The Assassin Without a Name

I have no name. To me, a name is nothing more than a tool I briefly borrow while carrying out a mission.

When I am not on assignment, the people around me simply call me 3rd.

I think I once had a real name… but more than ten years have passed, and almost nothing of those days remains in my memory.

Right now I am merely one assassin among the elite few of the Veltrin Continent’s greatest (not really), select (just understaffed), secret (no one has ever heard of us) organization.

The blade I have honed for over a decade currently boasts a perfect zero-percent mission failure rate (missions undertaken: zero).

And then the Guild Master summoned me.

“3rd. I hear you can now wield Aura without the slightest hitch.”

“Yes, Master. That is correct.”

At his words I drew the sword at my hip and coated it in Aura. Over the keen edge, a pitch-black Aura seethed with a force that seemed ready to devour the light itself.

“Hahaha! Even those Sword Masters who strut about so proudly could never handle Aura this skillfully at your age. The moment you ascend to Sword Master, our organization will become the first assassin guild on the continent to possess one. Everyone will fear us.”

The Master laughed as though he could not contain himself. The sight was so repulsive I wanted to put a blade through him, but with the master-servant imprint carved into me there was nothing I could do. I merely scowled.

“In any case, I called you here because it is finally time to give you your first mission.”

“If I am being deployed, it must be quite ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a difficult one.”

“Hmm… It is a mission only you in our entire organization can handle, yes.”

“So who am I to assassinate?”

I had no real combat experience, but I was still the assassin the guild had carefully forged. If they were sending me, it could not be ordinary work.

A high-ranking noble with countless political enemies? The head of a rival merchant company? A local lord bleeding his people dry?

Whoever it was, they would not escape my blade.

“You will assassinate the young lady of House Deretia—Cielian Deretia.”

?

Not the marquis himself, but his daughter?

“House Deretia was founded by the first Hero. And now that a new Demon King has appeared, that girl is one of the strongest Hero candidates. The client, however, does not wish to see House Deretia grow any stronger.”

“So the threat of the Demon King’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠army is secondary; looking after their own safety comes first.”

“What matters is that people like us get to make a living because of it.”

“At any rate, a Hero candidate will not be an easy target. That is why only I can do it.”

“? Well, yes. To explain roughly: the target is scheduled to enroll in the Imperial Academy. As you know, the Academy is not an easy place to approach. And she, being both a Hero candidate and a marquis’s daughter, will be especially difficult to reach.”

“Then I will first need a way to infiltrate the Academy.”

“Ah, do not worry about that part. We have already secured a method of approaching the target. You need only eliminate her.”

“As expected of the Master. So how exactly do I proceed?”

“You will infiltrate as an Academy enrollee yourself. Even as a fellow student, however, the target will remain wary of a strange man. Given enough time it would not be a problem, but sooner is always better. We have finally found the solution.”

The Guild Master gestured to subordinate 7th, who stood behind him. At the signal, 7th left the room and soon returned with a shabby-looking old man.

“This is the mage we went to great lengths to invite. We learned of him by pure chance, but he has researched a magic unique on the entire continent.”

“Sem Mogra. It seems we will be working in the same organization from now on.”

I nodded in return to the old mage’s greeting.

“As the Master said, 3rd, you will infiltrate the Academy. Here is the temporary identity prepared for that purpose. Memorize it.”

I took the documents he handed me and examined the personal details.

There were many finer details, but that was the gist of it.

?

Does something not feel off?

“Young Lady Frentz?”

As I tilted my head, the old mage spoke.

“For the duration of the mission, 3rd, you will become Young Lady Frentz. Through my magic.”

What the hell is this bastard talking about?

“So… roughly speaking, some kind of illusion magic to pretend to be a woman…?”

“Do not dare compare it to such crude magic!”

Hearing my mutter, the old mage’s voice turned fierce, nothing like the polite introduction of moments before.

“The magic I developed is not mere illusion—it truly turns one into a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠woman! Many have attempted it, yet no one else has ever succeeded!”

So that was what he meant by “unique on the continent”?

“But… if I become a woman, will I not need makeup and such? I have no idea how to do any of that.”

“Are you underestimating TS magic? It is common knowledge that proper TS turns one into a flawless, perfect beauty who needs no makeup at all!”

The old mage’s voice was so cold it was almost frightening; he was clearly speaking from the heart.

They say many mages are eccentrics… he certainly fits the bill.

“I… understand. Truly an impressive magic.”

Whether I actually thought so or not, I soothed his temper by playing along.

This was my first mission, after all. I could not afford to be careless.

For a little over a month I memorized the temporary identity and drilled the basic etiquette and bearing of a noble young lady.

And at last, the day before enrollment arrived.

I stood before the old mage to receive the TS magic.

