After finishing our business in the slayers guild, we spent the night at the inn we were staying in. When the sun raised above the horizon, we decided to stake out the work shop where things would go down. The work shop was attached to the side of what I'd assume was the protagonist's childhood home. The building looks suspiciously well off. The house/work shop is spacious and made of quality materials. While their plywood and furniture is pretty popular, I doubt its popular enough to afford such a place and a birthday party with decorations. I imagine there were some behind the scenes deals to provide the offspring of the queen financial support that they're still getting. I wonder from who's pocket? Someone involved with the process was likely the one to leak the information to the organization. That aside, its like 8am and there's already others casing the joint. 

Judging by the smell, the family is currently preparing breakfast. We still have an hour or two before we have to intercept. While we could just off the organization members right now, we should wait. Just stopping the assassination won't permanently keep them save. The organization can just send more and we can't stay to keep fending them off. To ensure that Sky's family is safe, we will need to convince them to come into hiding with us. If we just jump in with some severed heads and claim that there's an organization after them, the family will just see us as a bunch of psychopaths. Thus we'll wait until the danger makes itself known, then stop them. That way the family will be much more cooperative. Thus we waited.

------

After about roughly an hour and 45 minutes, the men rushed in. Not all of them went in but rather some sat hidden and kept watch. I sent Mi'ara to deal with those as she was acting as our radar. With that Livia and me ran into the work shop.

Inside was quite a sight. Instead of a couple cowering at sword point, I found a couple cowering behind a very tan child my age, who was kicking ass while being buffed with ungodly amounts of body reinforcement. Despite the child, who I'm presuming is Sky, knowing some badass martial arts and support magic, she is still a child and outnumbered by professional killers. It took us a minute to take in the situation, but Livia and I joined the fray and took out two assailants each. Livia with her homing bow, and me with some lightning magic. Sky seeing the four others either zapped or with an arrow in their forehead, pulls the last guy into a choke hold knocking him out. 

Welp, I wasn't expecting this. How the hell did Sky know those sweet moves? Is she a reincarnated person too? If she is, she must've been a mma fighter or something. If that's the case the convincing will be much easier.

"Wait is that . . . BERNADETTE MOTHERFUCKING AUTUMBURN? What are you doing here of all places? And if that's the case what are you doing attacking those guys? Aren't they working with you? Also what was that spell? There was no lightningmagic in the game. How are you even able to do that?"

Well that pretty much confirms it. Sky, or rather the person who became Sky has reincarnated too. The parents seemed to have regained their wits. The mother looks at me with wide eyes, while the father speaks up,

"Sky do you perhaps know that girl?"

The mother quickly scolds her husband after kneeling with, "Honey, please show your proper respect. That young miss is the sole heir of the Autumburn house."

"The one that went missing?" The father says as his face pales.

While this is all going on, the other reincarnator looks at me with a suspicious and expectant gaze. I should probably respond to her questions. Right as I'm about to I hear,

"Ah Ha! So this is where you ran off to, beast. It seems my line of questioning was right."

I know who that voice belongs to, but why the hell are they here? As I turn around, Cornelius continues,

"I know not what manner of foul creature you are, nor how you found out about the organization, but what I DO know is that you're not Bernadette. What have you done with the real Bernadette, abomination?"

I get how he could've figured out I'm not Bernadette, considering my overall demeanor shift and sudden hostility, but what's this beast business? Also why the hell did know I'd be here? Behind me, the other reincarnated person asks what I've been wondering,

"CORNELIUS!? Why are you here? SHIT! I'm not ready for this yet!"

"It's strange that you know of me child. Actually a child wasn't in the report. Are you perhaps one of the monster's kindred? I suppose it doesn't matter either way. Everybody here is dying by my hand today so I'll oblige your question."

He's serious this time. I should try to stall until Mi'ara gets here. Looking over at Livia, she seems incredibly tense and confused. She returns an apprehensive gaze. I haven't told her about how this body was once somebody else's, so she'd obviously be confused with me being called Bernadette and the whole noble business. 

"You see girl, that monster in front of you is taking the shape of one Bernadette Autumburn, a marquis daughter. The real Bernadette Autumburn is currently missing, and is believed to be kidnapped by some unknown assailant. I now believe the perpetrator is that very T H I N G  in front of you. I happen to know that it's not human as it just so happened to summon a poisonous powder via magical means. As for why I'm here personally, I work for a certain organization. That T H I N G  seems to not only have an extensive knowledge of my organization's plans, but also a strong determination to see said plans to ruin. Thus, I decided to check on the status of our next operation in case something like this has happened."

Wow. This bastard is acting on pretty much just assumptions, but somehow managed to be mostly correct. I can't help but laugh a little,

"HAHAHAhaha! Well, you're not completely wrong, but I don't know why you're acting like you had a massive revelation. I told you I wasn't Bernadette from the start, didn't I? Congrats, Sherlock, You listened to what I told you before. Although this whole monster thing is completely out of left field. While I'm not Bernadette, I'm certainly no monster. I was able to summon arsenic with earth magic. Because, you know, It's an element like how iron is an element, dumbass."

"You know, I don't think the Sherlock reference would be a good burn in this world. Sherlock Holmes hasn't been written in this world, at least to the best of my knowledge, so nobody would get that you're being sarcastic and calling him a shitty detective. Although I suppose even the term detective would be considered confusing as there aren't many private detectives. Inquisitor would be a better term."

"GOD DAMN IT, YOU'RE RIGHT BUT I'M KINDA PISSED RIGHT NOW SO LET ME HAVE THIS MOMENT PLEASE. On a side note you, me, and maybe our companions are gonna have a nice long chat after this, so can you please get out of the area? OI LIVIA, stop spacing out and escort the family out. I'll deal with Cornelius here"

And so my rematch with Cornelius began.