Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

“… Miss Letty, the person inside…”

Letty, who had just exited the hut, simply shook her head in response.

“I see…”

Muttering softly, Ellie glanced at her face with concern.

Noticing Ellie’s gaze, Letty furrowed her brows, troubled.

“…I’m fine. There’s still work to be done.”

Saying this, she walked over to the man who was still groaning on the ground. As she approached, making intentionally loud footsteps, the man’s body trembled violently with each step.

She nudged him with her boot, rolling him over onto his back, revealing a face twisted with fear and confusion.

“W-What the hell? What are you people?!”

“Quiet.”

She stomped on his mouth, silencing him.

“…Answer only what I ask. Who hired you?”

With a cold, gleaming dagger pointed in front of the man’s eyes, her voice and gaze were even colder.

“H-hmph! Like I’d tell you!”

A swift sound cut through the air. Avoiding any major blood vessels, the dagger traced the nerves along his arm.

“Aaaah! Agh!”

“Answer.”

Ignoring the man’s panicked confusion at the excruciating pain, she pressed her boot down, the thick, dirt-stained soles of the boots trample over the man’s exposed nerves. Grinding it in with her weight

“AAAAHHH!”

“Answer.”

The dagger flashed again. His arms, legs, chest, stomach—he could feel his nerves being exposed, and even the slightest breeze caused excruciating pain. Imagining what would come next, he panicked.

“S-stop! I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”

The man finally began to speak. He explained that he had been gathered by the leader of a gang posing as a thieves’ guild in the capital. Their task was to occupy the hut and capture the woman who returned. He also admitted that while they had been informed of her appearance, her skills had been greatly underestimated. The leader had even joked that they were to capture her alive because she was likely a cherished mistress.

“So… your leader said that?”

“Y-yeah, but I don’t know anything about anyone higher up. I swear, I really don’t know!”

She stared at him in silence, assessing his response. No signs of deception. It seemed he was just a thug sent with incomplete information.

“I see. Got it.”

“Y-you get it, right? So… you’ll let me go, right?! Please, spare me!!”

She looked down at him for a moment before lifting her boot from his body.

“You’ve talked, so I won’t take your life.”

The moment she said that, she swung the dagger again. With precise movements, she severed the tendons at his elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles, without causing much bleeding. His screams filled the air.

“But you said—!”

“Yeah. I won’t take your life… I won’t.”

“…The rest is up to you.”

It was only then that the man realised the gravity of his situation. Tendons severed, unable to stand or crawl, alone in the middle of the forest.

“…There are wild dogs and wolves around here, aren’t there?”

Her voice, devoid of any emotion, was the last thing he heard before he passed out in shock.

—

“Sorry for the wait, Ellie… I showed you something unpleasant.”

“No, it’s alright. It’s still gentle as long as you don’t use fire, right?”

Letty apologised with a troubled expression, but Ellie waved it off with a slight smile. With her military experience, it wasn’t the first time she’d seen something like that.

“…I see. Also, sorry, but…”

“Yes?”

“…Could you help me dig a hole? I want to bury Ted.”

“Of course.”

Ellie smiled back at Letty, whose brows were furrowed in distress.

—

A little distance from the hut—far enough that they couldn’t hear the thug’s voice—Ellie and Letty carried Ted’s body. Finding a flat spot, they gently laid him down.

“Please step back a little… Alright… Mana Blaster.”

Ellie stabbed the sword left by the thug into the ground and focused a weakened mana blast into the spot. The ground started to churn, forming a large, deep hole.

“…I’m sorry for making you do all this, Ellie.”

“It’s fine. A shovel would’ve taken longer, and… this way, maybe you’ll feel more comfortable sharing what you know.”

Her tone turned playful as she grinned while watching the ground being dug. But her expression soon grew serious again.

“When you attack those men, Miss Letty… are you what they call a ‘Leaping Reaper’?”

“‘Leaping Reaper’? …I’ve never heard that term, but I think I understand what it means. So, yes, probably.”

“I see… So that term isn’t used anymore in this era. I guess they’re nearly extinct now.”

Satisfied with Letty’s sincere response, Ellie nodded.

“In our time, people like you—those who could move in what seemed like instant teleportation—were rare but not unheard of. We called them ‘Leaping Reapers.’ The origin of that ability was never understood, even in our era. Some called them heretics, others said they were descendants of gods. There was always a fear that this power to manipulate space would one day cause a great catastrophe.”

Ellie paused, glancing at Letty with a wry smile.

“Maybe you really are some sort of throwback to ancient times. Though I’m not sure what I’m trying to say.”

Ellie gazed up at the sky for a while, watching the fading red hues of dusk.

“…Even though 1500 years have passed, remnants still remain, huh? I felt it at that moment… I was a little happy.”

Letty widened her eyes in surprise. No one had ever told her they were happy after witnessing her abilities. In fact, most people who saw them didn’t live long afterward.

“I’m glad I met you, Miss Letty. I’m sure of it.”

Words caught in her throat. Letty didn’t know what burdens Ellie carried. But she remembered the loneliness of being alone and the relief of being picked up, even for selfish reasons.

“…I’m glad I met you too, Ellie. I’m sure of it.”

She whispered softly.

—

They buried Ted in the hole they dug deep enough to keep wild dogs and wolves from digging him up. As they covered his body with soil, Letty felt an unfamiliar sensation in her chest. She didn’t have time to name it as they continued their work, piling stones to make a simple grave marker.

“…Goodbye, Ted.”

“Rest in peace, Ted.”

They each said their farewells and, though there were no gods to pray to, they closed their eyes and offered a moment of silence.

Finally, they lifted their heads.

“What should we do now?”

“Hmm… We’ll head to the town of Wols. There’s an information broker named Old Bob there. We need more intel.”

Though it was possible Old Bob had been attacked as well, it was better to have more leads. With that thought, they set off while there was still some sunlight. For just a moment, Letty looked back.

The last light of the setting sun cast a soft red glow over Ted’s grave.

**Next: a mix of relief and doubt**