It was late at night. The quiet hum of the inn created an oddly soothing atmosphere as Ash sat at the dining table, his fingers drumming softly on the wood. His thoughts were in turmoil, and every now and then, his eyes darted toward the two maids standing silently by his side. Their expressions were neutral, their postures perfect, but something about them unsettled him tonight.
Ash picked up his fork and poked at the remaining bits of food on his plate, his mind replaying the events of the past few days. How did we survive that attack? he thought, his brows furrowing.
The knights who had accompanied them were strong, but so were their enemies. To make matters worse, their own knight captain turned out to be a traitor. It's too convenient, he thought, his fingers tightening around the fork. How did we manage to survive with just these maids and a handful of knights?
He shook his head, frustration simmering beneath the surface. Back then, he had been too caught up in the sheer chaos of survival to think about the details. But now that the dust had settled, the holes in the story were glaringly obvious. A cold sense of dread crept over him. What if there's more to this than I realized?
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He closed his eyes, steadying his breathing. A memory from his old world surfaced—a tool from a certain anime he had watched. The Akasha Glass, he thought. A divine artifact that could reveal the past, present, and future of its intended target.
Ash focused his mana, and within moments, a sleek, translucent glass appeared in his hand. Its frame shimmered faintly, as if it were alive, and the surface gleamed like liquid crystal. He hesitated for a moment, feeling the drain on his mana reserves. This thing is eating up my energy like crazy, he realized, but curiosity drove him forward.
He put on the Akasha Glass, the cool material resting lightly against his face. The world around him shimmered for a brief second before returning to normal. Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze toward the red-haired maid standing to his left.
Her crimson eyes, tinged with a golden hue, met his for a fleeting moment before she looked away. Ash focused on her, and a blue panel appeared before him, glowing faintly in the dimly lit room.
[Name]: Vikara Sestha
[Age]: 29
[Occupation]: Leader of Shadow Reapers, Maid
[Mana Core]: Tier 7 (Damaged to Tier 3)
[Title]: Ruthless Lady, Silent Reaper, Insane Assassin, Beauty Lover
[Feelings]: 76% (He is so beautiful. His graceful way of eating… how did he get that glass? But he's looking so cute.)
Thump. Thump.
Ash's heart skipped a beat. His mind froze as he reread the panel, his pulse hammering in his ears. Leader of Shadow Reapers? What the hell is that?! He didn't recognize the name, but it sounded ominous enough to make his skin crawl.
His breathing quickened as he read further. Tier 7? Damaged to Tier 3? The world seemed to tilt. To reach Tier 7 was already a monumental feat. How had someone this young—only 29—achieved that? And why was she pretending to be a maid?
Then his eyes fell on her titles. Silent Reaper… Insane Assassin… His hands trembled slightly. And yet, what caught his attention most was the last title: Beauty Lover.
Ash's eyes darted to the "Feelings" section, and his heart nearly stopped. She thinks I'm beautiful? And… cute?!
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Ash's thoughts spiraled. She's dangerous, absurdly talented, and possibly insane. And now she's fixated on my appearance?! He looked back at Vikara, her serene smile giving no hint of the chaos he had just uncovered. When their eyes met again, she smiled wider.
He forced a smile in return, though it was far from genuine. Calm down, calm down, he told himself, mentally screaming. Don't let her see you panic. If she's a yandere or some sort of fanatic, I'll only make things worse if I freak out.
Suppressing his nerves, he turned his attention to the other maid. She was older, her features plain but dignified, with brown hair tied into a simple bun. A sense of calm radiated from her, though something about her felt equally off.
Once again, the Akasha Glass activated, revealing another panel:
---
[Name]: Licia RoseRoyals
[Age]: 2056
[Occupation]: Spirit Arts Creator, Maid
[Mana Core]: Null
[Title]: Betrayed by Spirits, The Hated One, Creator of Spirit Arts, Ordinary Woman
[Feelings]: 65% (He is handsome. Living my ordinary life with him is not bad.)
---
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Ash's heart raced again, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. Two thousand and fifty-six years old?! That's older than some ancient empires!
His eyes darted to her last name. RoseRoyals? He recognized it immediately as the name of the royal family from the Elven continent. What is an elf from the royal family doing here as a maid?
And then there was her title: Betrayed by Spirits. A chill ran down his spine. The thought of someone powerful enough to be betrayed by spirits themselves was unnerving.
Ash felt his breath grow ragged as the weight of the revelations pressed down on him. He removed the Akasha Glass, his vision swimming slightly as his mana reserves plummeted to 60%.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, wiping sweat from his forehead. I didn't even use the main function of the glass, just the basic information, and it drained me this much. I'm so weak.
His eyes flicked between the two maids, both standing silently by his side. Their expressions betrayed nothing, but Ash could no longer see them as simple servants. A former assassin and a betrayed spirit master? He felt like he was sitting on a powder keg surrounded by maniacs.
When Vikara caught his gaze, she smiled again, her eyes glinting with something unreadable. Licia, on the other hand, simply stood there, her face impassive but her presence strangely heavy.
Ash sighed, leaning back in his chair. I need to tread carefully, he thought. I'm surrounded by people far stronger and more dangerous than me. And the worst part? They're supposed to be my allies.
The night stretched on, but Ash's mind refused to rest. The world he had been reborn into seemed intent on testing the limits of his sanity.
I'm alive, for now. But how long can I keep it that way?