“Lady Ilona!?” Nash almost leapt from her seat. “Are you mad!? She has not entertained a visitor for as long as she has found abode in Lady Lancaster’s estate.”

“Edeath is as mythical as to require something of that sort. Now, I have played my part, leave,” he hissed and shooed them away with his skeletal hand.

“You!!” Nash sighed, “Let’s go, Iris. I think… I’ll help you find someone who might be able to help you get an audience.”

“Thank you.” Iris bid Old Han farewell and followed Nash out of the room.

Nash lost her balance and fell to her knees, her breathing quickened. “Haha, I have worn myself to the bone. Let’s find him tomorrow— I need to rest. Let's go back.”

“Thank you, Miss Nash. Please don’t pressure yourself like this. I’ll find a way to meet Lady Ilona myself.”

“No! No, I can help you.”

“You don’t need to,” Iris said. She could feel the desperation to help in her voice. Iris had not helped Nash with this in mind. And she failed to see her exhaustion, even though Nash had kindly helped her find lodging. She did not want to hurt another healer in her remaining life, however short it may be.

Finding Ilona when she is in this city would not be hard, at least, Iris thought so.

“But… But I want to, and my help would be more efficient and less dangerous than whatever you do,” Nash said as she picked herself up from the floor. “Don’t worry, I have nothing to do anyhow. Helping you will be a better way to pass the time than spending days loitering in my room.”

“Then, thank you again for helping me. Let’s return.”

Iris waited until they were outside, then took Nash’s hand and used her Rodes to return to the Lodge.

“What… was that?” Nash looked even more exhausted than she already was.

“Tier 6…!!” Iris stopped herself. “I’m sorry,” Iris's voice was small like a child caught doing something wrong. “Please refrain from asking anything related to magic. I might slip up and destroy your mind.”

“Destroy my mind…?” Nash's first thought was a joke until she connected the magic Iris used with her panic. “You’re above Level 5?” Even the question sounded alien to her.

“Yes.”

“I cannot believe it,” Nash muttered in disbelief. Level 6 was as rare as Dragons themselves. Nash let out a hollow laugh.

“I think I need to rest. I’ll meet you in the morning. Farewell, Miss Iris,” Nash spoke in the utmost respectful and polite tone she could muster and ran off.

Iris felt a sting, seeing how alienated she felt right now. But that was to be expected.

Even Iris, who never lived among humanity, knew Level 6 mages were rare and alien to normal society.

For context, a Level 1 mage could learn all the knowledge relating to Level 5, but even if someone at Level 5 were to simply learn the name of a single spell, it would break their mind in the most literal sense. That’s how far and above Level 6 were from Level 5. Most mages would not even utter Level 6 or above; they would simply say "above Level 5."

Iris sighed and looked at the clock. It was seven in the evening. She decided to stroll around the city.

...

Iris stood on the main road again, wondering where to go.

In the end, she just walked ahead, observing the joyous and rowdy mood of the festival. Yet, she could not shake off the feeling that beneath all the joy, they were tired and trying to hide a scar she did not understand. She did not know what the festival was, but she would like to know.

Iris had never seen people so happy and going about their way without caring about her presence.

The village where she lived before falling into the Labyrinth was filled with people who were always angry and ready to strike her. The air of suffocation never left their being. Iris had not known people could be so different from the village until she met Mayumi in the Labyrinth. Mayumi was the only nice person she had ever met in her life until coming to this city, even though Mayumi was technically a ghost. She taught her many things.

The katana on her hip belonged to Mayumi; it was a cursed blade. Even the clothing she wears is just like Mayumi’s.

In this city, everyone was nice, if somewhat sympathetic towards her. She noticed a few gazes, all thinking of her as a pitiful child.

After entering another street filled with street food, Iris found everything smelling delicious. She wanted to try some, but her stomach was filled to the neck.

She continued onward, and after half an hour of walking, the city started to feel familiar. Tall and imposing houses became a common sight, and normal people going about their lives—she found herself observing them every few steps.

