I opened my eyes once more, seeing only darkness around and ground below me. I feel cold lying there. I stood up, feeling weak, dizzy, and exhausted as if I haven’t eaten or drink for days. I assess my surroundings, finding nothing other than open space and rocky walls.

“How?! You’re actually living again? so the boss was right after all…”

“Who-?!”

   I turned towards the voice and I see a hooded figure leaning their back against a wall with their arms crossed on their chest while they play with their dagger, I can’t quite make their face because of the darkness in the pit, I could only see her red eyes peering at me.

“Who… are you..?” I asked, still wary.

“Easy there, cutie. I’m not your enemy.” The figure answered, revealing the voice of a woman who sounds rather familiar but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

    A woman’s voice..? and she knows my name? could it be…

   The hooded figure then approach me and stop right in front of me, I felt no threat or danger coming from her, but I’m still on my guard.

“I’m sad that you forgot about me… how mean.” She said in a disappointed tone.

   She reveals herself to me, and she’s Kira, the guild’s receptionist who teased me to no end back at the guild, wearing a dark-tinted cloak and casual clothes.

“It’s me! Your favorite guild receptionist, Kira!” She said with a cheerful expression, holding a flashy pose.

“K- Kira?!”

   I was really confused as to why the guild receptionist is here, down in the seemingly bottomless and dark pit in a dungeon, greeting me after I undergo through… that… raising my suspicion.

“You must be wondering why a cute receptionist like me is in this dark and long pit inside a dungeon, right?”

“…” I didn’t answer, taking a step back with cold sweats running.

“It’s because…” She closed in on my face in a quick motion and whispers to my ear.

“You’ve been betrayed by Liam, my assassination target.” She whispers, changing her tone from cheerful to dreadfully serious.

   Startled, I backed off and hit a rock wall behind me.

“You… you know about that..?”

“Of course I know, I’ve been watching you from the very start.”

   Watching..? what…

“What do you mean by that..?”

“I’ve been observing you since you came into the town. Boss’ order.”

   Boss..?

“And of course, I’m not actually a guild receptionist. I’ve been undercover for around 2 months, gathering Liam’s information.”

   She’s not a guild receptionist..? she appears to be serious… but…

“And as for you…”

   Kira came closer to me and puts both of her hands on my cheeks, further creeping me out.

“My boss has taken quite a fancy to you, he won’t tell me why, saying that you need to be retrieved and told me that you’ll surely come back to life after your death… so I waited and waited, looking at your… corpse. I thought the boss had gone crazy, but color me surprised, you came back to life a week after that fall.” Kira said with her face so close to me, staring me right in my eyes with her shining ruby-colored eyes in awe.

   She said I came back to life after a week..? I’ve been dead for that long..?

“Everyone in the town had already concluded that you’re dead. Liam framed your death to the ogres, saying that you got eaten by them.”

   He… he framed my death..? that… bastard…

“Oh, how he cried crocodile tears, saying that you’re his best friend and all! Everyone believed him and don’t bother to investigate further.”

   You’re kidding me… after all that he’s done to me… he got away with it..?

   Rage started to boil inside of me again, clenching my fists and about to rush after Liam, but quickly put away by Kira, placing her forehead to mine.

“It’s okay… I’ve been there too.” Kira said in a comforting tone as she closes her eyes and still so close to me.

   Why… it’s no different from earth…

“It’s… unfair…” I said, shaking, trying to hold back my tears.

“Don’t worry, he’ll pay for it.”

   She continues to comfort me until I calm down completely. Thinking back, I realized that this world is no different from earth, there are still wicked people willing to betray for their own amusement and gain… it’s sickening… I’ve had enough with all of that. My already deep resentment towards them snapped something inside of me, thinking of nothing but wanting to take my revenge, tired of all the injustice that goes unpunished.

“Kira.”

   She let go of my face and stood back, listening to me.

“Tell me where Liam is. I have some unfinished business with him.”

“*giggle* Will do, but first…” She said with a glad look and smirk on her face, she reached to her pouch and gave me a fresh apple.

