One year later...

The prophetic nightmare turned out to be accurate, with the Marchioness getting attacked just outside the country's border. She also came back with a strange disease, with crawling black spots all over her body.

The news hadn't yet broken out to the public. But, if Adrianne remembered clearly, it would take only five or six days to leak out, despite the efforts of the mansion staff to hide the fact.

"Adrianne, are you..." Her father gasped when he saw Adrianne walking out with knight armor.

The so-called knight armor is a semi-magical advanced mechanical suit. It possesses strength and resilence beyond superhumanly skilled knights themselves. The secret of its power is the loop circuitry in the back section of the knight armor: a device which absorbs and multiplies the inner strength of the wearer. In other words, a knight's armor is worthless without a trained person inside.

This particular knight armor was actually something owned and worn by the Marchioness. In the bad future scenario where she got cured too late and had to retire from battlefield duty, Adrianne inherited it and used it as her own.

"I'll make sure, this time around, I'm just borrowing you, so please help me, Royal Blade!"

"I'm going to bring someone who can save Mother." Adrianne was worried, but she made sure to stay focused and did not panic. "Everything went as expected. Father doesn't have to worry."

Then she closed the face visor.

"Don't go without an escort!"

"[Soldier frames are going to hold me back and we can't afford to expose this incident to the Royal Knights. Mother's reputation is at stake.]" Adrianne's voice boomed from the voice enhancer. "[Father, please take care of everything. I won't be long.]"

"At least bring your Mother's protege along, then!"

"[...Right.]"

Dame Sola Linker was a young, recently graduated knight. However, she was raised under the direct supervision of the Marchioness. With how much favor she had racked up, her loyalty to the Marchioness was unquestionable. It didn't take too long for the husband to find his wife's prized pupil and convince her to come along.

"[Is... is that true that you know the way to save Lady Marianne?!]" Dame Sola asked from inside her own armor.

"[I know someone who can save her,]" Adrianne answered. "[However, she lives in the neighboring barony, so it would help to be cautious.]"

"[Right. I'll protect you, and I won't fail again.]"

Even though her face was hidden, Adriane could feel Sola's grief from her voice alone.

"[We're departing, Father.]"

"Be careful!"

The two knight armors started running. Their protective waxed cloaks fluttered with the rush of wind. These cloaks served both as obscuration of identity and weather protection, especially from mud and rain.

They only opened their hoods when they reached the border checkpoint separating the March of Lustre and Barony of Kingston.

"[Milady!]" The guarding armored soldiers were a little startled but immediately gave way. On the other side of the checkpoint, the Baron's soldiers also did the same.

"[Just in case you're mistaken, I'm Adrianne.]" Adrianne told them as she opened her face visor. "I came here to find a herbalist who lives in Sir Pieter's territory, so be at ease."

"[Is that so? Then you may pass.]" The Baron's border guards welcomed them warmly. "[Please be careful on your way, Lady Adrianne.]"

No one was suspicious about the border crossing because Adrianne came with only one escort and without heavy armaments anywhere in sight.

Nevertheless, the guard captain would note this and report to the Baron himself later. It would be prudent to do so. Because, no matter the reason, nobles visiting another's territory is a noteworthy occasion.

"[I suggest not involving Sir Pieter in this. That man is too crafty for his own good,]" Sola remarked quietly. "[And let's not forget his lecherous son. His fame transcends several counties, I reckon.]"

"[I completely agree. That's why we're departing as quickly as possible.]" Adrianne nodded. "[Knight armor may be conspicuous, but we can't go faster than wearing this.]"

No one would dare to mess with two armored knights unless they started making problems for themselves. It was almost guaranteed that Baron Pieter would start probing into their business in the coming days... but by that point, they would be more or less done.

"No, please, let us go!"

"[You'd make a good prize, hah! Too bad, we don't trade slaves.]"

"[Hurry! Before a patrol can spot us!]"

A couple of armored brigands had ambushed a caravan group, ransacking them of high-value cargo. Aside from that, there were also a few soldier armors scattered around. They were heavily damaged and it was likely that the people inside them were dead.

