pour it into a lipstick
container and wait for it to cool. Typically, I’d let it sit for half a day, but I
used magic to remove the heat and harden it because I wanted to
demonstrate this new creation immediately.
“It’s done,” I announced.
“What is it? It’s shaped like lipstick,” Maha asked.
“It’s called lip balm. You could call it moisturizer for your lips, I
suppose. Natural You has released an array of products for skin protection,
but none for the lips. We live in a dry climate, so there’s more than enough
need… I noticed your lips were a little chapped when we kissed earlier, and
I decided I would make this when I saw the beeswax,” I said.
Maha touched her lips, embarrassed. She has nothing to be ashamed of.
Lips were delicate. Wind in dry climates damaged them over time, and a
stressful job like Maha’s only worsened the deterioration. I made this lip
balm for people like her, who struggled with chapped lips.
“Geez, you can be so insensitive… Also, you have to be careful,” Maha
whispered.
She was worried because I recently got engaged to her as Lugh Tuatha
Dé, and I was in disguise as Illig Balor. Maha and Illig had always been
close, to the point that people suspected they were dating. The sight of
Maha flirting with Illig despite being betrothed to Lugh could start some
problematic rumors.
“You’re worrying too much… Anyway, I’d rather fix your lips than fret
about being insensitive and pretend not to notice. Let me apply this, Maha.”
I placed my hand on Maha’s chin to turn her face toward mine and
applied my new lip balm. The employees all started talking at the sight.
Maha then touched her lips.
“They’re so smooth. And they don’t hurt at all.”
“This item is for protecting your lips. It can be used on rough hands as
well… It’s a medicine as well as a cosmetic,” I said.
 “Is it really okay to apply candle wax to your lips?”
“Beeswax comes from honeycomb, which is edible. It’s completely
safe.”
That’s why I used beeswax to make this lip balm. The ingredients had to
be safe because they went on the mouth. Beeswax also had the advantage of
a high melting point, which meant it wouldn’t melt from body temperature
or hot weather. The oils I added to make the beeswax smooth and easy to
apply were sourced from grape seeds and herbs. You could even eat the lip
balm if you wanted.
“I like it. Not being able to apply lipstick would kill it for me, though…
Lipstick is a necessity at official events,” Maha said.
“You can apply lipstick over the balm. It protects your mouth from
lipstick, too,” I informed her.
“Really? That’s a lifesaver. Putting lipstick over dry lips is painful and
makes them take longer to heal.”
This creation would sell because it fit Natural You’s skin care specialty.
“The only problem is that rival companies will be quick to produce
imitations, unlike with moisturizer,” I said.
Moisturizer was impossible to make without a special ingredient
extracted from soybeans that allowed water and oil to mix. As long as that
element remained a secret, no one else could imitate the moisturizer.
Anyone who studied the lip balm would figure out how to make it
immediately. All they needed to know was that it used oil to protect the lips
—there were many ways to create it.
“That’s nothing to worry about. I said earlier that it would be difficult to
catch up in the makeup market because the other brands are too strong, but
the reverse is true for skin care. That’s our domain, and we’ll easily squash
those who try to copy us.” Maha didn’t fall for my little test. She’d long
overtaken me as a businessperson. “There’s something else you haven’t
talked about yet, dear Illig.”
“What’s that?”
“The reason you used beeswax.”
“Oh, yeah. Tell me why you think I used it.”
Maha eyed me seriously, like a student taking an exam. “Selling
something that was made with resources bought from the church will give
us an unbeatable advantage in a city full of pilgrims from across the world.
People who buy souvenirs here want to take home a piece of the Alamite
Church’s power. What could be better than an item directly connected to the
church? There’s little demand for the beeswax on its own, but giving it a
practical use by putting it into a cosmetic will lead to explosive sales.”
“That’s correct. I have nothing left to add.”
“That’s why you negotiated with the priest. You were checking if it was
okay to sell beeswax made by a church.”
That negotiation was the most important step. The Alamite Church
would have retaliated violently if I used its name without permission.
“Exactly. The priest turned out to be a good man, and he allowed me to
use the beeswax on the condition of a small donation from our sales. That
enables us to sell this lip balm as a cosmetic that carries the blessing of the
Alamite Church. Believers will eat them up, and they’ll make good
souvenirs, too.”
“It’s the perfect feature product for this event… It’s clear that I haven’t
caught up to you yet, Illig. You thought up this viciously good idea and
made it into a product after one day of walking around the city.”
Maha looked conflicted. She was proud of me but disappointed to
discover she hadn’t surpassed me in business.
“You’re overestimating the difficulty of what I did. Product
development is nothing more than a puzzle to solve by piecing together
your experiences. You need wit and intuition, but that’s not what I’m asking
of you. You have the talent to protect this company and grow it. That’s
what’s expected of company executives like you.”
The chief executive didn’t have to work on product development. They
just had to hire people with the skill. However, a chief executive was the
only one capable of steering the ship.
“I know, but I’m still upset. All right, I have a declaration. Within a year,
I’m going to make a hit product without your help.”
“Competitive as ever, I see.”
“What merchant isn’t?”
Maha really was a strong and intelligent girl. I could rest easy knowing
Natural You was in her hands.
“I look forward to your new item. But first, we need to prepare for the
festival. You’ve given the lip balm your approval, so let’s make it our
feature product. We need to mass-produce it and nail down the packaging.
Time is short.”
“You’re right. This is a race against time. We’re counting on you all.”
Maha faced the employees, who replied energetically and gathered around
us.
I could tell they were good workers. Maha must have put a lot of effort
into finding them. I had total confidence in this product, and I couldn’t have
asked for a better staff. Undoubtedly, this festival would be a success.
 Chapter 7 | The Assassin Enjoys the Festival

The celebration was to be held over three days, and the canonization
ceremony was tomorrow evening.
The actual ritual was scheduled on the second day for a reason. If the
church held the main event on the first day, the number of guests would
dramatically decrease over the following two. If they held it on the third
day, the first wouldn’t be exciting. That made the evening of the second day
the perfect choice. Many guests would want to arrive a day early, and
because the ceremony was in the evening, plenty would decide to stay the
night and enjoy the day after, too.
I could learn from the church’s business acumen.
“We can have all the fun we want today… Uh, what should we call
you?”
We were enjoying the revelry as guests. Dia was unsure of how to
address me because I was in disguise. Illig was famous in his own right, so
today’s facade was another identity entirely. Illig was especially
inconvenient with all the company executives around.
“You can just call me Lugh. Multiple people can have the same name,” I
responded.
“Lugh it is, then.” Dia put her arm around mine.
Tarte looked on with envy. Usually, I’d ask if she wanted to link arms,
but Dia suggested that we train her to be more assertive. As Dia put it, Tarte
would never grow if I remained too soft on her. Giving her what she wanted
every time she made a longing expression would keep her from voicing her
wants. Dia had a point, so I pretended not to notice Tarte’s gaze…and felt
quite guilty doing so.
The three of us weren’t alone.
“My apologies for tagging along. I don’t mean to interrupt your date.”
“If you’re truly sorry, Naoise, then leave.”
 Two people had joined our usual group. The first was a child of the four
major dukedoms, just like Nevan. His name was Naoise, and he was an elite
among the elite. He came across like an indulged pretty boy, but I’d realized
after getting to know him that he was a passionate guy who stuck to his
principles.
The other tagalong missed Naoise’s playful tone and grew flustered.
“Oh, uh, should I leave, too?”
“It was a joke, Epona. I enjoy a good walk with my classmates.”
“I agree. It’s been so long since I’ve spent time with you, Lugh. There’s
so much I want to talk about.”
Our final member was the hero, Epona. She was the person the goddess
told me would destroy the world after killing the Demon King. I was
reincarnated in this world to slay her. She hid her gender and presented
herself as a boy, which wasn’t too difficult because of her naturally
androgynous appearance.
“Um, is it okay for you to be here, my lord?” Tarte asked. She was
wondering if it was all right for me to be away from the Natural You store.
 I nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine. That reminds me, I have a message for you
from Maha. She said, ‘I had my fill, so now it’s your turn.’”
“Maha is too nice… I get to be with you all the time.”
I was going to be tied up tomorrow because of the ceremony, but I was
free to do as I wished today. It would be best for me to be at Natural You,
especially because the first day was always the most difficult, but Maha had
told me to go enjoy the festival.
“She really is a good girl,” I agreed, although perhaps I ought to have
called her a woman, not a girl. “Oh yeah, there’s something I’ve been
meaning to ask. I know Epona has been getting sent all over the place as the
hero, but what have you been up to all week, Naoise?”
Naoise was no longer just my classmate—he was also the pawn of a
demon. Seeking greater power, he’d entered the service of Mina, the snake
demon I’d formed an alliance with. That agreement meant I didn’t have to
fight him, but it didn’t change the fact that he’d betrayed humanity. I
needed to remain wary of him. I’d assigned spies to follow him, but he’d
escaped them all.
“Being the son of a duke comes with its own fetters. There are always
many people I need to greet in cities like this,” he responded.
That was a lie. I would have known if that was what he was doing.
Clearly, he’d been on some errand for Mina.
“Be careful, Naoise. I want us to remain friends,” I said.
“I want the same. You are a very dear friend to me… That’s why I’m
interrupting your date to spend time with you.” Naoise smiled and put a
hand on my shoulder opposite the arm Dia held.
“As much as I value your friendship, Naoise, I don’t need your hand on
my shoulder.”
“Ha-ha, that was uncomfortable for me, too… You’ve changed, Lugh.
You’ve become more human.”
“You make it sound like I wasn’t human before.”
“Exactly. You felt like… Well, almost human.”
I froze for a moment. He was right on the mark. In my past life, I was
nothing more than a puppet who followed the orders of my organization.
My final wish when I was betrayed was a chance to live for myself. My life
as Lugh was filled with parental love, I’d met Dia and my other friends, and
I’d learned how to be a person. I thought I was already perfectly human by
the time I met Naoise, but now that I thought about it, I’d still been warped.
“Don’t think too hard about it. I just want to have a good time today.
This may be the last chance I’ll ever get to spend a fun, carefree day with
you,” Naoise said.
“What do you mean by that?” I questioned.
Naoise didn’t answer, walking away to hit on Tarte. She grew flustered
and hastily yet firmly rejected him. I was positive he did that to avoid
answering my question.
I shouldn’t press him on it. He likely couldn’t answer. We were gathered
here as classmates—for now, at least, I should forget about all the trouble
we were wrapped up in.
“I’ve been meaning to say this, but stop trying to put the moves on
Tarte,” I demanded.
Naoise had been hitting on her since the day we met.
“Ah-ha-ha, I do it because I’m fond of her,” Naoise responded.
Tarte bowed her head in apology.
“I’m serious. Stop. She looks miserable.”
“Oh, what’s the big deal? I think you just don’t like people taking what
you feel to be yours.”
“…Yeah. That’s a part of it. Tarte is my fiancée now. Leave my girl
alone.”
“L-Lord Lugh…,” Tarte stammered, blushing deeply.
“Wow.” Naoise grinned and bowed. “Please, forgive my ignorance.
More has changed than I realized since we last met. I’m not shameless
enough to try stealing a friend’s girl.”
He wore a sincere expression when he raised his head.
“…I’m not sure how to respond to that,” I admitted.
“You don’t have to say anything. Make Tarte happy for me. Just
knowing you accept her love made this meeting worth it. That’s a real
comfort.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Is it strange that I wish for the girl I love to be happy?”
“No. It just feels abrupt… Wait, I thought you loved Nevan. She was
quite concerned for you, as well.”
I thought Nevan and Naoise had a special relationship. She always tried
to help him, fretting over his well-being.
 “She’s more of an…older sister to me, you could say. We were both
born into one of the four major dukedoms, and we’ve known each other
since we were young. We were even engaged for a time. Duke Romalung
put an end to that when he decided I didn’t live up to his expectations,
though. I’m apparently incapable of creating the ultimate humans…
Honestly, our marriage may have been doomed to fail anyway. Nevan is a
superbeing, perfect in every way. In her eyes, I’m just a worthless little
brother who needs looking after. I worked so hard to prove her wrong.”
That explanation made sense. Nevan’s feelings for Naoise came off as
more protective than romantic.
Tarte timidly raised a hand.
“Um, what made you take an interest in me, Naoise?” she asked.
“You want to know? It’s because you’re a cute maid with big boobs,”
Naoise stated.
“M-m-my boobs?” Tarte blushed and covered her chest.
“I was drawn to your personality and mannerisms as well. You’re a lot
like my mother. My father, who is every bit as domineering as you’d expect
of a duke, had me after knocking up a maid. That gave me something of a
mother complex. Actually, maybe that’s not quite right… Perhaps I
imagined I could upset my father by marrying a maid who resembled my
mother.”
Naoise laughed. He looked strange, like a weight had been lifted off his
shoulders.
“Looking back on my life, I don’t think I ever walked my own path. I
was always concerned with proving myself to others. I wanted to get back
at those in my family who thought less of me because of my lowborn blood.
My father sees me as a reminder of his affair, Duke Romalung branded me
unworthy and annulled the engagement, Nevan treats me as a worthless
thing that needs to be looked after…and you, Lugh, decided I’m your
inferior.”
Deep resentment came through in Naoise’s words.
“But I don’t care anymore. I’ve found something that only I can do. Ah,
this makes me feel better. I’m glad I was able to speak with you.” Naoise
grinned after venting his resentments, looking refreshed.
I couldn’t find the words to respond. While I sank into contemplation,
Dia clapped her hands to gather our attention.
 “How long are you gonna ramble about yourself? Let’s just enjoy the
festival.”
“Yeah. There are so many shops, we may not get to them all today,” I
said.
Tarte nodded. “It looks like there are fun activities as well.”
“I agree. Let’s have the best time we can today,” Naoise replied.
Dia changed the mood, giving us a chance to spend time as classmates.
One thing still bothered me, though. Naoise claimed he’d found something
only he could do… Was it better to be glad for him and stay out of it? I
couldn’t shake the feeling that if I didn’t stop him, he’d be corrupted
beyond saving.
 Chapter 8 | The Assassin Becomes a Saint

We spent the rest of the first day of the celebration having fun and laughing
together as kids our age should. Unfortunately, I had no free time on the
second day. The canonization ceremony didn’t start until evening, but I had
to get up early to attend one activity after another, including purifying
myself in holy water, participating in a ritual to receive the goddess’s
blessing, and listening to a holy sermon. It was beyond tedious. Before I
knew it, the sun had set, and the canonization was an hour away.
The final preparations were underway. A team of deacons fixed my hair,
applied makeup, and dressed me in very formal attire. Students usually
wore their uniforms for special occasions, but that wasn’t going to cut it for
something this big.
“This robe is supposed to be imbued with the blessing of the goddess,
but I have to say I don’t feel it,” I remarked.
“Lugh, be careful. You can’t say things like that,” Dia chided. The
deacons looked offended.
Dia was dressed appropriately for a saint’s attendant. I didn’t feel a trace
of the goddess’s power from her clothes, either, but the mystical beauty of
her outfit gave it a strength all its own. It suited Dia’s own charms
frighteningly well.
“Was I the right choice for this? Looking after you is a servant’s job. I
hope Tarte isn’t upset.”
“I’ll talk to her about it later,” I said.
I could only take one attendant to the canonization ceremony. Dia was
my immediate choice.
“You always choose me when you can only have one. I feel bad.”
“I’ll pick Tarte next time, then.”
“Hrm, I don’t think I’d be able to handle that.”
I hugged Dia in reply.
 “I’ve told Tarte and Maha that I love you the most. They both
understand, and they’re okay with it. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“True. I know I’m not being fair. I feel bad about you choosing me, but I
still don’t want to give up the privilege. If they ever take issue in the future,
I’ll deal with it then.”
I didn’t feel like that was the best plan, but I supposed it would do.
“Oh dear, must you flirt so openly? I feel like you’re doing this out of
spite.”
Nevan and the Alam Karla entered the room. The Alam Karla was here
to officiate me, and Nevan was present as her attendant.
“Think what you will,” I responded.
“I’m jealous,” Nevan admitted.
I ignored her teasing and discreetly gave her a covert signal. The sign
was one that all Alvanian nobles learned, just as Duke Romalung had used
during the meeting with the cardinals. I told her that I wanted to talk alone.
She answered in acknowledgment.

