Chapter 91 – The assassin kills a prince
Chapter 91 - The assassin kills a prince
Translator: VALIANT
I arrived at the royal capital.
My objective was the assassination of the Second Prince during the National Foundation Festival.
I was gathering information on the Second Prince as I planned his demise, and I came to understand what Princess Farina and Duke Romanlung meant when they said that it was too late for him.
He no longer cared about the national interest and was now the marionette of the snake demon Meena.
Given that he only racked up achievements when he was mindlessly being manipulated by Princess Farina and the others, it was only natural that his worth would drop.
And because of his position as the Second Prince and his brilliant track record, there was no stopping him.
Even after I was hired to assassinate him, he kept screwing things up an awful lot.
[I see you didn’t bring your cute squires with you today.] (Nevan)
[And neither did I want to bring you along if I could help it.] (Lugh)
I was taking part in the National Foundation Festival under a disguise.
As Frank Haltzman, one of the young merchants.
Frank Haltzman’s family register wasn’t prepared by my father, I obtained it on my own.
It belonged to a merchant without any relatives who was devoured by a monster while he was peddling. This made him the perfect man to pose as.
A large number of food stalls were set up for the National Foundation Festival.
That was where I opened one under the name of Frank Haltzman.
And for some reason, Nevan was helping me with that stall. Under a disguise of her own, of course.
What we were selling were crepes. They were specially made by mixing potato starch into the dough.
That way, the amount of starch increased, giving it a chewy texture.
In addition to the texture, it also had the advantage of not tearing when baked thin, and the dough was closer to transparency.
The dough, baked so thin that it was transparent, looked beautiful and sensual, and it stuck to the mouth.
For the filling, I used high-quality fresh cream and seasonal fruits.
I didn’t do any fiddling with the ingredients, I simply used the most delicious ones I could find.
The aim was to make it big, and shortly after I opened the stall, customers were ceaselessly lining up.
I even received an invitation to open a shop in the royal capital from someone who offered to financially support me.
[You have this many customers with refined palates lining up for you in the royal capital. You can be proud of yourself. I see you are also a first-class cook. But are you sure you’re not overdoing it?] (Nevan)
[This is the royal capital. I would stick out like a sore thumb if I served anything other than top-notch food at a food stall that was allowed here.] (Lugh)
Under normal conditions, the fewer customers there were, the better.
After all, this was all just a charade I had to keep up so I could inconspicuously remain here until I killed the prince.
[That’s also a good point. But won’t it have a negative impact on your true job?] (Nevan)
[I can carry it out even in this situation. In fact, all this crowd makes for a great cover.] (Lugh)
No one would expect anyone to be able to kill while handling customers in a food stand with a long line.
On a side note, our entire conversation just now was soundless.
We were using assassins’ coded language consisting in making small lip movements to communicate.
Moreover, we weren’t observing each other’s lips, we set our viewpoints separately and were catching glimpses of our mouths from the corner of our eyes.
If we were staring at each other’s lips, our surroundings would find us suspicious.
…Being able to do something this complicated so easily despite not being an assassin herself is what makes her a monster.
The reason I didn’t bring Tarte and Dia with me was because of their lack of impersonation skills.
If all they needed to do was disguise themselves, I could’ve helped them with that.
But in the case of those two, they would still behave the same as usual.
To play the role of another person perfectly means to build yourself another identity, and unconsciously duplicate their breathing, habits, way of speaking, gestures, way of thinking, interaction with others and so on.
If you couldn’t do that, then it was nothing more than cosplay.
It wasn’t something anyone could manage overnight.
And yet, Nevan could do it.
I guess her role as Princess Farina’s body double isn’t just for show.
[Fufu. I can’t wait to see how you will assassinate him.] (Nevan)
[I handed you a copy of my plan, didn’t I?] (Lugh)
[Yes, but all it said was that you were going to make him die from illness.] (Nevan)
I kept the specifics under wraps.
To prevent any bit of information from leaking out.
[Don’t worry, you’ll see. Though I don’t know if just watching will be enough for you to understand.] (Lugh)
Once I had secured this location, 90% of this operation was already a success.
I had already looked up the circuit and time of the royal parade beforehand.
During the parade, the royals would move around by carriage with an escort. Furthermore, soldiers would stand on the side at equal intervals to prevent the general public from approaching.
It was possible to get past them, but if anyone caused a commotion that way, they’d be suspected of assassination.
However, there was one part during the circuit where the royals’ carriages would get rather close to the public. It was a section where the road became narrower, forcing the carriages and the crowd to get closer.
And that was where my stall was located.
It was about three meters away from where his carriage would pass.
That three-meter distance was necessary to assassinate him under the current conditions.
In order to open the stall at this location, I borrowed the power of Romanlung.
Knowing them, I trusted that they would successfully squeeze in this stall while hiding all evidence of doing so, and in fact, that’s exactly what they did.
The crepes were selling well.
