As G6 and Edmund guided their horses out of the palace's wooded periphery and toward the capital, a rare, electric thrill coursed through G6. Her mind and heart buzzed with a potent mix of anticipation and bloodlust for whatever challenges awaited.
They reached the edge of the small forest, the grand archway leading into the capital now visible. Edmund guided his horse into the deep shadow of a massive oak tree, its branches providing ample cover from the sun.
"Lady Reise, we will leave the horses here," Edmund stated, dismounting with a soft grunt.
"Are horses not permitted in the capital?" G6 asked, following suit.
"They are, but it is more efficient to proceed on foot. This will also allow you to… properly assess the town on our way to the Adventurers' Guild," he explained.
"Alright," G6 agreed, efficiently tethering her horse to a low-hanging branch.
"We should remove our coats now," Edmund suggested.
G6 shrugged off the long coat with a dramatic flourish, folded it with military precision, and stowed it in a saddlebag. Edmund did the same.
For a moment, they stood at the threshold, a silent look passing between them. This was it.
The moment they stepped beyond the archway, the vibrant, chaotic energy of the capital washed over them.
G6's eyes swept across the landscape, taking in the bustling streets and lively stalls. This is exactly like the historical dramas Pisces used to binge-watch, she mused, a flicker of nostalgia quickly suppressed by analytical focus.
As they walked, a vendor called out from a vegetable stall. "Hey! You look like adventurers! Why not buy some fresh provisions for your journey? Just picked this morning!"
G6's eyes dropped to his produce—an array of unfamiliar, oddly-shaped vegetables—before lifting to study the man himself for a brief, intense moment. She then continued walking without a word.
Edmund offered the vendor a polite, apologetic nod on her behalf, a silent communication understood between locals.
Her hands tucked into her pockets, G6 moved through the crowd with an air of belonging. "This town is awfully lively," she remarked.
"Indeed, Lady Reise. Einston is a prosperous kingdom. Now that the Benedictio has returned, it is said the land will become more abundant than ever," Edmund replied.
"Their peaceful faces are nauseating," G6 stated, her voice cold and flat.
As they delved deeper into the main market area, the crowd thickened into a press of bodies. Yet, Edmund and G6 navigated through it like ghosts, their passage unnaturally smooth.
Then—thud.
A beggar child was sent sprawling onto the filthy cobblestones by a shove from a well-dressed man.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU USELESS BRAT!" the man bellowed.
G6's attention snapped toward the commotion. She stopped a short distance away, a spectator assessing a new variable. Let's see how 'nice' this kingdom truly is, she thought, a cynical smirk touching her lips.
She watched as the boy, instead of cowering, fixed the man with a look of pure, undiluted hatred before scrambling for the single piece of bread that had fallen into the dirt.
That look. G6's interest sharpened. It was a look she knew intimately—the same cold, murderous intent her high-profile targets often wore just before she eliminated them.
"HEY! PAY ATTENTION WHEN SOMEONE IS TALKING TO YOU!" the man yelled again, striding forward and kicking the bread out of the boy's reach. "How dare you look at me like that!"
The boy's eyes tracked the rolling bread, his body coiled with a tension that belied his small size.
"What is he?" G6 asked Edmund quietly.
"A high-class commoner. A merchant, most likely," Edmund answered, his voice low.
G6's expression remained neutral, almost bored. She was about to turn away when the man delivered another sharp kick to the boy's side. "Look what you've done to my new shoes! You worthless gutter rat!"
The injustice began to stir the crowd. A group of men, looking like decent folk, moved to intervene.
But then something unbelievable happened.
In the space of a blink, G6 was standing beside the enraged merchant, her hands still in her pockets, one boot planted firmly on the man's gleaming, expensive shoe.
She ignored the sputtering man completely, her shaded gaze locked on the boy on the ground. The child looked up, his eyes wide, meeting her own behind the dark lenses.
"If you are going to damage his new shoes," she said, her voice a flat, emotionless drone that cut through the market noise, "do it properly."
The boy's face contorted in confusion. The merchant finally yanked his foot away, his face purpling with rage as he turned on G6. "What do you think you're doing, woman? How dare you!"
