Chapter 15
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Today Too, I Suffer Pretending to Be Human
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It was only after quite some time had passed that Rusla hesitantly opened her mouth.
"Ah, an assassin? What do you...?"
Meanwhile, the captured man kept muttering to himself nonstop.
"No way. How did they notice? It was a perfect stealth... Just like last time..."
His tone made it clear he simply couldn't believe it.
I didn't care much about the man I'd dragged in as a training dummy, so I gave Rusla a brief rundown of the situation.
"He snuck in out of nowhere this morning. He's not one of ours, so no need to hold back."
I was always on guard around this clearing, and this guy had suddenly barged in like an unwelcome intruder.
"But didn't you say we have to hide our strength?"
I whispered to her softly enough that the man wouldn't hear.
"It's fine. I never mentioned anything about our origins."
"But what about your swordsmanship?"
"I'd like to keep that hidden too... but it's not as crucial as our backgrounds."
I figured assassins would keep coming, and there was no way I could hide my sword skills forever. It'd get exposed eventually.
Of course, not today.
I swept a cold gaze over the man.
"Besides, he's not making it out alive anyway."
That's why I'd continued the training right in front of him, putting on a show.
If he tried to report back, I'd grab him by the scruff and deal with him before he could.
I'd held off killing him right away in the hopes he might bring along some accomplices. If he did, I planned to interrogate them together.
"Anyway, don't worry. Once your training's done, Rusla, I'll clean things up."
Something in the word "clean up" must have struck a chord, because Rusla's expression turned resolute in an instant.
"No, I'll handle it. No need to dirty Your Highness's hands."
"...In that case."
Good girl.
Hearing such loyal words after so long felt strangely refreshing. I gave her shoulder a light pat with a small smile.
On the other hand, the assassin frowned at Rusla's killing intent and shot me a glare.
"Are you deciding my fate right in front of me?"
"Yep."
"Unbelievable. You dare to...?"
"What makes you so special?"
Getting caught in three seconds flat, and he talked like he was some legendary assassin. At my words, his face flushed red above his mask.
"I..."
He started to say something, then clamped his mouth shut.
I half-expected him to brag about himself, but he wasn't quite that brainless.
Though in my book, getting caught this easily already disqualified him as an assassin.
He should've bitten his tongue the moment he got nabbed. Human world's assassins are so soft. In the demon realm, that'd be unthinkable... Ugh, enough of that.
Thinking of the demon realm at every turn was a bad habit.
I shook my head briefly.
"Rusla's going to decide your punishment. Good luck lasting."
"Ha, that pretty face thinks she can kill me? Ridiculous."
He showed no fear even at Rusla's striking looks. Seeing his confident smirk, Rusla bit her lip in frustration.
"It's okay, Rusla. He's a bit stronger than you, but you can win."
"A bit? You're joking."
Unable to hold back any longer, the man suddenly hurled daggers from his bosom at me. He must have thought I was distracted by Rusla.
"...!"
It was useless against me.
I snatched all four daggers out of the air with one hand. Each one was coated in a different colored poison—pretty thorough for an assassin.
"Don't butt in where you don't belong. I could kill you right now."
"Guh...!"
Judging that daggers wouldn't work, he launched himself straight at me. Rusla panicked and tried to block him, but I shoved her aside.
Looked like I needed to soften him up before training.
"No need for a punching bag that talks back."
"Gah!"
Before he could draw his weapon, I slipped inside his guard and slammed a fist into his gut. I'd laced it with the tiniest bit of mana, enough to overwhelm any ordinary human with agony.
He doubled over retching and collapsed to the ground.
His mask came off in the process, revealing a rather handsome face underneath.
Dark red hair, brown eyes, and a long scar running down his cheek—quite striking.
"Listen up, assassin. You've got two options."
I crouched down in front of him and held up two fingers.
"One: Die by my hand quick and painless. Two: Be Rusla's training dummy and check out around dinner time."
"Hah, heuk... Both end in death!"
