Ex had been suspicious from the moment Atel appeared.
No matter how lucky she might be, Atel was a 2-Star martial artist.
Even a single skeleton soldier should have been difficult for her to face.
The fact that she had turned up here in one piece was suspicious in itself.
She'd done a convincing job of making herself look as though she'd been hurt in several places. At first, he'd thought she'd simply had the bad luck to be caught up in this place.
That was why he had watched how the situation developed.
Was Atel simply a student, or was she an assassin?
It had not taken long for his suspicion to turn into certainty.
She had put something into the stew while she was making it.
With practiced, natural movements, she had added what looked like a white powder.
To someone watching from the side, it might have looked as though she were putting in salt or some other seasoning. Even so, it was an action that gave him more than enough reason to raise his guard.
In the end, after considering it, he had spent 10,000 points to add an observer viewpoint. Once he saw the result, any thought of the points being wasted disappeared.
『Synopsis – Atel Dane
「…Atel Dane added a sleeping drug to the food. The operation was to take place after the two had fallen into a deep sleep.」』
Just as he'd thought.
Atel was an assassin.
And she was an assassin serving Duke Valliere, a noble of the imperial faction.
It was fortunate that Atel was an academy student, which had allowed him to add an observer viewpoint to her.
There had been a few mentions of it in the original story, too.
Among the academy's students were spies and assassins belonging to both the aristocratic faction and the imperial faction. That let them track the movements of those in power as they happened, and obtain advantages for their own side.
He had never imagined Atel would be one of them, though.
The discovery had surprised him a little, but he could use this situation.
He would draw out not just Atel, but every assassin hiding nearby. And then he would get to Duke Valliere behind them as well.
“The stew contains a sleeping drug. When you eat it, please use detoxification magic to remove the poison. Once you've finished, act as though the drug has affected you.”
“And after that?”
“I'll use my ability to create illusions that make it look as though we're asleep in our sleeping bags.”
“Illusions?”
“It turns out demonic power can do things like this, too.”
In front of Circe, Ex created an illusion that looked exactly like him. It was a strange illusion, utterly identical to Ex even to Circe's senses and her mana detection.
“It consumes a tremendous amount of power, but…. It's quite useful, isn't it? I'll make an illusion of you with it as well. Then, once all the assassins have shown themselves, we'll catch them by surprise and subdue them.”
“Good. I'd rather not leave someone behind me ready to stab me in the back, either.”
And so they had prepared a trap.
They ate the stew with the sleeping drug in it and pretended to grow drowsy.
Circe used detoxification magic. As for Ex, the poison had no effect on him because he was a demon.
Afterward, their illusions pretended to sleep in the bags, while the two of them watched the situation from some distance away.
Her master was Duke Valliere, her little sister, her only family, was being held hostage, and she had once been a slave….
Ex had read all of Atel's past through the Synopsis and found a way to use the assassins.
Simply dealing with the assassins would not be enough.
Since someone had attempted to assassinate him once, they would certainly keep sending more. Now that matters had come to this, it was better to tear the problem out by the roots.
The best way to do that was to win the assassins over.
Atel seemed to resent this work itself, even apart from the situation she was in now. If he could ensure the safety of her little sister, Artel, he should be able to bring her to his side.
And so he had offered bait to the subdued assassins.
“Only one of the three of you survives.”
The others wanted to live as well. That suited him perfectly.
“The other two die here.”
That was how the assassins had begun watching one another, each trying to judge what the others would do.
***
The assassins' arms and legs were bound, and all their weapons had been taken away. Ten skeleton soldiers had spears, swords, and bows trained on them, leaving them unable to do anything at all.
“This is all your fault, Number Four.”
Number Five, whom Ex had treated with divine power only enough to let him move, ground his teeth and glared at Atel.
With his mask removed, Number Five proved to be a young man on the older side, with dark stubble showing on his face.
“It's because you didn't do your job properly that we're in this mess. You gave them the sleeping drug? Then are those two walking around perfectly fine supposed to be illusions? This assassination failed because of you. Do you understand?”
“…And?”
Atel answered with an expression that had lost all interest.
Her attention was on Ex, who had mentioned her little sister's name. She had no room to concern herself with Number Five's provocations.
Unable to hide his murderous intent, Number Five addressed Atel.
“If you have any sense of responsibility, kill yourself first. Bite your tongue off and die. Smash your head into the ground. Throw yourself onto those skeleton bastards' weapons. I don't care how.”
“Is your life that precious to you? You really want to live, whatever it takes.”