G6 still didn't look at him, her focus entirely on the boy. "You're too noisy over a stupid piece of leather," she said.
"You brazen—!" The man raised a hand to strike her.
In a movement too fast for most to follow, Edmund was there. His foot swept the man's legs out from under him, and a sharp, precise strike to the chest sent him crashing onto the cobblestones, the air knocked from his lungs. Edmund's boot then came to rest lightly on the man's chest, not enough to crush, but enough to pin him effectively.
A satisfied smile touched G6's lips as she watched the man struggle, his face a mask of pain and humiliation.
"If you're going to be the villain," she said, looking down at him, "do it right."
She then walked over to the piece of bread the man had kicked away. She looked at the boy, then at the group of people who looked like a 'party' who had been about to help—and then she brought her boot down, grinding the bread into the filthy stones until it was an unrecognizable, inedible paste.
A collective gasp went through the crowd. The boy's eyes widened in utter despair. The would-be rescuers stared in horrified disbelief.
"What in the world do you think you are doing?!" one of them finally cried out.
G6 ignored him completely. She walked back to the child and stopped before him.
"Give me your hand," she commanded.
Trembling, despair clouding his features, the boy hesitantly lifted his grimy hand.
G6 placed a single, gold coin into his palm, closing his small fingers around it. Then she knelt, bringing her face close to his, and whispered words meant for him alone: "Erase that murderous intent from your eyes. That path is destined for someone else."
She stood up abruptly. "Let's go," she said to Edmund, and turned to leave without a backward glance. Edmund fell into step behind her, leaving a stunned and silent crowd in their wake.
As G6 continued down the street, the little boy watched her retreating back, the weight of the gold coin burning in his hand. He had known only harshness and hunger, but this woman was something else entirely. She had been terrifying, a force of cold, calculated violence. Yet, in her cruelty, she had seen the darkness in him and, instead of condemning it, had acknowledged it before gifting him a fortune. Was she a monster? Or a savior? The contradiction lodged itself in his heart, a confusing, awe-inspiring tear in the fabric of his bleak world. He clutched the coin, a single, painful seed of hope now mixed with the ashes of his rage.
—
As they continued on their way, Edmund broke the silence.
"Lady Reise, if I may… I have a question," he began.
"What is it?" G6 replied without looking at him, busy sightseeing.
"If you intended to help that boy, why crush his spirit first?" Edmund asked.
"What do you mean?" G6 played dumb.
"You made certain he was watching before you stepped on the bread—likely the first meal he'd had in days," Edmund pressed.
"I simply enjoy watching the light of hope fade from people's eyes," G6 said coldly, sending a chill down Edmund's spine.
"Is that all?" he persisted.
G6 stopped then, watching children play happily around the fountain in the capital's plaza. "Boys like him have never known true kindness. Shattering his old hope makes the new one mean more," she explained.
"Your logic is cruel… yet not entirely without merit. I cannot say whether it is good or evil," Edmund admitted.
"That is how I operate," she said simply, and they resumed their walk.
A short while later, they arrived in a more affluent part of the city, where boutiques, cafés, and fine restaurants lined the streets.
"This area is rather exclusive, reserved for those with means," G6 observed.
"This is the merchant's quarter. That large building there is the Merchant Guild," Edmund said, pointing toward a structure that was not overly ornate, but undeniably classy.
"And that one at the end of the road—the larger, three-story building—is the Adventurers' Guild," he added.
G6 continued walking until they stood before the doors of the Adventurers' Guild.
Edmund took the initiative to enter first, with G6 following closely behind.
Inside was a bustling guild hall. The ground floor was spacious, with a reception desk at its center and tables and benches arranged throughout—serving as the guild's tavern and restaurant.
As they entered, the eyes of several adventurers and parties turned toward them—especially toward G6, whose fashion sense clearly stood out from the typical female adventurer.
Edmund walked straight to the reception desk, G6 lingering just behind him. A young man behind the counter greeted them warmly. "It's been a while, Eddie!"
Eddie? That's his alias? How lame, G6 thought, her hands tucked casually in her pockets.
"How are you, Liam? It certainly has been a while!" Edmund replied.
"Have you been busy? Were you out of town?" Liam asked, his eyes drifting toward G6. "It looks like you've brought company."
