The victor was decided, Freya could tell just as much from that one exchange of attacks. She was kneeling on the ground as she lost her balance from evading the noble's strike and attempting a counter. Such maneuver, it turned out to be, was not within her body's capabilities and that was why she couldn't maintain her stability. To think, that the wooden sword would actually broke after hitting the noble's head was something quite unexpected. Quite. As, Freya had imagined such possibility but didn't truly expect it to happen. That was the reason why she was so surprised and uttered the word 'fascinating'.

Not to mention, the fact that there was no signs of physical damage to the enemy was also a surprise to her. Freya was expecting him to bleed or perhaps to show signs of injury on his head, but there was none. Instead, the noble was still able to stand with the support of both his legs. The victor was already decided.

Somehow, she remembered the story she had read just the day before in her estate's personal library, a story about a sword which can cut through anything and a shield which can block anything. The story is quite irrelevant to her situation, but it isn't completely unrelated either. The question of the story, to Freya, was basically this: 'If you clash a weapon with the same quality, made from the same material, made by the same craftsman, which will stand on top? Which will be more superior? The shield or the sword? Would one put their faith in the strength of defense or offense?' To her, the choice was obvious, as she knew which best the other.

'Why is he just standing there?' The crowd's voice went back to life as there was no other action for about ten seconds after Freya and the noble expressed their amazement at each other. 'Why is he not finishing her?' 'Is he showing mercy?' 'Was he so shocked by the resistance Freya had done?' The crowd kept asking each other as they felt that it was weird, however, their voice was still at the loudness of a whisper.

On top of that whispers, a voice stood out the most. The sound of someone clapping at the fight which had just happened. It was done by one of the noble's guards. A knight wearing full iron armor equipped with the helmet. Freya couldn't see his face because of it. As he clapped, he move closer towards Freya and the noble, saying in a fine voice of astonishment: 'Magnificent.' He approached her and lent her a hand for her to stand up, which she gladly accepted. 'Your name is Freya if I am not mistaken? I'll etch that to my mind. Expect me to pay a visit some time soon.'

The knight then went to the noble, waved his hand right in front of his face, but there was no reaction. 'What's that knight doing?' The crowd was confused. 'Why is the noble not reacting to it?' The knight then gave the noble a light push on his shoulder and the terror fell down to the ground with his back. The crowd was speechless. They had thought that the noble would've won as he was still standing tall and Freya was on her knee, however, the noble was the first to fall.

The knight then lifted the noble up to his shoulder and carried him away. He turned his head and again reminded her. 'Please, do expect a visit soon.' With that said he went away. Perhaps Freya should've taken caution to their 'visit', but there was a more pressing issue at hand which Freya need to give her time onto. The short momentary battle had given her a tool to solve her pieces of puzzle. The sooner she solve it, the better. The crowd was in a festive mood but Freya couldn't care less. She wanted to go back to her place.

'Oh, hi Elaine.' Freya found Elaine by the corner of her eye as she turned back to the direction of her estate. She was not looking exactly happy even though her student had done proudly in a sudden battle. Was it more appropriate to call it a duel? No matter. Elaine looked at her with an angry smile and Freya was not interested in opening up that pandora's box, so she ignored her, at least she wanted to.

'Just, what exactly are you doing? Walking around brazenly in butler's clothing? And bravely picking up fights?' She was definitely mad.

'Will sleep-walking cut it as an excuse? I'm in a hurry to go back.'

'Oh, right, sure. Let's have a looong talk when we get back shall we?'

xxx

It was a complicated day in the end. As soon as Freya came back she received a slap from Laguna. Despite the fact that she was a maid and that her aggression was towards her master, she know full well of the consequences of dismissal in doing so. However, Freya was in no position for that as she was just an 'impostor' of the original Freya in a sense, and that she knew Laguna was worried sick about her master. All the more reason to let what had just happened pass.

Freya then received a long thorough scolding from Elaine. One ear in and out on the other. She then got grounded in the library and was forced to write a long essay to show how sorry she was for sneaking out, for roaming around without guards, and for picking up fights. When she was done, the sun had already set and it was night time. Freya took a long time writing it as she was still slow in writing the characters which to her; was still new. Nevertheless, she still need to settle a problematic issue.

She hurried back to her room with Laguna by her side. 'Milady, I think a bath is in order first.' She suggested as Freya was a mess in cleanliness (she was still wearing butler's clothing).

'There's something more important Laguna.' She said. 'I'll accept the offer after a while.'

'Very well then.'

Freya came back to her room and searched for the book which was on her table when she first woke up. The battle that morning had taught her something important and she was planning to use her newfound skill to her own convenience in solving a certain matter.

One way or another, she should be able to unveil the truth now. As to who had given Freya the knowledge of Inconvenient Suicide Magic in the first place. Judging from the usefulness, it was quite unlikely that Elaine had mentioned it to Ori during magic training and when Freya searched the whole of her library for I.S.M (shortened form for Inconvenient Suicide Magic), she could find nothing. She thought that at first Ori had found it herself and used it on her own but that was unlikely. Ori can't use Elemental Magic because of her Special Magic she has from birth, and the formulae she saw on her table when she first woke up was written by Elemental Magic instead of special ink. Meaning: someone had written it for Ori.

With her newfound skill, Freya should be able to identify the person who wrote that I.S.M and interrogate him or her. She found herself a major lead and she was not willing to let go of such chance. She then found the book and looked at the formulae, and with a glance she was able to know who had written it. Freya placed her palm on her forehead and smirked.

'Milady, are you okay?' Laguna asked.

'Hmm. . . yeah. Let's drop all the facade shall we?'

'Pardon?'

'I'm not Freya. This body is her's though. I might have no recollection of who I was before getting pulled into this body, but I know that I am not Freya.'

'Milady, your words confuse me.'

'Inconvenient Suicide Magic. A magic which pulls a random living being's personality into the user's body. I am that random personality. That's why I've been acting odd and unlike the Freya you know of, because I am not her. That is why I've been "strange".'

'Milady, I am sure that you need rest, the sooner the better. I am truly concerned now.'

'I can see colors.' Freya said. 'Everyone I had met are all coated with a substance invisible to the naked eye which I can't describe; and I can somewhat perceive that thing, just like how I identify color. It all started when Elaine used her magic, I could sense something which allows me to predict what kind of magic she was about to use. As I roamed around the city, I then noticed that people have this "coating", an aura unique to each of them and everyone is different. As I battled with the noble in the morning, the duel somehow heightened my senses and I could perceive "it" way better than before.'

'Please, I beg milady to rest quickly. I am worried.'

'I saw the formulae for Inconvenient Suicide Magic and guess what? The "color" I perceived is the same as yours. You wrote it, Laguna, so drop the facade and let's have a talk.' Laguna then stared at her in silence, no longer worried about Freya.

'Milady. . . I didn't. . . expect to be caught this fast.' She smiled. 'That "perceiving" ability sure is new to me.'

'Who are you?'

'Isn't that my question? I don't even know your name' Her smile was somewhat sincere but wicked.

'I can remember nothing from before getting pulled into this body. I only know that I am not Freya and that's it. For knowing I.S.M, I'm just going to assume that you're not a normal maid.'

'Ah, well, I have my own share of painful past. You're right however, I was the one who gave her that magic formulae.'

'. . . Why?'