After listening to an explanation of the proceedings for the canonization

ceremony, Nevan and I found a free moment to hide behind a large church
treasure and a stack of boxes. I figured we’d be able to have a private
conversation there.
Nevan grinned. “Are you inviting me on a date?”
“It’s nothing so nice… I want to talk about Naoise,” I said.
“Did that hopeless little brother of mine do something again?”
Little brother, huh? That truly was how Nevan thought of Naoise.
I told her about his behavior yesterday.
“I have a bad feeling about this. He seemed strangely relaxed… I’m
worried he’s going to get himself into some serious trouble. I’ve assigned
people to watch him, but my information network is better at observing the
larger picture than pursuing an individual.”
“This is certainly concerning. All right, I will mobilize the Romalung
intelligence department. Don’t expect too much, though. We have been
monitoring him since he entered that demon’s service, but he’s proved
elusive. He possesses some mysterious abilities that make him difficult to
follow. Our elite agents can’t keep up.”
If he could shake off House Romalung’s elite agents, then that didn’t
leave many options.
“I could follow him myself. The only others capable would be…”
“Myself, Father, or Cian Tuatha Dé. It would require a person of that
skill.”
“I doubt you or Duke Romalung have the time.”
“Yes, we are both occupied with duties that will shape the kingdom’s
future.”
“And as for me…”
“You can forget about that. You’re going to lose all your freedom once
you become a saint.”
“That leaves Dad.”
“I will have the royal family send House Tuatha Dé the job. Are you
sure this is what you want?”
“What do you mean?”
“You may be sending your father to his death.”
Dad was going to be tailing the pawn of a demon. None of my agents
had died yet, but that was only because Naoise could ditch them without
attacking. Dad would keep up, forcing Naoise to get violent.
“The Tuatha Dé clan wields its blade for the Alvanian Kingdom. We are
prepared to give our lives.”
“Just promise you won’t blame me for whatever happens.”
That was the end of our conversation. I’d just saddled Dad with the
dangerous task of pursuing Naoise… I was worried, but I trusted that he’d
be all right. I knew that no matter what happened, he’d prioritize returning
with information. He wouldn’t die.

The excitement at the canonization ceremony was intense. The crowd

seemed even more hectic than it did at my execution.
 I emerged to joyful cheers and envious looks as I took the stage wearing
the clothes supposedly blessed by the goddess. Many in the audience were
taken by Dia’s spellbinding beauty as she accompanied me. The experience
was in stark contrast to when citizens had jeered and hurled stones at me ten
days ago.
The Alam Karla waited on the stage. She held what looked like a
wedding veil. Huh, this one is the real thing. I felt the goddess’s power
from the veil. It also projected power like that of a divine treasure…
Perhaps that’s what it was.
I knelt before the Alam Karla.
“Lugh Tuatha Dé. I, the Alam Karla, the voice of the goddess, recognize
you as chosen by the divine. I bestow this veil as proof.” The Alam Karla
placed the object over my face. Deafening cheers erupted behind me,
creating a shock wave that shook the veil. “The eighth saint in history has
been born. Lugh Tuatha Dé will save us all by expelling the darkness of the
demons. Everyone, join me in prayer!”
The cheering came to an immediate stop. Tens of thousands of people
shut their mouths and closed their eyes. It was a bizarre sight. There was
always some percentage of people in a crowd who ignored orders to be
silent, but not this time.
I felt a swelling of the goddess’s power. Is this ceremony more than a
simple formality? Tens of thousands of prayers were transmitted into me
and converted into strength. It was an intoxicating feeling, like I had drunk
the best alcohol in the world. Then, without any signal, every person in the
crowd finished, opening their eyes at once to look at me.
“Lugh Tuatha Dé, stand and speak,” the Alam Karla commanded.
I stood and turned around. The words came out naturally.
“I have received your many prayers. I will make them my strength and
drive away the darkness.”
The crowd cheered louder than before, and passions swelled.
My eyes were drawn to one person out of the many present. It was
Naoise. He gave me a carefree smile, waved, then turned and departed. It
was casual behavior I’d seen from him countless times in the classroom, but
it felt different this time. I didn’t know why, but it gave me the feeling that
I’d never see him again.
 Chapter 9 | The Assassin Returns to the Academy

Naoise disappeared after the festival. Reflecting upon his behavior, I saw it
was clear he intended to vanish. I should have stopped him… Although I
doubt he would’ve listened.
My information network picked up a sign of Naoise a few days after the
ceremony, and House Romalung gave the royal family an order to convey
to the Tuatha Dé clan. Dad accepted the order and went after my wayward
friend. Once Dad corners Naoise, I can take action, I thought. I couldn’t do
anything until then.
I returned to the academy feeling depressed. My new sainthood was the
talk of the campus, and I stood out even more than I already did. I often
shut myself away in my room to avoid the attention, and today was no
different.
“You have a lot of letters, my lord,” Tarte announced.
“Great. Don’t people know we’re not supposed to bring family matters
to the academy?”
Students were supposed to leave behind their aristocratic ranks and
obligations, but no one cut themselves off completely. It was more common
for students to use our equality here as an excuse to approach others. Most
of the letters were party invitations sent with the blatant intention of
forming a connection with me. Some even talked directly of marriage.
“These people are shameless. We already announced our engagement.”
Dia puffed her cheeks out, indignant.
Word of my engagements traveled throughout aristocratic society after it
was reported through official channels. The news spread like wildfire—
unsurprising, given my status as a Holy Knight and demon slayer.
“We’re not married yet. Aristocratic betrothals are overturned all the
time. You three are also of low social status. I’m sure the high-ranking
nobles feel they can stop the weddings and appease me by allowing me to
keep you three as concubines,” I explained.
Dia was a count’s daughter, but her identity was a secret. At present, she
was only the daughter of a baron. That made me a target for nobles of
higher stations.
“That’s so rude.”
“I agree. You two need to be more careful than ever. Previously,
aristocrats sent marriage proposals, aiming to strengthen their ties to the
royal family. But the stakes have grown now that I’m a saint. Those same
houses will be after the prestige of a direct link to the church and the
goddess’s blessing now. Someone might seek to eliminate my pesky
fiancées.”
There were plenty of precedents for that kind of thing.
“Don’t worry about us, Lugh. There aren’t many people out there who
can defeat us,” Dia said.
“That is right. You have trained us well, my lord, and given us power,
too!” Tarte agreed.
Dia was a genius with magic. Tarte had no natural talent, but she was an
unbelievably hard worker and had received the special Tuatha Dé
education. I’d also strengthened them further using My Loyal Knights. It
was no exaggeration to say they were among the ten mightiest people in the
kingdom.
“It doesn’t matter how powerful you are if you’re caught off guard. As
an assassin, I know that better than anyone.”
“Yeah, we do need to be careful. But don’t forget that you’ve taught me
how to catch people off guard as well.”
“Yes, knowing how assassins operate will help us defend ourselves. The
best way to stay safe would be to remain by your side at all times, my lord.”
“Yeah, we should avoid acting alone whenever possible.”
Sticking together was a simple plan, yet the most effective.
“Ah, a guest.” Tarte hurried to the door at the sound of the bell. The
visitor surprised me.
“Sorry for the intrusion. I have something I want to discuss with you,
Lugh.”
It was the hero, Epona. She was in casual attire and still dressed as a
boy.
“I’ll prepare tea and sweets,” Tarte announced.
 “Um, I appreciate the thought, but I want to speak with Lugh alone. It’s
important,” Epona explained, concern visible on her face.
“Got it. Let’s go outside.” I felt bad about going back on my word
immediately after telling Dia and Tarte that we should stick together as
much as possible, but I couldn’t ignore Epona.
“Thanks. This won’t take long.”
Epona had a sword at her hip. I watched her closely and saw that she
was ready to fight… Does she want to get rid of me? No, that couldn’t be it.
She desired to battle, but there was no malice in her demeanor. Despite her
strength, Epona was an amateur; she wasn’t capable of hiding aggression.
Although suspicious, I followed the hero’s example by equipping a
sword. We left the dorm together after I checked my hidden gun and other
concealed weapons.

There was a training ground built next to the dorm. It was always crowded
around noon, but everyone left as soon as the sun set. Epona and I faced
each other.
“I’m so sorry. There’s something I’ve been keeping from you,” she
began. I waited silently for her to continue. “Naoise hasn’t been human for
some time now… I have a skill that allows me to sense that kind of thing. I
knew something was wrong with him, but I didn’t say anything.”
Her eyes grew moist.
“Why did you choose to stay silent?” I asked.
“…He’s not human anymore, but he’s still Naoise. He’s the same
considerate, hardworking, and showy friend I came to know. If I’d told
anyone what he’s become, I would’ve had to kill him. I couldn’t bring
myself to do it.” Epona clutched her sword with trembling hands. “Naoise
has gotten stronger. He’s still much weaker than me, but I think you and I
are the only two who can stop him now.”
“Huh… I know how you feel. No one wants to kill a friend. To be
honest, I knew as well. He actually bragged about it to me. He said he
gained a new power,” I responded.
 Epona’s eyes went wide. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I made a promise to the demon who turned Naoise into a
monster.”
“…So you betrayed humanity.”
A hint of malice entered Epona’s expression, giving me goose bumps.
“No, I didn’t. I made a deal. This demon thinks of the other demons as
nuisances, and she’s been giving me information so I can take them out.
There are demons I never would’ve killed without her help, and more
innocents would’ve died. Without her information, I would’ve missed some
battles entirely.”
Epona’s malice faded.
“I had no idea a demon could be cooperative.”
“You’ve only seen the pig and the Puppeteer. There’s plenty of diversity
among the demons. Some flaunt their strength, and some hide out of
cowardice. The Puppeteer became the hierarch because he desired to rule,
and my ally enjoys human culture.”
“I would’ve preferred not to know that.”
“Will knowing they’re not simple monsters make you unable to kill
them?”
Epona didn’t answer, but that was tacit affirmation. I waited patiently for
her to continue, and she did with a determined expression.
“It makes me not want to kill them. But that doesn’t mean I can’t. I
made a promise. I must be the sword that protects humanity.”
A female knight guided Epona long ago, but she later died and became a
source of agony for the hero. Curious, I looked into that woman and found
some things that didn’t add up. It’s possible she was a reincarnated person.
Judging by my interactions with the goddess, she believed that mere
strength wasn’t enough to deal with the hero. Maybe she’d sent the world’s
greatest teacher to instruct Epona as a way of controlling the girl.
Unfortunately, the attempt had failed and sent Epona into despair.
“Is that all you wanted to talk about?” I asked.
“No. I have a request.” The hero drew her sword. “I’ve been getting
weaker by the day. No one can train with me safely, and being stuck in the
royal capital means I can’t battle monsters and demons. I’m going to forget
how to fight completely at this rate. I won’t be able to protect those
important to me.”
 I was the only person who could keep up with Epona in a fight.
“Is that really the reason for your frustration? Or do you just want to
blow off some steam?”
Epona possessed a skill that made her restless during long periods
without combat. It also caused her personality to change dramatically
during the thrill of battle. Without that excitement as a release valve, she
would grow stressed and unable to contain herself.
“Yeah, actually. I feel like I’m about to explode. Naoise kept me in
check, and I don’t know how long I can keep my composure without him
here. So please fight me. I know you won’t die.”
What should I do here? Just like Epona said, Naoise protected her. He
did what he could to ease her burden by deflecting and taking care of all the
stressful duties the hero had to deal with. Both his position as a duke’s son
and his outstanding talent enabled him to do this. Not even I could have
aided Epona in this way. Naoise developed an inferiority complex because
of the powerful people around him, but there was plenty that only he was
capable of.
Without him, Epona would have to handle the stress of her position
directly. If she reached her limit, the damage would undoubtedly be
immense. People I knew might get hurt. Thus, the best decision was to help
the hero release some tension.
That was my excuse, anyway. Honestly, I just wanted to fight her. Epona
claimed she’d weakened since the school shut down, but I’d grown
stronger. I’d trained, obtained various weapons, and increased my arsenal of
spells. I wanted to see how much closer I was to the hero.
“Okay. I’ll fight you. We should move, though—this place is too small
for you,” I said.
This training ground was located in our dorm’s courtyard. It was
designed for humans, not the hero.
“Yeah, good thinking. Let’s go to where that hill used to be. The one in
the east. It’s a wasteland now because of your weird spell,” Epona
suggested.
“That works for me.”
I was bluffing. As an assassin, I preferred uneven land with lots of
obstacles, but I couldn’t be picky.
Epona started running, and I followed. I hoped to devise methods of
saving the world without killing her, but I had to prepare for the worst.
Being left with no choice but to take Epona out was never off the table. I’d
do it if I had to, but only after spending every last second searching for
alternatives.
There were too many things in this world I didn’t want to lose. Epona
was a friend, but protecting Dia and the rest of my family was more
important.
How serious should I get in this fight? I needed a proper grasp of
Epona’s strength and what I could manage against her. However, it was
important not to reveal too many of my tricks. Nothing I tried on the hero
would work twice.
 Chapter 10 | The Assassin and the Hero Face Off

Standing amid the wasteland, I faced Epona alone. The view was flat in all
directions, putting me at a disadvantage. We did pass through a forest to get
here—that offered lots of places to hide. I could work with that.
“We don’t want to kill each other here. Let’s set a few rules. The match
will last one minute. It will end as soon as one of us surrenders, faints, or
breaks a limb. If we run out of time, it’s a draw,” I said.
“I like it. I wonder if you can handle my best for a full minute?” Epona
responded.
Putting myself in mortal danger wasn’t the only risk with fighting Epona
—I could also lose My Loyal Knights. It was originally her skill, and it
allowed the bearer to lend skills and a piece of their strength to a maximum
of three people. The catch was that the ability could deem one of the
knights unworthy if they lost a duel, rescinding the powers. That would be
problematic, and it’s why I suggested a time limit. The match would end in
a stalemate if I survived for a minute, meaning I wouldn’t lose.
A minute was a long time against an opponent of Epona’s caliber. It
might have been better to avoid this fight, given the risks, but getting a
sense of our current gap in strength made it worth the danger.
“Naoise is a fool. He was doing plenty to contribute to world peace by
keeping you in check… Yet he got it in his head that he was useless and
was overwhelmed by an inferiority complex,” I said.
Epona would have lost herself long ago if not for Naoise. He’d
undoubtedly done an excellent service toward protecting world peace. He
was also legitimately strong. Naoise felt inferior to Nevan, Epona, and me,
but he compared himself to the wrong people.
Naoise was an excellent man in his own right. He overwhelmed any
opponent without superhuman ability and even bettered us superhuman
types in some ways. He was great at everything without specializing in any
one area. I wished that he’d understood his strengths and was proud of
them.
“You should have told him that. He always indirectly hinted at wanting
your recognition,” Epona responded.
“…I’ll tell him the next time, then.”
I drew my sword. The weapon was a decoy; I was best with a knife or a
gun.
Then I used a spell Dia developed called Haste Bolt. It strengthened the
electrical current within the body, significantly increasing reaction speed. It
also bolstered physical strength. The magic was tremendously potent, but it
damaged the body and threatened to render me immobile. Not even Rapid
Recovery could keep up. At best, I’d last for a little over a minute. The time
limit on this bout meant that wouldn’t be a concern, though.
Next, I injected a drug into my neck. It also enhanced my reflexes. I
could never keep up with Epona’s speed, leaving me no choice but to rely
on reactions to survive. This preparation should have allowed me to follow
her movements.
And finally…
“Swift Wind Armor.”
…I cast my favorite spell. It granted me wind-based defense that
deflected attacks and allowed me to release compressed air to propel
myself.
“Are you ready, Lugh?”
“Anytime. Give me your best shot, hero.”
I beckoned for Epona to begin, and she smiled.