"Ah, yes. This is my niece, visiting from the provinces. She's decided to join me!" Edmund said smoothly.
"I see. She looks about my age—is she experienced?" Liam asked, already pulling out an application form.
"Of course! You know I come from a family of adventurers, don't you?" Edmund played his part perfectly.
"So, what's your name, if I may ask?" Liam turned to G6. "You look very… hm, how should I put it… striking?"
G6 didn't react. Instead, she tilted her head slightly as if studying him. "Just give me the form. I'm not here to chat," she said coldly, shutting him down completely.
Edmund laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension. "Forgive my niece—she isn't used to speaking with strangers."
Liam scratched his head awkwardly and slid the form across the desk.
G6 approached, scanning the document.
"Address?" she said flatly.
Edmund took the form momentarily, wrote down an address, and handed it back.
Northwest, Scutum Town, G6 read silently. Scutum… Latin for 'shield.' How fitting.
Her eyes moved to the sections for first and last name.
Hmm… should I use my real name from my old life? Or…
She wrote down a 'G' and a '6'. Then, under last name: Arcadia. My great-great—whatever grandmother's surname from Gemcardia Org. Ironic… G6, the Reaper. Arcadia, the peaceful paradise. Almost poetic.
A faint smirk touched her lips as she filled out the form, while Edmund and Liam watched in confusion.
"Here," she said, sliding the completed form back to Liam.
He took it and read aloud, "G…6 Arcadia?"
"It's G6. No pause, dumbass," she corrected sharply.
"It's… a unique name," Liam remarked diplomatically.
"Yeah, you wouldn't like the meaning behind it. Now hurry this up," G6 said, her impatience beginning to show.
Liam offered an awkward smile and brought out the appraisal sphere.
At the sight of it, both Edmund and G6 subtly stepped back.
They exchanged a quick glance—a silent we didn't plan for this.
"Is something wrong?" Liam asked, confused.
"N-nothing… we just, ah…" Edmund stammered, his voice betraying his unease.
G6 stared at the sphere, mind racing for a way to bypass the process.
"By any chance…" Liam began, seeming to understand their hesitation, "has your registry lapsed for more than six months in any kingdom?"
Edmund and G6 shared another look, thoroughly confused. Edmund had only used Scutum Town because it was remote and rarely verified.
"Are you perhaps a traveling adventurer?" Liam continued. "Travelers often aren't officially registered in a single kingdom. They usually use temporary or guest passes since they can't maintain consistent activity reports. Is that the case?"
"So you won't see my full status with this?" G6 asked, pointing at the sphere.
"Most likely just your affinity rank," Liam explained. "Please place your hands."
As G6 stepped forward—always one to take risks—Edmund gently held her wrist.
"La—G6," he cautioned.
She pulled her hand away. "This, or sink," she said firmly.
Then she placed her palms firmly on the sphere. It glowed brightly, and text flickered into view:
!! STATUS IS PRIVATE !!
AFFINITY: N/A
RANK: S-RANK
Both G6 and Edmund released a quiet sigh of relief.
"Ah… both your affinity and status are private," Liam said, smiling now. "You must be a distinguished traveler."
He put the sphere away.
"What do you mean?" G6 asked.
"It happens from time to time. Certain individuals affiliated with the palace have their statuses kept private by royal decree," Liam explained.
G6 removed her sunglasses and fixed him with a dangerously intense look.
"Who do you think I am?" she asked, her voice low and cold.
"I assume you are like Eddie—a ranger sometimes hired directly by nobility for sensitive expeditions," Liam said congenially. "That would explain why the sphere didn't alarm. It means you're recognized as being from the palace, not an intruder."
"Liam is trustworthy, G6. He can keep our… side engagements discreet," Edmund said, leaning into Liam's assumption.
"Finish this," G6 said, replacing her sunglasses.
Liam pricked G6's finger and let a drop of blood fall onto a plain silver card. He then disappeared into a back room to finalize her identification.
"This is getting messy," G6 remarked, leaning against the reception desk.
"Don't worry. Liam—like most—believes private statuses belong only to those in direct service to the nobility," Edmund reassured her.
"Is that common?"
