CH 33

33. Megane-kun, Unwittingly gets Interested

「Well, hold your horses.」 

I thought I could nonchalantly leave this mansion just like that, but I got stopped just as expected.

I wanted to put it off my mind, but I couldn’t help but notice that the gramps and the auntie have been on my back without alarming me. They’re lining up just behind me…They’re an expert when it comes to erasing their presence, it seems. I didn’t notice at all.

…………

「Are these two assassins as well?」 

Despite my question that was voiced involuntarily, the elderlies didn’t say a single word to answer me and told me to sit back.

…Wise, who is right before me, is dangerous, but these two are just as dangerous. I am sandwiched with danger unknowingly. If the situation wouldn’t change, it would be impossible for me to get away. 

…………

My options are extremely limited.

—Right, for example, what if I made an escape while taking the normal girl beside me as a hostage—

When I was plotting so, Wise… no, all three present elderlies laughed at the same time. With such good humour. The auntie too, laughed from her heart this time.

「If you think you can accomplish so, then I’d like to see you try」 

Say what? Is he able to look through my actions?

It shouldn’t be shown on my face. I don’t even shift my line of view. And I keep my presence still. Even so, the elderlies could discern what I was about to do. All three, at the same time.

Did it get exposed due to some kind of 「Gift」? 

Is it the 「Gift to see through lies」 Lorobel told me?

No, it’s different. If so, then it should be impossible for all three at the same time.

…………

Yeaah. No way.

In the first place, I wasn’t really seriously trying to take any hostage. It was just an option for my means of escape.

Why, the current me is completely unarmed, I didn’t even bring my dismantling knife. Even without this condition at hand, it would be hard to hold a hostage for my option. Even the things near to me, what seemed to be useful would be the cookies laced with paralysing poison. As expected, you wouldn’t be able to threaten even a girl with something like this.

First and foremost, I don’t think I can do something I have never done before.

「We knew what action you would take, and do you know the reason why? Or mayhaps you don’t know?」 

Wise spoke so. By the way, the girl next to me seems like she completely has no idea of what happened, as she alternates her eyes to Wise, then to the gramps on the back, then to me …I’m certain that she’s completely oblivious of the situation, but I envy her for that just a little.

「If you don’t know, then at least hear what I have to say. There shouldn’t be any loss for you if you do.」 

There is, you know.

「If I heard, …No, if I learned more than this, you won’t let me go alive and well, do you?」 

Or rather, it was already too late. I’ve heard about the assassin thing, after all. I’ve reached the main problem, after all.

「That is not true.」 

「Can’t believe it.」 

I refuted him loud and clear, but Wise didn’t get agitated and just continue on.

「You won’t tell this to anyone. That is because you tend to avoid trouble. You hate standing out. You’re afraid to be here because you’ve learned about our abilities half-baked. That is why, even if you left this place, it’s natural to think that you would never tell anyone fearing retribution from us. 

In addition, you treasure your hometown. It’s easy to imagine what would happen if you made us your enemy. You are clever, after all.

With the reasons above, it would be impossible for you to tell about us to anyone.

If so, there is no need to seal your mouth either.

Well, in the first place, I proposed this talk because you are such a character. We wouldn’t invite you if you’re a tattletale.

How about it? You want to lend your ears now?」

…I don’t want to, but I learned that they won’t let me go until I do. 

「L, let’s become a first-class assassin with me! Okay!?」 

The girl beside me was spewing something, but I hope she just stays shut since that was way off the mark. 

This man investigated me deep and thoroughly. And he analyzes my character, on top of that.

It was not an afterthought or whimsical idea, he really is seriously trying to invite me to this School for Assassins thing.

「You have my words, Eil-kun. Whatever answer you have, you can go home.」 

…………

Putting aside if I can trust him or not, there is nothing I can do but listen to him in this situation. As it seems like they won’t release me otherwise.

Though I think my decision won’t change even if I listen to him. Maybe he doesn’t get that.

…Can’t be helped, huh.

With a single breath escaped my mouth, I seated myself back on the sofa.

「I’m glad! Let’s get along and be assassins together!」 

Also, can you make this girl stop trying to talk to me? I am not her associate. 

.

.

「First, in order to avoid misunderstanding, let me say these two things beforehand.」 

Wise raised his right index and middle fingers, acting as if nothing had happened.

「Assassination Training School is a school designed to foster new assassins for the Kingdom of Nastiala, whereas young people’s lack of interest in the assassination world has become a serious problem. 

Its existence is being hidden from the society’s eye, and the ones who know about it are just a select few even among the aristocrats.

