NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Ballroom Blitz (Part 1)
The cityscape looked almost tranquil from above.
Situated above the busy streets, far above the day-to-day lives of Albion's inhabitants, an imposing castle was set into the crumbling side of an ancient caldera. Its unnatural white stone walls loomed over the collapsed volcano like a sentinel, seeming to cast its shadowy gaze on the city below. From atop one of the many stark towers jutting out from the impressive construction, everything seemed insignificant compared to that oppressive shadow.
Unfortunately for Elise Drachen, who had been reborn as the First Princess of Albion, today marked the 18th year this shadow had been her home.
As the subtle warmth of the evening sun battled against the chill ever present at such altitudes, the princess couldn't help but trace the weave expertly carved into the conical roof above her bedroom. With so much of her new life dictated by others, the small freedom of choosing a room with access to such a view was a small, if welcome pleasure. The decision, made some years ago, also allowed her to study this impressive example of engraved barrier magic.
The weave had been carved atop every tower in Castle Avalon to generate a barrier powerful enough to protect the castle and the city below from catastrophe should the dormant caldera erupt once again.
Despite everything she had learned over the past couple of years, Elise had doubts—not just about the barriers' integrity in such an eventuality but also about the very thought of the dormant volcano erupting in the first place.
The Kingdom of Albion might have been considered an island nation, but it showed no signs of being particularly geologically active. From her admittedly basic understanding of plate tectonics, an active fault site or even just a relatively thin point in the earth's crust would have shown signs other than a single large volcano that the surrounding area lacked. That, combined with the unnaturally slanted shape of the caldera, pointed towards it as possibly an artificial construction.
Or it could just be that this magical world didn't follow the same rules as her old one; she always had to remember that.
*Dii-diing*
A sound like those of wind chimes quickly brought Elise out of her quiet contemplation.
"Ah, Aurae." A small smile graced the princess's lips as she turned to greet her friend. What can I do for you today?"
Aurae was a collection of many wind spirits that inhabited a body of magically engraved Jade. Elise had engraved the crystal herself after befriending the odd coterie of literal 'free spirits' that were attracted to the magically powerful towers of Avalon Castle. Their relationship could be likened to that of a familiar in the stories of her old world, though with much more freedom than that usually entailed.
Still, every now and then, Aurae would assist her in exploring the many secret passages of the castle or even occasionally spying on people when directed. Though they obviously expected proper compensation if given a boring job like that.
The small birdlike entity chimed again with more urgency before hopping closer. It seemed like they had something important to report. So, silently lamenting the loss of her peaceful day, Elise sat up and allowed the jade bird to rest in the palm of her hand.
"What do we have here?" The green spectral eyes of her friend watched carefully as the princess removed a small, slightly glowing blue chip from a slot on the bird's head. "If you only have a single recording, it must be important." Her friend didn't return from reconnaissance missions without something they thought would earn them a treat.
The chip was constructed using the same methodology as Aurae's body, engraved with a magical Weave that could enact specific magic when powered. However, unlike said body, this chip had been engraved with a weave of the princess's own design. Using an idea she had borrowed from her previous life, brought to life through incredibly complicated barrier magic.
Holding it up to her ear, Elise forwent any incantation and, with a twist of will, diverted the surrounding mana to activate the device's function.
"-And you're sure they won't notice a thing? The vaults are one of the most secure places in the world. Even my authority won't allow us to just waltz in and out with our prize."
The shaky voice was distorted, a side effect of the less-than-perfect soundwave absorption and release, but still discernible.
"Of course, they won't notice a thing. We'll strike just before the party begins when most of the security is focused on the ballroom. By the time they realize something is wrong, we will be long gone, and our employer will make you richer than a Baron."
Elise scowled as she continued through the whole recording. Not much else of consequence was said as they were obviously being careful, but the general situation was clear. Three intruders were trying to infiltrate the royal vaults and steal one of the artifacts held within. At least one of the intruders seemed to hold a position of relative importance within the castle, which meant they might actually succeed.
And they were doing it on her birthday!
She didn't care too much about that, but it was certainly inconvenient. There was a good chance that Angelica, her personal maid, was already looking to prepare the princess for her birthday celebration. So, she wouldn't have much time to actively resolve this situation.
Simply reporting it to the guards would be… inadvisable, at least based on past experience. That wasn't even considering the incredibly complicated political situation Albion was currently in. The princess didn't know what faction had facilitated this attempt, but if this brazen theft was stopped or, worse, succeeded, there was no telling what the consequences could be.
With the three princes currently engaged in what seemed to her like the largest d*ck-measuring contest in their kingdom's history to determine the right of succession and Albion itself being a powerful expansionist country currently engaged in multiple foreign wars, she knew plenty of people who would gladly bribe someone to potentially destabilize the country.
