The carriage was swinging.
　The Countess of Venkaur showed a terrific bite to the guide for the new products that Maha had arranged and contacted me to ask me to come.
　That's why I am thus heading to the Countess of Venkaur's territory in a carriage with the new products.
　In order to head as Ilg, he dyed his silver hair black and wore glasses.
　As long as he was dressed like this, even if he was unseen, he would act as an Ilg Balor, not a rogue Touahade.
　Maha is sitting next to him. She's always cool, but today she was humming in a good mood.

'It's been a long time since I've seen you with your brother Irg.
It wasn't even a month ago.
For me, ten days without my brother Ilg has been too long.

As if to spoil her, Maha leans over to me.
　I didn't show this kind of pampering when I was in Murteu.
　It's probably a reaction to loneliness.

'Representative Orna's Maha won't be coming here.
'There's not much need, but I wanted to see you. I've made arrangements for you to be gone for the rest of the day, to be sure. And I've got Veluid in tow.
Is that not a problem?

Only Maha could use the power of the Balor Chamber of Commerce to support the assassination, but the front work could be handled by the Beluid.

'Oh, and by the way, brother Ilg. You asked for it, I think I can get that one.
Well, I'm waiting for the good news.

That thing is a sacred artifact.
　In this world, it seems that it can never be made by human hands. There are armors with impossible performance.
　The materials, the processing techniques, everything is out of the ordinary, and those are called divine weapons.
　I predicted that weapons created by the S-ranked skill 【Magic Sword Generation】 would remain in various places.

A typical one is the Demon Spear Gay Borg, which is said to be owned by the boy with the two names of the clan's hound, who is most likely to be the bravest person in the current situation.
　Such as the magic sword Fragarach, wielded by a former war hero.
　It might be easier to use such a weapon to kill a brave man.
　That's why he was trying to use his spare funds to obtain as many divine weapons as possible.

Besides, there was also the hope that if he saw the real thing, rather than just using it, he might be able to create powerful magic and weapons based on it.

'Maha has always helped me. Thank you.
You're welcome. ...Hey, Brother Ilg. Have you made any progress with the tart since you went over there?　You know, in a relational sense, in terms of the relationship between the s*xes.
No way.

I said, and Maha let out a sigh of dismay as I said this.

'Yeah?　But it's not easy, is it?　Brother Ilg, you used to go to the whorehouse occasionally to vent, and I'm sure you wouldn't be able to use that kind of thing locally.　And every time I went to Lady Dear's or to the whorehouse, the tart was almost in tears. I'd rather use the tart for him, and he'd be happy.

The fact that they had found out that I had been to a whorehouse and the way I had said that I was going to use a tart.

'Why do you want to have that kind of relationship?'
'I've been thinking for a while now that Brother Ilg wants to force us to stay away from romantic feelings.
We're family. You know how long we've been together.

That's how we spent our time. Over the years, we had developed a bond as a family.
　I can still remember the days after I met these girls.
　That's why I think. It wouldn't be like that," he said.

'But there's no doubt that when I was little I thought of my brother Irg as a big brother I could rely on. But we'll grow up. That's what happens when we grow up, you know. How can you not fall in love with someone who is better than all the other men around you? Brother Ilg the hardest part is being ignored and not being taken seriously. Especially since Tart is a hoarder and doesn't complain about a single thing. If you keep acting like that, you will explode one day.

Serious, serious voice to all intents and purposes.
　Oh, I see. Maha is speaking for the tart.

'Let's put aside our preconceptions for once and look at the tart. But even if I did see it that way, I wouldn't accept it.
I've got Lady Dear. I don't think it's a problem there either. That girl, whether she's second, or a convenient mistress, she'll do anything to make Master Rouge love her. What other girl would be so convenient?　The fact that she's pretty and has big tits is a big point. You're an aristocrat to begin with, Master Lugue. You should have one or two concubines.
That's the way it is.
'That's the way it is. So, I hope you understand that there are two girls who love Master Ilg.
Isn't that one more person?
'Of course, because I love you too. But I'll have to wait a little longer to attack you aggressively. I'll let Orna grow up more and keep a tighter network of information, and when I'm absolutely unable to let go, I'll use that as a shield to negotiate. I think I'll have a higher success rate that way. That's what Brother Ilg taught me. He said that negotiations can only happen when we're on equal footing.

