Trouble

"So why were you hiding in a bush anyway?" I asked the girl who now is sitting in seiza in front of me.

"I-I just heard a weird noise and was curious, p-please don't kill me, miss witch." She spoke afraid and I only laughed making her tremble.

"I'm no witch, I'm a Mage and a swordswoman" I spoke without a thought, a lie that is repeated enough times will become truth after all.

"Now come on why are you kneeling like that, you don't need to do that."

"B-but I saw you doing that weird magic..."

"What about it?"

"Isn't that like a big secret or something?"

"Not at all, if someone wants to watch that's their problem, it's not like I'm doing something wrong." I smiled under my mask looking at the girl.

"Say... are you interested in learning?" Her face was filled with surprise.

"I-I can?"

"Did a weird floating thing appeared for you with a lot of things written on it?"

"H-How did you know I didn't say to anyone!?"

"That's of course because I'm a mage, anyone that was able to see that has the talent to become one too."

"I-I have talent, for something?" She makes a weird face when I said that.

"Of course, all you have to do is call me master and I will teach you the same way I teach the four blockheads over there, of course, it won't be easy, you will be tired you will get hurt but as you can see the results." I pointed at the tree-covered in the now melting frost.

"I-I..." He paused for a second a weird look on her face like she wanted to but was afraid of something."

"I want it, Master!" Her eyes became clouded before shining a little and she spoke out, a mix of determination and fear on her face for some reason.

"good then what's your name?" I extended my hand to make her get up from the ground.

"C-Camille." She spoke as she took my hand and I lifted her up.

"Then let's begin."

[...]

Today was a good day, I got myself a new disciple, and better yet she's the daughter of a clothier, which means I soon will have some new clothes for me, I walked into the forest following a small path, soon a big lake was in view, I looked at my haggard clothes, it was the same clothes I had when I got to this world so it was bad, sure I took baths every night in this lake but it wasn't enough, I wanted a couple of clothing changes. I quickly stripped, making sure to take my blade with me of course, I suffered too many attacks before where I was bathing and almost died so I rather clean some rust from my blade than die. The moon was shining bright tonight especially as the sky was clear of any clouds, the forest was eerie quiet today a cold feeling in the air as the water was colder than usual.

"Something isn't right..." I looked around carefully while bathing, focusing my ears I was able to hear some leaves rustling in the shoreline but nothing jumped out of it, if it was a small animal it wouldn't stay there a predator? probably not the only dangerous animals in this forest are wild boars and those who don't have the ability to hide, someone is watching me.

"I felt a small amount of killing intent coming from the shore's direction, a random killer, a bandit, or someone that knew the other Amelia? I thought to myself as I feigned not noticing anything, hiding my sword under the water, he seemed like he won't move for now so I quickly washed up and went to the shore, putting my clothes on, the leaves around me rustled once again.

"More than one..." I whispered to myself as I put my cloak over my body, I wasn't able to conceal Kori but it wasn't necessary, in the dark, it looked like a curved stick the blade was entirely concealed within its sheat, I used the blade the same way someone would a walking stick, as I walked into the forest shadows started to appear around me.

"Who are you, people?!" I asked feigning fear, looking at the group, they were all armed with swords but the thing that brought my attention was the fact that they were using plate armor.

"What you already forgot about me, princess?" The one in the front, golden short hair, blue eyes white skin, nothing like the people of this city who most have tanned skin with dark eyes and brown hair.

"I have no idea what you are talking about?" I asked confusedly, was my guess that Amelia was someone important on point?

"Well, doest matter, get her."

"N-No you cant!" I feigned fear as the group of men approached me, soon they were in striking zone.

"What can't we do princess?" One of them smirked at me, with cleat lust inside his eyes, well something tells me that if the real princess was still here she would be done for.

"Y-You... cant fall for such a simple trick," I spoke the second part coldly, as I quickly unsheathed kori into a quick swing, with a swoosh a head flew up in the sky, no blood spurted as the wound was frozen, using the momentum of the swing I chained it onto a nearby guy who had the same fate as the first, jumping backward I avoided a sword swing.

"What the hell?!" The blonde guy quickly unsheathed his sword, I looked around, the group of men was awed, they just lost 2 people in a second but they seem to be battle-hardened warriors as they immediately got their swords, the closest one to me even attacking once.

I slowly moved backward with Kori in hands, keeping a close eye on the movement of the 5 people left.

"Tch, Get her!" The blonde guy was the first one to charge at me, while the others followed behind, taking a solid stance I brought my sword high swinging it down forcing the blonde guy to move back while I chained the momentum of the blade towards the nearest guy to him, focusing my Qi on the blade I did a horizontal slash, it went right through the metal sword and neck of the man, spinning in place I used the blade to parry a backstab, noticing the frost accumulated on his blade I swung once again, the blade shattered and I was able to cut his chest, the sharp blade went right through the leather armor he was wearing.