“As I told you, my magic will turn you into a woman, 3rd. It is not illusion, so there is no duration limit; however, if you receive the magic again later, you can return to your current form.”

I had already heard this, so I simply nodded.

“That said, the magic is still being refined, so there may be side effects I have not yet confirmed… but I have verified that there are no major problems, so do not worry overmuch. Now then, please step onto the magic circle.”

Following his guidance I stood on the circle. Sem Mogra raised his staff and began murmuring an incantation.

It must have been complex; he muttered for quite some time before light finally began to pour from both staff and circle.

The light soon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wrapped around my entire body, and at the same moment every inch of me burned as though set ablaze.

When the searing agony finally ended, the light that had blinded me faded, and I could see myself.

Slender arms. Two soft swells rising on my chest. A cinched waist and, in contrast, a wider pelvis. Smooth legs.

My frame had shrunk as well; the clothes I had been wearing hung loosely on me.

I moved my limbs. There was a slight awkwardness, but nothing that hindered motion.

I picked up the mirror that had been prepared nearby and checked my face—only to meet the eyes of a beautiful girl frowning back at me.

My once dull, lifeless black hair had become soft, lustrous silver that now fell past my shoulders.

When I changed into the women’s clothes that had been set out, every trace of my former self vanished. Only a delicate young woman remained.

“Perfect. The Master did not go to the trouble of inviting you for nothing.”

“Now you understand the greatness of TS magic. I am tired, so I will take my leave first. Despite appearances, it consumes a great deal of mana.”

All that remained was the time of decisive battle.

My blade shines; its tip delivers judgment.

Griffin Academy.

The Empire’s foremost national academy, so highly regarded that nobles from within the Empire and even students from other nations came to study there.

Unlike other prestigious private academies, Griffin Academy imposed no restrictions of rank for admission; even commoners could enroll if their talent was recognized.

Of course, commoners still faced many practical hurdles, so most who actually entered possessed not only talent but also “connections.”

Anyone who endured four years and graduated from Griffin Academy was courted by every organization imaginable; sponsoring talented commoners was simply an early investment.

The Academy taught four main disciplines: swordsmanship, magic, administration, and theology, each further subdivided into specialized tracks.

I belonged to Swordsmanship Class 1—the same class as my assassination target, according to prior investigation.

Thus it was no surprise that, during the entrance ceremony, the target stood right in front of me.

Her golden hair, which no photograph could have captured, was tied in a ponytail.

Beyond the softly swaying strands I glimpsed the pure white nape of her neck.

She was a little shorter than I was now as a woman; I could just see the crown of her head.

Sensing my gaze, Cielian turned and looked at me.

Our eyes met; she smiled gently, then faced forward again.

It was a little regrettable that I would have to kill this pure, innocent girl, but I was a professional assassin. My blade knew neither mercy nor hesitation.

“With this, the entrance ceremony of Griffin Academy is concluded. Welcome, new students.”

The principal’s closing words finally ended the two-hour ceremony.

Following our homeroom teacher into the classroom, the students immediately clustered into groups of acquaintances and claimed seats.

I knew no one, so I quietly took an empty seat at the very back where I would not stand out and observed my target.

As a celebrity, she was surrounded by both male and female students.

While chatting cheerfully with them, Cielian began glancing around the room as though searching for someone else she might know.

Naturally, her wandering gaze met mine as I watched her.

I expected her eyes to leave me after a brief pause… yet she kept looking straight at me and slowly walked over.

Wondering if someone stood behind me, I glanced back—nothing, not even a passing student.

Before I knew it she had reached me, pulled out the chair beside mine, and sat down.

“Nice to meet you. You were standing behind me earlier, weren’t you?”

I had not expected contact so soon, but it was a welcome opportunity. I returned the greeting with a smile.

“I am Elicia.”

“What a pretty name. I am Cielian Deretia. Close friends call me Celi.”

I bowed my head in greeting; she bowed hers in return. Even though Academy regulations forbade distinctions between commoners and nobles, her natural inclination to lower her head was a rare sight among aristocrats.

“Ah, Deretia… as in the first Hero’s…?”

I had investigated her thoroughly, of course, but I reacted as though hearing it for the first time.

“Yes. You know it well. That Deretia.”

She tilted her head and offered a faint smile—the very picture of an innocent girl.

“It is a famous tale, after all. Hardly anyone would not know it.”

Even though it was a story from centuries past, no one on the continent was ignorant of the Hero who had defeated the Demon King. And now that a new Demon King had risen, that was truer than ever.

“But the others…”

The students who had been trailing after her stood around us, unsure what to do, casting anxious glances her way.

It was impossible not to notice them.

“Oh my… I intend to sit here. What will all of you do?”

In the end Cielian took the seat beside me, while her followers settled into the seats in front and to the sides.

