It was surprising how quickly things were moving now. Within moments, the guard returned with a man who looked like someone important.

  No armor, no insignia, just fiailored clothing that could’ve easily matched the wealthiest of merts I’d seen outside the fort. He moved with purpose, his footsteps fident. As he approached, he bowed low—his movement as fluid as those wishing to impress a girl at the bar.

  “Good evening, miss,” he greeted, his voice smooth. “May I see y?”

  Of course, I couldn’t just stand there, not after that bow. My body, trained for moments like this, responded before my brain could catch up. I curtsied, a small but practiced dip, aended my hand for him to examihe ring. I let it catch the light just so.

  Since when did I know how to curtsy?

  It felt natural now, but I couldn’t help but be uled. Was it something I picked up during questing in the pace? Or…?

  The man, notig the flicker of my hesitation, smiled warmly but didn’t let it distract him. Like the elite imperial guard, he cast a spell over the ring. A fsh of are energy, and then his eyes flicked from the ring to my tiara. He paused for a moment too long, really looking at my clothes now, as if notig something more than he had at first gnce.

  A stunned silence fell over him. His mouth went sck for a moment before he quickly regained his posure. “firmed.”

  As he said that, the guard who refused my entry, with a suddehat made the man flinch, dropped to one knee. “Lady Charlie, I beg for fiveness!” she said, her voice sincere.

  I couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of satisfa and disfort. This is getting ridiculous, I thought, even so, I had to smile.

  “Oh, bummer,” the prinented in my head, his tone dripping with mock exasperation. “I suppose you’re really a good pretender.”

  I shot a mental gre at the prinot exactly thrilled with how things were pying out, but I wasn’t about to admit that. Instead, I let out a soft sigh and waved my hand dismissively at the guard. “Rise, please. There’s no need for that. I end you for dutifully guarding.”

  “Lady, wele to East Klippe! I’m the imperial attaché here,” the man said with a polished bow. “Imperial Doan-ander Mi will be gd to finally meet you. He was…” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Let’s just say, he’s been growing nervous, thinking you weren’t ied in…” He shook his head as if brushing away the thought. “Better for him to expin. If I may?” He gestured ahead, invitio follow.

  “Yes, thank you,” I replied with a polite smile. But before moving, I turned back toward the guard who’d initially barred my way. She was still standing stiffly, trying to blend into the background.

  “What’s your name?” I asked, keeping my tone light but curious as her status popped up in my peripheral view.

  [Guard Lv.10]Type: 1-on | HP: 173/173

  “Alma, Lady,” she said, bowing deeply again.

  I tilted my head slightly, sing her over. She was low level aitle was on—standard for the rank-and-file.

  Maybe I could do something about that?

  My thoughts drifted to the pace’s many guard rooms, always filled with soldiers bustling about, but oail stood out: my quarters had no dedicated guard.

  “I don’t have anyone guarding my office when I’m there,” I said thoughtfully, my gaze briefly lingering on her armor. It was well-maintained—she clearly took her obligations seriously. “How would you feel about being my personal guard?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she seemed too stuo respond.

  The attaché, however, wasn’t having it. His professional demeanor cracked just slightly as irritation bled into his voice. “The Lady asked you a question! You should be grateful she’s rather than anding you! Now answer!”

  Alma immediately dropped to one knee, her voice trembling. “Yes, Lady! I swear—”

  “Not now, not here,” I interrupted, raising a hand to stop her. Even I khe protocol for such ceremonies, and this wasn’t the time or pce for it. Was she living under a rock? “There’s a proper time aing for these things. We’ll do it right when the moment es. For now, let’s keep moving.”

  Speaking like a noble is stupid. I wanna curse.

  Bleh.

  She hesitated for half a beat before rising, her face flushed with embarrassment but also a flicker of pride.

  As we began walking, the attaché’s steps were sharper than before, his annoyance clear. I caught him shooting Alma a gre as if her earlier hesitation had personally offended him.

  “Rex,” I said to him, keeping my tone casual but firm. “She’s fine. A little overwhelmed, maybe, but who wouldn’t be?”

  He pressed his lips into a thin line, but nodded. “Of course, Lady. Shall we tinue?”

  I followed him inside, Alma trailing behind us like a shadow.

  The fort was enormous, but its design gave me a weird sense of familiarity. It was as if the walls whispered secrets I already knew, like the stools after the tenth whiskey.

  The empire’s obsession with standardized designs clearly extended further than I thought—so much so that I intuitively knew where to go.

  Eveaché seemed surprised when I stopped at a fork in the corridor and pointed fidently down the left path. “I believe the ruler’s office is this way.”

  He bli me, visibly taken aback. “You must have been to imperial forts before!” His tone shifted from formal to impressed, and a faint smile tugged at the ers of his mouth.

  “I have,” I said with a small nod, letting my lips curve into a sweet smile. “I dabbled in the imperial military and studied the art of war.” The statement was teically true, though probably not in the way he imagihe Battle of the Northern Insurgency had taught me more about strategy and fort logistics than any school could have.

  “Splendid!” His suddehusiasm felt almost ical as he gave a short, respectful bow. “Then it seems my guidance is unnecessary. Do you require my assistance?”

