She was supposed to turn in her quest to the clerk at the adventurer’s guild, get a drink, and go to sleep. That's how her routine usually went. But tonight was different.

A group of good-for-nothing adventurers called her out for being a Beastmen. It wasn't unexpected—this particular group had been harassing her for some time. She responded in kind, throwing a barrage of profanities and slurs. Fight fire with fire, she thought.

But tonight, they seemed more daring. One of them cast a fireball indoors!

She nearly got fried on the spot before she activated her shadow ability and struck the caster unconscious.

Unfortunately, being an Assassin isn't ideal when fighting out in the open. So she opted for the second option: running as fast as she could.

She bolted out of the building, her heart pounding in her chest. The cool night air hit her face as she sprinted down the cobblestone streets, the sounds of laughing adventurers in pursuit echoing behind her. The guild’s familiar environment blurred past her as she navigated the narrow alleyways.

As she darted through the maze known as the Imperial Capital, she could hear the shouts of the adventurers growing fainter. She needed a place to hide, a moment to think. Her eyes scanned her surroundings frantically. There—a small, shadowy alcove between two buildings. She slipped into it, pressing her back against the cold stone, trying to steady her breathing.

Moments passed like hours. She could still hear the distant clamor of the guild, but it seemed like her pursuers had lost her trail. For now.

Fucking Humans… acting like they’re the superior race…

She thought bitterly as she dusted the dirt from her clothes. As if it’s not dirty already.

What if the roles were reversed, huh? How do you like that?

She walked quietly down the streets, tired from that affair and eager to hit the bed. Her ears, however, tell a different story. Thanks to her feline ears, she can hear faint noises of the same bunch of adventurers just around the block.

Shit! They’re still here!

She looked around for any way out. Is there anything she could use to slip away undetected? She could use her shadow ability and basically become invisible to them, but that would consume too much mana and cause here to have withdrawals in the morning.

There it is!

There’s a storeowner of a clothing store closing down his store for the day, and he conveniently left for a bathroom break it seems. There’s an idea, she should disguise herself as a normal Human!

She sneakily stole a pair of suit and coat, as well as a fedora the Human upper class usually wear, and put it all on, not even bothering to take off her rugged adventuring clothes. It’ll be hot, sure, but she’s not changing clothes out in the open.

Now, how do Humans act? Arrogant and pretentions. Especially the Nobles.

Strengthening her resolve, she walked around the block and carefully avoided the gaze of the adventurers who were drinking it seems.

She sighed a breath of relief too early when one of them stopped her.

“Have we met?” The adventurer said as he locked eyes with her.

“No?” She mustered up a reply.

“I knew it! It’s you! The subhuman filth!” He shouted, the other adventurers springing into action with their weapons.

Drats! They know me too well!

She didn’t have the stamina to run anymore, so she looked around and entered the first building she set her sights on, hoping she could hide in it.

What she didn’t expect, however, was being held at gunpoint by Imperial soldiers inside the building.

“Halt! Why did you barge in here?” One of them shouted at her.

“Look I had a rough day today, okay?” She retaliated with an annoyed face. Clearly displeased by the agent of the Empire.

“Hmm… Oh? Aren’t you the new Deputy Minister?” The soldier’s eyes widened in sudden realization, “Sorry, your excellency, the room is down the hall and to the left, labelled A10.”

What? What is this guy saying?!

“What are you—”

“The meeting is starting, so I’ll escort you there to not waste any time.”

She was too stunned to protest as the soldier led her down the hall. They stopped outside a door labeled A10, and he opened it, ushering her inside. The room was filled with presumably high-ranking officials, all of whom turned to look at her as she entered. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. How was she going to get out of this one?

“I uhh...” She stammered, desperately trying to think of what an Imperial official might say in this situation. Something authoritative, perhaps? She hoped someone might recognize that she didn’t belong here.

Unfortunately, her hopes were dashed when an important-looking man spoke up with a smile. “Ah, you must be Anise, correct? Congratulations on becoming the Deputy Minister.”

Who the hell is Anise? That’s definitely not me!

“A Beastmen, huh? That’s new.” She turned to see another man with a stoic face.

How did he…

She realized too late that her tail was hanging out of the coat. She quickly tucked it back in, cursing herself for the oversight. Maybe that’s why the adventurers caught her disguise?

Trying to maintain her composure, she gave a strained smile. “Yes, thank you. It’s an honor.”

The man raised an eyebrow but seemed satisfied, “Good to know there are tribals willing to become civilized. I hope the Imperial Examination didn’t give you a hard time.”

