{Chapter 52} “No, I don’t have that intention anymore.”
"...Ah, I overslept."
When Anna woke up at home, the sky outside was already completely dark.
Pulling back the curtains, she noticed that the magical stone lamps on the streets had been turned off, which meant one thing—
She had slept past midnight.
"Drinking too much really messes things up... Alcohol is such a nuisance."
Muttering a complaint, Anna quickly got up to wash up and changed into her knight academy uniform.
Besides serving as a disguise, the uniform also provided a minimum level of protection, ensuring she wouldn't be at too much of a disadvantage in mounted or close combat.
In fact, when wielding her most proficient weapon, the longsword, such lightweight attire was most suitable.
She retrieved her longsword from her spatial ring, attaching it to her left hip along with its scabbard, then tied up her long hair.
Before heading out, she decided not to ride the warhorse gifted by Louise.
Instead, Anna donned the black cloak she had worn the previous morning and walked out into the street.
Deliberately keeping to the shadows, Anna moved cautiously.
Although her grades in anti-surveillance courses were abysmal, having studied the subject, she at least understood how trackers concealed themselves.
She mimicked their techniques as best she could.
The town at midnight was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to its daytime bustle.
The pitch-black streets offered minimal visibility, shrouding the town in an air of mystery.
This was Anna's first time walking through the town at such an hour, and she found herself breathing more lightly, almost unconsciously.
Anna knew where Philsey's house was, and her spontaneous decision to venture out in the middle of the night was to scout it out.
Of course, she wasn't planning to do it herself.
After all, she had slept for over eight hours, well past the six-hour cooldown period of her simulator.
Philsey's house was located in the affluent district, and it was particularly conspicuous.
It was the kind of building that would catch anyone's eye the first time they visited the area.
The structure was an odd mishmash of styles, as if the designer had haphazardly thrown together a blueprint and handed it off to the construction team without much thought.
Yet, upon closer inspection, one could discern a solid architectural foundation beneath the garish decorations, ruined entirely by the homeowner's terrible taste.
Anna wasn't sure if all nouveau riche nobles enjoyed such chaotic designs, but at least Philsey seemed to relish it.
This eyesore of a building, which even those with the lowest artistic sensibilities would scoff at, had become something of a "spectacle" in the affluent district.
Sitting in a pavilion about a few dozen meters away from the mansion, where she could still make out its outline, Anna settled in and quietly activated her simulator.
[Simulation begins]
[Day Zero: Although it's not your first time visiting Philsey's residence, you can't help but complain his terrible taste every time you come here.]
[After briefly complaining Philsey's taste, you attempt to infiltrate the mansion.]
[However, after just a few steps, you hear a sharp, familiar alarm sound.]
[Having never received any proper infiltration training, you are immediately detected by the mansion's surveillance system.]
...How could I forget about this?
What a disastrous start!
[The alarm blares, and you were quickly surrounded by a group of well-trained servants.]
[Though these servants have undergone some training, they aren't particularly skilled, and their coordination is poor. None of them are ranked professionals, so you easily defeat them.]
[Seemingly annoyed that the servants failed to subdue you, Philsey storms out, barely dressed in a robe and wielding a weapon, glaring at you.]
[Since you've already been discovered, you decide to at least capture Philsey.]
[With this in mind, you draw your sword and engage Philsey in combat.]
[To your surprise, Philsey is stronger than you anticipated. His attributes surpass yours, indicating one thing.]
[Philsey is either a D-rank knight or at least on the verge of becoming one.]
He's that strong?
Anna had always assumed Philsey was just an ordinary E-rank knight, possibly someone who had used connections to secure his position as the border knight commander in this small town.
But now... it seemed Philsey might have earned his position through genuine skill.
[Under Philsey's seemingly clumsy yet far more agile attacks, you were forced to retreat, sustaining several wounds. You are now relying entirely on trick to hold your ground against him.]
[Suddenly, Philsey calls out your name.]
[Distracted for a moment, you are defeated.]
[Philsey pulls off your black cloak, his face showing a mix of pity and smug satisfaction.]
[Before you can say anything, he kills you.]
[Simulation ends. Calculating results...]
[No achievements unlocked as conditions were not met.]
...Though unexpected, it made sense.
Philsey's mansion had an unexpectedly high level of security, and his strength was far more formidable than she had anticipated. As for the mix of pity and smug satisfaction on his face… what did it mean?
The pity could be directed at her—perhaps for being foolish enough to infiltrate his home, or maybe he was simply disappointed in her as her superior. But the smug satisfaction… Anna couldn't quite figure it out.
Was he feeling triumphant over his own swordsmanship? Or… was he savoring the moment before finally killing her?
As Anna pondered this, a voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Miss Anna, good evening."
The voice nearly made Anna's heart stop, and she almost fell off the bench in the pavilion.
However, recognizing the voice as somewhat familiar, she quickly steadied herself and looked toward the source.
It was the old butler from Louise's household.
He had somehow appeared directly across from her, his hawk-like eyes fixed intently on her.
"You're the butler from Louise's house..."
"Indeed. I have been sent by the young lady to investigate Philsey Bill's background and activities," the butler paused briefly before continuing, "Miss Anna, are you here to personally investigate Philsey Bill's mansion?"
"No, I don't have that intention anymore," Anna shook her head.
"...That is for the best," the butler nodded.
"From my preliminary observations, the mansion is equipped with a comprehensive magical detection system and is heavily patrolled by servants. For a knight like yourself to attempt infiltration would be unwise."
What others could see at a glance, I had to burn a life in the simulator to find out.
This simulation felt like a complete waste of time…