G6's initial confusion lasted a second. A blank mind was a luxury she couldn't afford.
"What does that even mean?" G6 asked before a horrifying thought struck. Her eyes went wide. "Don't tell me I'm mana-less in this magic world?!" Her voice jumped an octave in genuine alarm.
The Queen steepled her fingers against her lips. "Hmm. 'Mana: Immeasurable'…" she mused, a low hum of intrigue.
Another gasp cut through—this time from Leo. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS STATUS?!" he blurted, professional composure shattered.
The Queen's head snapped toward him. "Leo. Bring the orb closer. Now."
Trembling, Leo wheeled the stand holding the glowing orb forward.
As the full stats shimmered in the air, a wave of stunned silence crashed over the room.
Mana: Immeasurable
Magic Affinities:
Wind - S-Rank
Cryomancy - C-Rank (Blessing of the Heavens)
SPECIAL SKILLS:
Perfect Assassin Form - EX Rank
Silent Reaper's Blade - EX Rank
Eclipse-Step - 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 mix of awe and terror at the monstrous stats, G6's brain zeroed in on one terrifying line.
"Oh, shit," she whispered, blood draining from her face. What is that? 'Perfect ASSASSIN Form'?! Her internal monologue went into full-blown panic. Fuck! Can this thing read my resume? They'll find out I'm a fake! Or worse—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… 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 deceived her. "They don't exist in any registry."
"She's right," Edmund agreed, voice muffled by the hologram. "The highest recognized category is 'Extra Skills' under Physical Enhancement. This… is something else."
"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, eyes shining with pure 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 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 from ancient texts!" Leo cried.
The Queen's gaze turned intense, locking onto G6 with unsettling seriousness. "Reise, dear…" she began, voice laced with a fear that chilled the room. "A question, however absurd. Did you… die before?"
G6's heart stopped. Air vanished from her lungs. She could only stare, mind racing for a lie.
"That's… a macabre and ridiculous question, Your Majesty!" Tina interjected, coming to her defense.
"Quite right," Edmund added, finally pulling back. "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. It's just… the theory behind Cryomancy is…" She trailed off, choosing words carefully. "It is said to be spiritual mana, a shard of divine will kept in the Astral Vault. It stirs on its own and chooses its vessel—a soul it deems worthy."
A heavy silence.
"And the texts," Leo added quietly, "theorize such a transfer is so profound… it can only occur through death and rebirth."
No one spoke. The unspoken question hung, 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 together?" Lilia tilted her head.
"They borrow cold from the air; they merely freeze what's 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. "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, theatrical sigh and fanned her face. "All this talk of death and myths is giving me a headache. Your Majesty, about my Professional Card…? Does this mean I can get it now? I'd very much like to see this Collegium." She layered her tone with oblivious innocence, as if unaware of the rarity of her skills. And I can't wait to check out what could be a lethal spell.
"Hold your horses, dear Reise," the Queen said, her voice losing warmth, shifting to 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. Just give me the card and let me leave before this 'Perfect Assassin' description gets more specific.
"We must understand these strange skills first," the Queen continued, nodding at Leo.
Leo tapped the description button. Text shimmered into the air, preceded by a stark warning.
SPECIAL SKILLS:
EX - PERFECT ASSASSIN FORM - Total bodily mastery: absolute control over strength, speed, and perception.
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 abilities through sheer dread.
S - EYES OF CHRONOS - Perceives the world in slow motion, predicting movements and analyzing weaknesses with a single glance.
S - AUTHOR'S DECREE - Rewrites a single, small rule of reality within immediate vicinity once per day. (Drains all mana.)
As Leo read, the room grew colder with each word. Edmund's composure vanished into stunned whispers. "Oh, good grace… this is… inhuman."
"EX-Rank… it's unheard of. Only S-Rank is the highest both commoners and nobles can achieve," Leo added, voice trembling.
"My lady," Tina asked, 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—Akira's deadly arts, translated into this world's grand language.
"This will be a matter of utmost confidentiality," the Queen stated, tone leaving no 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. The nobility would be thrown into chaos."
"We will table this for now," the Queen decided. "I must consult my 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. Understood?"
"With our lives, Your Majesty," they chorused, bowing.
Protect me? G6 almost laughed. Without magic, I could disarm all three of you in six seconds.
"Do you understand, Reise?" the Queen pressed, eyes sharp.
G6's attention snapped back. "Perfectly, Your Majesty," she said, voice the picture of obedient grace.
"Leo, the materials. Process the card."
What followed was quick, ritualistic: placing her family crest on the blank card, a finger prick, a drop of blood that made the metal glow with cool blue light, sealed finally with the press of the Queen's royal crest.
"It is done," the Queen said. "But this is no ordinary card. Your true status is stored in 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, you will train daily at the Bastion grounds. Your physical endurance is lacking. One of your skills drains all your mana, and a mana-drained body is weak. 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."
G6 just nodded, taking the card. It was cool, heavier than it looked. One side: the Worthon crest. 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 a mother-scolding-a-child tone. "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, it looked like her world had just ended.
"I will not compromise on this," the Queen said firmly, seeing the unspoken plea.
G6's shoulders slumped in total, utter defeat. Behind her, Tina—despite the day's shocks—allowed 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 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 this new world was determined to blunt her edges, one royal decree at a time.
-–To Be Continued…—