A gentle lady was brushing her cat with a comb, sitting on the second floor's window. A warm smile took in her countenance as she gazed at Iris. Iris assumed it was directed at Winny. After all, Winny was cuter than that lady's cat.

After another few steps, Iris found a man dancing on the street, wearing colourful clothes. He was an expert. Iris could not look away until he finished his performance. Iris failed to understand, for the nth time, how people were completely ignoring him. Iris saw a hat in front, with a label asking to toss a shell if he entertained them.

Is that how people paid for this mesmerizing performance? She understood how it worked; this way, people with less money could also enjoy, and those who had more could, in return, give more. It broke Iris's heart to see only a few shells in the hat.

Iris dropped five silver coins quietly as she left. The guild receptionist had told her how much money was excessive and that she should not overspend. So she knew he would eat a delightful meal tonight. Iris was thankful—even those wretched beasts, abomination constructs, could be useful for something.

"Thank y-you," his voice was filled with emotion, his eyes bore a gratefulness Iris never knew she could receive, especially for something like this.

"It was the best performance I’ve seen in my life," Iris replied. Her face wore a genuine smile, perhaps for the first time in the last five years.

After that, she found herself at a stall, a tea stall to be precise. Tea was served in a disposable clay cup, ten shells for one.

Iris liked the smell and believed she could at least drink something, so she decided to give it a try.

The tea was sweet and hot. Unaware, Iris burned her tongue and stuck out her tongue, attempting to cool it. That embarrassing performance earned a hearty laugh from everyone around her. They were not laughing at her misery; she did not feel any malice from them. She also laughed with them. They did not treat her as an alien or an outsider.

"New to town?" The stall owner, a big man with a scar on his face, asked. His voice was calming.

"Yes, I arrived today."

"For the festival?"

Iris nodded; it was an assumption everyone made. She did not correct it. The festival must be a big deal for them; she did not question it, lest she dampened their mood.

A sharp scratch from Winny reminded her to go to sleep.

She turned to leave until a scream attracted her attention.

….

The sleep on the soft bed was not as great as she had thought due to the grotesque being that decided to visit her in a dream. With night over, Iris took a bath and wove the clothes back onto her body.

Iris did not wear real clothes; her entire clothing, except the bandage wrapping her face, was made of strings she conjured.

Iris waited for Nash to visit her until it was 7, and Iris decided she would go outside.

Finally, someone knocked on the door before Iris left.

"Coming," She called back.

….

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Felix Stel, Vice Commander of Knight’s Public Security, has proven to be a successful peacekeeper. Over the past year, since Felix assumed his post, the city has witnessed a significant decline in crime. Instances of theft and assault are arguably at their lowest levels in the history of Sanfroid.

So, it was a considerable shock to receive a report of a brutal murder first thing in the morning. He spat out his tea, quickly changed, and left his humble abode.

Felix read the initial assessment on his way there: 23 stab wounds inflicted with a knife, most likely. The wounds indicated no significant strength behind them, except for the first two which were deeper. All the other wounds were shallow. This led Felix to consider prime suspects as either a child, a caster, or a healer—unless they found someone with a very weak constitution.

He was not at all thrilled about this case; he would be off duty after today’s shift. He was on Lady Lancaster’s Team for the Trinity tournament, so he would not be allowed to hold any kind of authoritative power in the neutral city.

“Are you all right, sir?” the driver asked; he had been with him all year around at this point.

“This case will be postponed until the festival concludes or might even be forgotten, depending on how things go.”

“So what? Your job is not to solve every single crime by yourself… If you keep running like this, you will only break yourself. One man can never change the world.”

“And I’m not trying to. As long as I do my part, as much as I can do, that is enough.”

“Do you truly believe that?”

“I…” Felix said nothing. He had no hero complex, but he was Lady Diantha’s Knight. He must uphold every oath he takes, for her honor, at least.

The car stopped outside the door of the alley, and Felix stepped out. The scent of blood and Hert assaulted his senses. Hert was a stimulant drug that sped up the flow of mana, giving a high that no other substance could come close to—for poor mana users. It also made them feral.

