Temporary Alliance
Reina slipped out of the banquet hall, her discomfort plain in every step. Sylvia and Natalie followed close behind as she made her way slowly toward her room—their private sanctuary. Even as they climbed the stairs to the second floor, the leash still hung from Natalie’s neck. Reina refused to remove it until they were safely inside, just in case any nobles who had also left the hall happened to see.
Once they finally reached the room, Natalie dropped to her knees without a word. Reina turned to face Sylvia and Natalie as they entered.
“Sylvia. Take it off. Quickly.”
Her tone was the same as always, yet the slight tremor at the end betrayed her. Her quickened breaths only confirmed how shaken she truly was. The moment the collar came free and Reina saw the red marks it had left on Natalie’s neck, tears welled in her eyes. She pulled the younger girl into a tight embrace. No matter how mature people called her, thirteen was still the age of a girl.
“I’m all right, Reina.”
Natalie might have been fine, but Reina couldn’t stop thinking about how calmly the noble from the pro-slavery faction had spoken of Sog Kingdom’s slave reality. No apology would ever feel sufficient.
“I—I’m sorry. I’ll apologize for everything. Me, Sylvia, my parents, the other nobles… the way they look at you, the way they speak to you, even the atmosphere itself. So please…”
Natalie pressed Reina’s face firmly against her chest, cutting off the flood of guilt before it could continue. She hugged her with all her strength.
“Mmm.”
“Does it feel suffocating? But I love hugs more than anything. A hundred apologies can’t compare to this. If it’s a hug, I feel like I could forgive anything. So don’t cry.”
Natalie’s sincerity seemed to reach her. Reina simply buried her face in her chest and quietly calmed herself, while Sylvia discreetly wiped away tears of her own.
“Y-yeah.”
Reina found it surprising that Natalie could speak so well, but she was relieved to see her friend handling things better than expected. Still wrapped in the embrace, she took a deep breath, glanced at Sylvia, and spoke.
“Should we just leave this place? Go somewhere far away?”
It was the kind of thought and words no noble daughter should ever voice, yet neither Sylvia nor Natalie could bring themselves to refuse. The idea of leaving the mansion behind and living as true friends instead of maintaining their awkward servant-and-lady relationship was painfully beautiful. Still, Sylvia hesitated—she was bound by contract.
“My lady, you mustn’t say such things…”
“Sylvia would make the kindest big sister of all, wouldn’t she?”
The word “sister” sent Sylvia drifting into the fantasy again, though reality remained harsh.
“That would be wonderful, but I am bound by contract. If you wish, you may still call me ‘sister,’ though.”
“Then I’ll call you sister!”
Natalie beat her to it. She had no contract tying her to Sylvia, and while she addressed Reina as “my lady” out of habit, there was no real reason she had to. Reina immediately joined in.
“Tch, I’ll call you sister too!”
For the rest of their time in the room, the three of them spoke without restraint.
***
The words Reina had only ever whispered in secret—that she wanted to leave the noble world behind—were suddenly on the verge of becoming reality. Time passed, her birthday came and went, and she turned fourteen. When she visited Valéon’s study, he told her something she could hardly believe.
“…It’s study abroad. Fourteen is old enough. I’ll cover all the expenses, so don’t worry.”
“Father, I’m fine. I can just endure the banquets when they happen.”
He had arranged it with her discomfort at social gatherings in mind. In truth, Valéon and Julia had been thinking about this for a long time without her knowledge. Reina was a genius—mature beyond her years and already forming magic circles under Julia’s tutelage. Until now, her only education had been Sebastian’s history and etiquette lessons, Julia’s magic instruction, and simple reading. Even so, her brilliance was obvious. It felt wasteful to hide such potential.
“I looked into it. De Seiran in the Seiros Kingdom seems like a fine city. Even though they were at war until recently, now that a truce has been declared, it should be safe enough to go.”
“The fact that you’re going this far means there’s a reason, doesn’t it?”
“I know about you and Natalie. That’s why I thought it over carefully. Take her with you. If the pro-slavery nobles hear you brought a slave along for your studies, they’ll understand.”
It wasn’t an order to go alone. Rather than drawing attention from the pro-slavery faction, she would keep a low profile while still traveling with a slave—exactly as they would expect. The benefits were twofold: it would spread the rumor that House Mercury treated slaves properly, and Reina wouldn’t have to suffer through social parties. Valéon had already chosen an academy in De Seiran for her. He would have preferred to send her to the capital’s Philadel, but that would mean dropping his daughter right into the heart of pro-slavery territory. He trusted that Reina would manage somehow.
“It’s already decided. Make your preparations.”
“Understood, Father.”
“Ah, and if possible, keep the fact that you’re from House Mercury a secret.”
“Why?”
“Seiros Kingdom was at war with us until recently. If they find out you’re from House Mercury of Sog Kingdom, things could get difficult.”
Valéon was certain the capital would harbor strong resentment toward Sog Kingdom, and House Mercury’s wartime exploits would only make it worse. Reina nodded and left the study.
“Do you think Reina will be all right?” Julia asked quietly from where she had been watching.
“Of course. Whose daughter is she?”
Now all they could do was trust her. They only hoped she would stay safe and happy in a foreign land.
