Sasha shook her head and rubbed her temples, trying to push away the strange words that were echoing in her mind.
"Why am I even believing in a six-year-old girl's words? Kids say the most random things," she muttered to herself, feeling a little silly for taking Selene so seriously.
She looked down at the tiny girl standing in front of her, who was still acting calm like nothing had happened. Sasha sighed and pointed her finger at her.
"Whatever the case, little girl, you can't just go out alone like that. You're lucky I was out for a stroll nearby," she said firmly, trying to sound like a responsible adult.
Selene blinked once and crossed her arms. "But I could've defeated him though. He was too weak," she said in a tired tone, like she was bored of explaining something obvious.
Sasha stared at her blankly for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Kids these days are so delusional."
But before she could walk away, Selene spoke again, her tone completely serious. "I'm not a kid. Mother said I'm old enough to kill."
Sasha's jaw dropped. "What kind of psychopath is your mother?" she blurted out without thinking.
She quickly caught herself, took a deep breath, and glanced around. A few people nearby were starting to notice the unconscious beggar lying on the ground. Sasha decided it was better to leave before the situation drew too much attention.
"Let's go. I'll send you back home," she said, gently grabbing Selene's delicate wrist. "Don't worry, I'm not suspicious or anything. I'm a student at the Awakened Academy. You've heard of it, right?"
Selene didn't say anything but allowed herself to be led. They walked quietly side by side down the narrow street. The silence between them grew heavier with each step, and Sasha started to feel awkward. She tried to think of something to say — anything to break the silence.
But before she could open her mouth, Selene stopped walking. The little girl turned her head up toward Sasha, her silver eyes calm and clear. "I can go the rest of the way by myself," she said softly.
"You sure?" Sasha asked, raising an eyebrow.
Selene gave a quick nod, then suddenly began to run down the path. She waved her hand cheerfully without looking back. "Yes! Also, Mother said not to tell anyone our address!"
"You little—!" Sasha's lips twitched. For a second, she felt the strong urge to flick Selene on the head, but she just sighed instead. "What a weird girl…" she muttered, turning around to continue her stroll.
———
At the same time, in Ethan's dorm room, the atmosphere was heavy. Everyone sat close together on the edge of the bed — Cassandra, Ethan, Violet, Emma, Sylvania, and Belta.
The table in front of them was scattered with papers and photographs. Cassandra placed another photo on the pile, her vibrant blue eyes cold and unreadable. It was one of the new pictures sent by Esdeath — showing hidden facilities and illegal operations secretly run under Lortell's control.
"Esdeath sent the last bit of evidence," Cassandra said in her calm, steady tone. "I've already spoken with the king. Everything is arranged perfectly. Now it all depends on how things go from here."
Her words made everyone fall silent for a moment.
"I just hope all the training we've done till now pays off," Violet said nervously.
Even though she was confident in ethan and cassandra's judgement but it was still huge pressure for a teenage girl like violet, Same went for Sylvania, Emma and belta too.
"I still can't believe what Esdeath wants," Emma said, fingers twisting in her lap. Her voice trembled with worry. "What if she already told Lortell about our group? Are you sure these photos are real and not some trick?"
She remembered how Esdeath had saved her once, and that made her doubt. Even fierce people could sometimes do good things, she thought.
Cassandra shook her head, her expression serious. "Yes, it is genuine. Although I don't know what she wants, it is likely that she wants to overthrow the throne and become the queen. She is using Maruti as a way of diminishing superstition about black color!"
"And we can't forget she killed people," Cassandra added without softening the words. leaving no room for argument.
She had already shared with them how Esdeath killed Luna, her roommate, and also killed Eldon Karanthis, blaming his death on a kid.
Taking a deep breath, Cassandra continued, "Let me make it clear, I have tried to make the plan as simple as possible. I have requested the king to give us a not-so-difficult task in our practical exams, and we all will be in the first phase, meaning we'll get our mission done quickly!"
"But when it's Esdeath's turn, she'll be sent towards the borders to check the situation of the battle between M.A.L.I.C.E.'s army and the dwarf Kingdom's army. Although this task will sound decent and not too difficult, as one just has to make a record of who is winning and how many troops and resources have been wasted, just casual details that'll take two days at most," Cassandra explained.
"But in reality, it'll be an assassination attempt!" Cassandra said solemnly.
Emma's eyes widened in shock. "Assassination attempt? Are we going to kill her?"
Cassandra didn't sugarcoat anything. "Our first priority will be defeating and capturing her, but it's most likely that she'll fight to the death! Since missions should be completed individually, Maruti won't be with her, which will reduce the chances of her escaping, and there won't be any civilian casualties either."
