Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

Elegy of a Villain

“Damn it, I’ve been taken for granted…”

Time rewound, four days after Letty—Ghost left the capital.

With a rare moment of spare time, Greg was sorting through various documents. Lately, he had been swamped with managing assignments and other tasks, leaving no time to attend to the finer details. Finally, he had a chance to review them, and that’s when it hit him.

“This ledger… Ah, they’ve been skimming off here too. Why on earth did I hire that guy?” Greg sighed, flipping through the documents one after another. The information in his mind started connecting the dots, leading him to a single conclusion.

“I truly let my guard down,” he muttered to himself, sinking into the backrest of a rather imposing chair within the guild.

I placed too much faith in him. Trust is important, but so is doubt. I should’ve reminded myself about the importance of striking a balance.

“Oh well, I messed up… Damn it. That bastard… He has a way of making me lower my guard.”

By the standards of this world, he was serious, timid, and meticulous. Greg appreciated those qualities and found him invaluable. Perhaps unknowingly, he had grown complacent.

Come to think of it, she can sense lies from clients and all, but I never had her use it on him.

Despite having climbed to this position, it seems I still have a weak spot. And this is the consequence.

As multiple people approached, their footsteps carefully concealed, Greg noticed their presence. They were heading his way.

They may think they’re going unnoticed, but this is my territory. There’s no way I wouldn’t notice with their half-hearted attempts at stealth, Greg thought, drawing two daggers closer, concealing them behind his waist and within his boots. A hand axe discreetly nestled at his feet.

After a while…

With a resounding bang, the door swung open forcefully. Men stormed in like an avalanche, and at the rear, there he stood…

“Well, well, Hans. What a grand entry you have graced me with.”

“Y-you seem rather composed…” Momentarily caught off guard, Hans stumbled over his words. However, he quickly regained his composure and adjusted his expression, inflating his chest in an attempt to exude an intimidating presence.

“Greg, it looks like you understand the situation quite well. I’m not a monster. Surrender and hand over everything to me,” he declared confidently, issuing his ultimatum.

Well, at least he intended to feign confidence. But his negotiating partner had noticed.

“What surrender? You’re nothing but a useless wretch incapable of even wiping your own filth,” Greg laughed, reclining against the backrest, interlocking his fingers in front of his chest, displaying a smug expression.

“You’re scared, aren’t you? Even in this situation. That’s just who you are,” Greg jeered and taunted in a mocking voice.

At this point, the situation had become unbearable. That’s what he believed, and it allowed him to adopt a defiant attitude.

“W-what drivel. There’s no way I’m scared!”

The thugs formed a barrier between the two. Even if it was Greg, he shouldn’t be able to break through this. Hans tried to convince himself desperately, or so he thought.

Yet Greg saw through the facade. “Hah, you must be really rattled. Your voice quivers, and your shoulders betray your fear. Can’t handle it, huh?”

Provoked in such a manner, Hans frantically covered his mouth and clutched his shoulders. Regrettably, he was indeed trembling. As realization dawned upon him, a tremor seemed to extend to his feet as well.

Hans drew in a slow, labored breath. “I-I’m resolute, of course. That’s why I meticulously planned and set this–“

“At that point, you’ve already failed. In this line of work, you have to act the moment you think of it,” Greg interrupted.

The distance still remained a bit far. The men who had burst in were either intimidated by Greg or hesitating to approach any closer.

“Your theories don’t matter to me! Let me ask you something, tell me how to manipulate that girl, Ghost.”

“Huh? What? Are you infatuated with her or something?”

Greg knew all too well that it wasn’t the case. It was merely a ploy to unsettle Hans, to shatter his composure. He hadn’t abandoned all hope of survival just yet.

“T-that’s absurd! Who in their right mind would be drawn to such an unappealing person? She’ll become a valuable asset. If you tell me how to control her, I might spare your life.”

