-Callia-

  After indulging in every sweet that Karia wanted me to try, I was finally set free for the day. Looking out at the setting sun from the balcony, I wondered at how quickly the day had passed. Reaching inward, I contacted my brother again, seeing if he had wrapped up all the issues over in Port Town. Turns out after visiting Rylin, our little brother had gotten very clingy. I personally felt a bit jealous, but with our route home simplified, I’ll be able to shower the little guy with love and attention to make him forget about Callen and cling to me. Anyway, we didn’t need Callen in the capital until it was time for the mayoral confirmation.

  Honestly, I wanted to ask the queen if she could handle the whole thing instead of waiting for a king who seemed less and less like someone I actually wanted to meet. Considering how busy today has been, I suspect the queen will be just as eager to bring me around tomorrow for another day of fun. Therefore, I flopped into my bed, letting the fluffy clouds comfort me.

  Like a spark flying and coursing through my body, a soft sense of danger snapped me from my sleep. It was a soft sense, not an immediate threat, so I held myself still, letting my senses focus in. Click the sound of the balcony door unlatching nearly imperceptible in the dark. Under the covers I summoned a knife as I identified the three sets of footsteps in the dark. No reason to give these intruders any more leeway. I shifted the blanket into the void while pushing with my legs against the mattress, performing a backflip and landing on the headboard of the bedframe.

  The intruders were dressed in all-black clothing and didn’t hesitate the moment I acted. One man jumped up to the ceiling onto a chandelier; the other two dashed in diverging paths, one to the right and the other to the left. Seems like they want to force me to contest the two that were advancing, so instead I leapt upward. A smooth spin kick sent the chandelier and the man on it crashing downward into the man who had gone left. The shards of glass scattering like buckshot, shredding the man’s dark clothing and leaving dozens of surface-level scratches. Sadly the man who was on the chandelier managed to jump aside before impact, rolling and landing ready to fight.

  I landed my spin kick easily but not without contestation. The man I hadn’t targeted used the chance to throw several knives at me while reversing his momentum to try approaching me from the opposite side of the man who jumped off the chandelier. Contorting my body with precision, I managed to evade the thrown knives and was perfectly positioned to charge the man who was recovering from the glass blast. He tried to dodge but was far too slow as my knife got a clean blow through the man’s throat.

  The others tried to pursue me while I was ending the first one, but I finished the job too quickly. More knives were thrown, but I easily ran up the wall, jumping off and stomping downward on my more eager pursuer. The distinct feeling of a skull crunching under my foot confirmed my kill. The chandelier man, who had been just a breath slower, immediately burst for the window, desperately trying to escape. I let the man get some distance as I summoned the rest of my combat gear.

  I walked out to my balcony and easily located the small dot that was the man desperately climbing up the tower while fleeing from me. I carefully lined up a shot and let it fly. Carefully watching it sail through the night air, I pumped my fist as the arrow lodged itself in the man's throat. The body went slack and fell a good distance before getting caught on a different balcony far below. Now the question: do I make a fuss, or do I call it a night and get back to sleep? I look back inside, where the decapitated body of the first man is still spurting blood, and the explosion of brain matter caused by me stomping on the other man painted my walls.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  It seems enjoying the bed will have to be put on hold. Started methodically cleaning the room using void shift. No need for cleaning supplies when you can delete even the deepest stains with a simple touch. Well, for Callen it wouldn’t even require a touch; he could just expand his mana zone and shift it all. Well someday I’ll get around to learning it from Callen even if I only use it for cleaning. It was way too convenient to live my whole life without. Partway into cleaning up the chunks of assassins, I finally had enough. I grab the small bell by my bedside and give it a jingle.

  I had expected questions or even shock, but no, the maid just bowed her head and got to work. She was shortly joined by others who replaced my mattress and sheets, and like a smooth machine, the room was pristine once again. I suppose living in the palace as service staff comes with the connotation of 'Don’t ask questions, just do the job.' Still, I made sure to thank them as they finished.

  I finished my night in peace, and the next morning a maid arrived with an invitation to join Karia for breakfast and tea with her friends. I was guided to a garden where Karia, an elderly knight, and a fit-looking lady waited.

  “Ser Callia, let me introduce you to Sir Tobard and Viscount Elaine. Sir Tobard is the commander of the capital knights, and Lady Elaine is a childhood friend of mine. I just finished introducing them to you, so take a seat.” I carefully bowed as I cautiously sat down. It’s strange how most times I’m alone I feel unstoppable, but the moment I’m around Karia I instinctively recognize my limits. It wasn’t that she was intentionally suppressing me but more that she is an absolute monster. The distance between me and her was more than the distance between me as a child and Dad.

  I picked up my tea and froze. My instincts softly alert me to danger. I check my surroundings before focusing on the tea in my hands. It seems my visitors last night weren’t the end of the attempts on my life. Though, whoever chose this poison didn’t know I had more than sufficient resistance to survive it. Still, it was better to not let whoever was after me know all my skills. I carefully set down the cup and look over to the queen.

  “Milady, it seems someone is trying to kill me. I had some uninvited guests last night, and my tea seems to be poisoned.” Karia leans back, and a butler comes to her side. Without a word she grabs him by the throat, twists it, and throws the man off the garden terrace’s wall.

  “I’m sorry, Callia, it seems our meeting yesterday with a certain pest has seemingly aligned you with my faction. I’m afraid that dealing with men like these is part of life in the capital. I hope you don’t regret our new bond, do you?” I don’t really have much to say about that. On one hand I doubt I would’ve gotten along with Veinne or whomever the other queen was, but on the other hand, Callen and I had already stirred up trouble, so difficulties would’ve been a fact of life regardless of my new relationship.

  “My brother and I have a tendency to get wrapped up in trouble wherever we go. I can hardly blame you for the actions of others, but I would like the opportunity to finish the transfer of authority sooner rather than later.” Karia sighed in both disappointment and acceptance.

  “Fine, will your brother be able to be present tomorrow? I’ll handle the matter personally under my authority. The king probably doesn’t even remember Port Town exists. Most reports from your town are already handled by Sir Tobard. Though he is curious about what happened when the temporary baron went to suppress bandits and disappeared before the hive worm attack on that city. Would you mind giving it now?” The elderly knight smiled at me kindly as I started organizing events to my understanding. Didn’t Callen and Hew have some kind of dilemma in making this report? I distinctly remember my brother worrying about some kind of political fallout. Oh well, I’ll just describe the events as I know them.

  It Begins

  Simultaneously all across the frontier, elvish encampments acted. They didn’t know why, but they knew that everyone was in place to begin the invasion. Portten, Woodside, Meccas, and Riverside—every town along the northern border came under attack except Port Town. Portten and Woodside didn’t last a day, as the walls were breached, the knights slain, and resistance scattered, with civilians fleeing towards the strongest neighbor they had, Port Town.

  The northern towns and villages of the Reacher forest quietly disappear in the night assault. Meccas city was caught off guard with the absence of the lord, suffering extensive loss against the well-prepared invading force. However, the invading forces moved with unified purpose, rushing further south, strangling any message or word of warning before it could escape. Only the emergency letter from Meccas reaching Nox City gave any hint of the invasion's quiet and systematic slaughter.

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