Once in my room, I quickly cleared my mind. So much had happened, and yet so much more had yet to happen. I quickly rushed under my blankets, and slept...

"How am I supposed to sleep after all that happened?!"

I jolted outside of the bed, walking in circles in the room as I bit my nails attempting to make order in my mind.

"Ugh! There is no way I can sleep! Too many information in a single day!"

I dove onto the bed once again, burying my face in the pillow. I was just too excited by the promised fun this city was offering me!

"Let's see... Tomorrow night I have to carry out an assassination. I need to buy a dark cloak, a tape, and I also want a new bag for my codex... Hmm, but I also have to explore the city in order to understand how can I execute my task."

I found myself hugging the pillow while overthinking all the matters at hand. I could see a black capelet adorned with the Abyss Reavers' insignia hanging over a chair in my room. It was now my capelet, my new identity.

"I really should sleep... There's too much to do tomorrow."

Releasing a heavy, calming sigh, I steadied my nerves, ultimately drifting off to sleep...

... In the morning I descended the staircase, finding Joey in the room on the left of the entrance, cooking; the room had a peninsula kitchen and a cozy, comforting dining table where members would gather and eat together. However, Joey was the only one in the room at the moment.

"Are you the cook?" I asked as I approached him.

He chuckled. "Hey, good morning. I'm not good enough to fight, so for now they want to see how I handle other tasks to see if I can be a collaborator. Cooking seems to be one of them."

I could sense some sadness in his words. "You should believe in yourself a little, you know? When will you stop being a coward?" I encouraged.

"I'm just not cut out to fight..." he replied, his gaze downward.

"That's not true, Joey... You slew a dragon all by yourself," I reminded him, trying to uplift his mood.

"But I did-"

"Argenta, the leader wants to see you in his office," Elizabeth called out from the back after spotting me, interrupting Joey.

"Oh, alright. I'll head over there. Thanks for letting me know," I responded.

I gave Joey a pat on the shoulder. "Well, don't worry too much about it. Just focus on being a collaborator," I encouraged him once again, before leaving to meet the leader.

On the leader's office, Laura stood before him once again, appearing as his bodyguard.

"Apologies if I'm interrupting, but Elizabeth mentioned you were looking for me," I stated.

"Yes, I've been expecting you, Lady Argenta. This is for you," the leader handed me a folded map. "This is the map of the city. I trust it will prove useful for your mission."

"Hm, thank you," I replied.

"Do you require a weapon, perhaps? Or anything else? When were you planning to execute the assassination, if I may ask?" Leonard continued.

"My dagger will work just fine. I plan to attack during the night, I don't need anything else, don't worry. I'll just buy some supplies today to make my work easier," I responded.

"Very well. I shall warn you that most guild headquarters are heavily guarded at night. Please, take careful precautions, and take this," he cautioned, handing me a pouch of gold coins from his drawer.

Coins, the currency of this world, ranging from bronze to platinum, each with its own value and significance, forming the backbone of economy.

"Oh, thank you very much!" I exclaimed for the little gift.

"Should you complete this task successfully, your rewards will be much more appealing. When you complete the task, come to me and report the results. Alternatively... feel free to rest. To tell the truth, I expect to receive news of your work by the very following day from outside sources," he informed, adjusting his glasses as usual.

"Very well. I shall take my leave now," I responded with a respectful bow before leaving the room.

I hurried outside the headquarters; I had to gather information for the night ahead.

My mother had drilled into me countless methods for gathering information, although many of them required the collaboration of others, such as: bribery, blackmail, corruption, subversion, extortion, manipulation, intimidation, seduction... One could call it the act of give and take. However, she was not a fan of those methods. Her favorite one was way simpler than all of that.

Observation... This was her favorite.

Ah, the eyes, what wonderful tools, granting you the possibility to scan everything unfolding before them, leaving everything open to interpretation.

To my mother's eyes, this world held no secrets. I felt the same too, until coming to this city... She was also a big fan of eavesdropping; people love to gossip, after all. And just like my mother, I'm also a big fan of that.

Opting for these two methods, I consulted the map and made my way towards the Envokers' headquarters, conveniently located not far from the Abyss Reavers'.

It was time to put my mother's teachings into practice once again!

