Ruria had lots of friends and people who idolizes her but she still felt lonely, the memories she made with the aforementioned not enough to keep her company.

Her kind older sisters, who used to pamper her and spoil her, were husks of themselves. Once both of them became of age, they started drifting away from the family, wanting nothing to do with them and their activities. It was their rights as adults to leave their family’s shadow so no one could prevent them from doing what they wanted to.

However, their “family” is not normal.

Their attempt to escape this cycle came at a price that became obvious much later after they had already begun their new lives.

The second eldest, who resisted the hardest and even tried to kill her own little brother that she described to be the devil, is now a vegetable who cannot control her own bowel movements, eat solid foods or talk. She is forever locked in the attic of her family home.

The oldest sister is a walking “timebomb” who her brother can “detonate” at any time with just a simple phrase. It was a far cry from what happened to her younger sister but she was a prisoner in a different sense.

Ruria… is the only tool left from the three sisters. She could never truly gain independence from this life she lived. She was not stronger or smarter than her two sisters so there was no way for her to win against her brother. Even if she did succeed in killing him, their father would instantly take revenge for killing the heir and he was said to be as strong as the Great Nobles of Eulia Empire. She didn't stand a chance.

Despite knowing this, the hesitation to carry out orders and running away from her troubles, was still strong. Melis alone knows what fate awaits her if she continues showing resistance to a fate her birthright decided for her.

Ruria was walking down a long hallway after she entered the coliseum. While she wasn’t a fan of gladiator fights, this was about the only source of entertainment in this world where she didn’t have friends.

Things were starting to heat up in the arena judging by the crowd’s cheers.

‘Is Nova fighting again?’ was what she thought before a chill went up her spine and the air became heavy all of a sudden.

“W-What is that?”

As someone who is expected to assassinate targets even more powerful than herself, she was trained to resist intimidation and bloodlust from others so she was able to quickly recover. The air near the barracks was so thick, it felt like she was fighting strong wind.

It felt like the pressure was coming from inside the barracks and not the arena to her left. Curiosity getting the better of her, she went past the lockers and went through the entrance of the barracks. Inside she found martials, foaming at the mouth, laying motionlessly on the floor. Judging by the crowd and how the current match was still ongoing as usual, the pressure inside this room wasn’t leaking outside.

A single man stood still as he watched the arena fight, his golden eyes unblinking and his face as cold as a mountain top. It was a gaze that had seen and carried out countless slaughters or was starving for it.

How did she know this? Well, her brother, father, grandfather, and late great-grandfather shared this same cold, terrifying expression that made one’s bones chill.

When her brother or father had this expression at the dinner table at night, none of the women in the family and servants dared to speak and awaited only for them to break the silence. They could simply be thinking about something very serious or were eager to see blood spill. Like her oldest sister, Ruria saw this expression as the “ticking bomb”, a phrase she didn’t use lightly because her sister was “activated” before.

Records from previous generations of their family stated that this expression—flat lips in a line and resting, unblinking eyes—is referred to as the Wist, the same name as the devil that controls their family and grants them power. The reason it’s called this is because when in human form, the devil has this exact same face constantly. Even when “laughing”.

He stood there unmoving, his gaze appearing distant.

Ruria was hesitant to speak up but before she could, a shy voice came from behind her. she sensed the person but only thought it was a noble’s servant or employee of the coliseum.

“U-Uhm, am I interrupting something?” the young woman asked as she looked between Nova and Ruria even though they didn’t appear to be in a conversation.

“Ruria? Kairi?” turning to face the two, a surprised expression appeared on Nova’s face as if he didn’t realize they were here before she called out.

…Was he that deep in thought?

**

Arnold glanced at Ruria for a moment who came here for some reason before looking at Kairi, “You look like you’ve been running for a while. What’s so urgent?”

Looking sideways at Ruria, she carefully took out a small book and handed it to Arnold, “Lady Lian says there are complications with the preparations. They need an item from someone, but it’s not easy to retrieve without a specialist in infiltration.”

“You can drop the vague speak. This girl is an ally of mine so she won’t let what she hears here leak outside.”

Kairi narrowed her eyes at Ruria who was glancing at the book that Kairi gave Arnold.

“…If you say so.”

“We’ll get to that in a moment. Hmm, these are runes.”

“Can I see?” Ruria looked at the book scribblings from beside him but couldn’t see properly at this angle.

“Do you recognize them?” He held up the book for Ruria to inspect.

She squinted, her eyes tracing the lines carefully. “They look more like a child’s scribblings—very incoherent. A few patterns seem to be missing, though. Without those, they’re incomplete and unintelligible as a formation but still somewhat recognizable if placed beside the full rune. I can make out a few.”

Arnold glanced at the system, confirming her observation. It matched his own hunch.

“They seem familiar to me,” he said, “but if a common peasant saw them, they’d dismiss them as less coherent than a Rorschach inkblot test.”

