Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

The Following Day, following the earl’s death, which had caused a minor stir in the royal capital, and after confirming the ‘details’ with the client who had provided the payment, Greg’s expected visitor arrived.

“Welcome, welcome. I apologize for such a humble abode, but please bear with me for a while,” Greg greeted the woman with exaggerated gestures, playing the part of a seasoned ‘businessman.’

In contrast, the woman who had been led in seemed rather uneasy. She was in her mid-to-late thirties, around the same age as Greg. She wore a coat that seemed out of place for the late spring weather, as if she didn’t want to be noticed. While the coat was simple, the fabric was of high quality. Its tailoring was impeccable, clearly indicating that it belonged to someone of the upper class or nobility.

It was no wonder that this woman felt out of place, sitting in a dimly lit room with dirty walls and furnishings, facing a man who looked like a hardened criminal.

To try to put the woman at ease, Greg offered a forced smile. However, his rather fierce-looking smile seemed to only make her more tense.

“As I understand, you’ve been recommended to me. Do you have a letter of introduction?”
Deciding that there was no point in trying to put the woman at ease any further, Greg cut straight to the point.

The woman seemed startled by the question and reached into her pocket.
Greg’s eyes narrowed.
Noticing Greg’s gaze, the woman hesitated.

It seemed she realized that her movement could be misconstrued as if she were reaching for a weapon. She took a deep breath, once, twice, thrice… Then, as if carefully checking each step, she slowly reached into her pocket and took out a letter. She slowly unwrapped the handkerchief-sized cloth that had been wrapped around the letter to protect it.

For a moment, she paused and looked at Greg.
After confirming the embroidered crest on the cloth, Greg nodded slightly.
Satisfied, the woman continued and took out the letter of introduction.

“Here it is,” she said, handing the letter to Greg.
Greg nodded nonchalantly, and so opened the letter and checked the contents…. In fact, there wasn’t much written on the letter.
It was simply a confirmation of the woman’s identity.

And from that procedure, Greg learned the woman’s identity and was secretly overjoyed.
… A member of the Endorc Dukedom…
He muttered to himself.

The Endorc Dukedom was one of the three most powerful dukedoms in the Jurastian Kingdom, next only to the royal family. Known as a family of warriors, they had produced many generals and military leaders throughout generations. Naturally, their influence and wealth were immense.
… Which meant they were also incredibly powerful militarily.

A request from such a family… it would undoubtedly be a very difficult one… and how much could he extort from them? Without showing any sign of his inner calculations, Greg smiled and spoke.

“I see. Thank you for coming. As you know, this is a delicate matter, so I need to be very careful.”
It was a signal that he had verified the woman’s identity.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
“Well then, let’s get down to business. Before we proceed, I would like to confirm our rules. As you may already know… First and foremost, we do not accept requests targeting royalty. Also, if we find that the request is false or an attempt to deceive us, we will either refuse the request or abandon it midway. Additionally, we usually require half of the payment upfront, and the remainder upon completion. However, once we accept a job, we will complete it no matter what. Is that clear?”

He delivered the long speech as he had rehearsed countless times without hesitation and observed the woman’s expression. When the woman nodded slightly, he continued.

“Now then… may I ask who the target is? Who is it? Why? And are there any other circumstances? And how much are you willing to pay?”

Having said that, he waited for the woman’s answer.
After a moment of silence, the woman opened her mouth.

“The target is Curtis von Endorc. He is the eldest son of Duke Endorc and the heir to the dukedom.”
At those words, even Greg flinched slightly.
Of all people, it was a family feud, not an assassination of a political rival.

In fact, the reason Greg refused requests that are targeting the royal family was because he disliked family feuds. If even a prince were assassinated, it would shake the foundation of the country, and those responsible would be hunted down by the entire nation. No matter how influential he was in the underworld, he would be eliminated if that happened.

However, there was an exception… if the heir to the throne wanted to eliminate a rival royal family member.
Of course, ensuring his own safety afterward was a prerequisite.

And in this case… it was a very close call.
After all, Curtis wasn’t royalty.
But he was the heir to a dukedom, second only to the royal family.
If a family feud broke out in such a powerful family, it could cause significant troubles.

And yet, he had already heard the target’s name.
So, he had to listen to the circumstances, figure out how to handle the situation without making enemies, and determine if the reward was worth the risks.

“I see, I’ve heard of him. What’s the problem?”
“Where should I begin… Have you heard any rumors about Lord Curtis?”
Greg shook his head in response.
“I’ve only heard that he’s quite mischievous.”
“If that’s all you’ve heard, then you’re greatly underestimating him. He’s not just mischievous…”

The woman looked up at the ceiling and sighed heavily.
“He was raised to be the heir of the dukedom and was educated to behave accordingly. However, perhaps because of that, or perhaps in spite of it, he was keenly aware of what he had and what he would inherit. He was too aware of it. At first, he was just a spoiled child. But gradually, his spoiled behavior escalated… and as he grew older and wiser, he began to satisfy his desires without being caught…..”

