"H–how is this possible... how is it possible!?" the captain stuttered as he spoke, with a shocked expression.
In front of him was a girl who looked no older than ten. She's downed in a white nightgown that had been stained red. He could not understand how a little girl could have done this, but as soon as he met her gaze, he knew that the thing standing in front of him wasn't a child but a terrifying monster. His instinct to survive kicked in quickly.
<QUICK STEP>
*WHOOSH*
The captain jumped through the window, which was on the second floor. Escaping quickly after he landed.
After watching the intruder jump out, Helena walks up to the window, looks out, and noticed how the intruder landed on the ground without receiving injury despite jumping from the second floor.
"Huh? I guess falling from this height is nothing for a second-class grandmaster."
[ARE YOU JUST GOING TO LET HIM ESCAPE?]
Alpha questioned, as it wondered why the host let the intruder escape.
"Well... if you want to catch a bigger fish, you have to set a bait."
Helena said with a smirk as she turns her gaze toward the dead intruder.
[I THINK I REMEMBER YOU SAYING YOU WOULD NEVER KILL A HUMAN.]
"... Yes, I did. But I changed my mind. I realized that unlike my previous world, where it was peaceful and soft, this world is different. And If I want to accomplish my goals, I have to adapt to the rules of this world to survive."
Helena spoke in a stoic tone, as she turns around and runs toward the window before jumping out and saying.
"Alpha equip 'ARMOR OF ALTAIR."
[ARMOR OF ALTAIR HAS BEEN EQUIPPED.]
—----------------------------------------
OUTER CAPITAL CITY OF GIGGADON EMPIRE.
INSIDE RED EYE PUB. UNDERGROUND SECRET BASE.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"Come."
*CREAK*
The door opens and two large men dragged in the escaped intruder who looked almost lifeless from torture.
The man seated behind a desk stood up from his seat and walked in front of his desk. He takes a cigar out from his suit pocket, lights it, and takes a smoke.
"Puff... so, what is this about?" He questioned as he exhaled smoke from his mouth.
"Boss, this idiot failed to finish the job. So, we roughed him up a little."
One of the men answered.
"He failed... haha. No. 600 I heard that you failed to complete your mission. So, what mission was so hard you could not complete? Huh?"
The boss questioned as he walks up to No.600 who was lying on the floor, And steps on his head.
"Ahh... mons–monster, in the cas – tle, must escape."
No. 600 mumbled, causing his words to be incomprehensible.
"What was that? monster? What the hell is this idiot saying? Tch, useless."
*BANG*
The boss said as he kicks No.600 in the stomach and turns his gaze to his desk, walks to it, and picks up a bell sitting on it, and rings it.
*DING* *DING*
After it rang, a woman walked into the office. She walks to the boss's side before asking.
"What can I do for you, Mr. K?"
She asked. Even though she had guessed what was happening, as it was normal for members of the Dark Knight Guild to be removed after failing a mission, this was to protect the clients and the association's secrets from being leaked.
"Grace, what mission was No. 600 given?" Mr. K asked.
Grace opens up her note and flips through some pages before saying.
"According to the records No.600 and No.772 were assigned to a special mission worth Ten thousand gold coins. And according to the client's instructions, we are to, blind both eyes of the target and, if possible, bring one of the target's eyes as proof. That is the mission assigned to No. 600 and No.772, sir. And after looking into it, it seems the target identity is special and is not something I should say."
She answered as she stared at both men standing by the door.
The two men noticed the meaning behind Grace's gaze.
"Haha, boss, we will stay outside until you are done talking with the lady."
They said as they left the office with awkward smiles.
*BANG* *DOOR CLOSE*
Mr. K turns his gaze to Grace and noticed the serious expression on her face as she stared at her notes.
"So, who is the target? From your expression, I can tell that it's not an easy target. so, who is it?"
He questioned as he walked behind his desk and seats.
"Mr. K, you know that it's the Dark Knight Guild policy not to look into the clients and the target's identity. We only work with the target location and pictures given by the client. But since the amount the client paid was much, I had to look more into it to prevent us from offending people we cannot afford to offend."
Grace explained.
Mr. K could tell by the way Grace spoke that the target they tried to assassinate was not an ordinary person.
