Chapter 34: We Are All Professional Assassins!

"Hooked!"

Kobayashi raised his water glass to hide the smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. High-end hunters often appear in the guise of prey. It seemed his little performance hadn't been a waste; his efforts to play the fool and leave openings had paid off.

From the very beginning, he had been acting. He played the part of a country bumpkin who had come to the Imperial Capital to get ahead and strike it rich, yet was constantly terrified of being swindled. Such people were everywhere in the capital; the only difference was that Kobayashi possessed a Teigu.

Of course, had Kobayashi been a villain, Mine—who did things entirely based on her own whims—would likely have written him off from the start, even if he were a Teigu user. But as luck would have it, Kobayashi was a "good guy"—a man who had even returned her lost money! That was a major point in his favor. Even if there had been minor unpleasantries, Mine simply attributed them to his personality.

"What should I do now?"

"Just listen to my commands!" Mine grabbed Kobayashi's arm and marched him out of the tavern with a flurry of energy.

He had expected her to lead him straight to the secret base of Night Raid, but instead, they spent the day on a massive shopping spree throughout the capital. It was fun for her, but misery for Kobayashi. Using his supposed physical frailty as an excuse, she half-forced him to carry a mountain of goods.

By dusk, a thoroughly satisfied Mine led a laden Kobayashi—draped in massive bags from head to toe—toward the city gates. Once they exited and turned onto the main road leading away from the capital, the surroundings grew increasingly desolate. Kobayashi realized she was finally taking him to the secret base.

To ensure she didn't grow suspicious halfway, Kobayashi struck first, feigning exhaustion and complaining, "Tell me, Mine, how much further? I'm worn out."

"Calling it quits just outside the gate? What a useless man," Mine said, tossing her twin tails and looking at him with disdain.

Stung by her gaze, Kobayashi turned his fake annoyance into something genuine. He raised his hands, gesturing to the bags covering his body. "And whose fault is that?"

"Uh..." Mine felt a flicker of embarrassment, but her pride wouldn't let her admit fault. She shifted the blame back to him. "Then why didn't you make *her* carry them?" She pointed at Ruri.

"Ruri is a delicate girl, just like you," Kobayashi said, feigning indignation. "How could I possibly make her carry heavy loads?"

*You call a Teigu a delicate girl?*

Though Ruri looked similar to Mine on the surface, she was one of the Forty-Eight Teigu, possessing immense power! To think he would call her a delicate girl just like herself! Mine pursed her lips and said nothing more.

After walking for a while longer, Kobayashi spoke up again. "Mine, where are you taking me? Why are we going into such remote areas?"

"I'm taking you to meet the former Imperial General. She lives out here specifically to avoid the harassment of the ministers in the capital. She rarely makes a move, so you'd better be grateful to me later!"

She was clearly referring to the leader of the assassin group, Najenda. Mine was hinting that he was about to meet someone of great importance, hoping to spark his anticipation while distracting him from the minor details that might arouse suspicion. Little did she know, Kobayashi had seen through it all from the start; he was simply playing along.

"Is there anything I should be careful about?" Kobayashi asked, feigning nervousness. "Look, I'm just a country bumpkin. It wouldn't be good if I accidentally offended her."

"No need to walk on eggshells. Bo—cough, that person is quite easy to talk to. You're a Teigu user; you will certainly be valued. I can guarantee that." Mine seemed to have high hopes for him.

This didn't put Kobayashi at ease, however. Every few minutes, he asked again, his anxious demeanor perfectly mimicking a fresh graduate about to face a job interview.

At first, Mine explained patiently, but eventually, she grew too annoyed to bother and simply marched ahead in silence. Seeing that his goal was achieved, Kobayashi stopped pestering her.

After a long trek through a dense forest, they reached a cliff with a wide, open view. It was already dark. Seeing the familiar outline of the base, the exasperated Mine finally felt her mood lift. She was finally home!

Lubbock, who was on perimeter guard duty, felt his worry dissipate upon seeing the long-overdue Mine. He turned to report to Najenda, who sat in the main seat.

"Boss, Mine is back."

"Finally." Najenda looked up from the intelligence report sent by the Revolutionary Army. In truth, she hadn't been able to focus on the report for some time, and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.

But Lubbock’s next words made her heart tense again. "There's an anomaly. It's not just Mine; there are two others with her."

"Two others?"

"A man and a woman. The man is slightly less handsome than me, and the woman looks like a cute, elegantly dressed noble lady."

Najenda’s expression turned serious. "And Mine?"

"Mine looks normal. There are no signs of her being controlled, and she didn't leave any signals on the way back to warn us. She shouldn't have been captured by the Imperial Army." Lubbock reported truthfully, then asked, "Boss, what should we do?"

