It was an hour past midnight, as I traveled with Renfry and Shira to the rendezvous point. Veers had been deemed better suited to remaining behind, and Corinn had seemed reluctant to send me as well. A reminder of how many assassins I had killed hours earlier had helped convince him. He did want the operation to succeed, and pairing the explanation of how my enchanted greatsword could carve through six bodies at once with an Alluring Smile had proven even more effective than I’d hoped. I would have to experiment more with combining persuasion methods later.

I invisibly followed the others as they headed to a designated point inside the trading district, across the river. Torches, possibly magical, lit the main thoroughfares, but we switched to darkened side streets shortly after we crossed the bridge. As we entered the warehouse that had been indicated to us, I saw two dark-robed figures waiting.

They lowered their hoods, revealing helmets underneath. Shira looked back and nodded in my general direction, so I disabled my invisibility. The figures in front of us startled, and stared. They were both men. Before they could get any ideas, I produced my greatsword, and began running a finger along it.

Shira got their attention. “We are here on schedule. What’s the plan?”

They jerked their eyes back to her, and the one on the left spoke. “We will be traveling to another meeting point, close to our destination. You will be joining a group of twenty eight combatants in total, who will be assaulting the main entrance, while another group of sixteen assaults the rear. Shortly before the attack, our stealth specialists will be slipping inside, and move to secure what they can when the assault commences. Meanwhile, additional forces will be forming a perimeter to ensure that no assassins slip through.”

Exactly as I had anticipated. Handling competent people could be frustrating, but when I knew the same things they did, they could be quite predictable. Soon, I would be able to start implementing my own plan…

Shira nodded in acknowledgment, and they approached to give us enchanted bracelets that would limit the effectiveness of magical tracking and detection, along with potions of night vision. The man providing mine blushed as I reached out to take it, and I felt him shiver slightly as my hand brushed against his. Men were so sensitive about this! I would have to keep looking into how to use this to my advantage!

Once our bracelets were equipped, our new companions raised their hoods and exited through a side door. I returned to invisibility and followed them out. Soon, we were once more passing through densely packed tenements. The overhanging walkways would have made our route almost pitch black, but with the potion it became visible in shades of grey.

A nondescript house was our new destination. There were nineteen people inside when we began filtering through the door, all wearing cloaks of some kind, with armor underneath. No one spoke, and a short while later, the remaining four people in our attack group entered as well. To ensure the count was right, I decided that was a good time to return to visibility, prompting surprised stares that were interrupted when a heavyset man with a grey-flecked beard stepped forward and began to speak in a low-pitched voice.

“The rear attack group is also in position, and our infiltrators are moving in now. In three minutes, we will depart through the back and form up to attack. If there are any alchemicals you’d like to use, now is the time to get them ready. Watch your sides when we strike; assassins like to approach unseen, but they don’t last long in a brawl. Stick together, and don’t give them any openings.”

Silence returned when he finished. The others spent the time inspecting their weapons, checking their belts, drinking a variety of potions, or just gazing around the room. Many of their gazes turned towards me; I was of course the most distinctive person there. Some of their looks were simply… I guess lustful was the word, but I could see some were curious as I tested the balance of my halberd. I planned to give them a lot more to be curious about before the night was finished!

The leader gestured and made for the back. Everyone else followed, waiting for him to slide the wooden door open, and then passing through the wide exit three at a time. I returned to invisibility as I departed. We formed up behind a street corner, the target clearly off to our left. For several seconds, we waited. Then he gave the signal, and we charged.

Rounding the corner, I saw the stone wall of a building fifty yards down the alley. I’d been planning to stay with the formation at this point, but with the bracelet, I could take a gamble. A sprint put me within a dozen yards of the wall when the others had closed half the distance. Crossbow bolts started to hammer against their shields, coming from second-story windows, which they had foolishly opened. As the building’s front door parted to reveal black-clad figures, the time arrived for my plan to begin in earnest!

A jump brought me halfway into the window, and SURPRISE! ONE BISECTION! TWO BISECTIONS! “GNH!” THERE’S MORE OF YOU? HERE, HAVE SOME GREATSWORD!

One room clear, but I couldn’t delay; already, they would be moving to destroy their valuables, and the infiltrators would be trying to get there first! Quickly through the door and WHERE ARE YOU GOING? DOWN, THAT’S WHERE! “GUH! UGH!” SHOOT FROM BEHIND? I’LL… have to keep going further in… SMASH THIS WALL… AND THIS WALL… HEAVY ROCKS CAN SOLVE EVERYTHING!

HERE, HAVE ONE! YOU DODGED? DODGE MY GREATSWORD LEAP… AND SPIN… AND FASTER SPIN! HAH, NOT SO NIMBLE NOW! GAH! ANOTHER CROSSBOW? HAVE MY BOULDER! THERE! CAN’T RELOAD NOW!

