Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

Uninvited Guests

The journey to the surface proceeded smoothly, encountering no significant obstacles along the way.

Mana Blaster, a devastating power capable of toppling an iron golem—the most heavily fortified entity in the ruins—with a single strike.

Mana Bolt, a swift and precise attack that locked and pierced through multiple targets effortlessly.

The resilient physical barrier effortlessly nullified the attacks of a giant spider.

Letty, an expert at countering surprise assaults from the shadows and flanks, skillfully subdued her enemies.

Thanks to Curtis, who had already eliminated a large number of monsters, the remaining ones lacked the strength to mount a significant resistance.

“Ellie, seven goblins approaching from the left,” Letty relayed.

“Understood, searching… Lock.”

Following Letty’s guidance, Ellie focused her attention on the indicated direction, channeling mana into her palm. As predicted, seven goblins emerged.

With unwavering focus, a white circle materialized within Ellie’s field of vision, systematically locking onto each goblin one by one.

“Mana Bolt, fire!” Ellie commanded, unleashing her magical energy.

Seven radiant projectiles soared through the air in elegant arcs, homing in on their targets and mercilessly piercing their chests and heads. None could withstand the force capable of penetrating even the thickest armor, and the goblins crumpled to the ground, defeated.

“And that should be the end of them.”

“Looks like it. At least we’ve cleared the path up to the exit.”

Tranquility returned to the ancient ruins’ passageways, with no approaching footsteps heard nearby. However, a lingering presence could be felt in the distance, suggesting that some surviving monsters were silently hiding.

“Well then, shall we proceed?”

“Yes, let’s go!”

And so, the two quietly slipped through the door that led to the outside. Stepping out, they were greeted by the sight of the sun already descending towards the horizon.

“Hmm… It’s been quite some time since I last saw a sunset. If I were to estimate based on my perception, it must have been around seven days. Things have certainly changed around here. This used to be the frontline base.”

Ellie’s voice carried a tinge of melancholy as she recalled the past. “During the battle, my previous master was injured, and I suffered damage as well. I was supposed to come here for maintenance and be assigned a new master before returning to the frontlines…”

However, the frontlines she was meant to return to and the base she was once tasked with protecting were no longer there.

Her gaze shifted towards the cave they had emerged from and the small hill that concealed it. Over the span of 1,500 years, nature had taken over, covering the area with trees as if reclaiming its dominion over the land.

The place where I once belonged…

Lost in her thoughts, Ellie felt a comforting hand placed on her shoulder. “And then… the substitute master arrived, after making you wait for 1500 years…”

“Hehe, yes, a truly wonderful master.” With her master by her side, Ellie’s sense of loneliness and uncertainty faded away. “So, what’s our plan from here?” she asked.

“First, we should meet up with Ted, the liaison, at the cabin and see if there are any further requests or instructions. Once we confirm everything is in order, we’ll head back to report. I also need to inform them about you…”

Ellie furrowed her brow, looking slightly confused. “Are there really more missions?”

“I don’t think there is, but it would be more efficient to check with Ted instead of going all the way back to the capital,” Letty explained. “Oh, and he might be surprised to hear that Curtis finished clearing the ruins in just two days, which is less than a third of the expected time for such a large site.”

“Seriously, was he even human?!” Ellie exclaimed. “And Letty-san, how did you even manage to defeat him?!”

Letty hesitated, her mind momentarily lost in memories. “He… he was the closest thing to a hero. I’ll explain it to you another time…”

Letty hesitated to reveal her secret technique, something she had only shared with Greg. She just needed a bit more time to decide.

“Since the sun is already setting, we’ll set up camp here for the night,” Letty declared. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”

“Understood,” Ellie nodded. “But what should I do? I don’t have any camping gear…”

Ellie had no qualms about camping, having experienced it during her military days. However, the lack of equipment posed a problem.

“Don’t worry, I can use my tools to make a fire and set up camp,” Letty assured her. “We can take turns keeping watch while sleeping and share the blanket.”

“Is that okay…? C-Can I use it? I mean, I’ll wrap myself in it… Breath in it…” Ellie eagerly latched onto Letty’s casual suggestion, moving closer to her, almost clinging.

“Why are you reacting so strongly to that? It’s not a big deal, though… Oh, do you need to sleep?”

“Well, um… If we’re talking about necessity, then it’s not necessary. But since I use my information processing circuits for tasks like scouting and aiming, taking breaks is recommended,” Ellie explained. “Ideally, getting a total of about 4 to 6 hours of rest per day would be best.”

“In that case, let’s go with what I said and take turns sleeping,” Letty proposed.

“Okay… I don’t mind if we sleep together, though…” Ellie murmured softly, but her words seemed to go unheard by Letty.

***

The next morning arrived without incident. After tidying up the campsite, the pair set off towards the mountain cabin where they were supposed to meet Ted.

Although the path was unfamiliar and caused a momentary hesitation, they soon arrived at their destination. As they neared the cabin, Letty abruptly halted, signaling for Ellie to do the same.

“Ellie, be prepared to fire at a moment’s notice,” she whispered, her hand instinctively reaching for her own sword.

Just then, the door swung open, revealing three men stepping out from the cabin.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? A fine lady gracing such a godforsaken place.”

“Hey, ain’t that the black-haired one we’ve been hearing whispers about?”

“Oy, who’s the other one? Ah well, just means we’ve got ourselves an extra plaything.”

Their faces twisted into crude grins, their attire disheveled and unkempt. They bore the unmistakable appearance of bandits, each tightly clutching a shoddy longsword in their filthy hands, the blades smeared with fresh bloodstains.

***

Author’s Note:

You can’t scoop up spilled water. It’s only when you try to scoop up what has been spilled that you come to realize.

And what you can do about it?

Up next: Farewell Greetings

At least, with a peaceful mind.