Choosing to ignore that remark, she gave him a small nod before seating in the last empty seat, presumably reserved for her.

She needed to find this ‘Anise’ person quickly. Or else she might get caught and executed for impersonating a government official!

“Ah, since you just arrived, here is the topic for this night’s meeting.” A stack of documents were shoved in front of her. It’s at least tall enough as the glass of water beside it.

She already dreaded what lay ahead. Flipping open the first page of the first document, she skimmed through the dense text, her eyes scanning for any useful information. Most of it was bureaucratic jargon about resource allocation and border security.

Her eyes were already feeling tired as she rubbed her eyes.

The meeting began in earnest as one of those suited men dragged chalkboard into the room.

As the meeting progressed, she managed to deflect questions with non-committal answers and occasional nods. Her charade was holding, but she knew it wouldn’t last forever. She needed to find an opportunity to slip away, hopefully after the meeting is done.

She let out a yawn as the presenter, who she now knew as the Minister of Finance, Darius Hall, who is speaking something about resource allocation and budget restrictions…

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She used all her might not to fall asleep as her tired eyes glanced at the clock, 2 in the morning.

The other officials have tired looks in their eyes, but perhaps they have gotten used to it so it didn’t bother them.

She’ll have to praise the Humans for their work ethics.

An hour later, the meeting finally adjourned. The officials stood, some exchanging pleasantries and shaking hands.

Finally!

She thought, as she straightens her back and prepared to get out of here. She will have to make up an excuse and leave the premises. Best to lay low for a while until then.

She exited the room and powerwalked straight to the exit, not wanting to waste any more time around these people.

“Deputy Minister!” She stopped dead in her tracks. In hindsight, she should’ve pretended not to hear the sound, but she shudders what he’ll do if she disobeyed.

She slowly turned around, showing a forced smile to the man who smiled at her back in the meeting room.

“Yes?” She said, trying to keep her voice steady.

The man kept his signature smile, “A word with you for a minute, we’ll talk when we’re in the automobile.”

She clenched her fist, maintaining her smile, “Of course, lead the way.”

They were led by a guard outside to the fancy automobile. Truth be told, it’s her first time riding such constructs.

The man entered first, and she hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether she should just run away. But she quickly scrapped that idea, deeming it idiotic. Instead, she climbed into the automobile and made herself comfortable in the plush seats.

The interior was luxurious, with polished wood accents and soft leather upholstery. She couldn't help but feel a bit out of place, but she kept her expression neutral.

“Ah~ It’s nice to have that meeting finally over, isn’t it?” The man remarked, “I was worried that you wouldn’t make it, but I was relieved when I saw you enter the room.”

“No problem, sir…?” She hadn’t even known his name, despite being seated next to him this entire time.

“Looks like the fatigue got to you that you’ve become forgetful, haha.” He let out a hearty laugh, “But I digress. I am Henry Eden, Minister of Home Affairs.”

Another Minister, she should’ve guessed. Most definitely a Noble as well. She holds a deep grudge with Human Nobles like him, but it’s not like she could show a scowl on her face, not in this situation.

And considering how he callously referred to her as the ‘new Deputy Minister’, she had to assume she accidentally became the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. How grand…

She forced a polite smile. “Of course, Minister Eden. It’s an honor to serve under you.”

He nodded approvingly. “I’m sure you’ll do well, Deputy Minister Anise. We need more competent individuals like yourself. You almost obtained a perfect score in the Imperial Examination, goodness.”

Her stomach dropped. The Imperial Examination was one of the hardest tests conducted for civil servants, and she knew she wasn’t even half smart enough to pass an ordinary test.

Henry Eden continued to talk, mostly about himself. She half-listened, her mind working on a plan to extricate herself from this situation.

“Your Excellency, we’re here.” The driver announced as the automobile halted to a stop.

“Thank you, Gerald.” Eden nodded before opening the door.

She did the same and exited. Scanning her surroundings, she realized she is inside the Imperial complex, the place where government buildings and many important people work at. Of course she should expected this.

The cold morning air somehow made her shudder despite her best efforts to stay composed.

“Shall we?” Eden gestured for her to follow him, leading the way through the impressive archways and past grand buildings.

She followed, trying to keep her thoughts in order. As they walked, she took note of potential escape routes and the layout of the complex. The guards seemed alert at the Beastmen but not overly suspicious. She needed to act carefully.

“Here we are,” Eden said, stopping in front of a large office. “This will be your workspace. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. My office is just next door.” He pointed at the other door next to hers.

