In a kingdom not too far from the Kingdom of Monotiz, an important meeting was taking place.
The kingdom was known as Flower Sky.
Inside a spacious and luxurious meeting room, three high-ranking officials sat around a long table. The atmosphere inside the room was serious.
"A new Player has appeared in the Kingdom of Monotiz?"
"Wasn't Yorn the only Player there?"
"Where did you hear a rumor like that?"
Standing before them was a sharp-faced man dressed in dark clothing typical of an assassin.
His name was Dapoo.
A high-ranking adventurer who worked directly for the Kingdom of Flower Sky.
Dapoo bowed slightly before answering.
"I heard it myself while visiting one of Monotiz's villages."
"Werenty Village."
The three officials immediately paid closer attention.
Dapoo continued.
"The issue isn't just the appearance of a new Player."
"According to the information I received, that Player killed two kingdom knights with a single attack."
The room instantly fell silent.
One of the officials frowned.
"That's impossible."
"Monotiz knights aren't that weak."
"Isn't this just an exaggerated rumor?"
Dapoo slowly shook his head.
"I have an informant currently serving as an elite knight in that kingdom."
"The information has already been confirmed."
"They are even carrying out a secret mission right now."
"A mission to kill that girl."
The expressions of the officials gradually became serious.
Dapoo continued.
"Unfortunately, the news has already spread."
"The people of Monotiz are beginning to panic."
"They fear the tragedy from twelve years ago will happen again."
Hearing that, one of the officials leaned back in his chair.
The incident from twelve years ago.
Someone who suddenly became a Player.
Then massacred his own village.
And later attacked the kingdom.
The event was still remembered by many people even now.
"What about the artifact you mentioned?"
"Does it really exist?"
one of the officials asked.
Dapoo nodded.
"I have also confirmed that information."
"The artifact does indeed exist."
"And if the information I received is accurate..."
"That artifact is extremely dangerous."
The three officials fell silent once again.
Another lengthy discussion began.
Several minutes later, one of them spoke again.
"Dapoo."
"Yes, sir."
"Didn't you once fight against that Monotiz Player?"
"Yorn."
Dapoo nodded.
"That's correct."
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"I heard you defeated him easily."
For the first time, Dapoo showed an uncomfortable expression.
"That... may be true."
"But only because he wasn't serious at the time."
The room became quiet again.
"What do you mean?"
Dapoo sighed.
"That Player named Yorn..."
"Is extremely talented."
"I'm not confident I could defeat him if I fought him again now."
"Isn't your level higher?"
"Only by two levels."
Dapoo stared at the table.
"The problem isn't the level."
"It's his age."
"I'm thirty-five years old."
"Meanwhile, he's only twenty-four."
"An eleven-year difference."
"Yet our strength is nearly equal."
"That's highly abnormal."
The three officials exchanged glances.
"So you believe he'll become a much greater threat in the future?"
"Correct."
The discussion resumed for a second time.
They considered various possibilities.
Until eventually one of the officials raised his hand.
"Enough."
"Dapoo, you may leave."
"Yes, sir."
Dapoo bowed and left the room.
After the door closed, the officials resumed talking.
"I think we should stay out of it."
"I agree."
"If that artifact truly is Legendary Class, the situation becomes far more complicated."
"We only have one Player in this kingdom as well."
"And that's Dapoo."
They all nodded.
"It's better if we observe from a distance."
"Even though our kingdom is close to Monotiz, it's still their problem."
"If we interfere, our own position may become dangerous."
"Especially since..."
One of the officials looked out the window.
"The king still hasn't awakened from his sleep."
Meanwhile...
In the Kingdom of Monotiz.
Inside an inn room.
"Aaaaghhh..."
Izumi rolled around on her bed.
"Why does the pain keep going..."
Beside her, Berin could only smile awkwardly.
"Because it doesn't just disappear."
"How about eating breakfast first?"
Only the two of them were in the room.
Nera and Welly had already entered a dungeon early in the morning.
Meanwhile, Liliy had gone to the royal library.
As a talented alchemist, she had special permission to enter the kingdom's research facilities.
Izumi stared at the window.
Bright sunlight poured into the room.
She grumbled inwardly.
Why is the sun so bright...
Can't somebody move it somewhere else...?
"Why do I feel so irritated!?"
Berin laughed softly.
"That's completely normal."
"Oh right."
"Whenever I'm on my period, I like singing."
"It helps improve my mood."
Izumi immediately raised her hand.
"Don't."