"There are quite a few. But usually, it's only their real names that are hidden—not their affinities or skills," Edmund clarified. "Liam likely didn't think much of it. When nobles touch the sphere, it often glows intensely. Though yours, of course, was… different."
"This mana restraint Earl gave me is quite useful, then," G6 said.
"Indeed," Edmund agreed.
Liam returned shortly, holding the silver card carefully.
"Here is your identification card. I've registered you as an A-Rank adventurer, just like your uncle here. As your affinity rank shows you're not a common ranger." he said with a smile. "Welcome to the Einston Kingdom Adventurers' Guild!" He gave a slight bow.
G6 took the card and examined it:
G6 Arcadia.
"Thanks," she said curtly, turning to leave.
"Thank you, Liam!" Edmund said warmly.
"You're welcome, Ed! I'll look forward to seeing you both around," Liam replied cheerfully.
G6 and Edmund then walked toward the task board, scanning for a suitable assignment.
"The bell has rung thrice now," Edmund noted, indicating only two hours remained.
"Right. We're too short on time," G6 replied, both their eyes fixed on the notices.
"For now, let us select a task that piques your interest. We may undertake it tomorrow," Edmund suggested.
"This is infuriating," G6 said flatly. "I'm out, yet I feel like I'm still chained." She added, her voice low.
Edmund glanced at her, her attention still locked on the board. Do you truly despise the palace life so much, my lady? he wondered silently.
"Do not worry. We must adhere to the plan—to avoid arousing suspicion," he reminded her gently.
"What about this one?" G6 pointed toward a C-Rank task: exterminating a group of goblins.
"That is a C-rank mission, Lady Reise," Edmund cautioned.
"Call me by my alias, Eddie," G6 corrected him sharply.
"Very well… G6. Are you certain you wish to take such a low-rank task?" Edmund asked.
Then G6 smiled—a sharp, unsettling expression. "I wonder how it feels to kill a goblin."
Edmund's eye twitched slightly at his mistress's eerie tone.
"Then we shall take this," he said, reaching for the notice.
"That was supposed to be ours." A woman's voice cut in from their side.
G6 and Edmund turned. "Is your name written on it?" G6 asked, her tone cold and unimpressed.
"You're new here," the woman said, stepping closer. "Don't give me that attitude, newbie. You and your… bizarre fashion sense don't exactly fit in."
"So you believe your bra and skirt that show your underclothes are more appropriate?" G6 retorted without hesitation. "Are you here to hunt monsters or sell your body?"
The woman's face flushed with humiliation. "HOW DARE YOU!" she shrieked.
G6 merely offered a mocking smile and cast a dismissive glance toward the girl's companions—all young, barely more than minors. Two boys, two girls.
"Please, do not make a scene here," Edmund interjected, attempting to mediate.
"That's enough, Riza," one of the boys called out.
"But that was our task! We agreed to take it after lunch!" Riza whined. "And she mocked me! I am her senior!"
G6 laughed—a short, derisive sound. "Senior? Give me a break."
"You keep running your mouth!" Riza yelled, on the verge of lunging.
"What is going on here?" Another group approached from the entrance—the same party they had encountered earlier. So they're adventurers too, G6 noted internally.
"Oh. It's you," the man said.
"Sebastian!" Riza clung to his arm. "This newbie is disrespecting me!"
Sebastian gently detached himself from Riza and looked at G6. "It was you earlier. So you are an adventurer as well."
G6 didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Edmund. "Give that piece of crap to the loud one."
"What did you just say?!" Riza fumed.
"Are you certain?" Edmund asked quietly.
"What matters is I already know where the goblins are," G6 said, flashing a cold smile toward Riza. "What good is the poster if the content is already gone?" With that, she walked away.
Edmund sighed inwardly at his lady's brutal pragmatism.
"Did you hear what she just said?!"
"Here," Edmund handed the notice to one of Riza's crewmates.
"Hey! You, Ed—where did you pick up that cunning bi—"
"Refrain from referring to her with such vulgarity," Edmund cut in, his tone firm. "It was your error from the beginning for not securing the task promptly." Then he turned and followed his mistress, who was already seated at a table, staring out the window at the streets beyond.
