Isekai Assassin: Volume 1 Read online

I set my lips in a hard line, resisting the urge to scowl.

  Not only did she tail me, but she had the wherewithal to plan ahead and predict that I would probably try and kill her.

  She’s clever. And that makes her twice as dangerous.

  Aless was a threat to me, but someone with her skills didn’t come along often. And in this world, she was the most skilled I’d seen yet.

  I lifted my hand, motioning towards her. “And in return?”

  She hopped to her knees and slid her legs over the side of the bed. “Teach me how to build an organization and train me. It’s clear you’re skilled. I nearly lost you half a dozen times while trailing you. You’re highly trained, which is something I never thought I’d see in this city again. My own abilities have stagnated. I want to be better, more than what I am now.

  “It’s getting harder and harder to pickpocket anyone these days, and if something doesn’t change, I’ll be dead this winter.”

  “You want to be my apprentice?”

  “That’s exactly what I want.”

  I shook my head. “You do realize that I’m not a thief, right? That I’m an assassin?”

  “I do.” She paused and sat up on the bed. She crossed her legs and stared at me, a question clear on her face.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Why do you do it?”

  I looked at her sideways. “Do what? Kill?”

  She nodded. “You clearly have incredible skill in stealth. You could probably make just as much money stealing, and you wouldn’t have to kill.”

  “Uh.” I paused as a feeling of unease came over me. I rested my head against the peeling wall and sighed, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my trousers. “That’s a complicated question.”

  “Is it?” She shifted, scooting to the edge of the bed and kicking her legs back and forth. “Seems like a very simple question to me.”

  “Maybe.” I sighed. “But I don’t have to justify my actions to you.”

  “I’m not asking about justification. I’m just asking why. Do you not know, or do you just not want to talk about it?”

  “I’m not going to talk about it. There’s your answer,” I said and shook my head. “And you’re not going to be my apprentice. I don’t take apprentices, not anymore.”

  “Why not?” Aless asked as she climbed off the bed and leaned against the frame.

  “None of your business. I just don’t.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Now, you’re going to either give me a reason to spare your life, or I’m going to take it.”

  Aless frowned, folding her arms under her modest chest. “Helping you unite the pickpockets isn’t enough to buy my life?”

  I paused and rubbed my chin. “Maybe.” I won’t train her, but if she’s willing to help get the pickpockets under her, that’d help tremendously.

  Wait, help with what?

  What benefit is there for the pickpockets to unite under me? I’m a killer, not a guild leader.

  I could turn them over to Charles, but I immediately discounted that idea. He was a garish man, and even from the brief conversation we’d had, I could tell he wasn’t fit to lead the city’s underworld. He was nothing better than a glorified drug lord.

  A supplier who dabbled in a few other areas. I didn’t think he was up to the task of leadership.

  Maybe see how Aless does. She seems decently competent. Why not let her control the pickpockets and answer only to me?

  I paused as an obvious answer presented itself to me.

  Why don’t I take over the underworld?

  I shook my head. The idea was utterly ridiculous. I’m just an assassin. I’m hardly qualified to lead anything.

  Though from what I’d seen so far, no one else was qualified either. I at least had an idea of how to go about it.

  No. I shook my head again. No. I won’t take over, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pave the way for someone better qualified down the road.

  A kingmaker, instead of a king killer.

  It bore some thought, but I was still too new to the city for such grand ideas. I was using borrowed equipment and had just completed my first job. There was still much I had to do before I even thought about restructuring the underworld.

  “Look, it’s not a bad plan, but as you said. I’m still new to the city, and these things need to be handled carefully.

  “I’m not saying no, but we have to go about it the right way.”

  I paused, watching her face as it rose and fell at my words.

  “If you want to help, then spread the word to a few of your pickpockets, float the idea around and see if they’re receptive to it. It may not be right away, but it’s something to consider in the future.”

  She nodded. “Alright, I can do that. What will you do in the meantime?”

  “Take some more contracts. Coin is what I need most right now. Everything else comes after I have money in my pocket.”

  “Smart.” She nodded. “How do I reach you if I need to talk?”

  “You don’t.” I turned and opened the door. “You have potential, but follow me again, and it won’t matter that I like you. I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

  I left before she could respond, ghosting down the stairs and out the door.

  I’d spent more time than I thought talking to Aless. Night had long since fallen, and in the abandoned street, the only light was from Aurella high overhead.

  It’s too late to head back to the bar tonight. And I really need sleep. I’ll find somewhere to bed down and make my way there in the morning.

  There were plenty of houses to choose from. All I had to do was pick. I chose one at random. A dilapidated two-story that was one bad day from crumbling.

  After searching the house, I found a few trinkets and candles in a trunk under the bed in the second-floor master bedroom. I took the candles out and propped back against the trunk. I pulled my pack around and pulled out the remaining pork and chicken I’d been saving.

  I stuck the candles on the floor and whispered, “Ember.”

  Once more, the small flame joined me along my fingertip, and I marveled at the simple use of magic. It was such a little thing, but it was born of nothing but a word.

  It was incredible. And I wanted more.

