The 【Assassination Technique】is a very distinctive skill.

　To use the skill, you use an equipment item called "Anki", and the judgment of this Anki is wide for everything.

　For example, a fountain pen. For example, a fountain pen can be judged as a dark tool.

　Leather belts, high heels, ceramic ashtrays, broken glasses, sharp stones, and many other familiar objects can be used as dark weapons.

　Naturally, there are also special equipment for [Assassination Technique] such as hidden knives, rings with prongs, preparation wands, blowguns, iron fans, etc. However, in order to make the most of the 【Assassination Technique】's charm, it could be said that it is necessary to use "those things" as an assassin's weapon.


　And there are two more interesting characteristics of the 【Assassination Technique】.

　It is "surprise attack special effect" and "rapid-fire special effect".

　Surprise attack means attacking when your opponent is not targeting you, or in other words, "attacking without your opponent noticing".

　The key points are the head, neck, and heart in the case of human-type characters. If it's a demon, it's set up for each demon.

　In other words, the basis of 【Assassination Technique】is to go for the double effect of this surprise attack and kryptonite special effect.

　The most damage can be dealt by attacking the opponent's vital point while the opponent is unaware of it.

　Hence, the 【Assassination Technique】 is a skill specialized in fighting demons. In PvP, it's difficult to experience the true joy of this game when you are already aware of each other's existence when you are facing them.

　Stabbing at a vital point with a surprise attack - when you hear this, you would think that it can only be used against demons or, in fact, only for assassination.


　In Mevion, when the 【Assassination Technique】 was first implemented, people who were probably in the second grade of junior high school learned it in droves, and they were pleased with its performance. The large damage that could be dealt when you could attack with a surprise attack and a rapid-fire special effect was a really pleasant feeling, and everyone became addicted to its charm.

　However, I didn't like [Assassination Technique] very much, because you couldn't aim for double special effects in PvP.

　In addition, I didn't like it even more because the user population was rather low. Specifically, looking only at the damage from double special effects, I thought, "Assassination Technique is the strongest! Because most of the people who would say, "You know what?


.............

　But then I thought.

　Can you really not produce a double special effect in PvP?　And.


　The answer is no--


!


　The assassin is still here.

　I was waiting in bed with a plate in my hand, and when I parried the Silver General's assassination technique with the Infantry Shield Technique, the masked man's eyes widened in silence.


''Well,''

　Let me show you. I'll show you my ingenuity, how to get double special effects in PvP: ......!


Hey!
!
And then there's this!
!


　Thud!　And then put a towelettimer over the opponent, first blocking its view.

　Then, he immediately walked behind him and launched the "Infantry Assassination Technique" by aiming at his neck. Oh my goodness, a double special effect occurs.

　The point is how to make the opponent lose sight of me. This time it went easily because the environment was good, but it's not as easy as it sounds in a title fight with no obstacles.


''Guh, ugh~......!''

　The masked man, perhaps in too much pain, let out an inarticulate voice.

　He has a toothpick stuck in his neck. It's my anchor, given to me by Olympia when the feast was over. The toothpicks in this world are thicker and longer and harder than the ones I know. It is tailor-made for an implant.

I'm sorry, I know it hurts. But I'll try to make it as few times as possible, so good luck with that.

　At the 16th level of 《Infantry Assassination Technique》, even if there was a critical strike on top of the double special effect, it wouldn't do much damage.

　The requirement for learning the 《Incense Car Assassination Technique》 is to nearly kill five people with infantry. I had stopped my infantry at 16th level so that I could fine tune that.

　Now, how many more stabs would it take for Masked-kun to become a dying man?

　'Depends on his HP and VIT, but my sense is that he has about three stabs left.


''What kind of HP do you have left?''
...... .......

　I ask him at one point, but he doesn't answer.

!

　Immediately afterwards, he restrained the masked boy who tried to escape with the 《Gold General Thread Manipulation》.

　I knew that he had been trying to escape ever since I stabbed him with a toothpick, so I was ready to capture him.

''Good.''
"Ughhhhhh!

　After wrapping a towelettes around my face and completely blindfolding me, I took a second shot.

　No critical hit. Too bad.

So, how's your HP?　Three more times?
.............

　Not a word.

Oh, yeah.
Ngh. ......!

　If he kills himself like he did at the title fight award ceremony, he won't be able to fill the requirement to learn the Incense Car Assassination Technique. I stuck my hand into Masked-kun's mouth and looked for the Bawi Extract capsule that I'm sure was planted in his back teeth.

''Ahh, ouch, ouch, ouch!''

