A/N: Chapter 2, 3, and 4 would be chapters for the OC to be familiarized with the original characters of Arslan Senki. Don't worry, Daryun, Arslan, and the other beginning characters are here.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♞♝♜♛♚

Lord Vahriz made Sena a guest in the palace and had King Andragoras III approve of her temporary stay as thanks for saving Prince Arslan. The King and Lord Vahriz talked for an hour and that's where the decision to make her stay came from.

The soldiers took Sena's horse from Pars' Nights and gave back the key that she rented a while ago to the owner. The horse is now at the stables.

To make everyone feel comfortable around the Freelancer, Lord Vahriz announced that she is the lost Noble Sena Prasya.

Sena left the title "Noble" a long time ago and here she was with the title again. To her, hearing the title attached to her name is unpleasant.

This day has gone exactly the opposite that she wanted it to go. Don't be too eye-catching, don't get involved with the royal palace especially with the Royal Family, and don't get in trouble.

"Why is Lord Vahriz doing this to me?" Sena whined, following Daryun to a room where she will talk with Lord Vahriz and Daryun.

"I don't know what my Lord Uncle is thinking but this is an opportunity that no one will deny and yet you think of this as a nuisance." Daryun said in a calm and honest tone that didn't show any hint of mock or annoyance.

"I don't think of it as a nuisance but I'm here in Ecbatana to work, not to get involved with the Royal Family or Royal Palace." Sena was frank. She didn't care if it sounds like she was insulting the Royalty.

They entered a room and Lord Vahriz was sitting on the floor with food prepared. Sena didn't have dinner and so are Vahriz and Daryun.

Sena sat across Lord Vahriz and Daryun sat beside him. "Shall we eat?" The Supreme General smiles and offered food.

It was uncomfortable for the Freelancer because she's not used eating with somebody else, and these two people are very important to the kingdom which significantly raised how odd and strange this is. Freelancers work alone.

They ate in silence and it was deafening. Sena ate only a little because she had no appetite as of the current time.

After eating, it was back to talking. Sena took a guess that it was still about the five-hundred gold coins.

"How old are you?" Lord Vahriz asked, trying to know Sena better.

He wanted make her comfortable around him because she is someone important to Retired General Kro. There was also the feeling to make her stay in Ecbatana.

"Seventeen." Sena replies, not minding answering his questions. In fact, she does so to entertain them.

"And what age did you become a Freelancer?"

"Fifteen."

"At such a young age..."

"I wouldn't call that young. I have encountered child assassins that age around seven to ten. They're the young ones."

"How about you?" Sena brings Daryun to the conversation, who was watching silently. "What's your age?" She wanted to know how old was he, because he looked like a young Marzban.

He looks a lot older than me, so I'm expecting that he's in his twenties.

"Twenty-four." Daryun answers.

So we're seven years apart. He's a Marzban at such a young age.

"If I remember correctly, Kro's greatsword was five-feet long. How did it become so short?" Vahriz asked.

"General Kro and I lived in a small village. One day, he called a sorceress and made her cast a spell on the sword. Carving a spell on the scabbard and on the sword's blade, it would allow its owner to change its length and weight at will as long as their blood was offered. General Kro also made her add an additional spell, the sword would not cut anything unless my blood was offered to make sure no one can use it." Sena explained, remembering her time with General Kro.

She chuckles lightly. "General Kro payed her with almost everything we had. At such a young age, the sword was given to me but the General wouldn't let me use it until I was ready."

Sena then told them her past in detail and what really happened in Fortress Grahadi. She also narrated the important events that happened when she was with General Kro. Lord Vahzir understood everything and believed her without a doubt. Now, it was Sena's turn to ask the questions.

"Lord Vahzir, not to sound rude but, why are you doing this for me? I don't need to stay here in the palace." She asked, arms crossed. It was obvious that she didn't want to stay here.

Lord Vahriz finds it odd of her. Daryun on the other hand was thinking if she is faking not liking it here.

"First of all, you saved His Highness and that is already a more than enough reason to show gratitude. Second, you are the adoptive daughter of General Kro. And third, you are a noble." Lord Vahriz states his reasons. All are genuine reasons and Sena felt it.

"I believe that you also have personal reasons to why you want me in the palace." Despise her appearance and age, she was sharp. "Talking with His Majesty for an hour just to approve my stay here is far too long. It would only take twenty to thirty minutes. So, what happened during the rest of the remaining time?"