Epona charged toward me, the ground exploding at her feet. She moved
silently. No, that wasn’t right; she moved so fast that she outpaced the speed
of sound. Thanks to my body’s strengthened electrical current and the drug,
I followed her, but only barely. I dodged with the minimum amount of
movement possible, lacking time for anything else. She whipped past me,
and a second later, an invisible hammer knocked me off my feet.
 A sonic boom… Shock waves hammered the surrounding area, caused
by Epona breaking the sound barrier.
She turned and charged again. I released a piece of my Swift Wind
Armor to propel myself back and dodge, yet I was sent flying through the
air once more. I barely managed to land safely, cracking a bone in my right
arm.
I can’t even touch her. But that’s not a problem.
Epona was as quick as I remembered. There was enough distance
between us now for me to act, though. I didn’t have time to cast a spell or
evade in any way besides the most optimal. However, I did have time to
draw my gun and pull the trigger.
Elite gunners could ready, aim, and fire in 0.2 seconds. And that was the
best I could do in my past life. Now I could strengthen myself with mana
and hasten my reflexes with magic, pushing my speed to 0.1 seconds—
faster than humanly possible.
This should be enough to hit her!
I shot three rounds, as one did to make sure they took down their
opponent. My arms felt liable to snap despite being strengthened by mana.
I’d designed the pistol’s large bore for increased force and packed the
bullets with as much Fahr Stone powder as possible without breaking the
gun. The projectiles launched at an initial velocity of 1,020 meters per
second, about three times the speed of sound and faster than an anti-
materiel rifle.
I’d built the gun with the best possible suppressor, but it still wasn’t
enough to stop the recoil completely. This meant I had to steady the gun
with my mana-strengthened arms to prevent the muzzle from wavering, and
the shock wave cracked a bone in my left arm.
“Quit holding back, Lugh!”
Epona charged directly at the three bullets—each housing a force greater
than an anti-tank rifle—and head-butted them out of the way.
You’re joking…
Destructive energy increased the faster two objects moved toward each
other. Epona charged toward those bullets faster than sound, which should
have increased the force of the impact. Yet she was uninjured.
I fired the rest of the bullets in my magazine, but she deflected them all
and threw a punch at my stomach once she entered point-blank range. I
released my Wind Armor to propel myself backward and dampen the blow,
but she was too swift. Her fist connected with my gut. There was an
unpleasant crunching sound, and I was hurled away.
“Huh? That didn’t feel like bone. How interesting!”
Epona tilted her head and laughed as I fell to my knees and coughed up
blood. She’d broken the frame of my bulletproof vest. It was designed to
break to cancel the force of an excessive blow. The vest was made of
monster bones that were so light and tough they could survive the full-
speed charge of a ten-ton truck, and Epona broke it with one punch.
Without it, I would’ve lost all my ribs.
I chanted in midair to summon more Swift Wind Armor. Epona
extended a hand toward me.
“Fireball.”
Fireball was among the first fire spells one learned. It produced a fist-
sized sphere of flame when cast by a regular mage, but the hero’s version
was quite different.
The burning orb turned to plasma because of its immense heat and
rocketed toward me with the speed of a laser cannon. I responded by
pulling a Fahr Stone engineered to produce a directional explosion from my
Leather Crane Bag and throwing it. The stone exploded and scattered
mithril chaff in midair, diverting the plasma away from me.
I’d managed to defend myself, but that was hardly one of Epona’s best
attacks. It was a beginner spell. That meant…
“Fireball.”
…she was able to cast it again immediately. The new Fireball
evaporated the chaff and pierced my body, distorting its shape.
Fortunately, that was just an illusion I created using a wind spell to bend
light. The magic was normally unusable after dark due to the lack of
sunlight, but the glow from the plasma made it possible. I’d calculated the
best place to spread the chaff produced by the Fahr Stone to disperse the
plasma and enable my illusion. It didn’t matter how fast the hero was if I
hid beyond her view.
 Got her.
I wasn’t dumb enough to say that aloud. I moved silently while hiding
my scent and stabbed a knife at Epona’s neck from behind as hard as I
could.
I heard the dull sound of bone breaking—my wrist. Epona’s skin was
too hard, sending the entire impact of my full-strength attack back into my
hand. My dominant arm was now unusable with that and the other cracked
bone.
I wanted to scream from the intense pain, but I didn’t have the time.
Epona turned around with a backhand blow, and I dodged by a paper-thin
margin. Or at least, I thought I did. By the time I realized it had grazed my
skin, I was already hurtling backward through the air, as if I were a bullet.
I flew dozens of meters before landing. I was in terrible condition. My
clothes were ragged, and my skin torn. The spinning had wrecked my inner
ears, and my sense of direction was completely thrown off. I couldn’t even
stand.
I need to find Epona… Wait. I rolled on instinct, and a crater formed
where I’d been a moment earlier. Epona had soared down from the sky to
kick me from above. The ground ruptured, and I was tossed into the air
again.
I finally regained my sense of direction. That’s going way too far for a
duel. She would have smashed my face in if that kick had connected. If
that’s how she intended to play it, I’d respond in kind. Fortunately, I’d been
knocked a good distance from her. And by miracle or chance, she was
standing on the point I designated for my trap.
“Cannon Volley.”
I chose Epona’s current position as a killing point before the duel. On
the way here, I used magic to produce cannons from my Leather Crane Bag
and put them in place while running behind Epona. I couldn’t hurt her with
regular attacks, and there was no time to prepare powerful moves while
fighting her. Traps were a different story, though.
We chose a wasteland with a clear view as the site of our duel, but I
wasn’t so kind as to spend the whole fight engaged on terrain
disadvantageous to an assassin. I had been luring her toward the forest,
where I could hide and set traps, for the entire duel.
Cannons fired at Epona from all directions with thunderous booms,
kicking up a dust cloud. Attacks were stronger when there was less room
for the target to escape. Epona knocked me all around during the duel, but
the best way to ensure all the force of an attack connected with a target was
to strike from all sides with equal strength.
Preparing this trap was difficult. I’d determined the best location for it,
but there was no guarantee it would go well. There was limited time to set it
without Epona realizing, even with magic to help. I repeatedly
compromised and recalculated, and while the location I landed on wasn’t
ideal, the trap was still plenty lethal. I’d lured Epona to the spot while
pretending like she was trouncing me.
“Attacking from all sides with multiple Cannon Strikes upgraded to
achieve maximum power. By my estimate, this should exceed Gungnir,
but…”
I searched for Epona with a probing spell while still on guard. It didn’t
take long to find her. She was still moving.
Damn, she’s charging right at me.
I tried to react, but my body felt like lead. Was this because of my
injuries? No, this was from Haste Bolt. Being a millisecond too slow in this
fight could cost me my life.
Epona’s nails hardened and sharpened to swords’ points, and she
stabbed them through my throat… No, she paused just before.
“Darn, I was so close. One more second, and I would’ve won.”
“Yeah, our minute’s up.”
Epona stopped because we’d reached the time limit.
“I’m surprised. You were able to keep your composure until the end this
time,” I said.
She kept track of the time down to the second. That would’ve been
impossible if she had lost her mind.
“That was lucky. My vision went red when I saw your Cannon Volley—
I could tell it was going to hurt—but getting hit by those bullets actually
returned me to my senses… See, I didn’t get hurt that badly.”
Her left arm hung limp, broken. I succeeded at harming the hero…
Although I didn’t feel like celebrating, considering it took an attack of
Gungnir’s level just to break an arm. Epona was more absurd than I
thought. I was ready to kill her if necessary, but this reminded me that it
would be difficult, even with my new abilities.
 Still, I’d say this went well. I confirmed Epona’s current strength and
proved an even match for her without revealing everything in my arsenal, I
thought. Nearly everything I employed in this match was something from
my battle against the orc demon. I didn’t reveal any new tricks, preferring
to keep those for emergencies. Were I not so picky, I would’ve done even
better.
“Sorry about that. I can’t hold back when fighting you,” I apologized.
“Don’t worry. It’s already healed. Thanks for going all-out. Anything
less would’ve been unsatisfying, and I feel sharper than I have in ages.”
Epona waved her arms to show she was okay, including her left one, which
had been broken a moment ago.
The injury that nearly cost me my life was already gone. Even my Rapid
Recovery skill couldn’t keep up with that absurd healing rate. It took all my
effort to stand. I didn’t look hurt, but I was worn out from boosting my
body with magic and the drug. The nerve damage would take a while to
heal.
I was unable to dodge Epona’s final attack because I’d lost my increased
physical strength. I had to expend a lot more effort than anticipated,
shortening the time I could maintain my physical strengthening by a few
seconds… This didn’t happen during my tests. Learning that fighting Epona
would push me to this extent made this worthwhile.
“Let’s fight again sometime. I want to get stronger. I have to.”
“Because of that promise?”
“Yeah. But that’s not all. I have a skill called Future Calculation, and I
don’t know why, but it makes my heart pound with fear. It’s a vague
feeling, but it’s like a warning that I’ll be in trouble if I remain weak.”
That lined up with the private conversation between the goddess and the
Puppeteer that the Alam Karla overheard. Under normal circumstances, the
hero fought multiple demons and gained strength before fighting the
Demon King, but I took those opportunities from her. During the battle with
the pig demon—the first we encountered—Epona demonstrated she had
what it took to be the strongest hero in history, but she hadn’t fought a
demon since. I didn’t know if she still had that potential.
I need more information.
Epona’s weakness wouldn’t be an issue if we managed to kill all the
demons and prevent the Demon King’s resurrection. But if the Demon King
returned and the goddess was right that only the hero could defeat them…
Then I’d be responsible for leading the world to annihilation instead of
salvation.
If that came to be, I would have to take responsibility. I had to protect
this world.
 Chapter 11 | The Assassin Reunites with the
Goddess

I woke up to find myself in a white room.

No, I wasn’t awake. This was a dream. I’d been summoned here again.
This had happened so many times now that it no longer surprised me.
“It’s the goddess again…”
“Heya, it’s been a hot second! It’s your favorite girl, the goddess! Tee-
hee.”
“…You changed your personality again. You’re just going to confuse
me, so please stop.”
“Boo. You’re as cold as ever. Guess they called you the Icy Assassin for
a reason.”
“Now, that takes me back.”
“I love that nickname. It’s so edgy! ”
I was given many titles in my past life. Only the higher-ups in my
organization knew my face and name, causing rumors of a mysterious,
skilled assassin to spread through the criminal underworld. There were
times when any extremely difficult assassinations with an unknown
perpetrator were attributed to me. The embellished nature of the rumors
constantly had me exasperated.
“Quit messing around and give me your request.”
“I don’t have a request. I just wanted to summon you.”
“I don’t understand… Oh, I guess the summons itself is the message.”
“You really are a smart cookie. My resources have been mega short
recently, so just getting you here took all I had. You have no idea the
headache that giving even a little advice would cause me. Spending more
than I’m allowed will force me to pull resources from elsewhere, which
could end up breaking functions of the world and causing lots of
problems!”
 That sounded terrifying.
“Are you short on resources because of whatever you were plotting with
that demon?”
“Oh come on, you know I can’t answer that.”
“Because it’ll consume resources?”
“Exactly. Interfering with the world comes at a high price… Well, I
guess I can tell you one thing, because you already worked it out. I was
lying through my teeth when I said you were the only reincarnated soul. But
all of the others failed. There’s no doubt that you are at the center of the
world, and that your actions will decide its fate. Only you can make it that
far. As a result, interfering with you demands an absurd amount of
resources. Ugh, it makes me want to tear my hair out.”
“Sounds like a fine-tuned system.”
“It sure is. I can mess with irrelevant nobodies all I want, but it won’t
have any impact on the world. Meanwhile, meddling with a kid who holds
actual influence eats up my resources in a flash. That is to say: You’re the
world’s only hope! I’m counting on you.”
The white room crumbled. She really did summon me without a request.
I got her message loud and clear anyway.

I woke up for real this time.

“Are you feeling okay, my lord?”
Tarte, who’d already changed into her school uniform, peered at my face
with concern. Those clothes suited her very well.
“We’ve been worried about you. You came back last night all beaten up
and then collapsed without a word. I thought you might die,” Dia said.
“Epona and I dueled… The hero is ridiculously strong,” I responded.
“Well, duh. You know better than anyone that Epona’s a superhuman
monster.”
“You’re right about that.”
I inspected myself. Rapid Recovery had repaired nearly all of my
injuries. My recovery rate was over a hundred times faster than the average
person’s, which meant that half a day of rest was like three months for
anyone else—plenty of time to heal a broken bone. The cracked ones in my
rib cage, right wrist, and both arms were fine now. My strained muscles and
overworked nerves were back to normal, too.
The problem was…
“This took a lot of effort to make.”
…I looked down at the bulletproof vest I wore under my clothes. Its
unique, slippery coating deflected weaker slash attacks, and it could survive
being hit by a ten-ton truck, thanks to an elastic gel taken from the earth
dragon demon’s membrane and a frame made to break when overloaded. It
was utterly ruined. I might have died if I hadn’t been wearing it, but the
thought of having to rebuild it was still depressing.
“Don’t freak out, Lugh… But that’s not all that was broken,” Dia said.
“I checked everything while you were asleep, my lord. The barrel of
your gun is twisted, your undergarments are ruined…and the amulet
prototype you made in case of emergency was broken,” Tarte said.
“…I want to hide under the covers and never come out.”
I’d skirted most of Epona’s direct attacks, but the shock waves they
created knocked me off my feet multiple times. Many pieces of equipment I
hid under my clothes were destroyed.
“I’ll help with repairs!” Tarte declared.
“Guess we don’t have much choice. I’ll help, too,” Dia added.
“I appreciate it. I want to remake your equipment anyway, so I suppose
this is good timing. Let’s take this opportunity to make upgrades, not just
fix,” I responded.
I’d made equipment for both the girls, including guns, stab-proof
undergarments, and knives made with a special alloy, using knowledge
from my past life. To improve on them, I’d need materials surpassing
technological possibilities.
Fortunately, I’d defeated multiple demons. Much of a demon’s strength
came from its body, which could be harvested for materials so excellent
they were beyond scientific explanation. Demons turned to blue particles
and disappeared when they died, but the most powerful parts of them
remained. I’ve collected and stored the remains of all the demons I’ve
killed.
“Ooh, that sounds fun,” Dia said.
 “I’m excited,” Tarte agreed.
They both looked very interested.
“All right. Let’s cut training short today and work on making
equipment.”
I decided I’d work out the designs in class. It wouldn’t be hard for me to
multitask.

We held a light training session after school and then moved to my

workshop.
“Hey, Lugh. How did you get a workshop as a first-year?” Dia inquired.
“It’s a long story. I said I needed one, and the academy provided,” I
answered.
The academy’s headmaster was an ally of the Tuatha Dé clan, and he
accommodated me after negotiation.
“Our offensive firepower is sufficient… Well, not quite, but it’s getting
there. I want to improve our defense. No matter how strong we become, one
surprise attack could kill us instantly.”
“That’s especially true for me. I get really scared sometimes while
chanting.”
Few mages could use magic in the thick of battle. The reason was
because their guard dropped during incantation. Mages used mana to boost
their physical abilities, making them a match for a thousand ordinary
troops.
Casting a spell meant reciting a formula and investing an amount of
mana. A mage couldn’t empower themselves and perform magic
simultaneously. So while they worked a spell, they were no different from
ordinary people. Thus, the safest way for a mage to fight was to rely only
on physical strengthening and not cast at all. I didn’t let Dia fight that way
because she was so adept with magic that the standard rules didn’t apply to
her. The advantages of using her spells in battle outweighed the risks.
“That’s a difficult problem. If you devote more to your physical
strengthening, your spells become significantly less powerful, but if you
devote more mana to your casting, you become more vulnerable,” Tarte
said.
“Right? I wish I could wear armor, but… Without physical
strengthening, I’d be too slow,” Dia agreed.
Good defensive equipment was heavy. That’s what the people of this
world believed.
“Lugh, make us each one of those vests that breaks to erase impact,” Dia
requested.
“Sure it’s lighter than armor, but it’s too heavy for you both. That’s why
I’m going to make undergarments that are harder than armor and lighter
than any clothing… I suppose they might as well be camisoles. Then you
can wear them all the time, which is for the best,” I explained.
“Ah, we’ll be able to wear those every day,” Tarte said.
Dia nodded. “Sounds good to me. Like you said yesterday, there’s a real
chance someone could try to assassinate us at any time.”
Making clothing as light as an undergarment while still stab-proof and
impact resistant was challenging. Scratch that, impossible—unless you had
access to materials that defied science, of course.
“What are you going to make them out of?” Dia asked.
“Do you remember the Puppeteer demon we fought in the holy city?” I
said.
“How could we forget?” Dia replied.
Tarte shivered. “He was a very difficult enemy.”
“He used telepathic threads when controlling large groups of people, but
he needed a physical one to possess formidable targets. I have those here.”
These threads remained after the Puppeteer turned to blue particles and
disappeared. I performed various tests and discovered they were tougher
and lighter than carbon nanotubes. They were only a few micrometers in
width, yet could easily lift five tons. It was absurd.
“Can we touch the thread?” Dia asked.
“Sure,” I responded.
“It’s so light. Even a handful weighs absolutely nothing.”
“It’s soft, too.”
“The Puppeteer used these to transmit thoughts to his targets and control
them. Turns out they’re equally adept at conducting mana. I can use it to
knit light, tough, and magic-compatible camisoles. You’d be hard-pressed
to find better defensive equipment.”
“I’m excited.”
Dia had a big grin on her face, but Tarte turned pale. She realized the
problem.
“You’re making camisoles with this thread?”
“Yes.”
“It’s so thin it’s invisible. It’s terrifying to think how long it would take
to knit a camisole… You would need years…”
“Oh, I’m not knitting them by hand. I’m gonna make a loom.”
“It’s just like you to make one instead of buying one,” Dia teased.
“I have no choice. This thread is too strong for an ordinary loom to
handle.”
Even a scarf took a week to knit with yarn, and the thinner the thread,
the more time required. Spinning this thread would take ten times as long,
and I didn’t even want to think about how many years it might be until I had
a camisole.
Tarte sighed. “That’s a relief. The first time I knitted you a sweater, Lord
Lugh, it took a month.”
“I’ve kept that sweater even after outgrowing it. It’s important to me.”
“You don’t have to do that. You can throw it away.”
“No. You made it with love and care. I’d like our kids to wear it one
day.”
“K-kids…? I’m going to have kids with Lord Lugh…? Heh-heh-heh…”
It was a quality sweater despite it being Tarte’s first attempt. She did so
well on her first try because of how scrupulous and dedicated she was to the
task. I couldn’t wear it anymore, but I still treasured it.
“I wish I could do something like that. I’ve never made you anything,”
Dia groused.
“What are you talking about? You’ve made me lots of things.”
“I can’t remember anything.”
“I treasure all the spells we’ve constructed together. I could never have
made them without you. I can’t thank you enough.”
Dia blushed and laughed. “Yeah, you’re lucky to have me. I make spells
because I like magic, but it’s also for you.”
“I know. Thank you… I need to return the favor by making you both
defensive equipment that will keep you safe.”
 I smiled and produced a piece of metal with a spell. Making the loom
out of metal was easy—I only had to create each piece in my blueprint.
Magic could only fabricate simple shapes, but I could build anything if I
conjured the parts individually.
“Is this your blueprint for the loom? Oh, that’s what you were drawing
in class.”
“I don’t know how you were able to sketch this. You scare me
sometimes, my lord.”
My knowledge from my previous life was a constant boon. I acted as
many types of people to get close to assassination targets, and I absorbed
knowledge on many subjects to ensure convincing performances. That said,
I never learned how to make a loom that way. I simply remembered a video.
Perhaps it was part of a movie. I wasn’t sure. A person operated a loom in
the footage, and I reverse engineered the blueprint based on their actions
and the functions the machine would require.
“I guess you’re gonna put all these parts together once you’re done
making them. Whoa, there’s over a hundred on the blueprint,” Dia said.
“That’s how complicated this device is,” I replied.
Tarte marveled at me. “That’s amazing. You’re making camisoles by
creating the parts necessary for the machine to weave them.”
“It’s not so unusual. Making a machine to make a machine to make a
machine to make a machine that makes the desired product is
commonplace,” I explained.
Dia groaned. “You’re making my head hurt.”
That was the fate of the manufacturing industry. At any rate, I expected
the three of us to complete the loom by the end of the day. It would take
another half a day for me to finish their camisoles.
I’d never seen such beautiful, transparent, and supple thread. This work
was for pragmatic pieces of defensive equipment, but they were going to be
high-quality camisoles.
 Chapter 12 | The Assassin Makes Beautiful
Raiments

