On the same night Rei taught the cooks of the Eternal Sky Inn how to prepare Hamburg steaks, a group of about ten figures gathered in a forest a few days’ walk from the Imperial Capital.
"So, what's the situation over there?"
"Not good. It seems they were prepared for us—quite thoroughly, too. I’m not sure which faction they belong to, but the moment anyone was spotted, they were dealt with instantly."
Ordinarily, the night sky would have bathed the area in moonlight, but the thick canopy of the forest blocked the soft glow, preventing it from reaching the ground.
One of the men talking in the darkness clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Dammit! Who was the one who said Count Schwindel was a bumbling warrior who hated shadow work? They said we could sneak in easily."
A figure in the shadows spat the words with venom, and the others shared his sentiment.
They had been sent to confirm the strength of the Third Prince Faction, specifically the forces surrounding their figurehead, Third Prince Mercurio. That was the mission their superior—the Second Prince—had entrusted to them.
Second Prince Schuls was well aware of the clandestine struggle between his elder and younger brothers. He had dispatched his own men to find a way to outmaneuver the higher-ranked Cabajid, but they had hit an unexpected wall.
"Where on earth did they get those Beast Soldiers?"
Indeed, the Third Prince Faction possessed Beast Soldiers whose five senses were far more acute than those of normal men. Fortunately, this unit had been scouting from a distance and hadn't been targeted yet, but they had watched from afar as the Beast Soldiers captured spies and agents from other factions.
"It makes sense, in a way. Theoreme was the one in direct control of the Beast Soldiers to begin with."
"But weren't they taken away from him after the Spring War?"
"They’re planning a rebellion against the Bestia Empire. It’s only natural for them to use every scrap of military power available."
"...So, what's the plan? If they have Beast Soldiers on patrol, sneaking into their camp is going to be incredibly difficult."
The group fell into a heavy silence. None of them could deny the truth of those words. At this rate, fulfilling their lord’s command would be nearly impossible.
"No matter what we do, ten of us won't be enough to handle this. Perhaps we should request reinforcements?"
Just as one of the men lurking in the forest spoke, a voice that did not belong to their group rang out from the surrounding trees.
"That's a good idea. Assuming you can actually make it out of here, that is."
The men leaped away instantly, scattering to hide in the shadows of the trees as they scanned for the intruder. Their reactions were sharp—exactly what one would expect from those who operated in the dark.
"Heh, quick judgment. And even though you were spying on us, everyone seems to be unharmed... I take it you're working for Big Brother Cabajid?"
The phrase Big Brother Cabajid immediately revealed the identity of the speaker.
Her Highness Vihera!?
The spies were stunned, but they remained silent, a testament to their professional training.
Pyuui, pyuui, pyuui!
The leader of the group signaled with a finger whistle. By varying the pitch and length, he issued a simple command: Withdraw immediately and rendezvous at the Second Gathering Point.
Despite the order, only a few were actually able to move.
Noticing that the return signals were few and far between, the leader clicked his tongue. He attempted to slip away through the trees, intent on making a clean escape, when—
"Oh, where are you going? We’ve finally met on such a lovely night; shouldn't you stay and enjoy it a bit longer?"
"...Her Highness Vihera? Why are you here...?"
The leader couldn't help but mutter as the woman stepped out from the shadows. True to the reports he had received, she was lightly equipped and wore no armor. Even in the slivers of moonlight filtering through the branches, he could see her revealing outfit.
To a casual observer, she looked like a dancer or a prostitute, but the leader did not make the mistake of underestimating her. In less than a minute, she had already neutralized half of his allies—though he didn't know if they were dead or merely unconscious.
"Why am I here? A lady has a duty to chase down any peeping Toms trying to sneak a look at her, doesn't she?"
"...I honestly have to question the 'lady' part, considering your choice of attire."
"Oh? You think so? My beloved seems to enjoy this look... probably."
"As a man, I’ll offer you some advice: Lady Vihera, your outfit is certainly... stimulating. However, overdoing it isn't always best. Besides, a bit more modesty might be appropriate for the Second Princess of the Bestia Empire."
They continued to trade barbs, both watching for an opening. The man was looking for a chance to flee, while Vihera was looking for a chance to knock him senseless.
The advantage lay overwhelmingly with Vihera. She had rapidly mastered a new skill she called Magic Impact Palm, which allowed her to pass magic power through an opponent's body to generate an internal shockwave. With it, she could bypass defense entirely, rendering even full plate mail useless.
Her current opponent was wearing black-dyed leather armor designed for stealth. She wouldn't even need the Magic Impact Palm to hurt him; a normal punch would suffice. Her enchanted gauntlets and greaves would tear through his meager protection like paper.
"Why don't you surrender quietly? If you tell me what Big Brother is up to, I won't have to get rough."
The man was fortunate in one regard: Vihera was convinced he worked for Cabajid and hadn't considered that he might belong to Second Prince Schuls.
But that advantage won't last long, the man thought.