It's solid. Even now, Maher is an absolutely essential person.
　If he becomes any more important, we won't be able to let him go no matter what.

He's a really good disciple.
Yeah, so be prepared for that.

Maha looks up and smiles.
　That gesture was s*xy and throbbing.
　........They were once children, but they are now becoming women, aren't they? I'm still not ready to realize such a commonplace thing.
　I've been thinking that I've been reborn and obtained normal emotions, but it seems that my diligence is not enough.

We arrived at the Count of Venkaur's territory.
　It's a lush, green land with farmland. Somehow, it resembles Touahade.
　But there are a few boisterous men with swords at the ready, looking around here and there.
　They are coming our way.
　It's probably because they're doing something yucky that they're using these private armies.
　He opens the window of the carriage, smiles and opens his mouth.

'What brings you to Venkaur?'

He asks intimidatingly. He smiles at it.

'We are from Orna. We are here to show your wife our new cosmetics. Here's the invitation you left with your wife.

With those words, he showed them the invitation and told the men to follow him, as if they had heard the story beforehand.
　Then they were surprised to see the mansion they were shown to.
　I had the impression that the estate is somewhat similar to Touahade, but the mansion is not at all similar.

It is different in terms of luxury and opulence and the materials used. Instead of bricks, they used white, shiny stones and elaborate designs.
　The amount of money that would be needed to be earned in such a territory would be unattainable.

''Oh dear, welcome. I've been looking forward to seeing Orna's new work.''

The door to the mansion opens with a flourish, and a slightly obese, short woman comes in, swinging her dress, fluttering like a goldfish.
　A ring in each hand and a necklace with a large sapphire around her neck.
　........and a thick layer of makeup that cannot be described by the word 'lascivious'.

Countess Venkaur. Thank you for inviting me to join you, Countess Venkaur. I am very proud of my new collection and I wanted to offer it to a lady as beautiful and authentic as the Countess of Venkaur.
Well, that's a nice thing to say. Please come in!　My skin has been feeling better since I put Orna's emulsion on. I'm sure the next one will be great too.

And so we were invited into the room.

◇

I prepared a new cosmetic product, a new type of milky lotion.
　By adding a small amount of almond oil to the olive oil used until now, we have improved the fragrance and the color of the skin when applied. The medicinal ingredients have also been improved.

It's a minor change, but with a partner like this, it's not so much the quality as the special treatment that you're the only one in the world trying out the new stuff.
　Me and Maha are constantly encouraging Countess Venkaur.

"You're the one who knows what's real, and that's why you should try it.
'If you approve of it, I'm sure other women will be clamouring for it. You have that much influence.
'She's right. I urge you to continue to be the first to use it when you have a new one in the future.

Such words are repeated over and over again.
　It's easy to get on board, and more and more the Countess of Venkaur is in a good mood.
　........easy to do.
　And so, if you put her in a good mood, you can draw out as much information as you need with a casual question mixed in with the chit-chat.

When I asked him why the economy of the Venkaur county territory has been booming lately, he replied that it's because of the good business dealings with the neighboring countries.
　When I asked him what it was about, he said he wasn't sure. At first I thought he was hiding it from me, but he really didn't know.
　She's good at spotting lies. She really doesn't know.

I'm glad to hear that. If she knew what we were doing, you would have had to kill her too.
　After all, she could have taken over the business after her husband died.
　And then I would gather more information.

"My husband is more than happy to sip wine and watch the moon before bedtime.

See, a ridiculously useful piece of information was leaked.
　The Countess tells him that Count Venkaur will not return until three days later, that his room is upstairs to the south, and that his greatest pleasure is to sit on the balcony before bedtime, looking out at the moon and sipping a glass of wine at leisure.

I'm so glad my husband's business is going so well. "I'm very happy for my husband's business, because until a couple of years ago, he was a poor aristocrat who couldn't afford any luxuries. I'm so happy to be able to dress so beautifully, I'm so happy to be able to do it.
Yes, we should be grateful, for it is thanks to you that we are able to see the beautiful Countess Venkaur.
Well, you're good. Ho ho ho ho.