The work wasn’t too challenging once the loom was built. I wasn’t sure
building the device for a pair of garments was worthwhile, but it proved to
be the right call.
The two finished products were a little larger than necessary because
Dia and Tarte were still growing. It wasn’t too necessary for Dia, but Tarte’s
chest could get even larger, hard as that was to believe. I wanted to make
extra camisoles if possible, but little of the Puppeteer demon’s thread
remained. There wasn’t enough to spare, considering what I wanted to craft
next.
“This is crazy. It’s totally see-through,” Dia remarked.
“…Wearing this is going to take a lot of courage,” Tarte said.
They both blushed as they inspected the finished camisoles.
“The demon’s threads are nearly invisible, probably because they
needed to catch people off guard… Weaving it together resulted in
transparent fabric.”
Transparent thread was an incredible material. See-through camisoles
existed in my old world, of course, but they were created with thin thread
and weaving that left many gaps. The material itself wasn’t see-through. A
genuinely transparent item of clothing, one created with no spaces, could
function as defensive equipment. Such a thing was unthinkable in my old
world, though.
Dia put a hand to her chin. “Can you color these? That would make
them even nicer.”
“I tried to dye them because I was worried about the transparency, too,
but the color wouldn’t stick,” I answered.
I applied a red dye to one of the camisoles to demonstrate, and it slid
right off. I’d attempted several methods to color the garments, including
soaking them in paint and baking the paint into them, but all ended in
failure.
“Huh. Well, guess it’s not possible. We’ll be wearing them under our
clothes, so it doesn’t really matter,” Dia said.
“Um, that’s fine for me, but in your case…” Tarte trailed off.
Dia’s ears turned red. “Don’t say that in front of Lugh!”
“S-sorry.”
I had an idea of what this was about. Camisoles were supposed to be
worn above underwear. Tarte had a developed chest and needed to wear a
bra, but Dia could get by with just a camisole. Wearing a transparent
camisole over her bare skin wasn’t going to work, however.
“How about this? I’ll use my Natural You connections to find you some
small and cute underwear,” I suggested.
Dia had a chest. It was growing little by little, and she’d probably reach
a B cup before long. She didn’t need a bra, but I thought it’d be better for
her to have one. I’d have Maha choose something soft and comfortable to
wear.
“Mind your own business. I have bras, for your information! I just don’t
use them ’cause they’re a pain. It’s much easier to wear a camisole.”
Dia could be surprisingly lazy when it came to anything other than
magic. She could play the perfect noble lady in public settings with
exquisite etiquette that befitted her birth, but she took it easy in her private
life wherever she could. It was just like her to wear a thick camisole over
her bare skin.
“I know you do, but the fabric is low quality, and they don’t fit you
right… And uh, I don’t think you’ve noticed, but you are growing. You
should take this chance to buy something nice.”
“Wait, really?! Wow…”
I broached the topic nervously because of its delicate nature, but Dia
shamelessly rubbed her chest in front of us.
“I think they have grown… I’d given up hope! Yep, you can buy me
underwear, Lugh. I’ll tell you my size later.”
“You amaze me, Lady Dia…” Tarte’s praise was likely meant for Dia’s
boldness, not the increase in her chest size.
“You got it,” I responded.
Viekones grew and aged slowly. That’s why my mom still looked young
despite being in her late thirties, and Dia came from the same bloodline.
She was turning seventeen soon, but her physical age was fourteen or
fifteen. There was a chance she would keep growing.
“Also…,” Dia began.
“What is it?”
“Remember those fake boobs we used for my disguise? I want those,
too!”
“Don’t even think about it. Once you start exaggerating your appearance
like that, you’ll never be able to stop.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, but…”
Dia was asking for a padded bra. I made one for her as part of a disguise
when we sneaked into a party in the royal capital. I had a collection of tools
for altering appearance, and I was able to make the large chest look
perfectly natural on her. I was sure she could use it to fool everyone into
thinking her breasts were large. The problem was that she couldn’t just
claim her bust shrank one day. There were two choices: wear the fake chest
for the rest of her life or admit to using padding. It was a curse.
 “Then forget it.”
“You’re mean.”
“I’m not saying it to be cruel… Anyway, let’s call it there for today. You
two can go back without me.”
“You’re staying here?”
“I prioritized your equipment, so I’m not done repairing my bulletproof
vest. Once it’s done, I’ll head back to the dorm.”
“You should’ve made a camisole for yourself, too. It’s more
comfortable.”
“I’m stronger than you two, so I want the added defense of a heavier
piece of gear.”
The camisoles weren’t much different from the vest when up against
slashing attacks, but only a vest could achieve the level of impact resistance
I wanted. That vest was my lifeline—I always wore it under my clothes.
Now that I was a saint, I’d be the target of great jealousy. Some nobles
would try to eliminate me if they couldn’t bring me under their influence. I
didn’t want to die now that I lived as a person instead of a weapon. I’d
finally found happiness.
“I’d offer to help…but I’ll only be in the way. See you later,” Dia bid.
“I’ll prepare supper for you,” Tarte added.
They both held their camisoles to their chests and left. Knowing they’d
wear those eased my fears, if only somewhat.
I hadn’t forgotten about myself while working on those two garments.
Dia and Tarte just had a higher chance of becoming targets than I did. When
trying to take down a formidable opponent, it was common practice to go
after their loved ones. That’s why I prioritized their safety over mine. No
matter the world, the malice hidden within everyday people was more
terrifying than anything.
“Okay, one final push.”
I had a plan to experiment with the Puppeteer demon’s thread to
improve my bulletproof vest.
I lost track of time as I worked on improving the vest and ended up
returning to the dorm in the middle of the night. It was well past Dia and
Tarte’s usual bedtime. And yet…
“Welcome back, my lord.”
“What took you so long?”
…they’d both waited up for me. The girls were wearing comfortable
nightgowns that we’d bought in Milteu, which they slept in regularly
because of how soft and loose-fitting they were.
“You could’ve just gone to bed,” I said.
Dia shook her head. “I would’ve felt guilty… And I have something for
you. I couldn’t help with the defensive equipment, but it felt wrong to relax
while you worked, so I made a new spell.”
I took the piece of paper Dia offered me and read the formula written on
it.
“Huh. This is interesting. Did you come up with this on your own?” I
asked.
“I wouldn’t be worthy of being called a genius if I let you do
everything,” Dia replied.
I was truly surprised. She didn’t have the advantage of being
reincarnated like me; it was incredible that she came up with this alone. The
spell had limited use, but it could turn a situation around when one was
backed into a corner.
“I can’t make anything like that, so I put extra effort into my cleaning
and cooking,” Tarte said.
I nodded. “Thank you. I overtaxed my brain, so I’m craving something
sweet.”
Improving the vest was difficult, and my brain wanted glucose. I took a
bite of a cupcake Tarte had made. The sweetness suited my tastes perfectly,
as was always the case. Tarte had even adjusted the recipe, using soy milk
instead of cow’s milk to make the cupcake lighter because it was a late-
night snack.
Tarte was hardly the best cook in the world. I was more skilled than she
was. But no one understood my tastes the way she did—not even me. That
was because every meal she made since entering my service was for me.
“We have one more gift for you,” Dia announced.
“Um, Lady Dia, are we really doing that? I will do my best if it makes
Lord Lugh happy, but…,” Tarte said.
“It absolutely will. Lugh may not look it at first glance, but he’s a total
perv. He just likes to play it cool.”
“Ouch. Wording, Dia.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t deny it. Becoming more human was my goal
after reincarnation, so I wanted to give in to my budding desires on
occasion. Was there anything wrong with that?
“If you say so. Here we go!” Tarte declared.
Dia and Tarte both dropped their nightgowns, stripping to nothing but
their underwear. Actually, no—they were wearing the transparent camisoles
as well. Tarte’s underwear was simple, but the elaborate design of Dia’s
drew my attention.
I’d never seen the underwear Dia was wearing before. Judging by its
design, it wasn’t fit for everyday use. A careless wash would ruin it. That
meant it was made for…other purposes. I struggled to imagine Dia
purchasing this. I suspected my mother’s involvement.
“What do you think?” asked Dia. “I thought I would treat you to a look
at me in this camisole. Isn’t it cute?”
“Urgh, I’m so embarrassed,” Tarte groaned.
“It’s strange. You look sexier with the transparent camisoles than you
would with your underwear alone,” I observed.
“Don’t analyze us like that, my lord!”
I only made the camisoles to protect them, but they did look really nice.
The sight of Dia and Tarte in them appealed to my base instincts.
“Thanks. I feel totally refreshed,” I said.
“Is that all?” Dia asked.
“No. I’m a man. I can’t look at you in those outfits and not be aroused.
But it’s late, and it’d be rude to invite one of you to bed when all three of us
are here.”
I had a pubescent body, and Dia and Tarte were my adorable fiancées.
Seeing them this way filled me with desire. However, taking one of them
would be rude, and I’d have to be really shameless to request that both girls
join me.
“Then I’ll ask. Are you opposed to that?”
“No, it’d make me happy, but—”
“Then let’s go to my room.”
 “Wha—huh—I—huh?” Tarte panicked.
Dia smiled at her, taking my hand. “Tarte, I’ll hog Lugh forever if you
don’t say what you want. Words don’t seem to be getting through, so I’m
going to bully you like this until you learn to speak up.”
I smiled wryly. Dia really was an excellent big sister. Fixing Tarte’s
passivity demanded drastic measures.
Dia and I went into her room, leaving Tarte behind, looking like a child
whose toy was taken. It had been a long time since I’d made love to Dia.
 Chapter 13 | The Assassin Searches for His Friend

Today was a holiday, meaning we had no classes. I took advantage of my

free time by staying in my room and analyzing all the traces of Naoise that
my information network collected. I desperately hoped to find him.
Naoise was the heir to one of the four major dukedoms, so his
disappearance became quite a scandal. He’d vanished before, but always
made arrangements to ensure that no one took issue with his absence. This
time he didn’t bother. I inferred that meant he didn’t plan to come back.
“I hope House Romalung has some info…”
Nevan had taken my advice and begun searching for Naoise using
House Romalung’s operatives. Dad had been dispatched for the same
purpose. He was among the best assassins in the country—no one was more
qualified for the job than he was.
A carrier pigeon arrived just as I reached a stopping point.
“A letter from Dad…”
The bird was a special breed raised by the Tuatha Dé clan. It was
tougher and flew faster than ordinary carrier pigeons. I took the letter and
deciphered the coded message.
“…Talk about ominous.”
Dad’s message sounded like a will. It told me where documents
important to House Tuatha Dé were stored and that he’d affixed his seal to
the ones necessary for me to succeed him. He also shared the whereabouts
of a book containing Tuatha Dé secrets he’d yet to teach me, instructed me
about inheriting the duties of a feudal lord, and asked that I look after my
mom and unborn sister. And finally…
“I’m surprised Dad would joke like this… No, he’s serious.”
…he said that if Mom tried to remarry after his death, he wanted me to
oppose it as her son and meticulously obstruct any potential suitors. A part
of me thought it’d be better for Dad to wish Mom happiness, but I guess
that was just how much he loved her. He wanted to keep her for himself,
even in death. I understood where he was coming from—the notion of Dia
remarrying hurt my heart.
“Sending this letter means he feels he might die on this job.”
I was the reason he had this assignment. On the off chance that anything
happened, I would swear to carry out the contents of this will to the letter. I
didn’t have to worry about my mom remarrying. Knowing her, she’d never
take another husband.

I finished analyzing the information.

