It seems the largest hotel in Solari town was unavailable, so we ended up staying at a somewhat cramped inn on the back street.

"Lord Yabe, it looks like there was a mistake and we couldn’t get the biggest room. But this inn also has quite a good atmosphere, doesn’t it?"

Lord Fenberg said that and personally guided us to the inn. Of course, a guide and knights were waiting for us ahead.

The dinner after that was delicious enough, but there wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy.

After that, since we would be entering the royal family’s direct territory tomorrow, I told Irina and Sarina to rest well and also went back to my room to rest early.

Then I entered my room alone and looked out the window.

A narrow alley. Various buildings were visible from the rooftops.

It wasn’t the big hotel on the main street we had originally planned, but a medium-sized inn in the back alley.

For some reason, the big hotel on the main street hadn’t been reserved.

This Solari town is located along the main road to the royal capital. Since we had detoured through the Devil’s Tower, we were taking the northern route, and although the schedule was a little off, Solari town was supposed to be our overnight stop anyway.

"..."

There’s a prickling feeling.

Is someone who wants to get in my way acting?

The mage who attacked at the Devil’s Tower committed suicide. But will the mastermind just leave the surviving mage as is? Have they already learned that I defeated the Demon King Gulaad? Then having an audience with the King at the royal capital wouldn’t be a bad thing for the mastermind, right?

What if I’m the enemy?

"Assassination...?"

It would be in the Tarbal territory.

Near the royal capital, and before entering the royal family’s direct territory, assassination would be difficult, and investigations after a successful one would be hard. If the King summoned a guest and had them assassinated in the direct territory, the royal family’s dignity would be completely ruined. On the other hand, it could be a way to undermine the royal family’s authority, but in that case they would probably aim for a more certain assassination.

That is, assassination within the Tarbal territory before entering the royal family’s direct territory.

And this Solari town is the last town before entering the royal family’s direct territory.

If they were aiming, there was no other choice but this town.

I stood in the center of the room while still wearing my robe.

I had already captured the suspicious person on the rooftop with Presence Perception and Magical Power Perception.

All that remained was to wait and see when they would come.

While I was thinking that, a suspicious figure approached the window.

Then they opened the window and entered.

Incidentally, I was facing away from the window, just standing in the center of the room.

It might even look like I was the suspicious one.

"Yabe, right...? Your life is mine?"

"Why the question mark!?"

I had planned to strike first and then bind them, so I was showing my back. But I turned around to retort.

The figure was clearly a ninja. That’s right, a ninja.

Since this was important, I said it twice.

A ninja in this isekai world? It felt like a kunoichi because they looked like a girl.

They called themselves "watakushi" and declared themselves a ninja.

"So, Yabe?"

"You speak so casually, but it’s illegal entry, right?"

"This world has loose laws, so it’s fine..."

"!!"

What the hell did this person just say!? This world has loose laws...

"You’re... a reincarnated person...?"

"Muu... so are you...?"

"I don’t know. I think so, though..."

"That’s beside the point. Yabe, your life is mine."

"Why? Whyyy!? Right now we’re talking about something super important for reincarnated people, right? Right?"

"Umm, a request? Yabe’s head is worth a lot."

"Gaddamn! When did I become a bounty hunter!?"

"So your life is mine."

"Wait a minute, I still don’t know your name."

"...? Assassins usually don’t reveal their names."

The ninja girl answered more seriously.

"But if you’re a reincarnated person from the same Earth, can’t you at least tell me your name?"

"Then I’ll introduce myself."

"Alright, please."

"My name is ’Fukashi no Natsu’."

"Huh? Fukashi no Natsu?"

"Yes. Natsu is a skilled assassin. ’Fukashi’ means she can show up without being seen, so she’s ’unseen,’ and if she targets someone, they can’t escape death — ’undying.’ Plus, she talks a lot and says ’fukashi’ a lot, so it became ’fukashi’."

"Sorry! Apologize to Mr. Sakamoto from the 10-year NEETs!"

I was furious. By the way, the 1 next to the 0 is a 0 when on top, not a zero, got it?

"What are you even talking about?"

"You’re lying!"

This person is definitely a light novel fan!

There’s a high possibility they reincarnated from the same era as me.

If so, I want to ask a lot of things, but the assassin’s ability is completely unknown. If they received cheat abilities like me, they could have insane unreasonable attacks. I must communicate and exchange information at all costs.

"Arirare... It was the best. I want to reread Mr. Shirou Ozaki’s works again~"

"Ufu fu~... Yu-sama is the best... I’m also envious..."

"Tenra... It’s the best. I want to reread Mr. Fukashi Okami’s works again~"

"Ufu fu~... Trans-Serial is the god of Shi~ I want to give them a scare with cooking too."

"No, that’s a bad thing!"

"Eight Zero... That’s even better, the best!"

"Ah, it’s Y. Zero’s works. It’s a really engaging and great story. If it were me, even just being the eighth son would make my heart break."