“Rorasake? What’s that?” Kairi tilted her head, her expression blank.

Ignoring her question, Arnold continued, “These are often drawn on doors to discourage thieves, which is about the only thing they’re good for. Oftentimes they’re just fake, but how could a common thief tell apart the dangerous runes from the utility runes? They’ll assume the worst and give up. Anyway, what’s this item you mentioned?”

“A magic tool that can differentiate fake runes from authentic ones,” Kairi explained. “Lady Lian says the real runes are invisible and only appear when the doorknob on marked doors is turned.”

Arnold’s brow furrowed as he considered her words. ‘Ko is just a martial, but he knows about this kind of security measure? Even if the imperial family used this method for hundreds of years, it’s unlikely they’d hand over knowledge like this to their usurper. Maybe he dabbled in wizardry during his younger days. Are there academies for that in this world? There must be, since magic—or at least fragments of it—exists here.’

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In any case, what she was referring to is a Magic Scanner. Just like how a nose can smell, which help animals navigate or track, the device can follow the trails of mana left behind by the runes, even when they’re inactive. This is due to the mana-rich dust that comes from the crushed magic crystals which are used to drawn the runes.

“You said someone well-versed in infiltration is necessary…” he glanced at Ruria, “I was thinking of discussing all of this after the tournament is over but it’s best we move ahead with everything right away.”

Ruria tilted her head.

**

Night had settled over the city, but the streets were as lively as ever. People buzzed with excitement, their conversations revolving around tomorrow's final match—the culmination of the tournament. Nova hadn’t fought today. Instead, he’d spent the day watching others in the ring, his fists clenched at his sides as he itched for action.

The morning promised a packed coliseum. The final match wasn’t just the talk of the town—it was a goldmine for the nobles, who stood to make more money than ever before from the tournament. Vendors had already begun setting up their stalls outside the coliseum, filling the area with a chaotic energy. The smell of freshly baked bread and grilled meats hung in the cool night air, while merchants called out to passersby, eager to turn the excitement into profit.

Over at the palace, the mood was starkly different. News had reached the emperor of a disturbing threat: the army's head doctor was being hunted by assassins from a rival nation. The palace went into lockdown almost immediately, guards doubling their patrols. Yet, outside its gates, the people carried on oblivious, thinking the heightened security was just part of preparations for tomorrow’s banquet to ensure no bad apples disrupt those preparations.

Meanwhile, at the palace—

Ruria, a scarf around her face and covered in black clothes and her favorite pair of fishnet leggings, sat atop one of the guard towers on the palace’s estate.

‘When was the last time I broke into someone’s house like this?’

While she had only one assassination target so far due to her inexperience, she was always assigned to “retrieve” items from targets since she had the best Shadow Abilities among her family members. Ruria had a special ability that erases any sound she makes. This is a useful ability for an Assassin Thief since she can sneak anywhere and can blend in with the shadows even during the day using camouflage. No one else in the family has this ability except for an early ancestor which is probably why her brother gave her one last chance to prove herself useful so that he can keep her in the family.

Even while perched up on the highest tower, the moon behind her back, no one could see her silhouette since the moon’s light is all they’d be able to see.

“They killed all the lights except for the ones inside the palace—quite old-fashioned.” Back in the dark ages, before the existence of lamppoles, the empire used to put out all light sources before an invasion. The resistance soldiers would have runes burned onto their temples or use potions to see better at night, waiting for their enemies to fall into their trap. Even if the enemies did the same thing, they would be sitting ducks out in the open while walking through city streets with all kinds of hiding spots.

Ruria utilizes this method whenever she’s out in the forest. It works wonders on catching animals to eat.

She didn’t anticipate a lockdown and due to it being so abrupt, she couldn’t prepare a [Night Stalker] potion.

“That servant girl said the head maid was going to meet me around the back but how am I going to see her in this darkness… I should’ve listened more in Nocturnal classes.” Ruria considered making bird noises but that would just draw the guards towards her since a bird shouldn’t be awake at this time.

“Hm?” she noticed a flashing light coming from somewhere in the darkness, “That must be her.”

Ruria turned into a cloud of smoke, moving carefully on the ground towards that light. as she got closer, she noticed an elf in a maid uniform standing in a doorway at the back of the palace. She was holding a mirror in her hands.

Very ingenious way to signal someone.

“Over here.” She turned back into herself and stood a bit further from the woman as she called out.

The woman quickly approached. She tore a piece of paper, which made particles of dust surround the both of them.

‘A talisman? This whole city is old-fasioned.’ Thought Ruria wryly.

“With this we should be able to talk.” The elf waved her hand and a fire spirit appeared above the two of them, “Apologies but we should keep this brief as the illusion barrier won’t hold for long. I can’t invite you into the palace just yet with it being full of people.”

“Sure.”

“We need you to plant this phony on the same spot you find the magic item we’re looking for.” The elf handed over a bag that was quite heavy.”

