The World Is Mine For The Taking

Before the confrontation against Elise

Shredica's POV

When I woke up, the first thing that greeted me was a dull, heavy pain running down my back. It wasn't just a simple ache and it felt like my whole body had been pressed against stones all night.

It's been a while since my mornings started like this, with that same stiffness crawling through my muscles, the same kind of discomfort gnawing at me as soon as my eyes opened.

It's already been a year since I came to this place, but no matter how much time passed, it still felt new and was almost foreign.

Like the first day I stumbled into this world with me being confused, disoriented, and carrying that strange sense that everything around me was familiar, yet not at all. Even now, despite all this time, it still felt like I was stepping into it for the very first time. That eerie feeling hadn't left me.

"Shredica?"

A voice came from beyond the curtain. Not a door, just that thin cloth separating me from the outside world.

"I'm awake," I replied, my voice still groggy.

"Good," the voice answered, steady and calm. "Come. Veronica wants to tell you something."

With that, I pushed myself up, every movement making the soreness in my body complain, and stepped out of the bed. The morning air slipped through the cracks of the tent as I moved the curtain aside.

Waiting there was Laurel. She stood firm, posture sharp and eyes clear. She was someone who always stuck close to the commander of the magic knights, practically her shadow.

As I stepped outside, the camp came into view with rows of magic knights scattered across the field, training with weapons clashing, magic sparks bursting against shields, their shouts and commands echoing through the cold morning air. Dust and sweat hung thick as a reminder of their relentless drills.

At the far end of the grounds stood another tent which was larger and guarded by knights posted firmly at its entrance. That was the tent reserved for the vice commander herself.

And inside… was her.

Veronica Éclair.

The vice commander of the magic knights, and a woman whose strength was said to be unmatched. She was someone capable of breaking anything in her way, shattering obstacles with ease. That overwhelming presence was exactly why I had grown to respect her.

But there was something else about her.... it was something familiar and something that tugged faintly at the back of my memory. For some reason, she reminded me of Leon. It wasn't the way she looked, but the feeling she carried. The same kind of mystery that seemed to wrap around them both. That unshakable aura you couldn't pin down, but couldn't ignore either.

"It seems you slept well, Shredica," Veronica said the moment I entered. Her voice was calm, yet sharp and it was colder than usual, though that was just her natural tone. She didn't sound angry, and her face didn't show irritation. This was simply how she always was. "You still have saliva on your cheek, and your hair's sticking to it."

I blinked, touching the side of my face. Right… I was dragged out of bed without even fixing myself.

"Why did you call me?" I asked.

"I'm giving you a mission," she said, her gaze unwavering. "The leader of the Arachnid Sisters is expected to return here soon. I want you to bring her to me."

The Arachnid Sisters.

Even the name carried weight. A group of deadly assassins... women who thrived in shadows, who could vanish from sight and slip through the cracks of any defense. They were infamous for both thievery and assassinations, taking on the dirtiest, most dangerous jobs.

And their leader… her reputation painted her as someone who could kill anyone she set her eyes on.

"I should warn you," Veronica continued, her tone like ice. "Catching her won't be easy. She's one of the Nine Fangs."

The Nine Fangs.

They were women who stood at the top of deadly organizations, each one commanding fear and respect with each one dangerous in their own right. To face someone like that was no simple task.

"What do you want me to do with her?" I asked slowly. "Bring you her head?"

"You must bring her alive," Veronica replied, without hesitation. "She may know the key to what we've been searching for."

I looked at her carefully.

She sat with her hands entwined, her face holding that same aloof, distant look. Yet behind that expression was something much heavier and it was something that carried the weight of absolute necessity.

Whatever she was after, it was important. Crucial, even. And that meant there was no room for failure. I had to bring that woman back alive.

"Here," Veronica said suddenly, holding out a box.

I tilted my head, puzzled. Slowly, I stepped forward and took it from her hands.

"Open it," she ordered.

I lifted the lid, and what greeted me inside made my chest tighten.

A blade.

But not just any blade.

It was dark, ominous, and the kind of weapon that seemed to radiate malice. Its surface shimmered faintly under the light, but instead of shining, it almost seemed to absorb it. Just looking at it was enough to tell me that it was dangerous.

"You can use that," Veronica said, watching my reaction. "It's a cursed sword. I keep it for the rare times I might face someone I can't take down. Not that it's ever happened. I've never needed it. But for you… you can use it on this mission."

My eyes lingered on the dagger.

"That isn't something just anyone can hold," Laurel warned from the side, her voice steady but sharp. "It drains mana endlessly, until the wielder is nothing but a husk. My advice is that you use it with caution."

I reached out and wrapped my fingers around the hilt.

The moment I touched it, I braced myself for the pull and for that draining sensation Lilia warned about… but it never came.

Instead, the weapon sat quietly in my hand.

"…Hm? Interesting." Veronica's lips curved into the faintest smile. "It seems the blade accepts you. That's good. It won't dry you out."

"It really is surprising," Laurel added, her brows furrowing slightly. "For her to hold it without reaction… it's almost as if the sword found its rightful owner."

I held the dagger for a while, feeling its weight, before carefully setting it back inside the box. Then I looked up, meeting Veronica's eyes.

"When am I supposed to do it?" I asked.

"Oh?" Her tone shifted slightly, as though she was amused. "So eager already?"

Her gaze sharpened.

"Two days from now. According to a little bird of mine, that's when she'll be back from wherever she went. That's when you strike."