This made him reassess his initial theory. Now, it could be that two addicts argued and it led to one stabbing the other. He had not read the full report to know every detail, he rushed here for a single reason— Mana in the air, if there was a caster then there should be lingering mana in the air.

At the crime scene, he was greeted by four guards. There should have been five, but one was missing; he had been absent since the previous evening. Felix discovered the reason to be that the missing guard had managed to extract a hefty sum from someone with a deeper pocket than their brain. Felix didn't mind as long as corruption didn't interfere with maintaining public order.

In the first month of his posting, he realized that corruption could not be easily eradicated and had turned sideways for the most part.

Unprepared, Felix stepped into the alley and was immediately assaulted by an overwhelming presence of mana. The mana felt violent and sharp, as if scraping his skin from his bones.

[Ethereal Sight]

Felix's eyes glowed, and the world turned grey, leaving only the overwhelming presence of a black and purple storm. The torrent of mana drifted across the alley like thick smoke, except for a single spot where it had gathered like water. A pillar of liquid-like mana rushed straight up in the air above the buildings.

Felix looked up; the mana then travelled in a straight line—toward the central plaza.

“Are you okay, sir?” one of the guards asked. Felix nodded. They were at level one or two, incapable of seeing mana like he could. Only at level three does someone become aware of the nature of Mana.

“If you see anyone suspicious, apprehend them. I’ll be back.”

Felix channelled mana into his legs, jumped up, grabbed the ledge, and propelled himself onto the roof of a two-story building.

The mana travelled in a straight line, extending far into the city before entering a house. Felix assumed it was a high-level travel spell, something beyond his current understanding.

[Enforcement]

The spell granted him superhuman strength and speed, a basic ability for every Knight Class. He leapt from roof to roof, following the trail of mana.

Felix couldn't help but consider these traces as a potential trap. There was no way someone capable of using something like this wouldn't know how to erase traces of mana. Even he could manage that much.

Felix halted on a building just before the one where the mana had entered—an inn. The mana had flowed in through an open window. He could easily jump in from his position, but the rational part of him advised him to use the door.

He knocked on the door. This inn had an unusual setup. Firstly, their reception was on the second floor, and secondly, you had to wait for someone to open the door—quite a counterproductive arrangement for a business.

A blonde woman opened the door—Miss Ansel, the Manager of Knight’s Dream Inn. Her husband was an esteemed knight commander who had been brutally murdered. The case was never solved; in fact, he wasn't even allowed to access the case file.

“Good morning, Miss Ansel. I’m Felix Stel, Vice Commander of Public Security,” Felix spoke. He wasn't in uniform to be recognized without announcing himself.

As if his words were acid, her expression shifted and colour drained from her face. “Are you alright, Miss?”

"Y-yes, please come in," stiffness and lack of animation in her demeanour told Felix that she wanted him to leave. His first guess would have been that this was due to her strained relationship with the Knights. "To whom do I owe the pleasure of having a Vice Commander himself at my door?" she asked, feigning nonchalance.

“I’m looking for someone who should be on the second floor.”

His words caused her eyes to tremble. Now, he was certain Ansel knew something.

“Of course, please come in.” She didn't make any excuses as she led him upstairs. He had expected her to ask for a warrant or something similar. Criminals and conspirators often did that, and it was a telling sign.

“Is there a particular reason that brought you here?” Ansel probed.

“Mana traces. There was a murder on Herkin Street.” This information would likely be reported in today’s evening paper.

“O-ooh, they must be a fool to leave a mana sign of all things at the crime scene. Do you have any idea who the perpetrator is?” She asked through clenched teeth.

"A high-level caster, most likely."

"Room number six, that should be your person then. She arrived just yesterday and introduced herself as a Level Six caster," she said, her voice carrying a mix of hopelessness and relief.

"I see," Felix attempted to hide his visible recoil at those words. Level six? He hadn't encountered one in his entire life, except for Lady Illona, who was most likely even higher in level. Lady Illona was a myth in every respect; no one considered her human, as she was ancient in every sense. Thus, it would be the first time he would encounter a human of such high level.

