Does the Assassin Girl Dream of the Mana Doll?

Preparing for the Departure

The following morning, Letty jolted awake, fully emerging from her usual half-asleep state. She sat up in bed and sensed a presence approaching—it was Ellie.

“Good morning, Letty-san!”

“Morning, Ellie,” she nodded, returning the energetic greeting.

Ellie leaned forward eagerly, like an overenthusiastic pup. Letty gently pushed her away and hopped out of bed. Still clad in her underwear, she slowly stretched her legs, arms, and back, checking how she felt.

Today, just like any other day, Letty was in tip-top shape.

“Letty-san, if you had told me, I could’ve assisted you with your morning stretches.”

“Hmm, there’s something about your touch that feels off…”

While trading these lighthearted remarks, Letty finished her stretching routine and got dressed. Ellie on the other hand, was already donning her usual robe.

“Well, time for breakfast. I pitched in today too!” Ellie exclaimed.

“Ellie, you… cooked?”

“Of course, cooking is part of our marching duties.”

That was one of the reasons mana dolls were designed as female models.

Even during war times, people still needed to fill their bellies. They’d usually bring along someone to whip up meals, but someone had the genius idea of using mana dolls to save on unnecessary personnel. So, Ellie, being one of the later creations, came equipped with some culinary skills.

According to Ellie, there was another reason. “I firmly rejected that aspect, so I have a pure body, you know,” she declared with a cheeky allure.

In any case, having female models turned out to be pretty handy for keeping the predominantly male soldiers in check when it came to their three main desires.

“Alright then, I’ll leave the cooking duties to you on our journey,” Letty decided.

“Yes, of course, leave it to me! I Just hope we don’t get stuck with that rock-like bread again,” Ellie grumbled, giving her ample chest a pat.

As for Letty, she didn’t mind that bread one bit.

“Don’t you cook, Letty-san?”

“I… have never cooked before. It wasn’t really necessary.”

“Did you… eat properly, though?”

“I… did.”

Ellie shot Letty a skeptical glance.

With Letty’s relatively tall stature for a woman, she had a slender body. Her arms and legs seemed to have the bare minimum of flesh. Apparently, she managed just fine with hard bread and nuts during their camping.

“When you say that, you mean you had three square meals a day, right?” Ellie probed.

“Uh yes… isn’t three meals enough?”

“What did you eat…?”

“Bread and nuts.”

“That’s no different from our camping meals! You need some meat, meat!” Ellie exclaimed, grabbing Letty’s shoulders, suddenly realizing just how thin she was.

“But meat can be pricey…”

“But you’ve got money, at least for now.”

During this era, agricultural productivity had been steadily improving, and the food situation was not as dire as it used to be.

However, the availability of meat was still limited, and in urban areas, it was considered a somewhat luxurious food compared to the rural regions where livestock was raised.

“Alright then… I’ll make sure to fatten you up during this journey, Letty-san!”

“I’m not sure if that aligns with the purpose of our trip,” Letty furrowed her brow, a hint of confusion on her face. Yet, there was an underlying sense that she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea.

“Oh, Ellie, now that you mention it, you were looking forward to indulging in delicious food, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, we’ve been so caught up that I haven’t had a proper feast!”

The food provided by Old Bob was definitely an upgrade from their camping meals, but it was far from a culinary delight.

“Well then, Ellie… maybe your cooking is actually delicious?”

“You keep teasing me like that… but I did put some heart into it, you know! Come on, Letty-san, let’s go and grab a bite!” Ellie tugged at Letty’s arm.

Surprised by the sudden grip, Letty hesitated for a moment but then decided to go along with it. She realized that she didn’t mind it as much as she initially thought.

“Alright, alright, no need to pull me around…” Letty relented, and together they made their way to the dining hall.

After filling their bellies, they ventured out for some shopping to gather supplies for their journey.

The city of Walls was strategically located on a road that connected the east and west, buzzing as a thriving trade hub.

Duke Tanderam, the city’s ruler, held the esteemed position of prime minister, attracting a significant population of merchants to the city. Being a big city, it also boasted a bustling adventurers guild, swarming with its members. Thus, it was the perfect place to stock up on essential items for their travels.

Their first destination was a specialized shop catering to adventurers’ weapons.

“Is this staff any good?”

“Sorry, I can’t really tell what makes a staff good…”

They leisurely inspected the weapons on display, paying extra attention to the staves designed for mages.

During their journey, in case they stumbled upon a battle, it would be better not to reveal Ellie’s abilities. It didn’t sit well with them to involve innocent bystanders. Of course, it would be perfect if they could handle any threats without being noticed.

So, Ellie decided to play the role of a mage throughout their travels. Since there were actual spells called “Mana Bolt” and “Mana Blaster,” she thought it would be easy to deceive others by mimicking the incantations.

“The design of this staff looks cool, but what really matters is how well it conducts mana. Among the options here, I think this one takes the cake. Don’t you agree?” Ellie said.

“Oh, miss, you’ve got quite the eye for this stuff,” the shop owner, who had overheard their conversation, chimed in. Ellie responded with a playful tone, “Aw, come on, you’re just really good at what you do!”

Before they knew it, they were engrossed in an animated discussion about staves and ended up snagging one with a sweet 20% discount.

“Ellie… You’re something else…” Letty couldn’t help but mutter as she observed from behind.

After that, they headed to a tool shop to gather camping essentials and other supplies for their journey. Amidst the various options available, they chose the biggest shop with an impressive range of products.

Stepping inside, they were greeted by an array of tools, strolling through the aisles as they casually examined each item.

“Hey, Letty-san, I think we can get by with just one blanket for the both of us…”

“That was for emergencies… We didn’t have a choice back then.”

Ellie pouted. Despite a bit of playful resistance from her, Letty managed to gather everything they needed, including blanket, water bag, backpack, and other supplies for Ellie.

Considering the upcoming adventure, Letty also thought it would be wise to have a simple tent to shelter them from the rain. It struck her as amusing that she never really thought about these things when traveling alone.

“Oh, Letty-san, let’s grab this pot! It’s so versatile—it can boil and grill, plus it’s surprisingly easy to carry on your back!” Letty exclaimed, pointing at a large iron pot.

“Alright, but you’re really determined to do some cooking, huh…” Letty reluctantly agreed.

Alongside the pot, they purchased wooden plates, spoons, and other utensils, as well as a magic stone for starting fires. In addition to their usual provisions of bread and nuts for preserved food, they got convinced to grab potatoes and dried meat. They ended up buying more stuff than Letty originally expected. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother her in the slightest.

***

Author’s Note:

Human connections leave behind traces. Yet, people are people, and I am myself. The time has come for our paths to diverge.

Up Next: The Morning of Departure.

Someday, the time will also come for us to intersect.