Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

After deciding to buy information, Georg acted swiftly.

Except for slowly pulling his hands out of bed to show he had no hostile intentions, that is.

He boldly turned his back to the intruder, he casually walked towards the door, calling out to the sentries, “I’m opening it.”

Perhaps surprised that Georg, who they thought was asleep, had suddenly spoken, there was a brief moment of hurried movement on the other side.

Ignoring the sentries reaction, Georg opened the door and spoke.

“There’s an emergency. I’m going to ‘that room.’ No need for guards. You stay here and pretend you’re guarding me. …Oh, and as for her… She’s the informant we hired the other day.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie. With these words, he gestured for Informant to follow him.

Following as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she gave a slight nod to the sentries.

The sentries, who hadn’t noticed the sudden presence of the ‘informant’, exchanged surprised glances. But without paying them any attention, the two continued walking into the depths of the quarters.

They walked through the dimly lit quarters without hesitation.

Internally, Georg couldn’t help but be impressed by Informant confident steps, as if she could see clearly through the dark hallway.

He soon arrived at a particular room, without any detours. Of course, two sentries stood guard there as well.

“Sorry, it’s an emergency. Is His Highness still awake?”

“Yes, um… he mentioned having paperwork to deal with, so I don’t believe he’s retired yet. There’s the occasional sound from within.”

Hearing that reply, Georg sighed internally, thinking, Again? Please take a break, Your Highness.

Just then, a voice came from inside the room.

“Georg? Come in.”

A voice called from beyond the door, and almost immediately after,

“Yes, and if your companion needs to come in, let them.”

Egret’s eyebrows raised slightly at the unexpected words.

Georg nodded calmly and turned the doorknob.

“Alright, let’s meet him. Are you ready, informant?”

The informant nodded, and with a grin, Georg opened the door.

Beyond the door was a room with a desk piled high with neatly organized documents and bookshelves filled with various materials.

And there, sitting at the desk, was a young man who looked more like a boy. With blond hair and blue eyes, he was a strikingly beautiful youth, the picture of elegance. He couldn’t have been twenty yet, though his expression carried a peculiar maturity..

The insignia sewn onto his collar was that of the Balandia royal family—a symbol that would get anyone beheaded if they were caught falsely claiming it.

As Egret confirmed this, the young man spoke.

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to bring such beauty. Did you perhaps find a fiancée?”

His playful tone was the last thing Egret expected from his appearance, and she blinked in surprise.

Ignoring the informant startled expression, Georg waved his hand.

“No, no, don’t get any ideas. I wouldn’t dare.
She’s… an informant, for now.”

The prince didn’t seem at all offended by Georg’s casual manner, nodding slightly.The exchange between the two had the following meaning:

“I don’t recognize her. A new spy?”
“Sorry, no. She’s probably an assassin by trade. She’s here as an informant for now.”

Naturally, Egret didn’t notice this hidden dialogue between them. She was still a bit taken aback by their sudden banter.

“Hmph… So, bringing her here at this hour must mean her information is valuable?”

“I’d say so. After all, she brought evidence of the First Knight Division’s smuggling of supplies. And her price for that was a meeting with Your Highness.”

“I see. That does indeed sound worth hearing.”

Despite the relaxed atmosphere, the prince had been sizing up Egret with sidelong glances.It seemed she had passed his evaluation.

He turned fully toward her and spoke again.

“Though I doubt introductions are necessary, I’ll do it anyway. I am Riohart Ixa von Balandia, the first prince of the Kingdom of Balandia.
And your name is?”

Despite being faced with a suspicious informant, he showed a relaxed smile, without a hint of concern. Egret felt the weight of the situation but managed to hold back from being overwhelmed. She opened her mouth.

“Well, my name is Egret. I’m an informant, a messenger. Since I’ve already been paid to put you in touch, I’ll fulfill my end of the deal.”

After giving a brief introduction, she began to explain.

She told him about Count Azal’s involvement in smuggling military supplies to the First Knight Order, the quantity and types of supplies, and the meeting between Count Azal and a man believed to be one of first knight order commander Dian’s subordinates. She also mentioned the next scheduled transaction, which was a week away.

Once they had digested the information to a degree, Leti explained her reasons for forcing this contact and her predictions of what might unfold.

After listening to her, the prince fell silent.

“Georg, should we fire all our spies and hire her instead?”

“Your Highness, please don’t joke like that.”

Listening to Leti’s story had caused both men to grow increasingly somber, the air thickening between them.

The prince’s lighthearted remark was a clear attempt to break the tension.

He turned to Egret, who had remained silent after finishing her report, offering her a wry smile before continuing..

“Well, as you can see, your information is valuable. But I didn’t just come here for that.”

He looked at Egret intently.

“Well, as you’ve guessed, you’re correct.
I believe we should refrain from any further territory’s expansion, at least, for now. At this point, the kingdom’s production can’t sustain a further expansion of the frontlines. It’s only natural that I oppose policies that are bound to lead to collapse.That’s why I went to such lengths to have the Third Knight Division stationed here. But…”

“I didn’t expect he’d go that far… I didn’t think Oscar was that stupid..”

The prince shrugged, his gesture strangely theatrical for such a serious matter. Though his expression was neutral, there was a peculiar intensity in his gaze. Georg responded with a wry smile, looking somewhat exasperated but also resigned.

“The chancellor… or perhaps my mother. Or both, maybe. Oscar is too loyal for his own good. Unfortunately.”

“You make me sound like I’m disloyal!”

“Think of it as me simply stating the obvious.
Now, your information is certainly valuable. But that’s not the only reason you came here, is it?”

After abruptly ending their playful banter, the prince turned his gaze towards Egret with a probing look. The pressure in his gaze was like that of a seasoned politician, even at his age.

If Letty hadn’t been accustomed to such gazes, she might have been intimidated by them as well.

She nodded slightly at the prince.

“I want to use your actions based on this information. And of course, you can use us. We don’t want to see Azal’s town harmed, and you don’t want an invasion. Our interests align, don’t they?”

Hearing this, the prince pondered for a moment. He considered Egret’s abilities based on what he had seen of her and Georg, and he thought about the possible courses of action they could take.

As he pondered, Georg subtly shifted his position, placing himself between the prince and Egret. Their unspoken coordination was impressive to say the least. After some time, the prince looked up and smiled.

“Yes, your proposal is attractive.
So now I’ll ask you this: Are you prepared to become our accomplice?”

With a gentle smile, the prince posed the question that would determine her future.

Egret fully understood the significance of her answer

**Next: A Secret Discussion Among Accomplices**