"The first thirty minutes was about His Highness, and the other half was the approval of your stay." Unfortunately, Sena couldn't tell if he was either lying or not. Unable to determine if it was false or true slightly annoyed her.

Sighing tiredly, the brunette pointed out that she wanted to rest for today. She stood and headed to the assigned room with Daryun accompanying me to make sure she didn't do any mischief. Sena took a guess that there will be guards at the door of the room to keep an eye on her.

She was right.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♞♝♜♛♚

Sena awoke to the sunlight that flashed her face from the open veranda. It's still a surprise that she was able to sleep with that huge hole in the wall where anyone could kill her at any time.

It's a new day, and her facade is back. She was glad it's back. She'll be speaking with no emotions again like yesterday before he met Vahriz.

The plan was to leave the palace before noon in secret. Being inside the castle is not even supposed to be a possibility to the likes of her but at the least she gets to know it's interior. And in case she needs to come back, the routes and paths are already known to her.

She went out of the room with her sword on her waist. The guards from last night were still by the door, guarding the room. With not a single "Good morning", Sena went to the garden to relax there for a bit.

I'm not going to eat the breakfast they're going to serve me.

Sitting on a stone seat, she looked at the plants and flowers within the garden that invited colorful birds. It was a small paradise on Pars. Hearing footsteps that were in a hurry, she took a guess that the person is running towards her. She was right.

Looking to the left, Sena sees a young boy with smooth white hair. His eyes were a pure and innocent blue, it was a beautiful shade of blue.

This is Prince Arslan, Crowned Prince of Pars. To think that he was a girl at first sight, it would be insulting to him and the people if they knew.

"What may I do for you, your Highness?" Sena fell on one knee by force. The formality whenever she would talk was also forced but she respected the Prince.

"Please stand!" Prince Arslan hinted that he didn't want Sena kneeling before him.

"Thank you for catching me from the fall!"

Sena shook her head. "There is no need for his Highness to thank the likes of me."

"Were you hurt? I can tell them to help you." He ignored Sena's last sentence.

"His Highness doesn't need to concern himself with me."

The Prince should not even think or thank people who are of lower status. But personally, I don't care. I'm just a Freelancer and I can do whatever I want and think whatever I want.

Expecting him to leave, he did the opposite and remained.

He is an odd prince.

"I heard from Vahriz that you're a Freelancer. What do you mostly do?" Prince Arslan asks, not even scared to stay by the Freelancer's side with no guards around. He was so interested in the Freelancer.

Sena still had her facade, and her answers were devoid of any emotion.

"The number one most requested job that I do as a Freelancer is getting the requested item that my client wants. Second would be assassination. Third is bringing a specific item to another place or person." She grinned when mentioning "Assassination". With this, it would scare the prince by now and leave her be, she thought.

Glancing at the little boy, there was no fear in his eyes and he still looked interested.

"Do you go to many places?"

"I have been to almost every fortress, city, and village here in Pars. I also get to enter the neighboring Kingdoms and stay in a few cities."

"Have you been to Lusitania?"

"A lot." Sena's facade was slowly breaking as she started to show joy in answering his question.

"They didn't kill you?"

"Of course, I was acting to be a believer of Yaldabaoth in order to stay there. And my Lusitanian clients are desperate enough to hire a heathen like to do their dirty work." The facade was getting thinner and thinner.

"What if they told you to bring down a Parsian fortress?"

"I would decline. Freelancers chooses their own jobs to accept, we aren't forced to do every thing they tell us to do. And it's common sense not to let the enemy enter our territory. I wouldn't help a Lusitanian to invade Pars, because Pars is my home."

There was a long silence and they sat there, looking at the birds that gathered around to eat seeds from a plant.

Prince Arslan is really odd, the good kind of odd. I don't mind answering his questions.

Prince Arslan easily broke Sena's facade. She was starting to show her own emotions.

"What do you think about slaves?" Prince Arslan shocked Sena with that question.

"Slaves?" The Freelancer thought hard about it. "When I was still a noble, we had slaves. They were doing their jobs well and was thankful for our kindness. I didn't mind having slaves, and they didn't mind serving us."

She continued after a short pause. "Having slaves has its benefits. It makes work easier, no doubt. But whenever I see abused slaves, I pity them."

