The carriage halted before the Utility Magic Department, where Felicia waited beneath the entrance with perfect posture and a practiced smile. Edmund descended from the coachman's seat and opened the door for G6 before handing the carriage over to a waiting footman.
"Welcome back, Lady Reise."
Felicia bowed. G6 acknowledged her with a curt nod, tucked both hands into her pockets, and proceeded inside without a word. The reception staff bowed as she passed.
The department remained quiet and sparsely staffed. With most noblewomen receiving private instruction in their own homes, there were no other trainees to occupy its facilities. Duke William Worthon had established the department, and its staff ultimately answered to his family—a connection that made G6's unchallenged passage through the building considerably less surprising.
She headed directly toward the stairs, moving with the assurance of a chief executive returning to her own headquarters. Edmund and Felicia followed as she entered the secluded upper corridor and approached the private suite.
The moment G6 opened the door, she noticed the movement of the curtains.
A breeze passed through the open window, carrying a faint disturbance from farther inside the room. She raised one hand to stop Edmund and Felicia, then stepped through the doorway alone.
Beyond the couch on the opposite side, a figure shifted.
"Stone Bullet."
Lord Zen's quiet invocation accompanied the gathering of mana at his raised hand. He waited until she cleared the doorframe before releasing the projectile toward her.
G6 was already moving.
She stepped diagonally out of its path as the stone crossed the room, lowering her shoulder and drawing the knife from her thigh. Her momentum carried her along the outside of his extended arm. Lord Zen began turning to follow, but she passed his shoulder before he completed the movement.
The cold edge of her knife settled beneath his jaw.
What just happened?
I didn't see her move.
She's too fast, Lord Zen thought.
His body went still. G6 stood behind him, close enough that any careless movement would bring his throat against the blade.
"What do you think you're doing, you fucking mutt?"
Her voice was low and remarkably calm.
She's behind me.
Even with Physical Enhancement, that speed is impossible.
It's as if she matched the velocity of my spell itself, Lord Zen thought, attempting to reconstruct the brief movement he had failed to follow.
"I was merely… greeting you."
He slowly raised both hands.
"Do it better next time."
G6 withdrew the knife and returned it to its sheath. She stepped away without waiting for an explanation, then raised her voice toward the doorway.
"Enter."
Edmund and Felicia came inside. Felicia's eyes widened briefly at the sight of Lord Zen, though she recovered quickly enough to join Edmund in offering him a respectful bow.
"This is Felicia. She handles things for us here."
G6 settled onto the couch and draped her arms across its back. A slight movement of her head directed Lord Zen toward the seat opposite her.
"I am quite familiar with the lady—Felicia, I mean."
He corrected himself smoothly as he sat. G6's eyebrow twitched, but she allowed the remark to pass without a question.
"I see. You have acquired a new companion, Lady Reise," Felicia observed.
Edmund took the remaining chair. Before the conversation could return to Lord Zen's introduction, Felicia crossed toward a shelf and opened one of its drawers.
"In any case, I have something for you and Edmund."
She brought a black jewelry box to the table and lifted its lid. Two plain silver bands rested inside, their unadorned surfaces giving little indication of their purpose.
"These are rings I made for your convenience. I assume Lord Zen will be familiar with their function."
"A ring with a different function? Please, enlighten me."
His interest had sharpened immediately.
"This ring can store an outfit. When you wear it, you can change into your preferred attire without carrying a spare set of clothes. It is called a Quicksilver Band."
"Ah. I know of this tool."
Lord Zen leaned closer to examine the rings while G6 looked from the box to Felicia.
"Is this what you said we would like? Hmm, it is indeed convenient."
"Not only that." Pride entered Felicia's voice. "Even if you return with your clothes torn, simply removing the ring and putting it back on will restore them to a pristine state."
G6's expression shifted into unmistakable approval.
"How do we make it work?"
"I will guide you. Your new outfits are prepared." Felicia turned toward Lord Zen. "Could you assist Edmund? I will craft one for you later."
"You have certainly not lost your touch. Creating such tools in so little time is truly magnificent. I shall look forward to receiving mine."
Lord Zen stood and gestured toward Edmund.
"Shall we?"
The men entered one of the preparation chambers, while Felicia accompanied G6 into the other.
❈.❈.❈
G6's replacement outfit lay neatly arranged across the bed, its dark fabric pristine and free of the damage left by the forest.
"Is this a new set?"
"Yes, my lady. I disposed of the previous one. The scent of goblin blood was too deeply set." Felicia indicated the garments. "Please put this set on first."
