Komyushou no Saikyou Assassin wa Tomodachi ga Hoshii ~Yuujin Kouhou wa Nazeka Zen'in Saikyou Spec no Bishoujo Deshita~ [Prologue] [Free]

Heyooo guys!! This post is going to be a little special, as I’ve decided to translate this new novel by the sensei; Lemon Takugawa—the very same author behind the light novel/manga "A Warrior Exiled by the Hero and His Lover"

I hope you all enjoy this new story; let's wait and see what the great Lemon Takugawa has in store for us 😁

Prologue start here:

In a land far to the east of the Kingdom of Elresia, there existed an ancient nation known as Azuma, where martial prowess was held in the highest regard. Azuma was home to eight individuals who stood at the absolute pinnacle of combat, revered throughout the country as the "Eight Great Eastern Heroes."

A two-headed wyvern soared through the skies above Edo, the capital of Azuma. This particular specimen, sporting one red head and one blue head, was twice the size of a standard wyvern—a mutation so fearsome that even high-ranking adventurers would turn tail and run.

A deafening roar shook the capital.

The wyvern breathed fire and ice, ruthlessly raining destruction down upon the people below.

"It’s Kuroi! Kuroi is here!"

The citizens looked toward the heavens in unison.

Black clouds began to swirl over Edo, and from the center of the vortex, a young man descended at high speed.

Clad in midnight-black gear with a cloth covering his face up to the bridge of his nose, the black-haired youth carried a sword at his waist that radiated a divine aura.

The young man’s name was Ituki Coleman. A foreigner who had journeyed to this far eastern land.

Ituki sliced through both of the wyvern’s necks in a single, fluid pass.

He touched down on the ground without a sound. The townspeople watched him from a distance, their eyes filled with awe. His jet-black silhouette and his sharp, blade-like gaze—honed by the heat of battle—struck fear into those around him. When he took a single step forward, the crowd instinctively took a step back.

"Are... are you guys okay? Good. I’m heading out."

The moment the people tried to get a word in, he vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"I blew it again. I really wanted to actually thank them today."

"He’s just on another level, you know? You can’t just walk up and chat with a guy like that."

"Lord Kuroi isn't looking for praise. Just look at him. That’s a real man right there. He lets his back do the talking. Man, he’s so cool."

"Edo has been saved countless times since he arrived. He is a true hero."

The people of Edo sang his praises.

---

Ituki arrived at the Kanzaki estate located in a corner of Edo.

The world knew him as the strongest assassin in the East.

He sat in the center of an eight-mat room, his favorite sword resting by his side.

One of the Eight Great Eastern Heroes: Ituki Coleman.

He was the strongest assassin in Azuma, granted the title "Kuroi" by the Emperor himself.

Across from him sat a stern-looking old man with white hair, dressed in a traditional kimono.

"I heard about your work today. Well done, my disciple."

"I’m just glad I could take it down before too many people got hurt, honestly."

"Hmph. And are you handling your duties as a Hero without any issues?"

"I guess you could say that."

The old man’s eyebrow twitched.

This was the man who taught Ituki everything he knew about the blade: Genryusai Kanzaki, the current head of the Kanzaki Style. By mastering his techniques, Ituki had climbed the ranks to become one of the Eight Heroes. Not only that, Genryusai was the man who had taken Ituki in and looked after him as a foreigner. He owed the man everything.

"That’s a pretty vague answer. If you’ve got something to say, spit it out."

"Fine. Master, remember when I first got to Azuma? You told me that if I mastered the Kanzaki Style and became one of the Eight Heroes, I’d be popular in no time and make tons of friends. You lied to me! I’m still totally alone!"

"Well... I mean, I did say that..."

"Do you have any idea how it feels to be the only Hero with zero friends? I haven't made a single real buddy. The townspeople literally run away when they see me. I know I’m gloomy and unsociable, and my communication skills are trash—believe me, I know! I’m trying! I hate being like this. I don't even care about being strong anymore; I just want a normal friend!"

