I think I must have screamed pretty loudly because the doors next to the mirror went flying open a second after. Into the room came a woman dressed in black and white. A uniform. A frilly uniform.

“Ah… a maid.” I realized aloud.

The woman gave me an odd look.

She was tall and slender with dark skin and pale white hair that was done up in a bun. Her eyes were a deep scarlet red. They seemed to burn with something I couldn’t quite place. What was it…?

“Sir, are you alright?” She asked.

Before I could respond, another figure stepped into the room. It was a man clad in black armor. At his waist hung two twin swords, and tucked under his arm was a horned helmet. The man was a head shorter than the woman. His hair was a rusty copper collar, and his cheeks were flecked with freckles. His eyes which were a deep cerulean blue searched my face.

“Wrath, we heard a scream,” the man said.

Wrath. The face of the knight I currently wore. Right.

My head spun at the very thought of it. A curse? A blessing? Maybe even some afterlife dream? What could I even categorize this turn of events as?

“... I screamed,” I provided.

The man exchanged a look with the woman. “Why…?”

“My reflection…” I replied honestly, gesturing to the mirror.

The man and the woman exchanged looks again before the man cleared his throat: “Well, yes, it seems as if you are in need of a bit of washing up, Wrath. You’ve just returned from battle not so long ago, after all.”

Ah, he must be referring to the dried blood that was still caked into the ridges of my face. The very thought of it made my stomach turn. In fact, I felt green. I was just about to show them whatever meal the Blood Knight had eaten hours earlier via an upchuck when a realization settled in.

“Battle…?” I tried.

“Yes… battle.”

I thought on it. The silence that stretched on in my thinking apparently made the man uncomfortable because he cleared his throat and clarified a second after: “The battle on the border near Clive Town. With Yin?”

“Were you there?” I returned.

“Yes, I—”

I quickly closed the distance between us and grabbed the man’s shoulder. I stared deeply into his bright blue eyes and shook him lightly once. “Did you see me? Did you see a paladin there? What about a healer? Did I kill a healer? Maybe I strangled them to death? Or did I spare them? Did you see?”

“You…” The man raised a brow. He was stiff in my hold. “You killed a lot of people, Wrath.”

I released him from my grasp and took a step back. “So ‘I’ did…”

The man cleared his throat again. “Are you feeling alright, sir?”

I glanced up at him in surprise which caused him to tense for some reason. “Yes, I’m fine. Just out of sorts from the battle.” A truth.

“I see.” The man frowned. He paused and folded his hands behind his back. “Unfortunately, despite your condition, the guild master has summoned you to give your report on your mission.”

“Guild master?” I blinked. “What guild?”

The man opened his mouth and then closed it. It took a moment for him to recollect himself, and he explained, “The {Abyssal Slaughterhouse} guild, sir. The one that we’re both a part of. The one that hires bounty hunters and assassins? Sir, are you sure you’re alright?”

“{Abyssal Slaughterhouse}.” I raised my brows. “Isn’t that a bit much?”

The man blinked before a sheepish smile cracked across his face. “Well, yes, I think so too actually, but…” He shook his head. “But anyway, if everything is in order, I will leave you to change.”

Before I could say much else, he slipped out the door. It seemed as if he wanted to leave my presence as quickly as possible. I can’t blame him. Who would want to have a light conversation with someone who was caked in dried blood? No one who was sane. Besides, it wasn’t a great fashion statement. Unless things were different in this country of Yang.

I stared at my hands at the thought. I couldn’t tell whether it was dirt or blood folded into the lines of my palm. I paused —was it possible that this was my blood? Oros’s blood? The blood of my countrymen? My head swam at the thought, and my stomach lurched again.

“Sir, I’ve already cleaned and provided your wear for you on your bed.” The maid spoke suddenly, snapping me out from my thoughts.

I blinked at her in surprise and then glanced over at the bed I’d been laying on. Splayed out clearly on the royal red sheets was a set of heavy armor and a thin sword. The sword’s blade was red and jagged. Whether it was red from blood or from design, I did not know. How I’d not noticed that these things were splayed out on the bed before, I didn’t know either. Then again, one time back at the academy, my friends had rearranged my bedroom furniture as a part of a long-running joke that I was not privy to. I never noticed. Well, that was a lie. I had noticed, but I simply assumed that they were redecorating. Briefly, I wondered if I would be able to see any of them again with my body like this.

Shaking the depressing thought away, I crossed the room swiftly to examine the items on the bed and hesitantly picked up the sword. I had only picked up a sword once before in this life, and it had been Oros’s blessed blade. His sword had been heavy, and I had barely been able to lift it over my shoulders. This red sword, however, was oddly light.

[Blade of Unending Bloodlust, Hope Shatterer]

Well, that was dark.

“Wait,” I called out to the maid behind me. I dropped the sword in favor of picking up a shoulder pad. This was heavy.

The maid was halfway through the door; and when I called out to her, she turned her head towards me in surprise. There. That look in her eyes again. What was it? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t fear. It was something far more passionate. Perhaps, was it… love? Oros had always told me I was daft when it came to those sorts of things. Perhaps, reincarnating into this body had leveled up my social awareness skill? Then again, if this was love, it certainly was a strange one. Well, certain people did have exotic, extravagant tastes. It wasn't right to judge them.

“Sir?” She pressed.

“Do you mind waiting for me after I shower?” I asked, holding the pad up to the light. Frankly, it looked more like a frisbee than anything else.

“Sir?”

“I think I may need help with changing,” I said nonchalantly. “Some of this gear looks really complicated to put on.” I paused as realization settled in. Did that seem too suspicious? “It’s just that my body is still sore from battle.” I clarified. When silence continued to reign, I frowned. Maybe it wasn’t suspicious at all. Maybe it was that. Clearing my throat, I added: “Oh, it’s nothing perverted, I promise.”

Again. Silence.

Ah. This wasn’t going well, it seemed.

I turned my head and tried to explain myself. “It’s just this once. I promise—”

“To think you’d put your guard down like this.”

Huh?

The maid was now only a foot or so away from me. Out from her apron, she had drawn out a pair of twin daggers that were in the shape of crescent moons.

Wait. This situation was developing entirely too fast. When I told her this, she sent me a glare.

“Wrath,” the maid spat as she launched herself at me, “your life is mine!”

Ah, yes. That look in her eyes. That was the look of someone thirsting for passionate vengeance.