Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 446

446: My Assassin is the Cutest

Her senior—Shino Nokthausen—reacted to the name ‘Shino-san.’ But from our first meeting, her expression—her distance—was unreadable.

“Ah, um… was it too familiar to call you by your first name? Should I have used your surname?”

“No… since you are a supreme commander, it would be fine to call a member of the Royal Guard by their first name… but.”

“Then… Shino?”

She took a sip of her tea. Again, her expression was completely unreadable. It was like Liz, with [Optimization], and without her scarf.

Had I been relying on the scarf too much?

So, I looked at her dark elf ears, but they didn’t move up or down.

The lack of light in her eyes, was it because her eyes were slightly closed, or was it because of [Optimization]? I couldn’t even tell that.

She placed her teacup down.

“…If it is not inconvenient, please call me Shino-san. Since there is a distinction in our ranks, there is no need for polite language.”

For now, I was relieved that she didn’t seem to dislike it too much.

“Understood. Then, Shino-san, it was about the replenishment of personnel.”

“Yes. I would like to borrow the wisdom of the Lord of Disease.”

“…Specifically?”

“It has not yet been decided. When I consulted with Your Majesty, Your Majesty said that Your Majesty would introduce me to the Lord of Disease.”

The words ‘delegation’ and ‘unreasonable request’ crossed my mind. Since I always operated my army under the principle that it was important to delegate the work that could be delegated to my subordinates, I had no room to argue when it came to myself.

“That said, the basis will be selection and training. The balance is difficult. If we take on someone who is too mediocre… then there will be a problem like ‘him’ from that time.”

Shino-san looked at Samarkand.

“…Ah.” I nodded, in understanding.

The assassin who had been Liz’s replacement had been a novice. And Samarkand had taken that opportunity to infiltrate the mansion alone. He had neutralized the traps and, though the Black Hound Barghests had not been as strong in number or in quality as they were now, he had broken through their security network and had put me in check—

…Later, he had somehow flipped and had become a rook or a bishop. It wasn’t the shogi I knew.

That matter, since Samarkand had become my subordinate, I had a feeling it had been a good thing, but if a person were to start relying on their own luck, then it was over.

“The methods of guarding are a mass of classified information. We do not want to have many deserters. And on top of that, we want to secure a certain number, as soon as possible.”

“—Until now?”

“Mainly, we have been scouting those who seem to have potential, while the ‘top’ assassins have been acting as training instructors as their public work.”

And Shino-san glanced at Liz. She muttered.

“…I thought she would be more docile, since it was an exclusive guard mission, but the exploits I heard were so forward that I was worried. But she has become a fine person.”

And she nodded. I couldn’t help but ask.

“…Shino-san, is that your true self?”

“I am just being mindful of the TPO.”

Liz stared at her ‘senpai.’

“…Senpai, I’ve always wondered what you’re saying in those ‘mutters.’”

“I am not saying anything bad. If you are curious, then you should ask the Lord of Disease to tell you, or you should learn to hear it yourself. It is also a part of the training.”

“Really?”

When I asked that, Shino-san muttered again, in a rapid-fire manner.

“Maybe I’m just saying whatever I want, since you can’t hear me properly.”

“…I see.” She was too honest.

Even if she had been lying, I probably wouldn’t have known—but I had a feeling she was an honest person.

“…So, what is she saying?”

“She said you’re a cute junior.”

“…Isn’t that a rather loose translation?”

“No? It’s a direct translation.”

Liz looked at me with a suspicious gaze. As I stared back with a smile, Liz eventually gave in and looked away.

“I’ll just leave it at that. …It’s frustrating that I can’t hear it properly.”

She seemed to have been a little concerned. Liz let out a breath and, from her melancholic expression, her face became composed.

“So, what are you going to do? I can’t think of anything other than to train those who seem to have potential. Do you have any innovative scouting methods, Master?”

“No, I’ve only ever scouted Liz. …The others were all either by order or by volunteering…”

Rebecca and Harken, and the wraith assassins, had come on a transfer order from Your Majesty and Eldritch-sama. The death knights had mostly volunteered. Samarkand was… a special case, but you could say he had volunteered.

“—So, that means a 100% scouting success rate?”

“The sample size is too small.” Liz cut me down.

“…The Sixth Army is a workplace where, while its infamy is well-known, there are surprisingly few complaints.”