G6 set aside her knife and began removing her training clothes. Felicia's professional composure faltered when she realized her mistress had no intention of waiting for privacy.
"D-do you wish for me to wait outside?"
"No need. What are you so shy about?"
G6 stepped out of her trousers, then removed her brassiere as well.
"This will just get in the way."
Felicia turned her face aside, suddenly finding the arrangement of the dressing table worthy of considerable attention. G6 ignored her embarrassment and put on the new tactical clothing.
As she adjusted the top, her fingers encountered a small red stone fixed to the fabric. A matching one had been attached to the trousers.
"Oh? What is this red stone on the pants and top?"
"It acts as a conductor, linking the clothing to the ring."
Felicia turned back once G6 was dressed and handed over her cap and sunglasses.
"Unfortunately, the ring can store only fabrics. Your eyewear must be carried separately."
"Not a problem."
G6 put on the sunglasses and waited for the next instruction.
"Now, wear the ring and channel a small amount of mana into it."
She slipped the band onto her finger. At the first controlled flow of mana, the red stones on her garments brightened. Their light traveled toward the ring before fading, leaving the silver surface as plain as before.
"That's it?"
Felicia smiled and nodded.
G6 immediately removed the band. The registered clothing vanished, leaving her standing in her underwear with the sunglasses still perched on her face.
Felicia turned around so abruptly that her skirt brushed the bed.
"L-Lady Reise!"
"Hmm, very convenient. I will try it with my clothes on."
Entirely untroubled, G6 dressed in the training clothes she had removed, then slipped the Quicksilver Band back onto her finger. A soft glow passed over her, and when it faded, the dark adventurer's outfit was visible again.
She examined her sleeves, then the trousers, turning slightly to inspect the result in the mirror.
"Whoa. This is fun."
"Is it to your liking?"
Felicia's embarrassment had begun giving way to satisfaction.
"Of course. Thanks for this."
G6 finished securing her equipment, put her weapons into the Dimensional Vault, and checked the room for anything left behind. Felicia watched her make the final inspection with a small, pleased smile.
Once satisfied, G6 gave her a last nod and returned to the common room.
Edmund and Lord Zen were already waiting.
"Are you two set to go?"
"Yes, my lady," Edmund answered.
"Yes, Lady Reise," Lord Zen replied at almost the same moment.
"Then, let's go."
G6 led them downstairs and through the department's rear entrance, where Edmund's horse waited. They drew on their long black cloaks before approaching the secluded route through the palace grounds.
"I suppose I will see you both outside the walls," Lord Zen said.
He glanced toward the trees, murmured, "Speed," and let the enhancement settle through his body before moving. His first leap carried him onto a low branch; the next took him farther into the canopy. G6 followed his progress until the intervening trunks concealed him.
Not bad at all.
Edmund brought his horse around and mounted. G6 swung up behind him, settling beneath her cloak before they began their familiar approach toward the palace gate.
By the time the checkpoint came within sight, Eclipse-Step had hidden her from ordinary observation. She remained physically seated behind Edmund as he rode through, releasing the concealment only after they had cleared the palace grounds.
Lord Zen was already waiting beneath the large tree at their rendezvous point. G6's horse stood beside him.
❈.❈.❈
"I've been meaning to ask you, Edmund."
G6 dismounted and approached her waiting horse.
"Who's been taking care of Kira?"
"My lady? Who might this Kira be?"
"My horse."
She reached for the lead.
Back in my world, I heard naming an animal makes it closer to you.
I need him to like me since we will be together for a very long time.
"I see…" Edmund looked toward the animal. "The footman at the Utility Magic Department tends to him. And, my lady, that horse is a male."
"I don't care. His name is Kira."
G6 untied the lead and swung into the saddle. Edmund released a low laugh as she settled.
"Then I suppose Kira's status is now higher than my own."
"That's right. Kira is a beautiful guy. His shiny brown coat, fluffy mane, and excellent physique are perfect."
She stroked the horse's neck, apparently finding no reason to moderate the praise.
"Of course, my lady. Felicia mentioned that he is one of the best-cared-for horses in the Worthon stables."
"I see."
G6 looked toward Lord Zen.
"Where's your horse?"
"I do not have one. I typically work on foot."
"Then you stay there. I am not planning to add weight to my perfect Kira."
She guided the horse toward the road.
"W-wait…"
Lord Zen raised a hand, but G6 showed no sign of reconsidering. Edmund shook his head with a faint smile.