On a related note, this Leavant household is a safe house for assassins like me, the head of the house.

As I am also someone from the parliament, reporting this to the kingdom won’t bear any fruit.

Well, on paper, we are a private organization that has no involvement with the state. 

In the case that an international issue has occurred and our existence became known by other countries, the kingdom won’t save our neck. We are essentially disposable pawns.」 

Disposable pawn… Un. Many aspects of it incurred questions in me, but let’s just shut these thoughts off.

「The lack of young people in the world of assassination is a serious matter, you see… From what I heard, despite the assassins are becoming older with age, the amount of their successors is alarmingly small.」 

Hearing the words of the girl, Wise nods his head affirming it.

Or, rather, I also have no clue what’s her standing on this.

Is she in the know since she volunteered herself, or is she in need to listen to this explanation as well? …In the first place, what does he mean young people’s lack of interest in the world of assassination? So is it like a normal job appliance? It’s haunting my mind, but I won’t let it haunt it further. I feel like I’d lose if I let it hinge on my head.

「Second, none of you two will be an assassin known by the general public. It is because the training that goes toward that direction is no longer supported.」 

…Nn?

「Understand? Generally, when the word assassin is mentioned, you will think it’s about someone who eliminates his target. However, in practice, there are many walls to overcome until an assassin can come close to kill his target. 

Time, place, occasion, means, instruments’ presence or absence, in addition to information gathering and preparation for a weapon. If you enumerate it, there would be countless options to take, and you would need the necessary skill to execute it.

All you need to do is kill. No, a professional doesn’t work that way. An assassin is not a crook, after all.」

…………

「Assassination is subtle and delicate work. A single misstep may result in failure. 

You do it with prudence as if you were threading atop a single sheet of wet paper, leaving no trace behind.

Just how far can you master your weapon, that is your body? Just how far can you utilize your intelligence and imagination?

Even for a single job, there lay hundreds and thousands of options for you to take, and you have to choose the correct one and act accordingly. That is an extremely hard task to fulfil, and is worthwhile.」

…………

Shoot. …I’ve got absorbed to the talk.

Or, rather, it’s very similar to a hunter’s job.

There is the necessary to prepare the instruments according to the targeted game, the more thorough your preparation is the more likely you will succeed, the way to hunt the game without giving it defects, and, by doing so, you can recover your game just as fast. 

Furthermore, if you don’t properly clean up your hunting place after the deed, you might encounter magical beasts or carnivorous animals outside your schedule. Recovery of the spoil and the withdrawal after it are also skills that play a big role.

……But, in the end, the context of Wise’s talk is about killing a person.

If this was a talk between hunters and I was offered to go to Hunter’s school, maybe it would stir my mind.

「Eil-kun, it sure interests you, doesn’t it? I called out to you because I know it’s your character. It should be similar to what you are doing and what you’re hoping to reach.」 

Un, similar. That is why I was so invested in the talk.

Crap. …Seems like I fell for its attractiveness.

But, no. No can do.

This is a big NO with no room to debate.

「What I learnt from Shishou was not the skill of murder. What I learnt was the skill of hunting. I cannot use my Shishou’s technique in a way that deviates humanity.」 

Shishou raised me as a hunter.

He didn’t teach me his techniques for me to commit murder as an assassin.

Maybe I am not a good disciple, but I won’t become a disciple who throws mud to my shishou’s face.

「—That is why we get back to the second point.」 

Eh?

「I mentioned it before, that none of you two will be the type of assassin known by the general public. 

Assassins whose skills have been etched deep into their very core like us are trained from a very tender age.

It is because children have the necessary potential.

If they have what it takes to grow, they will grow. If they don’t, they only need to be expelled from the assassin training classroom.

I believe that both of you still have room to grow. However, you will surely fall behind the progress of those children who have the initial talent.

Assassination is a subtle and delicate work, and even a single failure is not allowed during the job.

You two are well past the age to be trained as an assassin.」

…Well, I understand what he’s trying to say.

In short, being an assassin means being raised within a special education for gifted children since they’re young.

「Then, the place you’re recommending me… this Assassination Training School, what about it?」 

Isn’t the talk all about how I’m no longer in the age fit to be trained as an assassin. That talk just now. Then what’s the purpose of calling me here?

「There are two kinds of assassin we cultivate, the first one being the genuine assassin trained from a young age.

What the two of you will be learning to be, is the kind of assassin whose scope of work is wider.」

The kind of assassin whose scope of work is wider…?

…………

Un.

I don’t understand a thing on what he’s trying to say.