The Countess of Venkaur smiles good-naturedly.
　She does not know.
　How many soldiers have lost their lives because of the information sold to their neighbors for the sake of their happiness. And maybe hundreds of people have been crippled by the drugs that have ruined their lives in the streets.
　If left unchecked, thousands and tens of thousands of bodies and cripples would pile up.

...I am a rogue, an assassin just like the first time. But this time, I'm not just a tool. I decide whether to kill or not to kill. And this time, I've decided.
　I should kill him.

◇

Three days later, me and Tart came in.
　I didn't bring him in last time because I was doing my homework, but if I was going to make a kill, I would need my assistant, Tart.
　........I'm worried about what Maha said last time, but for now, I'm concentrating on the assassination.
　The mansion is located at a good vantage point, but as expected, three hundred meters away, there are places that are easy to hide in.

Security in the mansion is tighter than the other day. It's probably because the master, Count Venkaur, has returned home.
　He hides himself in the grass that grows on the small hill where the mansion can be seen. He lightly dug the earth with earth magic, got down, and covered the grass and the entire grass with earth.
　Already, the sun is going down, so it's hard to notice it from a distance first.

If it wasn't for the information I got the other day, I would have had to stake out days before he came back, and I would have had to go through the tedious procedure of sneaking into the mansion and killing him.
　But Countess Venkaur happily informed me that there was no need to bother sneaking into the mansion even on the day Count Venkaur returned.

In my hand as I lay there, there was a tube made of magic, already loaded with tungsten bullets.
　A magician has a certain amount of magic power in his body even under unconsciousness, and is sturdier than an ordinary human. They don't die from ordinary things.
　It's the same for the target, Count Venkaur.

Even so, if you shoot, you can kill him.
　The thing that Touahade's eyes stare at is a point on the second floor balcony. With my eyes, I can see enough at this distance.
　I go into a deep state of concentration and drive everything else out of sight.
　Instead of me, my assistant, Tart, is on alert for the surroundings.
　That's why I can focus my attention only on sniping like this.

After about ten minutes, a burly middle-aged man in a bathrobe and holding a wine glass comes out on the balcony.
　He looks up at the moon and smiles a contented smile. He seems to be saying that he is the happiest person in the world.

My husband enjoys watching the moon and sipping wine before going to bed.

You were right.
　Thanks to that, it's going to be so easy to kill him.
　Staring at the moon on the balcony and being defenseless is convenient for sniping.
　There's no need to sneak into the mansion.

More concentration. Almost no wind, 320 meters away. .... this one won't miss.
　It activates fire magic and creates an explosion inside the tube.
　The tube itself is covered with a special cushion, which acts as a silencer and produces almost no sound.
　The super-heavy, super-hard tungsten bullets are spat out at the speed of sound and reach their target in less than a second.
　It easily penetrates the skull and its overwhelming kinetic energy causes the top of the head to burst open.

'We're on the move!'
Hi, Mr. Roog.

After telling Tart that, we ran away into the mountains.
　If we continue to exit the mountain path and take the street on the other side, we won't be easily spotted by our pursuers.

The concept of sniping does not exist in this world. For a while, they'll be looking for an assassin who isn't supposed to be in the house. They'll be able to get away with it.
　It was the first successful assassination attempt on our side.

I killed a man because I thought it was necessary and because I wanted to.
　Killing didn't move me at all when I was a kid.
　But now I'm not so sure about the people I killed.
　My heart is beating faster, if only slightly.
　I stop for no reason. What is this feeling, I don't know why.
　Tart turns around with concern and slowly comes over to me and hugs me.

''Tart, what do you think you're doing?
'Somehow. Master Lugue looked so uncomfortable.
...or so it seems.

I give in to the urge and hug the tart.
　The tart smiles and hugs me back. It smelled sweet and good.
　Then I felt strangely calm. The softness and warmth of the tart reminds me of the usual me.
　........I understood what it meant that the tart was growing.

Deep breaths. It's okay, it's the same old me.

I'm sorry. Let's get out of here.
Yes!

And so I ran down the mountain road.
　I'm sure the lady will resent the one who killed her husband.
　Because he would have been an ideal husband for her, who did not know the truth.
　I will not regret the assassination. But let's not forget it.
　That's what Lug Tauahade needs to do.