She couldn't understand.
No, she didn't want to believe it. Had her hands already been tainted by countless blood? It didn't seem like her, well, she didn't really know her true self. All she had were vague memories, ever so hazy, spinning in her head. She could understand the beginning of her tragedy and its end; first came the raging beast, and last came the bloodied corpse of a smile. However, the actual chunk of the middle, the most important part of herself, was a mystery to her. Like a hazy film coat, she couldn't see through it, much less begin to understand it.
Remembering that encounter she had had when she fell due to excess mana loss, she remembered the figure of that girl covered in full light silvery armor. That girl with scars across her would be beautiful face and that girl with a tired voice that wished for it all to disappear. She had known instinctively; that was herself, that was her past life, that was what she was, and that was the regret left on her soul-staring back into her with those dead eyes.
However, although she knew it, she couldn't understand. What exactly had led her life to become like that in her past life? She felt as if she was entangled, the web of fate binding her, restraining her, and unbreaking.
Arthur watched his sister as he sighed.
'She was always like this at times, times when her usual calmness would easily crack.'
Thinking too deeply about unnecessary things and spacing out for a while. In his opinion, there was no need to worry about the man she had killed, it was nothing more than an act of self-defense. Naturally, he would have done the same in her situation. He didn't know how strong she was truly, but it seemed her mental health was still in development.
He saw her briefly nod to herself and looked towards her guard, "Where is Crow's Nest located?"
"I don't know," Ais shook her head "one of the reasons it could remain so hidden was that the headquarters was well hidden. As a trainee, I had only visited a training field, never actually visiting the headquarters themselves."
"Then we have a problem here." Arthur couldn't help a frown.
He had already realized what his sister was after, she had most likely figured the best way to know who put an assassination contract on her was to directly ask. Seeing as they had no other clues to go on, it was the most assured and likely way. Naturally, that was in the case of knowing just where they would go to ask.
Maria nodded and wondered just how they should go about this endeavor.
However, just as she did so, the door was ruthlessly pushed open as a figure waltzed his way in.
"I can help."
Maria looked over to see the purplish gray-eyed boy staring back at her, his wounds already long healed at the expense of her mana. The skin already returned to its natural crystal clear shine, and the scar already long gone, it was as if he had never been stabbed before. Now how could she tell all this? Well…
She narrowed her eyes slightly, "That's great, Rain, but could you put on a shirt?
The eyes of the boy blinked in slight confusion before realization dawned on him. He looked at the unamused faces in the room then he looked back at himself. He was completely shirtless, he smiled calmly as he backed out of the room.
He was an airhead at times, but, coincidentally, he had made her briefly forgot her earlier worries.
She walked out of the room as her brother and personal guard followed after her.
Turning her head as the door closed, she saw the various shining armored figures lining the doorway. The royal guards that had escorted her towards Kent now had faces of distraught as they bowed in a kneeling position.
"We failed you! We are willing to take any punishment, your highness!" The strongest one, the B ranked figure, was the one to speak out.
Maria shook her head, "It's my fault I didn't call upon you when I departed the mansion."
Then she looked over at Ais, who was also now bowing in front of her.
"I checked his status, he had a skill named
Although the others were a bit confused, Maria didn't explain as she walked towards Rain's room.
She had never tried to hide the power of her eyes, and she knew; if a priest was to glance at her Sacred Text, all they would see would only be the surface level. They couldn't look deeper into the skill
***
The group looked at the hurriedly preparing boy as they waited patiently. Of course, he now had on a black shirt.
"Hold on a bit as I prepare, then we will set out. Seems this birthday isn't going to be a slow day." He stated with a small chuckle.
To which Maria finally remembered the reason she had come to this city in the first place, she couldn't help but furrow her brows as she asked: "What about the party?"
Rain shook his head, "The party has been called off. My father is currently having a meeting with yours in the royal capital and my mother followed to keep him company. It wouldn't be much of a party with just me alone."
Maria nodded as she watched the boy and softly whispered 'happy birthday'. She had never been much of a congratulatory person, yet she still said so. However, it seemed her words had landed on deaf ears as the boy moved about the room and towards the bottom corner of the room, just a ways away from the bed.
She heard a small chuckle from her back, which she imagined belonged to her brother. However, she disregarded it.
"I'm not leaving unprepared like last time." Rain commented as the others watched his movements.
He walked over to the large closet and shifted the clothes aside, revealing an array of weapons. He grabbed at two swords that hung like gleaming black stones then grabbed at the sheaths that layer at their feet.
"My two weapons, the Dauntless Blade set. Made from dark wood."
He strapped the dull blackened Blades into their own black scabbards and equipped it on his back in a cross. Then he walked to the other side of the closet and picked up a leather belt of black. Looking carefully at its design, there were various silver needles equipped.
"As I'm a swordsman, I lack ranged attacks the most. This belt, I had specially made. A total of 20 silver darts lines it." He spoke as he strapped the belt to his waist.
Maria arched her eyebrows up as she watched the movement of the boy and finally couldn't help asking, "Why didn't you just put the weapons in your space rings?"
The boy stared back at her, "Even if I could summon them, I wouldn't have enough time to actually equip them. So it's best to equip them prior or not bring them at all."
He was right, there was no point in putting a sheathed weapon in a space ring nor is there a point in putting a 'utility belt' in the space ring. By the time you tried to summon and equip them, you would have already lost your life. So in the end, it was indeed best to either have them equipped prior or not bring them at all. Naturally, there are some exceptions.
However, Maria didn't dwell on that thought for long as she nodded and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes." He nodded towards the group.
"Good, then lead the way."