“It’s no use. I still have no idea where Naoise is. There’s one thing I’m
worried about, though. The writing of my intelligence agent in Gephis feels
a little different.”
My operatives recorded themselves reading written reports when
contacting me over the telecommunications network. I gathered these audio
logs and listened to them. The voice undoubtedly belonged to the agent
deployed in the Gephis domain, but something was off about their
wording… Almost as though they were being forced to read a document
prepared by someone else.
I trusted my intelligence agents but remained aware that an enemy could
capture them. Thus, I made sure to memorize their voices and writing
habits.
Naoise’s family rules the Gephis domain. There’s no way this
irregularity is a coincidence.
What if Mina captured my operative and forced them to read false
reports?
I gave each of my agents a portable communication device, but none of
them would give away the location of a base unit… My telecommunications
network should be safe. Still, it’s best to assume all information shared on
the network, especially on open channels, will be heard by the enemy.
I wondered if I should head to Gephis, but I decided against that.
Information was the priority. That domain was dangerous territory now, and
I had to be prepared. Nevan surely understood that as well as I did, which
meant that House Romalung had likely performed a thorough investigation
already.
When I visited Nevan, she suggested we move to a terrace in the courtyard,
offering tea upon our arrival. She lived in the S-class dorm like I did, so I
could drop by whenever I wanted. The Alam Karla had finally been deemed
safe the other day, which allowed Nevan to return to the academy.
“I’m flattered by the visit, Sir Lugh, but is it not a bit early to creep into
a girl’s bedroom?”
“This is no time for jokes… My intelligence agent in the Gephis domain
assigned to the telecommunications network has been captured.”
“Interesting… I wonder how that happened.”
“What’s going on in Gephis? Tell me everything you know.”
“I could do that, but I have no obligation to tell you anything for free.”
“I suspect that House Romalung is at fault for information on my
intelligence agents leaking.”
“That’s possible. But do you have proof?”
I promised to let Duke Romalung use my telecommunications network
as part of our deal, and I passed him information about my agents so he
could access it. I doubted my operative would have been discovered
otherwise.
“No, but…there’s value enough in knowing that something has
happened to one of my people. I want compensation.”
“I suppose you’re right. Very well. Let’s see, where should I start?
Famous knights in the Gephis domain have been disappearing lately. The
first to vanish were those of the Gephis Ducal Guard. Each one of them is
an elite, as you would expect of knights in the employ of one of the four
great dukedoms. They are the strongest order in this kingdom and beyond—
House Romalung excluded, of course. Their vanishing is concerning.”
The knights of the Gephis Ducal Guard were strong. Even I would
struggle against them in a one-on-one sword fight. They were one of the big
three orders in Alvan.
“…I didn’t hear anything about that. I should assume my agent has been
a puppet for a while now.”
“That must be the case. Even House Romalung only learned of this
yesterday in a report from your father.”
“Don’t be absurd. I’m sure there are Romalung agents in Gephis.
Undoubtedly, they sent a carrier pigeon immediately after learning of the
knights’ disappearance.”
“You’re right. However, our agents have become puppets of the enemy
as well. They’ve made fools of us all.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. My agent’s capture was shocking, but it
didn’t totally shock me. Using the telecommunications network gave my
operatives a massive advantage, and I chose them from a qualified group of
knights who idolized me—espionage was not their specialty. That was not
true of House Romalung’s agents, though. They were highly trained, with
an aptitude for intelligence. It was difficult to imagine them getting caught.
“I’m sure House Romalung sent several of its most elite agents. Are you
suggesting they were all rounded up with no time to report their abduction?
And that they failed to commit suicide, allowing the enemy to use them to
send false information? I don’t believe it. Are you sure about this?”
“I doubted it at first, too, but unfortunately, we’ve found evidence to
confirm your father’s report. I offer you my deepest apologies. I challenged
your accusation, but considering the situation and the timing of your agent’s
capture, it’s likely that House Romalung is at fault for the information
leak.”
Nevan bowed, graceful even in apology. The situation was even worse
than I thought.
“Someone has conquered the Gephis domain. Their total control over
information shows that their takeover is complete. Gephis is not a simple
hideout for the enemy—the entire region should be considered subject to
their whims. We need to take immediate—”
I stopped talking when Nevan and I both sensed a presence. We stood,
strengthened ourselves with all our mana, and reached for our weapons.
“Ha-ha-ha, you two never cease to impress. I can see why that boy is so
jealous. I’m tempted to eat you both and add you to my collection.”
A voluptuous woman appeared. She had dark skin and vertical irises like
a serpent’s. It was Mina, the snake demon with a love for human culture,
my supposed ally.
“…I see you’ve dropped the human act,” I said.
Mina disguised herself as a noble to infiltrate aristocratic society, and
she always maintained human form to keep up the ruse. Now, however, she
exposed her snake eyes and tail, flaunting her overwhelming power. Not
suited for combat, my ass. She’s stronger than any demon I’ve fought yet.
“I have no need to conceal myself any longer. You two guessed correctly
—I’m going to use what I’ve conquered to make this country mine,” Mina
responded.
“Are you talking about the Gephis domain? The missing knights are
already monsters, then?”
“Hee-hee, I’m just getting started. My little Naoise is going to lead my
adorable children and conquer this nation’s domains one by one. You
humans are powerless to resist.”
House Gephis was the only family in the kingdom powerful enough to
challenge House Romalung. If Mina had captured its elite knights and
increased their strength by turning them into snake people, she really stood
a chance at taking over.
“What happened to enjoying human culture?”
“Oh, Lugh. I can enjoy human culture just fine after conquering the
world. I will become the Demon King and rule the world, not destroy it. I
won’t kill anyone who surrenders to me.”
Something had changed for Mina. She had me eliminate the other
demons competing to become the Demon King because her strength
supposedly paled in comparison to theirs. There were still other demons
left, but something had happened to change her mind.
“Did you come here to tell us that?”
“Yes. It may be over now, but we had an alliance. I felt obligated to
inform you that I’m moving on. Thank you very much for eliminating those
pesky rivals of mine. You’ve done great work for me,” Mina said.
“You’re very welcome,” I responded with a smile, preparing to kill her. I
could keep the damage to a minimum if I took her out now. The problem
was, I’d brought only minimal weaponry to avoid putting Nevan on edge.
Dia’s absence made this a challenge as well. The chances of me
successfully hitting Mina with Demonkiller and inflicting a mortal wound
were very low.
“I have one other purpose for visiting. I thought I’d let you know my
adorable little Naoise’s request.”
Mina disappeared. She hadn’t moved so quickly that my eyes couldn’t
follow. Rather, her presence vanished entirely, as though she’d teleported.
She next appeared before Nevan. This must have been a special ability of
hers.
Mina put a finger under Nevan’s chin and lifted her face. “Hee-hee, that
boy had the gall to give me a condition… He told me to leave you alive. It
would be so much fun to torment such a beautiful girl.”
Nevan silently retaliated with a high kick. It was an impressive attack,
strong enough to break an experienced knight’s neck, but Mina easily
caught the blow.
“Oh dear, it’s improper for a girl to lift her legs like that… I promised
not to hurt you, but this is self-defense. It’s hardly my fault.”
“Gah!”
Nevan attempted to free her captured limb by twisting it, but Mina threw
her before she could. Nevan crashed into a brick wall and fell limply to the
ground.
“That strength… You’re not already the Demon King, are you?” I asked.
Mina laughed. “Hmm-hmm-hmm, you’re way off. I merely obtained the
fodder you found for me.”
“No way… You ate the Fruit of Life…?”
“You clearly took great pains to hide and seal it, but your efforts were a
waste. You can’t keep anything from me. I have more than monsters in my
employ—I also share the senses of every snake in the world. You’re an
assassin, aren’t you? You’re doing your best as a human, but snakes are
assassins from birth. You can’t possibly best them.”
Snakes could certainly be considered nature’s assassins. Instead of
relying on eyesight, they observed the world with pit organs on their heads
that detected infrared radiation from warm bodies. No one could eliminate
body heat, no matter how skilled they were at avoiding detection. Slithering
was also much quieter than walking, and their low point of vision helped
them surprise prey. Furthermore, their high adaptability meant they could
live anywhere. If Mina truly did share the vision of all serpents, it would be
impossible to get anything by her.
“Well, congrats on taking one step toward becoming the Demon King.
But you need at least three Fruits of Life, right? Have you worked out how
to get the other two?”
Just one Fruit of Life granted her astronomical strength. If she intended
to become the Demon King, I had no choice but to kill her now.
“Yes, the second will be harvested shortly. The boy is using his knights
to round up his own citizens and make one for me. I’ll obtain the third soon
after. Hmm-hmm-hmm, ha-ha-ha!”
I couldn’t believe it. I was going to be the lord of the Tuatha Dé domain
one day, so I knew what it was like to have subjects. How could a lord, who
was supposed to protect his people, sacrifice them to a demon? I couldn’t
allow it.
I tried to regain my composure and, in an attempt to kill Mina
immediately, drew my pistol and shot three times. All three bullets bounced
off her skin. The sight made me recall my recent duel with Epona.
Defeating Mina would be similarly difficult.
“Is that any way to treat a lady? I have no intention of attacking you.
However, I only spared the girl because little Naoise insisted. I don’t want
to kill you, Lugh. You’ve worked so hard for me. Don’t you think we could
continue to make a great team?” Mina asked.
“You have no shame. You intended to betray me from the beginning,
once you obtained the power you sought,” I responded.
“I could say the same of you.”
She was right. This was my fault for letting her betray me first.
“I have one warning for you. Don’t get in my way if you value your life.
I’ll leave you alone if you keep to yourself. Run and never look back, and
you won’t have to die.”
“And if I do get in your way?”
“I’ll capture you and make you my pet. Both of you. You’ll be much
better toys than the boy.” Mina disappeared.
This was bad. Really bad. Still, I had options. There was no way in hell I
could run. If I did, Mina would conquer the kingdom, which meant the
Tuatha Dé domain’s ruin. I wouldn’t abandon the place I loved.
 Chapter 14 | The Assassin Infiltrates

I treated Nevan’s injuries and carried her to her bed. She had broken bones
and multiple organ contusions, but fortunately, her life was not in danger.
Mina could’ve easily killed her. I was sure she only spared her life because
of her promise to Naoise.
Nevan woke up. “…I’m alive.”
“The demon spared you. You should thank Naoise.”
“Like hell I’d thank him. It’s his fault we’re in this mess.”
I couldn’t deny that. Mina likely had captured Gephis, thanks to her
connection to Naoise.
“We need to act fast,” I said.
“Agreed. We can’t let her make a second Fruit of Life. If she succeeds,
she’ll quickly invade another domain and obtain a third,” Nevan responded.
“…You were conscious during that conversation?”
“I fought hard to stay awake until the demon left.”
“Huh.”
“I’m…in no condition to fight.”
“No, you aren’t.”
Mina held back when she attacked, and Nevan limited her injuries with
her incredible reflexes, but she was going to be out of commission for a
while.
“I apologize, but may I request a favor of you?” she asked.
“Depends on the favor,” I answered.
“Please kill that boy. It’s the only way to save him. No matter how we
manipulate information about the incident, there will be no defending his
attempt to slaughter his people. Killing him on the battlefield is for the
best.”
“That’s for sure.”
“Protecting the common folk is the duty of the aristocracy. Not even
giving up his life can atone for this crime.”
Naoise had become an enemy of the Alvanian Kingdom and humanity.
Even if he cut ties with Mina right now, it was too late. Rejoining human
society was impossible. All I could do for him was end his life.
“Do you have any idea why Naoise did this?” I asked.
“More or less. He’s always struggled with an inferiority complex.
There’s something I want you to tell that idiot if you find him.” Nevan
looked vulnerable, more like a sister concerned for her brother than the
masterpiece of humanity she always projected herself as.
“I’ll tell him, I promise.”
“I don’t mind if you say it after you kill him. Don’t pass up a chance to
assassinate him just to deliver my message.”
The Tuatha Dé were assassins by trade. An ideal assassination meant
delivering a lethal blow before your target noticed you. There was no room
for talking. If I had a chance to relay Nevan’s words, then I’d have already
messed up.
“That’s the plan.”
“I expected no less. Normally, we would have the royal family issue this
job, but this is an emergency. Please forgive me for skipping formal
procedures.” Nevan’s expression returned to one befitting a lady of House
Romalung. “By the name of House Romalung, one of the four major
dukedoms, in place of the royal family, I order you to wield your Tuatha Dé
blade for the sake of the Alvanian Kingdom. Remove Naoise Gephis, who
has become a lesion plaguing this land.”
This was the language used when giving the Tuatha Dé clan a target.
The order instructed us to kill for the benefit of the kingdom.
“I recognize that Naoise Gephis is a lesion harming the kingdom. On my
pride as a Tuatha Dé, I will remove him.”
Rather than blindly following orders, we accepted jobs only after
confirming with our own eyes and ears that the assassination was in the
kingdom’s best interest. That was how Tuatha Dé assassins operated.
There was no backing out after agreeing. Over the generations, my
family had taken hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs. And none of us went
back on our word.
I contacted Duke Romalung immediately after leaving Nevan to tell him of
his daughter’s injuries and the present situation. He sent carrier pigeons
across the kingdom to spread the news that a demon had conquered the
Gephis domain and that Naoise had sold his soul and aided in the attack.
Naoise no longer had a place in this kingdom. Duke Romalung also gave an
official order for me to kill Naoise as a Holy Knight.
I’m going to miss Dia and Tarte on this operation. I was acting alone, so
I left my assistants behind. The job required infiltrating the Gephis domain
and assassinating Naoise on a battlefield teeming with enemies. There was
no way we could overpower an entire army, so it made more sense to go
solo and prioritize stealth. I also didn’t expect to fight Mina, so I didn’t
need Dia to use Demonkiller.
A hang glider would have been too conspicuous, so I sprinted along a
road on a dark, moonless night. I was already close to the Gephis domain.
Never thought I’d see the day we use the hero as a decoy. That was Epona’s
role in this operation. She was charging directly into the city to rampage
through the knights-turned-snake-monsters.
The hope was that this would draw out Mina so Epona could fight her.
That didn’t mean the hero was a decoy, though. She was going to take out a
good chunk of House Gephis’s powerful knights, and if she happened to
lure out Naoise, she could just kill him herself. If she didn’t, her actions
would buy me time to take care of it.
I’m surprised those corrupt politicians in the capital allowed Epona to
participate. The hero had been stuck in the royal capital from nearly the
moment she obtained her powers. Demons targeted cities with large
populations to create Fruits of Life, which placed the royal capital in
danger. Those in power in the capital wanted the hero close by to protect
themselves.
I guess they realized that wasn’t going to fly this time. The Gephis
domain stood near the royal capital and many regions ruled by powerful
nobles. It also had the strongest order of knights in the kingdom, and if they
started wreaking havoc with the might of a demon to help, no one would be
able to stop them. The cowards in the capital had no choice but to send their
precious hero to prevent that.
I hadn’t expected to work solely with Epona, but it was the best choice
for a fast surprise attack. No one else would be able to keep up with us, and
any delay was more time for Naoise to kill the Gephis domain’s citizens and
produce a Fruit of Life.

I climbed onto high ground and, with self-made binoculars, studied Geil,
the large city in the center of the Gephis domain.
“What a horrible sight.”
Half-serpent knights butchered the citizens they’d sworn to protect, and
the souls of the dead gathered together. They were in the process of creating
the Fruit of Life, which was produced by bundling and distorting human
souls. About ten thousand souls were needed.
By my estimate, over three thousand people were already dead. Killing
all the fleeing people seemed to be a time-consuming process. Judging by
the rate at which they were progressing, the slaughter likely began a few
hours ago.
This actually would have been easier if everyone was already dead.
Were that the case, I would’ve carpet-bombed the city with Gungnir, which
caused great destruction for a small amount of mana. Gungnir was a spell
that lifted a spear thousands of kilometers into the air using reverse gravity
before letting it fall back to the ground, creating force four hundred times
more powerful than a large-caliber tank gun. Gravity gave it incredible
power for a low drain on my magical power.
I could’ve wiped out the snake people by dropping dozens of those god
spears. There was no safer and more efficient method. But wiping out the
city wasn’t an option. There are still over ten thousand people in the city,
though. Dad could be among them. No matter how efficient it was, I
couldn’t bring myself to eradicate the enemy if it meant killing so many,
and potentially my dad as well.
I probably would have done it in my old life. Considering the pros and
cons, it was obviously the best choice. Infiltrating a city packed with
monsters to kill Naoise would take some real acrobatics. My chances of
success weren’t high, and if I failed, the people of Geil would die anyway.
If killing everyone in this city would save the country, there was no reason
to hesitate. However…
That’s not how Lugh Tuatha Dé operates. It was naive. Irrational. Still,
I’d follow my heart. That was the kind of person I’d become.