“Eat. By the looks and… smell… of you, you probably haven’t eaten and bath in a while.”

“Thank you…’

   I took the apple and began sniffing my arm, and she told the truth, I smell really horrible. My body smells like a mix of sweat, blood, and pus. Is it perhaps because of the revival process? It does take a week to take effect, which also explains my overwhelming desire to eat and drink.

“Come, I found an underground lake deep in this dungeon a while back.” Kira said with a smile, then leads me to a tunnel in the pit which I didn’t see because of the pitch-black darkness. I ate the apple she gave me along the way, and unsurprisingly that’s not enough to sate my appetite, but it’s better than starvation.

   I have a lot of questions I want to ask her… and Liam… that bastard…

“You can ask me any question you want, don’t be shy.” Kira said nonchalantly as if she read my mind.

“..! How did you…”

“You joker! A lady’s intuition is strong, I can feel you staring at me loaded with questions.” Kira said in a joking manner and giggles.

“Okay… who exactly are you..?”

   Kira took a brief pause, then she showed me an emblem from her hip pouch.

“Ever seen this insignia before?” Kira asked as she showed me an emblem. The emblem was more like a symbol and I can’t decipher the actual meaning of it apart from the wings.

“I can’t say I have.”

“Exactly. I am a part of an Assassin group. The Black Cowl. An elusive one at that. Very few people know of our existence.”

“An Assassin group…”

   Does that mean she murder people..? wha-

“But we don’t just kill people with a contract, even innocent ones. We kill those who truly. Deserves. It.” Kira said with a chilling tone, hatred filling her voice.

   We arrived at the underground lake, the water is clear and looks drinkable, so I immediately drank from it and fill my thirst. I took a look at my reflection on the water’s surface, and I realized that my clothes and cloak is torn and dirty, even my skin is dirty, but no visible scar or wounds from the torture I went through.

“Wow, you’re really thirsty, huh?”

“Yeah… thank goodness there’s an undergrou-“

   I was cut mid-sentence as I saw Kira stripping behind me, I almost saw her exposed body as I quickly set my sights away from her.

“Wh- what are you doing?!”

“What? I want to take a bath too. It was a long day at the reception, so I feel sticky all over. Are you embarassed~?” She said in a teasing manner, I feel her presence right behind me.

“Come on…”

“*giggle* I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” She said, “It’s fun teasing you.” She then proceeds to walk away and went into the lake.

   I took off my clothes and went into the lake, distancing myself far away from Kira and facing away from her and proceed to wash myself thoroughly. I began recalling the torture I went through as I wash my body. The echoes of their laugh ring my head, their brutalizing they did to my ankles, the sheer evil of their actions.

“Kira… who is Liam anyways… why would he do that..?”

“Liam Garlandt… nephew of Lionel’s elite knight, Albert of the Garlandt house.” She said in a serious tone, “That bastard who took everything away from us Zopals…”

   Albert..? I’ve heard of him from Clara. He’s maniacal… he ruined the elves’ lives.

“Liam was searching all around town for a lady he fancies, he is here only so that he can have his hands on an adventurer named Isabella. He’s been here for a while. Studying her, observing her life patterns. He is disgusting like his uncle… if not, the same. All members of the Garlandt family are twisted and absolute monsters.”  She said in a disgusted tone.

“…”

   So that bastard Albert is connected to Liam… why didn’t Kira tell me about this..!

“Why didn’t you warn me about him sooner… I went through that experience again, that… torture..! why..? WHY!”

“I… I was trying to not blow my cover… there are ears around the town, I’m sorry…”

“I thought I’ll never experience that kind of pain anymore! I thought I’ll never have to deal with those kinds of people ever again… but it’s the same… it’s still the fucking same!” I vent my anger towards her, releasing my bottled up emotions since the fall.

   Kira stayed silent, I looked at her and she looked down with a face of regret and shame, unable to bring herself to face me. I get off the lake and wore my clothes again.

“I’m going.”