In the art of passing unnoticed, the challenges someone faces are countless. Yes, the eyes are marvelous tools for observation, but they are also a menace to those who seek to remain unseen, and so are the ears. However, they have limits. No matter how well-trained one may be, they could never watch behind themselves, nor could they see beyond a certain range; knowing this, one with the right training could elude unwanted eyes. But the ears are trickier... The sound is influenced by myriad factors: ambient noise, environmental conditions, even the status of the listener. Ears, ever vigilant and attuned to the slightest sound, could betray even the most skilled infiltrator. But my mother understood this well and imparted upon me vital notions on how to be silent. She taught me to move with the grace of a whisper, to control my breath and footsteps until they were as feeble as a passing shadow. Even the rustle of falling leaves would drown out my presence. She called such a sound 'estinto'.

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And so, the night descended...

I would have preferred to bring my new bag for my codex, but I opted for a backpack instead, as it seemed more fitting for this kind of mission.

Inside my backpack: my codex and a roll of tape. My mother taught me this little trick to apply some tape to a window before breaking it to muffle the noise. It was a useful technique, considering the immense size of the building and its windows.

"To assassinate an influential member I should aim for the top floors... The view looks better from there," I pondered, eyeing the building.

Since the building resembled a tower with distinct tiers, each adorned with uniquely crafted roofs, it was quite easy to climb them from the outside with the appropriate dexterity.

I approached the building cautiously and silently from the rooftops of neighboring buildings. I wore a black coat to blend into the shadows, and my bright dagger securely tucked away in my pocket. I wish I could've tested my new spell before embarking on this mission; who knows, it could have proven useful, but unfortunately time didn't allow me to.

"Leonard was not kidding when he said this place is heavily guarded..."

The Envokers' headquarters was full of guards outside. Four stationed at their entrance, seven in their little backyard; which looked more like a training ground than a backyard, and more guards lurked around the perimeter. Perhaps even inside.

"Well... I'm close enough."

My goal was the highest second floor; I could see windows on the side. That's where I planned to enter and carry out the assassination.

"Felinchant," I whispered, invoking my spell.

Once cast, Felinchant lasted for ten minutes. After that, I'd have to wait five minutes before the spell on my codex would illuminate again, allowing me to use it once more. Using it twice for this mission was out of the question, so I had to use these ten minutes efficiently.

I moved swiftly across the rooftop of their backyard, being careful not to attract any attention.

"Should I kill them...?" I wondered for a second. Were I to make too much noise they would've alarmed everyone, but their patterns seemed predictable enough...

"No, I don't even know their magic, the effects of their spells... Let's just focus on the target and let's call it a day."

Jumping across the various tiers of the building was relatively easy.

"Last one..."

As I approached my target window, something I hadn't anticipated caught my eye, instantly sharpening all my senses.

"A light?!"

The room was faintly illuminated by a dim light; the one who I would've assassinated seated at a writing desk.

"He's still awake!"

As my mind quickly studied the target and the room, a more pressing concern made its way like a lightning. His gaze met mine, he had seen me.

"Change of plans. Goodbye sneaky entrance, I'll slit his throat and get out of here right away."

With my mind set, I swiftly grasped my dagger into my hand, lunging towards the window, shards of glass shattering around me as I launched myself into the room.

"A clean and fluid movement of my blade... It's all it takes."

I had already visualized the image of my dagger sinking into his throat, when he suddenly pushed himself back from his chair, his hand disappearing behind the writing desk, reaching for something I couldn't see.

"A sword?!" my heart pounded in my chest at the realization.

As my mind grasped the situation, he swung his sword towards me with deadly intent. A lethal arc of steel slicing through the air as I immediately ducked.

"That was close..."

Another hit was coming, which I intercepted with my dagger. A flurry of slashes followed, dodging them one by one as I danced across the room. I could see strands of hair flying with each pass of his sword. It came dangerously close to slicing my face each time

"Ah... this is bad..."

I kept bouncing around the room evading his sword; the room descending into chaos as we clashed, it was pure mess. He was panicked, but at some point, I could feel the blade grazing my cheek.

"The fact that I have to end this quickly is so bad!"

I was enjoying myself. Every time he swung the sword at me, every time it grazed me, I felt immense joy. It was intoxicating, and it only kept stacking!