"[It's an ambush,]" Sola remarked with contempt. "[These brigands are experienced soldiers. Perhaps deserters or former mercenaries.]"

Even with numerical superiority, it would have been difficult for the bandits to get overwhelming victory in a short timeframe. They must be skilled warriors, Adrianne thought to herself.

"[I don't like this,]" Adrianne furiously muttered. "[But what should I do, Dame Sola?]"

She had to save her mother as quickly as possible...

And there's another part of her, a part that made her felt uncomfortable: she was itching for a bloody fight. The bloodlust rising from the depths of her heart was like a stoked fire in a furnace.

She was desperately holding her excitement back, trying to judge things rationally. And failing.

"[Milady...?]"

Sola had heard the Marchioness complaining about it before, of how the constant nightmares and visions began to haunt Adrianne. It had begun to ruin her ability to make swift decisions.

If this continued, how could Adrianne survive the kingdom's politics in the future?

Not-too-distant sounds of detonation startled them. It sounded like a thunderclap from nearby lightning strikes, despite it being clear daylight. One of the brigands got knocked on the head and fell to the ground after a high-velocity impact.

"A cannonball?!"

"[Che! It's still too unstable,]" a voice rumbled as someone came out of the woods beside the road. "[But it still works way better than expected!]"

The one that came out was wearing a knight armor of a different model than their own. It carried a rifle at least six feet long, with two inches bore on its barrel, spewing a thin amount of gray smoke.

"A gun?!"

The brigand that got knocked quickly regained his footing only to get shot once again.

"[Dare to mess in my father's territory – are you all tired of living?]" the gunner Knight asked as he cocked the side lever on the flank of his gun, throwing out a cylindrical cartridge made of paper.

Shotgun shell? Wait, why would I know that? Adrianne wondered. Was it something from the Maid's memories?

Nevermind.

Adrianne decided that, since she got involved anyway, she would help however she could. So, she charged in the direction of the bandits, taking the initiative in their shock and confusion.

"WHAT?!"

Adrianne opened with a merciless knee strike to one of the brigand's armor. A sickening clang could be heard along with a faint creaking. However, she didn't stop there, as she pulled out a rondel dagger and stabbed the back of the brigand twice.

Even though she hit the gaps in the armor, it wasn't going to be a fatal strike, but it didn't need to be one either. The scream from the brigand caught in this way was as good distraction as any. And she had directly attacked the loop unit, which would significantly reduce the armor's performance.

She threw the crippled brigand to his companion and then kicked another aside. It happened in the span of a few seconds, so fast that they barely had enough time to blink.

"[As expected, she can use the full capabilities of Royal Blade!]" Sola muttered in admiration. But, it didn't last long as she decided to join the melee.

The Marchioness's Royal Blade was a unique custom work with the finest internal parts. It was commissioned by the Queen for Marchioness Marianne due to her contribution to the previous war.

A big axe swung toward Adrianne and she dodged inches away before countering with her dagger again. Her waxed cloak was shredded to reveal the armor inside. In exchange, she managed to stab through the gap in the brigand's inner elbow.

"[AHH!!]"

"[Could it be... that armor is... the Lioness of Lustre?!]"

The Royal Blade was highly elaborate, with ornate gold parts engraved on some of its armor. At first glance, it resembled that of a scaled dragon due to the engraving patterns. Its armor was a flashy white, which didn't come from paintwork but the insanely high carbon content in its steel hull.

"[DIE!]" One of the brigands retaliated with a short lance, which managed to stuck Adrianne on the chest. However, it only managed to cause a small ding due to the low strength and shallow angle of the attack.

The Royal Blade's armor was hardened and tempered to such a masterful degree that it had twice the durability of ordinary, low-carbon forged steel.

She disarmed him quickly and took the short lance for herself. She stabbed the brigand in the chest and caved in his armor slightly. Even with heavy padding, that would leave at least a broken bone.

Against a properly used short lance, the cheap iron plating of soldier grade armor simply couldn't survive.

"[What the...?!]"

"[Monster, she's a monster!]"