Where was I… there were tables… and the sound of something happening down a hallway! Have to hurry… YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? IS THAT A FUSE? I’LL JUST- DODGE! – AND STOMP IT OUT… AND… SURPRISE HALBERD STAB! AGAIN! NOW THE THROAT!

The current room was clearly a storage area. Besides the two-foot-wide box in the middle with a cold fuse, there were racks full of alchemical vials, a half-full rack of weaponry, boxes containing what looked like alchemical ingredients, and a large iron chest full of papers. I had been told that paperwork was useless since it would be encrypted, but these papers looked more like schematics… they would do.

The chest was nearly as wide as I was tall, but I was strong! I could… lift it! I was… STRONG! NO MERE BOX WILL STOP ME! TIME TO HEAD OUT! WILL THIS SMASH WALLS? IT WILL! ARE YOU NEXT- oh wait you’re friendly – ANOTHER WALL DOWN! WHERE’S A WINDOW? WHAT ABOUT THROUGH THIS WALL? THERE!- OH AND YOU! YOU GO OUT FIRST! NOW JUMP… AND… “NNNGGG!”

That wasn’t my best landing. The crossbowman I’d defenestrated was doing a lot worse though. Regeneration was fixing things quickly, so it wasn’t a problem. Might as well return to invisibility while I was at it. Now…

[Class Unlocked: Thief!]

[Level Up: Thief Level 3!]

[Ability Obtained: Enhanced Reflexes!]

[Ability Obtained: Stealth!]

Huh. That hadn’t been part of the plan. Might be useful though, I could consider it later… wait where was he going so fas-

DODGE! CAN’T SEE ME ANYMORE, HUH? GO FOR THAT CHEST? NOPE, VENOMBLADE SHOULD- “HRK! ACK! UNH!” GREATSWORD SPIN! “GNNH! URK!” FASTER! FASTER… that hurt... have to MOVE FASTER… oh… that must be the perimeter guards… that’s a lot of arrows… yep, he’s down… I should probably sit down now… those blades must have been poisoned too…

[Level Up: Nude Berserker Level 28!]

I saw someone approaching me from further down the street. Since she did not start doing a human pincushion impression, I could assume she was on the same side. She offered me a potion, which I confirmed was an anti-toxin, and then drank. It didn’t taste that bad, though Enhanced Metabolism might have been dulling it. At any rate, I could feel my recovery improving.

“That man might have been the highest-level person they had. He seemed quite intent on dealing with the contents of that chest. What does it contain?”

“Schematics of some kind, from what I could see. It was in a room that one of them was trying to blow up when I arrived.” Yes, it had been a good thing I was so fast. If I hadn’t been here, it would probably have been destroyed. Soon, more people would have to respect me!

“Schematics,” she muttered, approaching and glancing inside herself. Her eyes widened. “Many of these designs are the work of recognized master craftsmen… They would not have given these away, or sold them… If the Gilded Hand have been gathering all these, they could be sold…”

She caught herself. “Ah, the time to discuss such things is later. For now, we form up to convey everything back to Headquarters.”

A couple dozen people passed by, heading for the building even as several armored figures departed. At this point, it was clear that resistance had been dealt with, and it was now just a matter of collecting everything. Three horse-drawn wagons were brought up, and the chest was loaded in along with a wide assortment of boxes and two prisoners. Less than an hour after the engagement ended, we started heading back, my injuries now fully healed. I debated turning invisible once more, but there wasn’t any reason. We were the only traffic up at this time, and if the others didn’t like my choice of attire, they were just going to have to get used to it!

*****************************************************

The sun had evidently been up for a while by the time I got out of bed the next morning. We had encountered no opposition on our return trip, and I had followed Shira back to the mansion shortly after our group entered the government district. Merigar had still been awake when we arrived, and I had gone straight to my current bedroom and fallen asleep shortly afterward. I generally didn’t do late nights, but if that was what it took to get ahead, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Well, it was time I had breakfast. Yes, I could just eat a single large meal every couple days and that might save time, but there were useful social things I needed to do during meals, and I still needed to find someone to learn the rules from. Besides, if people were going to just put incredibly delicious food in front of me, how could I refuse?

I didn’t see anyone else on my way down. With all the shifted sleep schedules, that wasn’t really surprising. Food was served in the same private dining area as before, though I was the only one there at the moment. The meal appeared to be some kind of omelet, and it was, as expected, wonderful. I might have to start being careful not to overload my Enhanced Metabolism at some point… but since its capacity presumably increased with level, that would not be a problem for a while yet.