"You may ride with me until we find you a suitable horse, Lord Zen."
"Provided you do not object to the extra weight, I would be grateful, Edmund."
Lord Zen approached the horse and mounted behind him. Before he had properly settled, G6 spoke without turning from the road.
"Starting now, the moment we step beyond the palace, we are no longer nobles or a butler. Use our aliases."
Both men looked toward her.
"We will do a roll call every time we begin. It starts now."
She glanced back.
"G6 Arcadia."
"Eddie Saiden," Edmund followed.
"Zero Bergel," Lord Zen said.
"Let's go."
G6 raised her hood and urged Kira forward. The men followed, their faces disappearing beneath their own deep hoods.
With the long black cloaks concealing most of their clothing, the three resembled mercenaries traveling discreetly rather than the occupants of a royal villa.
Hoofbeats settled into a steady rhythm as they rode toward the Capital.
❈.❈.❈
Before they reached the city entrance, Edmund urged his horse ahead and brought it across G6's path. She pulled lightly on Kira's reins.
"What's wrong?"
"You intend to accept another task outside the Capital, correct? Might I suggest that we first visit an acquaintance's ranch and secure a horse for Zero?"
"Fine. Lead the way."
Edmund turned onto a side path leading away from the main road. They passed beneath thickening trees before the route opened onto a secluded ranch, where a large warehouse stood beside the stables.
They dismounted as an older man emerged from the building. His expression hardened at the sight of three hooded strangers.
"Who are you?"
Edmund lowered his hood.
"It is me, Old Man. Eddie."
Recognition eased the man's suspicion.
"Oh, it's you. It has been a while, Eddie." He looked over the group again. "The three of you look quite intimidating in that gear."
"Do we? My apologies."
Edmund laughed sheepishly before indicating Lord Zen.
"We are in something of a hurry. Do you have a horse comparable to ours? Healthy and capable of enduring long journeys. It is for our companion."
"I see. Follow me."
The old man led Edmund and Lord Zen toward the stables. G6 took Kira and Edmund's horse into the shade of a nearby tree, then leaned against the trunk with her arms crossed.
Roughly fifteen minutes passed before the men returned. Lord Zen led a sleek black horse whose condition appeared comparable to that of their own mounts.
"That took too long."
G6 pushed herself away from the tree.
"My apologies, G6. Zero wished to ensure he selected a horse suited to our needs."
"Hmm. Typical geek behavior."
Her comment barely rose above a murmur. Lord Zen ran one hand along his new horse's neck.
"We secured a very good price. Ten gold coins, two silver, and three bronze. Remarkably little for a horse of this quality."
"Well, you are a friend of Eddie's," the old man said warmly.
"Ah, really?"
G6 sounded thoroughly uninterested in the bargain.
"Let's leave now."
She mounted Kira while Edmund and Lord Zen returned to their own saddles.
"Thank you, Old Man. We will see you again!" Edmund called.
G6 urged Kira down the path, and the men fell in behind her. The ranch owner watched until the trees concealed them.
"That lady… her aura somehow chills the very depths of my soul."
He shook his head and returned to the warehouse.
The party rejoined the road to the Capital and entered through its broad archway. Once inside, they followed the lanes designated for carriages and mounted travelers rather than attempting to force their horses through the crowded market streets.
They secured the animals in an alley near the Adventurers' Guild. With their hoods drawn low again, the three entered the building together.
「ADVENTURERS' GUILD」
The hall's lively conversation faltered as people turned toward the entrance. One man near the door leaned toward his companion.
"W-who are they?"
"I have never seen adventurers hide their faces like that," the other muttered.
"To wear such cloaks and carry themselves that way…"
The third man at their table left the observation unfinished as G6 passed. She paid them no attention and went directly to the task board, followed by Edmund and Lord Zen.
Liam emerged from behind the reception counter.
"I assume you are G6 and Eddie?"
Only Edmund turned.
"Oh, yes. How are you, Liam?"
"I have been well." Liam glanced toward the unfamiliar third member. "It appears you have company today."
"Ah, yes."
Edmund looked toward the others. G6 lowered her hood with obvious reluctance, and Lord Zen followed.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Zero."
His polite delivery offered little encouragement for further conversation.
"Are you an adventurer as well? I do not believe I have seen you here before."
"I am registered in Tres Town. I often accept work outside the Capital."
"Tres Town. That is in the Southern Region, is it not?" Liam smiled. "You must spend a considerable amount of time in the provinces."