***
Time flowed on, and eventually Reina set out for the Seiros Kingdom. Only she and Natalie would go; the rest of the escort consisted of knights and soldiers from House Mercury. Sylvia couldn’t come. Since Natalie was being sent as Reina’s attendant, there was no need for anyone else. Both girls felt the loss, but the decision was final. An academy in Seiros Kingdom had no real nobles, so traveling with an obvious noble’s entourage would defeat the purpose of hiding her status. Reina understood that better than anyone—this was the time to conceal who she was.
Before the carriage departed, Julia’s eyes glistened with tears.
“Mother, don’t cry.”
Reina stepped forward and hugged her. Valéon stood silently, offering nothing but quiet faith. Their eyes met, and she nodded. Last was her adorable little brother, Lenin Mercury.
“Big sis! Have a safe trip!”
Lenin, still unaware of where or how long she was going, waved brightly with a sunny smile.
“Lenin, listen to Mother and Father!”
“Okay!”
Seeing her cheerful little brother somehow lightened the weight on her heart. As the carriage rolled away, Reina couldn’t stop thinking about how lonely it would be to live as a noble without her parents or servants in a foreign land. That thought vanished the moment she looked at Natalie sitting across from her.
“Natalie, what are you thinking about?”
“Ah, I was wondering where we’re going. I wonder how amazing it’ll be?”
Natalie no longer worried about the language barrier—she had studied diligently. Reina smiled.
“It’ll definitely be a wonderful place.”
“You think so? Hehe.”
Natalie’s cute laugh made Reina laugh too. Outside, Valéon’s voice reached them as he gave final instructions to the knights and coachman.
“Whose soldier are you?”
“A soldier of honor who protects House Mercury.”
“Good! You are the future of our house. With that resolve, escort her safely all the way to the Seiros Kingdom.”
“Yes, sir!”
The escort was already highly experienced. These elite soldiers were ready for any attack, so there was no real reason to worry about reaching Seiros safely—yet Valéon still worried all the same.
“Move out!”
At Valéon’s command, the soldiers relayed the order and the carriage lurched forward. The well-trained horses and luxurious carriage kept the ride smooth, but Reina’s nervous heart made her feel every tiny sway.
“Can I really do this?”
Living up to expectations was never easy. She couldn’t forget what Valéon had said—she was the future of House Mercury.
“Reina can do anything. You’ll be fine.”
Natalie cheered her on without realizing she would have to study too. The sight was so funny that Reina couldn’t help but smile.
***
A heavy silence filled Gion’s office. He was the one who finally broke it.
“Abolishing slavery won’t be easy, but when you look at every nation, Sog Kingdom is the only one that still openly practices it.”
Gion’s words were correct, yet one detail was wrong.
“On the surface, maybe. But I know better. The slave trade reaches all the way to the Bolton Empire.”
“What? That can’t be true!”
Gion looked shocked, but based on what Caliban and Drake had revealed, it was the truth.
“Solving Sog Kingdom alone won’t fix anything. Palaron—the lawless zone—is the true heart of the underworld slave market supplying every nation.”
“This… House Mercury is going to have a problem.”
“That information is accurate, right? I won’t doubt you, but if it’s true, we need to inform the family.”
Bagan didn’t want House Mercury getting involved. Still, after hearing Reina’s story, he had no choice but to respect their intentions.
“As long as you don’t get in the way, I won’t complain if you join the effort to abolish slavery.”
Bagan’s gaze was sharp. He still hadn’t fully accepted them—he simply acknowledged that their strength was worth considering. Reina, however, looked ready to jump for joy.
“Yes! I’ll help with everything I’ve got!”
Bagan’s real trump card wasn’t Reina, but in a way, permission had been granted. Her expression brightened at the thought of gaining a powerful ally.
“Reina! This is good news, right?”
Natalie had just woken up and didn’t fully understand everything, but seeing Reina so happy made her happy too. She hugged her for the first time in a while.
“So, does this mean we’re quitting adventuring for now? Are we going back to the family?”
Paul asked Reina, sounding a little disappointed.
“What are you talking about? My father will provide support. I’m just gathering people who want to abolish slavery so I can help achieve that goal. You two will help too, right?”
During her years in Seiros, Reina had seen plenty of bad people, most of whom held negative views toward slaves. De Meca in particular had no underworld presence left and was home to many different races, so there would be plenty of like-minded people. Her goal was to gather them and prepare for the future.
“Of course!”
“Yeah!”
Paul and Natalie answered at once. Bagan, paying them no mind, turned to Gion with a sudden thought.
“Gion, do you have any connections to the royal family?”
Bagan already knew exactly who Gion was connected to.
“What? You’re talking about the Seiros Kingdom’s royal family?”
Gion stared at him like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Bagan grinned.
“Can you introduce me?”
The reason was simple: conflict between nations was inevitable. Meeting even the king of Seiros and sharing their cause would be helpful. The Seiros king was a Dragonian, after all. A multi-racial kingdom ruled by a different race was only natural, and with one of the Seven Great Heroes—Prince Vidion—among them, it was a formidable nation. The king was exactly the type to shout for the abolition of slavery, so there was no harm in speaking with him beforehand.
Gion, who understood Bagan’s intent, looked troubled as he considered it. Then—
“Well then, we have things to do, so we’ll be going ahead.”
After explaining the plan to Reina and Natalie, Paul bowed to Gion and Bagan and left with them. Only Gion and Bagan remained.
“Ah, whatever! Fine. Someone like you is worth an introduction.”
Once he had Gion’s permission, Bagan spoke.
“Then let me know once the time is set. Take care of yourself.”
With a handshake, Bagan left the office.