As my broadsword falls, I feel Leomi link to my lion strike construct and try to make my muscles seize. I easily stop her because of the fact we're equals from both pledging to each other but it distracts me such that my arm slows down.

Then, Leomi interferes again which forces me to block once more and further destabilizes my swing yet it does not stop me, it only saves the life of the third I expected to kill. Wait, why is Leomi... Kill!

I lean into my strike to put more force into it, and as such take a larger risk as it'll make it harder to avoid retaliation. As the blade is about to slash my enemy's neck, the golden jay flies before it with a lazy demeanor that does not match the insane speed it moved at.

My broadsword merely touches upon the feather and stops dead as if it hit a brick wall, except my sundering construct would cut through the toughest Vuskyt.

The bird lays its wing on the side of the blade and I feel my control over the construct waver, I can't even fight back as it simply fades away. My enemies jump back with deceitful looks of surprise while I struggle to recover my weapon.

Leomi's hand falls on my shoulder and jerks me back. The jay finally releases my broadsword and I fall into a defensive stance, confused by the fact I wasn't impaled by three weapons.

“Our apologies, you surprised my fiancee and she overreacted.” Leomi speaks up with a polite tone. I flick a rapid look over my shoulder to find her left eyebrow twitching.

“Keep a leash on your wild dog if you're going to take it out.” The one I almost killed returns with a scornful look.

I snarl as I try to take a swipe again but Leomi's grip on my shoulder is firm and she doesn't allow it. I start seeing red at the edges of my vision and a painful pang of anguish pierces my chest, these humans are clearly enemies so I was right to strike first.

“You have guts to run your mouth, let us see if you have the courage to challenge her to a duel.” Leomi throws out.

“Go back to your uncivilized west, the Empire does not need either of you.” The man replies but doesn't rise to the provocation.

I grit my teeth in rage and focus on the kinetic force permeating the air around us to crush the fool but I feel Leomi's will interfere. My efforts come to naught because unstructured energy is much more sensitive to interference and my mental state isn't exactly stable.

I wrestle with her, intent against intent, yet it doesn't matter as our escort interposes itself between us and our foes who thus choose to retreat. It takes all I have not to blow up at Leomi in this public street for stopping me.

“Jess, they were baiting you.” She urgently whispers in my ear, clearly aware of my anger.

“So what if they were?” I ask. “They're enemies.”

“We can operate in Kruzser because we haven't been the aggressors, if you murder someone in cold blood then Nobility will have all it needs to arrest you and the Emperor won't be able to intervene without causing a schism, which we aren't worth the risk for.”

I sheathe my broadsword with a furious move, unable to stand the state of the Empire and how much working towards changing it is costing our relationship. I breathe in and pull my shoulder out of her grasp.

“Jess.” Leomi calls.

I don't respond and stomp forth, determined to figure out the locations where Roskal could be hiding and then finish everything when my sister wakes tonight.

Leomi and her escort quicken their pace to keep up with me as I trail through Kruzser. They don't have much trouble because I can't afford to tire myself after the morning Lance gave me so I don't lengthen my strides too much.

The memory of the sweet time she spent taking care of me makes me slow down as it undermines my anger towards the beliefs she holds, my rage at how human worth is being arbitrarily determined by birth.

I can't help but hesitate because the truth is that I've refused being elevated and chose to remain a peasant so the statement isn't accurate. But the fact is that without support from high born, I would not even have the opportunity no matter what I did.

Aisha's offer to recruit me was, in and of itself, one to remain hidden in the shadows. I feel a headache coming on as I have so much to do, not to mention the mystery of the odd creatures I slaughtered.

My hand trembles in an echo of fear at how close I came to dying that night but I soon find cool slender fingers wrap themselves around it, calming the shaking almost immediately.

I look to my right and find Leomi looking down on me with a worried expression. I belatedly notice I've stopped and experience a burst of cold terror because I stopped paying attention to my surroundings.

I flick my gaze around to find several potential threats. A woman with a long dagger at her waist wearing sexy leather pants, a man with a sword on his back but not the muscles of a soldier, a muscular man in an alley who I can only see the top of could easily be holding a bow.

“Shh, relax.” Leomi murmurs.

The jay on her shoulder leans down and inclines it's head to the side in a very innocent manner, making itself look unbearably cute which causes me to feel more at ease. The bird rolls its tiny eyes at me. I tear my hand out of my fiancee's and snatch the bird, enclosing it all except for its head in my grip.

“Squeek!” It cries out in pain.

“You little twerp!” I exclaim in outrage because there's no way I'm squeezing hard enough to hurt, never mind the fact that it's made of flow and could just go through my fingers.

“Hey! Don't hurt the poor thing.” Rowland protests.

