Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

Ellie, having parted ways with Letty and her companions, was running with her 10 knight bodyguards, trying to avoid the commotion caused by the prince.

Along the way, they occasionally encountered the chancellor’s subordinates, but a few soldiers were no match for the skilled knights, who swiftly cut them down.

They raced toward the back of the royal castle, barely slowing down. Ellie’s senses gradually started to detect the leaking mana.

“We’re almost there… just a little more, let’s hurry!”

When she called out to the knights, they nodded vigorously. They then turned into the corner.

“Look out!”

The knights instantly raised their shields, standing in front of Ellie. Clang! Clang! A series of sharp, heavy sounds echoed. She recognized those sounds all too well.

Dozens of arrows were embedded in the knights’ shields. Looking beyond the bend, she saw a group of about twenty soldiers. They were armed with short bows and were firing volleys of arrows with well-trained precision.

Ellie quickly assessed the situation, her eyes scanning the area. The knights were still holding strong. She focused on the soldiers.

“Mana Bolt!!!”

With all her might, she unleashed a bolt of Mana. It was far more powerful than any typical mana bolt cast by ordinary mages. The glowing arrow expanded like a net, then shot toward the soldiers, piercing through their armour and blowing apart their upper bodies.

The few who avoided the initial blast were so stunned by the sight that they hesitated, stopping mid-draw with their bows…. Then another barrage of mana bolts followed, mercilessly striking them down.

It couldn’t have been more than twenty seconds. The knights, who had been acting as a shield, turned around in disbelief at Ellie’s overwhelming firepower. Even though they were accustomed to battle, the sight was shocking.

“Uh… Ellie…? no, Miss Ellie…? no, Lady Ellie?
What was that just now…?”

“What? It’s just a mana bolt?”

“No, it wasn’t ‘just’ a Mana Bolt! That was insane!! Who on earth are you!?”

They had heard rumours of her fending off attacks from a second-ranked mage’s offensive magic. They knew she could cast powerful barriers.

… But they had never heard that she had such incredible offensive power.

Come to think of it, since she could cast strong barriers, it made sense that her magical power would be immense, and therefore, her attack spells would be formidable as well. Yet, looking at her gentle appearance, it was still hard to believe..

“Come on, don’t just stand there. Let’s go!
We should be there soon!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Despite feeling baffled by her sudden shift in demeanour, the knights resumed their run, with Ellie following closely behind. It seemed that calling it “just” a Mana Bolt had successfully downplayed her ability.

They continued to encounter more soldiers along the way, but the knights, having witnessed Ellie’s power, were able to cut them down, and Ellie finished off any who managed to get through. The way they cooperated and adapted to the situation was a testament to Georg’s training.

They ran and ran until they finally reached the square where the entrance to the ‘Garden of Emperor of Thunder’ was located. Just before they turned into the corner, the knights, having learned from experience, signalled Ellie to halt with a hand gesture. One of the knights peeked around the corner and turned back with a grim expression.

“I didn’t expect this many… There’s about 50 of them lying in ambush…. they’re really going all out.”

Ellie took out a small mirror and used it to peek around the corner. Sure enough, a large number of soldiers were waiting with bows and spears.

“… Ellie, no, Lady Ellie, you’re really good at that sort of thing.” One of the knights commented.

“It’s just a lady’s graceful little trick.
Anyway, what should we do…”

She glanced back at the knights. Their shields, though sturdier than usual, were already cracked in places from the previous volley of arrows. She wasn’t sure if they could withstand twice as many arrows this time.

“Do you think the shields will hold?”

“Honestly, I don’t think so…. Well, with this armour, I think we can at least protect you from the arrows.”

“Why do you knights have to be like this…”

She couldn’t help but complain as they implied that they would use their bodies as shields. It meant that they were serious, despite their lighthearted attitude.

If they were going to do that, then she couldn’t let them die in vain.

“There’s another option. I’ll cast an anti-physical barrier and charge through. I’ll also fire off Mana Bolts to distract them, so after that, you guys charge in.”

“No, that’s… I see. But…Is your anti-physical barrier really that strong?”

“It will even stop a ballista if I want to.”

“Alright, understood. I’ll leave it to you.”

It wasn’t confidence, but the way Ellie stated it so casually and matter-of-factly that made the knights set aside their pride. They couldn’t afford to mess this up.

Ellie began to chant, or at least pretended to. Even the non-magic-wielding knights could feel the air vibrate as something powerful began to form.

“This should withstand one volley, right?”

“Probably, yes.”

“Alright then, sorry, but we’re counting on you to take the first hit. Once we see an opening, we’ll charge in.”

“Understood!”

Despite the fact that she was about to put herself in danger, Ellie nodded without a trace of fear. The knights exchanged determined glances, each silently vowing not to let her die.

After confirming that the knights were ready, she began the countdown.

“Okay, I’ll count to three. Ready? Three, two, one!”

As soon as she finished counting, she exposed herself to the enemy.

Arrows rained down on her. For a moment, her vision was filled with nothing but arrows.

And then, as expected, Ellie’s physical barrier blocked all the arrows. At the same time, she fired a volley of mana bolts.

The soldiers, stunned and dazed by the sudden light, were no match for what came next.

The moment the light faded, the knights charged in unison. Nearly half of the enemy forces had already been taken down. Those who remained were too shaken to put up much resistance, especially after seeing the mangled bodies of their comrades. Ellie fired off another volley of Mana Bolts, and soon, the battle was over.

“Alright, that’s all clear. Now, it’s all up to you, Lady Ellie.”

“Yes, thank you for getting me this far. Leave the rest to me. Please don’t stay here any longer than necessary, okay? If it gets too dangerous, retreat immediately! Although It’s unlikely anyone can get past me anyway.”

“Yeah, we’ll do that. Don’t worry about us, just do what you need to do.”

“Yes, I will!”

With a smile, Ellie opened the entrance, where dense magical energy surged forth. She briefly lowered her head, then smiled again and dashed inside.

““Alright. He said ‘pull back when necessary,’ but we’ll just have to decide what that means for ourselves.”

“Right. After everything she’s done, and with how hard she’s fought, no one here is just going to sit by and leave her.”

“That’s right.”

They looked at each other and grinned.

“Well, let’s brace ourselves and put up a fight!”

As the sound of footsteps approached, they grabbed the scattered bows and arrows, half preparing their shields, half ready to shoot.

“Come on! We won’t let you pass!”

They shouted with all their might.

**Next: For Every 100 Mithril Coins, That Woman…”**

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TL Note: Chad knights