He glanced toward the dark forest, where several of his subordinates lay defeated. Information would leak sooner or later, and their identity as the Second Prince's Direct Intelligence Unit was bound to come to light.
Taking my own life before they capture and interrogate me... I wonder how many of the men will have the resolve to do it. At least some of us escaped. As long as someone informs His Highness Schuls of what happened here and who attacked us...
As the man weighed his options, Vihera gave him a glamorous, enchanting smile. Even though she was his enemy, her beauty was so alluring that he was momentarily captivated.
Then, she said something he hadn't expected at all.
"Just so you know, there’s no point hoping for the ones who ran out of the forest first. Count Schwindel's men have already secured the perimeter."
The man’s fascination vanished instantly. He clicked his tongue inwardly. Count Schwindel’s troops weren't known for their coordination—in fact, they almost never fought as a unit. But that meant they excelled at individual combat. A chaotic skirmish in the dark was exactly the kind of situation where they thrived.
"As expected of Her Highness Vihera..."
"Is that so? Anyone could have done this much."
Vihera spoke as if it were a trifle, but the man wanted to scream. It took years of time and vast amounts of gold to train operatives like them. To have them captured so easily was an utter disgrace—one he would have to answer for to Schuls.
He swallowed his pride. He had to survive this and report back, no matter what.
Fortunately, Her Highness Vihera is the only one here who is truly a monster. If I can just lose her, I should be able to make it out.
He had already given up on winning. He was focused entirely on escape. The fact that he could accurately gauge the gap between their abilities proved he was, indeed, a veteran.
"Now then... if you aren't going to surrender, I'm coming for you."
Vihera braced her feet. In the next heartbeat, she kicked off the ground and closed the distance in an instant. The man, who had been waiting for her move, leaped backward while drawing and throwing a knife from his chest.
The blade sliced through the air, but Vihera didn't even flinch. She flowed magic power into her gauntlets, manifesting sharp claws that swatted the projectile aside with ease.
"What!?"
It was a technique he took great pride in; he hadn't expected her to parry it so casually. That split-second of shock was all the opening Vihera needed.
By the time he realized she had closed in, Vihera was already standing before him. She reached out, her palm hovering just over his solar plexus.
"Hmph!"
With a sharp exhale, she released her Magic Impact Palm. A surge of magical energy rippled through his body.
"I... failed..."
The man realized the danger, but he couldn't finish the thought. He lost consciousness and collapsed into a heap.
Vihera watched him for several seconds, refusing to let her guard down. She eventually approached and gave him a light kick with the toe of her boot. Confirming he was truly out, she finally sighed in relief.
"That seems to be that. I know night is the proper stage for this kind of work, but it really is terrible for the skin. I hope I’m not a mess when I finally see Rei again. What do you think?"
She turned her gaze toward the trees.
"I believe Lady Vihera is plenty charming as she is. Honestly, I still don't see why you’re so obsessed with this Rei... Crimson, was it? That boy."
Despite the apparent silence, a voice answered from the trees. An elderly man in his fifties stepped out into the moonlight. His body was a wall of muscle, standing well over two meters tall. He carried a pair of battle axes, each one a size larger than normal.
The raw power required to dual-wield such weapons was certainly not typical of a man his age. The blood dripping from the blades made it clear he wasn't just carrying them for show.
"It’s Rei we’re talking about. I'm sure he’ll show his face once the war with Big Brother Cabajid truly begins. He lost in the Fighting Tournament finals, after all. He'll come to the battlefield seeking more power. When you finally meet him, Count Schwindel... you’ll understand why I’m so attracted to him."
Vihera spoke with total conviction. Count Schwindel’s stern face shifted into an expression of doubt.
"How can Lady Vihera be so certain?"
His tone was informal, hardly the way a vassal would speak to a princess. But Count Schwindel was a Man of Valor, and this was simply his nature. He had acted this way even back when he served her as part of the Second Princess Faction.
Under normal circumstances, such a lack of etiquette would be considered lese-majesty. However, between his immense strength, his list of military achievements, and the fact that Vihera genuinely liked the man, he had never been punished for it.
"Call it a woman's intuition. Though, I really wish I could be by his side right now."
Information had reached them after they fled the Imperial Capital. When Vihera heard that Noise the Immovable had won the tournament, her eyes had widened in shock.
To anyone else, it was the obvious result—a fight between a Rank S and a Rank B. But Vihera had believed Rei would win. Because her prediction had been wrong, the warrior in her was dying to know how the fight had played out, while the woman in her wanted to comfort Rei in his defeat.
But her current position made that impossible. She had to believe that Rei would turn this loss into fuel for his growth. For now, she remained in Count Schwindel's Territory.
"Regardless, let’s take these unconscious fools back. We need to gather intel, and quickly."
Vihera glanced at the blood-stained axes and sighed.
"I did ask you to capture them alive if you could."
"Gahahahaha! Don't ask the impossible of me, Lady Vihera."
With that, the Count summoned his men to collect the prisoners, and the group began the trek back to their base of operations.