Two days had passed since the prevention meeting. True to her nature as a lethally fast learner, G6 was finally grasping mana control.
Her mind worked like a high-capacity storage drive: data input, absorbed, utilized with ruthless efficiency. Earl had adjusted the mana restraint on her earrings, permitting her to release Wind Blade and Gust at a stable, mid-level potency.
「Time Check 07:45 A.M」
G6 finished her last set of exercises and walked back to the bench where her three servants waited.
"It's time for breakfast, Lady Reise!" Lilia chirped.
These past two days, only Earl had been a constant presence. Prince Dio was buried in his office managing recruitment preparations. Keith was occupied designing endurance training for Eliza.
"Thanks, Lilia." G6 sank onto the bench. A small table was set before her, already laid with a meal.
I wonder what that witch is really plotting.
She took a large bite of the hearty sandwich Alistair had prepared—stuffed with every healthy vegetable the palace chef deemed beneficial.
"It appears His Highness and Lord Keith are quite occupied with their new duties," Edmund remarked, sipping his tea with an ease that had grown in her presence.
"Yeah, better than him sitting here like a statue," G6 replied.
But that queen… What's her real game?
"Good morning. Forgive my tardiness; I was finalizing the transfer documents for Brenda and Zen." Earl arrived, adjusting his glasses with a stressed sigh.
"You should've just come later." G6 muttered, "…you freaky taskmaster."
"On the contrary, I can see you are progressing rapidly. It seems my instructional methods are effective." He took a seat beside her. The seating was cramped: Lilia on her left, G6 in the middle, Earl on her right.
"It's cramped."
"Give me a break." Earl accepted a cup of tea from Tina.
Next, Tina presented a plate with a sandwich identical to G6's.
"Why are you giving him my food?" G6 complained, sounding like a child whose treat was being stolen.
"Do not be so gluttonous. I prepared this one specifically for Sir Earl." Tina chided gently.
Tch. This pig geek.
"To the matter at hand." Earl began, taking a bite. "Brenda and Zen will be stationed here primarily for intelligence."
"However, they will also be enhancing their offensive and defensive magic. They are both B-Rank."
"Does that mean you're going to stop teaching me?" A flicker of hope in her eyes.
Please take this geek away. Asking for his help was a mistake. He's a trainee torturer.
"Not until you no longer require a mana restraint and can function without that ring regulating your body's stress." Smooth.
Tch.
"Ah, right. Give me those earrings for the Dimensional Vault." G6 changed the subject.
Earl looked at her, a smile playing on his lips as if he'd found a new lever. "Not until you graduate from my tutelage."
"You're abusing your authority."
"One should always use the tools available. Don't you agree?"
"Give me a break, geek."
"Oh? Did I hear you correctly? Did you just call me a geek?"
"I said, 'geez'." G6 lied flatly.
Idiot.
"It is good to see the two of them are not yelling at each other anymore." Tina whispered to Edmund.
"I would not celebrate prematurely. I suspect the yelling will resume once they are in the arena." Edmund replied wisely.
Still, I am just happy she can be casual with them without that look of utter contempt now, Tina thought.
"Lady Reise! Did you know Alistair made me a strawberry cupcake!" Lilia said, proudly presenting the treat.
"Really? Let me have it." G6 said.
"It was given to her, not to you. Do not steal food from a child." Earl remarked.
"Shut up, mom." G6 shot back.
"Did you just call me your mother? That is profoundly disrespectful to Duchess Worthon!" Genuine, overly serious offense.
What? This guy is so smart but has zero sense of humor.
"Yeah, go tell her all about it." G6 rolled her eyes. She turned back to Lilia. "Then, I'll just take a taste."
Lilia nodded eagerly and held up the cupcake. "Oh," G6 said after a bite. "It's good! Tell Alistair to make that for me tomorrow. You eat the rest, Lilia. Thanks." The gratitude sounded foreign but not unwelcome.
"Shall we begin, Reise?" Earl asked, having finished his food and tea.