　It hurts. Well, it bites, doesn't it?

"Ooh, ......, looky here.
!

　Capsule found. It was in the upper left back teeth. You can't kill yourself now.

　I pulled out my hand that was covered in blood from the bite, and applied the "recovery tool" on it by myself. Now it's back to normal.

　...... Oh, speaking of which, since you were bitten, Wraith's change is also undone. That's dangerous!　I'm glad - keep your eyes blindfolded. I patted my chest in relief while I once again summoned the Wraith to change.


　Now, let's get back on track and resume.

''Agaaah!

　Third shot.

'Igiiiiiiii!'

　Fourth shot.

　Okay, next and probably last, but .......


'Well, well, wait!　I can't take it anymore!


　I knew it.

How much HP do you have left?
Not even 2,000!
Total HP.
18,500!
This way.
Oh my God!

　He took off his blindfold, removed his kryptonite, and thrust a toothpick of the 《Infantry Assassination Technique》 into the man's arm.

　Generally speaking, dying means that he has less than 10% of HP left. In other words, in his case, he should be below 1850. Now it was 2,000, so subtracting that, he had 150 left.

　The damage came out to 508. Oh, well. Okay, tomorrow we'll have bitter melon stir-fry.


Thank you. That brings me one step closer to the incense car.
'......?　............?

　Mr. Masked, I think he's figured it out. Naturally or not, he also knows the conditions for learning the incense carriage.

　That's right, the learning condition of dying five players, this is actually .......


''Sorry, just four more steps, right?
!


　The process of going from full HP to dying could be accomplished by simply repeating the process of going from full HP to dying five times against the same player.

　The masked man protested, shaking his head with tears streaming down his face.

　But, you know, opportunities like this don't come along very often.


''It's very important that you are able to move as you normally would, even in painful and helpless situations.
What are you talking about?
'Overcoming pain, I would say, is the biggest challenge.
What?
'I did a lot of things too, like stabbing myself in the night and stabbing my own hands around. As a result, I couldn't get used to the pain, but I knew what to do about it .......
......?
"You have to face the pain for once. Only then will you understand.
............
...... because that's what it is.
What do you mean?

　Tsk, so the justification mission failed.

　Well, it's not a good idea. The pressure's on.

"Hey, hey.
What are you doing?
Well, well, well.
d*mn it, stop it!
Well, well, well, well.
Muguugu: ......!

　I forced him to drink the potion and wrapped the towelettes around his face again.

　Four more rounds ...... sorry, but bear with me.

'Mogaaaaaaaaahhhh!


　His muffled screams echoed through the bedroom late at night.



　............ Then, around the third time via the dying, he begins to say strange things.


'Meh, meh, it's His Highness Melson, ...... by order of His Highness Melson, .......'
Oh, yeah.
Hogieeeeeeee!

　Perhaps because of the pain, Masked-kun began to speak flippantly, even though he hadn't specifically asked for it.

　He was supposed to be a professional assassin, but now he was screaming so much that his voice was dead. I wonder if the toothpick's "Infantry Assassination Technique" is that painful. I'm not too keen on it, but I'll have to try it myself next time: .......


His Highness Melson's orders to poison wine at the feast!　Agiiiiiiiiii! 'In the event of an emergency, the assassination of His Majesty the Emperor is also ogyaaaah! In some cases, the assassination of His Highness Prince Wright is also possible.

　No matter how much you wash up and spit it out, I feel sorry for you because I don't have the slightest intention of stopping here.


　And by the time I had mastered the 《Incense Car Assassination Technique》, he was ...... limping and not talking about anything.

　I thank him for his cooperation and gently roll him out of the room.

　He doesn't try to get up or run away. He was exhausted. It's funny, his HP should be fully recovered.

　I'm sure your fellow assassins will come for you soon, so let's just let it go.


　Well, he's made that abundantly clear, though. I knew the assassin who wanted me dead was Melson Marvel.

　Now, after two failed assassination attempts, how will she come out of it?

　Do you think she'll try a few more times?　It's going to be interesting to see how tense those things are. I'm looking forward to starting tomorrow.

　Anyway, for now, let's go to sleep comfortably, feeling refreshed and refreshed after learning the "Incense Car Assassination Technique".



　　* * * *



Failure?　Did you just say you failed?

　'At dawn,' said Melson to Salem, who had come to report to him, with a sharp, shooting look.


'Tell me in detail. As the case may be, you will be held responsible.

