Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

As the prince and his knights stormed the castle, they encountered occasional attacks from scattered soldiers. Although a few knights were injured by skilled soldiers, none had suffered fatal wounds.

Additionally, the royal guards, likely having some misgivings about the queen’s policies or having been informed in advance, allowed the prince to pass without interference.

“Maintain formation! Always engage the enemy in pairs! Right front, five coming, intercept them!”

The prince, who seemed to have a clear view of his surroundings despite being surrounded, issued orders one after another.

The knights responded instantly, their movements smooth and fluid.

Egret, meanwhile, periodically used detection magic to alert the prince of any dangers.

The Third Knights’ Division, led by the prince, moved in a well-coordinated manner, contrasting sharply with the individualistic attacks from the queen’s soldiers. It was clear who held the advantage in combat power.

As they approached the corner leading to the queen’s throne room, the prince halted the group.

“Everyone hold your positions!… Now, if I were on the other side, this is where I’d set an ambush. Egret, I need your help.”

“Got it… Active Search: Dynamic Detection.’”

After a brief incantation, Egret released a powerful wave of magical energy.

**Dynamic Detection**

A spell that emits magical waves and detects living beings based on the reflection of magic from them. It allows the caster to identify the direction and distance of targets, even penetrating obstacles unless they are magically shielded.

However, the spell has a drawback.

“… Egret, was that just now?
I felt a small shockwave or something.”

“Your Highness, you must have a natural talent for magic. There are dozens of people waiting on the other side of that corner. Quite a few magicians, about ten of them.”

“I knew it… they wouldn’t just let us pass here.”

In short, people with a certain level of magical sensitivity can sense when they’ve been detected. While the prince only felt a slight discomfort due to his lack of knowledge about the spell, those more attuned would be fully aware.

Nevertheless, the group was about to face their toughest challenge yet.

Although they outnumbered the enemy, if the enemy mages used their magic effectively, they would suffer significant casualties in such a confined space.

“Some of the magicians have probably noticed us. Well, time for me to do my job.”

According to their initial plan, Egret was to lead the charge and disrupt the enemy. But the prince frowned at the situation.

There were more enemies and magicians than anticipated, and though everyone faced danger

Egret was in the greatest peril. Yet, seeing her calmly call it “her job”… He steeled his resolve.

“Let me adjust the plan slightly. After your charge, we’ll follow with a slight delay. That way, the enemy will be scattered, and we’ll likely suffer fewer casualties.”

“That’s fine with me, but are the others okay with that?”

“Hey, don’t underestimate us, miss. We’ve got our pride and lives on the line too. Besides, we haven’t faced much resistance so far.”

Egret raised an eyebrow at the prince’s serious expression, but the knights grinned broadly and gave her a thumbs-up.

Seeing their confidence, she decided that there was no need for further concern..

“Alright… let’s do it that way.”

“Egret, I may have hired you for this job, but I’m not putting everything on your shoulders.”

“I know…Well, here I go. Are you ready?”

“Yeah, we’re ready!”

After getting a response from the knights, she paused for a moment.

With a flick of her wrist, she threw a black cloth. It fluttered in the air for a moment, almost resembling a human figure.

The next moment, arrows were fired at the cloth with a thud.

At the same time, Egret dashed forward.

A little earlier, just after Egret had cast ‘Dynamic Detection’.

Naturally, the ten magicians in the ambush realised what had happened.

“What? They’ve noticed us? What are you talking about?”

“I’m telling you, they used magic on us. Can’t you feel it?”

The head of the soldiers and the head of the magicians exchanged hushed words. The approaching group had paused, and a faint magical shockwave had been felt.

It was clear they had been detected, and the magicians urged the soldiers to change their strategy.

However, the soldiers’ leader, who lacked magical sensitivity, couldn’t understand the situation.

This only heightened the tension between the two groups—one being the queen’s elite magicians and the other, soldiers loyal to the chancellor.

As they were arguing, something black fluttered in the air.

The archers hurriedly shot at it, but it was just a piece of cloth.

Cloth?

In that split second of confusion, something cloaked in black dashed from the shadows.

The enemy had been waiting in a grand hallway adorned with luxurious decorations. Archers and magicians were positioned on several balconies, with more archers hiding behind pillars in the corridor, forming a barricade with spearmen to block the prince’s party.

But Egret had already pinpointed their locations with her detection magic.

“What is it…? What was that?!”

“Shoot! Shoot it! I don’t know what it is, but shoot!”

They scrambled to fire at her, but Egret was too fast. In a heartbeat, she reached the corridor’s end, pivoting sharply behind a pillar.

An archer who was hiding in the shadows of the column tried to turn around, but before he could, a dagger flashed.

The blade severed the bowstring and then sliced into the archer’s neck, spraying blood.

“What the hell is she?! Go after her!”

But as attention shifted toward Egret, a thrown dagger embedded itself in another archer’s forehead, and she swiftly cut down a nearby magician.

“Charge!”

The prince’s shout was the cue for the knights to storm in. Distracted by Egret, the soldiers struggled to mount a defence, and though some arrows struck the knights, they couldn’t hold them back..

As chaos erupted, Egret pulled out a rope with a hook and hurled it toward a balcony ledge. Feeling the hook catch, she scaled the wall with incredible speed, leaving the stunned soldiers momentarily frozen.

Instead of swinging straight ahead, she swung to the left, towards the archers.

“She’s coming! Shoot her!”

The archers tried to fire at her, but their arrows missed entirely.

Bows were inherently weaker when firing to the left. To aim to the left, archers had to twist their bodies, which made it difficult to draw the bowstring and aim accurately. If they all tried to turn at the same time, they risked shooting their allies or colliding with each other.

Moreover, with Egret swinging towards them from the side, it was difficult to adjust their aim, both vertically and horizontally.

As a result, they were unable to hit Egret, and she eventually closed the distance.

“Ugh!”

“No, don’t come any closer! Aah!”

Throwing knives flew, and daggers flashed twice, then three times.

Archer fell, spraying blood.

In no time, she was on the balcony, cutting down archers and magicians with brutal efficiency. Those who tried to resist met the same swift fate.

Meanwhile, the knights below, no longer getting shot by archers from above, pushed forward with minimal casualties, and the battle soon swung entirely in their favour.

“Your Highness… What is she?”

“…She might even be able to take down Commander Georg…”

As the prince muttered to himself, the knights continued to fight, and soon the area was fully secured.

As Egret leapt gracefully down from the balcony, having single handedly taken control of the upper floor, the prince quietly wondered to himself:

“…Maybe 100 coins was too cheap.”

Next: The Battle of East Bridge