Adrianne didn't clarify her own identity, as her mother's nickname was a potent psychological weapon on its own. As long as they were convinced that the Marchioness was inside the armor, the bandits would be in a constant state of terror and worry.

"[Morons! Why would a Marchioness walk with just a single escort in broad daylight?! It's an impostor!]" The brigand commander clashed with Sola. "[Attack together at once!]"

"[This old bastard is a skilled one!]" Sola growled. Despite her vastly superior Starfall Crusader armor, the brigand commander managed to stall her even while she was going all out.

The bandit's leader was monstrously difficult opponent, probably a veteran: an experienced soldier with a decade or two of active service. Someone like him wasn't an easy match for a newly graduated knight, even though her equipment was of a much greater quality.

"And he's wearing a refurbished Knight armor!" Sola clenched her teeth as the brigand commander slammed into her shoulder with a spiked mace. Thankfully, she had moved her body slightly to reduce the impact. "I can't spare anything to help Lady Adrianne!"

Regardless of equipment, someone young and inexperienced like Adrianne simply could not deal with multiple skilled enemies at once. Realising that she was losing this engagement, Adrianne began to retreat. She got hit multiple times, including one direct hit to her leg from a polearm. She could feel numbness spreading and rolled over in pain.

"[Curse me!]"

Of course, the brigands themselves were surprised when the third knight armor attacked them from the side, with a rondel dagger mounted under the barrel of his gun.

Bayonet?!

He smacked down the same brigand with the gun's stock, dinged the helmet after three strikes to the same spot. The gunstock itself was visibly chipped but otherwise intact.

"[You bastards keep ignoring me, huh?]"

The knight frame he was wearing was called Indigo, a strongly simplified version of Southern Bluebird. Though the overall silhouette was the same, Indigo had a less glamorous appearance, lesser quality parts, and gray low carbon steel armor. Indigo was a choice model for a lesser noble's squires, among a few others.

Adrianne saw an opening and joined him in fighting the now distracted group again. While together, they could easily wipe the floor with her, but she could easily crush them individually.

It didn't take long for the two of them to rout the entire brigand groups. Some ran away to escape, while a few fell down with crippling injuries or damaged armor.

"[Let's help Dame Sola,]" Adrianne told her gun-wielding savior.

"[Right.]" The Indigo knight nodded.

"[Useless trash!]" The brigand commander panicked and decided to run away. Maybe if he could get to the woods, he could–

Another gunshot rang out, which hit his head and destabilized his footing. He didn't even suffer a minor concussion, but tripped and fell on the grass.

Sola subdued him with ease afterwards.

"[Blah, the power's still not good enough,]" the gunner Knight spat. "[I need to double the muzzle velocity.]"

"[That's a strange gun you have,]" Sola commented as she forcibly ejected the brigand commander from his refurbished knight armor and then tied up the angry middle-aged man. "[It's small yet shockingly powerful.]"

"[It's not firing iron balls,]" the gunner Knight responded. "[It's firing lead encased in iron.]"

Lead is 1.67 times as dense as iron. At equal velocity, lead rounds would strike with 1.67 times the kinetic force. Of course, some of that energy would bleed off because lead is softer and would flatten or shatter when hitting a hard target, such as an armor plate.

Adrianne didn't know much about guns and metallurgy. Some of the knowledge came to her in lessons. And some of it came from her dream, as well. But, logically, an iron-encased lead cannonball would be a great compromise option between the rigid-but-lighter iron and heavier-but-softer lead balls.

"[So the rumor is true, that the son of Baron Pieter has become reclusive despite the fact that he used to be a renowned stud?]" Sola chuckled. "[You're doing this for the sake of weapon research?]"

"[Have we met before?]" The man asked.

Sola opened her helmet visor, revealing her face to him.

He returned the sentiment in kind, revealing a sharp-jawed boy in his late teens. His face was very handsome. No wonder he had such a reputation.

"Long time no see, Dame Sola." He bashfully nodded. "Of course I remember."

"I'm glad I'm worthy enough to remember." Sola laughed awkwardly. "Let bygones be bygones. Our meeting today is a coincidence and nothing more."