“Got it.”

“All right. Put this on before you come back here.” The elf handed a folded uniform over to Ruria. Just looking at the colors and fabric, she could tell it was a maid uniform even while folded, “Since you’re a thief, you should have dexterous hands, correct? That will be important once the banquet starts officially. I’ll introduce you to the others as a spare maid so you can attend the banquet.”

She had no objections.

“Once you leave the workshop, wait for five minutes before going around that corner,” she pointed left, “The kitchen is quite crowded right now so I’ll meet you in front of the cellar. The cellar is isolated from the rest of the palace and far from the crowded areas so it’s the perfect rendezvous.”

“Got it.”

“Good luck and thank you for agreeing to help the Resistance.”

Ruria didn’t really know how this will help them take Ko down since Nova is the only one who benefits. Maybe he promised them something in return for helping him? Whatever, she didn’t care. All she cared about was getting her newfound freedom that someone as strong as him could guarantee.

“I’m going then.” After saying so, she turned back into a floating black cloud, blending into the shadows once more.

**

After fifteen minutes, Ruria was able to get the magic item. The locks weren’t exactly as sophisticated as all the others she’d picked in her life. Bringing along magic lockpicks to disrupt the flow of mana on arcane locks seemed useless in a nation like this.

The entire process took ten minutes. The maid didn’t exactly say how long she’d wait for Ruria. Maybe she was already waiting at the cellar. In any case, Ruria quickly slipped into the maid uniform.

“Ugh, even though I always cosplay with my friends, I still can’t get used to these kinds of clothes. My legs are barely covered.’ She tried to pull down the skirt but it wouldn’t go further than the top of her thighs.

In any case, it was time to go. After making sure she wasn’t being followed, Ruria ran towards the palace’s cellar.

The elf maid was waiting there just as she said. She opened the cellar door and pushed Ruria inside, and followed after her.

“Lian will be coming shortly to take the item off your hands. She has several guards following her so meeting her in her assigned room would be unwise.”

“How’s that?”

“You are a new face; therefore, they will assume you are part of Funiji’s soldiers and aiming to kill her.”

“O-Oh.”

That does make sense, thought Ruria.

“Just keep your distance for now. The guards think she’s meeting me to help pick out a bottle of wine for the empress who’s resting upstairs.” Her ears suddenly flapped, “She’s here. I’ll stand near the entrance to make sure no one comes in. Lian and I will leave together once the two of you are done. Wait a minute longer before you leave.”

“Alright.”

She nodded at Ruria before leaving her side.

…

“Good evening, this is the first time we’ve met.” The mature raven-haired woman bowed to Ruria, “My name is Lian Tesurai. You need not give your own name. I know how Thieves operate.”

“Then let’s not dawdle.”

“May I have the magic item?”

“Here.” She handed it over. “I heard you have an entourage following you around even in the most secure fortress in this city. How do you intend to move around freely, Miss Lian?”

After giving the hexagonal prism object a quick look over, Lian answered her, “I’ll think of something before the big day. Concerning the magic item, I’ll need to do some tests to see if I can get it working without the craftmaster’s help.”

“What if they realize it’s missing?”

“They only use the item when strictly necessary, and this is only when they receive commissions that are recorded by the palace which I have access to. The materials for their next job are scheduled to arrive at the palace next week so we don’t need to worry about them realizing it’s gone.”

‘I suppose the fake magic item they had me plant there will be suitable enough to fool the craftmaster.’

“What am I supposed to do while you’re busy with testing the magic item?” with how little time they ahd left, Ruria was worried.

“The servants who were outside before the lockdown commenced, weren’t allowed back inside. This naturally led to a position opening up. That is, a personal servant to the princess.”

“Won’t they be suspicious that a new face suddenly arrived after the lockdown?”

“I’ve asked Her Highness to cover you in that regard. She thinks you’re my niece who desperately needs a job and independence. You are to be her attendant for the next few days.”

“I suppose I could give it a shot…”

It’s not like Ruria wasn’t trained for stuff like this. As an assassin, you are trained to blend into society to assassinate your targets.

This involves dressing the part to blend in as well. Ruria was trained in several professions throughout these past 19 years.

Yes, she may be a first year at Ardark academy but that was only because she wasn’t allowed to attend school before since she was being trained day in and day out, never getting enough rest or sleep.

To everyone else, she was just a 15-year-old girl. With her short height and high-pitch voice, it wasn’t that hard to fool people even if her chest was… above what you’d consider average.

Where would she be in life if she wasn’t born into a family that raises killers?

Though she could not reverse what had been done to her and the nightmares of every hardship she had to face to stand here today, her and her sisters’ freedom was within grasp.

They will finally be able to escape.

“—Girl?” noticing Ruria’s silence, Lian shook her a bit.

“...Sorry, just had something on my mind." she shook her head in an attempt to force down the bitterness, "Let’s continue.”