“Dian…”

“I’ll kill that traitor. I’ll make sure he and his lackeys get what they’ve done to me. I’ll make him scream and beg. I’ll show him true despair.”

   Kira got off the lake and wore her clothes. She then approached me and stare at me with certainty.

“Then… let me assist you. Killing him is my mission in the first place.”

 

 

   Meanwhile, on Mika’s end.

   It’s been 6 days since I’ve been searching for Dian, thanks to the magician that joined me, we’re able to teleport to a town and search for him. The townspeople always greet us in excitement, especially me, It feels so weird receiving that kind of popularity. So far there is no sign of him in the towns that we’ve visited, we’ve asked the Inns, the town guard, everyone, basically spend the whole day asking for his whereabouts. But there’s still hope.

   In the past few days, we’re staying in the Inns. They always gave us the best room they have. It feels undeserving for me to use the fanciest room they have for free, but I can’t really refuse their kindness. So far we’ve visited 6 towns in the Kardia region; Yhona, Kona, Kremore, Zakron, Ariophia, and Fora. The only ones left are Icragos, Lissen, Puiwood, and the kingdom of Ragalia in this region. We’re planning to go to Lissen tomorrow, the folks here said that Lissen is very peaceful and beautiful, so I’m hoping he’ll be there.

   Knock Knock

“Come in.”

   The door opens and Alric came into the room. He’s a young and talented magician that King Rowan held in high praise, capable of mass teleportation magic which is a rare type of magic nowadays according to him, only a handful of magicians can cast it. He can only cast it once-per-day since mass teleportation costs an abundance amount of Mana.

“Miss hero, my mana has been replenished once more. I’m ready to do the teleportation again.” Alric said honorably as he bows his head to me with respect.

“Please, just call me by my name already..! drop the honorary.”

   He’s very polite since the first time he’s introduced to me, too polite… his seriousness is kinda like Klein, but he wears a white robe and a little bit short… shorter than me even. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s younger than me. It feels weird to be called by my status, I just wish these folks called me by name.

“And also, save the teleportation for tomorrow, Alric.”

“But, miss-… Mika, it’ll be faster and more efficient if I were to do the teleportation now.” Alric said with a worried look on his face. “Wouldn't it-“

“Shh! We’ll do it tomorrow!” I said as I put my index finger on his lips. “Just rest for tonight, okay? I know you’re still fatigued and you’re trying hard to help, but you should take care of yourself first, okay?” I said with a smile on my face.

   Alric blushed a little and jolts back, lowering his head.

“I- I understand, Mika… if that’s what you desire…”

“I’m glad you understand, Alric.”

    He’s really reliable, but I wish he look after himself first sometimes.

“By the way, where are those 3?”

“Klein and Agatha are in their rooms, but Marilynn is out.”

   Ugh… Marilynn…

“Let me guess, Marilynn is out ‘finding hot guys’, right?”

“Y- yes…”

   She’s pretty problematic, even though she’s a healer and wearing a priestess dress, her behavior is pretty questionable sometimes…

“Well, I guess it’s fine if she’s able to come back in time…”

“Then, I shall take my rest, Mika…” Alric said as he bows and leaves my room.

   I should hit the sack too… it has been a tiring week in search of him. Tomorrow is the day for sure! My gut feeling told me so. He’ll be there, waiting for me.

 

¹

   Since the poll only allows 1, I have a few questions I want to ask if you don't mind.

1. I'm thinking of changing my writing style (Bold text after a dialogue, minimal MC's thought - Italic, etc.) is this chapter's text simplicity more pleasing to look than the previous ones? If so, I'll revise all of them.
2. I'm also thinking of changing the layout of the World Map, the regions are far too close to each other and I've been thinking that it's a mistake. More separate and maritime regions would be nice, right? let me know what you think.
3. Does the name 'Black Cowl' sounds lame? I've been thinking of a name of an Assassin group for a while.
4. Are you guys keeping up with the story so far? Does everything make sense? Any anomalies within a certain exposition? Let me know.

   Thank you for reading, I hope my story entertained you.