"Fufu fu~... Yabe looks like a weak-willed type. Even with great magical power, he can’t use it fully."

The ninja girl chuckled.

"Leave it to me... You’re definitely a reincarnated person! You’re from Japan and the same era as me, right?! What year did you reincarnate from?!"

I grabbed both of the ninja girl’s shoulders and shook her.

"Hyowah!?"

"Don’t look down on the Light Novel Great Demon King of Kita-Senju! You’re a villainess reincarnator, right? I’ve read everything!"

"Muu... Yabe... can do it!"

"What’s wrong, Yabe! Are you okay!?"

"Are you okay?"

"What are you making a fuss about, Yabe-dono"

"What happened to you, Yabe-sama?"

It seemed Irina, Sarina, Lord Fenberg, and Luciana had rushed in without knocking.

And I was grabbing the ninja girl’s shoulders and shaking her like that.

"Y-Yeah, Yabe..."

"Impossible..."

"Muu! Kidnapping a cute girl!"

"That’s bad!"

The other three, but Luciana-chan is terrible. What exactly is bad?

"Assassins don’t call people ’cute girls,’ right."

I sighed and released the ninja girl. I was cautious, though.

"An assassin!?"

Irina was shocked.

"Muu!?"

Lord Fenberg reached for his sword, but there was none. Hey hey.

"For now... Yabe, your life is mine."

"No! For now, don’t take my life! Assassination is bad! Absolutely!"

"If it’s illegal drugs, it’s fine?"

"No way!"

"Yabe is willful... what should I do then?"

What should I do? Asking me?

Also, this Natsu girl is a bit... no, quite weird. Even as a reincarnated person, can she easily assassinate strangers?

Disability at reincarnation... No, she’s an assassin who lived until her memories came back?

"Natsu, did you realize you’re in this world?"

"No, I died horribly in my previous life, so the god said to reincarnate here."

"Who?"

"God."

There’s a god! Of course! God! Even when I was alive, they never showed themselves!

"Did you meet God?"

"No, I realized I was in this world!"

"So pitiful..."

"Of course I’m not pitying you, right!?"

"Yeah."

I hate this person.

"So, what did you do after meeting God?"

"I said I wanted to live healthily, and they gave me various abilities in this form. Cheats for free."

"Gooooooooo!! You bastard!! I envy you!!"

I wailed.

"Yabe! What’s wrong! Is it an enemy’s mental magic?"

"Yabe-sama, please hold on! This medicine will bring you back to your senses!"

I was given some unknown bitter medicine by force.

"Peppeh."

"Hey, Yabe, don’t spit it out."

Irina covered my mouth. Her treatment was terrible.

"Yabe didn’t get a cheat, right? What a disappointing person."

"Leave it alone!"

"So your life is mine."

"That doesn’t make any sense!"

"I won’t let you kill Yabe!"

Irina stood protectively in front of me.

Her feelings are happy, but her legs are trembling?

"So, I heard your head is worth a bounty, right?"

"Yes... Yabe’s head is for free."

"How much?"

"100 gold coins. For free."

"I see. Then how about this?"

I took out two bags of 100 gold coins from my sub-space compression storage.

Clink!

"200 gold coins. If you become my ally, I’ll double it."

"Oh~ Yabe is a successful merchant? Without cheats."

"That’s why leave it alone!"

"Don’t cheat without cheats, that’s harsh! I’m crying in my heart!"

"So 200 gold coins for free. Therefore, I’ll become Yabe’s ally."

The ninja girl slung the bag over her shoulder.

"So who is the person who requested my assassination?"

"The leader of the Assassin Guild ’Black Knights Dark Knight’, Kaiserzel. I was shown Yabe’s appearance and told that he’s staying at this inn. If you bring his head, you get 100 gold coins."

What a dangerous story. No no no.

"So? If you fail, it’s bad, right? What about the other assassins?"

"I’m a lone wolf not belonging to any organization... I just overheard the profitable story in a bar."

"Don’t aim at people’s lives just because it’s convenient!?"

"That’s why I didn’t accept the request. I just overheard the story."

Then it’s like if you succeed you make a profit. But I’m already gathering information at this inn...

Is their goal assassination or information gathering?

"So, what will Natsu-chan do from now on, after becoming Yabe’s ally with 200 gold coins?"

I asked "Fukashi no Natsu."

"For now, since Yabe is my ally, Yabe won’t be assassinated. After that, I’ll rent a cute room in the royal capital, buy nice furniture, and eat delicious food."

"A room in the royal capital with 200 gold coins and a carefree lifestyle? That’s too much."

"I’m a freelancer, so I don’t have any special information."

"If you don’t have any, go get it!"

"Umm, it’s outside my jurisdiction. Then..."

The ninja girl jumped out the window and ran across the rooftops.

"Ah, she escaped."

She said she’d become my ally but stole 200 gold coins.

...Next time I want to talk a bit more with the light novel...