“…I’m a little worried. I wonder if everyone is bottling up their complaints.”

At my words, Rebecca and Liz each answered.

“I have a few minor complaints.”

“I do, too.”

“Since this is a good opportunity, please don’t hesitate to say them.”

I gritted my teeth, to endure the complaints that would be thrown at me.

“Unify the napping spots. When I’m buried in the Black Hound Barghests, their magical signatures get mixed up and I can’t tell.”

“I think it’s a little much, to be invited to a morning bath and a night bath.”

It was a little different from the complaints I had imagined.

“…I’ll consider the napping spots. But as for the bath, since a morning bath, a midday bath, an evening bath, a night bath, and a late-night bath all have their own merits, I can’t compromise.”

“Then at least, let’s make it once a day.”

“…I’ll do my best.”

Liz’s words were too logical. But there were times when I was lonely. Instead, I decided to replenish my skinship levels in bed, not in the bath. I was looking forward to returning to the mansion and to the night. My room boasted the highest level of security. —In other words, I could dote on Liz, without being disturbed by anyone, without any worries.

Liz looked around, anxiously. And after confirming that no one had any particular concerns, she turned a suspicious gaze on me.

“…Master, did you just think of something strange?”

The possibility that a sixth sense was magically receiving fragments of another’s thoughts. Well, it was probably just that as a result of our deep relationship, she had become sharp enough to sense what I was thinking behind my serious, composed face.

I shook my head, my expression serious.

“No, nothing of the sort.”

It wasn’t a strange thing. In fact, that was what was important, and that was what I was living for.

Then, a flash of inspiration. —I had a base that boasted the highest level of security.

“…Shino-san, the need for an assassin is—not for an assassination, is that correct?”

“Yes. This country, even Your Majesty the Demon King, cannot harm a citizen without due process—that is the pretext. It exists only as a last resort.”

Shino-san, who was extremely honest. She wasn’t denying the assassination itself at all. That said, it would be a pain if she were to speak of the pretext as her true feelings.

“So, what is needed from now on is not so much assassination skills as intelligence skills, and infiltration and stealth skills…?”

“That’s right. Of course, it’s better to have combat ability, but if you train too much, you won’t be able to hide your magical signature… Lizlit is a special case.”

“…Meaning?”

“For an assassin, she always chooses to fight, in a choice between fighting and fleeing. For some reason, she doesn’t seem to have the option of running away from a superior opponent.”

It wasn’t a mutter, so everyone in the room heard it clearly. Liz, who was being stared at, shifted uncomfortably.

“What is it?”

“No, I’ve always thought so, too. I wonder if the assassins in this country don’t hide.”

“You shouldn’t use her as a standard. For some reason, she likes large weapons.”

At Shino-san’s words, Liz retorted.

“Isn’t it just that the blade is a little longer and thicker?”

“A blade that is twice as long and twice as thick as a normal fighting knife, with a spike and a sword breaker, is a ‘lump of iron,’ not ‘a little.’”

“Before I was scouted by you, senpai, it was tough in Garnalk. To fight a longsword with a knife.”

“…You know, Lizlit, I can say this now, but I actually said something similar at that time.”

“Yes.” Liz nodded, her expression solemn.

“Normally, you run when you’re found by a guard in enemy territory.”

A much-appreciated word from Shino-senpai to her junior.

“Because the order was to kill.”

“That’s right. Because it’s an assassination.”

“The order was to ‘break through.’”

“…That’s what they would say. But Lizlit, we are a single dagger. —Not a warrior, not a mage. And certainly not all-powerful.”

“And yet, I had no right to refuse at that time.” Liz, with her straight gaze.

“That damn superior, what was he ordering our assassin to do?”

I couldn’t help but mutter—it was me.

“Ah… that word fits so well. For all the craziness of his name and the operations he devised, I’m so glad he was a surprisingly decent superior.”

And Shino-san also muttered. As we exchanged a look, we both nodded deeply.

Liz’s expression was one of confusion.

“…What did you talk about?”

“We were talking about how cute our assassin is.”

“That’s enough of your deception—”

“—That’s what we were talking about.”

I reached out to Liz, who was sitting beside me, and hugged her tightly.

“I love you, Liz.”

I put all of my feelings, that she was precious to me, into my arms.

“…Hah. Me too, you know?”

Liz, who didn’t quite understand why she was being hugged. …She knew me too well.

And yet, she gently hugged me back.