A Peculiar Re-employment

“Dismiss it, dismiss it,” she mused. “I’ll be gone in a couple of days anyway, and the affairs of this city hardly concern me.”

In this otherworld, acts of bullying, murder, and arson were far too commonplace. At best, she could voice her indignation when witnessing an injustice, and even then, only if she stood a chance of winning the fight.

“So be it,” she concluded, “others would surely take care of it.”

Iordera picked up her little bear eraser, meticulously rubbing out the first entry in her otherworld diary before switching off the lamp and settling back into bed.

‘Perhaps I should review my own status,’ she mused, ‘Having beaten someone tonight, I’d shot up three levels. I wonder if I’d acquired any new skills.’

Closing her eyes, the familiar control panel materialized in her mind’s eye.

[High-Speed Hand Blade Lv1: Unleashes a hand-blade attack imbued with cutting properties, delivered in a three-stage sequence.

Each successive stage doubles the activation speed of the one preceding it, with the third stage inflicting a bleeding effect.]

‘An old skill,’ she thought, ‘its description alone reveals little, but considering the practical efficacy of the Joint Hammer, this one shouldn’t disappoint either.’

Iordera bestowed upon it the judgment: ‘promising for the future.’

The next prompt, appearing after her recent level-up, read: [You have reached Level 20. Unspent upgrade energy detected. Unlock new skill?]

‘Yes, absolutely!’ she affirmed.

[Unlocked: Flexible Tendons (Passive)]

[Flexible Tendons: During the execution of a segmented skill, its progression can be temporarily halted to activate another skill. The subsequent stage of the original skill can then be resumed within five seconds.]

‘Now *this* is useful!’ she exclaimed.

‘From now on,’ she mused, ‘when I encounter an opponent, I’ll start with an elbow strike, then transition into a High-Speed Hand Blade, delivering two swift slashes before their eyes. Following that, I’ll suddenly clench my palm into a fist, landing the second stage of the Joint Hammer squarely on their face.’

‘Wouldn’t such a combat sequence be utterly devastating in a team fight?’

Iordera dismissed the control panel, drifting into a contented sleep.

****

The following morning, Iordera rose early as usual. Though she was no longer bound by work, the habit of early rising had ingrained itself deeply.

Shedding her dress, she changed into an ensemble more suited for venturing out: a jacket paired with shorts. Her intention for the day was a visit to the city’s library.

Once she had donned the ultra-short shorts, a style typically favored by younger girls, Iordera stretched her legs, ensuring her movements remained unhindered.

While this choice of attire undeniably showcased her slender, girlish legs, what alternative did she have? Longer pant legs would bind her knees, a potentially fatal impediment during combat.

‘And these slender legs truly are quite fetching… *Ahem*! Real men pay no mind to such trifles.’

The only drawback was their discomfort; if only the material were of a finer quality.

As Iordera pondered this, she happened to pass the maids’ quarters, noticing their discarded coarse outer garments. It was clear that everyone, herself included, was similarly clad in less-than-ideal attire.

‘Alas,’ she sighed, ‘we are still so short on coin.’

In the crisp morning air, the city of Juneburg was yet to fully stir, its streets still bearing a desolate quiet. Armed with the map she had purchased days prior, Iordera at last located the grand library.

Entry, she discovered, required the payment of two silver coins to access its vast collection.

“ ‘The Legends of the Continent,’ ” she murmured to herself, “ ‘it ought to be in this book.’ ”

[Character Section: The Continent’s Foremost Legend – The Guardian Sheila.]

She had indeed found the information she sought, yet the deeper Iordera delved into the text, the more incredulous she became.

The account was excessively mythologized: it claimed that a millennium ago, Sheila emerged as the continent’s preeminent power, subsequently uniting the surrounding tribes and races. Together, they had valiantly repelled the then-dominant Beastkin, thereby solidifying humanity’s precarious standing.

She was credited with quelling clan rebellions, assisting the inaugural imperial family in establishing their empire, and forging an unprecedented unity among humankind.

Over the ensuing centuries, she purportedly initiated the Dragon Wars, the Elven Wars, the Goblin Expulsion War, and countless other grand campaigns. Under Sheila’s unwavering leadership, humanity invariably triumphed, and their stature, growing incrementally with each victory, steadily ascended.

In essence, she was hailed as humanity’s eternal deity.

“ ‘To have lived for so long and accomplished so much,’ ” Iordera murmured, clicking her tongue in disbelief. “ ‘Truly astonishing.’ ”

Nevertheless, given that Sheila was the one Hecate claimed had forged her very body, Iordera found herself hoping the legend was true and that Sheila was indeed as formidable as described.