Ah. This insufferable geek. Back to work.
"Fine." G6 pushed herself to her feet.
They walked to the arena center. "Right. You have mastered the correct output for novice-level attacks and stabilized them at a mid-tier potency." Earl fell into his lecturing tone. "Perhaps it is time to expand your repertoire. Would you like to attempt a new spell?"
Hmm. A new spell? Actually, there is. I know exactly what I need.
"Is there a flying spell for Wind Affinity?" G6 asked.
Earl looked at her with pure confusion, as if she had asked if water was wet. A question so fundamental it betrayed a complete lack of knowledge of her own family's magical domain. "There is no sustained flight spell. However, there is a specific incantation that can grant a moment of aerial movement. It is called 'Gust Step'. It is considered an advanced application."
Temporary? That's not what I want. Tch. Useless.
"How does it work?"
Earl sighed yet again at her strange gaps. "You focus mana to your feet and release a controlled, powerful gust beneath you. It can be a single, temporary thrust to propel yourself upward or across a gap, or a brief, continuous stream to slow a fall. Try it. Visualize the wind gathering and erupting from below."
G6 closed her eyes, shutting out the world. In her mind's eye, she didn't just see a gust; she calculated it. She envisioned the precise angle of release, the required force, the pressure needed to lift her body weight. She saw it not as magic, but as physics.
A vortex of air shimmered into existence at her feet with an audible woosh, lifting her a few meters.
Oh. Shit. Thrust is decaying. I'm landing.
The spell sputtered out. Earl's eyes widened in alarm, moving forward, arms outstretched to catch her clumsy descent.
But G6 didn't fall; she landed. As she dropped, her body instinctively twisted in a fluid, controlled motion. She tucked her limbs, rolled onto the ball of her foot upon impact, and used the momentum to flow seamlessly into a crouch, one hand touching the sand for a split second before rising smoothly to her full height. A flawless, practiced landing of someone who had fallen from great heights countless times.
Earl stared, arms still half-outstretched, face a mask of utter bewilderment.
Did she just… execute a perfect three-point landing without a hint of magic or a combat skill? His analytical mind raced, finding no reference for it in any noble dueling style.
G6 stood and brushed sand from her hands with clinical efficiency. "Five seconds."
"Pardon?" Earl asked, still processing.
"That's all the lift time it gives. Not even close to enough." Dismissive.
But thanks to it, I've got an idea. I'll make my grapnel gun here. Her mind raced through calculations. I don't need to fly. I need to swing.
I'll focus on the gust not just for a push, but for a pull. A continuous, thin stream of compressed air I can anchor to a point. I can use it to swing, change direction mid-air, make my body lighter for acrobatics. I'll coat myself in the wind to reduce drag. That's how I'll move.
Earl could only watch as she stood there, arms crossed, grey eyes seeing nothing in the present arena but everything in a future only she could envision, drowning in tactical data.
"Hmm, okay. Let's try it." She mused, a new idea forming. "Earl, I'm going to try something. Just in case, brace for my fall." Casual yet focused.
"Must I?" A dry reference to her perfect landing earlier.
"Shut up and do as I say." G6 stepped away to clear a space.
She didn't close her eyes, but kept them wide open, gaze turning distant. An invisible calculation happened behind her grey irises, her mind processing trajectories, wind resistance, mana flow rates with a speed no native of this world could comprehend. She sank into the deepest core of her concentration, the world narrowing to just her and the intended result.
She channeled a precise stream of mana, not to her hands, but to her feet. A second, lighter flow shimmered over her shoulders and down her back, coating her body in a thin, stabilizing sheath of compressed air. Then, she jumped.
It wasn't a normal leap. It was a powerful, propulsive launch that sent her soaring high above a stunned Earl.
Earl's eyes widened, his analytical mind struggling to categorize what he was seeing. "This is… different." His scholarly curiosity instantly overrode everything else.