  I shook my head politely, and his mood visibly brightened. “Very well, Lady. I’ll attend to my duties elsewhere,” he said, pivoting gracefully and disappearing down the opposite hallway.

  “Well, Alma, let’s go, I guess,” I said, letting my tone dip into the casual as I opehe friend’s window. The blinking mess of notifications ractically screaming for attention, and it was time to face the chaos. Alma whispered something under her breath, but I didn’t catch it as I began scrolling.

  Requests. Thousands of them.

  “You finally ditched that snob,” the prince chimed in, his toerweaved with smug satisfa. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Talking ba in front of Alma would only make me look… unhinged. Instead, I focused on the person I actually needed.

  Ah, there!

  [L0 wants to add you as a friend.]

  [Charlie] Lo! Sowy for leaving so abruptly![L0] Thanks for addi is no problem.[Charlie] Yup! ^^ If you are he fort ask for me[L0] Will be there shortly.

  I should stop writing like this... But it’s so fun!

  With that sorted, I closed the window and turned my attention back to the fort. As expected, the ruler’s office was sma the ter. What I wasn’t expeg was the bizarre architectural choice: the inner walls were polished white stone, a blunt trast to the rough gray of the outside.

  Weird. Definitely something to ask Lucas about ter.

  “Here we go,” I said with a grin, pushing open the door. Alma followed closely, her expressioral, though her eyes darted around, taking in every detail.

  I, oher hand, let out an untrolble giggle. If the Northern Duke saw this, his head would pop off like a bottle cork.

  The room was as barebones as it got. A single basidow overlooked the sandieu hanh—the parade ground we all called it. The kind of pce where anders and nobles observed hold in the offices, silently judging your every step.

  At least it wasn’t the obstacle course.

  There was no vanity, no luxury whatsoever. Just two funal tables with unfortable-looking chairs and an overwhelming sense of meh. And of course, a closet full of paperwork.

  “Well,” I said, turning to Alma with a casual smirk, “this is… underwhelming.”

  “Sorry, Lady,” Alma said quickly, her tone defensive. “We just—”

  I held up a hand to stop her and plopped down on the chair at the main table. Positioned right in front of the window, it had the advantage of blinding any visitors who dared face me directly.

  “I know,” I said with a sigh, leaning back. “Well, I was the one who asked for this, remember?” I drummed my fingers oable. “Could you feteoo deliver news around?”

  “You mean… a messenger?” Alma asked, her brows furrowing slightly.

  “Exactly! Or just someone I order around,” I joked, though the way she took it at face value made me regret it immediately.

  It’s going to take a while to get used to this.

  “Okay, let’s get this over with,” I muttered to myself, shifting in the unfortable chair. As Alma left, I returo the endless stream of friend requests, methodically deing them while keeping a for any hat might stand out.

  The first two hundred? pletely ordinary pyers. Random adventurers, traders, and farmers. Or maybe they were secretly powerhouses in disguise—but holy, who could remember them all?

  Finally, a name caught my attention: Luminaria.

  A small smile tugged at the er of my lips. The Lightning Prodigy herself… or she will be.

  If my memory served, her family was one of Rimelion’s powerhouses. All top-tier pyers, the kind you didn’t mess with unless you had a death wish.

  All famous.

  Despite Luminaria being one of the best lightning mages, she wasn’t evero mage in her family. That led to… well, that infamous Rime- sdal in ten years or so.

  Maybe I could help her avoid that? I mused, my fingers h over the accept butto’s help. I pressed it and, as if summohere was a sharp kno the door.

  “Yes?” I called out.

  “Lady, I have found them!” Alma’s voice was bright with excitement as she strode in, apanied by two young men and a woman. They looked a little nervous, but stood at attention, clearly ready for whatever was about to happen.

  “Ah, messengers.” The lowest rank in the imperial military here. Barely above recruits. They all looked eager, though.

  “Okay, give me a sed.” I motioned for Alma to step closer. “We have a quartermaster, right?”

  “Yes, Lady,” she said with a bow.

  “Great.” I waved her toward the door. “Wait outside and guard the door. Oh, and Alma?” I smiled, leaning ba my chair. “sider yourself officially the head of my personal guard.”

  Her face went through a range of emotions—shock, disbelief, and then something akin to pride. She bowed again, this time lower than before. “Yes, Lady! Thank you!”

  [Alma Lv.10]Type: 3-rare | HP: 201/201

  It worked! A succes!

  “Good. Now go guard,” I said, making a shooing motion. She hesitated for a moment, then turned and disappeared into the hallway.

  As for the three recruits, they stood stiffly, waiting for orders. Their wide eyes reminded me of fresh academy grads I got to yell at as a sergeant.

  “Right,” I said, rising slightly from my chair and sing them, fetg supplies from the closet. “Please wait a moment—I o draft some letters.”

  “Yes, Lady!” they all yelled in unison, so loudly my ears rang.

  “Okay, let’s to down a notch,” I said, wing slightly. “I’m not deaf—yet.”

  They fumbled over themselves to apologize, and I just shook my head with a small smile, settling bato the chair. This is going to be iing.