This Is Violence! This Is Abuse!

"Gasp… wheeze… huff…"

"Come now, Serena, aren't you doing much better than when we started? You can actually graze my collar now!"

"Hiiik… I only grazed your collar! I haven't even managed to leave a single scratch! Huff…"

I gasped for air, complaining bitterly to Sylvia, my tall senior who looked down at me with a prominent scar running across one eye. My shirt was thoroughly drenched in sweat, plastered so tightly against my skin that the pale flesh beneath showed through, but I was far too exhausted to worry about modesty. My legs were positively screaming for a ten-minute break, and my arms—having slashed in every conceivable direction trying to land a hit on Sylvia with my dagger—couldn't even muster the strength to scream anymore.

"Wheeze… gasp…"

"Feeling better yet? Up for one more round?"

"I can't… If we do any more, I'm literally going to die…"

"Fufu, seeing as you still have the breath to complain, you've definitely got at least one more round in you. Come on, up you go. You've still got mana left, don't you?"

Smiling like an absolute demon, Sylvia grabbed my arm as I lay half-collapsed on the cold stone floor. Sensing that another bout would genuinely knock me unconscious, I shook my head frantically from side to side and shrieked with all the lung power I had left.

"Aaaargh…! This is violence! This is abuse…!"

"Yes, yes, too bad."

My desperate resistance meant nothing to Sylvia, who stood nearly a foot taller than me. She hauled me upright effortlessly, forcing me back onto my feet. And just like that, with every fiber of my being crying out in agony, the sparring resumed.

That hellish session with Sylvia came to an end the only way it ever did: with me blacking out.

"…Kevin. Can I please sleep for just ten minutes?"

When I finally regained consciousness, I was no longer in the training hall, but inside a modest classroom. Right before me stood a chalkboard with the words Etiquette Training written in bold letters, flanked by Kevin, whose long blonde hair swayed as he waited patiently.

Passing out in combat and opening my eyes to a lecture board had become my new normal. I was fairly well adjusted to it by now, considering I had endured the exact same routine for the past two weeks.

Every morning at six sharp, I woke up and headed to the kitchen to learn culinary skills while preparing my own breakfast. After that, I entered the bathhouse alongside Sylvia, learning how to properly scrub someone down and master bathing etiquette while sharing a tub with her. Immediately after our bath, Sylvia dragged me into brutal close-quarters combat until I collapsed. And whenever I woke from that beating, Kevin was waiting with high-society deportment lessons. Once etiquette class wrapped up, I was allowed lunch, followed by yet another relentless series of courses stretching into the night.

"…Seriously, I'm going to drop dead of overwork. Wouldn't it be far too tragic if your adorable youngest member died like this…?"

"You'll be fine. If it looks like you're actually about to die, the Guild Master will rush over and revive you somehow."

"Ah."

"Besides, you get eight hours of sleep every night and three square meals a day. You won't die."

"…Damn it."

Kevin was right. As brutally exhausting and draining as the schedule was, I never felt like I was truly on the verge of death. My petite, transformed body was shockingly resilient—far sturdier than I ever gave it credit for. Physically, I could endure it. Mentally, of course, was another story entirely; my soul was desperate for a vacation.

"Are your senses back now? Let us begin the lesson."

"…Yes, sir."

"Last time, we covered the proper methods of greeting aristocracy. Today, I will teach you how to converse with nobility. Simply put, you will be learning the subtleties of aristocratic rhetoric."

"…Understood."

As torturous as it was, I knew a delicious lunch was waiting on the other side of Kevin's class. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Unlike breakfast, lunch was prepared by the headquarters' cooks rather than by my own hands, so I resolved to grit my teeth and hold out a little longer.

"Serena, wake up."

"…Eek?!"

Well, I tried to hold out. I really did. It wasn't my fault my eyelids felt like lead weights.

After barely surviving Kevin's mind-bogglingly intricate lecture on noble rhetoric, I dragged my battered body down to the headquarters' mess hall. The rich, savory aroma drifting through the air instantly lifted my spirits the moment I stepped inside.

"Hehehe…"

"Serena, look at you. Isn't that quite the change from a moment ago? One whiff of food and you're completely revived."