Depending on how his conversation with the caster went, the entire city could be subjected to a Disaster-class lockdown. Felix was unsure if there was a Level 6 combatant in the city, or if their entire military force could contend with one. His head felt like it might burst as he knocked on the door. This case was likely over; all he could do was assess whether this individual was a true killer and if they were indeed at level 6.

"Coming," came a soft, childlike voice from inside.

The door swung open, revealing a face with eyes concealed behind bandages. Felix cleared his throat, “I’m Felix, Vice Commander of Knight’s Public Security.”

The girl didn't appear surprised; her face remained blank. She stepped back and fully opened the door. “Come in,” she requested.

Felix entered, finally taking note of the girl's condition. Her right hand was missing, her left hand lacked a middle finger, and the way mana gathered around her eyes was horrifying, to say the least.

He couldn't fathom her level; it was far beyond his paygrade. Felix gulped as he stepped inside; he might not leave this room alive.

"What brings someone like Vice Commander here?" Iris questioned, sounding genuinely confused.

"A murder, and the mana signature leads to this room."

"Oh, I've always lived in the forest, and leaving behind a mana signature always made predators think twice before following me. I never thought it would be the opposite here. If you're searching for the killer, then you've found your culprit." She spoke without a hint of tension, displaying no care for the situation. Felix struggled to keep his nerves in check.

"Why?" he inquired.

"He was trying to defile someone, and I just happened to stumble upon the scene."

"And you could have taken him to the Authority. Why go to such lengths?"

The girl paused in deep thought, was she searching for an excuse? Felix couldn't be certain what she was thinking.

"If you happen to see a monster trying to defile a human, would you kill it or take it to the authorities?" she asked.

Felix's jaw dropped at the oversimplification of the situation.

"He was not a monster," he managed to utter.

"Yup, even monsters are sometimes more human than he was," she replied.

Felix sealed his lips shut. He had no grounds to accuse her of lying. He knew something terrible had happened; the crime scene wasn't entirely cleared, and he had noticed torn clothes. He knew she was telling the truth. Even if she wasn't, neither he nor anyone else in the city had the authority to accuse her.

The Authority held the power to serve justice because they had overwhelming manpower and control over the domain, which made them both the judge and the jury. However, the girl before him was a force of nature, and the Authority had no means to judge a natural calamity. Every death in her wake could only be classified as that of a victim with no one to blame.

"Please, if something like this happens again, let Public Security take care of the issue," Felix implored.

"You're... Honest, no hint of malice, corrosion, or lust reeks from you, only softness. How are you a Knight?" the girl questioned, as bewildered as a four-year-old child witnessing magic for the first time.

A year ago, Felix might have struggled to understand her question when he was still in the service of Lady Lancaster. But not now. The girl's description of Knights was accurate, even if it was somewhat biased and generalized.

"Knights' actions reflect the dignity of their master. I am Lady Lancaster's Knight, and I shall always exemplify the virtue of human kindness... for that is what my master represents."

"Dignity of your master. She must be very warm. For your honesty and sense of justice, I will refrain from doing something like that again... as long as I'm in a situation where I can hold back. But I have no interest in being confined. If you decide to confront me, I will resist with all my might. If you wish to test me, I suggest you invite me to a place with no living beings. The last time I let go of my restraints, only a barren wasteland remained, larger than this city."

Her voice held no threat; she was as sincere as could be.

"No, I will bury this case, don't worry," Felix assured her.

"Thank you," the girl replied, picking up the cat from the bed and placing it on her head. "Winny says hi."

The cat completely ignored her. "Sorry, she's moody in the morning. Her name is Winny."

"Hello, Winny," Felix played along. Why be friendly all of a sudden? No, she was at her pace from the beginning; he was just now realizing it.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Iris, a Level 6 Caster, titled 'Lightning Lord,'" she revealed. Her words left Felix feeling even more uneasy. A titled Level 6; he could only hope she was as innocent and kind as her voice suggested, for the casualties left in her wake were something the State of Gracia might not be able to bear.