And then, the number of customers slightly dwindled.
Because the parade had begun.
As the width of the road became narrower, the soldiers in charge of organizing the procession came in the lead to change the orientation of the queue and secure enough space for the convoy.
After that, the royals passed in front of us one after another.
The most popular of them was the First Prince. That man was even praised as the God of War. He himself was incredibly strong, and his leadership skills and military tactics were also splendid.
However, if I had to name one problem with him, it would be that he was too specialized in fighting only. He was skilled in strategy and tactics, so he had a good head on his shoulders. He was worshipped by many of his subordinates, and skilled in the art of controlling people’s hearts.
And yet, when it came to politics, he was a real dope. Perhaps he was the type of guy who was only passionate about what he was interested in.
And then, the next most popular of the royals was Princess Farina. My current client. Her charm was her overwhelming beauty and compassionate smile.
Once a month, she gave a charity concert in the royal capital, in the largest hall of Alvan, where she performed her songs, but every time, the place was overcrowded. All the tickets were sold out in a matter of minutes.
According to those who had attended her concerts, she had the singing voice of an angel.
She had the popularity of an “idol”.
However, it was a façade built to hide the schemer she actually was.
So far, all the princes and princesses had gone by, except for the Second Prince, but none of them were very popular, unlike the First Prince and Princess Farina.
The citizens only thought of them as people who were just born into the royal family.
And then…
[Finally.] (Lugh)
The closing act was the Second Prince.
Considering that the First Prince was the leading act, I suppose they chose to bring out the best at the beginning and the end.
In contrast to the First Prince, the Second Prince was highly regarded for his achievements in politics and diplomacy.
…Though it’s all thanks to being the string puppet of Princess Farina and Duke Romanlung.
However, achievements were still achievements.
This, coupled with his sweet mask, made him as popular as the First Prince and Princess Farina.
I could tell he was approaching by the loud commotion the crowd was creating.
I will increase my concentration.
There he is.
The Second Prince was smiling.
Just like his portrait indicated, he was a neat young man with a shrill voice.
However… there was no life in his eyes.
His mind seemed to be in chaos, and his mood was stagnant. Right now, he wasn’t sane.
I observed him with my Tuatha Dé eyes.
I analyzed the color and wavelength of his mana.
Those who had mana unconsciously coated themselves with it even during ordinary times, and even if a regular person slashed them with a sword, the wound wouldn’t be fatal.
Killing them required firepower.
But if I tried to attack him with that much firepower, I would inevitably stand out.
Without firepower, I couldn’t kill him, and if I used it, I would blow my cover.
If there was no problem with his death being recognized as an assassination, there were plenty of opportunities to kill him with【Gun Strikes】from a very long distance.
But this time, I couldn’t even let anyone realize that it was an assassination. That’s what made it such a difficult job, and that’s why I made so many preparations.
I started chanting.
I barely moved my lips, and the crowd was so loud that even the customers waiting for their crepes in front of me couldn’t hear me.
I used a new spell I developed with Dia.
It was a non-elemental spell designed to dissipate mana.
Each person had their own mana wavelength. So by shooting them with mana that matched their wavelength, you could tear a hole in the mana armor your target was wearing.
And since this inflicted no physical damage, they wouldn’t even realize they had been shot.
…However, it was an extremely difficult process.
First of all, unless you had the Tuatha Dé eyes, you couldn’t figure out their wavelength, and if you put more mana than necessary in it, the shot would penetrate the mana armor instead of dissipating it.
However, I was capable of pulling this off.
Right before he passed by my stall, I completed my incantation.
An invisible mana bullet flew to the Second Prince’s neck, tearing a hole in the mana flowing around his body.
And then, using an assassination tool camouflaged as a food stall equipment, I fired my specially designed needle at him.
That assassination tool was on the large side, so the only way I had to bring such a thing here was to use something like a food stand.
The Second Prince clutched his neck, leaned his head and addressed his guards about something.
I couldn’t hear them from where I stood, so I read their lips.
『Your Highness, is something the matter?』(Guard)
『I just felt a prickling sensation. But it’s nothing, keep moving.』(Second Prince Rickla)
The Second Prince removed his hand from his neck.
There wasn’t a single scar on it.
Success.
The Second Prince continued on his way, as if nothing happened.
[Here you go, dear customer. The crepe you ordered.] (Lugh)
I handed crepes with a smile.
I looked like I was simply baking crepes.
No one here would realize that I had killed the prince at this very moment.
As soon as the parade ended, the end of the National Foundation Festival was announced.
The stalls were closing down. On the other hand, the bars were eagerly calling out for customers.
We quickly finished cleaning up as well.
[Phew, I’m spent. I’m glad we could sell so many crepes.] (Nevan)
Nevan stretched.
[Yeah. Now let’s go back to the inn.] (Lugh)
I couldn’t go home at this time of the day, and since I was acting as Frank, it would’ve been fishy not to take lodgings, so I did.