The only faction she could semi-confidently rule out was the Rebellion, and that was only because she had a good source for their operations, at least within the castle.
Sighing, Elise stood up. "Good job, I'll give you your treat after I deal with this." All she had to do was stop the theft herself and then cover it up. How hard could that be? "Just let me get ready before you lead me to where they are."
With an annoyed but conciliatory chime, Aurae hopped into the air, already buffeting the wind currents as if to say, 'Well, hurry up then.'
{X}---{X}---{X}---{X}---{X}
An Experimental stealth cloak that adaptively changed colors using barrier magic to absorb different wavelengths of light. Check.
A Shadow Crest, stolen from the King's Daggers that would hide its wearer from most forms of magical detection. Check.
Her own personal sword, a hand and a half piece with little to differentiate it from others of its kind, at least on the outside. Check.
Cutting through the dusk like a thrown dagger, Elise carefully observed the intruders as they brazenly made their way through the castle and toward the inner Vaults. Disguised as they were, in the garb of Royal Guardsmen, no one dared to bar their path. Even the soldiers guarding the vault entrance simply stepped aside as the lead intruder reached into his surcoat to bring out a Crest from a genuine Royal Guardsman.
After Aurae led her to this particular group, the princess thought they were mistaken. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. It was common knowledge that faking crests of that much import was nearly impossible, so when the hazy blue barrier covering the vault door faded into nothingness, the princess took it as confirmation that a Royal Guard had turned traitor.
That, more than anything, was enough to give Elise pause. She was convinced that taking care of this herself would be the correct play. But to fight a knight whose sole duty was to guard royalty alongside two unknowns… well, it stretched what was possible with her powers alone.
And she would be alone. Aurae's exact personality depended a bit on what spirits were inhabiting their body every day. Still, a general rule was that wind spirits were particularly 'flighty' regarding dangerous situations.
Clutching tight to her cloak, she nervously touched the Shadow Crest she had 'borrowed' from Albion's premier intelligence gathering organization. While it was comparable in model to the equipment of her presumed enemies, the fact was that this Crest was woven to erase the magical presence of the user first and protect them after.
Perfect for the mandatory stealth portion of this surprise mission, not so much for what came after.
Shaking off any doubts, Elise reassured herself that Crests were just a small portion of combat in her new world. The small engraved device was equipped with magical barriers that varied in strength and effect depending on the model. But that didn't mean a fight between warriors was decided by just the strength of their armor.
Right before hesitation nearly cost her the mission, Elise burst into motion toward the barrier that had just begun to close.
"Phase– Activate." Alongside her whispered words, she wove a small bit of magic into existence—just enough to form three small platforms on the wall under her feet for each step and safely carry her small body over the oblivious guards' heads.
Landing with trained grace, the princess immediately cut off any external uses of magic. While her cloak might have been engraved to blend with its surroundings, and the barrier should have disguised her small use of magic from the intruders, she couldn't afford to be careless.
Royal Guardsmen were handpicked from among the Nobility by the King himself. They were given the best training and equipment available, which, combined with the sheer magical pedigree of their noble lineage, meant few could fight them in a fair match.
That wasn't even taking into account the other two intruders. Whether their 'employer' represented a foreign power or a scheme cooked up by traitors from within the country, nobody would send those of average skill to infiltrate the most secure vault of the most powerful country in the world.
Watching as the intruders purposefully walked past the grand showcase of priceless magical artifacts accumulated through centuries of conquest, Elise could hardly begin to guess what they were here to steal, much less who was behind the attempt.
As they proceeded onward, getting closer and closer to the Hall of Selection, she couldn't help but think they were here for THAT artifact. The princess didn't know how they planned on moving it if generations of her family had failed to even pick it up, but…
Carefully suppressing the usual flood of emotions that came with thinking about her family, the princess decided to focus more on the fight ahead. More specifically, on how she could win. With a Royal Guard on their side, a fair fight might end in her loss, so she wouldn't give them fair.
The best place for an ambush would be right as they enter the hall.
Nothing was guaranteed, but assuming the two infiltrators were weaker than their temporary ally… if she could kill the traitor before the proper fight began, everything started looking much more feasible.
'Ah, if only I could have been born with a cheat skill.' She lamented to herself, thinking that then all these plans wouldn't be necessary.
Throughout her years in this god-forsaken world, Elise had taken full advantage of her standing as the first princess of Albion to become as strong as she could be. She secretly cultivated her love of (perhaps unconventional) magic and exploited the knowledge of a past life to become a knight powerful enough to choose her own fate.