"So, you think that we should have slaves?"

"I really don't care if we have slaves or not because either way has its own benefits. It's a fifty-fifty." Sena's behavior of not caring was because of being a Freelancer.

Prince Arslan looked on the ground, frowning. He was thinking too much about this. "Your Highness," Sena went back to being formal. "You shouldn't be thinking about things like this. And I heard from Lord Vahriz that you have daily sword practice. Train with him and become strong to see the world."

Sena was surprised to hear her own words. She was trying to cheer someone. When was even the last time she tried to cheer someone from the heart? She can't remember.

Sena told him the words that he wanted hear and that made him brim with determination. "Thank you for this wonderful time, Sena! I want to talk with you later again!" Prince Arslan bids goodbye and went to practice.

Since it's near noon, the brunette decided to leave already. Before going anywhere, she restores her facade by trying to relax. After that, she went to get her horse at the stables. As she was about to let her horse free, someone spoke.

"Going somewhere?" Looking behind, she sees Daryun and he was alone by himself. She mentally cursed at her bad timing.

"To look for a job." Sena told him.

"Lord Uncle has a job for you."

"I doubt."

"You're going to join me and my men to scout the western borders of Pars where there is a high possibility of Lusitanian presence."

What is Lord Vahriz thinking? I know he means well, I can genuinely feel that but what is he exactly planning? What does he want from me? Sena is full of questions.

"I can decline the job you know?" she smirked.

"Declining it is like making enemies with Lord Uncle." Daryun countered and Sena's smirk disappeared.

"When?"

"By noon."

"The reward?"

"Six-hundred gold coins."

"Can I add something else to the reward?"

"You may proceed."

"Having nothing to do with anyone related to the Royal Castle."

Daryun was silent for a moment but agreed to it anyway. Sena dismissed herslef and headed to the room assigned to her.

This is getting stressful, now I have to join the Parsian Army and fight Lusitanians when needed to.

But Daryun agreed to her request, she can leave the castle and have nothing to do with the people here anymore. If her clients from outside Pars learned that she entered here, all their requests would probably be to kill the Royal Family. This is not looking well for her.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♞♝♜♛♚

The army set up camp for tonight and will leave when day breaks. They would would be in their destination after a week if they continue at this phase. If they slowed to the normal speed of horses, it would take almost two weeks.

This is going to be a long journey. Sena sighs.

A while ago, Prince Arslan came to see them off and wished for their safety. Sena noticed that he and Daryun were really close.

She had a tent all to herself, because she was female.

Traveling with the group made her confirm that she's more of a person who prefer to work alone.

Sitting outside the tent, near to the fire, she was making arrows for to use just in case they encounter an enemy. Daryun, who was passing by to scout the camp, stopped at Sena's front and looked at what she was doing.

"You can use a bow?" He asked, seeing the arrows she made.

"I was taught by General Kro to use all kinds of weapons even if I didn't excel using a specific type of weapon. Still, he made me familiar to use all kinds. And as a Freelancer, I must quickly adopt and get to use all sorts of weapons for various jobs." Sena explained with a voice devoid of any emotion. "But using a sword is my speciality."

Tying the last arrow, it was her turn to ask a question. "Do you know Lord Vahriz' intention with me?"

"I do not know."

"Highly doubt it. You're a Marzban and a Cavalry Captain, and Lord Vahriz is your uncle. You surely know something. And I know that I can't get it out of you, so I'll give up on that."

"You can think what you want to think." Daryun sighs tiredly, arms crossed.

In his mind, he told himself to be careful around Sena. As young as she looks, she is was no fool. Daryun had to be careful around her.

Putting the last arrow in its case, Sena stood up and looked at him. "If ever we did encounter Lusitanians, I am expecting a show from you, Marzban." she grinned, wanting to see the strength of the highest in-command.

"Same goes to you, Freelancer." Daryun's lips curved slightly and formed a smirk. He expected little from the teenager because of her age. She's still seventeen, the experience she has is too little. Deep down, Daryun was expecting Sena to prove him wrong.

"I'm going to sleep then, see you tomorrow." Sena entered her tent, closing the entrance.

Putting down the arrows, Daryun left the tent and continued to patrol. Reassuring he was gone, Sena went to sleep.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♚♛♜♝♞

It was Day Three, and the army decided to switch the phase every other day. Today, they're speeding their horses, and tomorrow they'll continue at a normal speed.