Ha. About an hour after the start of the operation, we found a shadow sitting in front of Seven's room. It is a very good idea to be able to use the same kind of equipment in the same way as the original. The shadow has now been placed in a hidden room.

............

　Melson quietly holds his head in his hands.


　Failed assassinations often fall into three patterns. Either the assassin commits suicide, the assassin is tortured to death, or the assassin escapes.

　Assassins are essentially trained to commit suicide if they are captured. They are also trained to endure even half-hearted tortures and are quicker than others to escape.

　But what does this mean? Assassins do not kill themselves, nor are they killed, nor do they run away. It's reasonable to assume that they were kept alive by torture, but the honest truth is that I've never heard of any torture that would make an assassin do this .......

　The conditions for learning the 《Incense Car Assassination Technique》 are set in the motif of torture. In other words, it could be said that it was the management's recommended torture method. Such a thing, the girls had no way of knowing. Because after torture, they would always kill. Dead people have no mouths to feed.


　...... horrible. Melson was not the only one who felt this way. Even professional assassins trembled at the horrific return by Seven, the likes of which they had never seen before.

'If the shadow was vomiting, would it be reported to ...... your father?　No. If I appeal to you in tears, your father will still believe me. So will you retaliate personally?　There's no way they can do that inside the imperial castle. It would be nasty if they got some evidence and brought to trial ...... No, we just need to succeed in the meantime, even the assassination. It's okay, it's okay, it's okay .......

　Melson struggled to keep his composure as he mumbled in a self-suggestive manner.


'Selam, get rid of the shadow you screwed up. It could be evidence.

...... is...

And the ...... assassination continues. Set it off as soon as you get a chance. I'm sure you understand, but don't leave any evidence behind.

"Ha.


　Melson, who looked away from Salem with a stern expression on his face, unconsciously bit his nails and muttered.

'I won't give this country to Wright, or to Spica, or to anyone else. ......



　　* * *



"Good morning, Knight Commander. Today, after breakfast, there will be a general morning assembly of the Kingsguard with His Highness the Crown Prince. As soon as the morning assembly is over, I have an appointment to see you, and we will move to the reception room.

　As I'm eating my morning meal, Olympia tells me the plans for today.

　Apparently we're going to have a visit from the morning meeting, but .......

'One?'

　They were so eager to meet with me, but once they found out I was being targeted by assassins, they backed away from me.

　Isn't it only natural? In fact, I'm more interested in those who still want to see me.

Yes. Yes, I'm Philip, the chairman of the Maurice Corporation.
...... ahh.

　I've heard of it. Ah, so you're the chairman of the trading company that purchased Yukari when she was a criminal slave?

　The fact that the chairman of the board of directors was so extensive that he personally visited the Marvel Empire, that's quite a strong business spirit.


It is said that it is essential to keep in touch with talented merchants in order to get involved in national politics. This is a unique opportunity. Philip, the man who dares to take this opportunity to visit you, must be a very smart man. For the better and vice versa, of course.

You're so cunning and resourceful, you might as well take them on board.

...... is yes.

　Olympia nodded after a moment's hesitation in response to a question that would be hard to respond to.

　I guess he adjusted to my idea that it would be better if he said it sparingly, even though he wasn't used to it. 'You can tell he's a very kind and earnest hard worker.

'Alright, then, as Olympia says, let's have a heart-to-heart talk with Philip.





It's a pleasure to meet you, my lord. My name is Philip of the Maurice Corporation.

　Waiting for me in the reception room after the morning meeting of the Kingsguard was a small, fat, smiling man. Indeed, it was Philip from the Maurice Slave Trading Company, whom I had met a few times.


'This is Seven. By the way, can I ask you a quick question?

Yes, of course. I'm at your service.

Isn't Mr. Phillip's place the Maurice Slave Trade?

'Did you know?　Well, thank you very much. We, the Maurice Company, are a very wide range of businesses, including foodstuffs, potions, weapons, armor, clothing, furniture, carriages, houses, slaves, and everything in between. I'm sure we can accommodate your needs as well.

'I didn't know you were doing that much, great. I didn't know.

That's very kind of you to say, sir.


　In fact, they seem to be a huge business association. If they're so extensive, I'm sure I've been buying their products without realizing it.


I'm not sure if you need anything at this time, sir.　If you'll allow me to congratulate you on your appointment, we at the Maurice Company would like to congratulate you.

'Oh, that's great to hear. Yeah, I guess it's what you need: ......

Anything you want. I think I can handle most of them.


　Phillip, you're pretty goofy. Do you really think I'm that promising?　A man who's about to be assassinated by a princess?

