To understand the conversation between G6 and Daunt in the secluded garden, one must look back. The plan before the plan—the one between Queen and G6—had already been laid out long before they ever stepped into the temple.
「Flashback, Chapter 40」
After reading the Cryomancy book and kicking Tina out with strict instructions not to tell any pests that she had returned, G6 was about to head to the bathroom when a sudden headache seized her.
The ringing came next—a familiar, piercing whine that drilled into her skull like a needle seeking bone.
She closed her eyes, grabbing her head as the world tilted. Her knees buckled.
A ghost of memory surfaced.
A woman sat in darkness. A library, perhaps—shelves of books lined the walls, but their spines were lost in shadow. She was slumped over a table, her face hollow, her eyes empty. Tears streamed down her cheeks, endless and silent, but her expression never changed.
Reise.
The real Reise. The girl whose body she now wore.
"REISE! SNAP OUT OF IT!"
G6's eyes flew open. Daunt was shaking her shoulders with his massive paws, his voice a thunderclap in her ears. She was on her knees. Pale. Sweating. Her heart racing like a trapped bird.
"What… happened?"
"I should be asking you that." Daunt's growl was sharp with alarm. "Your presence suddenly felt weak. You looked as though you were fading."
G6 pressed her palm against the floor, steadying herself.
It happened again.
Those memories—the ones that weren't hers. They came without warning, without pattern, without mercy. And that woman in the library… it was no mistake.
It was Reise.
Her eyes widened. She pushed herself up, stumbling toward her bedside table. Her fingers found the hidden compartment.
Daunt followed, peering over her shoulder as she sank to the floor, the book already in her hands.
The Wonder of the Wonderful World.
The same book she had read as Akira. The same book that was now nothing but blank pages and cryptic messages from something that called itself Witherby.
"I can sense great divine power emanating from that book, Reise," Daunt said.
"Figured that much."
She flipped. Three pages in, new text had appeared.
"Build the home of cleaners, and your body shall be perfect."
G6 read it aloud. Then again. "What does it mean, Reise?"
She pondered.
"'Cleaners.'" The word settled in her mind like a key finding its lock. If the cleaners it referred to were like her—if it meant what she thought it meant—then the home it spoke of was…
Gemcardia.
The organization her ancestors had built. The shadow government that existed in the spaces where law ended. A house of licensed assassins. Her inheritance. Her birthright. Her cage and her purpose all at once.
"Why does it want me to build it here?" she murmured. "And my body shall be perfect…"
"I don't understand a word you're saying, Reise." Daunt settled beside her, his warmth a steady presence. "But I have a thought about the second phrase."
She turned to him.
"I think it means your body will fully adapt to your prowess. You will be as strong as your power demands."
"Explain."
Daunt's ears flicked. "In your previous life, your body was honed alongside your skills—forged from childhood, shaped into a weapon. But this body—Reise's body—is a noble's vessel. Trained, perhaps. Educated. But not hardened in the way yours was. Your soul is too strong for this shell. When your body experiences enough to match the soul that occupies it… they will become one. The theory, at least. I suspect Cryomancy is tied to it as well."
G6 was quiet for a long moment. Then: "This will be difficult."
"Why?"
"Back then, we had targets delivered to us. The Government gave us names, locations, files. I can track and investigate on my own, but it's inefficient. Too much work for too little reward." She paused. "Having a bingo book is easier."
Daunt nudged her with his nose. "I'm certain royals have their own version of a bingo book."
G6's mind flashed to the Queen's study. The black ledger on her desk. The one that seemed to hum with secrets.
"Ah." Her lips curved. "That woman definitely has something like that."
She fell silent, thinking.
"The thing is," she said slowly, "I don't want to force her into giving it to me. Relationships forged in force have a habit of breaking."
Daunt tilted his head. "So you plan to make her give it willingly? How?"
G6 didn't answer. Her grey eyes had gone distant, calculating, already mapping possibilities, testing angles, laying traps she wouldn't spring for weeks.
Daunt watched her, then sighed. "I'm not doubting you, Reise. But she is a Queen. Royals are cunning. They don't—" He stopped. She wasn't listening. Her thoughts were already moving, faster than he could follow, constructing something intricate and patient.
"Nevermind." He settled his head on his paws. "It's useless talking to you when you get like this."
G6 shut the book and tossed it back into the compartment. She stood, rolling her shoulders, shaking off the last remnants of the vision.
