G6 sat behind her desk, Earl's book open in her hands—payment for intruding on her training. Her eyes were on the page. Her mind was elsewhere.
Hmm. Ever since I woke up in this body, it has been a mess. A far cry from my old life. Exhausting.
Just to spend a few hours outside this gilded cage, I need a perfect alibi.
Her thoughts were a turbulent sea. A calm facade over an infuriating reality: she was a prisoner disguised as a noble.
But no one can stop me. I will do this my way.
She closed the book—unread—and stood abruptly. The sudden movement made Tina and Lilia snap to attention at their corner desks.
"Lady Reise?" Lilia called, confused.
"What time is it?" G6 asked, crossing her arms.
"Nearly a quarter to eleven—" Tina began.
G6 slammed her hands on the desk. Both maids jumped. "Where the hell is Edmund? It is almost time to leave." Sharp. Impatient.
"Why such a rush? Do you love Utility Magic that much?" Tina pressed, suspicion lacing her tone.
"Mind your own business, Tina." G6 turned her back, stared out the window at the capital.
"The entire Bastion is in a rush for the knight recruitment. Paperwork postponed for posters and leaflets," Tina explained.
"That is why I trained you for three days, is it not?" G6 did not turn.
"Stop whining and do your job. I am paying you extra," she continued.
"The Collegium is paying me. I am merely taking over your duties," Tina fought back, polite but firm.
"I did not come here to stick my face in paperwork."
"You must take responsibility for what you asked for."
G6 turned to face her. A dangerous glint. "Stop getting on my nerves, Tina. I am already on edge."
Her sharp glare made Lilia gently grasp Tina's hand—a silent plea to stop.
"Forgive me for annoying you, my lady," Tina finally relented. Provoking a storm would not help.
The door opened. Edmund.
"Lady Reise, would you like lunch before we—"
"No." G6 replied so immediately it was almost a reflex. "Let us go. Tina, Lilia, I have informed Brenda you will join her in the cafeteria. Take your meals with her."
"Thank you for your kindness!" Lilia said warmly.
"Please ensure you actually go to the Utility Department," Tina added, concern still there.
G6 responded with an annoyed wave. She hitched up her gown and hurried out without a backward glance.
"Please ensure her work here is handled well. We would not wish to draw the Queen's attention." Edmund gave a polite nod to the maids, then followed.
"Lady Reise was worried we would be left out if she was not here," Lilia mused once alone.
Tina looked at her and smiled. Their mistress was harsh, cold, intimidating. But behind the pragmatic exterior, she was still looking out for them.
As they began to miss their busy mistress, G6 was rushing down the hall to escape the Bastion.
On the other side, Earl and Keith headed to Prince Dio's office.
"Reise! No breakfast with you this morning! Or dinner! Earl worked me to death!" Keith whined, spotting her.
"How are you? You have missed two morning sessions," Earl noted.
As they drew close, G6 brushed past without a word or glance. Her pace never slowed. The two men stood, stunned.
"Did she not hear us?" Keith puzzled.
"My voice was loud enough to carry," Earl stated dryly.
"Please forgive Lady Reise; she is merely in a great hurry." Edmund offered a quick, apologetic bow, then rushed after his mistress already descending the stairs.
Keith pouted. "I miss playing with Reise."
Earl gave him a sharp look, continued walking.
They reached Prince Dio's office door. It opened. The Prince himself emerged.
"Where are you going?" Keith asked.
"To Reise's office. I have something to ask," Prince Dio gestured across the hall.
"Get inside. She is long gone." Earl ushered both Keith and Prince Dio out of his path and into the office.
"Yeah, it is your fault," Keith added, shrugging as he followed.
Prince Dio's brows furrowed in irritation. "What is this unmannerly attitude? Have you forgotten who I am?" He watched them make themselves comfortable on his sofa.
"You are the Prince," Earl said flatly.
"And my cousin," Keith added.
Prince Dio closed his door. His plan to see her, impossible. "Did she already leave?"
"Yes. In quite a hurry."
"She did not even bother to answer me." Keith pouted again. "And it is your fault."
"How is it my fault?" Prince Dio walked to his desk.