"Please don't."
"Eh..."
"Alright."
An hour passed.
But Izumi's condition did not improve.
She sat on the edge of the bed while holding a dagger.
Her face looked extremely serious.
"Hey, Berin."
"Yeah?"
"If I cut open my stomach with this dagger..."
"Will the pain go away?"
"NOOOO!!"
Berin immediately lunged forward and snatched away the dagger.
"Do you want to die!?"
Izumi let out a long sigh.
"I just can't take it anymore."
Berin nodded sympathetically.
"I understand."
"I really understand."
"When I experienced this for the first time, I almost jumped off a cliff."
Izumi blinked.
"That's pretty extreme."
Berin nodded seriously.
"I even wanted to burn down the inn once."
Izumi fell silent.
Women are truly terrifying...
Several hours later.
Izumi lay on the bed miserably.
"Aah..."
"I want something cold to eat."
"Something cold?"
Berin thought for a moment.
"How about ice cream?"
Izumi's eyes instantly sparkled.
"Eh? There's ice cream in this world?"
"This world?"
"Eh... I mean this place."
"Ooh."
"Of course there is."
"Then I want some!"
Berin stood up.
"Alright, wait here."
"I'll go buy some."
"No."
"I'm coming too."
Berin immediately froze.
"Seriously?"
"You're on your period."
"You should be resting."
"I'm coming no matter what."
Berin suddenly had a bad feeling.
A few minutes later.
They went downstairs.
Uncle Zix, who was cleaning tables, immediately turned around.
"Rumi?"
"Why are you going outside?"
"Aren't you currently..."
"What was it called again..."
Izumi stared at him expressionlessly.
"You're too noisy."
"Do you want me to cut off your tongue?"
Uncle Zix instantly froze.
"Eh..."
"No..."
"I was just..."
"Quiet."
Uncle Zix swallowed nervously.
Women are far scarier than monsters...
Berin simply nodded.
Yeah. I expected this.
They walked toward the ice cream shop.
When they arrived...
The shop was closed.
Izumi stared at the shop door for several seconds.
Then slowly turned her head.
"Berin."
"Yeah?"
"Am I allowed to kill someone?"
"DON'T!!"
"Do you want to become a criminal!?"
Berin immediately panicked.
"Please calm down!"
"Just calm down!"
Izumi looked up at the sky.
"Today is truly unlucky."
"You're not unlucky."
"You're just not used to it yet."
"What about my ice cream then?"
Berin pointed into the distance.
"The seller's house is outside the city."
Izumi closed her eyes.
"Far?"
"About an hour on foot."
Izumi immediately turned around.
"Let's go home."
Not long afterward, they returned to the inn.
The moment they opened the door...
Welly and Nera had just returned.
"Aaahh!"
"That was way too close!"
Nera still looked pale.
Welly sighed.
"If it weren't for me, you'd already be a corpse."
Berin blinked.
"What happened?"
"Nera almost got killed by a monster."
"It was an accident!"
Nera shouted.
Welly pointed at her.
"You literally led the monster toward me!"
"If I hadn't used a Scroll of Speed, we'd both be dead!"
"What monster?"
Berin asked.
"A Horned Wolf."
Berin immediately understood.
"No wonder."
"That's a B-Class monster."
Nera raised both hands.
"I accidentally ran into it!"
At that exact moment...
An incredibly dense killing intent filled the room.
The air temperature seemed to drop drastically.
Izumi stood beside her bed.
Her face was expressionless.
"You people..."
"Are really noisy."
Everyone instantly froze.
Welly.
Nera.
Berin.
They felt the hairs on the backs of their necks stand up.
As if a high-ranking magical monster was staring directly at them.
Nera nearly burst into tears.
"Sorry..."
"Rumi..."
"We just got carried away..."
A few seconds later, the killing intent disappeared.
Just like that.
As if it had never existed.
Outside the inn.
An A-Rank adventurer who happened to be passing by suddenly stopped walking.
His face turned pale.
Cold sweat covered his body.
"That killing intent just now..."
"It..."
"It felt so similar to that old knight who oversees the training examination..."
He swallowed nervously.
His heart pounded violently.
"What exactly happened in there...?"
But there was no answer.
Because the killing intent had already vanished.
And inside the inn, a black-haired girl lay on her bed, still complaining about a pain that, to her, was even more terrifying than being shot by bullets.
"I hate periods..."
At the exact same moment, Nera, Welly, and Berin all thought the same thing.
"What the heck was that just now...?"