I'm not going to be an Spirit! (Translate)

Chapter 17: The Girl Favored by Death

After selecting her private secretary, Tokisaki Kurumi left the Boss's office.

Ogai Mori, saying he had other matters to attend to, didn't join her in meeting her new secretary and instead arranged for a servant to lead the way.

Following the servant down in the elevator, they stopped at the second basement floor, bringing Kurumi to Port Mafia's dungeon.

Walking through the dim light, she saw the prisoners held there.

Emaciated bodies, sickly yellow skin—almost every one of them bore marks of torture and abuse.

Some had lost an arm, others had empty, hollow eyes, and some were covered in hideous scars.

They were all people who had once opposed Port Mafia.

Or rather, people who had once opposed Port Mafia.

Now, these reckless individuals, defeated, had fallen as prisoners. No matter how glorious their past, they were now only confined to this pitch-black dungeon, waiting day after day for death to come.

Even when someone walked past them, they showed no reaction, not even bothering to lift their heads.

When they reached the deepest part of the dungeon, the number of prisoners gradually dwindled, leaving only a few empty cells.

The servant stopped outside one of the cells, unlocked the door with a key, then opened the door and gestured respectfully to Kurumi, saying, "My task ends here, ma'am. You may go in to meet her."

"Why is my new secretary locked up in the dungeon? I thought this place was only for holding criminals," Kurumi asked in confusion. "Isn't she a member of Port Mafia?"

"Before becoming your private secretary, she was an assassin under another guerrilla squad captain, Akutagawa Ryunosuke. In her last assassination mission, she let a child who witnessed the murder scene escape. As punishment, Lord Akutagawa locked her here for reflection."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot that this child is Akutagawa's subordinate," Kurumi suddenly remembered. "Will he hold a grudge against me for taking her?"

"Please rest assured. This matter has been approved by the Boss, so even Lord Akutagawa has no right to object."

"Then I suppose it's fine."

"Is there anything else you would like to ask?"

"No, thank you for the explanation."

"You're welcome. I'll take my leave now."

Having completed his task, the servant left the dungeon, leaving Kurumi alone.

Her gaze shifted into the cell. The dim light from the corridor barely illuminated a small part of the room. Kurumi squinted her eyes, barely able to make out the small figure hidden in the darkness, unmoving.

Even though she could hear people discussing her, the girl seemed entirely indifferent.

It was as if she had closed off her heart, locking herself in a world disconnected from everything around her.

She was Port Mafia's most gifted and talented assassin, a criminal who had rocketed to the top of the government's wanted list, a bearer of the supernatural ability "Yasha Shirayuki," born for the purpose of killing.

A girl, ensnared by a cruel fate, lost on a path that led straight to hell.

A girl favored by death itself—Izumi Kyouka.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Tokisaki Kurumi."

Kurumi walked into the cell, standing in front of the girl. "From today onward, you are my subordinate."

Inside the cell, Izumi Kyouka finally moved, lifting her head and looking at Kurumi with lifeless eyes.

"Who is my target?" Kyouka's voice was devoid of emotion. "This time, who do I have to kill?"

"The good news is, this time you don't need to kill anyone," Kurumi replied. "From today onward, you are no longer Port Mafia's assassin. Now you're my private secretary."

"What do you need me to do?"

"What do I need you to do? Hmm, that's a good question." Kurumi touched her chin, thinking.

A private secretary—what exactly was their role?

According to Ogai Mori's explanation, a private secretary was someone who answered questions, helped her integrate more easily into the organization, and assisted during missions.

Although she had just told Ogai Mori that she wasn't very familiar with Port Mafia, that was merely an excuse.

As someone who had traveled from another world, she knew the inner workings of Port Mafia thoroughly, and there weren't many questions she needed answering. Moreover, as someone destined to leave this world, she had little interest in building relationships with others. For carrying out missions, she only needed her clone for support.

A private secretary, to her, was entirely unnecessary.

That was one of the reasons she had initially wanted to refuse a private secretary.

So, even when Kyouka asked her what her job was, Kurumi had no clear answer.

"Ah, I've got it."

After a moment of thought, Kurumi's face showed a glimmer of realization, and she said calmly, "Soon, I'll be renting a house as a place to live. So, your duties will include, but are not limited to, cleaning, laundry, cooking, and housekeeping."

Hearing Kurumi's words, Kyouka's usually expressionless face showed a hint of confusion.

Cleaning, laundry, cooking, and housekeeping?

Aren't those… things a maid should do?

Why does she have to do them?

She was a core member of Port Mafia, an assassin who had never failed a mission, one who had taken the lives of numerous prominent figures.

Shouldn't this Tokisaki Kurumi have chosen her as a subordinate because of her exceptional assassination skills, as an effective tool?

Cleaning, laundry, cooking, and housekeeping—those were tasks anyone could do. Why did she have to do them?

Seemingly not understanding Kurumi's words, after a brief silence, Kyouka asked for confirmation, "I don't need to kill anyone?"

"From today onward, the only thing you'll likely have to kill is the live fish I buy from the supermarket," Kurumi said with a calm tone. "I don't need you to kill anyone. I have no enemies in this world, and even if I did, I would handle them myself."

"My value can only be realized through killing."

Kyouka looked at Kurumi with empty eyes, her voice flat and devoid of any emotion. "If I cannot continue to act as an assassin, then I am worthless."

[A person without value does not deserve to live in this world.]

This was the principle upheld by Port Mafia's "Silent Mad Dog," Akutagawa Ryunosuke.

As a mafia member, if one did not kill, there was no value in their existence.

A life was a merit, infamy was an honor; in the mafia world, one had to continuously prove their worth to be qualified to survive in this cruel world.

This was the first lesson Izumi Kyouka had learned after joining Port Mafia.