“Precious? If this had happened because of my mistake, I wouldn't feel wronged. But it makes no sense for me to die because of a mistake you made.”
“Do you really think you didn't make any mistakes?”
Atel turned her eyes and glared at Number Five's face.
“You're the one who threw the teleportation magic device in the training grounds. Something went wrong with it, which is why we ended up here instead of where we'd planned. And you're still saying you made no mistakes?”
“Are you trying to blame me now? How dare someone like you?”
“Why shouldn't I? If two of us have to die, I don't know who will survive, but I can guarantee that you're going to die.”
“You damned slave bitch…!”
“Wait. Both of you, calm down.”
Number Seven, the assassin named Pertad, stepped in to stop the two of them. He was a man in his late twenties whose cold eyes stood out.
“Blaming each other here won't solve anything. Do you seriously believe what that Imperial Prince told us? If he survives and gets out of here alive, we die, regardless of which of us he keeps.”
At those words, Atel and Number Five clamped their mouths shut.
Pertad gave a faint sigh and continued.
“If we want to live, we have to assassinate the Imperial Prince. There's no other way for us to survive.”
“But how are you planning to do that, Number Seven? Look at the situation. They've taken all our weapons. Move even a little suspiciously, and they'll cut our heads off. Are you saying you've got some clever way out of this?”
“First, we need to show him something that will put his suspicions to rest.”
“And what is that supposed to be?”
Pertad lowered his head and spoke cautiously.
“I'll talk to the Imperial Prince. I'll offer to sell him information and ask him to release me. Then I'll tell him I'll kill the two of you myself and ask for a weapon. At that point, I'll find a way to create an opening, rescue you both, and get us out of here for now.”
“Wait. That Imperial Prince already knew a great deal. Offering to sell him information isn't much of a plan. Now that he knows who our master is, do you think we've got any information worth bargaining with?”
“Hmm…. I hadn't thought of that. What do you suggest, Number Five?”
After giving it some thought, Number Five spoke with a sneer.
“There is a good way. The Imperial Prince will want evidence to use against our master. That's probably why he said he'd keep just one of us alive. We just need to say we'll testify.”
“That makes sense. Then I'll speak to the Imperial Prince….”
“No. I'll speak to him. I am hardly the one to say this, but if anyone among us looks likely to betray the others…. It's either Number Four or me. He must have seen us arguing. Let's use that.”
At that proposal, a slight disturbance appeared in Number Seven's eyes.
But he soon regained his composure and spoke.
“…All right. I'll leave it to you.”
“Just trust me. Hey! I want to talk!”
Number Five's words reached Ex, who was sitting some distance away near the campfire.
When Ex signaled with his chin, a soldier roughly dragged Number Five over to him.
All around Ex, elites and soldiers were guarding him like a personal bodyguard.
Ex gave the captive Number Five a brief glance, then stood and headed somewhere else.
“My companion has finally gotten a chance to sleep. Let's go somewhere else.”
They walked until they were a considerable distance from their base.
Number Five looked for an opening, but with the elites around Ex, there was none to be found.
Ex created a light to illuminate the area, sat down in a suitable spot, and stared at Number Five.
“So, what do you want?”
Not wanting to offend Ex, Number Five immediately prostrated himself flat on the ground. He began pleading in a trembling voice.
“Imperial Prince Ex. As you already know, I have spent thirty-six years carrying out unwanted assassination missions under Duke Valliere's oppression and threats.”
“Ah, yes. Thirty-six years…. You've had a hard time.”
“I was promised my freedom once this mission was finished. With no other choice, I committed this sacrilegious act. Please forgive my insolence.”
“Very well. I forgive you. I like people who quickly understand what's what. To think you would put aside your pride and be the first to ask for forgiveness. It seems you will be the survivor among the three of you.”
“Indeed, there is something related to that which I absolutely must tell you. That is why I sought this urgent audience with Your Highness.”
“Oh? Very well. Let me hear it.”
Number Five was certain of one thing. The Imperial Prince before him did not trust him in the slightest. He was merely toying with him.
He was pretending to believe him in order to extract useful information.
Did he think Number Five would fall for that so easily?
He had survived by sheer determination for thirty-six years.
He was not someone who would fall victim to a greenhorn who had lived little more than half as long as he had.
“Please don't be shocked by what I'm about to say. The other two seem to be intent on carrying out the assassination, sacrilegious as that is. Number Four in particular… Atel, I mean. She's furious that Your Highness mentioned her little sister, and she's determined to kill you for it.”
“Hmm. Is that so? That wasn't my intention.”