"The Queen must be the one who instructed her to take up Utility Magic. To become a more suitable wife for you," Earl stated plainly.
"I was told she chose it herself."
"Why would someone like her ever take an interest in something meant solely to benefit you? It is clear how much she defies you."
"Well, Reise maybe cannot admit it was Her Majesty's order, so she claims it as her own will," Keith chimed in. "If you think back to dinner, it is obvious someone like her would never willingly stay in Utility."
"Why do you both keep insisting Reise no longer has any interest in me?" Prince Dio's annoyance surfaced.
"We know it hurts, but you must accept it," Keith teased, delighting in it.
"If you feel frustrated that your fiancée does not like you," Earl said, voice cold and factual, "then perhaps you now understand how she felt all this time."
His words left Prince Dio utterly speechless. Heavy silence.
The truth hung, stark. Had the tables turned? Was Prince Dio, once pursued, now chasing the woman he had carelessly ignored? The irony was a bitter pill.
「CAPITAL TOWN — ADVENTURERS' GUILD」
While the three men speculated, entirely wrong, G6 and Edmund were already at the Adventurers' Guild.
Same method. G6 concealed herself. Horses reunited beyond the gate.
Now, inside the bustling hall of the Adventurers' Guild.
G6 leaned against the wall beside the task board, arms crossed. Impatience radiated from behind her dark sunglasses. Edmund scanned the postings.
"Hmm… nothing suitable nearby." He grew uneasy under her sharp, silent scrutiny.
"Eddie!" Liam called, coming over from the reception desk. "Looking for?"
"A task not too far. Perhaps an hour's ride."
"Perfect! Here." Liam procured a fresh poster. "Small goblin nuisance in Oak Village."
"Oh, forty-five minutes by carriage," Edmund noted.
"A bit odd for adventurers to take a carriage, is it not?" Liam stated the obvious fact Edmund had momentarily forgotten. "Do not you fellows usually walk or hitch?"
"Of course! We were thinking of hitching with a merchant. My niece is recovering from injuries; the ride is easier," Edmund said.
"Well, it is yours if you want. Odd to see goblins so close to the capital. Best an A-rank team checks it out," Liam said.
"Thank you, Liam."
"Nothing. I held it back, knowing you two would return. Good luck!" Liam smiled, returned to his post.
G6 remained unbothered. Edmund handed her the poster.
"Shall we?"
"Let us go." Flat. She handed it back without a glance.
They left, slipped into a quiet alley where their horses were tethered.
"I will lead." Edmund mounted. G6 followed.
Both wore long cloaks, less for disguise now, more for sun protection. At the capital's main gate, knights stopped them for a routine check.
"Adventurers?" One asked. Edmund nodded, presented guild cards.
"Alright. Be careful. That serial killer is still at large. The daily gazette reported another victim this morning."
Serial killer? The one Tina and Edmund mentioned.
"Understood. Thank you for the concern." Edmund nodded politely.
The other knight gestured all-clear.
Their horses broke into a run. Vast greenery outside the capital walls unfolded. Breathtaking. The strong, warm breeze caught G6's hood, pulled it back, whipped through her hair.
She closed her eyes. This was freedom—not a destination, but the journey itself. No villa or gilded cage could compare to a world she could navigate on her own terms. The powerful animal beneath her was her partner, her engine, her key. Every hoofbeat on the dirt road was a rhythm of defiance—a step from the suffocating palace toward the untamed wild she understood better than any court.
Their horses ran at a swift canter. A forty-five minute journey cut to thirty. Powerful animals. They reined in at Oak Village's center, dismounted.
"G6, let us find the village chief," Edmund suggested.
A single, curt nod. They guided horses through unnervingly empty streets.
"Stop right there!" A man's voice commanded behind.
They froze. Training kept them perfectly still.
"Now, turn around. Slowly."
They turned, deliberate and non-threatening.
"Take off your hoods."
They complied, revealing faces to wary villagers armed with farming tools and makeshift weapons.
"A-Rank adventurers from the capital's guild." Edmund's tone was calm, de-escalating.
"Oh! Sent by the guild?" The man relaxed, gesturing for others to lower weapons. "Forgive our hostility. Mistook you for bandits—the long coats. Rare to see adventurers on horseback. I am Johan, chief."