She took a deep breath and sighed.

“For example, there isn’t a maid who hasn’t been harassed by him, and the number of servants who have been dismissed due to the violence he inflicted on them can’t be counted on one hand…. Several male servants have even lost their lives…”

“That’s…”
Greg was speechless.
It was far more than just mischief.

What was most frightening about this was that Curtis could commit such atrocities without suffering the consequences, even though the Duke of Endorc, who was known for his ruthlessness, knew about it.
Even Greg, who considered himself a villain, couldn’t imagine how Curtis could do such a thing.

“Despite all that, he is outwardly a brilliant and accomplished young man. He is particularly skilled with the sword and is unmatched even by the Royal Guards. Moreover, he is also knowledgeable in magic… he is rumoured to be invincible. And to make matters worse, he is about to be given the title of ‘Hero.’”

“Hero?” Greg asked, his eyes widening in surprise. “You mean, like in the fairy tales?”
The woman chuckled wryly and shrugged.
“Yes, exactly. Recently, an ancient magical civilization site was discovered. It is believed to have multiple levels, but the knightly order sent to explore it, they were forced to retreat after exhausting their efforts on the first level. However, if we could secure a ‘living’ relic within the kingdom… it would give us a means to counterbalance the western kingdom of Balandia. Therefore, they cannot give up on the exploration… and Curtis has been ordered to lead the expedition. And if he succeeds in the exploration, he will be granted the title of ‘Hero.’

… If that happens, not only will he become the heir to the dukedom, but he could even marry into the royal family and become the next king. The damage would spread throughout the entire kingdom. … So we have to do something about it.”

The woman lowered her head, her expression gloomy.
Observing her, Greg began to calculate.

“I see, I understand your situation. So then… after it’s all over, will the second son be taking over? If I recall correctly, you have three sons, yes?”

“Yes, that’s what will happen. Fortunately, my second son, Gerard, is wise and kind. Although he may not be as skilled in combat as Curtis, he is still a capable knight. He would be more than qualified to take over the Endorc family.”

In that case, the family feud would be minimized.
And Greg might even be able to establish a connection with the Endorc family. But the most important thing was the reward.

“Well then, how much are you willing to pay for such a bright future?”

“Well, I have spoken to my husband and… I have prepared 500 mithril coins.”

“What?!” Greg was astonished. In this country, copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, large gold coins, and mithril coins were in circulation. A silver coin was worth about 10 times more than a copper coin. A gold coin was worth about 100 times more than a copper one, and a large gold coin was worth about 1000 times more. A mithril coin’s value was unfathomable.

And she was offering 500 million.

Even Greg, who had carried out countless assassinations of important figures, was astounded by the offered amount. Or rather, the request itself was out of the ordinary. If he completed this job, he could retire and live comfortably for the rest of his life. He could even gamble with that money. All this for a single job.

Calculating this, he nodded vigorously. “Very well, I will accept this request.”

“Oh, thank you very much!” The woman stood up involuntarily and looked at Greg. Her expression was filled with relief and joy.

“No, it’s my pleasure to be of service. Please leave it to us.” Greg smiled, trying hard to suppress a more sinister grin.

The woman nodded repeatedly and sat down, then suddenly looked startled. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot one condition. Actually, about the timing of the attack. I would like you to do it when Curtis reaches the deepest part of the ruins.”

“Oh? That’s possible… but why?”

“Well, I apologize for imposing, but… it would be a disgrace to the Endorc family if one of our own were assassinated by an assassin on the way there. However, if he reaches the deepest part of the ruins first, our family’s reputation will remain untarnished. Even if it’s discovered how far he penetrated, and magic can be used to investigate, the cause of death cannot be determined, so the truth will never be known… Unless, of course, they send a search party into the ruins, which even the knights couldn’t penetrate.”

“I see… being a noble is quite troublesome.” Although honor and reputation were not things that Greg cared about, he knew they could be a source of income. He nodded seriously, without a trace of mockery, and continued.

“…What if Curtis dies on the way?”

“In that case, please confirm it. I don’t want to say this, but… I don’t think there’s a high probability of that happening…”

“…He’s almost inhuman,” the woman muttered softly. “In any case, as proof that Curtis is dead, please bring back the holy emblem he wears around his neck.”

“Very well, I have no problem with that condition. However… I would appreciate it if you could add a little more to the final payment.”

It was unlikely that he could get an additional upfront payment. After all, it was a large sum of money, and she probably hadn’t brought any extra with her. And it would be troublesome to have her go back to get more, as she might change her mind. With that in mind, he said that.

The woman nodded in agreement. “Understood. I will ask my lord.”

“Yes, please do.” The woman took Greg’s outstretched hand.

**Next: The “job” begins**