... now. Where is my new toy?

Q's POV:

When I was 6 I became an orphan. My parents, high nobles were assassinated by Dark Corps, an evil organization apparently listening to our biggest rival at the time, high noble family Estwill. I somehow managed to escape through a secret tunnel hidden under our mansion, where I met my aunt Anaga heading inside to rescue us. Unfortunately, it was already too late, I was the only one alive and we escaped together. That wasn't the end though - Estwill family never gave up, sending more and more Dark Corps assassins after us. I survived only thanks to my aunt's high combat abilities as a former Knight Commander. She was mostly a knight but she also knew some magic spells. The two of us travelled for years, constantly on alert from enemies who never stopped looking for us.

Revenge? I had no time to think about it, barely staying alive, never able to trust anyone but my guardian and protector Anaga. I couldn't relax even for a moment, not knowing when or where the killing blow will come.

Constantly on the run, I never stayed in one place for more than 2 weeks. I didn't go to school, had no friends or normal life. Every time we moved, I had to change my name and looks. Eventually, we arrived in a small Blackhill kingdom, where my aunt saved a noble's son from being run over by a horse. In return, we got invited to a ball in the royal castle, a birthday party of a princess. I immediately got excited but the next moment I looked at Anaga and realized that going there would be too risky.

I think it was my disappointed face that made my aunt agree to it for once. I've never attended a ball before and even though I couldn't wear anything outstanding out of fear of bringing attention to us, I loved it. Sitting in a corner of the huge hall, watching all the colourful and stylish clothes, eating all this extravagant food was something I could never enjoy before. For the first time, I felt free and tasted a life that I would've had if my parents were still alive.

Well, I guess I didn't really look like I'm in the right place with my cover of a bookworm girl with really enormous glasses - I even had to carry books with me all the time! At least I managed to sneak in one book of my favourite author - my absolute, perfect idol, William Wardock! Even though he was 5 years older than me, he was extremely intelligent and terrifyingly strong, if he could use even 1% of the spells and techniques he wrote about in his books. A real shame no one knows who or where he is, if I knew... nothing, not even assassins could stop me from meeting him at least once.

I read about 100 of his books and learned a lot from it, thanks to that I became able to help Anaga with fighting the Dark Corps. I wished I could read more of it - but finding 'Magic Knowledge' in this kind of place was nearly impossible.

When those thugs appeared with guns I was almost sure they came for me - such a fancy device wouldn't normally land in the hands of these small fries. Fortunately, their aim wasn't me but I was still worried - the long queue for the door leading outside was too long and left both of us close to its end. My aunt may be strong but she's not bulletproof now that she can't protect herself with a magic barrier. She wasn't weak without mana but avoiding bullets without it would in most cases be a suicide. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that black haired magician go against the bandits. Why was he the only one able to use magic when no one else could? How could he so swiftly and easily throw around 3rd and 4th tier spells without a chant or an Ighis stone to help him? Even casting a dimensional pocket, a 7th tier magic didn't take him longer than a few seconds - something considered extraordinary even in my hometown.

I was... impressed. And wished that this guy would never become my - our enemy. If he was... I'm sure we won't survive no matter what we do.

...to think he could defeat all of those thugs so fast... and ummm? Did I hear him say that they murdered his chocolate? Was he actually... insane? Yep, he is. What he did to his wife... putting her to sleep just like that. And summoning a huge bed in the middle of a castle hall? Definitely not normal. And instead of a discussion with the king about this whole situation, he walked away and started eating a piece of cake!

...I don't understand this person at all!

-We should leave soon. Let's wait a little longer until it doesn't seem suspicious and we're getting out of here. This kind of commotion is bound to get attention from the Dark Corps, we can't stay in Blackhill any longer. - my aunt told me that quietly and we started to slowly retreat towards the door. In the meantime, I couldn't help but watch that highly skilled mage finish his meal, briefly talk to the king and go look out of the window. He didn't look shaken by what happened before, on the contrary, he seemed calm and even relaxed. I could see a small smile on his face when he moved closer to the window to look at something on the ground level. His actions were weird and unpredictable, making me more and more confused about what kind of person he was. At that moment he shook his head and looked... directly at me! And he grinned! Aunt Anaga immediately shouted:

-He must be an assassin! Run, Q! We don't stand a chance against him!