“Oh, how kind of you! Your generosity overwhelms me!” Greg replied, dripping with sarcasm. While saying that, he looked for an opening.

There were five men standing between him and Hans. Usually, this would be an insurmountable difference in numbers. Greg weighed his options, but no matter how he contemplated, the situation seemed hopeless.

“It’s this ring. I conditioned her to obey anyone wearing it,” Greg slowly removed a ring from his right hand, measuring the distance between them. Within this range, it would be reachable.

“Here, catch!” Saying that, Greg threw the ring up in an arc. The thugs’ gaze fixated on it. In one fluid motion, he discreetly grabbed the dagger and the hand axe concealed behind his waist and inside his boots. Then, he swiftly hurled them.

The dagger found its mark in the forehead of the man to the left, a precise strike. The hand axe shattered the skull of the thug blocking Hans. With its rebound, the hand axe descended, its handle striking Hans’ forehead.

Not the blade.

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

“Aaargh!!”

Amidst the three different cries of agony and screams, Greg kicked the desk as he rose. He kicked the desk again, sending it flying towards the men.

“Damn it, he’s unbelievably lucky!” Greg yelled as he lunged at the men.

Thrown off balance by the desk, the men couldn’t evade properly. Taking advantage of their disarray, Greg unsheathed another dagger unnoticed and attacked the man on the right, thrusting the blade into his chest.

Allowing himself to collapse along with the falling body, Greg somersaulted, attempting to create distance and regain his footing.

However…

“Guuh!”

Greg was a fraction of a second too late. The blade cut into his back, forcing a pained cry to escape his lips, and his legs became entangled. Despite this setback, he used the momentum from the fall to twist around and hurl the dagger in his hand. It impaled the chest of the assailant who had struck him. But… that man collapsed on top of Greg.

“Get off, you bastard!” In a crumpled position, seated on the floor, Greg desperately pushed the lifeless weight aside.

He managed to shove him away but couldn’t evade the blade of the next attacker.

Stab.

“Ahh… it ends here, huh…” Greg muttered through the searing pain of the blade piercing his chest. His gaze dropped to the sword embedded in his lung.

“You useless fool! Couldn’t you aim for my heart?!” Greg cursed through gritted teeth.

And then, by a stroke of fate, the sword dropped from the grip of the man whom Greg had struck earlier, grazing his finger. “Otherwise, it will end up like this!”

Summoning his last ounce of strength, Greg clutched the sword tightly in a reverse grip and thrust it into the side of his attacker. A piercing scream rent the air as the man writhed like a madman, pushing Greg away and rolling on the blood-soaked floor.

The wound in Greg’s lung widened, cutting off even more oxygen, and his strength rapidly drained from his body. Blood began to flow in earnest. He coughed, crimson droplets spilling from his lips.

“…To think that you could only gather such a pathetic bunch… So that’s the extent of your capabilities…” A blend of genuine feelings and frustration. Greg uttered those words with a mixed tone, followed by a grim smile.

“Shut up! Just shut up! I can do so much more!” Hans retorted, his voice laced with desperation.

“That’s precisely what’s shallow about you… you fool,” Greg said with an exasperated tone, as if reprimanding. To the man who was once his right-hand man, he gave it as a farewell gift.

His strength drained away. He couldn’t even lift his head anymore. He fell backward, lying on his back. The familiar ceiling felt oddly distant. Well, I suppose this is it…

From being a lowly lackey to establishing an organization with branches spanning the entire country. Not bad… Not satisfied, but not bad, he mused to himself. This… is not… bad… at all.

Hans had become a mere blur in Greg’s fading vision. In his waning gaze, what he vaguely saw was…

“I’ll leave the rest to you… Egret,” The words, weakly murmured to his faithful subordinate, did not reach her.

***

Author’s Note:

I’m not the type of person to let things end like this. Yes, I had faith in that. I was willing to do anything for it. I thought that day had finally arrived. But…

Up next: The Fate of a Petty Villain

Karma always brings its reckoning.