The chaos of mass slaughter made entering Geil easy. I dressed as a normal
citizen, used a mask to disguise my face, and limited my mana output to a
minimum.
The city was like hell on Earth. That much was clear from a distance but
even more appalling up close. The knights who swore to protect people
were killing everyone they got their hands on, and the city wall built to keep
enemies out had become a cage.
There was a great variety among the knights. Some were snakes from
the neck up, others had scales all over their bodies, and a few looked
perfectly human except for their tongues. Behaviors differed as well—some
delighted in the slaughter, while others cried and apologized as they killed. I
even saw a few murder innocents with no emotion whatsoever. Perhaps that
spoke to a quality I could take advantage of.
I followed the knights’ chain of command. Even now, they remain
knights who follow orders from a superior. That made this easy.
Knights abided by a firm chain of command. An order typically
consisted of battalions composed of smaller companies, which were further
divided into platoons of four knights each. Orders came from the top down.
Thus, I could study a platoon to discern its captain, then observe the
captains to find the company leader, and keep moving up the chain. Naoise
was at the top. Mina had installed herself as the ruler of the Gephis domain,
but the army followed Naoise.
These knights are skilled as can be. Their strict adherence to regulations
will make this a cinch.
 Knights differed in every domain. Typically, poorly trained knights were
completely disorganized in battle and made independent decisions. Knights
were more formidable the more organized they were, but that orderliness
aided me.
I moved among the fleeing citizens and traced the chain of command.
Finding Naoise shouldn’t take too long… Wait, what’s that insane surge of
mana coming from the east?!
An explosion shook the ground. I looked east toward the immense
outpouring of mana and saw that a massive chunk of the city wall was gone.
No longer trapped, the panicked citizens flooded toward the broken wall,
attempting to escape. The knights moved in a regimented manner to block
their path, but a ferocious wind knocked them away.
“Don’t worry, everyone. I am the hero, Epona, and I have come to put a
stop to this evil!”
Epona had arrived… Quicker than I expected, too. I saved time on the
journey by using a hang glider to take a shortcut, yet she arrived only an
hour after.
The hero’s arrival gave people hope. They cried tears of joy, prayed, and
cheered. Epona lived up to her title.
She immediately set to work. The knights-turned-snake-monsters were
like flies before a hurricane. Some of them were as strong as I was, but they
didn’t have a chance. This was the hero—a superhuman monster. She must
have held back during our duel.
However, as I marveled at Epona’s strength, something sent her flying. I
was a bit surprised—Mina had appeared, not Naoise.
“You’re early, Lord Hero. I can’t have you breaking any more of my
cute little toys. You face me now,” the snake demon declared.
“You’re the one responsible for all this, huh? I’m going to kill you.”
The enormously powerful hero clashed with the equally formidable
snake demon. I was more than happy about this upset in my plan. Epona
had drawn the attention of the most powerful piece on the board, giving me
the perfect opportunity to do my job.
It was time to assassinate Naoise, my friend who’d become an enemy of
humanity.
 Chapter 15 | The Assassin Pursues His Friend

Epona and Mina’s battle was stunning. It was far beyond human capability.
The mere sounds and the way they lit up the sky made it feel like the end of
the world.
I’d heard that the latest hero’s growth was stunted from lack of practice,
but I nearly laughed at that idea now. Epona claimed she got weaker, but
she’s still absurdly strong. She clearly doesn’t need my help. I’d only get in
her way.
The sound of her battle with Mina grew steadily more distant. They
were moving away from the city. The old Epona would’ve entered a blind
rage once she loosed her power and trampled friend and foe alike.
Thankfully, she was able to keep her head enough to spare the city. Clearly,
she’d made an effort to improve her self-control.
I returned to following the chain of command and spotted something. A
sign from Dad. The Tuatha Dé clan typically performed jobs with as few
people as possible, but we cooperated with others when the situation called
for it. There was a scratch on a house that looked perfectly natural but was
actually part of a code my family used to communicate secretly on the
scene. It told me to meet up and pointed to the next sign, which in turn
would lead me to the next. This formed a trail that would take me to my
dad.
I need to make the right choice. If I interrupted my search for Naoise to
meet up with Dad, I’d have to start over with tracing the chain of command.
I couldn’t imagine Epona losing to Mina, but that didn’t mean I could waste
time.
After some consideration, I made my decision. I’ll prioritize meeting
with Dad. Cian Tuatha Dé was considered the strongest Tuatha Dé in
history until I claimed the title. He had to know what taking up my time in
this situation meant, yet he ordered me to find him anyway. He probably
knew something I didn’t and judged that information to be critical.
My choice was based on trust in my father.

The signs led me to an abandoned building in a slum. I rapped on the door

in the special Tuatha Dé style. It sounded like a normal knock, but we used
the pitch and the intervals between each hit to announce that we were friend
and not foe. Specific patterns could even convey our present situation.
A sound came from inside, the response bidding me enter. Before I did
so, I checked to make sure no one was watching me—including snakes.
There were three people in the room. The first was Dad, the second was a
muscular man with a splendid mustache, and the third was the corpse of a
man who’d become a snake monster.
“Thank you for coming, son,” Dad said.
“I’m glad you’re safe… Though I notice you’re hurt,” I responded.
Dad had lost his right arm. My nose caught the acrid scent of burned
flesh. He’d likely burned his wound to close it and stop the bleeding
because there was no time for a better treatment. There was no way to
reconnect the limb now.
“This is what I get for forgetting that killing is my specialty, not saving
people.”
Dad smiled despite his injury. Even now, he maintained his pleasant
manner. By stark contrast, the middle-aged man beside him cowered in an
apparent mental breakdown. I recognized him.
“I’m amazed you’re still human… Duke Gephis.”
He was Naoise’s father and the lord of this domain. I met him once at a
meeting. I assumed he was the first person Mina would want to make into
her puppet.
“Why…? Why did this happen…? I acknowledged you as my son,
Naoise, despite your impure blood… I tolerated your imperfections…
Ugh…,” he muttered deliriously.
Dad spoke for him. “Turning Duke Gephis would have caused him to
grow snakelike features. Dukes have many duties that take them outside
their domain, and Mina and Naoise wanted to operate in secret until they
began the slaughter. They threatened him to keep silent on what was
happening here.”
That made sense. They needed a human to interact with the other leaders
of the kingdom, so they left Duke Gephis unharmed and threatened him to
do their bidding.
“How long has the snake demon had control of the city?” I asked.
“I don’t know exactly. At least a month. She started with House Gephis
and corrupted the city from there. There was no stopping her once Naoise
turned. The turmoil with you and the Alamite Church also served as a
useful distraction,” Dad explained.
Mina and Naoise had planned this very carefully… I was stunned that
they’d seized control of the Gephis domain without my or House
Romalung’s intelligence agents noticing. Perhaps I’d underestimated
Naoise’s capabilities.
“Moving on… Don’t tell me you called me here to save this guy,” I said.
“Heavens no. Do I look like that much of a fool? His life is worthless,”
Dad said, balking.
Duke Gephis was stunned. Despite his position, his fate was irrelevant at
this point. The corrupted knights answered only to Mina and Naoise, and
the duke had long since lost the people’s trust. They wouldn’t listen to him,
either. His only use was to take responsibility and give himself up as an
example once this was over.
“I interrupted your mission because there is something you need to
know. Everything that is happening here—including the snake demon’s
fight with Epona and the slaughter of the citizens—is a decoy.”
“…I see. Naoise is already heading for another city with a force of
soldiers, then?”
“That’s right. They have been quite wary of you and Epona. Their plan
is to cause commotion to pin you both down in the Gephis domain and use
that opportunity to create a Fruit of Life elsewhere. Consuming that Fruit of
Life will give Mina power surpassing the hero’s. She’s fighting Epona to
buy time. Naoise also anticipated that you’d try to find him through the
chain of command. Doing so will lead you to a former commander of the
Ducal Guard, not to him.”
I shuddered. Had I ignored Dad’s sign, my efforts would’ve been
wasted, giving Naoise time to butcher another city and return with the
spoils, creating a monster beyond the hero. We would’ve been finished.
“One thing doesn’t make sense to me. How did Naoise lead a force that
large out of the city without being detected?” I asked.
“By using a tunnel created by snake monsters,” Dad said.
I recalled the giant serpent I rode on the way to Mina’s estate. It was
definitely big enough to burrow a tunnel and transport passengers at high
speeds.
“Thank you, Dad. I should still be able to catch Naoise.” That was a
close call. Without Dad here, I would’ve definitely failed to stop Naoise and
Mina. There was one thing I was curious about, though. “How did you learn
all this?”
“He told me,” Dad said, pointing at the corpse of the snake man. “He
was the commander of the Gephis Ducal Guard. He maintained his sense of
self even after becoming a monster and fought Mina’s control.”
“He learned of their plan because they believed he was dominated.”
“Exactly. He resisted control, told me everything he knew, and died
begging me to take care of his lord. His brain couldn’t handle the fight to
maintain free will. He was a loyal subject. I liberated him from pain as
repayment. That was the only reward he wanted.”
A demon’s rule was not so easily resisted. This man protected his lord
while enduring tremendous agony. It must have been terrifying for him. His
knightly fortitude deserved praise.
“The entrance to the underground tunnel is in this building. The
commander told me that, too.”
“Thanks. I’ll take care of the rest. But first, I have a request for you:
Don’t die. I’m not ready to carry all of Tuatha Dé by myself. And also, I’d
rather die than try to prevent Mom from remarrying.”
“Hmm. Well, I suppose that leaves me with no choice but to make it
home. You stay alive, too. Losing you would destroy Esri, and you can’t
abandon your fiancées.”
“You’re right.” That was the last thing I said before I left.
I ran as fast as I could. It was going to be close, but I’d make it. Dad
saved me from certain defeat. Now it was time to turn things around. I had
to stop Naoise from committing mass murder and from creating a Fruit of
Life.
 Chapter 16 | The Assassin Makes a Decision

The spacious underground tunnel ran directly under the lord’s estate. I used
a spell to fly through it. I was also using magic created for covert
operations, including one spell that bent light with a layer of wind to
conceal myself and others that masked my body heat and scent. I couldn’t
have the enemy notice my approach.
They’ve been playing me like a fiddle this whole time. I’m not going to
botch my first chance to catch them off guard. Some snakes sensed
vibration, which meant they would notice footsteps. I also needed to
account for heat, vision, and smell. All the spells I cast lowered my speed,
but moving stealthily was paramount.
After twenty kilometers, I emerged aboveground, lifted myself high into
the air, and released the taxing spells I used to hide. I then produced a hang
glider from my Leather Crane Bag; they weren’t going to sense the
vibration from this elevation.
“Well, this is gonna be easy.”
I strengthened my Tuatha Dé eyes with mana to improve my vision from
the sky, but that was hardly necessary. The tracks left by Naoise’s giant
snake monsters as they slithered for their destination were clearly visible,
even from the sky.
“Time to go all-out.”
I didn’t have to worry about avoiding detection at this height, which
enabled me to devote all my mana to movement. I used wind magic to
produce a cowl that minimized air resistance and to summon a gust that
propelled me from behind. I could have moved significantly faster with an
explosive spell, but the noise would give me away. I took care not to cross
the sound barrier for the same reason.
I didn’t care how fast those snakes moved. They couldn’t escape aerial
pursuit.
 These tracks look fifteen minutes old. Considering the direction and the
need for ten thousand souls to create a Fruit of Life…they’re headed for
Faryl, the largest city in the Distore domain. There’s no doubt about it.
Faryl was thirty kilometers away. I needed to hurry.

I caught up to Naoise and his force of soldiers three minutes later. It was a
horrifying procession formed of ten giant serpents like the one I rode to
Mina’s estate. Each carried ten snake people, for a total of one hundred
soldiers, every one of them a mage. Only House Gephis or House
Romalung could assemble such a force. Tuatha Dé couldn’t even gather
thirty mages from all across its lands, including those in branch families.
They didn’t appear to notice me as I observed from above. I needed to
take advantage of that. It was safe to assume that every one of the snake
people rivaled my strength in close combat. Taking them all on would be
suicide.
I’ll wipe them all out with a surprise attack. I apologized to Nevan
mentally. I was probably going to kill Naoise before delivering her
message.
I used the force’s current speed and direction to calculate their position
ten minutes from now. I compared that to a memorized map of the kingdom
and confirmed there were no settlements in that area. I was free to use one
of my most devastating attacks.
“Gungnir.”
I formed a tungsten spear weighing one hundred kilograms and sent it
up toward the heavens. By strength alone, this was the strongest spell I had.
It used anti-gravity to lift a tungsten spear one thousand kilometers into the
air and then let it free fall to annihilate the target with the force it picked up
on the descent.
The spell was inspired by a weapon idea commonly known as “rods
from God” in my previous world. The rods would have been dropped from
space, achieving power that rivaled nuclear weapons upon impact.
Technically, such a thing was possible, but the cost of placing heavy rods in
space was prohibitive, so it was only ever done in tests. However, the
reverse gravity spell allowed me to employ the deadly attack with a small
amount of mana.
There were drawbacks, though. It took over ten minutes to land, and I
couldn’t adjust the impact point after firing the spear. Given this, it also
required predicting the target’s position. Achieving a direct hit in the middle
of a fight was impossible.
Aiming was also extremely difficult, necessitating accurate
environmental information and a complex calculation. It was more than
achievable, however, with the advantages of magic and the brains of the
smartest person alive—me. Furthermore, the orderly nature of Naoise’s unit
and its fixed travel pace made anticipating their future location easy.
“Gungnir.”
I released another god spear into the sky. The small mana cost enabled
me to rapid-fire the spell.
“Gungnir.”
I sent yet another rod upward, and then two more. There were five in
total, each with the power of a nuclear bomb. No matter how strong
Naoise’s group was, there was no way it could survive this.

I continued following Naoise’s force from the sky, keeping my distance

from the expected trajectory of the god spears. Even the impact aftermath
was enough to kill me.
The spears would land in eighteen seconds. The knights were spurring
on the snake monsters below me, still unaware that their lives were in
mortal danger.
Then—impact. The first tungsten spear was too fast for eyes to follow as
it descended. It didn’t even make a sound when it landed. The ground
ruptured, forming a crater multiple kilometers wide, and the shock waves
dislodged everything in range. One spear changed the landscape forever.
The second, third, fourth, and fifth spears hit. The collisions kicked
sediment into the air, blocking the sun on what had been a cloudless day. A
tsunami of dirt sped outward in all directions, wiping out everything for
dozens of kilometers. This was the level of destruction I could achieve with
a concentrated fire of Gungnir. It was powerful enough to erase a city.
I watched until the dust finally cleared and the sun returned. My Tuatha
Dé eyes, which could perceive mana, didn’t catch a single sign of
movement.
“A direct hit… The snake monsters are all dead. The knights, too.”
The devastation I could cause with this magic was absurd. Each of those
knights possessed strength on par with mine, but they died without getting a
chance to use it. This could be considered the ultimate form of
assassination.
I released the hang glider, used wind as a cushion to land, and inspected
the crater formed by the god spears. It was a hellish pit with no visible
bottom. The model version of this weapon from my previous world was
said to be an environmentally friendly alternative to nuclear weapons, but I
couldn’t help but question that as I observed the destruction. There was no
environment left.
“Naoise must be dead.”
He should have been, anyway. I didn’t think a demon’s underling
possessed their master’s immortality. There was no way anything could
have survived such a destructive barrage. My job was finished.
…Or not. I instinctively drew a knife to protect my neck, and a black-
silver magic sword collided with it. The blade cut halfway through the
knife, which was made of tough tungsten.
I responded with a spinning kick, knocking my assailant into the air and
giving me some distance. Had I used a regular knife, the sword would have
broken through it and severed my head. The very idea was enough to make
me sweat.
“How cruel, Lugh. This is no way to treat a friend.”
“I tried to kill you because you’re my friend, Naoise. Let’s end this.”
I couldn’t explain it, but somehow, Naoise stood before me. It didn’t
look like he dodged Gungnir; his armor and clothes were gone, leaving only
his shining black sword. Becoming Mina’s underling must have granted
him some special ability. I needed to figure it out quickly, or I wouldn’t be
able to kill him.
One thing that interested me was that the black-silver magic sword he
held wasn’t as powerful as the pitch-black magic blade I’d seen him wield
before. This sword was incredible, but clearly inferior. The old one would
have cut through my knife. Why wasn’t he using it? The answer to that
question would likely lead me to his secret.
“Oh, Lugh. You have the wrong idea. Do you think you’re the ally of
justice here?” Naoise sounded like a parent admonishing an ignorant child.
“I’ve never once fought for justice. I’m only acting in the best interest of
the Alvanian Kingdom,” I responded.
The Tuatha Dé clan’s role was to remove presences harmful to the
kingdom. While all the nobles I’d assassinated so far were villainous
figures involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, slave trade,
and thievery, I didn’t kill them for justice. My family was a tool that
protected the kingdom’s best interests. Nothing more, nothing less. If my
actions brought joy to those I cared about, that was enough for me.
“Give me a break. That’s rich coming from the most beloved man in the
realm. First a Holy Knight, then a saint. What’s next? You can’t tell me
you’re not killing demons for the glory. Now that I think about it, your
presence is what threw my life off course. You stole all the praise that
would have gone to me.”
“That’s possible. My actions allowed the government to keep Epona in
the capital. There would’ve been no choice but to dispatch the hero
otherwise. You might have made a name for yourself as Epona’s assistant.”
I took offense at Naoise’s claim that I fought demons for prestige, but I
couldn’t deny that I had stolen opportunities from him.
“It’s irrelevant now. I hate to break it to you, Lugh, but you’ve only
made everything worse. I will be the one to exact justice. I am the only
person who can. So don’t get in my way. I’m ready to kill a friend for the
sake of justice.”
“…You keep using that word. Can you tell me what this justice of yours
is?”
“Fine, if you insist. I’ll enlighten you on the truth of the world.”
He tried to act casual, but it was obvious how badly he wanted to lecture
me. I was genuinely interested. Naoise massacred his own people and was
about to do the same to another domain. What could legitimize that? What
had Mina put into his head? Whatever she said was probably a lie to sway
Naoise, but I had a feeling there was a kernel of truth I didn’t know about.
 Oblivious to my thoughts, Naoise began speaking with grand gestures as
if he were the star in a play.
“First of all, demons were never our enemy,” he said.
“You realize how many people demons kill, right? They’ve destroyed
the academy and annihilated two cities—no, Geil makes that three. Yet you
claim they’re not the enemy?” I challenged.
“The destruction of a few cities is trivial in the grand scheme of things.
Demons are a tool necessary for the world’s survival, a device for
correcting an overabundance of souls!”
I’d heard this somewhere before.
“Only a certain number of souls are supposed to exist in the world at
once, yet that limit will inevitably be exceeded. When people die, their
souls return to the world without being erased. That is why demons use
Fruits of Life to reduce the number of souls.”
That made sense. A dead person’s soul went to heaven, where it was
bleached and returned to the world. But making it part of a Fruit of Life
removed the soul from the cycle of reincarnation, permanently destroying
it.
“Huh, that’s interesting. You said only a certain number of souls are
supposed to exist. So what happens after the limit is surpassed?”
“The world collapses.”
“Then why is there a hero? If demons exist to adjust the number of
souls, the system shouldn’t need a hero. They’d only get in the way.”
“The Fruits of Life transform the victorious demon into the Demon
King, who, if left unchecked, destroys too many souls. The hero’s role is to
kill the demons and the Demon King once their work is done. The fight
between the hero and the Demon King ensures the world’s survival.”
“There has to be a less roundabout method.”
That said, it was a good system. Demons were powerful beings that
humans couldn’t kill. They reduced the population, and in so doing, they
killed each other in their competition to become the Demon King. That left
a single Demon King for the hero to vanquish. It was a clean process.
“I thought the same thing, but Mistress Mina set me straight. She said
that the system placed a burden on humanity to encourage them to grow.
Humanity unites as one to defeat the demons, and they evolve in the
process. Surely, you know how the fights against demons have pushed
technology to progress.”
That was new information, but Naoise was right. Humanity’s need to
oppose the demons led to advancements in military, medical, and
distribution technology, to name a few. Improvements came quickest during
wartime in my previous world as well. Naoise’s assertion that the demon
threat united people was correct, too. There was no time for squabbles
while the enemy wreaked havoc across the continent. Undoubtedly, there’d
be ongoing wars between nations if not for the threat of the demons.
Considering the present international climate, it was surprising there wasn’t
a major war.
“Is that why you shackled yourself to a demon and sacrificed your
people?”
“You have no idea how much it hurt my soul to kill my subjects. But
someone has to do this, and I’m the only one who can! I dared to wonder if
demons were truly the enemy, and that lack of prejudice led me to the truth.
That’s how I differ from you. You can’t get over the idea that demons need
to be eliminated. Only I am fit for this role.”
“You realize that killing demons won’t end the cycle.”
“Naturally. It happens the same way every time. Demons appear, kill
humans to make the Fruits of Life, one of them becomes the Demon King,
and the hero kills them. How many thousands of years do you think
humanity has gone through this foolish process? I’m going to end it once
and for all.”
“How?”
It was just as Naoise said—demons appeared, the Demon King was
born, and the hero killed them. I’d read in history books that the cycle had
repeated innumerable times. The waltz never ended.
“I’m going to make Mistress Mina into an invincible Demon King. She
will conquer the world and become its overseer, culling the human
population periodically to prevent the number of souls from climbing too
high. My knights and I will perform that role for her. We’ll kill people
without worth and leave the elite.”
“Ah, I see. That will remove the need for indiscriminate slaughter.”
“Isn’t it a great plan? We’ll only kill those who deserve it. This world is
full of worthless types, and we can end thousands of years of tragedy
simply by rooting them out. There will be no need for a hero. I am the only
necessary champion!”
Naoise couldn’t hide his excitement. He even had a boner. He felt so
good that he couldn’t help it. It sounded as if he considered himself a god.
“How’d you like to enter my service, Lugh?” Naoise suggested.
“Now that takes me back. You asked me the same thing on the day of
our entrance exams. I really was grateful. I don’t have many guy friends,” I
responded.
I remembered it like yesterday. I found Naoise unpleasant at first, but I
understood after talking to him that he was serious about his offer. He
approached me because he recognized my talent.
“My feelings haven’t changed. You should let Mistress Mina turn you
into a monster so we can make the world a better place together. I’ll forgive
your insolence, and the way you looked down on me.”
Naoise meant that in good faith. He truly thought he was doing the right
thing. If everything Mina told him was true, then his plan did make a
certain amount of sense.
“No, Naoise. You’re not the same person you were then. I’m sorry, but I
can’t join you.”
I readied my knife.
“Are you going to fight me?”
“No, I’m going to kill you.”
That was my resolve. I wasn’t fighting him as a friend—I was
eliminating him as a noble assassin before he could do any more harm to
the kingdom. I had already determined that Naoise was a lesion that needed
to be removed. I was past forgiveness, or mercy, or sympathy. I was simply
going to kill him. That was what I had decided.
 Chapter 17 | The Assassin Kills a Friend