Then she turned to Daunt.
"Hey."
He lifted his head.
"I never told you any specifics about my life. My childhood." Her eyes sharpened to knives. "How do you know?"
Daunt met her stare without flinching. "Child, don't give me that look. I have lived through two millennia. And do not forget—our souls are bound. We carry the same divine energy. Your body is unstable. When I am within your mark, I catch glimpses of your soul's memory. I cannot control it. I cannot choose what I see."
G6 held his gaze for a long, dangerous moment.
Then she turned and walked toward the bathroom, already pulling off her gown.
"Get ready," she said over her shoulder. "We're going to the Collegium."
Daunt watched her go, his ancient eyes unreadable.
The plan before the plan had already begun. And somewhere in the Palace, a Queen sat in her study, unaware that she was already a piece on a board she didn't know existed.
「The Night After That Day」
As was her custom, G6's room was illuminated only by a single candle on the mantlepiece and the cold silver of moonlight spilling through the open balcony doors.
"Really? Drinking is your answer," Daunt said.
G6 stood at the open balcony, leaning against the doorframe, feeling the cold breeze of night against her skin.
"Relax." She raised her whiskey glass to her lips. "That woman will come to me."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I overheard Earl and Keith's conversation at the dining room earlier. Prince Dio was preoccupied because of that criminal."
Daunt tilted his head. "What does that have to do with you?"
G6 looked at him and smiled. "They said the royals and pillars are not pleased about handing that criminal over to Marquess Vinesthorne."
"And who is this Marquess that the Royals and Pillars seem to walk around eggshells around?"
"You shouldn't have decided to walk around the Palace if you have that many questions."
"Don't be a brat, Reise."
"Fine." G6 grunted. "Marquess Vinesthorne is the Head of the Upper Court House."
"Hmm." Daunt began grooming his paws. "Well, you are old enough to know what you're doing."
Then his ears straightened on alert.
"Reise. There is a presence approaching your room."
"Yeah." G6 was already smiling.
Daunt faded into smoke and materialized back into her tattoo. A knock came at her door.
G6 set down her glass and walked slowly to the door. When she opened it, there stood Queen Euphelia, every inch the monarch, carrying the essence of elegance and command.
"What a pleasant surprise, Your Majesty."
G6 ushered the Queen inside. Euphelia seated herself on the couch where moonlight couldn't reach, while G6 took her place at the table—exactly where the moonlight bled through, the whiskey in her glass shining like scattered stars.
"I never expected a visit from you at this hour," G6 said, swirling the amber liquid. "It gives me the distinct impression you require something."
The Queen looked at her. Why does she feel so welcoming? I have a bad feeling about this.
"How was your outing?"
And with that, the two cunning women began to bargain. The tension was palpable, each moving her pieces, pulling her strings, neither giving an inch.
When they finally agreed, the terms were clear: G6 would kill the serial killer to prevent Marquess Vinesthorne from claiming him. In exchange, the Queen would hand over the Black Ledger to help G6 strengthen her Cryomancy.
"Three days from now. The main palace arena grounds." The Queen rose. "I will take my leave."
"Perfect. That's my outing day. I'll drop by then."
Drop by? The Queen stifled the urge to question further. This child spoke with the chilling ease of vast, bloody experience.
She merely nodded. As she reached the door, she glanced back. G6 was still watching her, that predator's gaze fixed on her as if she were already being tracked.
G6 raised a hand in a slow, casual wave. Her smile deepened.
A cold shiver traced the Queen's spine, settling deep in her marrow.
Is she really going to be my daughter-in-law? she thought as she stepped into the hallway. What a terrifying monster I've invited into my home.
As she traced the path back to her own chambers, a thought occurred to her.
There is no way I am giving you that ledger. I am sorry, Reise. But those are powerful nobles. They are in that ledger for a reason. I know you are strong, but still—I cannot risk you to this extent.
Inside the room, G6 stared out at the glass.
"How dare that old hag lie right to my face?" she murmured.
"Why do you think the Queen will go back on her word?" Daunt asked, materializing beside her.
"Because her determination wavered when I mentioned the Black Ledger." G6 leaned back, fixing Daunt with her grey eyes. "The Queen may be in my dark alleys, but she is just a passing one. There is still a hint of useless emotions that could stir and cloud her judgment."
She chugged the last of her whiskey.
"Like that thing they call maternal love."