‘If my creator possessed such divine power, then surely I, too, must possess some remarkable qualities,’ she reasoned.

While the book’s praise bordered on the mythical, its narrative lacked specific details. She resolved to seek out more comprehensive information.

Rounding the corner of the bookshelf, Iordera’s gaze suddenly fell upon a figure entirely shrouded in black.

“ ‘Sir Olcott?’ ”

Her former employer, Sir Olcott, the Black Knight, stood there engrossed in a book. Hearing his name called, he promptly lowered the volume and turned his gaze toward her.

“ ‘Iordera?’ ” Sir Olcott’s face brightened with a sudden smile. “ ‘Perfect timing; I was just looking for you.’ ”

“ ‘Ahem, just Iordera will do,’ ” the fair-skinned girl corrected, instinctively clutching her coin purse. “ ‘May I inquire, sir, about the nature of your business?’ ”

‘He couldn’t possibly be reneging on our agreement, could he?’ she worried, ‘planning to reclaim the eight thousand coins he overpaid me.’

Sir Olcott, observing her subtle gesture, offered a wry smile. “ ‘I have no intention of reclaiming your money; there’s no need for alarm,’ ” he assured her.

‘Oh, he’s not asking for money,’ she thought with relief. ‘In that case, everything is negotiable. *Anything* is negotiable.’

“ ‘I wish to ask you to resume your duties as her jailer,’ ” Sir Olcott said, pausing momentarily before adding, “ ‘and I will increase your daily remuneration to six gold coins.’ ”

‘Four thousand transformed into six thousand?’ she mused, a flicker of interest in her eyes.

Iordera’s tongue darted out to moisten her lips, a spark of temptation igniting within her. Yet, she swiftly regained her composure and inquired,

“ ‘Might you explain your reasoning?’ ” she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion. “ ‘Your actions strike me as rather peculiar. First, you dismissed me, claiming it was for my safety, and now you summon me back…’ ”

The fair-skinned girl’s unspoken implication was clear: ‘By your logic, Lord Black Knight, my departure ensured my safety. Does my recall, then, signal an impending threat to it?’

The Black Knight massaged his temples, reflecting for a moment before he offered an explanation. “ ‘Previously,’ ” he began, “ ‘I observed her frequent conversations with you and mistakenly believed she intended you harm. However, I have since come to realize she merely wished to converse… finding your company agreeable.’ ”

In truth, he hadn’t ‘discovered’ anything of the sort, but what choice did Sir Olcott have? The new recruits he’d sent in had been instantly annihilated.

Moreover, the witch had explicitly threatened him: if this particular girl wasn’t returned, she would continue to wreak havoc.

Iordera offered him two dry, disbelieving laughs.

‘Finding my company agreeable?’ she thought. ‘That line wouldn’t even fool a *true* little girl.’

Yet, she let her hand fall, her fingers brushing against the coarse fabric of her ill-fitting clothes, and her thoughts drifted to her family’s plight.

“ ‘Allow me to confirm this first,’ ” she stated. “ ‘The individual in detainment, aside from speaking, is utterly incapable of physically harming me, correct?’ ”

“ ‘Precisely,’ ” Sir Olcott affirmed, his voice resolute. “ ‘I can guarantee it.’ ”

“ ‘In that case, I must present a few additional demands,’ ” Iordera declared, extending her two small, fair hands toward Sir Olcott. “ ‘Firstly, I shall require ten gold coins daily.’ ”

Sir Olcott’s eyelid twitched involuntarily.

“ ‘…Very well,’ ” he conceded.

“ ‘My second demand,’ ” Iordera continued, her tone measured, “ ‘is that I cannot be confined to the cell all day, doing absolutely nothing; it is excruciatingly dull.’ ” She then inquired, “ ‘Aside from the times for meal delivery and cleaning, may I be permitted to leave the cell?’ ”

Sir Olcott pondered for a considerable moment before nodding reluctantly. “ ‘That, too, is acceptable,’ ” he finally stated, “ ‘but you must obtain her consent. If she agrees, then you may indeed leave.’ ”

Iordera paused, taken aback. “ ‘I am a jailer,’ ” she exclaimed, “ ‘must I truly cater to the whims of a prisoner?’ ”

“ ‘You are aware of her identity,’ ” Sir Olcott replied with a sigh of resignation, “ ‘so a certain degree of deference is warranted. As long as her requests are not entirely unreasonable, indulging her slightly will cause no harm.’ ”

‘Consider it a means of pressure release,’ he thought. ‘It grants the witch’s imprisonment a measure of amusement; otherwise, if she were pushed to her breaking point, Sir Olcott couldn’t fathom the consequences.’