I told Naoise I was going to kill him. There was no going back now. I
observed him with my Tuatha Dé eyes and saw his mana building. He was
ready to attack at any moment but still wore his usual friendly expression.
Even as he prepared, he searched for a method other than killing me.
“You’re a brilliant man, Lugh, but narrow-minded. I just gave you the
whole picture, yet you still only think of Alvan. That’s your weakness as a
noble assassin.”
“Didn’t expect to hear you call me that.”
It wasn’t surprising that Naoise knew the Tuatha Dé were assassins. His
mistress had worked her way into the center of the kingdom, and the four
great dukedoms were always close to the royal family. The only people who
were supposed to know of our secret were the royal family and House
Romalung, who served as our direct bosses, but it had spread further.
“You’ve always kept me at a distance, despite our friendship. I wanted
to hear the secret from you.”
“That’s just how we Tuatha Dé are. No assassin worth his salt gives
himself away.”
“Is it more important than our friendship?”
“They’re not comparable. That’s like a woman asking her man if he
thinks his job is more important than her,” I joked.
I entertained Naoise’s conversation while looking for an opportunity to
strike, although it was also partly due to a personal weakness. I wanted to
stretch this out as long as I could.
“Ah-ha-ha, that is certainly annoying. Well, you may be ready to kill me,
but I haven’t given up yet.”
“You’re telling me to sell my soul to a demon as you did?”
“Yes. I know you see the logic, Lugh. The world will be destroyed if the
number of souls climbs too high. Killing demons to protect people is
pointless. How do you know the next round of demons won’t appear
immediately after you finish this one?”
He sounded like a parent reasoning with an unruly child.
“It’s possible. And everything we’ve done will be for nothing if the
world crumbles because of too many souls.”
“As a noble assassin, you should understand the danger of fixating on
the short-term benefit. Quit playing at justice and join me in saving the
people who deserve to live. Or are you addicted to the praise?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. I’m an assassin—I couldn’t care less
about accolades. I only serve as the kingdom’s shadow and wield my blade
for its benefit.”
The desire to become a hero was innate, and I was no exception.
Everyone craves fame and attention. But I was reincarnated into this world
to save it and reared as a blade to safeguard national interest. I needed to
prioritize country over any desire for recognition. I felt like I had done a
fine job at that.
“Then you should join me. There will be many benefits. I’ll share with
you the privilege of choosing who to sacrifice. That way you can ensure
you won’t lose those you love. And if you hold that much pride in your role
as the Alvanian Kingdom’s blade, we can cull populations abroad. You’ll be
able to protect national interest however you like.”
That was an attractive proposal. I could protect my beloved Tuatha Dé
domain, Milteu, and most importantly, my family and fiancées. I was no
philanthropist. You wouldn’t hear me preaching that all lives are equal. If I
was asked to choose to save someone I’d never heard of and someone I
cared about, I would pick the latter immediately.
“I only have one hang-up. I love the Tuatha Dé domain with all my
heart. It’s why your proposal tempted me for a moment. However, you’re
the heir to a domain like I am. What made you able to sacrifice the people
you loved?”
“Hah, the strength of my conviction. If I am going to thin the human
populace, I need to know the pain I’ll put others through. Killing my
beloved citizens will prepare me to command others to die for the sake of
the world.”
He looked at me with a determined gaze, trying and failing to hide his
sadness, just like the protagonist of a tragedy. His handsome features made
him look picturesque in his pain.
“How absurd. You disgrace yourself, Naoise.” I voiced the first thought
that came to my mind. Veins bulged in Naoise’s temple.
“There are certain things you shouldn’t say to a friend. Don’t you dare
belittle my conviction. Do you know how much I suffered over this?! How
much I wept?! You can’t possibly understand how hard it is to kill your own
people!” he screamed.
“You think this is self-sacrifice, but you’re off the mark. The people of
the Gephis domain bear the pain of this incident, not you.”
“I know my people are hurting. That’s exactly why this is so hard for
me!” Naoise screamed, but I didn’t back down. As an heir myself, I
couldn’t budge on this.
“Let me be clear. You’re nothing but a murderer… Your people are not
yours to offer up. Nobles must protect the people and land entrusted to
them. Losing sight of that fundamental truth is why you murdered innocents
while believing you’re some tragic figure. Once again—they’re the victims.
Not you.”
We nobles guided our people, protected them, and gave them
comfortable lives in exchange for taxes. Nobles and their subjects had an
equivalent relationship. They weren’t our property.
“I know! Yet I still drew my sword against them. I needed to know the
agony I will inflict.”
This was sad. My words weren’t getting through to him.
“Your tragic act after massacring innocents proves you understand
nothing… I feel bad for the people of Gephis for being saddled with such a
clueless heir.”
“Shut up.”
“I won’t. Why did you believe the words of a demon so easily, anyway?
Their kind is the enemy of humanity. Mina probably lied to you. Did you
make any effort to verify her claim that the world will collapse under the
weight of its souls?”
I always verified the information I received. Data was more valuable
than gold in the criminal underworld, which led to a lot of falsification.
“I told you to shut up!”
“I won’t. I think Mina fooled you into thinking you’re saving the world,
when in reality, you just butchered thousands for her.”
 “No. No, I refuse to believe it. I—I became a true hero. I surpassed
you!”
“And out slips your true motive. You talk about saving the world, self-
sacrifice, and your conviction, but all you really wanted was fame. The
world couldn’t matter less to you. You just couldn’t stand feeling inferior to
me.”
“SHUT UUUUUUUUUP!”

