Eastern Region (1)
“Hmm….”
“Ugh….”
Honestly, this situation was extremely burdensome. It was the first time my house—where I'd lived alone—was this crowded with people. And the two inside were glaring at each other. A first for me, really.
Is this what they call a women's staring contest?
“You're a first-year, aren't you?”
“Eek!”
“No greeting?”
In the midst of that awkward standoff, Celestia spoke up first, seizing control.
“H-hello... senior...”
“Yeah.”
Elia tucked in her tail and slyly turned to glance at me, her eyes brimming with a silent plea: Do something about this woman.
Sorry.
I had no choice but to dodge her gaze. Even if I was the reckless type, when it came to money... business was business.
“And Karl.”
“Yes.”
“You into that kind of thing?”
“Pardon?”
It was already overwhelming just protecting myself in this mess.
“Haa, that's not the point right now.”
Celestia let out a heavy sigh, her face twisting into a scowl as she turned to Elia.
“Eek—!”
Elia frantically whipped her head away to avoid the stare.
“Little one.”
Ignoring her entirely, Celestia called out to Elia.
“Eh? Me...?”
“Yeah, you.”
“Y-yes... senior.”
“Go wait in the room for a bit.”
“O-okay...”
True to her title as the villainess lady, she'd crushed Elia with sheer presence alone. The moment Elia slipped into the room, Celestia switched targets to me.
“Karl. You got time?”
“Time, you say?”
“A lot of it?”
She was ticking like a bomb today, more irritated than usual.
“Well, no real schedule.”
“Perfect.”
My answer only deepened her scowl as she snapped at me.
“You. Come to the Eastern Region with me.”
“...?”
A proposal out of nowhere.
Eastern Region?
What business did she have dragging me there, of all places—and right now, in this climate?
“Don't wanna?”
I hesitated, mulling it over, and her sharp glare intensified.
“Don't wanna? Answer already.”
“It's tricky.”
No matter how I sliced it, heading to the Eastern Region now was way too risky.
“It hasn't stabilized yet...”
Too many troublemakers crawling around these days. Wherever she wanted to go, they'd be swarming.
“Plus, someone I need to look after.”
So I turned her down. Staying here to watch over Elia made more sense.
But...
“You still don't get your situation, do you?”
I couldn't refuse.
“Know what this is?”
She fished a single sheet of paper from her pocket and shoved it in my face.
When'd she snag that?
It detailed the loan I'd taken from the bank.
“Think it over.”
All those debts had been transferred straight to Celestia. In other words, she had me leashed tight.
Can it really switch hands that easily?
The absurdity planted a seed of doubt in this empire's financial system.
“So, you going or not?”
No point overthinking. Easier to just accept.
“I'll go.”
“Took you long enough.”
Only then did a satisfied look cross her face.
“But.”
I wasn't done.
“I'm bringing one more.”
“Who? No way.”
Her finger jabbed toward the room Elia had entered.
“Haa...”
I nodded, and she scowled like it was the end of the world before grudgingly relenting.
“Do what you want.”
Phew.
I'd worried about leaving Elia alone. Looked like that wouldn't happen.
On the train to the Eastern Region.
“Wow...”
Elia was glued to the window, gasping in awe. I followed her gaze, and there they were: endless mountains stabbing at the sky.
Some view.
A true spectacle. Though thinking of the terrorists lurking in those peaks with guns sent a chill down my spine.
“First time to the Eastern Region?”
“Yes!”
She peeled away from the window and flashed a bright smile.
“It's even better coming with you, Karl!”
“That so?”
She pivoted fully toward me and latched on.
“Can't you pipe down?”
“Eek!”
Celestia, watching from across, spat the words with clear annoyance.
Why'd that senior even tag along... she's scary...
Elia, thoroughly cowed, pressed her mouth to my ear and whispered.
“I heard that.”
“Eeeek—!”
Even her tiny voice reached Celestia, who shot Elia a razor glare.
If you're gonna act like that, why ride with us?
Rich people were beyond baffling.
“Ughhh...”
The awkward tension dragged on until—
Clunk!
“Excuse us.”
Two soldiers in brown uniforms stepped into our compartment.
“What're you two?”
Celestia cut them off before they could speak.
“Checking passes.”
“Passes?”
“That's right.”
The soldiers stayed calm, explaining away. With the separatist unrest in the Eastern Region lately, passes were mandatory now. Probably here to inspect.
She must've prepared them.
Dragged along on short notice, I hadn't had time—but I trusted my employer Celestia to handle it.
“Don't have any.”
“Eh?”
“No pass or whatever.”
Even she didn't have one.
“What do we do?”
“What do you mean, what?”
The flustered junior soldier turned to his senior.
“Everyone, on your feet.”
The senior shoved his subordinate aside, strode in, and barked the order at us.
“And if we don't wanna?”
Our Celestia had zero intention of complying.
“Then we have no choice.”
As the soldier slowly reached for the cuffs at his belt, defiance hardening—
“What's going on here?”
“Sir, Colonel sir...”
A fairly high-ranking officer appeared behind them.
“Hm?”
He scanned the compartment, his eyes landing on Celestia—legs crossed, lounging defiantly.
“Sir!”
He snapped to attention and saluted her sharply.
“Ugh, what a pain.”
Grimacing, she rose, brushed past the soldiers, and whispered something in the officer's ear.
“My apologies!”
The officer was sweating bullets, bellowing his excuse. Couldn't be helped—the Schwartz family's youngest daughter, who had her claws in every key military post, was chewing him out personally.
That's the perk of power.
Wish my dad and brother were big shots too.
“Colonel Heinrich?”
“Colonel Heinrich reporting!”
She had the cash and the grip to hold anyone in a death vise.
“I remember your name now. Handle it.”
“Yes sir!”
She sauntered back to her seat, and the officer and soldiers saluted again before fleeing the compartment like their lives depended on it.
“Scary person.”
Elia blinked wide-eyed at the scene, muttering under her breath.
“What was that?”
“Eek! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!”
“Phew.”
Stepping off the train into the bustling station thronged with rushing crowds, I let out a sigh of relief. Stuck between Celestia and Elia, the compartment vibe had been a total frozen hellscape.
“...”
Elia still wasn't saying a word, probably because Celestia was right there. That scolding on the train must've terrified her.
“Here, take these.”
Just then, Celestia—finishing up a chat with someone ahead—approached and handed over two sheets of paper.
Passes.
She smoothed her hair and continued.
“I have business elsewhere. Get to the lodging on your own.”
Elia's face lit up as she shouted.
“Got it!”
Celestia strode off briskly, vanishing from sight. The instant she did—
“Phew.”
Elia finally exhaled in relief.
“Scary, huh?”
I asked, and she nodded furiously.
Even out of sight, she was too spooked to speak freely. She seemed to have some heavy biases about Celestia, so I tried easing her worries with a quick rundown.
“She's kinder than she seems.”
“Eh? Really?”
She looked skeptical, but we kept chatting idly like that.
“Elia?”
Then, an unwelcome voice called from behind.