Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 215: Arc 4, Act I, - 60: The Days to Come

No rain overlooked this night—the clouds however rolled through all the same; enough for a few stars to gleam at least. The deal was struck only this evening and the night carried the weight of everyone’s unrest.

The prime minister departed, some of the guests even departed while some stayed to leave by dawn. Success? Only time would tell and only hope could drive them forward.

Twenty-four days—three weeks plus to prepare and plans were already brewing within the paranoiac’s mind as she lied in bed, staring up.

Alone with her thoughts, awaiting another night to be intertwined with someone else’s arms. Just as her memories of crimson locks whisked past her, she felt a shiver down her spine.

Jotou peered to her left. ’I swear I just saw something blue flash.’ She knitted her brows and picked up her blade by the nightstand. The curtains obstructed a little bit of her view as she crept up in a nightgown.

She pressed a hand on the window to open into the balcony, and her eyes widened to a figure who stood on the handrailing outside. Jotou pushed open the door and her blade sparked.

"Uh, uh, uh; you take one step closer and I’m gone."

Jotou paused, her feet barely on the balcony tiles as she glared to the figure draped in navy blue, a scarf fluttering in the wind. A helmeted head with a thin dark blue visor and carbon-like plating across—a familiar figure.

"What are you doing here?" she stared daggers.

The figure sighed, placing one foot over the other as she stood precariously, "I’ve been here for a bit. Enough to know that your girlfriend isn’t coming anytime within the next twenty minutes."

"Answer me, why are you here?"

"And here I pegged you for a clever one pretty Princely."

"Trailon sent you to keep tabs on everything going on."

"Glad I wasn’t wrong then. So," the footsteps of icy blue trailed upwards in a little mist as she bent forward and took a step off the handrail. The frost surrounded her and softened her fall as she sat onto the balcony itself.

She put one leg over the other, armoured chin in her palm, "There’s gonna be a final stand. I mean, I knew the plan already, but you coaxed the prime minister into saying it way sooner; with a yell no less," amusement oozed through her words.

"Well Frost," Jotou stood upright, but didn’t let her guard down, "You said it; each new leader’s a bigger idiot than the last. I just played that to my advantage, though I wasn’t expecting it to come to one final stand."

"Hm, fair enough."

"Let me rephrase. Why are you here, on my balcony right now?"

"To answer any questions you might have; I’m assuming you have more than a few."

"Who are you?"

She chuckled, "The Frosting Wind."

"You know what I meant."

"Can’t tell."

"So you’re not here to answer questions I might have?" the blonde smirked.

"Listen smart-ass, I obviously can’t say certain things. You just gotta ask the right questions."

"How many letters are there in your name?"

If a mask could have its eyes glaze over, this was it.

"Are there any vowels?"

...

"How old’re you? More than twenty?"

...

"Less than twenty?"

Frost cocked her head to the side.

"Oh so I’m close? Twenty, final answer."

"...You can keep trying," Frost snarked.

The blonde glared, "You know there’s only one reason I’m not attacking right now."

The head cocked back, "Cause I’d be gone before you could?"

"How d’you even get here? I didn’t see any snow."

"Well, the snow helps me blink across the clouds cause they’re denser. But... I took a page out of your handbook and skipped a level to learn a better spell. Teleport, grandmaster level; it’s really handy for long distances."

"The palace has wards against teleportation magics."

"Oh believe me, I know. But it just means I had to get close enough with the spell, sneak in manually and then go wherever I want; it doesn’t stop me from using spells once I’m in."

Jotou huffed as she leaned against the window, "Why did you give me that letter?"

"Who knows? Could be just that I’m looking out for you."

"And why would you do that?"

Frost gave a shrug and hummed. "I’m more surprised about something else."

"What?"

"That you haven’t gone to Northern Cravolta or even search for the Princelys."

"What is it with you and the Princelys? And how long have you been watching me to even know that?"

"For a while; it was a nice dress you wore to the gala," a smirk in her tone. "Can’t answer that first question though. I’m just curious, why haven’t you? Your buddy from another world’s parents are dead here and the loose family’s all here."

Jotou’s eyes sparked, "How long’ve you been watching Daiyu...?"

"Enough to know when to slit her throat."

The blade in her hand gripped and arced with lightning.

"If I need to~ Cool it pretty Princely, I could’ve done that a while ago. I could’ve killed all your friends in their sleep. I’d hope that’s some sign of good faith," she put her hands up.

"How decent of you... Guess Trailon didn’t send their icy lapdog on assassinations just yet hm?"

"Hmph, the prime minister would’ve already ordered it if there wasn’t some people with brains around him. If I do that, the world’ll start attacking instead of defending."

"Trailon killed the king and queen of Cravolta."

Frost had a hand to her chest, "The king and queen were on the battlefield, call it spineless, but it was fair game; it’s not like I did it. Now, I’ve been cooperative..."

Jotou stared... till the spark on her blade disappeared. "I’m not a Princely; I’m Jotou Howllett. The world needs to dig into records to find someone named Anastasia Princely and only a handful of people knew her.

My identifications say Jotou Howllett and so does the news. The news of me coming back from the dead isn’t as widespread as the news of my feats.

Layla Princely, from what I know, was a paranoiac who thought her family would be coming after her and her daughter after she was ostracized, making them two ghosts in Kria.

The thing is, she’s dead as a Krian citizen. Ana was the daughter of an ostracized Princely whose identity was barely known. Meaning, even if by technicality I have their genes, I’m not a ’Princely’.