But even now, what could she claim to have done with that power?
Sure, she had definitely tried to help people. She used her power to work within the system, trying to improve the lives of the common people and prevent the almost inevitable collapse that her family's warmongering would cause. Unfortunately, all that had led to was a token position within the kingdom's high council to improve 'National Sentiment.'
Nothing had changed, and nothing would change if she didn't have the power to bring it about. The power of incredible violence, as they used to say.
The problem was that in her new world, so much of magical and even physical ability was determined through pedigree. And while she acknowledges the fact that, as a princess, she was leagues ahead of the average commoner. The status of a 'mere' daughter of the strength-obsessed Royal Family meant she was denied many advantages given to the sons of royal blood.
'Gah, I have to stop thinking of things that don't matter.' Mentally chiding herself for weakness, the princess thought back to the battle at hand.
She knew that no guardsmen constantly activated their barriers at full power outside of the King's presence, so the protection currently surrounding her enemy would be relatively weak compared to the impenetrable wall it could become in less than a second with conscious reinforcement.
Plotting the upcoming fight in her mind, Elise didn't bother to suppress the growing call to action in her blood. No matter the fact that she liked to think of herself as a more sophisticated person than her battle-hungry brothers, she couldn't deny there was a certain thrill that came with life or death combat.
Had she always been like this? Even before coming to this world?
Killing was mostly bad; in both of her lives, the reincarnated individual knew this intellectually. Empathy wasn't something she lacked; in fact, her family regularly chastised her for having too much. Even though it was the only thing that stopped her from killing them all in their sleep.
… Well, empathy and the horrible power vacuum that would inevitably crush everyone in the kingdom if such a thing were to happen.
Maybe something was fundamentally wrong with her soul, having broken from whatever karmic cycle apparently existed, or it might have been her Drachen blood, which was said to have descended from dragons. Well, whatever it was, whenever she was getting ready for a fight, everything else would just fall to the wayside.
So as they entered the large hall where the symbol of the Drachen family sat, its shining golden blade thrust into a stone altar similar to a certain legend back home, the irritating memories of attending the ceremony here three times before were washed away by a flood of adrenaline.
"Spark," She silently muttered. Her muscles burned with familiar agony as Elise wove a familiar tapestry of magical power into them, greatly enhancing her body's physical prowess, with the unfortunate side effect of causing the Shadow Crest on her right arm to heat up as the concealment barrier struggled to hide away such a blatant use of even internal magic.
Silently drawing the sword on her waist and without any preamble, the ambush predator lunged at her prey with a wide-angle slashing attack.
Everything that happened next did so in less than a second.
"Phase– Dual Weave." As her personal incantation for the use of barrier magic passed through the princess's lips, the sword in her hand became something more.
Magic surged throughout the internal engravings of the sword, tracing the complicated pattern within her mind before bursting into a flash of crimson light. A second-level barrier weave of her own personal design to create what could nearly be called a monomolecular cutting-edge out of magic.
Whether it was instincts, luck, or just incredible reaction time, her prey noticed the assault just in time to lunge backward. A few inches of movement that spared his life.
Purple sparks flashed across the air as the glowing red blade sheared through the dull blue of the passive barrier. Leaving a long rend in the enemy's armor so deep it nearly drew blood. With a bloodthirsty smile, Elise continued her assault before his companions could even recognize what was going on. Bringing the glowing sword around for another heavy cut at the weak point of her opponent's armored neck.
Thinking this straightforward attack was the opening he needed, the royal guard poured all his concentration into bringing his Crest's Barrier to full power. Confident that it would allow him to tank the single heavy blow and instantly capitalize on the resulting opening for a quick victory.
Unfortunately for him, that was the last mistake he would ever make.
Dual Weave was the incantation that marked Elise's use of two weaves simultaneously. A brain-processing and magic-intensive task that was only possible with the help of an engraved tool, like her sword.
The first weave she had cast through her right arm onto her sword. Her second was cast through her left leg, the strand of magic quickly crawling across the ground under her opponent.
The initial wide slash left nowhere for her opponent to dodge but back… Right into where the strand of magic grew from the ground as another monomolecular barrier in the shape of a stake.
Aimed straight for his heart.
"Kuh!" With his own momentum helping along the process, the glowing stake punched through the back of the traitor's armor. Sprouting from his heart like a demonic lance and completely breaking whatever concentration he might have been using to bring up the active barrier.
The battle was all but over, with even the barrier failing and a lethal wound. Even if he had one, an artifact or some sort of healing magic probably wouldn't be able to fix his punctured heart… But with opponents of this caliber, you couldn't be too careful.
So Elise continued her heavy slash, decapitating her opponent.