“She was a lowly slave. A vile creature like that couldn't possibly think the way someone as gracious and honorable as Your Highness, with your noble blood, would.”
“So she needs to die?”
“Yes. That one, at least, must not be allowed to live. She will surely threaten Your Highness's safety. And Number Seven, who is plotting with her, must die as well.”
Ex silently nodded, then asked him another question.
“And then you get to live?”
“If Your Highness shows me mercy, I will devote this life entirely to exposing Duke Valliere's filthy plots. I know all the ugliness of that family.”
“Do you? Then tell me one thing, anything at all. You'd better abandon any thought of lying.”
“Lying? I would never….”
“Since becoming an Imperial Prince, I've made a point of always carrying at least one magic device that can distinguish truth from falsehood. The only reason I've overlooked all your smooth talk so far is that I was curious what you would say.”
“…”
Even Number Five had not expected him to possess something like that.
Still, it was all right. Of everything he had said so far, the only lie had been the slander about Number Four.
It was true that the other two were conspiring together.
It was also true that he thought the two of them needed to die.
And it was equally true that he knew the hidden side of House Valliere.
Left with no choice, Number Five decided to reveal a House Valliere secret he had resolved never to reveal.
“…House Valliere is conducting research related to demons. There's a laboratory in a basement they've concealed, and they're hiding demon worshippers and a necromancer there.”
“…Oh?”
Apparently even Ex had not expected that answer, because his eyes became more serious. He probably hadn't imagined that a noble as high-ranking as a Duke would be a demon worshipper.
“What are they researching?”
“They are conducting wicked research into immortality. I'm sure you understand what it means for demon worshippers and a necromancer to be involved. They take the lives of innocent subjects to pursue their private….”
“Enough. Be quiet.”
Ex rested his chin on his hand and sank into thought.
Watching him, Number Five exulted inwardly.
It had worked. Now the Imperial Prince couldn't kill him carelessly.
His testimony would be indispensable to proving that House Valliere worshipped demons.
If Ex stormed in on the strength of this information alone, House Valliere would conceal its disgraceful conduct, then use the accusation as an excuse to strike back.
That was surely something Ex, a newly made Imperial Prince, would want to avoid.
He would survive, no matter what he had to do.
Sure enough, Ex gave him a bright smile and patted Number Five's shoulder.
“That's quite useful information. Yes, you certainly will be helpful. You haven't spent thirty-six years as one family's assassin for nothing. Knowing a secret like that must have put your life in danger. The fact that you're still alive is proof of how stubbornly you've fought to survive. It must have been hard.”
“Your praise is too generous. Though I met the wrong people in the wrong times and have lived this sort of life, I have always held glory and honor in a corner of my heart. It is an honor to be able to expose the demon worshippers eating away at the Empire, even in this way.”
“Very well, Number Five…. No, what is your real name?”
“My name is Gary.”
“Gary. I won't forget the courage you've shown today.”
Ex stood and began walking away.
“As you said, the other two don't seem necessary. With you here, there's no need to have more mouths to feed. Get some proper rest there tonight. Tomorrow, we will begin making our way through this place in earnest.”
Ex went back toward their base.
Only after a considerable time had passed did Number Five—Gary—finally rise.
He had survived.
The skeleton soldiers were still watching him, but his joy at having survived was stronger than his concern about that.
He might have betrayed the others, but what else was he supposed to do?
He had never liked Number Four to begin with.
And Number Seven was someone whose thoughts he could never fathom.
After spending all this time taking care of House Valliere's dirty work, he had absolutely no intention of dying like a hunting dog discarded once the hunt was over.
And so Gary became certain he had won.
***
Ex returned to their base and stood before the bound assassins. Then he tossed something in front of the two of them, where it landed with a metallic ring.
“…!”
“…”
It was an object Atel and Pertad could not possibly fail to recognize.
It was one of the daggers they regularly used, after all.
And it was a dagger still dripping fresh, warm blood.
Looking down at the two of them with cold eyes, Ex spoke.
“Gary is dead.”
At those words, Atel and Pertad drew in sharp breaths.
Had their plan been discovered?
How much did he know?
What were they supposed to say?
As all kinds of thoughts flashed through both their minds, a single remark from Ex cut sharply through them.
“Now you two are all that's left. Put your heads to better use next time. Unless you want to die for nothing.”
Ex left the bloodstained dagger there as though making a point of it, and walked away.
Atel and Pertad's eyes went to that dagger.
The two of them understood one thing with absolute certainty.
Ex truly intended to keep only one person alive.
Only one of them would survive.
–TL Notes–
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