Hey there, it's me, sneaking under the moonlight. Sneaking all over the place. Sneaking above houses, sneaking above stalls. Sneaking below sewers, sneaking next to walls. Before I knew it, I was on top of a castle… how do I get down? Actually, how did I get up here? I'll just chalk it up to my assassin skills. Eh? Assassin skills? Oh, you, silly you. Come on, voices in my head, you should know all about my past and what the Maid School taught me, and I don't feel like being a teacher like back in the Chaos Storm.

There's a balcony nearby, so I think I'll jump there, sneak through whatever room it's connected to, and make my way to the princess' room. The only problem is that I don't have an umbrella. Why do I need an umbrella? Style points, obviously. If I can make shadow weapons, why don't I make a shadow umbrella? Shadow Umbrella, create! 

So what's the plan? I throw the umbrella at the balcony so hard it sticks there, and then I use the umbrella's shadow to pop out. I'll modify the umbrella as insurance by putting a blade at its tip! Umbrella blade! Wait, can a thing made out of darkness even create a shadow? No idea. I'm throwing it! 

…

I accidentally destroyed a bit of the balcony, and a guard has come out to investigate. Well, that flopped. Guess I'll just do the boring thing and walk onto the balcony. I tapped my foot, creating a path made out of darkness from my location to the half-destroyed balcony. While walking down, the guard noticed me, and then a shadow maid rose from his shadow, striking him right in the neck, knocking him out. I learnt that from Mel. As soon as I got onto the balcony, I high-fived my shadow clone. "Good job!"

At that moment, three more guards came out and surrounded me, holding their spears toward me. There sure are a lot of guards. Then again, it's a castle. I should have expected guards. "Well, well, well. One of your collaborators, I presume." I looked to see who said that, when I found an old guy wearing a crown. Hmm… I think it's the king.

"I have no idea who that maid is."

"Let me ask her then. Maid, do you know who this man is?" He pointed at some random important-looking person, currently held down by two guards, each holding an arm. Hmm…

"Is he my assassination target?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Why are you saying what?"

"I thought that's what we're doing. Who is he anyway?"

"So it appears she is not a collaborator. Unfortunate. Dispose of her, guards." The king faced the man who was being restricted. "More blood because of your insistence. All I want to know is where my daughter was taken."

"I really don't know!"

"Bullshit, General Ratin. You know everything."

While they had this dramatic thing, I knocked out the guards. It was pretty easy. The shadow clone took out one, I neck chopped another, and a bit of the balcony coincidentally fell down when the third tried approaching me. Looking down… he safely landed in the tree. Good on him. 

"Hey king, I'm still alive. I can wait for you to send more guards, but can I go to Princess Carte's room first?"

The king turned his head to me. "Why do you want to go to her room?" He suddenly approached me and tried to grab me. "You! You're related after all, aren't you?! Give me back my daughter!"

I dodged his grab attempt. "Sure, just give me a second." I lightly tapped the ground, creating a square shadow.

"What are you doing?"

"I have no idea. This is my first time trying this out. I hope it works." The square shrunk, then turned into a circle. "Within my Shadowrealm lies many people! I summon one to rise from my shadow, back into the physical world! I summon you, Carte Grande, Princess of the Sacre Pla Nation!" 

Slowly, the princess rose from my shadows. She stood still, her eyes closed, and in one of her hands was a single deck of cards. As soon as her whole body was revealed, the deck of cards flew out, creating three rings of cards around Carte before she took the last card of the deck, turned it around to reveal it was a Joker card and covered one eye with it. "Princess Carte Grande, the First Prince-" The king immediately hugged her before she could finish. 

While that's happening, I'll walk over to the guy being held down. "So… you got a Sacred Power?"

"Uh… yes?"

"Coolio." I squatted down to eye level with him and looked into his eyes.

"That's a neat Sacred Power." I stood up, leaving the man bewildered, and walked to the hugging father and daughter. "So… do I wait for you, or can I go to your room right now?"

"Dear daughter, who is this maid?"

"Someone important. Can you get the servants to prepare the guest mansion? We have visitors.'

"I see you've gotten that determined look in your eyes once more. I assume you will not be locking yourself in your room again?"

"I will be out for now. Father… it's related to the secret I never tell you."

"The one shared with the sorceress, huh. Understood. Did she somehow find the Seer?"

"The maid is directly connected to the Seer."

The king looked at me with an impressed look. "So she's not a simple maid. I would've employed such an exceptionable talent if it were not for her connection to the Seer."

"Weren't you going to kill me a few minutes ago?"

"The past is the past. Now, my daughter, you have things to do. I can see it in your eyes. Finish your duty, then return to the castle safely. Your brothers, myself, and especially that little girl Eliza, were worried sick about you."

"I will finish the duty. I will be able to tell you soon, father."

"Good to know. Guards, let General Ratin go so you can escort Carte and the maid to the guest mansion."

"Affirmative, sir!"

"Affirmative, sir!"

"Aye aye, patriarch!"

"Why is the maid also answering?"

"She is a quirky one. Now, Madeleine, let us make haste to the mansion."

"I hope this one doesn't burn down."

Character profile: Ratin Krieg

Sacred power: Council of War

Favourite council member: Neith

Description: The Grand General of the Sacre Pla Nation's army. Ratin is coveted for his unequalled strategy in war, both prepared and improvised. Enemy nations have noted that fighting him, whenever they manage to overturn his advances, it feels like he can create a countermeasure within days, sometimes on the day itself, making him a difficult opponent to defeat. His status as a Sacred Power holder is unknown, as he has done all he could to keep it under wraps, with only members of the Royal Family, his fellow Grand Generals from the Navy and the Air Force, and his Second-In-Command knowing of it. The council he summons is made up of War Gods from the world of the Creator.

Chapter namesake: The rock band Royal Blood.