"These bandits have been terrorizing this barony for quite a while. We owe you a favor," he said politely. "If you need any help..."

"We're on an important trip and we shouldn't impose on each other too much," Adrianne opened her visor and told him. "I would prefer it if you don't make a big deal out of it."

"You are..."

"Adrianne Valiant Lyster, daughter of Marchioness Marianne Lyster."

"Reinhard Kingston, son of Baron Pieter Kingston," he politely introduced himself. "At your service, Lady Adrianne."

It was almost guaranteed that the news of this battle would reach the ears of Baron Pieter. Adrianne hoped she could get out of his territory before he could take action.

Not because he was particularly heinous and untrustworthy, but he was a talented political craftsman. Baron Pieter was quite influential despite being part of the lower nobility. He would see her presence here as an opportunity.

It would be problematic to reject him outright while dealing with him would be bothersome.

Even so... Adrianne wondered if she could even afford to completely disassociate herself from him. Reinhard was a somewhat peculiar person...

Maybe he's also...

"Dame Sola, could I take a few moments to speak with Sir Reinhard in private?" Adrianne asked.

"As you wish, Milady." Sola nodded.

Adrianne and Reinhard took some distance away as Sola secured the other prisoners while treating their injuries. Somewhat crudely, but at least enough to prevent them from dying.

"This might sound a little weird, but... does the phrase 'Modern Earth' ring a bell or two?"

The stunned face of Reinhard said it all. Like Adrianne, Reinhard must have had some sort of vision or have been a reincarnation of a person from another world called 'Modern Earth'.

"What you're using is some kind of shotgun with preloaded shell. It's several centuries more advanced than guns in this world. Not to mention, mounting a Rondel dagger as a bayonet..."

"Correct," Reinhard affirmed. "The first complete cartridge was invented in 1808 shortly after the invention of cap-based primer, the early paper shells introduced in the 1860s. Compared to that, the gun technology of this world corresponds to the year 1500 of the Earth calendar. They're still using a slow match for priming..."

Adrianne was honestly at a loss as to what he was talking about, but those were definitely the ramblings of someone not from this world.

"Lady Adrianne, perhaps you're also a reincarnation of someone from Earth?"

"I might be, though my memories are unclear." Adrianne smiled slightly. Finding someone who shared a similar fate made her a bit relieved. "It seems as if you have a stronger connection to your old self, Sir Reinhard."

"That might be the case." Reinhard rubbed his armored chin. "Perhaps we can talk about this more..."

"Thank you for the courtesy, Sir Reinhard." Adrianne closed her visor again. "[I hope you don't mind us going separately today. However, you are welcome to visit me in my family mansion in Lustre.]"

"If that's the case, then let me not get in your way." He nodded and closed his visor as well. "[If I don't come to visit in the upcoming months, let's meet again in the Knights Academy.]"

"[I'll hold onto your words.]" Adrianne turned to leave. "[Let's go, Dame Sola.]"

"[Yes, Milady.]"

They continued on their way as quickly as possible, heading for a small village in a mountainous region not too far from the border.

"[Are you curious about him, Milady? His object of interest might change, but people don't change their nature easily.]"

Well, not usually. Adrianne's change in personality was notable enough that it had been a concern for everyone in the Mansion.

"[You're mistaken. I'm just interested in Sir Reinhard's unique weapon and its origin. What about you, Dame Sola? You seemed to be on good terms with him.]"

"[...I'd prefer not to talk about it, Milady.]"

Ah, so she fell to his seduction too! No wonder she could recognize his voice... Adrianne knew this short and odd meeting would be pivotal if she was going to change her grim future.

After managing to find the pharmacy and herb garden, they immediately jumped out of their armor and hurriedly entered the building.

"Welcome to Robin's Pharmacy!"

"Is Madam Ruby here?"

"Yes?" A middle-aged woman came in. Despite her age showing, her beauty still shone.

It was especially true with her green eyes, which matched her red hair perfectly. "Forgive me for looking a bit unkempt. I've just finished making a few medicinal blends and making a mess."