Once the serving tray was empty, I decided to wait and consider my next goals. The assassins were presumably no longer an immediate problem, so it was time to look further ahead. I really needed to learn the social rules of this place. The nobility, with the “royals” on top, were clearly feared and respected by those beneath, so I would need to figure out how to interact with them in a way that worked to my advantage. Which would require not being invisible…

I needed to get stronger so I could do what I wanted, but right now getting stronger required… doing things I didn’t want. I could either find some level of dress that skirted the bounds of social acceptability without sacrificing too much of my strength, or just ignore respectability altogether, which would make things harder… I needed to know more about what was considered acceptable first. I needed to find someone familiar with how the city worked, whom I could convince to teach me. Hm…

Well, information was what I was seeking, so Ulindi Vassil would probably be a good starting point. Now I just had to find her. Perhaps Merigar would know? Huh, there he was!

“Miss Talia. It is good that you are awake. There will be a noon meeting at the Ministry of Espionage to discuss the results of the raid. Prior to that, you are welcome to join the others reviewing things in the conference room.”

That would delay things… but if the assassins could still become a problem later, I would want to know. I learned that Ulindi was in the conference room as well and then made my way back upstairs.

I found all of the same faces from yesterday gathered inside, minus Veers. I heard the tail end of a conversation trying to estimate how many assassins were left, and then Corinn turned to me.

“I heard you broke off from the main attack to head inside on your own. You could have been surrounded and overwhelmed! I thought you were smarter than that.”

Oh, so he thought he knew better than me? If he was disappointed, I was far more so. But I would set him straight soon enough. “The whole point of the main attack was to draw most of the hostile attention so that the infiltrators would be free to advance. They would all be more fragile than I am.”

“But stealth is time consuming. Jumping down hallways and smashing through walls is faster. If I had just gone along with everything else, valuable materials including a large chest filled with schematics would have been destroyed. I did encounter resistance inside, but only isolated individuals: nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“I heard you were found severely wounded,” Corinn accused.

“That happened after I left,” I replied, scowling. “He was apparently the highest-level enemy there, and he tried to destroy the schematics before making a break for it. I hurt him, and then the perimeter watchers finished him off. It wasn’t that bad, I have Regeneration.”

Corinn sat in silence, reflecting. How dare he question me! My plan had been based on a perfect read of Oquila’s attack strategy, and had worked flawlessly! He clearly couldn’t find a flaw in my approach, so why was he not admitting to my superior ability? He looked… worried for me? Why would he care? Well, I had been trying to cultivate positive interaction, but this seemed like more than that. He… evidently had an emotional attachment to me now. It could be useful later, but right now, it was annoying. I evidently had not made it clear enough that I could handle myself. Time to correct that.

“Look, Corinn,” I said, adopting an Alluring Smile as I pushed back my chair and stretched. “I appreciate that you’re concerned about me, but the truth is…”

I jumped over the table, grabbing him by the shoulders and letting the momentum propel him into the opposite wall. I glimpsed the others quickly rising, but they did not approach I held him there, his feet several inches off the ground, and continued. “…I can determine on my own which threats I can beat. I’m strong, and I’m going to become stronger. You don’t need to worry about me, or yourself. I’m not going to let anything hurt that wonderful body of yours.” I approached, pressing myself against him as I smiled into his apprehensive yet anticipatory face. I could feel a hardness at his groin, and his breathing was shallow.

“Talia, this is a-” he began, reluctantly. I kissed him on the lips before he could continue, letting my body hold him in place while I raised my hands to cup his perfect jawline. I needed to finish first. “If anything threatens me, or you, I will crush it. If it’s too strong, I will get stronger and crush it even harder! Give me the resources I need, and nothing will stop me! Oh, and then I’m sure we will find delightful things to do afterward…”

I kissed him one last time, then slowly relaxed the pressure against him. He slid to the ground as I withdrew my hands, running them through his hair first because it was such nice hair… Shira and Renfry were still on their feet, looking half-away respectfully. Ulindi, Meryl, and Ullian were awkwardly pretending not to watch. Veers was apparently staring slack-jawed in the doorway. Well then.

I jumped backwards over the table and landed in front of my chair. Graceful Movement was definitely a useful ability! Corinn looked to be recovering his dignity as Veers was closing his mouth. But it was too late for him to object now! I had him, and everyone had seen it! Now I would just need to strengthen my influence, and I would finally have a foundation here. It had been so much fun too! It felt good to stop holding back!

[Level Up: Courtesan Level 13!]

[Ability Obtained: Inspire Confidence!]

Leveling up felt good too.

Corinn apparently recognized the futility of his former position, because he quickly moved on to other topics. A lot of it was guesswork, since Oquila still had the bulk of the information, and it was her organization that was looking through everything gathered in the raid. We had an hour before we met them, so people adjourned, with those who hadn’t been up last night getting something to eat beforehand.

I remained seated, reflecting on the coming engagement. Oquila would be very different from Corinn; I had no connection to her, and she seemed only interested in results. She was apparently quite committed to the good of the Imperium, though of course, good results for the Imperium further solidified her own position. It would ultimately come down to how valuable those schematics were… They were certainly valuable enough to justify my approach, but if the value was high enough, that could open up interesting possibilities…