　...... No, wait. Maybe he's being so aggressive because I'm still alive, despite the assassination attempt. In his mind, the next emperor is probably the prince, or me, not the emperor.


............

　I've been putting my hand to my chin and trying to decide on a gift for the inauguration ...... and then I changed my mind.

　I'm not saying that the gift for the inauguration is limited to an object.


Philip, I've decided on it.

Yes, sir.

I need to know a secret.

......!

　Philip's eyes widened as soon as he heard my words, which had been smiling until then.


'A secret,' he said, 'is ......?'

I don't care who. It's a secret from someone in the heart of the Empire.

Can I ask you why ......?

　The reason. I hadn't really thought about it. If I had to say anything, it would be "because I'm curious about something." ......


'I only say these things to people I think I know.'

!


　Yeah, that kind of thing.

　Mr. Phillip seems to know a lot of things. It's a given that merchants are supposed to be well-informed. So I was curious.


"............

　Mr. Phillip is silent and thoughtful.

　For me, it's perfectly fine if he refuses, but it's a chance for him to connect with me. I'm sure he'd like to respond as much as possible.

　But I also have my credibility as a merchant. You wouldn't be doing business here if you were to tell me a secret.

　Now, which one do you want?


...... Okay, I'll talk to you.

!


　Oops, I didn't expect that.

　I thought I was going to take my place as a merchant.


What makes you think you can do this?

Maurice & Co. carries a very wide range of products. Food, clothing, shelter, slaves, and even ...... information.

So you're just a merchant trying to provide me with a product.

I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better.


　You're good, Philip. You're not a bad talker.


So, whose secrets are you gonna tell us?

"Dear Spica Amrit. The one who is now the Emperor's personal fortune teller.

"...... ho.


　This was another unexpected name.

　Spica-san, huh? I don't know her very well. According to Mr. Cigarone, I'm being used by her, but I don't know much about that yet either.

　That's just as well. Now I can get to know her a little better.


'She was formerly a slave.

Slave?

"Yes, sir. About twenty-two years ago, in the Kingdom of Castal, I took her into my care as a slave when she was just a baby.

Wait. Kingdom of Castal?　And a baby?　You were a slave for a baby?


　It sounds like it's even worse than I thought.

　Baby slaves, that means there are parents who sold their babies.


They thought slaves were the safest way to get rid of them, and that's the bitter pill to swallow. That's what I think.

A painful remedy: ......

"The name of the person who left the baby in my care is: ...... Lucia Aisin. She was a duke in the Kingdom of Castal at the time.

!


　Even more insane names have come up.

　Lucia Aisin, that's you, the former employer of Yukari, known as the brainwashing hag, isn't it?


After that, the baby went to the Marvel Empire and was raised in a rich man's house. But he is not the slave of a wealthy man. He is a slave of a maid in the service of a wealthy man.

'...... I see. So the servants train their future servants.

'I'm sure they had that idea in mind. But rumor has it that ...... it was a miserable environment. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the next few weeks. It's not hard to imagine the hardships involved.


　Well, it's not hard to understand. If the wealthy man is a no-good guy, the servants will build up resentment and try to relieve it with the lowest of the caste. Perhaps there would be some bullying.


'Master Spica spent his entire life there until he was approximately twenty years old. It seems that she was very poor and poorly off, but that's when the tipping point finally came for her.

Two years ago?

Yes, sir. A wealthy man fell ill, his inheritance was in dispute, and a number of irregularities were discovered that led to his demise.

That's a sharp turnaround, man.

'Yes. But for Master Spica, it was a good opportunity to free himself from slavery. And this is the beginning of a brilliant life for you.

Divination.

''It's Master Left. He was discovered by the best fortune teller in the imperial capital, and the talent of fortune telling that had been dormant in Master Spica blossomed at an unprecedented rate. The greatest fortune teller in all of Tokyo even went so far as to proclaim that the only person to succeed him was Lord Spica. And, to my surprise, it took him less than a month to achieve an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.


　Great, I thought, how much sleep did you have talent ......, but I guess, if you were still a slave, no matter how much talent you had for divination, there was nothing you could do about it.


''That's how Master Spica rose to his current position.

Wow.


　It was an interesting story.

　What's interesting is that it's so mysterious and interesting that Lucia Icene is involved.


'Thank you, Philip. It was an interesting story.

No, I'm glad to hear that you are satisfied with the service. Please continue to patronize us, Maurice and Company.



　I look away from Mr. Phillip and think idly.

　Quite a hard worker, Spica Amrit. Is she really a fortune teller--?