"Enough with questions."
G6 had finished examining the board.
"Zero, I assume you are already A-Rank?"
"Yes."
"I see."
She turned toward Liam and struck the board with one hand.
"Hey, why are there no fun tasks?"
He jumped. Several adventurers who had returned to their own business looked around again.
"B-because we received instructions from the Palace to keep A-Rank through C-Rank requests at the reception counter. We have been authorized to judge whether a party is suited to each assignment."
Liam rubbed the back of his neck.
"I believe it is a precaution following the mission you two undertook last time."
"Ah."
G6 walked toward reception. The others followed as she examined the notices displayed behind the counter.
"How about this one?"
Liam removed a poster and placed it before them.
"An A-Rank assignment in Greenhill Village, the fifth village. Reports indicate that a pack of wolves has settled deep in the mountains. They occasionally descend and disturb the settlement, and their behavior has become increasingly aggressive."
"Greenhill is the last village under the Capital's jurisdiction," Lord Zen observed. "It will take us nearly half a day to reach it on horseback."
G6 considered the estimate against the much shorter journey to Oak Village.
"The travel time to villages varies?"
"Yes. Oak lies close to the Capital. Greenhill is at the far edge of its jurisdiction."
"Ah. We will take it."
She snatched the poster from the counter and pressed it against Lord Zen's chest.
"Let's go."
He caught the notice and followed her toward the door. Edmund remained just long enough to offer Liam an apologetic smile.
"Thank you, Liam. Please do not mind my… niece."
"It is nothing. I am growing accustomed to her."
Liam's faint laugh sounded slightly strained. Edmund nodded once more and left.
Outside, they retrieved their horses and followed the mounted lanes toward the city's main gate. Merchants and travelers had formed a queue while guards inspected identification and cargo with far greater care than G6 remembered from their previous departure.
When their turn came, a guard raised his hand.
"Guild cards and purpose of travel."
"Of course."
Edmund rode slightly ahead and offered the card bearing Eddie Saiden's name.
"A pest-control assignment in Greenhill Village."
The guard examined it, then accepted the cards G6 and Lord Zen presented. His gaze lingered on G6's identification before lifting toward the face concealed beneath her hood.
She waited without speaking.
Finding no fault with their credentials, he returned the cards and gestured them through.
"Clear. Safe travels."
Edmund led them onto the worn road beyond the walls. G6 and Lord Zen followed, leaving the noise and congestion of the Capital behind as the countryside opened around them.
❈.❈.❈
Green fields and wooded slopes stretched toward the distant mountains. Edmund navigated the smaller routes skirting the villages, keeping them away from the busiest thoroughfares.
Over the next four hours, they passed three settlements before stopping beneath a stand of large trees beside the road. The shade provided cover for both the travelers and their horses.
Edmund and Lord Zen cut several thick branches to serve as makeshift seats. Once they had settled, Edmund opened his Dimensional Vault and retrieved the large basket Tina had handed him that morning.
"Let us have lunch. It is already noon."
G6 watched him arrange a small fire and bring out a pot of Alistair's meat soup.
"What is all this? Why does it look like enough for five people? And why do you even have a pot in your vault?"
"I prefer to be prepared for your unpredictable decisions. I also brought bowls and utensils."
Edmund sounded rather proud of himself as he placed the pot over the fire.
"And I believe Alistair is well aware of your healthy appetite."
"Healthy appetite?"
Lord Zen unfolded the picnic blanket Edmund had supplied and began arranging the bowls.
"I recall that during my first meal with you, yours was the largest portion of steak."
"Shut your mouth, or you will be the next meal."
G6's expression gave him little reason to continue. Edmund looked into the basket again.
"Alistair has also packed two large torpedo sandwiches. There is more than enough. We shall save those for later."
He closed the basket and returned to stirring the soup.
"Alistair appears to take very good care of you," Lord Zen remarked.
"He and Janin are indeed quite fond of G6."
Edmund's answer prompted an immediate change of subject.
"What do you think about the strict inspection earlier? Last time we left, the knights were much more relaxed."
"It is likely a response to the recent irregularities," Edmund suggested.
"And the serial killer who remains at large," Lord Zen added.
"He has not been captured yet?"
"No. He has proven elusive. He may possess a noble affinity."
"So there is a chance he is a noble?"
"Possibly." Lord Zen considered the question. "Last year, two different blood samples were found at one of the scenes. One belonged to the victim. The other is believed to have come from the culprit."
G6 watched him closely.