Naoise extended his right hand, transforming it into a serpent that raced
toward me faster than a bullet… But he was interrupted when his head was
blasted off his shoulders, causing the snake to fall limp before it reached
me. I’d sniped him.
“Sorry, but I’m an assassin. This is the only way I can fight.”
Once I confirmed that Naoise had survived Gungnir, I camouflaged
multiple cannons and fixed them into the ground nearby. I controlled them
remotely with magic. I couldn’t adjust their aim, but I could lure Naoise
into their line of fire. I’d never fight fair against an enemy empowered by a
demon to the point that he could survive a direct hit from Gungnir. I was an
assassin, not a knight. Aesthetics and pride meant nothing to me in a fight. I
simply killed.
That said, I couldn’t relax just because I’d cut off his head.
“Gun Strike.”
I drew my gun and shot the headless Naoise. This was a new gun I’d
made for this mission; I didn’t trust my usual one to be powerful enough.
The model was the same—a Pfeifer Zeliska, said to be the strongest
revolver in my former world—and I’d made some modifications. The
Pfeifer Zeliska ditched the portability and adaptability that handguns
provided in favor of greater size and firepower. I used .600 Nitro Express
rounds. They were typically used with rifles and were made for hunting
large animals like elephants and buffalo, not humans. The result made the
Desert Eagle, a powerful and famous pistol, look like a toy.
The formidable bullets were made even stronger because I packed them
with Fahr Stone powder, which was significantly more explosive than
gunpowder. Additionally, I used tungsten for the warheads to make them
more penetrative. The recoil was so strong that my ribs would’ve shattered
were I not strengthened with mana. It was a flawed gun that prioritized
strength over everything else, but I didn’t want it any other way.
“…Sorry, Naoise.”
I fired until the barrel was empty, blowing a several-dozen-centimeters-
wide hole in the ground. There wasn’t a trace of Naoise’s body left, yet I
kept on guard. I used a wind spell to probe the area while quickly reloading.
I didn’t trust for a second that this was the end of Naoise. If this were
enough to kill him, Gungnir would have done the trick. I still didn’t know
how he survived.
“Tch.”
I felt a small vibration under my feet. My probing spell hadn’t picked up
anything, but I trusted my instinct and jumped. Immediately after, a white
snake emerged from the ground and sped for me. That explained why I
didn’t sense it—the wind probing spell couldn’t locate anything
underground.
I couldn’t dodge, so I protected my vital points. The snake changed its
trajectory without slowing and slammed into my open stomach, producing a
dull crunch. That was the sound of my bulletproof vest being overloaded
and breaking to absorb the impact, but it was unable to diffuse the entire
attack, and I was sent flying.
That snake’s attack was as strong as a blow from Epona… One strike
broke my jacket, which was resilient enough to withstand a hit from a truck.
My ribs and organs would’ve been pulverized without it. I was right to
repair it.
I rolled upon landing to lessen the impact, then looked around. Another
snake burst from the ground, and then two more. The first charged at me
from the front, and the others came from each flank. I quickly jumped
backward and pushed myself with wind for greater speed, putting all three
snakes in front of me. Then I threw a Fahr Stone engineered to create a
directional explosion. The bomb blast and iron scraps flew forward, killing
all three snakes.
I used wind magic to float and avoid any more surprise attacks.
“I know you’re still alive, Naoise. Come on out.”
Naoise emerged from underground in response.
“I’m surprised. I didn’t think a human would survive. Almost makes me
suspect you’re a second hero,” he said.
 “I’m just human, unfortunately. I try to make up for it with ingenuity,” I
responded.
I observed Naoise. He was wearing different equipment than before. His
armor set was an heirloom of House Gephis. Maha had included it in the list
she put together of all known divine treasures. According to legend, it had
survived over a hundred battles without a scratch. At his hip, Naoise wore a
familiar black magic sword. So that’s why he was using the weaker weapon
earlier.
“The Naoise I just killed was a fake,” I said.
“No, both versions you have killed were genuine. I suppose there’s no
harm in giving away the trick. There were three of me. Snakes rule over
rebirth and immortality. Mistress Mina gifted me with two special snakes
that assumed my form, and both became a full extension of me. Only one of
my three bodies can move at a time. If one dies, another version of me,
sleeping in the estate, wakes up and switches places with them. Impressive,
no?”
I knew Mina had given him power, but I never thought he’d strayed this
far from humanity.
“You shouldn’t have told me that.”
I used the wind holding me in the air to descend quickly. More snake
monsters burst from the ground around Naoise. They must have been
outside the range of the god spears, coming here after I destroyed Naoise’s
force. Three of the serpents flung themselves at me like spears as I
approached from the sky. I took position to hit Naoise and the snake
monsters, throwing multiple Fahr Stones adjusted to produce directional
explosions. They burst violently and pummeled my targets with iron scraps,
but unlike before, the serpents moved through unharmed.
I studied them closely and noticed that their scales shone like gold. They
were a new variety.
“Tch.”
I shot down two snakes with my handgun, used the recoil to dodge the
third, and dropped it once I landed. So they can survive a Fahr Stone
explosion, but not being pierced by a large-caliber bullet.
As the dust cleared, I looked toward Naoise. A giant snake was coiled
around him, presumably for protection. That explained how he survived the
Fahr Stone blast. Iron scraps had pierced the snake’s charred skin, but none
of the injuries were lethal. This serpent was absurdly tough. It uncoiled and
allowed Naoise to step free.
“Whew, someone’s in a violent mood. I don’t have any more spares, you
know. That actually might’ve killed me.”
I attached a long barrel to my handgun to turn it into a rifle and fired
four times. His snake monsters took the hits for him.
“It’s no use, Lugh. These monsters are special. Their scales are as hard
as orichalcum. I know you want to kill me from a distance like an assassin,
but it’s not going to happen… Let’s fight as proper nobles! Proper knights!”
Naoise charged. He was fast—I didn’t have time to cast my flying spell.
I threw a Fahr Stone to stop him, but he raced past it, and the stone
exploded behind him. He then drew the black sword and stabbed at me.
Unable to dodge, I blocked his thrust with my handgun, unfortunately
breaking it, but that afforded me the chance to kick Naoise in the temple.
The soles and tips of my boots were plated with metal for defensive and
offensive purposes. Nevan began using metal-plated shoes after seeing me
use these. A full-strength kick with the metal tip could easily break
someone’s skull.
My boot connected with Naoise’s head with a clang like metal on metal.
That’s when I realized his skin was blanketed with tightly packed scales.
This didn’t stop me, though. I couldn’t hurt him, but I could knock him off-
balance. I followed up by slashing Naoise with a large knife strapped to my
thigh, but he parried with his sword.
Unsurprisingly, I wasn’t strong enough to defeat Naoise and his
newfound demon powers in a straight fight. I needed distance, but Naoise
moved faster than I could retreat. Left with no alternative, I traded blows
with him like he wanted.
“I know the assassin in you must be fuming!” Naoise taunted between
heavy breaths. He looked to be having the time of his life as he brandished
his weapon. I defended myself silently. “You don’t have the opportunity for
any cheap tricks or magic. Knights hold the advantage in close quarters!”
I’d been trained as a knight, but it wasn’t my specialty. Naoise definitely
had the upper hand at this range.
His attacks turned more ferocious. The old Naoise would have been
fatigued at this pace and given me a chance to attack, but he showed no sign
of slowing down. Instead, I struggled to keep up despite my massively
superior stamina. He was so fast that I only barely had time to defend.
“So you can handle yourself at a knight’s distance, assassin! I’m
impressed by your skill.”
I needed to break out of this deadlock, but I couldn’t figure out how.
Letting Naoise get this close with his physical advantage was a lethal
mistake. No matter how many cards I had up my sleeve, they were useless
if I couldn’t find the time or space to use them. He’s strong, fast, and
skilled. This is harder to deal with than any special ability Mina gave him.
The only way to endure Naoise’s assault was to give up attacking and
focus solely on guarding. And frustratingly, he wouldn’t go for a killing
blow. He thought only of preventing me from moving away, an attempt to
wear me out that banked on him winning because of this physical
advantage. The way he ignored all my attempts to bait him into trying to
finish me was proof of that. I’d only be able to withdraw if he got impatient.
At this rate, I was bound to lose. If he wouldn’t take a gamble, then I
had no choice but to try one.
“…Reconsider, Naoise,” I implored.
“Cut the crap, Lugh. You said you were going to kill me.”
“You can still rejoin society.”
“It’s too late. I’d be executed as a traitor if I surrendered now… Getting
killed earlier cooled my head and helped me realize that it doesn’t matter
whether or not Mistress Mina told me the truth. It’ll become the truth once
she conquers the world.”
Naoise wouldn’t budge. Nothing I said reached him. I suppose he’s
standing his ground. He was right that history was written by the victors—
if Mina ruled, her word would be truth.
“It’s time for you to die for the cause.”
He cut my knife in two with his black sword and scraped my face,
leaving a shallow wound that bled heavily. I jumped back with all my
strength, but he caught up immediately. I’d been deflecting Naoise’s black
sword at an angle because I knew it would break my dagger if I tried to
block it head-on, but fatigue slowed my reaction, and my clumsy retreat
only exposed me further… Or at least, that was what I wanted Naoise to
think.
This was my gamble. I purposefully left myself vulnerable so Naoise
would attack. I’d been doing the same thing since he engaged me at close
range, but a swordsman as good as Naoise could tell when an opening was
fake. This time I made myself truly vulnerable—I actually wouldn’t be able
to dodge his next blow.
Naoise loosed a diagonal slash. Finally, the large swing I’ve been
waiting for. His blade was headed for my left shoulder. Given Naoise’s skill
and the sharpness of the black sword, I had no doubt the weapon would cut
through armor. I rushed forward while watching the blade from the corner
of my eye.
“Are you planning on sacrificing yourself to take me out? You’re too
predictable.” A shining gold snake coiled around Naoise’s armor.
His sword landed on my left shoulder. I wore the same stab-proof
clothes I’d made for Dia and Tarte. The robust fabric blocked his blade, but
it couldn’t eliminate the impact, and my shoulder broke with a dull sound. I
did my best to bear the intense pain while rushing forward. Using mana, I
forced my broken left arm forward, a sluggish and weakened movement.
“You’re wasting effort,” he taunted.
That would have been true if I were trying to strike him directly. I had
no chance of piercing the snake monster and his divine treasure, but I had a
plan. I was holding a Fahr Stone in my left hand engineered to produce a
directional explosion, and it overloaded and ruptured as I opened my fist.
My left arm was already broken, so it hardly mattered if I injured it worse.
The explosion sent Naoise and me flying in opposite directions. While
the stone was configured to give Naoise the brunt of the blast, I couldn’t
protect myself from taking some amount of damage. My left arm was
horribly burned from the elbow down. I also suffered a compound fracture,
and my shoulder was still broken from Naoise’s attack. Rapid Recovery
couldn’t mend this on its own. The arm would be useless for the rest of the
fight.
However, my sacrifice won me some distance and managed to injure
Naoise, too. Not even his divine treasure armor and scales could fully
protect him from a point-blank blast. The heat scorched his body, and the
sound and shock wave injured his sensory organs.
This was well worth sacrificing my left arm.
I stood and studied Naoise carefully. His eyes were burned, his nose was
misshapen, and his eardrums had ruptured. Now I could use any weapon I
liked. My next attack would definitely connect. This would be my first and
last chance to kill him. The same plan wouldn’t work twice.
I need the firepower to break through his armor and the snake scales.
Gungnir could have done it, but that required ten minutes to land. My next
most powerful attack, Railgun, demanded half a minute of preparation,
which was still too long.
Naoise’s burned face was healing quickly. His senses would return soon.
I needed something strong and swift. A Fahr Stone with a directional
explosion lacked the strength to kill him, and the same was true of Cannon
Volley. Fortunately, I knew just the thing.
I’m basing this on Dia’s attack on the earth dragon demon. It utilized
dozens of Fahr Stones positioned to force the blasts inward, crushing the
enemy to death. In my previous world, weapons that used this technique
were called cluster bombs. I created magic systemizing the process that
normally required careful calculations and a precise combination of spells,
and produced a special weapon to use it with.
“Cluster Bombing.”
I retrieved the weapon I produced for a spell I called Cluster Bombing
from my Leather Crane Bag and threw it. It was shaped like a coconut and
contained cushioning, gunpowder, and twenty special small Fahr Stones
within its iron coating. Magic carried it above Naoise’s head, and that’s
when the first blast went off. It wasn’t from the Fahr Stones but from the
weakened gunpowder. The iron coating broke, scattering the Fahr Stones
around Naoise in midair. They were in the ideal positions to concentrate
force toward the center.
The small Fahr Stones reached their capacities and ruptured
simultaneously, trapping the impact and heat of the explosions where
Naoise stood. The result was a giant sphere that resembled the sun. It
consumed the ground beneath.
“This is Cluster Bombing, a spell that weaponizes Dia’s sophisticated
calculations… It’s the strongest attack I can use in direct combat.”
Cluster Bombing’s operating theory was simple. The shock waves and
heat from explosions traveled outward radially. So a single target only
received a small fraction of the total force. But what would happen if you
positioned countless small bombs around the target and triggered them all at
once? The heat and shock waves hammered the target from all sides,
crushing them. This resulted in eight times more force than simply
scattering bombs at random. Naoise was struck with octuple the power of
twenty Fahr Stones. No living creature could endure that.
 “Sorry, Naoise. I didn’t want to kill you, but I made up my mind.”
Even if everything Mina put in Naoise’s head was true, I couldn’t join in
culling the human population. I would find another method.
Naoise only survived Gungnir because he used a duplicate, and if he
spoke the truth, there were only two of them. Now he was dead for good. I
exhaled and began stowing my equipment…
“Gah…”
…and that’s when a black sword sprouted from my chest.
“You were really dumb enough to believe me? I actually had three
duplicates. I decided to follow your example and pull a little trick to get you
to drop your guard after you killed me the third time. Only a fool would
give away something that important.”
Naoise was behind me. I see. He gave away his secret to surprise me on
the off chance I managed to kill him again.
“I figured you were planning something like that.”
I—or rather, my projection—laughed. My form then warped and melted,
turning into a simple clump of metal.
“Wh-what?! My sword…is stuck…!” Naoise tried to force his blade
free, but iron bars grew from the ground and formed a cage around him.
He should have expected this. There was no way I’d trust Naoise after
lecturing him on the foolishness of trusting a demon. I doubted his claim
immediately and set up a trap, knowing he planned to ambush me when I
killed his third double. The moment I slew the final body double, I
produced a metal doll in the cloud of dust that my attack kicked up, then
retreated and used a light-bending spell to project my image onto the
facsimile.
The true ace up my sleeve descended upon Naoise from above—
Gungnir. I couldn’t hit a moving enemy, but it was easy to set a decoy and
aim for that. I launched the spear into the air as insurance, figuring it
wouldn’t be a big deal if it missed.
The god spear slammed into the ground at dozens of times the speed of
sound, launching a tsunami of dirt in all directions and carving a crater
hundreds of meters wide.
“Deceit is the domain of assassins. You should have known better,
Naoise… You lost sight of who I am.”
Naoise was truly dead this time. His mistake was not sticking to his
specialty of fighting like a knight. Had he not played my game, he could
have won. Actually, his error came long before—when he accepted Mina’s
power. And that wouldn’t have happened if not for me. Naoise’s sense of
inferiority allowed that snake demon to take advantage of him.
“Am I…crying?”
I had no right to cry over this. I wiped the tears. There was still
something I needed to do, a task so important I killed a friend for it. There
was no way I could stop now. I wouldn’t forgive myself.
I forced my aching body to walk.
 Epilogue

After using every probing and analysis spell I had to scan the area and
eliminate any possibility that Naoise survived, I returned to the Gephis
domain. Epona had successfully pulled Mina away from the city of Geil,
and they were still fighting elsewhere. Magic knights employed by House
Romalung marched into the city, wiping out the monsters. I heard that Dia
and Tarte accompanied and fought with them. Naoise leading most of the
Gephis-troops-turned-snake-people away undoubtedly helped the
Romalung forces triumph. The enemy would have been too strong
otherwise.
I visited the strategic headquarters set up by the knights to report the
details of Naoise’s plan and that I’d killed him and his followers. Then I
went to an infirmary.
“I need to treat my left arm.”
The limb throbbed in agony from injuries I inflicted on myself to trap
Naoise. Rapid Recovery only sped up the natural healing process and didn’t
work on wounds that couldn’t mend on their own. The left shoulder fracture
from Naoise’s sword would heal fine, but the heavy burns and compound
break the Fahr Stone explosion left would never improve without treatment.
Instead of trusting the doctors on hand, I intended to deal with the
injuries myself. None of them could beat my Tuatha Dé medical
knowledge.
I readied myself and summoned my artificial arm divine treasure. First, I
removed my broken bones and produced metal with magic to reinforce and
shape the remaining ones. Next, I tore off my burned and dead skin and
implanted living tissue removed from elsewhere on my body. Magic and
Rapid Recovery made this possible. Once I completed the basic treatment, I
wrapped my arm with special tape and created a metal cast to hold the
snapped bones in place and protect them.
 Rapid Recovery would handle the rest, likely requiring three days.
Unfortunately, the arm would never truly be as it was before.
“Lugh! I heard you were seriously injured!”
“Are you okay, my lord?!”
Dia and Tarte ran into the infirmary covered in mud and dust.
“There’s no need to worry. It was just my left arm, and I’ve already
treated it.”
“Thank goodness. Everyone was freaking out about your injury when
we got here. It scared me,” Dia said.
Tarte frowned. “I knew I should have gone with you.”
Dia hugged me, and Tarte teared up. The sight of them eased my tension
somewhat.
“I was worried about you two as well. The Gephis knights were really
strong. I’m glad you’re all right,” I responded.
“Forget about us. You’re in much worse shape.”
“Yes. Please leave matters to everyone else and get some rest.”
I tried to stand, but they pushed me back into bed.
“…Let me go. I need to leave after an hour of rest. I want to get ready,” I
protested.
“What are you planning to do in your state?” Dia questioned.
“Help Epona against the snake demon. They’re still fighting.”
Any battle involving Epona meant destruction on the scale of a natural
disaster. She and Mina were fighting far from the city, but the sounds, light,
and heat of the struggle were perceptible from here. No knights could help,
no matter how elite they were. Mina seemed Epona’s equal in strength now
that she’d consumed a Fruit of Life. I couldn’t beat her alone, but I could tip
the scale by supporting Epona.
“Don’t be absurd! Trust Epona and stay put. You’d only be a burden like
this.”
“That’s right. No one can heal a broken arm that quickly. Not even you,
my lord. And I can tell that you’ve exhausted your mana.”
They were both deeply concerned, and honestly, they were also correct.
“That’s why I’m going to rest for an hour. That’s enough time for my
wound to close and for me to regain some energy.”
My broken bones needed a few days to heal, but they were safe in a cast.
Thanks to the skin graft, the wound would close, and the pain from the
burns lessened with every passing moment.
Dia sighed. “We’re not stopping you. I see it on your face.”
“I want to know if Naoise was right, or if he was deceived… And most
importantly, I need to make Mina pay,” I declared.
Killing Naoise was my crime, but she was the one who forced me to it.
“Okay. Fine. But you have to take us with you.”
“We’ve gotten stronger. We won’t get in the way.”
“Do you realize what you’re volunteering for? This is a battle between
Epona and a demon who has taken a step toward becoming the Demon
King. It will be dangerous, even for you two.”
“Trust me, I’m scared. But I’ve made up my mind.”
“We’ll make up for the injury to your left arm.”
I could tell from the looks in their eyes that they were determined, no
matter what I said. They would probably follow me if I tried to leave them
behind. And that was much more dangerous than allowing the pair to tag
along.
Hold on, I have a better solution.
“…Dia, Tarte, why do you two look ready to fight me?”
They eyed me warily, as if expecting me to attack them. I didn’t stand a
chance of getting a hit in—if I tried, they’d undoubtedly get the best of me,
given my fatigue and the state of my left arm.
“Because we know you. You’re thinking of knocking us out and then
leaving without us.”
“Lady Dia’s right. You can render us unconscious with one blow to the
chin. We wouldn’t be able to stand for three hours.”
“Right? One pop, and the whole world is spinning. It’s terrifying.”
They saw through me. I shouldn’t have used that trick on them before.
“Fine. You win. Let’s go together,” I conceded.
Dia grinned. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
“I’ll get our equipment,” Tarte announced.
Dia sat on my bed while Tarte rushed out of the infirmary. Tarte went to
get our things alone so Dia could keep an eye on me. It was no use trying to
stop them, so I reached for my desk, grabbing a pouch full of nutritional
fluid. I emptied it and ate the rest of my preserved food. When finished, I
lay down, hoping to sleep and recover as best I could.
Dia patted my head.
 “Why are you doing that?”
“Because you seem sad. You look like you could cry, Lugh,” Dia said.
“I killed a friend. Of course I’m sad. There was no other choice, and I
thought I’d made peace with my decision… But I guess not.”
I killed countless friends in my past life. On orders from my
organization, I eliminated any who betrayed us. These were necessary
deeds, and I felt nothing committing them. Those people were mere tools.
The current version of me could never behave that way.
“It’s natural to be sad. I know that was hard for you, Lugh.”
Dia stroked my head again. I felt my grief wane, but I felt guilty for it.
“Rest. I’ll stay by your side.”
“…Thank you. That’s a real comfort.”
I closed my eyes to the warmth of Dia’s body heat. I’d force Mina to
confess everything. Then I’d kill her. Such was my duty as a noble assassin.
My job was to remove all threats to the kingdom, but this time…I truly
hated my target.
 Afterword

Thank you very much for reading The World’s Finest Assassin Gets
Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat, Vol. 7.
I’m Rui Tsukiyo, the author.

This volume focuses on Lugh’s fight against his friend. I hope you paid
attention to Lugh’s emotions as you read. He demonstrated his humanity
more this time than in any previous books.
Changing the topic, season one of the anime finished broadcasting. It’s
no exaggeration to say it was very popular. I was surprised by the response.
I’m working hard on the novels so the show can continue.
Thank you for being so supportive, everyone! Anyone who hasn’t seen
the anime should check out the various streaming sites where it’s available.

Unfortunately, I have not been feeling well of late. I began to suffer

from some depression while the anime was airing. I was recovering with the
help of a prescription, but sometime after the anime finished, my doctor
said that I’d healed and changed my medication to something weaker. That
was a trap.
As soon as I started the weaker medicine, I became unable to look at
emails and social media, fearing other people’s opinions. Fortunately, after
lessening my treatment in increments, I have completely healed (my doctor
has given their approval). I don’t need the prescription anymore!
I’m grateful for that, but I didn’t look at emails or social media while I
was recovering. It wasn’t a great situation.

As a result, I ended up wholly estranged from all my work relationships

over the last year.
 But as I said before, my health is gradually improving, so I’m going to
do my best to hit my stride as an author again!

Thanks

To Reia, thank you for your wonderful illustrations!

To the editing team and all involved at Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko; the
lead designer, Takahisa Atsuji; and all the people who have read this far,
thank you very much!
 Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Yen On.

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