NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2 Kill
Reth followed a pace back of Princess Asthia, his boots tapping in cadence with the staccato clicks of her heels.
"…."
What a nightmare…
How did he get himself into this mess?
Survive seven days.
The system's harsh font burned itself against the back of his eyelids, persisting.
Could she see this? The system panel?
He dared a glance at her. That silver hair dancing like silk.
Clearly she couldn't… that gave him an edge. The kind you kept hidden deep till the very moment just right.
His fingers jerked.
He wasn't sure if the system was his prison or his sole friend.
Asthia froze. She rotated her head slightly. her red eyes which appeared Dangerous but beautifull to behold.
"You're overthinking," she replied. "A guard shouldn't be distracted. Concentrate."
Reth gritted his teeth and nodded. Not because he believed it—but because something within him made him do so.
[Command Acknowledged: +2 EXP]
[Loyalty Sync: 7%]
She kept walking, guiding him through a tall archway. The air shifted—cooler, denser, with the barely discernible taste of ash and metal.
They entered a courtyard. In the middle of it stood a silver-white fountain that cascaded clear blue water. The sky overhead was an impossible blue deepness, like a still sea.
Across the fountain was a broad stone plaza bustling with activity—nobles, servants, and soldiers. All of them had purpose on their sleeves, but all turned to look at Asthia as she moved through.
[Location Unlocked: Obsidian Plaza – Royal District]
[+5 EXP for Obedience]
Reth's eyes strayed in spite of himself. The plaza was not merely big — it seemed to have been constructed so that one would feel diminutive. Thin white stone tiles lay out to the horizon, so slick they picked up the noon sun in sharp glints.
High columns marched along the perimeters, one and all ornamented with curling serpent patterns and topped with gold. Red-and-white pennants hung between them, fluttering softly in the wind. The aroma of fresh water mingled with the subtle odor of polished metal.
Throughout, people moved with subdued efficiency — courtiers in silk embroidery, servants bearing trays, soldiers in armor polished to a sheen whose eyes followed everything. The very air held a sense of order, as if disorder had been forbidden in this place.
"You'll go with me to the trial," Asthia stated calmly. "A noble. Keep close. Be silent. Move only when commanded. Clear?"
"Yes," Reth answered.
[New Command: Escort Princess Asthia to the Trial]
[Objective: Remain Silent. Only Act on Command.]
[Reward: 20 EXP]
[Failure: Punishment Trigger]
They walked across the square. Some nobles hesitated to bow. Others muttered behind sleeves.
Reth maintained two steps behind, scanning with eyes. The system flashed—providing instincts not his own, yet seeming like they always had been.
[Skill Fragment: Threat Perception Lv. 1]
[Hostile Intent: Low]
A man in green robes sneered as they walked by. "So this is her bound servent? Pathetic. A mutt on a leash."
A woman's voice entered. "At least he's handsome. Shame she owns him."
Asthia didn't even blink. Her pace slowed slightly, as if allowing the taunts to linger.
A test?
[Loyalty Sync: 8%]
They arrived before long at the trial grounds—a black stone platform that sat atop a mound and was surrounded by red banners. The crowd was already assembling.
In the middle stood a man in chains. Tall, broad-shouldered, angry. His finest robes were in tatters, but he stood tall.
Reth gazed upon the scene and quietly looked at asthia that shivered down his spine.
What did that guy on the platform do to this woman to upset her?
Asthia climbed up onto the platform with slow elegance, each movement slow and intentional, the crowd's murmuring dissipating as if someone had drawn a curtain over sound.
Reth trailed behind, the shiver in his spine growing.
The man's eyes settled on her at once. Hard, unyielding — the eyes of someone who had made up their mind that death was better than compromise.
"Princess Asthia," he declared, voice ringing out over the open area. "Your walls can't trap ME forever."
A shiver ran through the crowd.
Asthia's face didn't change. "Varen. As loud as ever."
A robed priest emerged, carefully unrolling a scroll. "young lord of House Virex, accused of conspiring with known rebel cells and equipping them with arms, coin, and passage through imperial lands."
Varen's lips twisted into a smile. "Who said i did it? any proof you guys have or just accusations?."
Then suddenly a subtle movement — the faint clanking of loose chains, the tension in Varen's shoulders — set all Reth's instincts aflame.
Steel rang. The manacles snapped.
A concealed knife flashed in the light as he attacked.
The crowd gasped in horror.
Asthia did not flinch.
"kill him"
It was as though a wire had been stretched taut through Reth's backbone. His body leapt forward unconsciously. Steel crashed into flesh. Warm blood arced over the black stone.
Varen fell at her feet.