Naturally, I also booked one for the clerk Nevan was posing as.
Until the moment I left the city, I would stay out of trouble and keep acting as Frank.
[An inn in this faraway land, just the two of us. The perfect opportunity for an affair, don’t you think? Just so you know, I can keep a secret.] (Nevan)
[Not interested. And don’t come into my room.] (Lugh)
I gave her a warning, just in case.
[I had a thought. Since we managed to sell this much, why don’t we go celebrate it at a slightly luxurious restaurant?] (Nevan)
[…You’re right. This calls for a celebration. Let’s go.] (Lugh)
It makes sense. Right now, I’m Frank. And young merchants are high-spirited individuals. When they make a large profit, they splurge it without a care.
[Yes. By all means, please show me what a restaurant for thé lower classes is like.] (Nevan)
All the restaurants in the royal capital were pricey.
So for her to call them restaurants for the lower classes… That’s what made the rich scary.
When I was at the academy, the royal capital was pretty much my only playground, so I was familiar with the restaurants in the area.
I chose a restaurant with private rooms and good meals.
I chose one with private rooms because I had a feeling Nevan wanted to have a chat with me.
When our dishes were served, I used a wind spell.
It was designed to prevent any sound from leaking outside.
Seeing this, Nevan smiled.
Apparently, she detected my magic by inspecting our surroundings.
[Well then, thank you for your hard work. Now I have a few questions. The Second Prince didn’t die back there. Are you sure that’s not a problem?] (Nevan)
[Regarding that, the Second Prince will pass away before long. In the castle, in his room. It is the most ideal place to have him die without attracting future trouble.] (Lugh)
I had a good grasp of the Second Prince’s schedule.
I arranged for him to die when he returned to his room.
[Oh dear, you’ve reverted to using formal speech with me. What a shame.] (Nevan)
[I am not acting as Frank here.] (Lugh)
The wind blocked out the sounds and the content of our conversation.
I wasn’t here as Frank, but as Lugh.
And my interlocutor was a duchess, someone far higher in the hierarchy than me. I dreaded the idea of speaking to her casually.
[How exactly did you kill him?] (Nevan)
[I used a needle. It was a few millimeters long, and about as thick as a hair. I had installed a device in the stall designed to shoot the needle, and I camouflaged it as a cooking ustensil. Launching such a small needle was a hard task, and the device was so large the reason I opened our stall was because it was the only way to conceal it and approach the target within its maximum range of three meters.] (Lugh)
If I had approached the Second Prince while carrying such a thing on my back, it would’ve been as subtle as imploring him to suspect me.
The stall made for a good cover.
[Can you truly use such a small needle to kill?] (Nevan)
[Yes, although it would have been impossible with a regular needle. The needle I used was made of solid poison itself. Once I shot it into an artery of his neck, it was then carried to the heart by his bloodstream. Afterwards, it dissolves in his heart.] (Lugh)
The fact that this level of accuracy was required was also the reason why this device was so bulky, as well as the reason why I needed to have the target within a three-meter range. I needed to aim not for his neck, but the arteries in his neck.
[What happens once it dissolves?] (Nevan)
[It relaxes the muscles. When the heart muscles relax, his blood flow will stop. This will cause a pseudo-heart attack, making it look like he died of illness.] (Lugh)
[Won’t they identify the poison?] (Nevan)
[The needle will melt away, and all it does is relax the muscles from the inside. Unlike ordinary poisoning, it does not leave any traces.] (Lugh)
Or at least, not for this world.
[This is quite the interesting poison you found. I learned a lot today.] (Nevan)
[The Second Prince will die of a heart attack a few hours after the parade, in his room, protected by an ancient artifact, impenetrable to anyone. He will be declared dead by illness.] (Lugh)
[Fufufu! Perfect. This solves our most pressing matter for the time being. …The rest will be up to us. We will see how to make good use of his death by illness.] (Nevan)
Nevan drank her liquor with a bewitching smile on her face.
That was all she did, yet it looked tremendously sexy.
[I enjoyed the meals and the drinks. We should head back.] (Lugh)
[Yes, let’s do that.] (Nevan)
Nevan held out her hand to me.
She wanted me to escort her.
I guess I can allow that much.
She was the one who laid the groundwork, and she was there to keep the stall running. I had to thank her for that.
Although, I’d better not drop my guard.
Even at this moment, she was pressing her chest against me in an attempt to entice me.
And the perfume she was wearing wasn’t just any perfume. It was the kind that put men in a naughty mood.
And now that I think about it, every single one of her gestures were for that purpose.
She was seriously trying to make me fall for her.
[Fufufu…! This is going to be a long night.] (Nevan)
…Looks like the real battle will be when we get back.
But I can’t afford to lose.
Dia insisted on it, and I have a date tomorrow.
I couldn’t possibly go on a date while having another woman’s scent on me. Especially since tomorrow, I was going to meet the girl I rarely got to see, but who had done so much for me.