She maintained her course upward, the primary thrust of mana focused precisely on the soles of her feet. Mid-ascent, she tucked her body, executing a flawless, twisting backflip—a move born of acrobatic martial arts, not magical tradition. Her form was a tight, rotating coil. Then, she slowly decreased the mana output, descending with graceful, controlled lightness. She landed on both feet with a soft, nearly inaudible tap, knees bending perfectly to absorb the impact without a stumble.
"This is what I'm talking about." A spark of genuine satisfaction.
"What was that?" Earl asked, voice full of utter confusion. He stepped closer, gaze sharp and intense.
"What?" G6 played dumb.
"That was not the Gust Step spell. I have never seen any member of House Worthon—no, any mage—execute a maneuver like that. You maintained a perfect, controlled aerial course. That was not deflection; that was… sustained propulsion!" His inner scholar broke free, words tumbling out in excited analysis.
"It's my own spell. Give me a break." A sharp, wicked smile spread across her lips. "I'm calling it 'Reaper's Ascent'."
I can't wait to try this with attacks integrated. The mobility… the angles… It's perfect. I am in love.
「G6'S OFFICE」
G6 ended her session with Earl early and retreated to her office. She sat behind her large desk, boots propped up on the polished wood, intently studying a tome on Wind Magic spells. Researching what existing attacks might synergize with Reaper's Ascent.
Hmm, Cyclone? Is this what Earl meant for me to do last time? More defensive, with a little offense.
What else…? So far, I've only got Gust, Wind Blade, and now Cyclone—a smaller, weaker tornado. Tch.
Ah, right. I already have the Classic F5. Not exactly subtle.
"It looks like Lady Reise is very focused on her reading." Lilia observed from a plush couch. On the adjacent couch, Tina perused the daily gazette.
"Let her be. It is far preferable to her spreading havoc across the training grounds." Tina mused, not looking up. "This serial killer is still at large? It has been two years. Five innocent commoners murdered." Disapproval laced her tone.
"Indeed." Edmund added from an armchair, marking his place in his own book. "The palace guard is on high alert. The people are beginning to criticize what they see as a poor response."
The atmosphere in G6's office was uniquely casual, a space where rigid status hierarchies dissolved. Her servants felt more like visitors, a dynamic she quietly permitted.
G6 glanced up from her book at their conversation, saying nothing.
Meh. They're just not good at catching him. What a bunch of novices.
She returned to her spellbook. Air cushion? Aura of Zephyr? These are all defensive! What a useless book.
Whisper of the Gale? Eavesdropping from a distance. Meh, I can do that with my Eclipse-Step. I could stand right behind them without a sound.
Hmm… this one: The Breeze of Blade. It functions like a Wind Blade, but the cuts are delivered by a gentle breeze that touches the skin. What psycho invented this? It's pure torture. Designed to maximize pain.
Tch. There are so many spells in here, and all the basic ones are so lame and repetitive.
"I'LL BURN THIS BOOK!" she declared aloud, making all three companions flinch.
"I knew the tranquility would not last." Tina whispered with a sigh.
G6 slammed the book shut, pushed her chair back, and strode to the shelf to stash the useless tome.
It was decided.
"Listen, I'm staying here tonight." G6 announced.
The three servants looked at her, composure replaced with concern. "My lady, no one stays here overnight." Edmund stated. "Well, except when the knights are present."
"That's right, Lady Reise!" Lilia chirped, sitting upright. "This place is completely empty at night! It's so large, and dark, and… creepy!"
"Do not overexert yourself with training. You have plenty of time." Tina added pragmatically.
"You can't change my mind. And I'm not afraid. Ghosts? The dark? Please. It's nothing." Utter confidence.
When I was a child, my father left me in the forest alone to survive. I was seven. This pristine training ground is a five-star hotel in comparison.
"Then I will be staying here as well." Tina stated firmly.
"You don't have to."
"But I will."
"Me too, Lady Reise!" Lilia added, determined.
"Then I suppose I shall also remain." Edmund closed his book with a soft thump.
What? Tch. These damn clingy pets.