“Thank you, Minister,” she replied, stepping inside.

The office was spacious and elegantly furnished. She moved to the desk, scanning the documents already piled there. It was overwhelming, but she had to stay focused.

As Eden left, she quickly formulated a plan. She needed to find out more about Anise and figure out a way to safely disappear. She couldn’t afford to stay here and risk exposure.

She sighed as she sat down at the desk, pretending to study the documents. After a few minutes absentmindedly gazing at the documents filled with bureaucratic jargon—words that could put a peasant to sleep—she found an interesting paper.

It was the employment contract, and it hadn’t been signed yet.

Her heart raced as she realized the implications. If the contract wasn’t signed, her position wasn’t official. This could be her ticket out! But wait—her eyes were drawn to one particular sentence in the contract.

“A- a thousand Golden Virs a month?!?!” She gasped, her jaw dropped to the floor.

She stared at the figure in disbelief. A thousand Golden Virs was a fortune—enough to change her life completely, not to mention it’s being paid EVERY MONTHS.

For a moment, she imagined what she could do with that kind of money. No more running, no more scraping by. She could live comfortably, perhaps even secure a future for herself and her tribe.

10 Virs is more than enough to support a family of four, 100 or so is enough to buy one of those Automobiles, 1,000 then you’re considered extremely wealthy, maybe you own a business or something, but 1,000?! She didn't realize government officials were being paid THIS much! This is criminal!

But… should she?

As tempting as it is, she would be taking away someone else’s hard-earned position, just by being mistaken simply because she wore the right outfit at the right time.

That would mean lying, deceiving, and maintaining a facade indefinitely.

Would she do that?

“Well, I’ve already sat through one meeting, what’s a couple more? I can push my work to others anyways…” She mumbled.

Of course she would.

Just as she thought about signing the contract, her doors opened to reveal Eden, coffee in hand, and a set of clothes in the other.

“Signed the contract yet? After you sign it, I’ll give you the identification card and this suit.” He said, placing the items down on the guest table.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she forced a calm smile. “Just about to, Minister Eden.” she replied, picking up a pen and quickly scrawling a signature on the dotted line.

Eden nodded. “Excellent. Here’s your identification card,” he said, handing over a small, official-looking card. “And this suit should fit you. It’s the standard attire for our high-ranking officials.”

“Thank you Minister, I shall change into them shortly.” She glanced at both the card and suit.

Eden smiled and took a sip of his coffee. “Good to hear, Anise.” He checked his wristwatch, “Hmm… It’s nearing 6… I suppose you should head home after this. Rest up, and get to work tomorrow then.”

She nodded, watching him leave the room. As the door closed behind him, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

She looked down at the small card she’s been holding. It was made of silver, and imbued with mana. It displayed her name, title, and signature. But if she poured mana into it, it projects a hologram of sorts, displaying her full identity.

And not Anise’s identity, but hers. Her full name, the picture wearing the suit Eden gave her, her signature, her date of birth, her ACC (Assigned Citizen Code), and much more.

The card had somehow recognized her true identity. Was it the suit? The magical properties of the card? No, it was because she poured her Mana into it.

She could lie her way of why her name is different, just say she changed into a more ‘human-sounding’ name, rather than her old tribal name.

But her ACC? Every citizen of the Empire had different ACC, and Anise’s and hers are infinitely different than each other. She has to find a way to change that.

Carefully, she placed the card on her desk.

She changed into the suit provided by Minister Eden quickly, feeling the fine fabric on her skin. The transformation was complete, she looked like what she thought government officials look like. Red tie, black suit, and a brooch bearing the Empire’s coat of arms on her left chest, and a similar pin on her lapel.

Personally, she’d rather wore a red shirt underneath the suit, but that can be adjusted later.

As she stood in front of the mirror, she was surprised herself at the change. Gone was the rugged assassin, replaced by a polished and authoritative figure.

The Beastmen in front of her is not the same Beastman from yesterday. Her feline ears stood proudly erect, her tail was… acceptably clean, and the suit gave her an air of undeniable authority.

She straightened her tie and adjusted her collar, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"Well, this is it," she muttered to herself. "I am Anise now…"

She couldn’t help but yawned. She had been awake all night, and would like to get some sleep when she got back.

But at the present, she couldn’t help herself to pose in front of the mirror.

The sudden bang of her doors opening made her jump, it was Eden with a shocked look on his face.

She thought for a moment that she had been caught, and her life flashed before her eyes. Instead, what came out of Eden’s mouth was something else she was entirely unprepared for.

“The Emperor is dead.”