Day by day passes...
During that time, I kept training myself while looking for the shortcomings in the exo-armor I made.
How to say it… For agility on the battlefield, it moves like a walking light tank. But the preparation to use it? Yeah, a bit troublesome. So, I had to revise the design.
I'm still thinking about what happened that night…
Luckily, it wasn't an assassin—just a lady witch.
To make it easier, I developed modular parts like arm guards and calf guards. By wearing those separately on the outside, I could quickly activate the full exo-armor.
When I want to use it, I just step into the docking place I've built—like a cockpit—and the rest of the armor installs itself automatically.
Much more efficient. Much easier to remove.
For the efficiency of magic runes…
It seems way more effective when they're integrated like magic circuits.
I just hope this path doesn't turn me into some "Hero of Justice" or anything.
No! I don't want that!!!
But every time I eat that fruit… it's exactly like the witch said.
With each bite, my mana gradually amplifies.
It's subtle—but clear.
Like the shackles inside me are loosening, piece by piece.
I don't know why.
And honestly… that part kind of scares me.
12 weeks have passed.
As usual, at night, after I finished training with my exo-armor…
I took it off and went down.
I was about to inspect it—thinking about a few adjustments for better performance.
There were still some tweaks I needed to make.
Then suddenly, she appeared.
Who else, if not her?
Lady Witch.
"Hello, my prince… How are you?"
she asked, already seated on a bench, resting her head casually on one hand, as if she'd been waiting there the whole time.
"Hello… beautiful lady witch. What brings you here?" I asked, still a little surprised.
"Oh… no need to be that scared. I came here because it looks like something interesting is about to happen," she answered in a lazy, almost teasing tone.
I hadn't even gathered my thoughts when she suddenly shifted her gaze toward the shadows.
"Right… shadow…" she murmured, her voice dropping a note.
"Oh… you know very well… As expected from the Shadow Witch."
A voice echoed from the darkness.
Still stunned, I watched as a figure emerged—dressed in black from head to toe, wearing a devil mask and holding two small knives glinting under the moonlight.
Then she turned to me.
Without a word, she reached up, pulled off her mask, and said casually,
"Prince… why aren't you asleep yet?"
My breath caught.
It was… a familiar face. One I saw every single day.
My personal maid—Ranya.
But now, a single drop of blood slid down the edge of her knife.
It seems like she was on a secret mission… I thought to myself, heart pounding.
Still confused, I asked, "So, Ranya… what exactly are you doing out here at night, dressed like that?"
She replied flatly, "Secret."
Expressionless. Just like always.
I sighed. "Figures…"
Then Ranya turned her gaze to the bench. "So… Master Lilith, what brings you here?"
Lilith chuckled softly, resting her cheek in her palm. "No need to be so tense, little shadow. I just thought I'd join the fun."
I was still confused by the witch's words, so I asked, "So… what's so fun about this?"
Before Lilith could answer, Ranya stepped in. "Prince… you don't need to know. Just do what you usually do."
"Okay…" I muttered, scratching my head as I tried to remember.
"Oh, right… Time to eat some of that fruit." I reached into the spatial bag, searching for today's slice.
As I picked it up, I heard the witch murmur under her breath, almost too softly—yet just enough for me to catch.
"This is one of the interesting parts…"
Hearing those words, Ranya suddenly grew tense, her eyes narrowing as she shifted her stance slightly—ready for anything.
I, who didn't catch what the witch had muttered, was confused by Ranya's sudden wariness. Still, I paid it little mind and continued chewing the fruit.
As always, the moment I swallowed it, a surge of mana coursed through me, amplifying my core.
But this time… something was different.
The invisible rope that bound me… loosened—just a little.
And then, I felt it. Like shards of glass shattering inside me—not my body, but something deeper. My soul.
The pieces didn't scatter… they merged. Slowly, painfully, they became part of me again.
At that moment, fragments of memories began flashing through my mind like broken film reels—
IX RK recruitment… Gebirgsjäger enlistment… 352nd Infantry Division transfer protocols… 7th Army deployment procedures…
Memories. But not mine.They belonged to someone else—an unnamed soldier who somehow made it through.
Foreign names, numbers, tactics—none of which I should've known—etched themselves into my brain with terrifying clarity.
I clutched my head, breath shallow, pain pulsing like a drum in my skull.
From the bench, the witch's voice rang out, detached and curious, "Interesting…"
She watched me like a scientist observing her favorite experiment.
"What are you doing to him?" Ranya growled, eyes locked on Lilith, both hands gripping her knives with deadly intent.
But I raised my hand, still panting. "Wait… it's not her…"
My voice trembled as I met their eyes.
"It's already inside me."
As the pain slowly ebbed away, I turned to face the witch, my breath still uneven.
Before I could utter a single word, she leaned forward slightly, her eyes gleaming.
"Fragmented memories… How? What did you get?" she asked, her tone sharp with interest.
I hesitated for a moment, then replied with a shrug, "Nothing important."
She narrowed her eyes, clearly not convinced—but before she could press further—
Ding... ding... ding...
The warning bell rang from the outer walls.
Its steady rhythm echoed through the night air.
Then came the scream of the guards:
"INTRUDER!!!"
The air shifted. Lilith's smile faded.
Ranya immediately crouched into a battle stance.