"The findings described that blood as seventy-five percent commoner, with the remaining twenty-five percent… a special case."
"Oh? So he is one of those bastard children?"
"Not necessarily. Noble blood is dominant. I suspect a forbidden spell may be involved…"
"Commoners purchasing noble blood and attempting to fuse it with their own?"
Edmund looked up from the pot.
"That is extraordinarily dangerous. The success rate is terribly low, and the process could poison or kill the person attempting it."
"A wrong chant or incantation could also prove fatal," Lord Zen replied.
Neither man had established that the killer had undergone such a process. For now, the blood findings gave them a reason to consider it.
G6 crossed her arms.
"I cannot blame them for trying to mix commoner blood with noble blood. This world's hierarchy is cruel. A noble can wield their designated magic and still acquire PhyEn and Utility Magic."
Her attention moved between them.
"Yet peasants are limited to only those two. If you are thirsty for power, you will do anything."
The men fell quiet. Lord Zen studied her for a moment before lowering his gaze toward the fire.
She is right.
The world's treatment of commoners is profoundly unfair.
Is this one of the reasons the Queen places so much faith in her? he wondered.
He turned toward Edmund.
"Are you satisfied with your own lot, Eddie?"
Edmund looked into the pot and smiled.
"Of course. I am confident and more than satisfied with mine."
He stirred the soup once more before lifting the ladle.
"Let us eat."
He filled three bowls and passed two to his companions. Their conversation continued as they ate, moving away from personal circumstances and toward the geography of the kingdom—its villages, towns, and cities, and the routes connecting them.
Despite G6's earlier objection to the quantity of food, each of them finished more than three bowls. Between the meal and the rest that followed, two full hours passed before they cleared the camp, extinguished the fire, and prepared to continue.
Once mounted, G6 maintained Whisper of the Gale between them so their conversation could carry without being lost beneath the hoofbeats.
"How much farther?"
"We are already halfway to the fourth village," Edmund answered from the front.
Lord Zen rode beside G6 until a turn in the route drew his attention.
"Eddie. Why do we not take the remote pass? It is a shortcut, though mountains and cliffs border the road."
"I believe the ground should be safe. There has been no rain these past few days."
Edmund looked back toward G6.
"What are your orders?"
"The main road sounds lame. We will take whatever gets us to our destination faster. Hurry up."
"Understood."
He guided them onto a forest trail. As the land rose, the route narrowed into a difficult road winding along a steep cliff face, forcing the horses into a closer formation.
"This road is rarely used by carriages," Lord Zen said. "It is too dangerous."
"Dangerous, huh?"
G6 examined the rising rock on one side and the drop beyond the other. A carriage could pass, but there was little room to correct a careless turn.
They continued along the cliff until an arrow cut across their path.
The horses reared, breaking the rhythm of their advance. G6 shortened Kira's reins as a second shaft whistled past her ear and struck the road ahead. The instant his forefeet returned to the ground, she urged him through the space beside Edmund's horse and took the lead.
"CODE RED! DO NOT LOSE YOUR HORSES!"
What the fuck was that? I didn't sense any presence.
More arrows descended from the mountainside.
"DO NOT STOP!"
She drove Kira forward while the men followed close behind.
"G6! The arrows are coming from above!" Lord Zen called through the Wind link. "It is probably bandits!"
"Do not engage! We are at a disadvantage here!"
The angle favored the attackers. Stopping beneath them would leave the riders exposed on the narrow road, their horses caught between the cliff and the falling arrows.
G6 kept moving until the path began opening beyond the rock face. There, a group of armed men blocked the way toward the trees.
She pulled Kira up several horse-lengths short of them. Edmund and Lord Zen halted behind her as the men ahead spread across the available road, grinning at the three travelers trapped between the roadblock and the archers above.
"G6."
Edmund's whisper reached her through the spell.
"G6, perhaps—no. This looks bad," Lord Zen said quietly. "It might be better for you to fall to the rear."
"Stay in your positions. Do not move until I give the order."
Her calm delivery stopped him before he could attempt anything further.
A tall, broad man stepped out from the roadblock, carrying an enormous sword. His eyes moved over their cloaks and horses with undisguised interest.
"Oh? Only three. And they look loaded. Look at the quality of those coats."
"They look like mercenaries," one of the men behind him remarked.
"Mercenaries? Their horses are too fine for that."
The leader laughed before addressing them.
"Who are you people? You are bold to take this route."
"We are adventurers," Edmund answered.
