Chapter 86

Three days later, Mihana arrived at the Fortress City, exactly as the Assassin King had said she would. When I reunited with her in the reception room, I paid close attention to her appearance.

Her face, which should have had broken teeth and a fractured nose, was back to normal. I couldn’t find a single trace of the damage. She had probably been healed with magic; it wouldn’t be surprising if the Sage were capable of that much.

The Sage was there by Mihana’s side. It seemed he had come along as her escort. He directed a look of intense distrust toward me. It was a natural reaction, considering I had stood in direct opposition to him back in his office during our last meeting. If anything, I was surprised he had actually set foot in the Fortress City. It just went to show how much he cared for Mihana.

I offered a respectful bow to the two of them as they entered the room.

“Well, hello. I’m delighted to be accompanied by such a beautiful lady.”

Mihana’s face twisted in blatant disgust. She groaned in a low voice.

“…You really are rotten to the core.”

“Hahaha, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I laughed, brushing off her words. Unlike last time, Mihana had stopped her overt displays of condescension. It was because she now knew I was capable of violence. From her perspective, she couldn’t afford to be careless; she clearly didn’t want to have her teeth broken again. Thanks to the gray zone in the contract, I could inflict any injury, no matter how severe, as long as it didn’t result in death. I imagine that’s quite a terrifying thought for her.

I glanced behind the two of them.

“The Assassin King isn’t coming?”

“He apparently has other business,” the Sage answered with a bitter expression.

Indeed, I couldn’t sense that thin presence of his. I made eye contact with Alice, but she shook her head. He wasn’t hiding with some magical ability either; the Assassin King was truly absent.

At that moment, the Sage stepped toward me. He leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

“I have heard the details from the Assassin King. Do not get any ideas. You should know that the enslavement of the soul brings an agony more terrifying than death itself.”

A thirst for blood pricked at my skin. It seemed he was well-informed about the specifics of the mission. And, unsurprisingly, the Sage appeared to be against this arrangement. I could empathize with his feelings. Forcing me and Mihana to work together was like dangling prime raw meat in front of a lion; he must be worried sick.

“I understand. You have my trust.”

I gave the Sage a smile. He likely didn’t believe me, but that didn’t matter. I never expected to be trusted by him in the first place. Once the job begins, the advantage is all mine.

After that, we headed to the private garage to board the Golem Car for our journey. There was simply no other means of transportation with that kind of spec.

“Do not engage in reckless combat. Remember, the objective is strictly an investigation. Assassination is to be considered the absolute last resort.”

“Of course. I love peace as much as I love my morning cereal.”

I offered a flippant reply to the Sage’s persistent warnings. It was getting a bit irritating, but I’d endure it for now. I’d let him talk as much as he wanted.

I opened the door of the Golem Car and gestured for Mihana to enter.

“After you, milady.”

“…………”

Mihana climbed into the passenger seat in silence. Watching her, I moved to the driver’s side. Alice took the back seat. She looked somewhat dissatisfied, likely because her usual spot had been taken.

However, it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t exactly have someone I didn’t trust sitting behind me. If Mihana tried anything, I could deal with her immediately from the driver’s seat. Alternatively, Alice could restrain her from behind.

“See ya! I’ll be sure to bring back some souvenirs!”

Waving to the Sage, I started the Golem Car. We departed the Fortress City, rolling over the newly paved roads.

The plan was to pass through the Sage’s territory and enter the Sorceress’s domain. Due to the route’s geography, we wouldn’t be passing through the Assassin King’s lands. Since we were choosing a safe path, I estimated the journey would take about a week. We would stop at various towns and villages along the way to rest.

Incidentally, this wasn’t a stealth mission; we were moving openly. Apparently, with the Sorceress’s detection abilities, she would realize we were coming regardless; trying to hide would only make us look suspicious.

On the surface, this was a “reconciliation trip” for Mihana and me. The Sage had notified the Sorceress in advance, and we were scheduled to tour the tourist cities under her rule. I worried whether such a flimsy lie would hold up, but personally, I didn’t care. The investigation and assassination were merely excuses for me to kill Mihana. To be blunt, the original mission could be a total failure for all I cared. Even the Assassin King hadn’t mentioned anything about the success or failure of the job itself.

“Hey.”

I was lost in thought when Mihana spoke to me. Surprised, I replied.

“What is it?”

“Have you reunited with any of the other summoned people?”

Mihana seemed concerned about the other Japanese people. Even if they were barely acquaintances, they were from the same country. I could understand her wanting to know their whereabouts.

After a moment’s reflection, I shook my head.

“No, you’re the first. You don’t just run into people that easily.”

I certainly couldn’t tell her that I’d already finished off two of them. That would only make her even more wary of me. If she didn’t know the truth, it was better to keep it that way and use it to my advantage.

“I guess so. I’d like to regroup with them if I can, but…”

“Weren’t you the ones who decided to go your separate ways?”

“I was against it. No matter how paranoid everyone was, it’s stupid to be scattered in a world like this. This is all your fault, you know…”

Faced with Mihana’s resentment, I shrugged as I gripped the steering wheel.

“I feel bad about it. I just lost my temper.”

“Why did you try to kill me in the first place? The Imperial Capital you hated so much is already gone, isn’t it?”

Her follow-up question almost made me flare up with anger. However, losing my cool here was nonsense. I calmed myself with a single breath and gave a flat answer.

“When I checked everyone’s status with the Eyes of Audience, you all looked down on me. That’s why I intended to wipe you out when I blew up the capital, but you managed to survive.”

“…………”

“I have a policy of never letting my prey escape. Though right now, I’m in a situation where I’m forced to bend that stance.”

“You’re… insane. You hate us just for something as small as that…?”

Mihana muttered, dazed. I thought I was speaking my true feelings, but it seemed I hadn’t been understood at all. I glanced at her eyes.

“Okay, Mihana. Don’t underestimate an insult. You mock someone and expect them not to hit back?”

“T-That’s… but surely there were other ways. Killing is just going too far.”

“You want to say it’s overkill? Hahaha, how convenient. That’s an idea sweeter than syrup-soaked nougat.”

I knew it already, but we were fundamentally incompatible. Our positions and values were worlds apart. Each of us played the victim while painting the other as the perpetrator. Discussing it further would just result in us talking in circles.

“Whoops, let’s pause the debate. I need to clear out some unrefined guests first.”

Checking the side mirror, I dropped a bomb I had in my pocket out the window. A few seconds later, the carriage trailing behind us blew up. It overturned spectacularly amidst a spray of flames.

“W-What are you doing…!”

I gestured for Mihana to sit back down as she tried to scramble up in a panic. I clicked my tongue with a laugh.

“Assassin King’s subordinates. They’ve been tailing us since the city. Having eyes on us would interfere with the investigation, wouldn’t it? He shouldn’t have anything to complain about. Let’s just enjoy our trip at our own pace.”