"Bloody incompetents it's just a woman!" The blond guy charged at me once again, longsword in hands bringing it down on me, using Kori I parry the strike and chain an attack aimed at his chest, stepping forward, he was able to jump backward as my blade scratched the metal plate of his chest, creating a layer of ice in it.

"What is this witchery?" He spoke looking at the accumulated frost on his sword and chest plate.

I smiled wickedly.

"What witchery, never seen a true swordswoman before?" I spoke with a mocking tone in my voice, and this seems to work, getting him rilled up.

*tch *

"doesn't matter what witchery you are using you can't win against me, it was always like that and it will keep being like that."

"Say do we know each other?" I asked, he clearly held a lot of hate for me witch was weird, maybe I'm from the family or something, I mean the eye color and hair are the same after all.

"Did you really forgot, doesn't matter you will be executed at the capital anyways"

"Execution, that's a strong word right there, I don't know what I did, could you kindly explain." I fended off another sword strike that came towards me, concentrating Qi into my blade once again I struck and another man's head was on the ground, I could see some unwillingness on the blonde guy's face as he looked at the dead men around me.

"Retreat!" He spoke coldly while staring at me.

"You think you can?" I spoke coldly as I charged after them, twice as fast as they could, kicking a fallen tree, I jumped high, spinning to accumulate momentum and bringing down my kori onto another man's head, clean-cut as I continued my pursue, one by one they fell, and a hot sensation entered my body, spreading trough every corner, now there was only the blonde guy.

"Now, you are going to explain to me exactly what is happening and who are you," I demanded as I stepped forward, I could see the droplets of cold sweat streaming down his face and the minute shacking he was obviously trying to control.

[You developed the Skill Hunting Instincts Lv.1 - whenever you are pursuing someone, your body will become stronger and you will become faster causing strong fear on the target and marking him as prey, whenever you successfully eliminate your prey you will receive a permanent increase in the constitution status.]

[The category mutation will be now shown in your skills tab.]

"Y-You can't kill me, i-i'm the crown prince of..."

"How about you start talking, then I may let you live." I smiled at him, but to him, that was the face of a devil.

"D-Did you really forgot that you are the 3rd princess of this country, accused of witchery by the queen and would be put to execution before running away from the capital... c-can I leave now?" I touched my lip

"Let me think... sure." I smiled he immediately turned to run but after five steps he fell on the ground, his head rolling on the grass.

[Prey Hunted, +0.1 CON]

"This will be a lot more complicated than expected, but fighting an entire empire by myself... I like it..."

I moved back towards the lake, I was now covered in blood and that wasn't a good thing, disposing of the bodies is a must too, this seems to be a covert operation for some reason, and the fact that the I of the past was able to escape the capital city means that there's opposition, a lot of opposition to the execution of the old me.

"I guess I need to start training harder from now on, can't keep going at my own pace, and training the goons into a force to be reckoned with is also important, creating my own force is important after all."

After a quick bath at the lake to take care of the blood, I stripped the bodies of any possessions they had, gold, weapons, and armors, finding a remote place I dug a hole trowed the bodies and heads inside before covering with a thin layer of earth, from now on I will throw any waste in here, and with time I should have some very fertile soil to plant on and if lucky some saltpeter crystals...

Back at my wooden cabin, I had a great night of sleep, soon I was back to training the four goons and now my new disciple Camille, she was surprisingly hardworking and her talent was top-notch, I looked around the clearing and my small cabin and I had a new idea, why not make this a dojo, or even a sect?

"Hey goons." They approached.

"I have been thinking, you are all learning under me for some time now and maybe I can teach other people too but charge money for it."

"Charge money, I don't think we can pay..."

"Not you 5, you were my first disciples so you are in luck that I will keep teaching you for work."

"Wait, work isn't it supposed to be for free?"

"Free? there's nothing on this world that is free, I have been teaching you 4 for as long as 3 days now that is expensive as I am the only one in this world with the tile of swordmaster." They could only nod their heads.

"W-What about me?"

"You don't worry Camille, you can let all work to the men, they need the training after all," I spoke while ignoring the unwilling look on the four goons.

"So I want you to spread the word in the city that I'm accepting disciples to train for a price, one silver for a year and that's it."

"O-One whole silver!?" They all screamed at the same time.

"Of course I'm a top-notch master, there's nobody that can compete with me in this world."

"Now as for you four payment, jus clear the area in front of the cabin in a couple of meters, user the wood you get to make a low wall around the entire palace, this will from now on be the training yard."

"R-Right now?"

"Of course not, after you are done with your training."

"Oh come on, I have already been training for 3 days and feel nothing different but pain."

"Are you stupid, normally it takes months even years for someone to make progress, but the four of you can already swing your sword steadily for almost 400 times and you call that no progress if any other swordsman heard you they would wack you" I Spoke looking at the four ungrateful goons who could only get their heads down in shame.

"Now go back to training! I need to go to the city..."

I got up, Kori in my back as I pulled over my cloak and put on my mask, it is time now to make a foothold on this world, I thought as I moved towards the city.