The other Hospitaliers throw me harsh looks while Leomi makes a disappointed expression to further tease me. I groan in frustration and throw the bird away.

I witness its silver silhouette back-flip and flick its wing to return to Leomi's shoulder without seeming disturbed in the least. As I prepare to let out a storm of insults, I notice a projectile flying at me from a nearby roof.

I raise my palm to shoot it down but the golden bird which was already flying on an interception course merely extends its claws and catches the crossbow bolt to snap it in half.

“Good jay, it has naught in common with its owner or namesake!” Yvonne exclaims, causing both Leomi and me to grunt at once.

“What a smart little bird!” A Hospitalier says but receives a dark glare from said jay. “It's very cute too!” He carefully adds, causing the bird to relax.

I ignore the commotion to find the shooter, which most of the escort is doing as well, but find naught and conclude they ran as soon as the projectile left. I grasp my weapon's handle with the intention of holding it until we arrive.

“You three, go ask around and see if you can find the culprit.” Leomi orders. “We're moving, double pace.” She adds while launching a dark glare at her sword-sworn who shouldn't have been here.

As my fiancee expected, our hurried journey back is hard on Yvonne and the swordswoman has to receive help from Rowland to make it. Once inside the headquarters, he picks her up in his arms and carries her upstairs ahead of us.

While I watch the two, I catch sight of a vaguely familiar silhouette with black hair slipping into a side-room with a pouch on his back. I decide to check it out in case he's a threat or spy.

“I'll catch you upstairs, I just need a moment.” I tell Leomi so she won't stop me again from eliminating a threat.

“Don't take too long.” She replies with a slight frown.

I nod and fast walk to the room I saw the short man enter. I push the handle down and kick the door open with my foot so I can grab my broadsword's hilt at the same time. I enter while drawing my weapon and also closing the door with my heel.

I scour the room to find Tsek looking back at me with his green eyes as he sits astride the window, clearly trying to escape unnoticed. I lion's step to him and flick my wrist to place my blade to his throat. There is a fresh cut on his left eyebrow proving he's been in a fight recently.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I coldly question the twerp who I left stranded atop a roof in Meiridin with his feet fused to the tiles by Cetyz' ice.

“Elizabeth.” He says with a nervous smile on his lips. “I'm, uh, looking for you.”

“You ran when you saw me.” I deny, certain he caught sight of me first and chose to bolt out of here.

“To avoid this situation right now.” He replies while throwing a fearful look down at my blade.

“Whatever it is you think you can get out of me, I want no part of it.” I sharply utter, much more aware of the failings of his character now than I was back then.

“...” Tsek's expression falls as he opens his mouth to respond but I cut him off by applying pressure on his jugular with my broadsword.

“You will find death at my hand, not power, so run away little boy and never come back.” I throw my ultimatum and knee his thigh to tip him over.

“WaiAaah!” Tsek cries out.

He loses balance and falls down from the sill into the street. I shut the window with my elbow and push my weapon back in its sheath without glancing back to the kid who sneaked in.

I've some suspicions about his presence considering his relationship with Aisha but he's helped me enough that I can't outright kill him either, a fact that will rapidly change if I catch him again.

He does hold information on my identity that can hurt me but he would be more likely to reveal it if I was lenient than harsh with him. What's done is done, negotiating wouldn't work.

I put him out of my mind and make my way upstairs thinking of contacting the rest of my minions because I'll likely need them once I find Roskal to trap Wraith who is sure to be watching her.

As I approach the apartment we share, I hear loud voices coming through. I enter and cross the hallway to find Teva in the living room, glaring back at Leomi while nervously grasping at her dress.

“Jess, she...” My fiancee starts.

“Don't, please.” I quickly cut her off. “Could you let me handle it?” I request because I can tell my sunshine isn't feeling well.

“I'll go see Yvonne, don't let it slide.” Lance replies with a frown.

“Thanks.” I smile and turn to Teva as Leomi leaves. “You don't have a class to attend?” I ask her.

“I do.” She replies while flicking a strand of her red hair back to stare straight at me. “A friend of mine had a falling out with that spy, she had two thugs beat him up, so I came back here with him.”

“Aisha?” I question, puzzled.

“Yes.” She utters with a dark tone.

“Why?” I ask with a frown. “And who's your friend?” I press as it dawns on me I may have jumped to conclusions.

“He's called Tsek, from Port-Odo.” Teva says offhandedly, causing me to freeze. “All he did was look around the Emperor's Tomb when she dropped on him and accused him of trying to break into the Vault as well as communicating with Suxen in secret, she gave him a day to leave Kruzser.”

“Wait, he works for Suxen?” I intervene before she can go any further.