The sword hit the wall so ferociously that the wooden wall cracked, intensifying his fury. He rushed towards me, attempting to kill with a downward strike. I leaned down to evade it, causing the sword to become lodged in the wall; I could feel its icy steel against my shoulder, intensifying my pleasure even more.

"I am so excited I could literally die!"

I displayed my grin. He now seemed afraid of me, charging at me with a war cry, aiming for the heart.

"But not yet..."

I stopped the blade of his sword using the curve of my dagger, leaning towards him.

"I can't die yet..."

I overwhelmed him. The strength coming from my spell was too much for him to handle. I pushed him away with a kick, making him collide with the wall.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg, after all!"

It was time to put an end to the farce. I dashed against him with my dagger, aiming for the neck, when he suddenly pointed his sword at me.

"Dash Inferno!"

Something was coming, I could feel it. I halted my steps, using all my force to leap backwards. From his sword, a wave of fire came towards me, pushing me against the already broken window, causing it to shatter even more.

From the distance, I could hear the noisy bangs of a drum. It was an alarm.

I inadvertently let out a soft giggle; they were aware of my presence now, and the man was on high alert, ready to use spells against me. A desperate situation that required desperate measures.

"W-what do you intend to do?" the man stammered.

I had taken my codex at hand, putting away my dagger. "What do I intend to do, you say? I recently acquired a new spell. and I still don't know what it does."

"Y-you wouldn't test it here..." he was afraid, even frightened. It was evident.

I couldn't wait anymore. The only thought of it sent shivers of excitement down my entire body. Die from the enemies or from my own spell? Would it be my salvation or my downfall? Who knows! Let's find out!

I opened my codex, the soft glow of the spell illuminating my face in the dim light.

"Behold, my second spell... Bianca!"

As the words left my lips, an ice-cold gust of wind materialized behind me, a spectral figure rushing past me towards the man at full speed.

"It's the demon!" I thought, shielding my eyes with my arm as it kept emanating biting cold. "No... it's a little different."

The figure resembled the white demon, but it appeared slightly larger and more defined. I couldn't see clearly what was happening due to its silhouette, but a fountain of blood began pouring down in front of it. The demon must've harmed the man.

"Hell..." I heard the man speak softly.

"Another spell?!"

"Bomb," the man whispered with his dying breath.

From his sword, a sudden explosion erupted, sending me ultimately flying outside the window.

"Ah, how strange..."

I found myself suspended in the air, falling, with no means of saving myself.

"I've always thought that the moment I would be truly facing death, I would've been terrified. Instead... I feel at peace, it's almost relaxing... This wind is relaxing," I reflected as I kept falling towards the ground below.

Closing my eyes, a serene smile graced my lips. I was ready for the impact.

"Huh?!"

Suddenly, a chilling embrace enveloped me. It was the demon. With its icy grasp, it saved me, holding me securely in its 'arms' and claws.

"Cold! Why does it have to be so cold?!"

The demon jumped across many rooftops, carrying me; it was running away from the scene. I watched it from afar; smoke and flames were coming out of the window of the room.

At some point, in a dark alley, the demon halted, gently setting me down. We were quite far from the Envokers' headquarters now. With its clawed hand, the demon reached out, offering me my codex.

"Oh, thanks..." I murmured.

I took the codex, it must've flown away with me. Good thing it retrieved it for me; had they taken it, I would've been in a difficult situation...

After that, the demon just stared at me, and I reciprocated. Nothing was happening.

"Hey, do you know what happened to the other demons?" I asked it.

I had nothing to lose, after all. Trying to communicate was the least I could do, and I was getting used to its presence.

"No answer, huh? I don't know what I was expecting... Hmm?"

At some point, the demon suddenly raised its arms, its claws forming a peculiar arrangement.

"Six...?"

Six of its claws were raised, while the other four remained lowered.

I blinked, tilting my head. "What does it mean?"

Then, just as abruptly as it had appeared, the demon dissipated into thin air, leaving me alone in the alleyway.

It was late, so I decided not to pay particular attention to what had happened, and slipped my codex inside the backpack. Then, I checked to ensure everything was in order, when suddenly, the sensation of a skipped heartbeat washed over me. A cold sweat emerged, time froze before my realization.

"... My dagger!"