Silence spread across the trial grounds like a shadow.
[Command Fulfilled: +20 EXP]
[Skill Unlocked: Basic Sword Technique Lv. 1]
[Loyalty Sync: 10%]
[Side Quest Progress: Day 1 Complete]
Asthia gazed at the body, then at Reth.
Her gaze did not soften. But there was something lingering there—approval perhaps. Or curiosity.
----
His breath came in ragged gasps. The metallic tang of blood hung at the back of his throat.
First kill in this frame.
Not quite as he had imagined.
No slow-motion confrontation. No great oration. Just—slash—finished.
His fingers still buzzed from the shock of the comm and, the motion of his muscles without his control. It wasn't adrenaline — it was as if he was a puppet who'd just discovered the strings weren't his.
[Emotional State: Increased Heart Rate]
[System Note: Performance Efficiency – Good]
Good the system thinks I performed well. Perhaps next time it'll provide me with a sticker.
The crowd was silent, but their stares weren't. Some were wide-eyed with shock. Others… calculating. Measuring him the way you'd measure a sword on display — beautiful, deadly, and owned by someone else.
The crowd slowly dispersed.
Later, in her chamber, Asthia lay on a velvet couch sipping wine. The room glowed with soft golden light.
Reth stood near the door, back straight. But inside, his mind spun.
He'd murdered because the system instructed him to. Not because he chose to.
Was this how things worked? Obey. Murder. Gain power?
Asthia interrupted his reverie, speaking.
"You hesitated."
Reth looked at her.
"For a moment," she said. "But you pursued. That's sufficient. For now."
[Command Acknowledged: +5 EXP]
[Loyalty Sync: 11%]
She walked past him, her hand on his shoulder—not harshly, not icy. Just intentional.
"This empire is fire, Reth," she said. "It burns you, or it makes you stronger. Serve well, and you'll be more than just a weapon."
She paused at the window.
"Rest. Tomorrow, we face the Court."
[New Command: Rest and Prepare for Court]
[Reward: 10 EXP]
Reth turned to head out. But his mind ran in circles.
One day gone.
Six remaining.
The door closed quietly behind him.
[EXP: 47 / 100]
[Side Quest: Survive 7 Days – 6 Days Remaining]
Now striding alone through the shadowed halls, the quiet was oppressive without Asthia's rhythmic footsteps at his side.
[No Active Commands]
[Free Action Available]
The silence bore down like weight under water. His hand curled at his side.
He rounded a corner. Two servants in plain clothes carrying rolled linens stopped when they caught sight of him.
Reth slowed. "Hey," he said quietly, voice lower than he intended.
They winced. He lifted his hand, not threatening—just attempting to appear human.
"I'm not here to make trouble. I just…" He looked around, then leaned in closer. "Is there a library in the palace?"
The taller girl blinked. "You're the Princess's… retainer?"
"I suppose that's one way to put it."
The smaller girl nodded, interested. "There's a library. Straight past the fountains. But it's nobles-only. Servants don't enter unless called."
[Location Unlocked: Palace Library]
[Optional Objective: Access the Library Without Drawing Attention]
[Reward: Unknown]
"Thanks," Reth said, already disappearing down the corridor.
They spoke softly behind him as he padded along the path—curved corridors illuminated by sconces and stone fireplaces. Fewer people were seen as he progressed deeper.
Finally, two massive ironwood doors signaled the entrance to the library.
Closed. Guarded.
Two armored men guarded the doorway—silver helms, crimson cloaks.
[Threat Perception: Passive – No Hostile Intent Detected]
[Social Access: Insufficient]
[Stealth Access: Possible]
[Objective: Gain Entry – Undetected or Authorized]
One of the guards arched an eyebrow. "Need something?"
Reth spoke soothingly. "Princess Asthia said I could have some records here."
The guard examined him. The other crossed his arms.
A hesitation.
Then the first nodded. "Okay. Don't take scrolls away. Don't talk to the scribes unless you're spoken to."
The door creaked open.
[Objective Complete: Access Library]
[+10 EXP]
Reth entered.
The smell first—dust, wax, parchment. Dark-wood shelves stretched on and on. Books, scrolls, old bindings. Floating crystal lanterns drifted above.
Robed scholars moved between aisles.
[Location: Royal Archive – Inner Library]
[Available Topics: Empire History, Magic Theory, Flameblood Nobility]
[Time Limit: Until Recalled]
Reth breathed out.
At last. A chance to learn something. Anything.
He stepped into the aisle, fingertips running over spines.
Six days remaining.
He had questions.
Which topic to search for first?
Empire History
Magic Theory
Flameblood Nobility
Something else?