Pain is now all wrong too

With the artifacts covered, there wasn't much else for Meiris to do besides lying down. Other than to prepare for the escape, of course.

Though it's not like she had a lot to consider. She knew the basic layout of the palace. Where there would likely be less guards or servants on her way to a gate. She found that part rather obvious. It was the gates she was stuck at.

It would be much easier if she knew whether supply carts were searched on their way out. They seemed like the most reliable option, arriving every day, and Meiris wouldn't even think twice about it. If not for the fact she was in the process of stealing highly valuable items from the inside.

'I can hardly imagine no poor servant would ever want to try such a thing... Then again, the palace wouldn't notice a single jewel missing, would they?*

'Still... It does sound naive.'

*sigh*

Having nothing better in mind, Meiris stood up to take a stroll around the room. The nap she took today was far more pleasant than yesterday's. Even though she noticed she now lacked the feeling of cold or warmth, the floor wasn't nearly as comfortable as a pillow. And there was a single one that was large enough to fit her.

The pillow was clearly intended to have a weapon resting on top, but it was nowhere to be found. Perhaps for the better, as Meiris thought she wouldn't be able to lift it.

Now that she relaxed a bit, she decided to actually try to hold a sword. If anything, she felt weaker than when she was human, but it couldn't hurt to try.

There was a light-looking one in the alley she was currently in. It had a silvery blade and a bright blue core running through it's middle. The cores - especially in expensive weapons - were often made from materials which improved mana conductivity.

Meiris gripped the handle and barely removed the sword from the rack before it's weight overwhelmed her and she fell over. She was lucky that the blade wasn't imbued, taking her mana on touch. If that were the case, she would have lost her arm.

Without an instinct to will her body to let it pass through, the sword struck her shoulder on it's way down.

"Aghhh..."

She exhaled as the pain spread through her body.

The sword now rested on top of her stomach. The good thing was that it didn't make a sound.

After a moment Meiris turned to her left shoulder, expecting blood, but saw nothing of the kind. She wasn't hurt in the slightest. The cloak slipped on her arm just enough to avoid the hit, while her body was exactly as before.

'I suppose even pain is now all wrong.

'But was it the necklace?'

Remembering what the plaque said, she took out her most recent possession. It didn't feel as if she formed any connection.

A vague idea formed in Meiris' mind, but it mustn't have been because of the necklace. Reliance on it would be too risky in her current situation. She carefully lifted the sword off her body with both hands and placed it on the floor.

Then she put the necklace decently far away and returned to the sword.

At first she tried to slice her finger. Next she punched the blade. Slowly she grew convinced. Convinced that she could jump off the wall.

Meiris was aware that it was a rash conclusion, but not an unfounded one. She could pass through physical objects and even if she felt the pain, she couldn't be properly hurt by them. At least not with her limited range of experiments.

"Huuu..."

She exhaled after jumping off one of the window sills - which were a few meters above the floor - onto her backside.

The pain was definitely an issue, but it passed quickly.

'Lovely.

'So I will check the carts, otherwise this is the best alternative I can hope for...'

Clutching her knees, Meiris looked at the window she just jumped from.

Her chances weren't the greatest. She had no experience staying out of people's sight. No deeper insight into guarding procedures of the palace. Or anywhere, really. The whole situation itself overwhelmed her. But at least she now had a backup plan if the carts were off-limits.

***

Four days have passed and no one entered the treasury.

There was always the option of alerting the guards so that they would open the door. However, Meiris suspected it would be significantly more difficult to escape with guards on alert. A bit of noise coming from the treasury wouldn't alarm the entire palace, but she hardly expected it would be brushed off as wind or faulty placement of an item.

So she kept waiting. She played around with her flames, finally able to throw them. Though the most basic fireball was still beyond her reach. One of the two remaining spells she knew, but still couldn't cast.