"Eddie. This is my partner, G6."
G6 wordlessly removed her coat, folded it with efficient precision, secured it in her saddlebag.
"Bandits? This is close to the capital's protection?" G6 noted. Modern sensibility found the concept illogical.
"Often happens when knights are sent on expeditions," Johan sighed wearily.
"But raids typically occur five towns out, not the first," Edmund pressed, storing his coat.
"Correct. But bandits have grown bold. The fourth town attacked recently. Only goods and supplies were stolen."
"Hmm… bizarre."
"More bizarre are goblins appearing here now. First town outside the capital. Never happened. Our hunters are kept from the forest. We cannot make our living."
"We will investigate on our way." G6 stated, already leading her horse to a shaded tree to tether it. Professional. A mission parameter, not solace. "Ensure our horses are watered after they have cooled."
"Of course. Please, take care. The goblins are… unusually aggressive."
"We will handle it." Edmund assured.
After securing mounts, they headed toward the dark line of forest. Village tension replaced by ominous woods silence. A silence that felt less like peace, more like a predator holding its breath.
They moved with professional quiet, footsteps near-soundless on soft earth. G6 broke the quiet, voice a low, analytical murmur.
"The palace's security seems inefficient. Bandits ravage towns the moment knights look away? Flawed system," G6 said.
"A matter of logistics and privilege." Edmund's gaze swept the surroundings. "Every town has a teleportation circle, powered by natural mana. Activating requires significant charge and a mage at the palace to receive signal."
"Besides, villages are quite a distance from town," he added.
"Is that so?" G6 said, mocking Edmund's earlier claim. "And you said this kingdom is to be abundant."
"More often, a single knight group is dispatched. All nobles. Combat affinities are usually powerful enough to drive bandits away."
"Combat affinities." G6 filed the term. "Common ones?"
"Electrokinesis for lightning. Transmutation for alchemy. Floramancy for plant manipulation."
"Floramancy? Vines? Thorns?"
"Precisely. Versatile for attack and defense—thorn barriers, entangling vines. Sensory magic, crucial for scouts and trackers. Most are major occupations in the Collegium. Sensory and Electrokinesis users are common in the Bastion, serving as knights." He paused, voice lowering. "True Geomancy—deep manipulation of earth and stone—is exclusive to one of the Three Pillars. The Nocturnes. Common nobles practice Floramancy, a derivative branch. But these are just common ones belonging to Upper Houses. Many more affinities in the world."
G6 processed this. Correlating to modern military specializations. Electrokinesis: artillery. Transmutation: support, logistics. Floramancy: area denial, crowd control. Sensory: recon. A classic fireteam structure. They just called it magic. The big guns—"earthquakes and landslides"—kept under one roof. Controlled.
"So response time is slow because they wait for a specific 'affinity group' to be available?" A hint of criticism. "Inefficient. A standard rapid-response unit should be cross-trained for versatility."
Edmund glanced at her, a faint smile. "A pragmatic perspective. But here, one's magic is tied to bloodline and status. Flexibility is not… highly valued among nobility."
"It is a weakness," G6 said coldly. "A system that prioritizes pride over practicality is vulnerable. These bandits seem to have identified that."
"An astute observation." Edmund's expression grew graver. "Becoming difficult to ignore. Suggests organization and intelligence we have not attributed to common highwaymen."
"So, there is a snake in the palace?" G6 said bluntly. Cutting to the heart.
"Possibility remains open. Many nobles are dissatisfied with allotted domains." His voice was low. "However, I am certain the Three Pillars are not involved. Their responsibilities are external affairs, intelligence, military—the kingdom's foundations. If treachery is afoot, it would more likely originate from one of the three courts: Upper, Mid, or Low Court Houses."
The implication hung between them. A threat more insidious than any goblin.
G6 released a short, mocking laugh. "Who would have thought? Even your courtrooms have a class system."
Before Edmund could respond, a faint rustle echoed from the dense thicket ahead. Too deliberate. Too placed to be wind.
Their eyes met. Theoretical discussion over. The mission began.