"Adventurers? A three-man party?"
The leader looked toward the cliff, then back at them.
"Lower your hoods. Or I will have your horses shot."
G6 narrowed her eyes and lowered hers first.
Recognition of her sex transformed the men's interest into something uglier.
"A woman?"
The leader's gaze moved over her.
"Looks like we will have a feast tonight. But in bed!"
Laughter rose behind him. Edmund lowered his hood, his jaw tightening, while Lord Zen did the same.
"Who is the captain of this party?" the leader continued. "Are you strong? You must be, to take such a dangerous route."
"I will handle this, G6," Edmund whispered through the link.
He cleared his throat and began aloud, "I—"
"I am."
G6's voice carried without effort.
Lord Zen looked at her profile.
Lady Reise is too calm for this situation. I understand she is peculiar and strong, as the Queen claims. But this is too calm, he thought.
"Oh? A woman? The captain?"
The leader turned toward his companions, apparently unable to contain his amusement.
"This will be so easy. I will kill the two men, and we will have you for later."
He accompanied the promise with a vulgar gesture.
G6 removed her sunglasses slowly and tucked them into her pocket.
"I will let you live if you let us pass."
There was a faint strain beneath the otherwise level words. Edmund recognized it and tightened his grip on the reins.
This is bad. Lady Reise…
G6 studied the men ahead.
How long has it been since my last human kill? Should I gut them? That would be fun. Seeing the horror in their faces would be a good memory to recall.
Oak Village had given her monsters to fight. The armed men before her belonged to a category she understood considerably better.
She tilted her head and let Wind move along the road, then up the broken face of the cliff.
Echo Trace.
The returning sounds began arranging themselves in her mind. Faint echoes distinguished the places where bodies interrupted the air, while heartbeats, cloth against stone, and small shifts in weight gave those positions greater precision.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six…
Her attention traveled higher until the final concealed position resolved.
Nine people up there.
A slow smile appeared.
"Oh, pretty lady. What are you smiling for?" the leader asked. "Are you excited for me to have you?"
"How dare you disrespect her!"
Lord Zen began moving in his saddle. Before he could act, G6's outline disappeared.
All at once her skill activated without ceremony.
<
<
Reaper's Ascent
Dimensional Vault
She slipped free of the saddle as concealment took hold, using the stirrup for her first upward push. Wind caught her weight and carried her toward the rock face.
Her boots touched a narrow projection long enough to redirect the ascent, and the next surge lifted her onto the shelf occupied by the nearest archers.
To those on the road, she had simply vanished.
Above them, G6 landed in a low crouch and drew her twin daggers from the opening of her Dimensional Vault. Echo Trace held the nine positions in her mind as she rose behind the first man.
Finally. A real hunt.
The archer was fitting another arrow to his bow. G6 stepped into the space behind his raised shoulder and drew one blade across his throat, keeping her other hand ready as his body folded against the rock.
One.
The man beside him noticed the sudden stillness.
"Hey, you okay—"
G6 crossed the short gap before he finished turning. Her dagger entered beneath the base of his skull, cutting the question short. She withdrew it and moved past him as he collapsed.
Two.
A third archer backed away from the bodies, dropping his bow and drawing a sword.
"Where is she?"
He turned toward the ledge behind him, then back toward his companions, searching for an attacker he could not see. G6 stepped outside the sweep of his weapon and closed along his unguarded side. Her blade entered his throat before he could change direction.
Three.
Panic spread through the remaining positions. The fourth man raised his bow toward the disturbance, struggling to choose a target while his companions blocked his view. G6 approached from beside the rock he had been using as cover, slipped past the bow, and drove a dagger into his chest.
He fell before the fifth could reach him. G6 stepped around the collapsing body and came up behind the next man, cutting his throat as he tried to look over his shoulder.
Four. Five.
The sixth retreated across the shelf with his sword held out before him. G6 let his first frightened sweep pass, then entered the space it left behind. Her dagger struck through his ribs, and she released him as his knees gave way.
The seventh had turned toward the noise rather than away from it. That decision brought him within reach. G6 shifted around his shoulder and struck before he could complete the movement, leaving him to collapse beside the others.
Six. Seven.
The eighth ran.
He managed two steps before G6's thrown dagger struck his back and brought him down. She crossed the distance as he tried to drag himself forward, his legs refusing to follow. Her remaining blade ended the attempt, and she recovered the dagger she had thrown before continuing along the shelf.
Eight.