"Suit yourselves." G6 relented with a dismissive wave.
"Very well. I will return to the villa to prepare provisions. Lilia, please assist me." Tina adjusted her glasses.
"Keep your mouths shut about this." G6 warned. The last thing she needed was Earl or, worse, Dio, finding out.
"Understood." Tina bowed. She and Lilia departed for the West Villa.
"Edmund, fine with sleeping on the couch tonight?"
"Of course. It is no trouble. Besides, the back of this lounge is foldable. It converts into a perfectly adequate bed."
"Really?" G6 intrigued.
"Yes. All the seating in the Royal Collegium is designed that way. The scholars in the Omnia and Sanctum frequently pull all-nighters. And when the knights use the Bastion, they also often spend the night."
"Why doesn't the palace have more knights, anyway?" Not out of curiosity, but to assess potential obstacles.
"All knights are nobles, my lady. Most hail from lower to mid-tier houses."
"And we're in the higher tier?"
"No. The Three Pillars do not belong to any class. They are the foundation itself."
"Why don't they hire knights from the commoners?"
"The Einston Kingdom is feared solely on the strength of its Royals and the Three Pillars. Given House Worthon's vast political connections to other royal families, a large standing army has never been deemed necessary."
"What do you mean, 'Worthon's multiple connections'?" Interest piqued.
"The truth is, House Worthon has always strategically avoided marriage within the kingdom's nobility or royalty. They consistently arrange betrothals with powerful noble houses—or even royalty—from other kingdoms."
Whoa. Political chess. Pretty smart, though.
"Is that why they always say the Worthons are the strongest Pillar?"
"It is one reason. But the primary reason is their… savage innate mana reserves and their supreme dominance over Wind Magic."
So, if the Worthons ever chose to betray the crown, they could do it at any moment. Noted.
"This has, of course, bred a hidden grudge amongst some classified nobles, particularly against House Worthon. Your House's power, both in affinity and political influence, is considered… ridiculously strong." Edmund added delicately.
"That's just human nature." G6 twirled a feather pen. "Greed. Jealousy. Hunger for power." She continued, a dark, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Let those things rule you, and they'll lead you straight to your doom."
It sounded less like an observation and more like a promise of what she would deliver.
"You are quite right, my lady." Edmund answered, a shiver running down his spine.
The comfortable silence lingered until the hour grew late and the Bastion truly emptied.
「Time Check: 05:45 P.M」
"It's been two hours since they left. What kind of 'preparation' takes that long?" G6 mused, lounging.
The door opened, revealing Edmund. "Lady Reise, I have confirmed that His Highness, Lord Keith, and Lord Earl have all departed. The working hours ended forty-five minutes ago. As far as I can tell, we are the only ones left."
G6 immediately stood, cracking her neck. "Good. I'm heading to the training ground. Wait here for Lilia and Tina; they're a pair of scaredy-cats."
"Are you certain you do not require company?"
"Yes. Just wait. I'll be done by 7:30. Just running a few… experiments." She strode from the room.
As she moved down the long, empty hall, her footsteps made no sound. Pure, practiced technique, a predator's gait that required no magic. It was simply how she moved.
This place is a ghost town. I guess everyone clocks out right on the dot. Lazy.
She went straight to the training arena.
❈.❈.❈
She set up a single target and paced out fifty long strides.
Yes. That's far enough.
She stretched out her hand, forming her fingers into the shape of a gun. In her mind, a bullet—a compressed air, lethal point of force. She released it.
A loud BANG echoed.
"Whoa. Just as I expected."
She did it again, rapid, consecutive release. No precision, just a test of speed and mana flow. "This is good." A sharp smile.
I can fire these consecutively. No cooldown, no reload. Unlimited ammunition. What a bliss.
Now, with a skill.
<< P.A.F: Activated >>
< Speed >
In a blink, she stood directly in front of the target.
"Hmm. Not lethal enough." Critically examining the damage.
The impact is significant, definitely enough to kill, but it didn't penetrate cleanly. It lacks… finality.
