Chapter 88

The place Ophelia led me to was a secluded back alley outside the main building.

A few crushed mana herbs were scattered on the dirt floor, and some were even stuck in the cracks of the wall.

Places like this always look the same, huh? Even in the training grounds of the game world.

With a bitter smile at the familiar sight, I brought the cigarette I was holding to my mouth.

Ophelia also pulled out a long mana herb, lit it, and flicked her finger lightly.

With a *whoosh*, two flames bloomed.

“Oh, this is pretty convenient.”

“Convenient, indeed.”

Ophelia chuckled lightly and inhaled the smoke.

“So, what did you want to talk about? That story from last time?”

She had asked me to eliminate her sister, Claire van Sigmilus.

She said she’d handle the detailed plans and cleanup herself.

“You remembered? Right. That’s why I called you. It’s not time to act yet, but…”

“Things have changed a bit between the me back then and the me now, right?”

I cut her off.

It must’ve hit a nerve, as Ophelia let out a soft groan.

Back then, I had no real connections with the capital’s nobility and hadn’t achieved anything particularly noteworthy. I was just a vaguely strong warrior with a bad reputation.

I did have the Landenburg Margrave as a sponsor, but… a sponsor is just a sponsor.

I even struggled with money, so maybe I thought it was just a formality.

My status as the princess of the Ka`har tribe also only became significant after my position rose considerably. Until then, I was just seen as a “barbarian princess.”

I might’ve been respected, but I couldn’t wield any real power within the empire. It was like being wrapped in fancy packaging.

From the perspective of the Sigmilus family, a powerful imperial count family, there was no reason to pay attention to me.

And Ophelia herself must’ve been getting desperate.

That’s why she picked me out of the blue.

But now, that same person has become a master-level warrior even the imperial family is paying attention to…

On top of that, the emperor himself granted me a title, officially recognizing me as an imperial noble.

In short, it’s become a difficult situation to use me as a mere assassin.

Now that I’ve gained political standing within the empire, depending on my stance, I could even become an enemy.

Claire van Sigmilus is one of Ernst’s faction nobles.

And she’s directly connected to Isabella.

“…So, you’re planning to change your mind?”

“Well, I don’t know yet. At least now I can hear the detailed reasons, right?”

I exhaled smoke leisurely and spoke.

Ophelia sighed.

Two streams of breath intertwined and scattered.

“Ha… So you’re at least thinking of keeping your promise. Good. Since I’ve already revealed my goal, there’s no point in hiding the reasons. I’ll tell you everything.”

She continued, talking about the Sigmilus count family and her sister.

—

“Our family, the Sigmilus count family, has produced outstanding magicians for generations. My grandfather, my father, and… my sister were all like that.”

Sister. Ophelia muttered softly.

The emotions in that monologue had a slightly complex resonance, more than just simple hatred.

“My sister, Claire van Sigmilus, was hailed as a prodigy from a young age… Everyone praised her as a future grand magician. She probably saw herself that way too. But then, I was born.”

Ophelia pointed at herself with her fingertip, as if introducing herself anew.

Her exaggerated demeanor carried a hint of self-deprecation.

“A talent beyond comparison since the founding of our family. A genius among geniuses who manifested basic magic at just five years old. Not just a future grand magician, but someone for whom *not* becoming a grand magician would be strange. Naturally, all the family’s expectations focused on me. What do you think my sister thought, watching that?”

She probably wanted to kill me.

If she were the type to genuinely rejoice in her sister’s talent, Ophelia wouldn’t be grinding her teeth like this.

“At the very least, that’s when my sister started obsessing over power. That’s also when she tried to kill me.”

Ophelia chewed on the mana herb.

Was she recalling the crises she’d faced, or mourning the transformation of her own flesh and blood?

“Slow-acting poison that gradually deteriorated my health, attacks and kidnapping attempts every time I went out, strange rumors about my personality… I found out that my sister was behind all of it when I was around twelve. She always played the role of the loving sister in front of me, disgustingly so.”