“No, he said he was merely trying to learn more and hadn't told her anything.” Teva dismisses, showing no interest in the event.

That prick, I knew he had little morality to speak of but, still, working for Suxen of all people? Aisha was very lenient, the mere mention of the Vault could cost someone their lives so the fact he tried to speak to someone inside it should definitely have resulted in his death once caught.

“The point is that the woman was a spy!” Teva erupts, likely because I wasn't paying attention to her. “Her explanation of how you two met was suspicious to begin with and then I caught her trying to beat my friend up!”

“You were there.” I calmly note.

“I... He said we could get answers you wouldn't give me and I... I felt betrayed! I still do!” She exclaims, her early hesitation turning to anger. And fear as well. “I, I had to act, Mirus' situation is perfect to exploit after the Calmwater revolt!”

“Act?” I question.

“Yes, act! You clearly aren't going to come out of the shadow of your precious Lady!” Teva snaps at me. “You surrendered your achievements to her, you fight her enemies, you hide your writings and thus beliefs for fear of embarrassing her!”

“Teva, have you read them?” I quietly ask.

“No, I didn't have time.” She shakes her head.

“Why not?” I press.

“I had to sneak them out first.” She explains.

It takes me a split second to add everything together, Teva gave my writings to Tsek who is now in possession of the explosive material which exposes Nobility's lies about their supposedly superior access while giving moral justifications for violent revolt as well as several methods to successfully rebel and kill titled Nobles.

If spread, then even the calmest demesne will experience turmoil as there are outliers to every society and some only need the faintest motivation to strike, my plan itself relies on it. I glance around the room and find my pouch, which contained the treaties, now mostly empty in a corner.

“Do you have any idea what it is you just did?” I ask her as calmly as I am able. “These texts were written to be a trigger. If widely spread, these treaties can cause an Empire-wide civil war that none can control. I was waiting for the right time and opportunity to spread this to select locations across the Empire.” I explain plainly.

“The time is now! Another of Mirus' six Duchies are being shaken by revolts!” Teva exclaims but with a touch of uncertainty.

“What do you think this will do to me, girl?” I attack with a harsh tone. “I have a responsibility to what I wrote but I am also engaged to defending the southern border from the Lisilese! The Emperor will not let it slide, he cannot without alienating the entirety of Nobility which is a force he cannot face! The Templar Order won't be sending squads of Exemplars, they'll send regiments of heavy cavalry to hunt me down!”

Teva freezes and her cheeks turn pale as she realizes the consequences of what she did. I grab a chair and jerk it away from the table to crumble into it and place my palm over my eyes, feeling tired, feeling as if I've failed.

I tried to juggle too many things at once and lost control. Bad enough that I couldn't catch the traps laid for me in the street but Teva's inner torment completely eluded me.

“You accuse me of hiding my beliefs so that I won't hurt Leomi but the truth is I was preserving myself.” I tell my waning sunshine. “Am I to sacrifice my life in the Empire because the moment appears ripe to act?” I question.

“You should have told me all of this.” My sunshine whispers.

“I told you these texts were dangerous.” I respond with a sad sigh. “But you are correct, I should have went into more details.”

“No, I'm sorry, I didn't realize...” She trails off. “What can I do?”

“Tell me where Tsek is.” I reply, perking up in realization it may not be too late.

“I don't know.” She awkwardly admits.

“Don't you have plans to meet?” I press.

“Yes, a month from now in Calmwater.” Teva replies. “I needed to make arrangements before leaving.”

“Then, no, there isn't anything you can do.” I grunt, surprised by how she planned to leave everything she dreamed of behind after only reading a single exert of mine. “I'll have to deal with the consequences.”

“We discussed a bit and I have some idea of what he plans to do with the texts.” She says. “I, I could try to find and stop him.” She suggests.

“All I ask is that you delay as much as you can. If possible, wait until I reveal myself to be Elizabeth Vil.” I make the request not with trust but abandonment because I can only recognize I've lost control and so lack the confidence to rely on this request. “Then, you can do as you wish.”

“Okay.” Teva whispers with a sad expression.

I let my chin fall on my chest, my failure causing me to feel defeated as never before. She moves before me and kneels down while raising her cute freckled face. She takes hold of my hand within her palms while making a fragile smile.

“Come with me, we could free all of our people together.” She pleads.

“I'm sorry, Teva.” I tell her with a brief shake of my head. “I'll always remember you fondly but what we had isn't here anymore.”

Small tears form at the corners of her hazel eyes and she nods in acknowledgment. Her eyebrows twist with guilt as she rises. It's a relief to have her traits leave my sight when she finally stands because the mere sound of her packing the clothes she brought here causes me heartache, I've felt nothing like this pain at having my trust broken before.