The final archer stood farthest from the others. He kept lifting his bow toward empty spaces, unable to hold it steady long enough to fit the arrow properly. His eyes darted between the bodies and the narrow approach behind him.
"P-please…"
G6 stepped before him and released her concealment.
His bow jerked upward, but the movement stopped when he met her eyes.
"Pathetic."
Her blade swept across his neck. His head separated and struck the stone while the rest of him folded beside the bow.
Nine.
G6 nudged the severed head toward the edge with the side of her boot. It rolled over the lip of the shelf and disappeared toward the road below.
The bandit leader was still searching the cliff.
"Where did that wench go? Did she run? Search the—"
—THUD!
The head struck the road between the two groups, raising a small cloud of dust before rolling to a stop.
The men fell silent. One stumbled backward into the companion behind him, while another stared upward at the positions that had been answering them with arrows only moments earlier.
Edmund's hands tightened around the reins. Lord Zen's mouth parted before closing again, his gaze moving from the severed head to the rock face.
Neither had seen what happened above. The silence from the archers now supplied its own answer.
G6 descended after the head, using the cliff's projections and the lift of Reaper's Ascent to control her fall. She landed between the bandits and the horses, her knees bending briefly before she straightened.
Blood marked one cheek and coated both daggers. The smile she had worn in the saddle was gone. Her grey eyes moved across the remaining men with steady concentration.
Twenty-three more.
Behind her, Edmund steadied his horse as it shifted uneasily. Lord Zen kept one hand near his weapon, but both men remained where she had ordered them to stay.
The bandit leader's expression twisted.
"You witch! Get her! Kill them all!"
His sword pointed toward G6 and the mounted men behind her. Several bandits rushed forward, their terror briefly finding an outlet in the command.
G6 met the first before he could finish raising his sword. She moved along the outside of his arm, cut his throat, and passed him as the blade he had intended for her fell uselessly through the air.
The next attacker came from her right. She turned toward him without stopping, her second dagger striking through his eye before he could bring his weapon across.
Their falling bodies obstructed the men behind them.
G6 used the brief congestion to change direction. She stepped into the opening beside a third attacker, drove a blade beneath his ribs, and withdrew before his weight could pull it from her hand. The fourth tried to swing over the dying man's shoulder, but there was too little room to complete the cut.
She reached him while his arm was still raised.
Blood struck the road as G6 moved past. Another man attempted to intercept her from the side, only to find his own companion in the way.
She slipped around them rather than contesting either weapon, striking where their hurried movement exposed them.
Edmund could follow enough to recognize the method. She was not trying to force her daggers through a swordsman's guard. She entered before the guard formed, changed position before the others could surround her, and let their crowding interfere with their attacks.
What unsettled him was how little the human faces appeared to matter.
H-how? How can she kill those men like they are nothing but monsters in her eyes? Edmund thought.
He had already watched her kill goblins with merciless precision. Seeing the same composure here made that earlier experience feel incomplete.
The assault lasted ten seconds.
By the time the men at the rear understood how quickly those in front were falling, nearly half the roadblock lay dead or dying. There had been little sustained clash of steel—only failed swings, abrupt cries, and the impact of bodies against the road.
Lord Zen's fingers had tightened against his sword hilt. He was prepared to meet anyone who reached the horses, yet none had made it past G6.
By the heavens… I have never met anyone with this intensity of bloodthirst, he thought. That aura she's exuding… it's so heavy. So suffocating.
No visible spell had forced him still. The momentary hesitation was his own, born of trying to reconcile the woman before him with the noble he had known at the Collegium.
The surviving bandits stopped advancing.
One dropped his weapon. Another followed, then the sound spread as swords and clubs struck the road. The leader's orders had ceased to matter; the men nearest G6 sank to their knees and began pleading.
"P-please! Spare us!"
"We surrender! We yield! Have mercy!"
"We'll do anything! Don't kill us!"
The leader pressed his forehead against the dirt.
G6 stood among the bodies with both daggers lowered at her sides. Blood gathered beneath their points as she examined the men who had been laughing at her.
"I gave you a chance to live."
Her voice carried clearly through their overlapping pleas.
"I told you I would let you live if you let us through. You chose this."
She stepped forward, gravel shifting beneath her boot.
"Where's all that smug braveness from earlier, huh?"
The leader lifted his head.
"Now, look at you. Begging for a life you threw away. My mere presence is your nightmare, and you are already dead."
His expression collapsed. Around him, the pleas weakened into broken, frightened sounds as G6 took another step.