She flashed back to her original position fifty paces away.
Ah, that's right. Let's try that.
<< Death's Whisper Aim: Activated >>
The world sharpened, her focus narrowing to a single, deadly point. The skill was self-piloting; all she had to do was choose a target.
She aimed her 'gun' hand and released another bullet of compressed air.
< Perception: Zoom >
She activated the sub-skill, her vision tunneling to inspect the center of the target from fifty paces away.
Whoa. The description wasn't a bluff.
No matter the movement, distance, or obstruction… the strike is always precise. Perfect.
She combined it, using Reaper's Ascent to launch into the air. While moving, she released a consecutive volley from above, Zoom perception allowing her to track and calculate devastating accuracy. Satisfied, she landed softly.
"Very well." An utterly wicked grin.
"I'll name you… Bullet of Death."
Bullet of Death. The signature magic of my Death's Whisper Aim skill. You can run, but you can't escape.
<< D.W.A: Deactivated >>
<< P.A.F: Deactivated >>
"Whoa." G6 gasped as the familiar wave of debilitating cold and exhaustion washed over her. She lay on the ground, letting the soothing energy from her ring calm her screaming nerves.
This isn't as bad as last time. Using two skills at once made me black out before. Now, it just feels like that humiliating crash after I forgot to deactivate my perfect assassin form in front of that Snow White bastard. Progress.
This mana restraint earring is working. I'm so close. I can't wait to tear this thing off.
She lay in silence for fifteen minutes, waiting for her energy to return before pushing up. A new, wicked idea.
"I should practice sword magic coating, too. Like Keith and Dio."
She picked up a practice wooden sword.
Hmm, what should I call it? Reaper's Whisper.
She settled into a ready stance, channeling mana through the hilt. A violent, swirling light of concentrated wind coated the blade.
<< P.A.F: Activated >>
<< Silent Reaper's Blade: Activated >>
< Speed: 0.1s >
In a movement too fast for the naked eye, she was simply on the other side of the target. The hard wooden dummy split cleanly with a sharp crack, the force sending a violent cloud of sand into the air.
"Convenient." She examined the clean cut. "Now that's what you call an offensive spell."
I wonder what kind of monsters are waiting in that dungeon.
She repeated the attack until every target was reduced to splinters. Deactivating her skills left her drained, collapsing onto the sand.
"Look how the time flies." She murmured
"Okay. Time to pack up. It's already 7:20." She glanced at her watch before lying there to breathe.
「G6'S OFFICE」
"Is Lady Reise not done yet?" Lilia asked, setting plates on the low tea table.
"She will be finished any minute." Edmund polished a set of glasses.
"I made certain Alistair prepared an excellent cut of meat. I also brought rice so she can properly replenish her energy." Tina arranged food from a large basket.
"But… the Bastion is so creepy at night." Lilia started, voice hushed.
"It is. I am grateful Lady Reise's adjoining room has a bathing chamber." Tina replied.
"Lady Reise was right." Edmund said, finally taking a seat. "You two are scaredy-cats."
"You're just too old to believe in ghosts!" Lilia fired back.
"Shut up, you little brat!" Edmund's composure slipped.
"But I heard a story once." Tina lowered her voice for effect. "A knight on the dawn patrol claimed he saw a woman all in black, walking these halls without a single footstep."
"Really? That's terrifying!" Lilia whispered.
"That is nothing but a hoax." Edmund stated flatly.
"He said it was just this past week." Tina added ominously.
A high-pitched sound from a night bird made them all jump. "Whoa, that scared—AHH!!" Lilia shrieked as the door swung open.
It was G6, covered in a fine layer of sand. "Am I that scary?" Flat, closing the door behind her and collapsing onto the center couch. "Oh. Dinner."
"A lady dressed in black at dawn, just this week." Edmund mused, a smile touching his lips. "So, the knight simply saw you, my lady?" His comment broke the tense mood.
"Tch. I told you not to listen to hoaxes. What are you, a kid?" G6 grabbed a piece of meat with her fingers.