"Then what?"
"Then I will go scout if the Queen has gone to bed. We will go and check her study."
She smiled. "That would be perfect."
「The Queen's Study」
The window opened with a trick of a pin.
G6, in her training gear, slipped through, Daunt following close behind.
"Search every corner," she commanded.
They worked in deliberate silence, turning the room upside down yet leaving it immaculate. A classic silent move of a Reaper.
"Fuck. Where the hell did she hide it?" Frustration crept into G6's voice.
"Reise. I can feel a restricted spell coming from underneath here." Daunt pointed to the space beneath the coffee table.
"Move it."
Daunt pushed the table aside with his head. A hidden ledge was revealed.
G6 took the pin from her hair and worked the lock. It clicked open.
There it was—the Black Ledger, along with other documents, hidden away.
"Pft. She really did hide important things in her study. How stupid can one be?" G6's voice dripped with mockery.
She took the Black Ledger. Daunt peered over her shoulder as she squatted.
"That's where the restricted spell is coming from," he said.
When G6 opened it, the pages were blank.
She did not look disappointed. She smiled.
"She is so predictable."
"You were right, Reise."
She shut the ledger, returned it to its hiding place, and rearranged the coffee table.
"Let's go." Her voice was cold. "Let's make sure that woman regrets this night."
They left the study as if they had never been there.
「The Public Execution」
G6 watched from above, arms crossed, judging a tedious play.
"Enjoying the show?" Daunt rumbled.
"Immensely." She laughed as the Queen's fingers tapped frantically on the throne. "Look at her."
Her weapon materialized—a CheyTac-inspired mana construct honed for precision.
"Two days of drilling for this shot," she mused, settling the scope against her eye.
"Your intended outcome?"
"Something memorable."
Perception Skill. The world below snapped into focus. Prince Dio handing over the scroll. Rarlen turning, reaching for his prize.
"Showtime."
Her eyes changed. A murderous aura bled from her—so dense, so cold, the air crackled. Frost spiraled from the atmosphere, coalescing into a vortex at the barrel's tip. The crosshair settled on the criminal's back. Over his mana core.
A slow smile.
"Target locked."
She fired.
A silent beam of absolute cold lanced downward. It touched his back. Passed through him like mist.
He was two steps from Rarlen when he shattered.
Not burned. Disintegrated. Frozen flesh and brittle bone fractured into a million crystalline pieces before pulverizing into pink mist and unrecognizable viscera. Ten feet of arena floor painted in a grotesque Rorschach of gore.
Rarlen stood drenched—head to toe in blood and flecked with tissue.
The crunch-squelch of his boot grinding something semi-frozen into the sand echoed through the silent arena.
And the Queen, frozen and pale, thought in that very moment:
Reise… did you have to go this far to warn me?
She knew, in that meeting in the King's private study, that her mind was not with them.
Because in three days—in three days—Reise was coming home. And she was caught between betraying her or upholding her power as Queen.
「Three Days Later, G6 on Her Way to the West Villa of the Palace」
Grain Town had changed everything. The dead zone. Telesco. Coen. The conspiracy ran deeper than either of them had anticipated. And G6 knew—the moment she returned, she had to strike.
The night they arrived at the Utility Department from their outing was supposed to be them finally resting after the long actions of the past days. Venomous Spiders. Dead Zone. Temple. Telesco. Coen.
This tiring sequence deserved rest. But no.
The moment they entered through the windows at the Utility Department, G6 demanded horses from Felicia.
It was time to act the plan.
The thunder of hooves was the only sound in the dead silence of the night.
'Why such a hurry, Reise?' Daunt's voice echoed in her mind.
'Because with Telesco and the other nobles involved, this will awaken her thirst to get rid of them.'
'Tsk. I knew it. The moment you took Coen, you were planning to use him for your plan.'
'Life is nothing but a game. You just have to be the best player among the thousands.'
When they reached the mansion where the Queen resided near the West Villa, a loud thud echoed as the door burst open.
The moment the Queen, seated behind her desk, locked eyes with G6, her expression shifted.
She was caught off guard.
She flinched.
And a ghost of a smile played on G6's face.
As soon as the Queen revealed the Black Ledger was blank, G6 pretended to be furious. She turned this into a high-risk game.
She could not kill the Queen—she knew that. It would get in her way. Because she knew the book was trying to keep her here in the Palace.
But nobody needed to know that.