The formation is the same as always. Daryun is at the front, leading the army while Sena was behind him. To her sides are a few soldiers and at her back are the thousands of the soldiers.

Because this is just minor check-up, Daryun only leads an army of three-thousand men. It is an ideal number.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♞♝♜♛♚

Night of Day Six. The Parsians camped at a flat mountain top.

The night is cold and there is no single cloud in the night sky. Stars were shining here and there. And there was Sena who is talking with a Marzban by a fire. The facade she was holding for six days is now gone.

"What is your fighting style?" Daryun asks, who is seated across from her with the fire in the middle.

"Fighting style? I'll tell you one thing, as a Freelancer finishing the job within the deadline or earlier is important. And I am a person who wants everything done in an instant. So, don't expect to see honor or dignity when I fight because I'm sneaky, crafty, and I cheat." Sena proudly said it outloud.

"How do you cheat?"

"I can only cheat when I'm prepared, like surging into the enemy or approaching them. But when I get ambushed or if things don't go my way, I rely on skill. I call them tactics but it's still cheating in some ways. Examples are I tip my sword and arrowheads with poison for an easy kill, throw a pouch of sand to their faces, and other methods that you don't know want to know about."

"You're dangerous." Daryun pointed out but he didn't mind having Sena as company.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Sena laughed at his reaction.

♔♕♖♗♘ Arslan Senki ♞♝♜♛♚

It was Day Ten and the soldier who went out to scout the field came back to report that a Lusitanian army has an estimated two to three thousand men.

We're almost equal in numbers, but what about the gap in strength? Daryun is a Marzban, so I'm expecting that he'll carry the fight with an outstanding performance.

The army gets into an offensive formation and Sena was located at the rear with Daryun and other soldiers. When all seemed ready, Daryun did a battle yell.

"Yashasuiin!"

The Parsian Army charged at the enemy army with fierce yells. Sena brought out her bow and arrows tipped with poison. With the arrowheads facing down on the case, she can easily pull the arrows out. She just had make to sure that she won't accidentally cut herself with it. Even if she did accidentally cut herself, Sena has the antidote to the poison.

Getting three arrows, she aimed three targets that were on horse. Two out of three got shot.

I'm still not good enough.

Sena assisted the soldiers in the Pars Army with her long rage weapon. She's no tactician but at a time like this where victory is unsure, she always play the role of a supporter while killing if possible.

When three Lusitanian soldiers suddenly were within Sena's reach, she reaches for a shortsword within her white robes and did a single strike aimed towards their eyes. Yelling in pain, she ended their life with the next blow.

She has no honor on the battlefield and she'll do whatever it takes to finish the job early.

Sena didn't want to use her greatsword in the battle. It was a last resort kind of thing and she will only use it for the Kingdom of Pars. This battle was not worthy of it.

Continuing the role of a supporter to the army, she roamed the field to help others and kills the enemy that was in her way. Catching a glimpse of Daryun not too far away, he was completely surrounded by enemy soldiers but he was in no way in danger.

Immediately, Sena grabbed five arrows and aimed at the Lusitanian soldiers, confident that I won't hit the Marzban. Maybe because the gods were in her favor, that all her arrows landed on the soldiers. Five dead. Daryun kills the rest of them with his spear in almost a few seconds without struggling, and it was frightening to watch him. Seven dead in an instant. Twelve dead all in all.

This is the strength of a Marzban.

With that kind of manpower, we will surely win the battle. To think that there are even more Marzbans like him.

Getting back into the battle, Sena shifted her role to purely killing. It will end the battle swiftly.

She's not as strong as Daryun when it comes to physical strength but Sena makes up for it using tactics or methods along with her skills in using weapons. Sena's clients acknowledge her skills and would hire her for being a mobile assassin.

The battle came to an end when the Lusitanians surrendered with a number of less than a hundred. Meanwhile, the Pars Army survives with a shocking two-thousand soldiers.

Now I know how fearful the Pars Kingdom really is.

They celebrated victory and continued to the western borders of Pars to make sure no Lusitanian soldiers are left. Along the way, they encountered small groups of Lusitanians and ended them with ease.

Because all seems well at the end of the border, they headed back to Ecbatana with two-thousand soldiers and at least a hundred slaves.