"I know all that, so tell me who is the target?"
He asked with a serious expression, curious about the target's identity.
"Well, the target's name is Helena, and her full name is. her highness Helena Von Merula, princess of Giggadon empire."
Grace said in a respectful tone when she read the princess's name. In the empire, the common people view the royal family as Gods. they fear, love, and respect them.
After reading the name, Grace's hands began to tremble, with fear on her face.
"SHIT...!!"
Mr. K could tell at a glance that Grace's words were serious as he watched her tremble where she stood. But after thinking, he realized something. 'How did Grace know the name of the princess?'
Mr. K questioned in his mind as he stared at Grace suspiciously.
"Grace...?"
Mr. K called as he reached out under his desk and pulls out a dagger.
"Y–yes."
The sudden call brought Grace out of her thoughts.
"How did you know that the target was a princess?"
Mr. K questioned as he stood up from his seat with one hand behind his back and walked slowly towards Grace.
"Emm... I have never told anyone this, but my sister always talked about the royal family and especially how she had to stop the purple-eyed princess from ruining her happy ending or something."
Grace answered.
"How is that possible I thought your sister was dead?"
Mr. K questioned with a suspicious tone.
"Yes, she died six years ago, after attending the Royal family naming ceremony. But before she passed, she always talked about Princess Helena. And my sisters' description of her highness is exactly like this picture."
Mr. K stops right in front of Grace after realizing that Grace wasn't a spy from the royal family. Because, except for the nobles close to the royal family, no ordinary man or woman knows what the royal family members look like except that they possessed godly silver hair, which is still a myth among the common folks. But he still finds it odd how Grace's late sister knew what the princess looked like.
"Well, since there is nothing, we can do about our attempt at the princess's life, at least we can provide the royal family with information on the client, to save our necks.
But before that, we need to get rid of the witnesses."
Mr. K said as he pulls out the dagger he hid behind his back and walked towards No.600.
"So, number six zero, zero, where is your partner? He wasn't with you when you returned... was he captured? Huh."
Mr. K questioned as he picks No.600 by the hair, sits him up, and punched him in the stomach.
*BANG*
"Argh.... 772... caught by monster...dead."
No.600 words made no sense to Mr. K. He knew that if No.772 was still alive and got captured, the imperial knights would come knocking at the hideout very soon. He looks at No.600, grabs him by the neck, and snaps it.
*SNAP! *
*THUD*
No.600 body lay on the ground lifeless.
"Grace, tell some men to get carriages ready, we are abandoning the hideout. The imperial knights might arrive any time soon."
Mr. K said as he walked quickly behind his desk, opens the drawer, and brought out a silver ring.
"Grace, do you know what this is?"
Mr. K asked as he shows the silver ring to Grace.
"Isn't it just an expensive-looking ring?"
She replied with a confused expression as she stared at the ring.
After Grace replied, Mr. K, smirked as he puts on the ring before saying.
"This is not any ordinary expensive ring. It is a magic ring used to store things. The wizards call it a 'storage ring'. Now, take this and store all the important files in it. We don't want to leave any evidence behind."
Mr. K said as he takes off the ring and place it in Grace's hand.
After receiving the ring, Grace became confused. It is common sense that women cannot use mana, so how is she expected to use this magic ring? She thought.
While picking out the important things in his drawer, Mr. K noticed that Grace wasn't moving but instead staring at the ring he gave her.
"Grace, what are you spacing out for? We are in a hurry."
Mr. K asked in a serious tone.
"But how do I use the ring without mana?"
Grace questioned with a bit of annoyance in her tone.
"Oh, so that's why you just stood there. Anyway, you don't need mana to operate it, you just need to wear it and think of what you want to store, and the ring will do the rest."
Mr. K explained.
"Wow! That's impressive. Who knew something like this existed in this world?"
Helena said in a surprised tone.
"Yes, even I was surprised the first time I saw it, Grace."
It surprised Grace that Mr. K called her name even though she was not the one who spoke.
"I did not say any–"
*BANG*
Grace felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. Her eyes became heavy, and she began falling to the ground. As she was falling with her vision blurred, she noticed Mr. K falling to the ground unconscious.
And as she fell to the ground, her consciousness faded.
[Why did you not kill them, host?]