When G6 stood before the Queen, she knew the woman had already been overtaken by her own thirst.
"I know you despise politics," the Queen began, rising slowly, walking toward the frosted window. Each step brought her closer to the ice knives still orbiting her throat, yet she showed no fear. "But no one in this kingdom truly understands me. Not even the King. He believes iron ruling is never the answer." Her eyes grew grim. "I need shadows. A literal darkness governing. Those who hunt only the corrupt. A proper gardener for this rotted garden."
"How is that my problem?"
The Queen turned, and despite the cold steel circling her throat, she smiled. "Because you are craving those thorns in this garden."
She took a breath—visible in the frozen air.
"I am offering you a proper, official deal. Not as my subordinate. As my partner. Business partners, if you will." Her voice dropped. "You rule the underworld. I rule the surface. You clean up after me, and I clean up after you."
Finally. G6's thoughts sharpened. She is not merely passing by in my alley. She has decided to inhabit it.
Her face remained unreadable, but beneath the mask, she was grinning.
"What else do you want?" the Queen pressed. "Besides the names. The engagement annulment."
G6 went silent. She already knew what she wanted. But somehow, she still tried to think.
Nothing came. Only fragments of her old life.
She sighed, clearing away the unimportant thoughts.
Fuck. What to think of? Tsk.
"I want my identity back."
Her voice cracked—just slightly—and the Queen wavered again.
A slim mistake on G6's part, but it made her target feel more inclined to trust her.
"I just want my identity back."
"Whatever do you mean, Reise?"
G6 didn't answer directly. "I agree to your deal. One condition."
The Queen's eyes flickered. "Name it."
"Form a Pact of Promise with me."
The Queen nodded slowly. "In exchange for what?"
G6 tilted her head. Outside, thunder cracked—so violent it shook the windows. Lightning illuminated her face in stark white light.
Those grey eyes. Ancient. Empty. Hungry.
"Let me build my own world here."
The words fell like stones into still water.
"The dark governance you want. Let me build it. Let me be it."
The Queen studied her for a long, terrible moment. Outside, rain began to fall—heavy, desperate, as if the sky itself was weeping.
"Very well." The Queen's voice was quiet, but absolute. "Tomorrow. We go to the Temple."
The ice knives dissolved. The frost retreated. The room warmed.
"And the curtain falls," G6 whispered.
'Congratulations, Reise. You effortlessly outmaneuvered her. Kudos to your acting skills,' Daunt murmured in her mind.
She smiled at the Queen—a true smile, warm and victorious—and walked away like nothing had happened.
「Now, Present」
G6 stood on her balcony in her robe, bathed in moonlight, enjoying the same whiskey she had the night the Queen came to her.
"One thing I've learned, Daunt," she said, leaning against the railing. "Dreams don't give messages."
Daunt was inside the room, lying on the floor. "I don't know what you're talking about, you alcoholic woman," he replied.
G6's eyes turned grim.
I may have finally secured the footing the book asked of me.
But why the hell do I have to dream that?
It's fucking disturbing.
her thoughts referring to the dreams she had back in the Grand Temple in Grain Town.
She sipped her whiskey. It was for the victory of chaining the Queen—and for clearing the trouble in her mind.
Below, in the gardens, one spectator stared up at this volatile yet elegantly gorgeous woman.
In front of Annex-Duo, a short brown-haired woman watched the balcony.
"Her maid Tina said she wasn't home," Eliza murmured. "Does she slack off because everyone in this villa favors her?"
She looked so close, yet so high.
Then G6 looked down.
Their eyes locked.
Eliza was too stunned to move or look away.
G6 simply stared at her for a moment, then walked back inside like she didn't exist. Like Eliza was nothing in her eyes—just another green in the gardens, or maybe litter left on the ground.
"I hate her," Eliza said, and walked back inside her annex.
On the balcony above, G6 stood just behind the doors.
Little did Eliza know, G6 had been listening with Whisper of Gale.
"I hate her."
G6 waved two fingers, and the spell dispersed.
She scoffed.
"My, my. Looks like someone wants to be the heroine in this book."
She turned toward her bed.
Daunt watched her, then closed his eyes.
And it looks like you want to play the villain role, with that tone and look of yours.
Shut up. I can hear your thoughts, idiot.
"Are you going to do something about her?" Daunt asked.
G6 just smiled.
"Sleep well, Daunt."
—End of Side Story—