"Obviously. You think I'd let an assassin who came radiating killing intent just walk away?"
If he'd been a spy here to gather intel, I might have hesitated to kill him. The detached palace was crawling with those types, after all.
But someone resolved to murder? That was different.
I locked eyes with him squarely.
"The moment you decided to kill someone, you stepped onto the battlefield."
"...!"
Whether from leaking mana or sheer intimidation, his body trembled.
That ought to shut him up.
I turned away from him and headed back to Rusla. Just as I was about to tell her to resume training once he recovered...
"Wait. Let's make a deal."
The man called out to stop me.
"In case you didn't get it, deals with a dead man are pointless..."
"I'm a hired hand. If I win, I'll become your bodyguard."
What the hell?
I stared at him in disbelief, and he met my eyes with utter seriousness.
"I'll prove I'm better than that woman. Then you hire me."
"And why should I trust you?"
"I'm from the Empire's Black Hand. We never lie about contracts. I swear it."
I'd heard of the Black Hand before. A brutal assassin guild from ancient legends, passed down like fairy tales in the Empire.
"I don't need money. I'll serve you in exchange for my life. Of course, I can't spill on my previous employer, but you'll gain an exceptional subordinate in return..."
He kept rambling nonsense, so I cut him off.
"How am I supposed to trust the word of someone whose job is killing people?"
"Th-that's..."
"You seem proud of the Black Hand or whatever, but killing for cash is downright cheap. Get your head straight."
"Ch-cheap...?"
He gaped like he'd never heard such a thing before.
"Like I said, no options here. Save your breath for stamina."
"Damn it, just think about it! The Empire's top assassin as your minion!"
Realizing words weren't getting through, he raised his voice.
"You'll regret this! I'm the Black Hand's star assassin! Nobles tremble at my record alone!"
"What's your record look like?"
"I-I can't say!"
Panicking, his true colors were showing.
Any seriousness vanished as he started whining like a kid throwing a tantrum.
Wait, he actually looks kinda young up close.
I hadn't noticed under his scowl, but his face had that fresh, barely-adult look.
"You know how well I know the palace layout? Even the main palace..."
"Yeah, figured as much. That was you stuck to the greenhouse ceiling, right?"
"You knew?!"
His jaw dropped in shock once more.
His build and movements matched the intruder from before perfectly, so of course I'd recognized him.
He muttered while biting his nails, clearly unaware he'd been made even then.
"Finding me that time was impossible enough, but figuring out it was the same guy..."
Hearing that, Rusla cautiously asked me,
"Your Highness, so this is the guy who went toe-to-toe with the Empress's guards last time?"
"That's right. He's probably a tad stronger."
"Then saying I can beat him means..."
"I mean it. Like I said, the skill gap with you is small—not insurmountable."
Rusla pondered for a moment, then spoke as if she'd made up her mind.
"Your Highness, I have a request."
"What is it?"
"Could we take this man as a subordinate?"
"Huh? Why?"
She leaned in close and whispered in my ear.
"You need more hands, Your Highness. Liribel and I aren't enough."
"True, but..."
"An assassin good enough to fool the Empress's eyes would make a great informant too. Like last time, you don't have nearly enough intel."
Rusla must have gleaned a lot from her talk with the Empress.
Fair point—we'd sort of allied with her haphazardly, but one misstep and I could end up confined again.
With better info, that mess might've been avoided.
Still...
Rusla had a point, but I just couldn't trust the guy in front of me.
"I-I'm not weak or anything! No way. I'm one of the most promising fingers..."
How could I rely on someone muttering weird nonsense in shock?
Rusla added, as if to ease my worries,
"Your Highness, have you forgotten my race?"
"Your... Ah!"
Then it hit me.
Rusla's race: the Baobhan Sith.
Their signature abilities were bloodsucking, disguise, and...
Mind control.
Baobhan Sith made excellent interrogators in the army.
Wait, wouldn't that make me seem too demonic?
Brainwashing enemy spies...
It felt eerily like being back home.