"I am a kid, though…" Lilia answered, genuinely confused.
"Let's eat. I'm starving." G6 declared.
Tina placed a plate heaped with meat and rice on her lap, and G6 began eating as if she'd just returned from a week-long campaign.
The scene was uncanny for nobility: a lady eating from a plate on her lap while her servants casually shared the same meal from the same dishes at the same time. A bizarre tableau that made it impossible to discern if G6 was a kind soul masking her nature or a ruthlessly manipulative one crafting unwavering loyalty.
✎﹏﹏﹏
After dinner, G6 retreated to soak in the tub.
I have a beautiful arsenal now. A few spells, but all lethal. That's what matters. Quality over quantity.
Her mind, a relentless supercomputer, continued to run calculations and simulations.
Freshly bathed, she emerged to find Tina arranging a surprising amount of clothing in the wardrobe of her adjoining room.
"Did you pack my entire villa? What am I doing, moving out?" G6 flopped onto her bed.
"I merely assumed you might grow accustomed to staying here. This is a precaution. However, this cannot become a habit. You must return to the villa and attend to your duties."
Tch. You don't need me there. There's nothing for me to do anyway.
"I'm exhausted." G6 muttered, ignoring the nagging.
Ah. Where are these two going to sleep?
She rolled over and felt under the bed frame, searching for a lever. Her hunch correct; just like the couches, the bed had a hidden extension. She pulled it, and a second bed frame, slightly lower, slid out with a soft click, large enough for two.
"This palace is quietly genius, huh?" she mused.
"Hey, Tina, look. There's another bed. You and Lilia can sleep here. Use the pillows from the couches outside—there are way too many of those damn things anyway." Annoyance at the excess. "Edmund can use the pillows from the long couch."
"But, Lady Reise, it is highly inappropriate for us to share your sleeping quarters." Tina protested.
"Huh? Don't give me that! You're the one who insisted on staying. Unless you'd rather sleep out there with Edmund?" Teasing implication.
"Then… I would rather be 'inappropriate'." Tina conceded, thoroughly defeated.
"Tch. I'm going to sleep; my body is killing me." G6 walked to the wardrobe, pulled out two extra blankets, tossed one to Tina. She carried the other out to Edmund, who was already settling the long couch into its bed form. He was dressed in traditional noble sleepwear.
"Hey. Here. Nice jammies, by the way." She headed back inside.
Lilia emerged from the bathroom in her nightdress. "Lady Reise, are we having a sleepover?" Cheerful.
"You're sleeping down there." G6 pointed to the pull-out bed.
"Lady Reise, I am turning out the lights out here. Please, rest well." Edmund called from the other side of the closed door.
G6 nodded at Lilia, signaling her to respond. "Alright, Edmund! Don't let the ghosts bite!" Lilia called back teasingly.
Only the soft click of the light switch answered.
Tina emerged last, in her sleeping attire.
"Then, let us all rest. I suspect we will have a very taxing day tomorrow." Tina turned off the lamp.
Now, the room was lit only by moonlight streaming through the window, casting everything in soft silver and deep shadow. Tina drew the curtains, leaving a narrow gap for moonbeams to slice through.
She lay down on the pull-out bed with Lilia. "Good night, Lady Reise." Lilia murmured, already thick with sleep. "Good night, my lady." Tina added softly.
G6's back was to them, breathing already deep and even. As if she had a switch to command immediate sleep. The fact that she had turned her back was a silent testament to a trust she would never voice; she did not see them as threats. Allowing them to share her room was the highest, unacknowledged compliment.
Tina smiled in the darkness, staring at her lady's back. She could never have imagined such a scenario. It felt like a dream. Yet here they were.
It felt less like a mistress and her servants, and more like a family—or friends at a sleepover.
That night, the four of them, bound by a strange and unbreakable dynamic, slept soundly and deeply within the silent, stone heart of the Bastion, a small island of peace in a world bracing for war.
—To Be Continued…—