"Wow, you really find your voice when it's time to complain, don't you?"

Even during meetings with the other Heroes, Ituki would just sit in the corner of the room. Whenever he tried to join the conversation, he’d get so nervous his voice would fail him, and the meetings would inevitably end without anyone speaking to him.

Of course, he knew the Emperor and the other Heroes respected him based on their actions. But for a guy who dreamed of friendly banter and hanging out, the current reality felt like a total betrayal.

"I’m sure you realize the Eight Heroes represent the pinnacle of martial arts, sworn to protect the Emperor and the people. I’ve got no clue why the locals run away from you, but I’m sure they’re grateful deep down. But... surely you could at least get close with one of the other Heroes?"

"Get close to those guys? No way, impossible. They’re way too intimidating and powerful. Plus, whenever I try to get near them, they go out of their way to avoid me."

"You say they look 'powerful,' but you realize you’re one of them, right?"

Ituki reflected on his journey so far.

Back when he had just turned seventeen, he was desperately worried about making friends. Well, he still was. Back then, he figured his shy, introverted personality was the problem, so he tried wearing flashy clothes, using weird catchphrases, jumping into rivers for no reason, and even inviting people to birthday parties.

Naturally, those misguided efforts failed miserably. Now, they were just cringey memories from his youth.

Then, it hit him. Maybe what he needed was physical strength.

If he were strong, people would naturally rely on him, and communication would follow. Then, people would say, "Wow, you’re so cool! Let’s be friends!" and his problems would be solved instantly.

He decided to become a disciple after finding a random flyer.

The flyer read: Learn the Kanzaki Style and become the most popular guy around! To a kid searching for strength and popularity, it felt like a sign from God. He decided right then and check out Azuma. He traveled all the way from the Western Kingdom of Elresia to the East and knocked on the dojo door.

Under Genryusai’s tutelage, his skills improved rapidly. But he didn't make any friends.

Still, he believed his master’s promise that his life would change. He kept training, thinking that if he just followed his master's lead, his day would finally come.

But then it was, "Hey, if you go out and slay the demons and monsters terrorizing the land, you’ll definitely make friends."

Followed by, "If you make it into the Eight Heroes, it'll happen for sure, trust me." And then, "If you could just master the Secret Art... yeah, that's the ticket to being popular." He’d been strung along for four years, and he was still a loner.

At this point, he was starting to suspect it was all a scam. After all, more than half of his salary went back into this estate. "He played me. Liar. Scammer," Ituki muttered to himself as he cursed his master in his head.

On the other hand, the training was actually top-tier.

He had undeniably become stronger, eventually rising to become one of the top eight fighters in the country.

The only problem was that strength didn't fix his social life. In fact, it felt like the stronger he got, the more isolated and avoided he became. It wasn't his personality, and it wasn't his lack of strength. Ituki was officially clueless about what he was missing.

"I just want a friend. Someone who gets me, someone to hit me up to hang out on the weekends, someone to give me a pep talk when things are rough... and someone I can trust to have my back in a fight."

"I think that's exactly your problem."

Genryusai sighed, rubbing his temples.

"So, basically, you're unhappy with the status quo, and it’s making you lose your edge with the sword?"

"Yeah. Plus, you still haven't taught me that Secret Art."

"Ahem. It seems you need to gain a little more experience. To be honest, I called you here for a reason. We’ve received a classified mission."

"Classified? But why come to you?"

Ituki swallowed hard.

He felt like the topic of the Secret Art was being dodged again, but he waited for the details of the mission.

"You’re originally from the Kingdom of Elresia, right?"

"Yeah, more or less."

"Lately, Elresia has been making some suspicious moves. Even though it's far away, it could eventually affect Azuma. The Emperor is considering opening diplomatic ties with them down the road. So, he wants you to return to your homeland and look into what's going on."

Hearing that, Ituki caught the gist of it.

