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G6's initial confusion lasted only a second before her mind, sharp as a razor, snapped back into focus. A mind going blank was a luxury she couldn't afford.
"What does that even mean?" G6 asked, before a truly horrifying thought struck her. Her eyes went wide. "Don't tell me I'm mana-less in this magic world?!" she squeaked, her voice jumping an octave in genuine alarm.
The Queen steepled her fingers, resting them against her lips. "Hmm. 'Mana: Immeasurable'…" she mused, her voice a low hum of intrigue.
Another gasp cut through the room, this time from Leo. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS STATUS?!" he blurted out, his professional composure completely shattered by the screen.
The Queen's head snapped toward him. "Leo, bring the orb closer. Now."
Trembling, Leo slowly wheeled the stand holding the glowing orb toward them.
As the full stats shimmered in the air, a wave of stunned silence crashed over the room. The Queen's eyes widened. Tina's jaw went slack. Edmund's monocle looked like it was about to pop right off his face.
Mana: Immeasurable
Magic Affinities:
Wind - S
Cryomancy- C (Blessing of the Gods)
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Perfect Assassin Form- EX Rank
Silent Reaper's Blade- EX Rank
Eclipse-Step Movement - EX Rank
Death's Whisper Aim- EX Rank
SUPER EXTRA SKILLS:
Cognitive Nullification- S
Aura of Finality - S
Eyes of Chronos- S
Author's Decree- S
While the others stared in a mixture of awe and terror at the monstrous stats, G6's brain zeroed in on one terrifying line.
"Oh, shit," she whispered, the blood draining from her face. "What is that? 'Perfect ASSASSIN Form'?!" Her internal monologue went into a full-blown panic. Fuck! Fuck! Can this thing readmy resume? They're going to find out I'm a fake! Or worse, they're going to find out I'm an ACTUAL ASSASSIN!
"WAIT. EVERYONE, JUST… LET ME BREATHE." The Queen commanded, holding up a hand as if to physically stop the overwhelming information.
"Oh, my lady!" Edmund exclaimed, pushing his face so close to the stats he was almost inside them. "This is… this is utterly unprecedented!"
"I've never even heard of categories like 'Special Skills' or 'Super Extra Skills'," Tina said, frantically cleaning her glasses as if they were deceiving her. "They don't exist in any registry."
"She's right," Edmund agreed, his voice muffled by the hologram. "The highest recognized category is 'Extra Skills,' which fall under Physical Enhancement. This… this is something else entirely."
"This isn't the status of a noble! This is… monstrous!" Leo gasped, clutching his chest.
Monstrous? G6's panic was momentarily replaced by indignation. Rude.
Lilia, however, tugged on G6's sleeve, her eyes shining with pure, unadulterated stars. "Lady Reise! You're amazing! You're like a hidden final boss!"
"All of those are indeed new," the Queen muttered, her regal composure strained. "But the most shocking thing… the truly impossible thing… is this." She pointed a perfectly manicured finger. "Cryomancy."
Edmund and Leo leaned in again. "By the gods… you're right, Your Majesty," Edmund breathed.
"It can't be! Cryomancy is a myth! A theoretical magic discussed in ancient mage texts!" Leo cried out.
The Queen's gaze turned intense, her eyes locking onto G6 with a new, unsettling seriousness. "Reise, dear…" she began, her voice laced with a fear that made the room feel cold. "A question, however absurd it may seem. Did you… die before?"
G6's heart stopped. The air vanished from her lungs. She could only stare, her mind racing for a lie that wouldn't betray her on the spot.
"That's… a rather macabre and ridiculous question, Your Majesty!" Tina interjected, coming to her lady's defense.
"Quite right," Edmund added, finally pulling back from the stats. "If Lady Reise had died, she would not be sitting here so..."
"Right… of course," the Queen said, forcing a nervous laugh. "Forgive my foolish question, dear. It's just… the theory behind Cryomancy is…" she trailed off, choosing her words carefully. "It is said to be a spiritual mana, a shard of divine will kept in the Astral Vault for eons. It is said to stir on its own and choose its vessel—a soul it deems worthy to wield it."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"And the texts," Leo added quietly, "theorize that such a transfer of power is so profound… it can only occur through a death and a subsequent rebirth."
No one spoke. The unspoken question hung in the air, more terrifying than any stats sheet.
"What is Cryomancy?" Lilia asked, her small voice breaking the tense silence.
"It creates true ice," Leo answered softly.
"But can't Water and Wind mages make ice too together?" Lilia asked, tilting her head.
"They borrow cold from the air; they merely freeze what is already there," Leo explained. "But Cryomancy… legends say it doesn't create cold. It commands the concept of stillness itself. It could, in theory, freeze not just water, but motion. Or time. Or even… the flow of magic."
Lilia blinked, processing this. "I don't understand most of that," she declared. "But it sounds really cool."
G6, finally finding her voice, saw a perfect diversion. She let out a dramatic, overly theatrical sigh and fanned her face with her hand. "All this talk of death and myths is giving me such a headache. Your Majesty, about my Professional Card…? Does this mean I can get it now? I'd very much like to go see this Collegium." She said she wasn't aware of the rarity and big deal of skills and magic she possessed. And I can't wait to check out what could be a lethal spell.