"Mine wouldn't just bring people back at random," Najenda mused. She commanded, "Just in case, assemble the whole team."

"Yes!"

Following the order, Lubbock gathered their companions.

...

On the other side, Kobayashi and Mine soon reached the secret base. Walking into the main hall, his eyes fell upon a one-eyed, white-haired beauty in men's clothing sitting in the main seat. Her mechanical right arm was particularly striking.

"Boss, I'm back."

Najenda nodded. "You've worked hard buying the supplies for the team. Now, who are these two?"

"Boss, listen to me!" Mine stepped forward to claim credit, pointing at Kobayashi and Ruri. "He's a Teigu user, and the one next to him is his humanoid Teigu. I saw he was a talent worth cultivating, so I brought him back!"

"Did you learn this from Leone, seeing 'talent' in everyone? And bringing a stranger to the base—I recall telling you that is strictly forbidden!" Najenda shot her a stern look.

"Uh..." Mine stuck out her tongue, seeing that the boss was angry. But Teigu users were incredibly rare talents.

Najenda turned her gaze toward Kobayashi, who stood openly and confidently not far away. She felt this boy was far from simple.

Seeing her interest, Mine added with a touch of pride, "He was a bit reluctant at first, but I tricked him into coming! Aren't I amazing?" She had completely dropped the act now. She even wore a mischievous grin, as if settling the score for being teased earlier, and prodded Kobayashi, "Actually, I lied about introducing you to the high-ranking Imperial officials. How about that? Didn't expect it, did you?"

However, Kobayashi showed no anger, looking as if he had expected it all along.

Najenda’s eyes glinted as she said in a low voice, "Mine, this boy let himself be tricked on purpose."

"...On purpose?"

Hearing Najenda’s words, Mine’s eyes widened in disbelief. She turned to look at Kobayashi. "You tricked me?!"

"Mine, you were the one who tricked me first."

This confirmed Najenda’s assessment; Kobayashi had indeed played her. With a hint of provocation and mockery, Kobayashi began to explain when he had discovered her ruse.

"From the very beginning."

"You knew from the start?"

"That's right."

Seeing her disbelief, Kobayashi began to lay out his deductions. "First, you were dressed elegantly and acted with the arrogance of a noble lady, yet you had no guards protecting you. That was the first red flag."

"Second, although you had plenty of money and kept shopping, you didn't buy expensive luxuries like a noble lady would. Instead, you spent your money on cheap ingredients and everyday household items."

"Third, even though you were generous enough to treat me, you were clearly in a rush to leave. But the moment I revealed I was a Teigu user, your attitude changed instantly."

"And finally..."

"There's more?!"

"Of course. You actually almost let it slip several times. I was so nervous for you I was sweating. With your intelligence, you really shouldn't try to deceive people. You'd better eat more walnuts to boost your brain."

*Savage!*

Pure, unadulterated savagery! Having spent so much time with Ruri, Kobayashi’s sharp-tongued skills had improved significantly. His words dealt a massive blow to Mine.

Najenda coughed lightly. "Regardless, thank you for not attacking Mine." A sniper without protection was extremely dangerous, especially since Mine hadn't brought her Teigu this time. Her partner, Sheele, should have been with her, but a mission had required Sheele's Teigu, so Mine had been sent to buy supplies alone. She hadn't expected a boy to suddenly appear and see through it all.

Najenda asked curiously, "You're quite bold, stepping into a trap knowing full well what it was. Are you that confident in your strength?"

"You could say that," Kobayashi didn't deny it. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Once I realized you were a group, I thought I’d round you all up to use as my entry ticket."

"An entry ticket?"

"I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to get ahead. You are my merit."

"Merit? Hahahaha!" Najenda burst into laughter as if she had heard something hilarious. "If you really managed to round us all up, that would indeed be a monumental achievement. You might even be appointed a general."

"Oh? Really?" Kobayashi feigned surprise.

"Boy, looking at you, it seems you don't actually know who we are."

"This is my first day in the Imperial Capital. I have no idea who you are. I thought you were just ignorant bandits coveting my Teigu, but looking at you now... you seem quite famous?"

"Famous? Ah, of course we are famous!" Najenda said with a touch of pride. "Just as people rot, nations eventually crumble. Even this capital, which has prospered for a thousand years, is nothing but a corrupt hell on earth, where demons in human skin roam with arrogance and tyranny!"

"If heaven cannot punish evil, we shall see to it that it vanishes into the darkness!"

"We are the professional assassin group: Night Raid!"

As she spoke, the members of Night Raid made their grand entrance.