Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

“Nine days have passed since he departed… Has he finally reached the deepest part of the ruins?”

Ever since the troublesome heir set off, he had been in a constant state of unease, a vague, unfounded anxiety that churns his stomach inside out.

Despite this, he carried out his usual duties without showing any sign of his inner turmoil. In that sense, he was indeed an exceptional person.

However, the strain on his nerves was evident, and his nights had turned into a routine of heavy drinking alone in his room.

“Will this really work out…? No, I just have to believe in it…”

In the dimly lit room, illuminated by a single lamp, he shook his head several times.

The information he had received from the steward of a certain count, with whom he was quite close, suggested that success was possible—even with an opponent as inhuman as that one.

If they are inhuman, then all the more reason to deal with them using something equally inhuman.

From the day he resolved this, he began his covert machinations.

“This is the way it should be. If Lord Gérard becomes the heir, the House of Endorc will be secure… That’s how it’s meant to be.”

A steward. A person who oversees the butlers and maids, manages all the trivial and administrative duties—the unseen ruler of a noble household.

As the son of the steward of the Endorc family, he had served as a butler and trained to one day take over as the next steward.

During those days, he had grown particularly close to the second son, Gerard.

…Or rather, it was more accurate to say that Gerard was the safer choice to align with because Curtis, the elder son, was far too dangerous.

Nonetheless, Gerard had grown fond of him, being a very kind and gentle child.

So much so that he believed whatever his butler told him without any question whatsoever.

“If Lord Gerard asks the duke, things will work out in our favor… If all things go smoothly, that guy will be gone, Lord Gerard will be the head, and my time will come as well.”

He whispered these words to himself, hands trembling as they held the glass.

For this current mission, he had planted all sorts of suggestions in Gerard’s mind, persuading the young man to plead with the duke, thus securing the necessary funds.

And now…

“It’ll be fine. I’ve laid all the groundwork. It will go well…”

The greatest obstacle, Greg, was already out of the picture. All that remained was to bring “her” under control.

He grinned as he downed the rest of his drink.

Thud.

The sound of the glass hitting the table echoed unnaturally in the closed-off room.

“…Good evening.”

“Huh? Who… Who’s there?!”

A sudden, quiet voice.

Panicking, he looked around to see a dark figure by the window.

Clad in black clothes that absorbed the moon’s pale blue light, with long black hair flowing down, the figure’s face was unreadable in the shadows.

“…From the Assassin’s Guild. I’ve come to report the completion of your request and to collect the remaining payment.”

The voice was soft, almost a whisper, as something was tossed onto the table.

It slid across the surface and stopped right in front of the man.

“This is… the seal of Lord Curtis… So, that means…”

“Yes. The request has been completed. That is the designated proof.”

With trembling fingers, he reached for the seal.

Carefully, he poked it with his fingertips, slowly picking it up, feeling its texture.

He turned it over, scrutinizing both sides again and again, confirming the proof.

“Haha… Ha ha ha ha ha! I did it! Finally, I did it!”

“Be quiet. Now that you’ve confirmed it, the remaining payment, please.”

Her cold voice cut through his triumphant cry like ice water.

He scowled, waving his hand dismissively.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Go confirm it with Hans.”

“Hmm… Why Hans?”

“Huh?”

His movements froze at the unexpected question.

What is this woman talking about? He stared at her in disbelief.

“The guild master of our guild is Greg. You know that, so why Hans?”

“What?! No, wait, what are you saying? You’re… you’re the Ghost, aren’t you?!”

“Oh, so he even told you about that.”

Something was wrong. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go, not according to the plan he had worked out with Hans.

“You’re supposed to be under his control!”

“Did you…. Really think things would go that smoothly?”

With a small sigh, a horrible realization dawned upon him. Cold sweat broke out all over his body.

No… it can’t be.

“I had my doubts that Hans was not working alone, so I did some digging… and now, here we are.”

A faint rattling sound filled the room.

The man still hadn’t noticed that it was he who was shaking.

“I don’t know how or why you two met, nor do I care. But Hans used you, and you used Hans. You both prepared the perfect setup to eliminate your respective nuisances.”

He had gathered thugs and dispatched them to various hideouts. It wasn’t something that could have been arranged hastily after receiving a request.

In other words, this had all been premeditated from the start.

That said, it wasn’t perfectly executed, and there were still some loose ends….

“N-No, I was deceived by him!”

“That’s a lie” unknown to him lies doesn’t work on Ghost.

His heart sank at the calm declaration.

There was no way out. It had been made clear to him.

“Right after Greg was killed, you visited the guild and spoke with Hans. I’m guessing you both planned to split the remaining payment between you two, didn’t you?”

Silence.

Her words needed no response.

His gaze darted around nervously, and as she followed his glance, she muttered something softly.

For a while, only her barely audible words filled the room.

“I’ve detected the reaction of mithril. You’ve hidden it inside that pillar, haven’t you?”

“W-What?! You even know about that?!”

It was now impossible to keep track of how many times he had been stunned.

He had been completely exposed, left utterly defenseless.

It felt as though a freezing midwinter wind had blown through the room.

“Well, the confirmation is complete. Now… it’s time for collection—both the reward for completing the request and the price of your betrayal.”

Unable to speak, the man could only watch as the woman drew a dull, soot-covered dagger.

—

The following morning, the butler of the Endorc family was found stabbed to death in his room.

The doors and windows were all sealed in what appeared to be a perfectly locked room.

Beside the body lay a bloodstained seal.

Having understood the full gravity of the situation, the duke covered up the entire incident.

**Next: Each of their futures**