  I lit the candles and celebrated my first job with a well-deserved meal. When I’d finished eating, I finally let the fatigue and exhaustion from my fight with Ildan drain away. My eyelids drooped almost immediately, and I had to fight to stay awake.

  I drew my cloak tight around me and was asleep almost instantly.

  Though my peaceful sleep was interrupted a dozen times by every little noise that fluttered down the street. By the time dawn broke, I’d only managed an hour or two of actual sleep.

  The sun hit my eyes, and I was on my feet instantly. I glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings before the conversation with Aless came back to me.

  I checked over everything, finding nothing had been moved in my sleep. After I gathered up my things, I took off back to the bar.

  It was too early for most people to be out and about, so I walked the cobbled streets mostly alone, broken only by the occasional worker or lady of the night, slinking back to the brothel after a night of debauchery.

  By the time I’d gotten to the bar, the sun was a little higher in the sky, and more people were going about their day.

  The Cracked Cask seemed open but empty. I slipped inside and found only one person in the room.

  “Morning Elias,” Christoff called out with a yawn.

  I smiled at the friendly barkeep and matched his yawn, rubbing my aching eyes. “Morning, Christoff.”

  He jutted his chin towards me. “Get you anything. Breakfast? Ale?”

  “Yes, on the breakfast.” I nodded, grinning. “No to the ale. Water, please.”

  “You’re in luck. Water carrier stopped by a few minutes ago. Freshest water you’ll have all day.”

  He busied himself getting breakfast ready, and in between tending the stove,
he brought me a mug of clear water.

  I performed my usual test and sipped on it while he cooked. From the scents wafting my way and the hiss and pops, he was making bacon. It smelled heavenly, and my mouth watered.

  “Is Charles around?” I asked.

  He scowled, but it quickly vanished. “No, he won’t be up for hours, likes to party into the early hours. Probably only went to bed a few hours before sunup.”

  I chuckled and took another sip. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  Christoff brought me a plate of eggs and bacon with a side of toast. I ate slowly, savoring the delicious meal. When I was done, I pulled out the pouch of vahn I’d taken from Gordon last night and counted it.

  The money totaled over six hundred vahn. Considering the two hundred vahn I had on me and the two thousand I’d be getting paid for the Ildan job, I was in a much better position than I had been only a few days before.

  Considering a decent meal and an ale only cost three vahn. It seems having a couple thousand vahn makes me decently wealthy.

  I’ll need some new gear today. Need to go ahead and pay off Terrance, which will eat into my funds, but that can’t be helped. Good quality equipment is a must. And I really need to find a place to bathe and also get a change of clothes.

  My armor was just as important as my blades but would likely take just as long to create. I needed to get some new clothes in the short term as well as everything I’d need to continue plying my trade.

  I talked with Christoff for a while as I waited for Charles to wake up. Being a bartender, he heard everything and knew a ton more than he would ever admit to.

  There was a fine line in asking for information. I could learn the basics from him easy enough, but prying deeper would get him to shut up and refuse to answer any more questions. I had to tread carefully as we talked so I could learn more about the city.

  The first thing I asked him was about going about finding gear.

  I slid him a few vahn. “Any place you recommend for lockpicks and the like? I need to restock my supplies, but I’m new to the city.”

  He nodded, sweeping my money into his hand with practiced ease. “Yeah, two streets over.” He made a sour face like he’d tasted something foul. “Shop called Angela’s. She’ll play coy at first, but tell her Christoff sent you and she’ll allow you in the back of the shop.”

  Good, shouldn’t push him. Work my way slowly into his confidence. I have a feeling he’ll be a useful font of information. But I can’t poison the well too soon.

  “Thanks.” I drummed my fingers on the wood. “And your commission?”

  Christoff shook his head. “That’s not it. Let’s just say I owe her and leave it at that. She’s a pain in my ass, but you aren’t liable to find better in these parts of the city.”

  “Hours, you say?” I asked.

  “Yep. Probably won’t rise before noon. You’ve got time to shop if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “Appreciate it.”

  He gave me a bit more direction to Angela’s shop and went back to work.

  I stood and headed out of the bar to browse the wares Vohra City had to offer.

  Chapter 12- Dress to Impress

  It didn’t take long to find Angela’s, thanks to Christoff’s help. I crossed two streets and was there in under ten minutes.

  Angela’s was an odd shop. An eclectic mess of a general store and an oddities shop. I found flour and baked goods in the window next to creepy porcelain dolls and an antique clock.

  A worn wooden sign hung askew, held aloft by a single thin chain. The sign just said Angela’s. Nothing more.

  I pushed open the door, and a bell chimed throughout the empty shop.

  Rows of a motley assortment of shelves held seemingly every item I’d ever seen and more than a few that I had no idea the use for. Knives, cookware, glassware, herbs, clothes. It was a drop of useful items in a sea of junk.

  Ignoring the clutter, I pushed through to the counter, a small black island that was surrounded by even more stacks of detritus. However, there was no one around in the shop.

  How does she even find anything in this place?

  I was a neat person, had to be in my line of work. And this place was anathema to me. It made my skin crawl just looking at it.