"Dimensional Vault," Edmund whispered, touching his earring. A soft glow as he accessed his stored arsenal.
G6 merely touched her own earring and pulled out her twin swords—the custom blades she had ordered him to acquire. They gleamed with a cold, deadly light in the forest shade.
Then, instead of advancing on the ground, they took to the trees.
Edmund leaped onto the lower branches, his movements enhanced by the speed sub-skill of his Physical Enhancement magic, landing with practiced silence.
G6 simply ascended, her form lifting effortlessly into the canopy using her Reaper's Ascent technique.
<< Perfect Assassin Form: Activated >>
< Perception. Zoom >
Her vision sharpened, the world narrowing into a series of data points as she scanned for the source of the sound. But as she focused, a deeper, more fundamental wrongness made itself known. She felt… nothing.
She flew ahead, cutting through the air to land on a branch directly in Edmund's path, forcing him to a sudden halt.
"What is wrong, my lady?" he asked, his voice a hushed whisper.
"I have been meaning to say this, but I was not sure until now," she began, her voice low and tense. "There is no mana here."
Her words made Edmund's brow furrow in disbelief. "That is impossible. We are standing in the heart of a forest. Life is mana."
"That is why I did not jump to conclusions. But I am sure now. This forest is dead," G6 stated, her grey eyes scanning the seemingly vibrant greenery with new suspicion. "You said my body reacts to concentrated mana. I feel a tingling sensation in the palace gardens. Here, surrounded by all this, I should be buzzing with it. I feel… nothing. It is silent."
Edmund's face grew pale as the horrifying implication settled in. "I recall our talk. If that is so, it explains why your mana capacity seems immeasurable. It does not just come from within you, but from your surroundings as well." His gaze swept over the silent woods. "If your body feels no sensation… then this forest… something is profoundly wrong."
"Let us move swiftly. And keep to the high ground," G6 commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. She pushed off from the branch, ascending back into the canopy.
Edmund followed, his movements a silent, rapid blur as he hopped from tree to tree, a shadow using his speed to navigate the dead world below.
As they scouted from above, another rustling sound came from below. This time, G6's sharp eyes pinpointed the source: small, green-skinned creatures moving through the undergrowth.
So these are goblins… They are smaller than I imagined. About Lilia's height? Pathetic.
"Eddie. There," she whispered, the words carried directly to his ear by the Whisper of the Gale, a family magic designed for covert communication.
G6 turned, and Edmund followed her lead. They both halted atop a thick branch, looking down at the horde.
"Those are the goblins?" G6 asked, her voice flat.
"Yes," Edmund confirmed, his tone grim. "The notice was sent after three days of confirming their presence. But this… this is a horde. This is not the small nuisance we were led to expect."
"There are approximately a hundred of them," G6 stated, her eyes glowing with a faint, oblong white light as her perception skill calculated the numbers.
"Can you manage that without overusing a sub-skill?" Edmund asked, a note of concern in his voice. "Sustaining such precise perception is draining."
"I could do this with my eyes closed," G6 retorted, a flicker of arrogance in her tone.
<< P.A.F: Deactivated >>
The glow faded from her eyes.
"Let us proceed," Edmund said.
"Lady Reise, please be cautious. We cannot allow you to be compromised here," he reminded her, thinking of the political nightmare her injury would cause.
"To succeed in a mission, you only worry about the target," G6 countered, her voice cold. "Everything else is a distraction."
She descended first, dropping from the tree with the silent, controlled grace of her Reaper's Ascent. Edmund followed.
What happened next was not a battle. It was an extermination.
There were no chanted spells, no shouted warnings, no declarations of war. There was only a flash of movement and the swift, brutal economy of a predator culling its prey.
The moment her boots touched the forest floor, G6 became a blur. She did not run; she flowed, a phantom carried on a personalized gust of wind that propelled her into the heart of the goblin group.
In the blink of an eye, a dozen green heads toppled from their shoulders, hitting the mossy soil with soft, simultaneous thuds.
There was no fanfare—only the brief, sharp whisper of wind and the clean severing of flesh and bone.
Edmund could only stare, momentarily frozen. This was not the work of an average adventurer—nor of a pampered noble. This was the artistry of a born killer. A bloodthirsty predator had been unleashed.