She wore a medical apron and was wearing clean gloves, with a few spots from a herbal splatter.

"My name is Adrianne Valiant of the House of Lyster." Despite being highborn, Adrianne was courteous and gave a head nod. "I came here to ask for your help."

"Lady Adrianne, from the neighboring March?" The woman expressed a mild surprise. "Pardon me for asking, but why are you looking for this humble pharmacist?"

"I need a songstress, and you're the only one I can find..." Adrianne told her frankly. "I need you to save my mother."

Ruby's mild surprise turned into complete shock and disbelief.

"You know... but how?"

"It doesn't really matter." Adrianne dropped on her knees, desperately begging. "The future of the House of Lyster is in your hands."

It was incredibly unbecoming for a Marchioness's daughter to kneel in front of an ordinary person like her...

That was when Ruby was shaken out of her daze and immediately approached the kneeling Lady.

"Please, forgive me for my disrespect." Ruby lifted her up. "...And tell me the details, Lady Adrianne."

"I'm not sure if it's some kind of disease or a curse. Our Doctor was unable to diagnose her properly but... I believe you're the only one who can cure her."

"...Alright. Let us depart post haste."

Ruby didn't take much time to change her clothes and give a token semblance of respect to them by putting on her best-looking dress, something she would not do when doing her job as a doctor and a pharmacist facing everyday patients and customers.

She didn't know how Adrianne knew, but... she didn't feel any ill intent from her.

Renting the fastest horse and cart they could find, the three immediately departed toward the direction of Lustre once again. The two knight armors protected it from each flank.

After they had ditched their cloaks, the two elite Knight armors could be identified as soon as they appeared. The border guards stepped away hastily and saluted in welcome.

"[Between our entrance and our actions, we're attracting too much attention.]"

"[That's fine!]" Adrianne responded. "[As soon as Mother recovers and shows up again in public, things will calm down.]"

"[Your confidence in Madam Ruby really is boundless,]" Sola commented.

"[...It's scary to rely on dreams to get what you want to know, sometimes,]" Adrianne grimly muttered. "[Imagine betting your entire future on recurring nightmares.]"

Forget getting better... Adrianne's state of mind had been getting worse. Because she had lucid dream at least once every week, it had made a mess of her resting schedule.

Without some makeup, faint dark rings could be seen around her eyes.

She had no choice but to believe that the content of those invading memories was reliable. Adrianne just wished she could find a way to sort things out.

That's why her meeting with Reinhard felt like seeing a small light in complete darkness. She hoped that he could help her fill in the holes and sort out the inconsistencies in her memory.

"I owe an apology to the second Prince, too."

"They're back!"

"Don't get in the way!"

The maids and manservants assembled at the entrance of the Mansion gate. With concern on their face, they bowed at the arrival of their young Lady.

Ruby looked around, feeling a little bit nostalgic. It had been over a decade since she left her old life in the castle, after all.

Of course, back then, she wasn't really one to receive such a reception: she was one of the people who would welcome the arrival of the nobles.

"Follow us, Madam." Adrianne didn't spare her much courtesy this time around. "Did you bring what I told you to bring?"

"Yes."

A crate worth of medicine, in fact.

"Thank you, and I'm truly sorry for imposing such an important task on you."

And Adrianne just remembered something really, really important: perhaps, one of the most important facts that she learned from her dreams, the fact surrounding Madam Ruby.

"Madam, if I may ask you a question," Adrianne asked the woman with a stiff, scared expression. "Do you happen to have a daughter named Garnet? She managed to win a scholarship in the Knights Academy enrollment, correct?"

"That's correct. Had Garnet become so famous that you have heard about her?" Ruby looked weirded out.

"I just heard of it in passing. What a coincidence," Adrianne lied.

Ah, it all makes sense now... This story... no, this world was not in any way centered around her. The daughter of Madam Ruby was the centerpiece of everything.

And, as a matter of fact, Adrianne's dark future began with her hostile confrontation with Garnet. This is the story of Garnet Pucheria the Heroine, and Adrianne Lyster the Vilainess.

Her destined enemy.