"Sylvia, please, I'm starving right now."

"Fufu, you certainly fought harder than usual today. It's only natural you'd be hungry."

"I'm going to eat two whole bowls today."

In truth, my tiny stomach couldn't possibly accommodate that much, but it expressed the sheer depth of my hunger. Even though I had eaten a hearty breakfast of my own making, sparring with Sylvia drained every drop of energy I had. Without a proper lunch, surviving the afternoon classes was entirely out of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠question.

"Fufu, eat as much as you like. Just don't stuff yourself so much that you fall asleep during your afternoon lessons, alright?"

"…I can't make any promises on that front."

Perhaps it was because I was the youngest recruit, or perhaps it was because my appearance was ridiculously petite and cute, but the members of the guild treated me with remarkable kindness. When the Guild Master had first informed me of this intensive training camp, I had been consumed by dread. Yet against all odds, everyone was surprisingly accommodating, and their personalities were genuinely pleasant enough that making friends came naturally.

"Sylvia, are you having the spicy pasta again today?"

"Yes. Do you want some, Serena?"

"It's too spicy. I can't eat that."

"Fufu, I figured, which is why I don't normally offer."

"…Hmph."

I had worried about what a tutorial sequence in Assassin Project would look like, but the atmosphere remained unexpectedly soft and warm. I owed almost all of it to my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠current appearance. Given how absurdly open-ended the storyline in AP could be, if I had rolled a burly, muscular build instead of a tiny, delicate girl, my first assignment probably wouldn't have been guarding an imperial princess disguised as a maid. I likely would have been shoved off to protect some pompous prince or harsh nobleman, spared from maid training altogether—though guard duty was inevitable regardless.

"Serena, what's on your mind?"

"Ah. I was just wondering what kind of meat I should have today."

"Are you having it rare again?"

"Yup."

Ever since I woke up as Serena, my palate had naturally adapted to her racial traits. I was part vampire, after all. Rather than well-done meat, I instinctively craved cuts dripping with red juices—cuts that were practically raw. I could still consume normal human food without issue, but when it came to meat, fresh and bloody was simply superior.

Thankfully, because I was a Half-Vampire rather than a pureblood, life was remarkably convenient. I could eat regular meals while enjoying blood on the side, walk beneath broad daylight without my skin blistering into ash, and remain completely unfazed by garlic or holy crosses.

"Hehe…"

"…At that point, is it even rare? That's just raw meat, isn't it?"

While I was musing over my hybrid physiology, a thick steak arrived at my table, seared just enough to brown the outer crust while leaving the interior completely uncooked. Sylvia made a face as she watched me dig in, but to my palate, nothing tasted better. As I happily chewed through the juicy meat, other senior assassins began drifting toward my table one by one.

When playing the game on a monitor, I never fully realized it, but having high charisma and an exceptionally pretty character model gave an absurd boost to NPC affinity. Everyone seemed eager to strike up a conversation with me. It could be overwhelming at times, but I didn't mind it. They treated me like a cute little sister or an adorable niece, and since they were all lethal veterans vastly stronger than me, talking back wasn't an option anyway.

"Serena."

"Ah, Guild Master. Is it that time already?"

"Yes, it is getting late. Hannah? Let us wrap up the lesson here."

"Understood."

The Guild Master entered the room just as my final class following dinner was underway. My last session of the day was always stealth and assassination techniques taught by Hannah, the black-haired cat beastfolk. More often than not, the Guild Master personally stepped in to call it a night, keeping a close eye on my condition. Part of it was because I was the baby of the guild, but more importantly, my upcoming debut assignment was guarding the Third Imperial Princess. If I burned out or suffered an injury before deployment, it would be an absolute catastrophe for the guild. He was managing my pacing with deliberate precision.

"Serena, did you work hard today?"

"Of course. The second I hit the bed, I'm going to pass right out!"

"Fufu, that is good to hear. Your first mission will be far more demanding than ordinary assignments, so we all wish to see you succeed."

"I know how important it is, which is why I'm giving it everything I've got."

"Fufu."

"Ehehe."

