0.7.

Sequencee shook the blood from his black dragon spear. His eyes had a murky glow as he stared down the corpses limp on the ground. Most were knights wearing light armor, others were maids or butlers in uniform clothes.

"What in the world…"

This was the second day since Her Highness' disappearance. Investigating the tracks left by the enemy through Furoie and hints left by Flona, they've narrowed down the culprits to Marquis Loid's family, the Euincing Trade House and the second prince.

The day they were nominated for the critical mission of saving the second imperial princess, they set off for the villa of the most likely culprit: Marquis Loid. Oddly enough, Trevor, Flona and the Marquis Loid were nowhere to be found. The head maid mentioned that they had just gone out.

As they searched the place, it was by pure chance that Sequencee stumbled upon the existence of the basement. Aaron took it upon himself to investigate what was below. Nothing noteworthy was found beyond the delectable wine, some aged more than half a century.

"Would it be alright if you return when my Lord comes back? I believe that would be most efficient considering the situation," the head maid excused.

Furoie was certain that the imperial princess was somewhere in this estate. Her Gift was notifying her of obfuscated data she hadn't received before.

In any case, Sequencee was given the mission to keep watch of this place while they headed to the next location to investigate. If the Marquis returned, he was to immediately notify them through the communication artifact.

He waited at the foyer alone.

And when the head maid left to attend something, the place became eerily quiet. While it was queer how she left a potential threat–Sequencee–out of her sights, he would let any suspicious elements come to reveal themselves eventually. Since she trusted him so much, he got up and made the decision to sneak around the villa.

That was when he got attacked by a group of stark-mad guards and maidservants.

Outwardly, Sequencee looked like any normal kid who had naive expectations in becoming a novice mercenary–but behind that pretense was a boy tempered by one of the strongest mercenaries on the continent.

'How should I even explain this … '

Sequencee recoiled at the bloody mess he made on the carpet, most especially, the lives he took. To Sequencee's unique system, he was able to witness as the blue souls rise from their dead bodies. While it came with the convenience of confirming a kill, it also bore down on Sequencee's conscience. The incorporeal blue mass drifted upwards, and touched Sequencee's mana.

{SOULS AVAILABLE: 6.6}

Sequencee hadn't intended on killing them, he acted on impulse. They charged at him as if mobs holding pitchforks. He didn't think things through, he panicked–and with one sweep of his spear he…

He killed.

They didn't even try to put up resistance, as if they've been degraded down to mindless zombies. As these thoughts muddled his mind, he noticed the head maid standing at the very end of the hall he was currently standing at. With a butcher's knife in hand, she slowly approached him.

It didn't make sense. Even though she knew she was going to die, why would she try to attack him?

She charged forward with hazy eyes, Sequencee retreated backwards. She didn't even mind as the blood splattered on her clothes at each step.

She swung her knife down, leaving a wide opening. Sequencee tilted his body and swung the shaft of the spear at her. She was knocked unconscious, he quickly held her before she fell to the ground.

'The hell should I do about this…'

Before his thoughts could complete itself, he heard the sounds of heavy shifting gears below.

'The basement.'

Leaving the head maid to lean against the wall far from the pool of blood, he took out a red pendant hidden underneath his clothes–it was a communication device. Infusing mana into it he spoke.

"Mom, I … I mean, I found something, I think … I think I'm going … "

He spoke into the device, swallowing down the fact that he had killed people here.

["Found something? Do you need help?"]

Help? Did he?

"No mom, it's alright. I can do this…"

["Be careful."]

He couldn't confess. An unknown fear hindering him from saying anything more.

"Yes mom," he swallowed his words.

Two days ago, at the imperial palace.

"They may enter," a deep voice announced.

With that as the cue, the royal knights pushed the doors open and ushered them into the throne room. A heavy air befell at their arrival, Sequencee found it difficult to breathe. Before them, His Majesty and Her Majesty seated on their thrones.

What did Sequencee say about royalty again? That they were kind and pleasant to be around? There was nothing light and fluffy about what was happening here.

'So mom was right after all … '

There was a maid down on her knees, eyes casted down on the maroon carpet. A stern-looking madame wearing a suit stood righteously beside her. The royals knights who ushered them in gave a salute before leaving. The knights that were in the hallroom remain unmoving, the aura they emanated sent chills down his spine.

The tension made even Anna quiver a little. Meanwhile, Aaron, who had a background in knighthood, knelt in His Imperial Majesty's presence. His actions prompted both Anna and Sequencee into a stupor. How does kneeling work again? Do you put your right leg or left leg forward? Where do the hands go? Neither of them had studied for this–

"No need for the formalities, rise," Her Majesty Esther's voice rang.

The Empress Esther Equestria, or Esther of the Roux clan. She was a wise elf and powerful magician back in the days before she was engaged to the emperor. Her beauty unmatched, most all would agree that she looked no less prettier now compared to the past.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Aaron rose to his feet.

Anna and Sequence had cold sweat run down their backs. If not for the empress' benevolence, they would've been beheaded for lèse-majesté right about now.

'C-Calm down, everything will be alright … '

His Majesty, the emperor Soles Equestria spoke, "I shall proceed straight to the point. Miss Anna, and Sir Aaron Smite, I appeal with a request," his voice was deep and powerful, the complete opposite of his cordial tone yesterday! "My daughter has gone missing, I ask that you bring her back safely. Miss Furoie will assist in this, she has a rough grasp of her location, that is the first request. Second, dig out every mole of this incident. Find for me the imbeciles on this continent who have the audacity to kidnap my daughter. Never in my life would I have imagined such absurdity."

By this point, it was typical for mercenaries to discuss the commission rate but–they were dealing with royalty. It would be too caustic to talk about money in this sort of situation.

"Your Majesty, pardon my frankness. Per my own opinion, wouldn't mobilizing two SS-rank mercenaries not arouse the attention of the public? If the purpose of the enemy was to rile up the people and taint the image of the royal family, would this not be advantageous to them?"

"There is a need for priority Sir Aaron. My daughter's safety is utmost," he was desperate. Aaron nodded in compliance. "To that both have come into contact with the informant hinting at this incident that I chose the two of you. As such, I cannot permit the failure of this request."

'Yes, treat me as air.'

Sequencee didn't know if he should be glad or sad. His Majesty only recognized two people despite there being three. In the first place, Sequencee had only stuck along because his mother requested it.

"May I ask how Miss Furoie would assist in this mission?" Anna queried.

"I have a mark on Her Highness. It is possible I trace her whereabouts with my Gift, she shouldn't have gone too far."

"Then have you found her location?"

"The enemy must have an obscuration agent. The clues that I have only tell me the general area which Her Highness had been led to. Further investigation is required, a few locations have already been suspected … " Furoie replied with a grimace.

As the princess' secretary, it was a grave oversight for her to allow this to happen. She drank too much that night. Waking up the next morning, she noticed the incongruence and notified His Majesty immediately.

"As for the second request … "