Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

“Haha… It feels good, really good.”

In the former guild master Greg’s room, Hans muttered to himself while sitting in his luxurious chair. From downstairs, raucous laughter, the sounds of people causing a commotion, and the occasional shattering of bottles could be heard. It must have been Gold and his men enjoying themselves.

By tossing them a bit of cash from the reserves, Hans could easily control them. The sight of the man who had once looked down on him now following his every order for money was immensely satisfying.

Hans reviewed the documents at hand. The money given to his men was only a fraction; there was still plenty left in the reserves. With that, it was now his turn to rise to the top—he truly believed it.

“But first, I need Ghost out of my way….”

As long as he secured her, he could dispose of his gang, who had now become more than just a nuisance. Smirking darkly, he reached for the glass on the desk. Speaking of nuisances, he had already eliminated most of the guild members who didn’t follow his orders. Though that accounted for the majority of the guild, Hans deliberately ignored what that meant…

A voice seemed to mock him, saying, ‘That’s as far as you’ll ever get.’ He shook his head to clear it and took another swig of his drink.

“Capacity? What about you?!”

Hans shouted into the void. No one was there to hear him—or so he thought.

“You seem quite agitated.”

A quiet voice echoed. Startled, he glanced in the direction of the sound, and there stood a thin, black figure. When the moonlight streamed in, her appearance became clear—an expressionless face, long black hair, and clad in black from head to toe.

“G-Ghost?! How are you here?!”

Hans panicked internally—did his men fail? Though he swallowed his complaints, his face betrayed his unease.

“How, you ask… I’d say it’s because you teamed up with the wrong people.”

The calm sarcasm made Hans’ lips twitch in irritation. Being mocked by even her, angered him greatly.

“Hmph, say whatever you like! You can’t defy me now!”

Hans had fantasized about this moment countless times—when she would be brought back to him. He had even rehearsed what he would say. He had practiced putting on the ring, too.

As rehearsed, the ring slid smoothly onto Hans’ finger.

“Now, obey me!”

He thrust the ring forward with a shout. She stopped speaking and ceased all movement. Satisfied, Hans grinned and leaned back into his chair, relaxing.

“How about that? You’re now at my command. So, what shall I make you do first…?”

A sinister chuckle escaped his lips. She was so thin, but he was sure he could have some fun with her.

“Are you done?”

Her voice was indifferent, almost bored. For someone like her, who rarely showed emotion, it was highly unusual for her to sound so disinterested…

“Huh?”

Hans bolted upright, staring at her in disbelief. Her expression was unreadable, but it was clearly not one of submission. Realizing this, Hans began to tremble.

What’s happening? He looked at the ring, then at her, and frantically glanced around the room before his gaze returned to her.

“You see, Greg told me, ‘If you see anyone wearing this ring when I’m not around, they’re a traitor. Kill them on sight.’”

Without a sound, she drew a dagger. It was a weapon smeared with soot to avoid reflecting light—a pure tool for assassination. The message was clear: she now saw Hans as her target and intended to kill him. Hans’ trembling worsened, and his face turned deathly pale.

“S-Stay away! Stay away!”

“I have no obligation to obey your orders.”

She moved toward him, ready to claim his life, but made no sound. Is this real? Am I dreaming? Hans was about to retreat into denial when something touched his foot, bringing him back to reality. Cautiously, he checked the position and reached for it.

“…It’s futile resistance.”

His complexion was obvious, and his desperate movements were clear to her despite his efforts to conceal them. She sighed, exasperated, and took another step forward.

“Haha, shut up! Take this!”

With a crazed grin, Hans quickly pulled out a small crossbow. It had been stored for self-defense, but he had forgotten about it until now—so panicked was he. But there was no time for him to realize that. All he could think was that this would save him, that he wouldn’t die. It gave him the strength to act.

He aimed. Since she had approached him, the distance was no more than five meters—impossible to miss. The bolt shot toward the space where she had been.

Had been.

“Huh?”

What just happened?

Without understanding, Hans felt a cold sensation at the back of his head—a dagger had slid in. He could feel control over his body slipping away, as if his breathing had been cut off and blood could no longer circulate to his brain.

“You didn’t know anything. About the ring and about me…”

Her voice was behind him, though she had been in front of him just moments ago. He tried to turn his head, but his body wouldn’t respond, and he slumped against the back of the chair.

“You didn’t know, but you didn’t think it was strange either. You didn’t investigate. And then you get ahead of yourself… in this line of work, that’s how you end up.”

Why had she been so successful in completing missions? Why had Greg trusted her so deeply?

Hans had never considered those questions.

“farewell.”

Her cold voice reached his ears. His consciousness, already clouded from lack of oxygen, faded completely as the blade was pushed in deeper.

After confirming that Hans had drawn his last breath, she slid the dagger out without resistance. She wiped the blade on Hans’ disheveled clothing and sheathed it, then headed toward the window.

Touching the hinge, she deactivated the trap. The window opened silently. If someone opened it unknowingly, a loud screech would have alerted everyone—one of Greg’s security measures.

Hans should have known that, but he hadn’t noticed.

The door hadn’t opened, obviously. If she had snuck in through the window, why hadn’t there been a sound? He hadn’t noticed the oddity in that, either.

That was Hans’ limit.

Peeking through the window, she locked eyes with Ellie below. She gave her a hand signal, and Ellie responded with an acknowledgment before moving as planned. Once she confirmed this, Letty turned toward the door.

“Well, time to clean up…”

Murmuring to herself, she drew her short sword.

**Next: Purge**