Leaving behind the training room filled with practice dummies, I strolled down the corridor beside the Guild Master. Escorting me back to my quarters had become part of his nightly routine, though he always had another purpose for accompanying me.

"By the way, Guild Master. Exactly how long will this protection detail last?"

"It is expected to be a long-term assignment. The imperial court contracted us under the strictest secrecy, so they did not provide an exact timeframe. However, when the imperial family specifies 'long-term,' they certainly do not mean a matter of months… It will undoubtedly exceed a year."

"…Eh?"

Over a year? On my very first mission? A flurry of complicated thoughts swirled through my head, but I quickly resigned myself to reality.

"We understand that placing such a heavy burden on you for your first assignment is daunting, but we have full confidence in your abilities. You have adapted remarkably well over the past two weeks, and the other members frequently praise the astonishing speed of your growth. Though your stature, it seems, remains quite petite."

"…Well, some things take time."

Guarding the Third Princess for a whole year sounded absurd on paper, but my rapid progress over the last fortnight was an undeniable fact. By the time this one-month intensive camp concluded, I would certainly possess the skills needed to protect her.

"Ah, and here is your nightly ration."

"Oh!"

As we reached my bedroom door, the Guild Master drew a small pouch filled with crimson liquid from his coat pocket and handed it to me. This, too, had become a familiar comfort. Being half-vampire made me instinctively crave it—or rather, my body yearned for it on a fundamental level.

"Thank you very much."

"As a Half-Vampire, you do not strictly require blood daily to survive… yet regular consumption accelerates your vampiric maturation and stabilizes your constitution. Think of it as assistance to ensure your mission goes smoothly."

"Even so, kindness deserves gratitude. I'll drink every drop."

"Good. And should you ever feel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an unbearable thirst… please come to me rather than biting Sylvia or the others in the hallway, understood?"

"…I'm not some feral monster who attacks people for blood, you know!"

"Fufu. Get inside and rest. You have another early morning ahead of you, do you not?"

"Yes. Good night to you as well, Guild Master."

Clutching the small blood pack tightly in my hands, I said my farewells and slipped into my room. The moment the door clicked shut, my priority was crystal clear. Punching a straw through the seal of the pouch, I brought it to my lips.

"Slurp… shlurp… Ah, so good…"

Drinking blood had felt profoundly bizarre at first, but now it felt no different from cracking open an ice-cold beer after a grueling shift at work. Thanks to my vampiric heritage, the rich liquid tasted surprisingly sweet, smooth, and utterly delicious.

"Hehe… slurp…"

After polishing off the packet, I changed into soft, comfortable pajamas, slipped under the covers, and settled in to bring the day to a close. Two weeks had passed like this, and the remaining two weeks would follow the exact same rhythm.

"Fufufu…"

All things considered, I was remarkably pleased. Living conditions were far more comfortable than I had feared, and the guild members treated me with genuine warmth. But above all else…

"Status window."

"Ehehehe…"

I had gained twenty levels in just two weeks! On top of that, my list of traits had expanded dramatically compared to when I first arrived. Looking at those numbers, it was impossible not to feel a surge of pride.

"Things might actually go pretty smoothly."

In Assassin Project, the early-game enemy NPCs encountered right after the tutorial were generally weak, hovering somewhere between level five and level fifteen. At my current level, handling them would be child's play. Granted, I had never taken a life in cold blood with my own hands yet… but at the very least, I wouldn't be caught off-guard and killed instantly in the opening act. That realization alone brought immense peace of mind.

"…As long as Cecilia turns out to be decent, everything should work out fine."

That was the sole remaining question mark. Since I would be embedded as her personal maid and shadow bodyguard, I was bound to spend nearly every waking hour with the Third Princess. Even if her character design was drop-dead gorgeous, she might turn out to have an abrasive temper, or perhaps be an utterly hopeless shut-in who drove me crazy with frustration. My only lingering concern was what Cecilia would truly be like when we met in two weeks.

"Yaaawn…"

I didn't have the luxury to ponder it any further tonight. After another grueling day of nonstop training, my tired little body was running on empty.

"Time to sleep…"

I really, truly was about to pass out.