  A bell sat off to the side, but I didn’t immediately press it. I waited for a few minutes, but when it was clear that no one would be showing up. I tapped it. A single chime dinged, and almost as soon as I touched it, a loud voice filled the air.

  “Heard ya’ the first time. I’m comin’ for Weilin’s sake. Gimme’ a damn minute.”

  There was a rustling of cloth and beads clinking before a portly, dark-skinned woman came around the corner.

  She barely came up to my neck, and her face drooped, turning her features into an abstract painting. Her mess of graying hair was pulled back into twin tails, the only thing neat and proper about her. She wore a black tunic two sizes too big and a cloth apron filled with junk. She eyed me as she leaned on the counter, out of breath.

  “Can I help ya’, sir?”

  I nodded, my lips set in a hard line. “I need equipment, Christoff sent me.”

  Angela snorted. “And how is that no good son o’ mine? Still off serving drinks for the city’s waste of space? Workin’ for that scumbag Charles was the biggest mistake o’ his life.”

  Son? I guess they have the same skin tone, but that’s about all the familial resemblance I can make out.

  I shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you, only met him a couple of times. But I need gear, and he told me this is where I could acquire it.”

  “Whatcha need? Ever it is, I can get it for ya’.”

  “Quite a lot,” I replied. “Lockpicks, the best quality you can procure. A prybar. Rope, black silk, or the equivalent. Something strong that can support the weight of a full-grown man, yet light and easy to carry.” I ran my thumb over my chin. “I also need a grappling hook, one that folds and can be stowed away. Flammable oil and some very fine twine. Poison, lethal. And some leather armor, a few sets of clothes too.”

  I leaned against the counter as I finished recounting everything I needed.

  Angela whistled, long and slow, and grinned wide when she finished. “Is that all?” She leaned heavily on the counter. “Seems like someone is going to be busy.”

  She looked up and to the side, then back at me. “Most o’ that I have or can get. Wait right here.”

  With that, she shuffled off to the back, leaving me in the cluttered room. For a second, all was quiet. Then loud clangs bounced off the walls as well as a string of mutterings and curses.

  It took Angela about ten minutes to come back, and when she did, she held a large bundle in her arms, the drooping fat quivering from the weight.

  “Should be most o’ what you need,” she said breathlessly as she set the bundle down. “Few things will need to take some time, but this should get you by in the meantime.”

  She unfurled the bundle, and I peered over to look at the items.

  From a glance, it seemed they were indeed high quality. My eyes gravitated toward the pick set. It was good quality steel, almost the same as the set I carried back home, but only slightly worse quality.

  It’ll do, though. And from what I’ve seen, the locks here aren’t as well made.

  I looked over every other bit of gear. The prybar, rope, poison, and grappling hook were all well made. The hook even came apart and could be stored in separate leather sheaths to stop the bits of steel clanking together.

  “I hope everything’s to your likin’.”

  I grinned. “It’ll do.” After I checked over the items, I looked up. “I still need armor and clothing, as well as a belt with pouches to hold everything.”

  “I know. Heard you loud an’ clear,” she said. “The armor will take time, and I don’ have anything in your size to take, so I’ll have to make it. I’ll get your exact measurements in a minute, but for now, you’ll have to just do witho
ut.

  “I do have some clothes that should fit you. Client o’ mine skipped town before he could pick ‘em up. And you look about the same size. Might have to adjust them a bit to fit you exact, though. The clothes are on the finer side, but from the list you gave me, you’ll be wantin’ some black clothes too as well, right?

  I shook my head. “No. The pants and shirt should be charcoal gray, preferably mottled to help break up the silhouette. Armor should be black, which will help even more, but I’ll also need a new cloak. Preferably a dark forest green like the one I’m wearing, but better material.”

  “You don’t want a black cloak?”

  “God no, only those who are up to no good wear black cloaks. To do my job, I need to blend in. If I go out in all black with a black cloak, that just screams I’m here to commit crimes.”

  She snorted, her jowls quivering as she laughed. “Never thought o’ it that way.

  “Wait right here, may take an hour or so to get clothes ready for you. I’ve got most of the materials on hand. Let me go get eveythin’ set up and grab a measurin’ tape.”

  “Hold up,” I said. “You wouldn’t happen to have paper and something to write with, would you?”

  “Sure do.” She pulled a long sheet of fine paper from under her counter and a piece of graphite. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  I took the paper and began sketching, not bothering to respond to her. There was something I needed, but I doubted it existed in this world.

  Since I haven’t seen any signs of firearms existing in this world yet, I doubt they would have made it like I need. If so, good for me. If not, I hope I can get it built.

  The item I wanted to build also struck another chord in me.

  If flintlocks don’t exist here yet, maybe I can build one.

  It was certainly an intriguing idea, but I would have to learn much more about the world before I could confirm that it was possible or not.

  But the thought made me smile. Maybe in the future.

  Angela came back about five minutes later and dropped off the measuring tape on the counter, but I was busy sketching, so I didn’t pay attention to her.

  “Stop ya drawin’ an’ come here for a second. Need to get your measurements.”