Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

The day after bidding farewell to their companions, they set off.

Old Bob helped Ellie to get her adventurer guild card issued.

Meanwhile, Letty and Ellie travelled to a few nearby towns, giving the severance pay to the former members who were still alive.

Some were delighted by the sudden windfall, while others expressed sadness over the guild’s downfall. Regardless of their reactions, no one had the courage to directly confront Erget, or rather, Ghost.

For the time being, Letty and Ellie were able to safely deliver the funds.

Rita, on the other hand, had been visiting several noble households, thanks to job placements arranged by old man Bob.

And then…

“Ta-da! Look at this! My guild card! Isn’t it amazing?” Ellie held up her newly issued card, her face beaming.

Letty leaned back slightly, taken aback by her enthusiasm. “Yeah, congratulations, I guess…?”

“It’s perfect! Now I can finally… travel with Letty! With Letty!”

Ellie nodded emphatically, as if to emphasise the importance of those words.

Letty’s gaze darted around the room. For some reason, it felt awkward to make eye contact.

“Hah, she’s really won you over, Egret. How was everything today?”

“Old Bob..uhh.. don’t tease me. Well, it went smoothly. I think we’ve covered most of the eastern region.”

Erget replied, her eyebrows furrowed in a troubled expression as she looked at the old man who had come out laughing. Then, as if realising something, she turned to face him seriously.

“Thank you, Old Bob. Thanks to you, Ellie was able to get her guild card.”

“Oh, come now. It was nothing.”

Letty bowed deeply, and the old man waved his hand with a laugh.

Raising her head, Erget slowly shook her head. “No, I really wanted to say it. I mean, I’m Ellie’s master.”

The old man looked at Erget with a surprised reaction. “I see… Well, in that case, I’ll accept your thanks. You’ve changed a lot, Egret.”

Erget searched for the right words, her gaze wandering. She stumbled over her words as she tried to express what she wanted to say. The old man watched her quietly.

“Letty… you did all that for me!”

“Ellie… it’s not a big deal…”

Ellie threw her arms around Letty, her voice filled with emotion. Letty, though taken aback, returned the hug. “It is a big deal! For me! For me! For me!”

“Are you sure you’re not still drunk…?”

She had drunk quite a bit with Rita yesterday. Although her body was usually good at processing alcohol, she wondered if she was still a bit tipsy.

“Alright, alright. Stop fooling around and go to your room.” Letty said

“Yeah… okay, Letty.”

“Ellie, grab your stuff.”

With a loud clap, the old man gestured for them to go. Letty nodded. Ellie reluctantly let go of Letty and grabbed their luggage, heading towards the room they had rented on the second floor.

Watching them go, old Bob rested his elbow on the counter and narrowed his eyes.

“I wonder if this is a good thing for Egret…”

The girl who had once been like an emotionless machine had changed a lot under Ellie’s influence. He felt a mixture of surprise, amusement, and a bit of bitterness.

“We’re partly responsible for turning her into a weapon…”

When he joined the guild, she was already a complete tool. He had wanted to say something, but as a newcomer, he hadn’t felt like he had the right. He knew that was just an excuse.

By helping them on their journey, he felt like he was atoning for his past actions.

“I’m sure she won’t mind, but… no, maybe that’s why.” And so, he prayed that this journey would be a good one for her.

“Come on, Letty, let’s get ready! We’re leaving!”

“Ellie, slow down.”

When Letty said that, Ellie sat down on the bed and waited expectantly. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, and Letty felt a little overwhelmed.

“It’s late, so let’s rest. We’ll pack tomorrow and leave the day after.”

“But…” Ellie’s face fell.

Seeing her like that, Letty had an idea.

“Here…”

She reached out and stroked Ellie’s head. She had remembered how Ellie had reacted when Rita had done the same thing.

It seemed to work.

“Okay, fine. If you’re tired, Letty, then let’s sleep. But we’ll leave tomorrow!”

“Yeah… okay.”

Letty wondered if she had done the right thing.

**Next: Preparations for the Journey**