Meiris knew four magic circles in total, which wasn't a lot. Even if a decent achievement if one considered the spellcasting lessons were merely a filler in her schedule back at the academy - she would need to learn a lot in order to stand her ground in the world just like she wanted. Though with her mana it could possibly never be enough.

But the time to worry about such things would come later. For the time being, she was practicing wrist flicks.

The common way to learn magic was through the use of magic circles. It was a language developed to appeal to the subconsciousness. As far as the basics went. However, rather than imagining a complex visual structure in the heat of battle, mages would associate it's image with a certain trigger. A combination of a gesture, intent, sound or something else.

For Meiris the trigger was to imagine the spell and flick her wrist. She ensured which one to use with her fingers, as pure imagination was unreliable even for experienced mages.

She snapped her fingers to cast pure flame, the most basic of fire spells. It was a rare instance of a magic circle that could be easily maintained for an extended period of time together with having it's strength modified.

Then when the flame floated above her hand, Meiris straightened her index finger and, moving only the wrist, pointed upwards. At the ceiling. That cast a different spell that flung the flame forward. It was also a very simple spell that could be appended to a limited range of magic circles.

The bit of flame hit a stone brick, just before all of it dissipated. The target wasn't particularly entertaining in Meiris' eyes. Unlike the artifacts with the kingdom's symbols.

But such a petty revenge wasn't worth the trouble that might follow.

Bored of it, Meiris focused on something she thought of a few hours earlier. What was the reason she wore her "regular" clothes, if she died in a ragged mess that could hardly qualify as clothing? Was it because that was the strongest memory she had of herself?

After a while she confirmed her suspicion. She managed to change the color of her clothes to black and the short heels into boots.

Next she attempted to turn her crimson eyes back to their original sapphire-like color. Yet, no matter what she tried, all that followed was a headache. Similarly when she tried to change the shape of her face or hair color.

None the less, she could wear any disguise with little effort. Except-

'It would have been laughably easy if ghosts were either fully see-through or not at all...

'Ah, I can't be this picky, can I? Be it God, or the Artificer's doing- I am grateful. Even if I'm about to die again...

'No.'

Meiris shook her head firmly and sat on top of a cabinet.

'I'm getting out of here...

'Thery, you may have been unable to do anything then, but the fact that you tried is helping me look forward now.'

When Meiris was charged with using widely forbidden mind-controlling magic for her personal gain - resulting in a count's death - there was no one who would stand on her side. No one *but* her mathematics professor. However, every doubt he could offer was quickly covered by a bribed witness or an over the top explanation. At the very least his scientific standing saved him from any meaningful backlash. Though he did earn a few scowls.

*sigh*

'Elean would scold me for sighing so much. I suppose she didn't abandon me either... Just... I wish she had done more, even if I know it would cost her dearly...

'Fuck. How could it all have been so simple before?'

Meiris looked up and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

A maid wouldn't save her. The effort would have been even more futile than her professor's.

That is not to say nobody around her had the means to do it. Rather, Meiris had been unlucky to meet people who were either easily swayed, or hadn't enough interest to pay the price of defending her. That price would be a sour taste if the attempt ended in failure, but a victory would - besides being difficult - pose serious and uncertain implications. That could also benefit certain factions, but there was no guarantee of success when fighting some of the influential noble families standing against Meiris. Including her own. Ultimately no one with enough power cared about nor believed Meiris enough to try and prove her innocence.

'No matter. That is no longer my life. I'm free now.'

She took a look around.

'Almost...'

*sigh*

'I really should stop.'

***

*tap* *tap*

The sound of footsteps reached Meiris' ear.

It always happened five times a day when the guard shift changed. Thrice throughout the day and twice at night.

Lying on a cabinet by the door, she raised her head to look towards nearby alleys in the treasury.

'Wait...'

Without a clock to track the time, Meiris had to get creative and use the light coming in through the windows. This didn't really work at night, but the day was more important anyway.

And now she had to check twice, because after six days of employing the system - she got the idea on the third day - it was the first time her markers weren't lit up when she heard footsteps.