To lower her guard so easily and approach me first… the TS magic really was effective.

“That is how it went. I expect an opportunity will present itself soon.”

Back in the dormitory I immediately reported the day’s events through a communication magic sphere. The dorms mixed single, double, and quadruple rooms, but for the smooth progress of the mission I had requested a single. Even though singles were expensive rooms meant for nobles, the reward I would receive upon completing the commission made it a reasonable investment. It was not as though I planned to attend the Academy for the full four years.

All authority and responsibility for the mission rested with me, so I only needed to report when necessary; still, this being my first assignment, I was thorough.

—That is excellent news. Anyone suspicious of you?

“No one. However, finding a chance to be alone with the target will take time. Too many people around her.”

—I see. The future of our guild rests on your mission. Do not make any mistak— Hm? What is going on… Who are you people?! How did you—!

A chaotic clatter of noise erupted from the other side of the communication sphere.

Sensing something wrong, I immediately crushed the sphere. If the guild’s counterpart device were seized, my location could be traced in reverse.

I changed at once into black assassin’s garb and slipped out the window.

The guild was far, but not so far that I could not reach it by traveling through the night. Right now the mission was secondary; the situation at headquarters took priority.

Swallowing an unnameable unease, I threw myself into the darkness.

“As if the Demon King’s army did not keep us busy enough—now these bastards are running wild too. What a headache.”

“Why should it be your headache? Unless you are the family head or the young lady.”

Two men stood guard before the guild’s hidden entrance. Judging by their gear they were no ordinary rabble but properly armed soldiers. And on their insignia was the crest of House Deretia.

This raid could not be coincidence. Somehow, word of the assassination commission had leaked.

The moment I grasped the situation I maintained my concealment in the shadows and slipped inside through a secret passage.

I had no fear of being caught. After all, I was the body aiming to become the youngest Sword Master. I had trained as an assassin for more than a decade; though becoming a woman had reduced my raw strength and made Aura circulation somewhat awkward, my senses had grown even sharper.

Unless a Sword Master was already inside, I was certain I would not be discovered.

Moving under concealment, I surveyed the interior. The few guild members who had remained were all cold corpses strewn across the floor.

Frankly, the others had only ever been good at ambushes; none possessed swordsmanship like mine. Once their positions were exposed, death was the natural outcome.

The only bodies I had not yet confirmed were the old mage hired for this mission and the Guild Master.

Since this was an assassin guild, I had never formed any real bonds; the deaths of the other members meant little. Those two, however, were different.

I walked slowly toward the Guild Master’s chambers first.

Guards stood before the door as well, but they showed no sign of noticing me.

Slipping inside, I found the Guild Master’s corpse still lying where it had fallen.

The Guild Master and every member were dead. The Veltrin Continent’s greatest (not really), select (simply short-handed), secret (no one knew of us) assassin guild had ended today.

The option of me, the sole survivor, carrying on the guild’s will did not even exist.

Why would I? On the contrary, I was grateful to have finally gained my freedom.

Yet for that freedom to be complete, there was something I had to retrieve. I reached into the Guild Master’s breast… but the object he always kept there was gone.

The scroll that held the master-servant imprints of every guild member.

As long as that scroll existed, I could never be free. Whoever held it, I would be forced to obey their commands.

The Master had always carried it on his person to protect himself from revenge and rebellion. There was no chance he had simply stored it elsewhere today of all days.

One of the raiders must have taken it. I had no idea who, but all I could do was pray I never crossed paths with them.

I turned and headed next for the room where the old mage had been staying.

Sem Mogra, the continent’s one and only TS mage, lay dead on his bed, apparently never even noticing the surprise attack.

As I told you, my magic will turn you into a woman, 3rd. It is not illusion, so there is no duration limit; however, if you receive the magic again later, you can return to your current form.

The words the old mage had spoken when casting the TS magic flashed through my mind.

If you receive the magic again later, you can return to your current form.

“Shit… fuck…”

I was fucked. Truly, thoroughly fucked.

Clinging to a futile hope I checked his pulse, but he was unmistakably a corpse.

Then what about my body? How was I supposed to go back?

With no way to return to my original form, I had no choice but to keep attending the Academy.

A marquis’s daughter had nearly been assassinated, and then a person close to her suddenly vanished?

That would be the same as openly declaring, “I am the assassin.”

If I could return to a male body, even a wanted notice for my current appearance would not matter. But that was impossible.

Freedom? What was that again?

I turned my head and caught sight of a mirror.

Reflected there was not the “man” I had seen for sixteen years, but an unfamiliar silver-haired beauty.

The Veltrin Continent’s greatest (not really), select (just understaffed), secret (no one has ever heard of us) assassin known as 3rd was gone.

Waaah… I’m baby Elicia.

Baby El is a baby. She needs protecting.