Not to mention, they wouldn’t know my existence at all. What help do I need from them? There’s no real question I need to ask. I’m me, that’s enough.

’Knock, knock, hey there!’ ’Who are you?’ ’Oh, I’m a Princely, wanna do a blood test?’ ’Oh wow you are a Princely! What do ya want?’ ’I don’t know, a trust fund?’," she derided with a wide smile till her face drooped into a scowl.

Frost sighed, "Fair enough. You’ve got ten minutes left."

"The last stand, what do you think of it?"

"It’s an order to be executed."

"Does Trailon have some trick up their sleeve? Some other war crime brewing?"

"Not that I know of. This a tantrum of a response, that’s it. Although, I think the best one to get Trailon out of this mess with the least damage. There’s a good chance Trailon’s winning."

"Because of the six elite soldiers?"

"... So that’s why you were talking to that emissary."

"I hear you’re the weakest," Jotou crossed her arms in a smile.

The helmet tilted down ever so slightly, "Doesn’t mean I can’t beat your ass pretty Princely. Six elite soldiers..."

"Any intel on them?"

"Hm... I know it’s unlikely all of us will be sent to that battle. You’ll probably have a couple or more. Who knows really? Maybe Trailon sends all six," Frost shrugged.

The blonde stared... ’Thanks for the answer, I feel so much surer.’ "Any other intel on them? I know you must have a mobility affinity; second one’s... offensive?"

"Mm," she contemplated. "Not like you haven’t seen it," Frost stood back up on the railing. "It’s the other way around; mobility’s my lesser. Anyway, I only know bits and pieces. Cinder’s our helm and the most powerful."

"The Cindering Brimstone?"

"So you know them."

"Was told their titles at least."

"Well the names are indicative. His element’s fire, but the exacts, I don’t know. His fire’s blue and it looks pretty painful—really big sword."

"What? There isn’t an elite soldiers monthly gathering where you share your best kills over tea?"

"We don’t pry cause that’s a good way to get a bullet in your head," Frost sneered.

"The Encircling Gale."

"Gale has wind and the encircling is no joke—storms, tornadoes, vacuums. Try not to put all the soldiers close together."

"Let me guess, you call the next one Poison?"

"Feather actually."

"Ah of course, how could I ever not come to that conclusion?" Jotou tightened her lips.

"Sass all you want, I’m just giving you sensitive information," Frost crossed her arms. "Her poison’s very deadly and very fast acting. A lot of Trailon soldiers have her poison in hand.

Her element’s nature and she has a bunch of birds. She’s not really a fighter and honestly I’d call her the weakest. But if she does show up, don’t trust any bird you see; especially blue or green ones."

"Storm?"

"Rain actually. The Rainstorm Slasher’s not much of a talker. He carries a sword like you and I’m pretty sure offensive or summoning magic; water if you haven’t already guessed."

"Dread."

"Congrats, you got one right," Frost sassed back. "The Psyching Dread isn’t much of a fighter either. She’s very reclusive and does most things remotely.

If you need to find her, she’s probably the furthest away locked in some bunker. She can screw with your head; you might remember her from that night you casted Thundering Strike for the first time?"

"She’s that ugly huh?"

"I’d say so. I think I look way better."

"Why don’t you take that helmet off so we can judge?"

"Nice try, not gonna happen."

Jotou squinted, "What about a seventh one?"

Frost snorted, "Oh you killed him good. Had no affinity, wanted to prove his powers were useful. So Trailon gave him a hazing and mission failed. Not much there; just a bright-eyed idiot."

"Alright then... One more, the weakest one, the absolute last of the elites? The Frosty Wing?"

"I’m going to savour punching you so hard Jotou Howllett..." her head shook from side to side.

"You’re lucky you still have every bone of yours intact," she smirked.

Frost chuckled, "Such harsh words for someone who’s given you this intel."

Jotou looked to Frost for a moment... "Why would you tell me even this much? Why help me?"

Frost shrugged, "I know you kept that letter hush-hush, even from your friends; that’s worth something to me. Keep your enemies close and all that. Besides, I have lots more I haven’t told."

Ice began forming at her boots as she stretched her arms. "Keep your wits about you pretty Princely. Remember, I’m still your enemy; I just have my own reasons for telling you.

I’ll be gone from the palace by dawn; it’s just gonna be complicated if people find out, so I’m leaving as soon as possible. That little detective nearly got me," she scoffed.

Frost continued, "She’s been off her game at least from what I can tell, so that made it easier at least. Oh, and keep my presence hush-hush will you~?"

The blonde realized how much her time had waned, "How d’you you think we’d do against them? Do we have a chance?"

"I’d wish you luck, but you got two stars with you. I think you’ll be fine as long as you’re not dumbasses about it."

"Stars? What do you mean?" just as Jotou asked, the door to her room opened. Jotou turned to notice Hotaru taking a step in and immediately turned back.

"Fwoosh!" A gust of snow overtook where Frost stood, not a trace of her there, but the slight chill in the air which fogged Jotou’s breath.

"Jotou?" Hotaru laid her purse on the table, "Were you about to go see the stars?" her ears pricked.

Jotou relaxed her knitted brows... "Yeah..." she stared out the doors. "Yeah. I was gonna take a few swings," she lifted her sword. "But I decided I just wanted to stargaze. You wanna join me firefly?" she smiled. ’That’s enough info I guess... Sigh.’

Hotaru giggled and blushed, "I wouldn’t deny."