"Hold your horses, my dear Reise," the Queen said, her voice losing its earlier warmth and shifting into that of a calculating monarch. "This… development is a matter of national significance. Such power could reshape the kingdom's future. It could make our allies wary and our enemies… dangerously jealous."
Ah, right. Politics and human nature, G6 thought, her smile fixed but her mind racing. Just give me the card and let me leave before this "Perfect Assassin" skill description gets any more specific.
"We must understand these strange skills of yours first," the Queen continued, nodding at Leo.
Leo tapped the description button on the orb. Text shimmered into the air, preceded by a stark warning
SPECIAL SKILLS:
EX- PERFECT ASSASSIN FORM -Total bodily mastery: absolute control over strength, speed, perception, and silence.
EX- SILENT REAPER'S BLADE -Can sever life without sound, resistance, or even a glimpse of the blade's motion.
EX- ECLIPSE-STEP MOVEMENT -Move without trace, sound, or presence-like a shadow passing through light.
EX- DEATH'S WHISPER AIM -Strike any target with perfect precision, regardless of range, environment, or obstruction.
SUPER EXTRA SKILLS:
S- COGNITIVE NULLIFICATION -complete immunity to mental intrusion, hypnosis, or psychic influence.
S- AURA OF FINALITY -Projects overwhelming killing intent that paralyzes foes and suppresses their abilities through sheer dread.
S- EYES OF CHRONOS -Perceives the world in slow motion, predicting movements and analyzing weaknesses with a single glance.
S- AUHTOR'S DECREE -Rewrites a single, small rule of reality within immediate vicinity once per day. (Drained all your mana.)
As Leo read the descriptions aloud, the room grew colder with each word. Edmund's usual composure vanished into stunned whispers. "Oh, good grace… this is… inhuman."
"EX-Rank… it's unheard of, on this day only S-Rank the higher both commoner and nobles could get." Leo added, his voice trembling.
"My lady," Tina asked, her voice full of bewildered awe, "have you been training in secret all this time?"
G6 didn't answer. She didn't need to. 'Silent Reaper's Blade'? That's just Iaijutsu. 'Eclipse-Step'? Basic ninja stealth. 'Death's Whisper Aim'? That's just being a good shot. The flowery names were new, but the skills were all hers—the deadly arts of Akira, translated into this world's grand language.
"This will be a matter of the utmost confidentiality," the Queen stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. "For Reise's safety, and for the stability of the Worthon name."
"Indeed," Edmund agreed swiftly. "The other Pillars would see it as an unprecedented shift in power. The nobility would be thrown into chaos."
"We will table this for now," the Queen decided. "I must consult my own master before we proceed. Until then…" Her gaze swept over G6's servants. "Tina, Edmund, Lilia. Your primary duty is now to protect your lady and ensure this secret remains one. Do you understand?"
"With our lives, Your Majesty," they chorused, bowing deeply.
Protect me? G6 almost laughed. Without magic, I could disarm all three of you in six seconds.
"Do you understand, Reise?" the Queen pressed, her eyes sharp.
G6's attention snapped back. "Perfectly, Your Majesty," she said, her voice the picture of obedient grace.
"Leo, the materials. Let's process the card."
What followed was a quick, ritualistic process: placing her family crest on the blank card, a prick of her finger, a drop of blood that made the metal glow with a cool blue light, sealed finally with the press of the Queen's own royal crest.
"It is done," the Queen said. "But this is no ordinary card. Your true status is stored directly within my private files. To any other guild scanner, it will only show your Wind affinity. I am your guild master now."
Finally! G6 thought, reaching for the card. "Then it's done? May I—"
The Queen pulled it just out of reach. "Not so fast. First, a promise. You will not use Cryomancy. Not until we understand it."
Tch. Can she read my mind? "I promise, Your Majesty," G6 said, layering her voice with convincing sincerity.
"Good. Secondly, I want you training daily at the Bastion grounds. Your physical endurance is lacking. One of your skills drains all your mana, and a mana-drained body is a weak body. It will leave you vulnerable."
I was already planning to, this body can't even lift a damn mattress. "I understand."
"One more thing," the Queen said, finally handing over the card. "Tapping this to your servants' cards will grant them access through the Ivy Wall."
She just nodded with understanding.
G6 took the card. It was cool and heavier than it looked. On one side was the Worthon crest; on the other, the royal seal. It felt like holding her future.
"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty," she said, and for the first time, the gratitude was genuine.
"And one final thing." The Queen's voice took on the tone of a mother scolding a child. "I will not allow you to wear that… daring dress within the Royal Collegium. It is holy ground, home to the statue of God Eldrin. Decorum is required."
Fuck. No. Absolutely not. I am not wearing a pastel cupcake dress.
The devastation on G6's face was so complete, so utterly heartbroken, that it looked like her entire world had just ended.
"I will not compromise on this," the Queen said firmly, seeing the unspoken plea in G6's eyes.
G6's shoulders slumped in total, utter defeat. Behind her, Tina—despite the day's shocks—allowed herself a small, secret, victorious smile. The battle of noble decorum had been won.
The card felt heavy in G6's palm, a tiny key to a gilded cage that was finally, mercifully, unlocked. She had won her freedom, her ticket to the guild, her path to power. Yet, in victory, she found herself newly chained—sworn away from a mysterious magic and sentenced to a fate she considered worse than death: frilly gowns and societal expectations.
The Reaper had her tools back, but it seemed this new world was determined to blunt her edges, one royal decree at a time.