G6 did not look at Edmund. Instead, her eyes traced the architecture and layout of the capital as though scanning data—analyzing, calculating, categorizing.
"Trouble may be drawn to you, my la—G6," Edmund corrected himself as he sat.
"They're just amateurs," G6 replied, already having dismissed the encounter entirely.
"Shall we select another task, then?" Edmund asked.
"There are no tasks within the capital," G6 stated. "They're all outside the walls."
"Indeed. The capital is safe ground—protected by the palace's presence," Edmund agreed.
"Then afternoon stakeouts are useless," G6 concluded. "We must change our plan."
"What do you propose?"
Before G6 could answer, Sebastian's group approached their table.
"Excuse us…" Sebastian began. "Please forgive Riza. She is still young and not fully aware of her conduct."
G6 stared back, silently assessing each member of his party: one woman, two men.
"The matter is already forgotten," she said coolly.
"Then, here." Sebastian offered the poster once more. G6 didn't reach for it.
"I do not take back what I have already discarded," she stated flatly. "Now, if you will excuse us. We are discussing something important."
"You are as cold and distant as you appear," Sebastian remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Very well. We shall see you around."
G6 paid no further attention. The group nodded politely toward her and Edmund, who returned the gesture before they withdrew.
Sebastian's group sat at a table a few paces away. The Captain himself was positioned perfectly to observe G6, whose very presence was a paradox. It was a quiet, simmering aura that screamed DANGER, yet it was undeniably ATTRACTIVE. A magnetic charisma that drew the eye of anyone who noticed her.
"Back to what I was saying," G6 stated, pulling Edmund's focus back. "Let's change the schedule. I spend six days at the Collegium. The first three, I'll actually be there. The remaining three are for the 'Utility Magic Department'."
"A sound plan in theory, my lady," Edmund conceded, his voice low. "But will Her Majesty accept it? Particularly given the… certain nobles in the Villa who have grown quite attached to your presence." His words were a delicate hint, pointing directly to the Prince, the two Pillars, and Lady Brenda.
"I don't care. That, or I'll run away," G6 stated flatly, leaving no room for argument.
Edmund sighed inwardly. "The recruitment for knights begins in two days. An abrupt change in your schedule may draw suspicion. Perhaps for now, we continue the facade of spending your afternoons at Utility's?"
"You're right," G6 conceded.
"There is a task just outside the capital, only two hours away. Let us take a low-ranked mission first—to help ease your… restlessness," Edmund suggested tactfully.
"So glad I have a strategic butler," G6 said, a note of satisfaction in her voice as she offered him a faint smile.
"We shall take the horses tomorrow and follow the carriage path," Edmund added.
"Then for now, we see how things go," G6 concluded.
___
On the other side of the room, Sebastian's team watched their captain, whose gaze lingered a little too long on the mysterious woman in black.
"Looks like you're quite taken with that… intense lady, Captain," Xena remarked, sipping her beer.
"Hmm. Didn't he just yell at her earlier in town? 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!'" Dante, the archer, added with a smirk.
"Stop teasing the Captain. It's obvious he's smitten. He must be into the… problematic type," said Nick, the youngest of the group.
"Shut up," Sebastian barked, though his eyes never left G6. "She's just… different." He took a slow drink. "There's something about her aura. The kind that breaks you, then comforts you—not out of pity, but amusement." He shook his head slightly, a thoughtful frown on his face. "She is… attractively dangerous."
His team exchanged knowing glances. In unison, they whispered, "Looks like we're right…"
-
As G6 laid her plans, meticulously carving a path toward her own goals, she remained blissfully unaware of the new threads of fate she was weaving. In her wake, she had effortlessly pulled another soul into her orbit—a seasoned Captain now captivated by her dangerous grace. Whether this unforeseen connection would become a shield or a weapon, a blessing or a curse, only the treacherous road ahead would tell.
And so, in a quiet corner of a bustling tavern, two worlds continued to spin on their separate axes. One, a woman from beyond the stars, plotting her next move with a cold and calculating fire. The other, a man of battle, finding himself inexplicably drawn into her gravitational pull. The game was expanding, and new players, willing or not, were being drawn onto the board. The stakes were rising, and the line between ally and casualty had never been so thin.
— To be continued… —