Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

Relief and Suspicion

As the sun approached the horizon, the duo reached the edge of the forest. They found a suitable spot with ample tree cover to set up camp and hide from the main road.

“Sorry, Letty-san… If it weren’t for me, you could have leapt.”

“No, teleporting back now would be too risky, and Ellie, I can’t leave you behind,” Letty protested in a low voice, but something didn’t sit quite well with her.

Having camped together before, they quickly divided tasks and made necessary preparations. They took turns using the same blanket for sleeping like before.

The following morning, they set off early, heading east along the main road. Around noon, they took a break near a river to wash their hands and feet. Just that simple act alone managed to uplift Letty’s spirit again.

By evening, they arrived at a city surrounded by walls, the central city of the Tanderam Duchy, standing like a guardian over the capital—a city that could be considered the duchy’s own capital. The gate guards, with their sharp expressions and disciplined posture, gave a glimpse of the strict order within.

Letty presented a small identification card to the guard as they passed through the gate. It seemed to be a form of identification, and the guard acknowledged it with a nod.

“What about her?” the guard inquired.

“She’s the escort for a request. We’re heading to the fiancé’s house in the capital,” Letty replied.

Playing their roles as planned, Ellie smiled brightly, prompting the guard to let them pass without further questioning, swayed by her infectious charm.

As they walked through the city, Ellie spoke up, “That adventurers’ guild card sure comes in handy, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, Ellie. Did you not have something like that in your time?”

“No, we didn’t need it. We had well-trained guards and enough firepower, maybe even too much,” Ellie explained.

During the era of the ancient magical civilization, monsters were no longer a major threat. However, when the Karsavina Empire suddenly collapsed and disappeared, humans faced an existential crisis. They rallied together, utilizing their remaining knowledge of magic to combat the monster menace. From settlements, they formed villages, and eventually established full-fledged nations.

In this process, the concept of an army began to take shape. But as the nation’s structure developed, new issues emerged. The military started being deployed in human conflicts or as a means of deterrence before sufficient quantity and quality could be achieved.

As a result, monster attacks resurfaced in villages and towns, forcing people to defend themselves. Volunteers from the civilian population formed groups, taking quests to exterminate monsters in exchange for rewards. These individuals became known as adventurers.

The adventurers’ guild emerged as an organization to provide mutual support among adventurers, facilitate quest assignments, and manage rewards. Although there were certain procedures and evaluations to go through, once they passed, adventurers obtained official status, and they could gain entry into most cities simply by presenting their guild card.

“Well, it’s a useful thing, especially for someone like me,” Letty remarked.

People became adventurers for various reasons—seeking honor, pursuing wealth, driven by a sense of justice, or desiring personal growth. Letty fell into a different category, someone from the underworld who obtained an official identity to maintain appearances but didn’t typically engage in adventurer activities.

Those who were aware of their situation often warned others not to approach those who didn’t seem like newcomers but were unfamiliar within the guild.

“It would make things easier for me too, right?”

Ellie, who came from 1,500 years ago and was a living weapon, didn’t have any form of identification. She realized that at some point, she would need some kind of identification.

“Yes, let’s consider it once things settle down.” However, at the moment, Letty wasn’t certain if she could rely on her connections with the assassins’ guild for such identification.

The pair made their way through the main street before turning into a back alley, venturing deeper into the city. While not quite a slum, they entered a considerably run-down district. After a while, they arrived at a modest house.

Letty deliberately made her footsteps audible as she approached the door. She knocked twice at the top of the door and once forcefully at the bottom. Then, she touched the doorknob, turning it to the right, then to the left, and finally twisting it to the right again, slowly opening the door.

“Old Bob, you here?”

“Ghost!! You alright?! Well, of course, you are!” exclaimed a spry man in his sixties, seated behind the counter, with a beaming expression.

Old Bob, not just an antique dealer but also an information broker for the guild, seemed at ease, perhaps because Letty followed the predetermined door-opening procedure that indicated she was a guild member.

Letty nodded lightly and walked toward the counter, with Ellie trailing behind her.

“Hmm? Who’s the young lady with you?”

“Oh, um… It’s work-related, I’m not sure how much I can disclose.”

Considering their future plans, Letty wanted Ellie to be present during this meeting. But she couldn’t imagine that Bob would discuss sensitive matters in front of an outsider. She didn’t want Ellie’s presence to be widely known, but she had no choice but to give the old man a general idea of what happened.

“No way! Can’t believe that actually happened… But I know you’re not the type to joke around,” he said, looking at Ellie in surprise and nodding as if understanding. He gestured for them to take a seat.

“So, you’re safe and sound. Did they show up here too?” Letty asked.

“Yeah, two fellas barged in. We had a little scuffle,” Old Bob replied, shrugging it off.

Despite his elderly appearance, Old Bob possessed a muscular physique, maintaining the vigor of an active person. He had a straight posture and a sharp gaze.

“Two people? Grandpa, they didn’t think much of you either…”

“Pardon?”

“There were three sword-wielding men on my end.”

“What?! They really underestimated you! If they wanted to capture you, they’d need at least five or six, including some long-range attackers!” Old Bob exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Huh?” Ellie interjected, sounding surprised. The conversation flowed naturally between the two, as if it were normal for them to fend off multiple opponents alone.

“Ahh… Old Bob here may not look like it, but he used to be the most skilled back in the day. Now he claims to be the second best.”

“Ghost, the last bit is unnecessary, you know. I mean, I wouldn’t be a match for you either.”

“Oh dear, these two are scary…” Ellie said.

Old Bob chuckled with amusement as Ellie instinctively took a step back. However, he quickly composed himself. “Anyway, how’s Ted, your middleman?”

“He… I’m sorry, I was late…”

“I see…” With just those few words, Bob fell silent, his gaze drifting upward towards the ceiling. A somber silence settled in for a while. “I should’ve trained him a bit more…”

“In the end, I managed to have a brief conversation with him,” Letty began, sharing the information gathered from her conversation with Ted and the interrogation of the man.

“They had such a detailed grasp of your mission and managed to locate and suppress many of our hideouts… and yet, we’re being underestimated and not taken seriously by the supposed thieves’ guild… That narrows down the possibilities.”

“Grandpa, do you have any clue?” Letty inquired, her eyes fixed on him, hoping for a lead.

“Oh yeah, they hired some thugs in the capital city. They splurged quite a bit with mithril coins, but most of it ended up being pocketed by their boss—” Bob paused as if he realized something and let out a deep sigh.

Letty furrowed her brow, appearing troubled. “Hans?”

“Most likely… The thugs’ boss is prolly the guy named Gold. Hans used to be his henchman, and their power dynamics probably haven’t changed much.”

Silence filled the room. Ellie, who was unfamiliar with Hans, felt a bit uneasy.

“It’s been six days since I left the capital for my mission. It should’ve taken longer… And It’s been a while since I’ve been away for this long…”

“They must have aimed for that window. And if that’s the case, then…” Old Bob’s voice trailed off, his gaze shifting from Letty to the counter. Ellie sensed the weight of the situation and could only remain silent.

“It’s probably too late for Greg…”

***

Author’s Note:

It was a life of being robbed. It was a life of reclaiming what was stolen.

It wasn’t all bad. It wasn’t, bad at all.

At the end, there’s just a slight lingering attachment.

Up next: Elegy of a Villain

A villain shall remain true to their nature.