It's June 11th.
The tests are done. The weak ones had collapsed, the foolish ones had faltered, and the ones who remained had teeth sharp enough to endure my questions.
Rielinne is an Outer.
When I performed the Three Questions Enchantment by asking the first three questions when I met the servants, it was supposed to know who the Outers were. I expected nothing, maybe a little dishonesty or nerves. But when the system flared, it revealed Rielinne as an Outer, the only Outer in the entire estate.
She had no idea I'd found out and for now, that was fine.
I had four Null Handmaidens now out of twenty who had the will, intuition, and balance to survive. I had hoped for seven, at least, but four was a start. I already met with the tailors two days before on June 9th. I had drawn the preliminary sketches myself, not because I didn't trust their artistry, but because I didn't trust their sense of function. Assassins don't need to look elegant. They need to move like smoke and look elegant. They worked through the night after the four gave their measurements.
Mine was already perfect.
I didn't need to visit the tailors because Igniferous Edge obeyed thought and will. I stood in front of the mirror and let it respond to me. The dull white glow of the morning vanished in an instant, replaced by the muted shimmer of black fabric crawling over my body.
The assassin outfit took form.
The hood came first. When I pulled it up, Faceless Identity, my five-star mask, it activated automatically. The transformation was seamless. My reflection's face blurred out of recognition. My irises burned white under the shadow of the hood. It was just like a void that stared back. If I walked past a mirror long enough, I'd frighten myself. This is actually creepy.
The cloak descended next. Its inner lining had faint silver veins, subtle enough that only under certain light would it glow. Around my chest, the material thickened into a reinforced weave of flexible armor that could stop a blade or disperse Flux. It hugged close, outlining my posture but not restricting motion. The lower part of the cloak split around the legs, tapering to thin, flowing slits designed for agility. The moment I moved, the material adjusted automatically. I flexed my fingers. The gloves were fingerless and deliberately so. My biological strings needed freedom. And then came the boots, Soundless Nautica. When I took a step, no sound or echo came out of them. The boots blended seamlessly with Igniferous Edge.
I tilted my head slightly, studying the figure in the mirror. A faceless assassin stared back.
"Too formal but this can work."
With a thought, the outfit dissolved into thin threads of black mist that reassembled into a plain shirt, pants, and sneakers. The beauty of the armor was its obedience.
I really love this thing.
Today, I was to meet the first four members of the Null Handmaidens, Rielinne among them, of course.
-----
When I stepped into the study, the air was calm but tense. The four of them were already there, lined up perfectly, their heads slightly bowed, still wearing their maid uniforms. It was almost poetic, really. The same soft, neat attire that used to mean service now stood on the brink of violence. Rielinne stood at the front, composed as ever. Behind her were the other three.
The first was Iserra Veld, her dark hair tied back. She looked like the type who measured every word, every move. She will be my Tertia Corona. The second was Naelle Firvine, a pale blonde with eyes that carried that eerie calm of someone who'd seen far too much death and accepted it. There was something empty about her, in a good way.
And the last one, Syraleh Koen, stood with her arms behind her back, her violet hair falling over one shoulder. She was the youngest. I could tell she wasn't someone to underestimate.
All of them are at the Ennea Category of the Third Awakening. I wasn't sure if that was coincidence or irony, but having all of them sit at that same level meant one thing. They had potential. Enough to not be liabilities.
I closed the study door behind me, leaning casually against the desk.
"So you're the ones who survived the tests."
They didn't speak. They just nodded, synchronized and serious.
"Good. Because as of now, you're no longer ordinary maids. You're the first four Null Handmaidens."
That got their attention. Their postures stiffened, and even Rielinne's gaze flickered slightly.
"You'll kill people. You'll go on missions. You'll do things that no one else in this estate will ever hear about. The Argemenes system hires servants with codes like yours for this exact purpose. So don't be shocked. Don't look at me like I just told you the sky's blue. You all signed up for this when you came to work in the estate."
Naelle's expression didn't even twitch. Syraleh tilted her head slightly, curious, while Iserra simply nodded. And Rielinne was calm, confident, and already looking like she had known this was coming.
"Now listen. You have eighteen days before your first mission on June 29th. We'll be heading to the Alps in Switzerland."
That made Syraleh's brow lift slightly.
"The Alps, Young Master?"
"Yes. Think of it as a nice little mountain getaway with cold weather, thin air, and people trying to kill you. Refreshing, no?"
Rielinne's lips twitched like she wanted to smile but didn't dare to. The others stayed quiet.
"For now, you'll train. You'll work on coordination, stealth, and precision. You're going to face Fluxers and no, that's not fun. They're erratic, unstable, and suicidal. But that's the point. If you can handle them, you can handle anything."
Their focus was sharp now. Even Iserra's eyes softened, which was a good sign.
"Since you're not just random assassins, I'll give you structure. Each of you gets a codename. Use these when in assassin mode, and only then. You'll keep your maid names for formal duties, but when you're in the field, you're ghosts."
I turned first to Rielinne. "You're the second in command."
Her eyes widened slightly. She wasn't expecting that title again so soon.
Then to Iserra. "You'll be third in command."
Iserra nodded sharply. "Understood, Young Master."
They all gave a slight bow in unison. I swear, the coordination was eerie in its own way.
"These designations will matter when you're on a mission. Remember, hierarchy isn't about ego. It's about survival. If Rielinne says move, you move. If she says retreat, you retreat. Clear?"
"Yes, Young Master," they said in unison.
I pushed off the desk and walked slowly toward them.
"Good. Now one more thing. You're assassins, not knights. Which means one rule. Dying is not an option."
Their gazes locked onto mine.
"If the fight is too hard, you leave. You don't fight for honor. You don't die for pride. You live to finish the mission another day. Understand?"
Rielinne nodded. "Yes, Young Master."
"Perfect."
I turned around, glancing toward the window where sunlight spilled across the floorboards.
"By the end of this month, I'll give each of you an item to commemorate your initiation into the Null Handmaidens. Think of it as a mark of belonging and something that will help you with missions. Until then, train, rest, eat, whatever you need. I don't care how you spend the days. Just be ready by the 29th."
"Yes, Young Master," they chorused again, bowing before they turned and filed out. Rielinne was last, her expression was calm as ever, but her eyes flicked back for a second. When the door shut behind them, the room went quiet again.
I exhaled and walked back to the desk, my mind shifting gears instantly.
"Four Handmaidens. One mission. Alps. And…"
I paused, opening the System window with a flick of my fingers. The holographic white interface shimmered to life in front of me.
The Fluveheart Banner pulsed on the screen.
"Ten thousand Pearlesia left. Who knew killing people in Nairobi would actually grant me more Pearlesia? Anyway, might as well burn some luck while the universe's still pretending to like me."
I tapped the Fluveheart Box I'd been eyeing for weeks. It's the one that could, theoretically, give me what I needed for the Null Handmaidens.
The system chimed.
[WISH INITIATED: FLUVEHEART BOX — 10,000 PEARLESIA]
The lights in the room dimmed as the spinning sigils of the gacha sequence began. I grinned as the interface glowed brighter, the pattern shifting into a deep blue spiral.
"Come on, give me something good. It's almost time."
Because by the end of this month, I need to have four trained and prepared assassins, a full plan, and a way to outsmart the Outers planning to ambush Thales.