It was an intelligence mission. He was to go back home under the guise of a returning citizen and spy on Elresia from the inside.

However, the news kind of bummed him out.

"Espionage, huh? I’m not really great at that."

"I get that. But there’s nobody else for the job. Or do you have some lingering loyalty to your homeland?"

"No, not at all. I don't really have any good memories of that place."

"Whoa, the light just vanished from your eyes. What happened to you over there...?"

Genryusai shivered at the cold, hollow look in Ituki's eyes.

Ituki decided to ask about a point that was bugging him.

"I get why I'm a good fit for the role. But why go through you, Master?"

"Because this is a high-stakes, dangerous mission that could spark an international incident. Knowledge of this is strictly on a need-to-know basis—it's hidden even from your fellow Heroes. We can't be sure there aren't foreign spies lurking in our own government."

"What about my status as a Hero?"

"Secret. You have to leave behind everything that connects you to 'Kuroi.' That means the gear granted by the Emperor, and your sword—which is basically a divine relic. Furthermore, you are strictly forbidden from using the Kanzaki Style."

Ituki was floored.

The black gear he wore was top-tier armor gifted by the absolute ruler of Azuma, and his sword was a masterpiece that could easily be called a legendary artifact. On top of that, he couldn't use his primary fighting style. It was like going into a fight with his hands and feet tied.

Ituki let out a long, heavy sigh.

"Fine. I’ll leave all my gear behind."

"Good. Regarding the duration, we’re looking at three years max. During that time, you'll be an ordinary guy returning from Azuma. You need to build connections with high-ranking individuals and sniff out anything related to our country."

"C-Connections?! Me?! The guy with no friends?!"

"Well, you know... I’m sure you’ll figure it out."

"I'm telling you, I can't! If I could do that, I'd already have friends!"

"Yeah, good point. I was thinking the same thing."

They both stared off into the distance.

Genryusai looked at his pathetic disciple with genuine pity.

"Do you really not have a single friend? Not even one?"

"When I was a kid, there were three kids I was close with, but they moved away or whatever and I haven't seen them since. I can't even remember their faces or names. That was basically the peak of my life."

"Man, living your whole life in a slump sounds rough."

Genryusai felt a deep sense of worry for his disciple’s future.

"Either way, the orders have been given. Besides, this could be good for you. You’ve been tied down by missions and restrictions until now. Think of it as a fresh start. Go home, relax a bit, and maybe a friend will just... happen. Actually, they need to happen, or we're in trouble."

The Emperor’s word was law. There was no saying no. Ituki thought it over. Maybe if he had some free time, he could actually focus on making friends. Plus, he was going back to where he grew up. He wasn't the same kid he was back then; he had a lot more experience now. Maybe, just maybe, he could actually pull it off.

"So, what's the plan? What do I actually do?"

"Right. First, you need to get close to the royalty. But since you can't reveal who you really are, that won't be easy. Start off as a run-of-the-mill adventurer. Build up some trust, climb the ranks, and eventually aim for S-Rank or even EX-Rank."

"I see. If I'm a top-tier adventurer, I'll eventually get an audience with nobles or the royal family. Makes sense."

"I'll let you know who the specific targets are later. For now, just focus on getting in with the royals."

Ituki sighed internally. The royal family, huh? I bet they're all entitled extroverts. He didn't have a shred of confidence that he could handle them, or if he could even make it that far. But once he took a job, he saw it through. He still had his pride as one of the Eight Heroes.

Sensing the conversation was over, Ituki stood up.

"I'll give it my best shot. Give my best to Mizuki."

"Will do. And remember, if you get caught, the best-case scenario is execution. Worst case, it’s torture followed by execution. So be careful."

"Eek?! Okay, I'll be careful!"

Trembling slightly, Ituki gave a deep bow and left the room.

Left alone, Genryusai stared out at the garden, muttering to himself, "I hope he's gonna be okay..."

Chapter 1 will be released early on Patreon, exclusively for members. Look out for it soon!