[Nicholas Anstalionah.]
The sudden sound of my name startled me. I had been focused on reviewing the latest reports sent from the army.
It had been two days since Nicole left to join the war, and I had dealt with nothing but headaches ever since.
I sat quietly in my office, mindlessly signing documents and analyzing troop movements.
As expected, the war was unfolding exactly as I had predicted.
Malachi had led forces to the south, while Nicole marched farther southeast.
Mirabel, of course, remained behind to protect me, in case I was targeted again.
Though between us, I already knew exactly who planned to make a move on me.
I rose from my desk and reached for the black cloak draped over the chair.
White clouds patterned its fabric, calm and drifting, in stark contrast to what I intended to do.
With my sword strapped to my side, I was prepared to meet my enemies face to face.
As I opened the door, I nearly collided with a knight raising his hand to knock.
He quickly lowered his arm and bowed. "Your Majesty. She's summoned you to the castle gates."
I nodded with a smile. "Ah, I was just about to head there myself."
Placing a hand on his shoulder, I added softly, "Be at ease. I don't bite."
Ever since my sudden change in demeanor, the knights, guards, and attendants had begun to look at me differently.
Not with fear or contempt, but with something worse.
Worry.
As if they suspected I was only pretending to be pleasant, waiting for the moment I would snap and consume them whole.
I passed the knight without another word, my pace quickening as I made my way toward the gates.
There were forces in motion I had no intention of ignoring.
The image the world held of me, vile, cruel, hot-tempered, was not entirely false.
With Gabriel's departure, I had no doubt the Golden Authority was on high alert.
I crossed corridors swiftly, the sound of my boots echoing through the castle, until I reached the door that opened to the courtyard.
To my surprise, it wasn't just Mirabel waiting for me.
Another man stood beside her.
Short, scruffy silver hair parted down the center. Black eyes. Pale pink lips.
His white garments bore golden sigils, and his presence radiated a pressure that rivaled Gabriel's.
I recognized him instantly.
The man who killed me in my past life.
Mirabel greeted me with a warm smile as the man offered a polite bow.
"Ah, Nicholas. This is Griffin."
He smiled gently. "Nice to meet you. But Mirabel, I believe you introduced me incorrectly."
She blinked, caught off guard. "Ah, I'm sorry. This is Saint Griffin."
I stepped forward and shook his hand. "Hahaha, don't mind her. I'm Nicholas Anstalionah, though I suspect you already know that."
Griffin nodded, his expression bright. "I came after hearing word of Saint Satire's visit."
I chuckled. "Well, come on then. I can put my plans on hold."
Mirabel gave me a strange look, but Griffin only smiled.
"Ah, I couldn't impose. I only came to give you this."
He released my hand and reached into his back pocket, producing a small silver trinket—a delicately crafted crow.
"Take this. Trust me, you'll need it soon enough."
Before I could object, he pressed it into my palm, turned, and climbed into his carriage.
Mirabel gave a soft wave as he departed, though his grin as he waved back was, unsurprisingly, infuriating.
No sooner had the wheels rolled away than Mirabel grabbed me by the collar.
"What was that?" she demanded.
I glanced down at the silver crow and smiled. "Something I'll definitely need."
That trinket bore the mark of the Silent Court, an organization whose influence reached every kingdom in the world.
They dealt in mysteries, in cosmology, in the unknown.
I had crossed paths with one of their members in my past life, an encounter that nearly killed me.
They were fascinated by my condition. Most assumed I was simply frail, plagued by weakness.
But it was far more than that.
Mana can separate one from the physical body. When I use it, I no longer have a defined form.
My illness affects every part of me, spiritual, mental, and physical.
Of course, altering my physiology wasn't my current goal. I suspected that with enough power, I could overcome it eventually.
For now, I had other plans.
I turned toward the carriage I had prepared for us and offered Mirabel my hand. "Shall we?"
She eyed me suspiciously but accepted it. "Just what are you planning?"
I giggled, guiding her inside. "Nothing too dangerous."
[Nicholas was a troubling man. His plans often led to conflict.]
As I helped Mirabel into the carriage, I couldn't help but feel targeted.
My efforts have never betrayed me, so why subject myself to a life without them?
If it weren't for my laziness, I might have even sought out my old master. But that would have to wait.
Most of what I intended to do had to wait, partly because of my laziness, and partly because of this war.
The carriage began to move. Our destination lay just north of the capital.
That was where I planned to meet my assailants and provoke them into attacking me. I wanted to force out another aspect of my Regalia.
Since I was fairly certain they were part of the Silent Court, it also gave me a reason to investigate them.
Mirabel wasn't suspicious of the Golden Authority, but the Silent Court would be far easier to confront.
Even then, I had no intention of destroying the entire organization. There was someone within it I still needed to meet.
My eyes drifted toward the window as we passed a sparse collection of trees.
We moved through open plains now. I glanced back at Mirabel, who gave me a strange look.
"Would it not be easier to tell me your plans?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
I shrugged. "Promise not to question me?"
She gave me a long, hard stare, then sighed. "Fine, but I won't let you do anything I deem dangerous."
I scoffed. "You deem everything dangerous."
She reached out and squeezed my cheeks between her fingers. "Just tell me, damn it!"
I chuckled. "A little farther north, we'll be attacked. I need to fight them alone."
She leaned back and crossed her legs. "Why?"
Didn't she just agree not to ask questions? I sighed. "Growth. Experience. And most of all, I just want to."
In my past life, I had been traveling to see a doctor after my illness worsened. On the way there, we were attacked.
This was the same path we took, only a month early.
The only reason I suspected they'd be here ahead of time was simple.
The carriage suddenly rumbled. The driver screamed.
The war.
Fertical shouldn't have advanced this far, but I suspected they knew I would seek a skilled doctor.
That doctor lived in this dukedom. It wasn't surprising they had that information, especially with Malachi visiting me so often before I declared war.
Mirabel drew her sword and pressed a hand against my chest. "Poor man. Dead because of your games."
I laughed softly. "Don't worry. They won't kill anyone but me."
We stepped out together.
Snow drifted from the sky in a slow, steady rhythm. Silence blanketed the air.
Then, the soft crunch of snow beneath a footstep.
I felt it.
Their presence, enormous, pressing down like a wave ready to drown us.