She eliminated over ten in a split second… using wind merely for mobility. The killing technique… that is hers alone. She executes with terrifying finality.
Shaking off his shock, Edmund joined the fray, his own movements a masterful display of speed and precision, stabbing and slicing through the confused creatures. Blood soon slicked the forest floor.
The goblins descended into chaos. Those at the back nocked arrows, firing wildly at the shimmering figure in their midst. G6 did not even bother to fully dodge; she simply tilted her body at impossible angles, arrows whistling harmlessly past her. She would descend to just the right height, a dancer in a macabre ballet, her twin blades becoming a whirlwind of silver that left headless corpses in her wake.
This is fun, she mused, a genuine, chilling smile spreading across her face.
This was not Lady Reise. This was Akira Gemstone. G6. The Reaper.
The warm spray of blood against her skin was not a stain; it was a catalyst. It energized her, sharpened her focus, and filled her with a profound sense of purpose she had missed dearly. Each life she ended was a note in a familiar, beloved symphony of death.
She could not stop the euphoric smile—this was her element, her reason for being.
"G6! ON YOUR REAR!" Edmund yelled, himself busy cutting down the panicked goblins.
Without even looking, G6 launched herself into a graceful backflip, soaring over the creatures lunging for her. As she hung in the air for a split second, she gathered the wind around her, compressing it into a visible, shimmering arc.
WIND BLADE! she thought, her smile widening into something sharp and cruel.
She unleashed the spell not as a noble would, with control and restraint, but with near-full, devastating power. The compressed blade of air shot forward, not just decapitating the goblins behind her, but tearing through the entire row, cleaving them in two and painting the ancient trees with a grotesque tapestry of gore.
She landed softly, watching the helpless monsters not just lose their lives, but their very forms, a sight that filled her with deep, twisted satisfaction. This was not a fight for survival; it was a slaughter, and she was its willing, joyful architect.
"Seven minutes," Edmund stated, pulling his blade from the last goblin.
"Too short for fun, considering the travel time," G6 replied coldly, her voice devoid of any remorse.
Edmund tracked the path of her work. Every kill was efficient, a quick and precise severance. All died instant deaths, he thought, scanning the field of headless corpses. It was less a battle and more a systematic dismantling.
His gaze then fell upon G6, who now leaned casually against the large tree they had perched in earlier. The contrast was jarring. Her posture was relaxed, yet the blood splattered across her face and hands spoke of unimaginable violence.
It is so obvious now. You are no ordinary noble. You are a weapon. A force with strength equal to—or greater than—an entire platoon of knights. So why does this sight only deepen my loyalty? The contradiction confused him, yet the feeling was undeniable.
He pushed the thought aside and retrieved a canteen of water and a clean towel from his Dimensional Vault. He approached her not as her partner "Eddie," but as Edmund, her butler.
"Here, Lady Reise," he said, offering them to her.
"Appreciated. Thanks," G6 said. She took the canteen and, for the first time, drank from it without the cautious sniff that had always preceded it—a small, silent testament to the trust he had earned.
"I will gather the evidence to confirm the task's completion," Edmund stated.
"How?" G6 asked, wiping the blood from her hands with methodical efficiency.
"By their ears," he replied, pulling out a set of cloth bags.
"Why not take their heads? It is more definitive," she suggested, her tone implying it would also be more entertaining.
G6 only watched him work, a faint smirk on her lips.
This is great. I do not have the ring that helps with fatigue, but I feel only a light ache, light tiredness. I have truly improved in this body. The realization was a thrill. This vessel was not a cage; it was being honed into the perfect instrument.
As Edmund worked, the silence of the dead forest pressed in around them, a stark contrast to the brief, violent cacophony that had just ended. The mission was a success, but it had unveiled a far more dangerous truth. A predator was now loose in this world, her thirst for freedom matched only by her appetite for chaos. And back in the gilded halls of the palace, a different kind of predator likely waited—a snake in the grass, whose treachery had allowed these monsters to creep so close to home. The battle in the forest was over, but the real game, G6 knew, was just beginning.
—To Be Continued…—