"Wait! Please, wait!"
The leader threw up both hands.
"A deal! I-I have information! A secret that could bring you a fortune! Spare us, and it is yours!"
G6 stopped.
"A fortune for us?"
She tilted her head.
"Speak. And it had better be worth the air you are wasting."
"It is! I swear it!"
The man struggled to force the words out.
"The reason we've been attacking villages… we knew! We knew all the knights were sent on expeditions! It was the perfect time for us to strike!"
G6 closed the remaining distance. As he tried to lean back, the point of her dagger settled against his throat. A bead of blood gathered beneath it.
"You knew this how?"
"I don't know who sent it! I swear!"
Tears cut through the dirt on his face.
"A bird! A crow! It delivered the messages with the schedules! The last one is in my pocket!"
He gestured frantically toward his coat.
"Please, check! It's the truth!"
G6 kept him beneath the blade while Edmund and Lord Zen dismounted. The initial shock had not left either man, but there was now something concrete to examine.
Edmund knelt beside the bandit and searched his pockets. His hands had regained their usual precision by the time he found the tightly rolled scroll.
He stood and held it out.
G6 returned one dagger to its sheath, accepted the document, and looked it over while keeping the other blade at the bandit's throat. Then she extended the scroll toward Lord Zen, who had stopped just behind her.
"Zen. Look at this."
She spoke low enough for the existing Wind link to carry the instruction between them. He took the paper and began examining it.
G6 did not look away from the prisoner.
"Zen. Talk to him."
Lord Zen lowered the scroll.
"You claim a crow delivered knight expedition schedules," he said. "Can you swear to this? Your life depends upon the truth."
"Yes! I swear it! On my life!"
The leader tried to bow again, then stopped at the pressure of G6's dagger.
"The bird came at the same time each week. We never saw who sent it!"
The document established that he possessed a message. Whether his account of its arrival was true remained another question.
G6 lowered her blade and glanced toward Lord Zen.
"Taking him as a prisoner would create difficulties," he said quietly. "Using a teleportation device would expose our movements to the Collegium. Leaving them bound here would be little better. Hardly anyone travels this road. They might starve before anyone found them."
A slow smile touched G6's lips.
"Who said anything about tying them up? I was just going to let them go."
The bandits stared.
"In exchange for this information, I will let you pathetic worms crawl away."
She leaned slightly toward the leader.
"But listen closely. If this information turns out to be fake, or a trap…"
He stopped breathing while she allowed the warning to settle.
"…Wherever you try to hide, in the deepest hole or the darkest alley of the most distant city, know this: I will find you. And our conversation will end very differently. Do we have an understanding?"
"Y-yes, Ma'am!"
The answer spread raggedly through the survivors. They scrambled backward, keeping their hands away from the discarded weapons until they were far enough to turn and run toward the trees beyond the roadblock.
"What a bunch of losers."
G6 watched them flee.
"Get lost before I change my mind."
The last man disappeared into the undergrowth, leaving the cliff road quiet except for the restless movement of the horses.
Edmund looked over the bodies. Men who had stood laughing moments earlier lay across the path with their weapons still close to their hands. He had witnessed enough battle to understand the sight, yet his attention kept returning to the woman responsible.
G6 had begun cleaning her blades.
She worked carefully, removing the blood and inspecting the edges with the same concentration she had shown while examining Felicia's rings.
Whatever anticipation had preceded the fight was gone. The ambush had become something finished, requiring only that she put her tools in order.
Edmund's loyalty had not disappeared, but neither could he pretend he had felt no fear.
This is what she is, he thought, watching her turn the dagger beneath the light.
The conclusion disturbed him partly because it was incomplete. He knew the woman who tolerated Lilia's hand in hers, argued over meals, and accepted his company. He had also watched that same woman pass through armed men without the slightest uncertainty over what to do to them.
Lord Zen remained beside him with the scroll in one hand.
You will have failed to perceive what is directly in front of you.
The Queen's warning returned to him with uncomfortable clarity. He had believed he understood what she meant by dangerous. At the Utility Magic Department, he had even thought a sudden attack might show him where Lady Reise's limits lay.
His fingers tightened around the paper.
That morning's encounter had shown him very little.
G6 returned her cleaned daggers to their sheaths and finally looked at the two men. Both remained pale, their attention lingering where the bandits had fallen.
"What are you two standing around for?"
Her voice had returned to its ordinary, impatient monotone.
"We're burning daylight. The wolves aren't going to kill themselves."
—To Be Continued…—