“You managed to survive, huh?”

These weren’t threats a child in their early teens could handle.

I guess a genius is still a genius.

“When I was young, I was lucky, and after realizing the truth, I hid my abilities. I made sure to appear competent but not a threat to her. It wasn’t that hard…”

“It’s not like it’s unheard of for a childhood genius to turn into an ordinary person as they grow older, right?”

“True that.”

“If she had been completely incompetent, I would have been suspicious… but it seems she managed to walk a fine line quite well.”

“And then the family’s interest gradually faded… Meanwhile, my sister somehow became a prominent figure in the Third Prince’s faction.”

Ophelia shrugged her shoulders.

I know exactly what she did. She attached herself to Isabella, becoming her loyal servant and handling all sorts of shady tasks for her.

“Since she’s a prominent figure in Ernst’s faction, it seems like touching her would be too risky, right?”

“No, actually, this is the last chance. If the Third Prince becomes the heir, my sister will become untouchable. But if we take her down now, while the power balance is still somewhat even, it could tip the scales in favor of the First Prince. If the First Prince wins, cleaning up afterward won’t be a problem. Anyone who might raise questions will be too busy worrying about the gallows.”

“And what if the Third Prince wins?”

“Of course, I don’t plan to let that happen, but that goes without saying.”

“Once my sister is dead, I’ll be the sole heir to the Sigmillus Count family. From then on, I won’t need to hide my power anymore… I’ll be a genius magician once again. After dealing with my sister, I plan to maintain a neutral stance. Even the imperial family can’t just execute someone like me on mere suspicion.”

So, she’s planning to play it safe.

No matter which prince wins, she won’t be labeled as part of the opposing faction and purged.

“And if they still try to frame me… I can always throw myself into the Magic Tower. It’s not ideal, but…”

Well, with her talent, if she were to join the Magic Tower, they would protect her.

“After all, the Empire is always thirsty for strong individuals. Once I reach the level of a high-ranking magician, there won’t be any issues. They wouldn’t want to lose a powerful figure over some internal family power struggle.”

It’s not like the accusation would be false. You are the culprit, after all.

Aside from that, her reasoning makes sense.

Unless she’s some irredeemable villain, committing murder over family disputes is pretty common among nobles.

If she shows loyalty to the Empire afterward, they probably won’t try to kill her—that’s the idea.

Yeah, it’s a decent judgment, except for the fact that Isabella’s personality might not be as rational as Ophelia thinks.

“That’s all from me. So, what do you think?”

“Hmm…”

I dodged the question. It’s too early to agree.

For Ophelia, it’s just about revenge against her sister, but for me, it’s more like a political assassination.

The cigarette was almost burnt out by now.

“First, I assume there’s no concrete plan or execution date set yet? Whether I agree or not will depend on hearing the plan first.”

She shrugged her shoulders defiantly.

“You might just be using me and then trying to discard me, right? Like having me assassinate Claire and then subtly leaking that info to the Third Prince to save your own skin or something.”

“Pretty direct… Yeah, that’s a reasonable suspicion. At least I know it’s not a flat-out refusal, so that’s something. Alright, I’ll come back when the plan is set.”

Ophelia’s reaction was more straightforward than I expected.

She probably already anticipated I’d react this way.

“Alright. But I won’t tell anyone about this conversation, so you can rest easy on that part.”

“Not exactly a reassuring statement, you know that, right?”

“What else can I do? There’s no alternative… You’ll just have to trust me.”

Anyway, I have nothing to lose—until the deed is done.

So, bring me a plan that I can feel confident and satisfied with, Ophelia.

If I’m convinced it’s foolproof, I’ll do it.

“Sigh… I picked the wrong person for this job… I should’ve been more careful.”

“You won’t find many people more reliable than me.”

“Sigh…”

Ophelia shook her head, sighed, and left the alley.

I stomped out my cigarette and headed back to my quarters.