Cassandra looked at everyone, her voice firm. "We can't find any other better opportunity than this. If someone is still feeling fear, you can back out now!"
No one raised their hand, although nervousness flashed across their faces.
At that moment, Belta asked, "But why all of us? We have grown way stronger than before. Even three of us can do the work!"
Cassandra shook her head. "Don't underestimate Esdeath. Also, our priority is to capture her, so we all go, including Ethan. Not only that, but the First Squadron Commander Caesar and a small army will also go. We can't afford a failure!"
Sylvania gulped, realizing the situation was even more serious than she had imagined.
Ethan then asked the crucial question, "What about your sister Lortell? Who's going to stop her?"
Everyone's eyes immediately locked onto Cassandra, as this was a genuine concern.
"That is where the other part of the plan comes in," Cassandra explained. "While we'll be attempting the assassination on Esdeath, the king will conduct a council meeting of all rulers of the kingdoms and expose Lortell's illegal whereabouts and works."
"Up until now, he couldn't do anything since, in a way, he needed Lortell too. But now it is not a problem. With every kingdom having at least one S rank, and especially the Kingdom of Awakeneds with two S ranks, Lortell can't do a thing and has to accept her defeat," Cassandra said, her voice filled with confidence.
Everyone sighed in relief.
"So Lortell's part was actually easier than capturing Esdeath!" Violet said softly, confident in the strength of several S ranks. Even if Lortell might put up a fight against two S ranks, against almost six S ranks, she definitely would be no match.
Cassandra closed her eyes as she continued, "If only everything goes accordingly, I play a crucial role in it. Once we capture Esdeath, I need to immediately go back and present all the evidence in the council meeting and also expose this fake Prophet Maruti as well."
"And most importantly, if we have to kill Esdeath, we will have to make sure that word doesn't go to my sister, or else I'm afraid she'll go berserk, causing a disaster!" Cassandra added, her voice heavy with the weight of their mission.
From the outside, Cassandra's plan looked rushed — full of holes that anyone could notice.
What if Lortell chose to run instead of letting herself be imprisoned? What if she fought back with everything she had? And Esdeath — what if she sensed something strange and disappeared before they could reach her? What if she hid somewhere or escaped the border early?
But when looked at closely, the plan actually had a high chance of success. Cassandra had thought things through more deeply than it first seemed.
Once the king ordered Lortell's arrest, no ordinary guard could truly hold her down. Everyone knew that. But Cassandra counted on Lortell's arrogance — her habit of treating every problem as something small. Lortell would likely think she could handle it all easily. She would let herself be handcuffed, maybe even smile at the guards, thinking she'd fix everything with words.
Only when she arrived at the council meeting would she realize the truth — that she was surrounded by several S-rank powerhouses, and every path to escape had been closed. By then, it would already be too late.
The same would happen for Esdeath. She would never imagine that her own classmates would ambush her. It was a cruel trick, but the perfect trap.
Cassandra stretched out her hand into the center of the group. "May the goddess bless us," she said softly. For the first time, there was a faint emotion in her calm voice.
Ethan, Violet, Sylvania, Emma, and Belta placed their hands on top of hers.
"May the goddess bless us," they repeated together.
--------
Far away, in the Kingdom of Awakeneds.
Penetrator had finally arrived at the place where he was supposed to meet Queen Maddie Madone. With him was Ananta, a senior officer of the Awakened Police Department (APD).
He had imagined a huge royal palace, full of shining pillars and banners, something grand enough to match a queen's dignity. But when he looked up, he was standing in front of a strange tall building made almost entirely of glass and mirrors. It sparkled under the sunlight, reflecting everything like water.
"What kind of house is this? So weird…" Penetrator muttered under his breath, scratching his head in confusion.
Ananta smiled, brushing a lock of her hair aside. "My lady doesn't like to live in luxury," she said casually. "We do have a royal palace, but she prefers this place. The palace is more like a free hotel for nobles and council members instead."
Her tone was cheerful, almost chatty — she had a habit of explaining even when nobody asked.
"Come along, the elevator's here," she said, pointing toward a pair of sliding silver doors.
"Elevator?" Penetrator repeated, frowning. He had never heard the word before. Still, he followed her.
The doors closed automatically, and the small box began to move upward. For a moment, Penetrator's instincts kicked in — his hand went straight to his sword. But when he noticed that Ananta didn't move an inch, completely relaxed, he stopped.
After a few seconds, the elevator came to a halt with a soft chime. The doors opened again, and Ananta smiled as if nothing had happened. "We're here," she said lightly.
They stepped out onto the fourteenth floor. There was a single shiny door ahead of them, polished like glass. Ananta knocked three times out of habit, even though the door was already unlocked.
There was no answer.
She sighed, then pushed the door open just a little and peeked inside. As soon as she did, her face fell into an expression of mild annoyance — almost as if she had expected what she saw.
Inside the apartment, chaos was happening again.
"Uhhh! Scarlet, you overcooked the omelet again!" a young woman with creamy white skin and reddish-brown hair groaned. Her eyes were the same warm color, and her baby-like face puffed in frustration as she held up a half-burned omelet with a spoon.
In front of Maddie, a mature woman stood wearing a white apron, looking as if she had just come out of the kitchen. Her soft yellow hair was tied up into a neat bun, and her purple eyes shimmered with tears that she was trying hard to hold back. She looked like she was in her early thirties, graceful yet gentle.
"I'm sorry… I'll deeply reflect on it," Scarlet said in a small, shaky voice while sniffing, looking truly guilty.
"Hey, hey, Scarlet, why are you crying?" Maddie said with a warm smile, trying to cheer her up. "It's just an overcooked omelet, not a disaster! Look—see? I'm eating it!"
She picked up a piece with her fork and popped it into her mouth with exaggerated enthusiasm, even though it was half-burned.
Scarlet blinked, her lips trembling, and quietly muttered, "It's still bad…"
Just then, Maddie noticed movement at the door. "Oh! Ananta, you're here already? Is he with you?" she asked cheerfully.
Scarlet immediately wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and straightened up, her expression turning serious in an instant.
Ananta nodded and turned back to the tall man behind her, gesturing for him to come in. "Please, come in, sir."
Penetrator stepped forward. Since he was taller than the doorframe, he had to bend slightly to enter. His heavy boots made a deep sound on the floor, and he scanned the room with quiet curiosity.
Ananta began her usual cheerful introductions, "This is Maddie Madone—our queen, ruler of the Kingdom of Awakeneds, and one of our two S-rank awakeneds!"
Then she turned toward the blonde woman standing behind Maddie. "And this is Victoria von Scarlet—the second S-rank of the kingdom. She's also Her Majesty's secretary, caretaker, and bodyguard. In short, she's… everything to my lady! Her family!"
Scarlet's cheeks flushed a little. "Okay, okay, no need to praise me that much," she said, coughing awkwardly and brushing her hair behind her ear.
Ananta chuckled softly but didn't add anything more.
Maddie, still smiling, walked to the sofa and sat down comfortably, while Scarlet stood behind her with perfect posture, now looking more like a knight than a cook. "Please, have a seat," Maddie said kindly.
Penetrator nodded and sat down quietly across from her, his calm green eyes meeting hers.
"I heard from Ananta that you wanted to meet me," Maddie said gently, her tone polite but curious. "She mentioned you're on an important mission."
Penetrator nodded once, choosing his words carefully. "Yes. I'm… trying to regain my memories. I don't remember much about my past. If there's any way you can help me, I'd be grateful."
"Your memories?" Maddie tilted her head slightly, thinking. "We do have a knowledge-path inheritance, but that mostly grants knowledge about magic and essence stones. However…" she paused with a smile, "you can stay here for a few days and visit our royal library. It's huge—maybe something you read will help you remember."
Her tone was kind and genuine. She clearly meant it—she wanted to help him however she could.
"Alright," Penetrator said simply. "I'll stay here for a few days then."
"Good," Maddie said happily. "I'll have Ananta prepare an identification card for you so you can move freely. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
Penetrator shook his head at first, but then something came to his mind. His expression changed slightly. "Actually… yes. Do you know about Esdeath and Maruti?"
Maddie nodded. "You mean the rumored prophet and her companion? Yes, I've heard of them. They're quite popular, though I've never met them personally."
Penetrator's tone turned slower and heavier. "When I was leaving for this kingdom… Esdeath asked me to deliver a message to you, if I ever met you."
"For me?" Maddie blinked in surprise. "That's strange. I don't even know her personally."
Penetrator rubbed his knight helmet, trying to recall the exact words. "I wrote down the key part in my mind so I wouldn't forget…The words goes—"
Then, in a calm but deep voice, he said,
"Do you want to go to hell with me, Mr. Matthew Madone?"
The room fell silent instantly.
Scarlet's eyes widened in shock, and even Ananta froze where she stood. The name Matthew Madone echoed in Maddie's ears like a thunderclap. Her cheerful smile faded.