===

Story Fragment

*

Leticia Estia

===

Luddite Earldom.

Daily work, a normal afternoon, Sequencee Arch was waiting tables at the tavern of Dimitri guild as usual.

“Sequencee, can you hand these to the man over there?”

“Sure thing,” grabbing the tray, he slithered past the messy crowd towards one of the clients sitting at the corner table.

At least that was how it felt until a certain piece of information caught his attention.

“Hey, don’t you think it’s unfair being a slave trader? Swarmed by assholes wanting to manipulate them from the shadows, they have to deal with taxes, and corruption– and it’s not like they live a good life either,” the man cracked, slamming his mug of alcohol on the table.

“Pardon?”

“We’re moving out to bust an illegal slave trade. For some reason, slaves on the market are legal, but the ones were handling are marked illegal. What’s the distinction anyways?”

Sequencee didn’t know what he was blabbering about, but it reminded him of a peculiar search request for the count’s daughter who went missing three weeks ago. With a detailed description of her face and even a rough portrait. The reward was a great sum of money and possibly some additional reputation to the mercenary’s name. There wasn’t a minimum rank requirement, anyone could try for it.

Other details about the quest noted that this person may possibly be located in Luddite Earldom, Coulley March, viscount Rine’s territory, and the capital city as these were regions close to Stravince Count’s territory, among other smaller domains.

Sequencee did not have any system gifts that allowed him to track people. Not to mention, he was also limited by places he could wander off to because of work. So he thought that it was best he stayed out of it but...

Something in him instinctively told him that he should make his move. For one, he needed money for the future, so the quest supplied that; more so, he thought the person in the portrait looked familiar. The name was not disclosed for confidentiality, unlike his own wanted poster in the past, but she reminded him of a certain baron’s daughter...

Out of guilt or curiosity, Sequencee didn’t know which was the motivating factor here.

“Slaves are important to an extent. So it’s not like they can completely abolish the system,” Sequencee interjected on a whim.

“Right. As long as there’s a demand, there’s no way it’ll stop. The empire should at least reinforce regulations. It’s a hell of a lot of trouble if you end up meeting a slave merchant who you think doesn’t have a license, but turns out, you’ve been misled. Vice versa, vice versa. I hope this one isn’t some simple misunderstanding...”

“Then... the one you’re going to crack down on tonight...”

“The fact that they didn’t try to enter the earldom to pay the taxes seems fishy. So some of the knights will be sent to confirm their identity.”

“I see...”

“And hey, don’t tell others this, but, it seems that there’s a possibility one of the victims may be the count’s daughter. If the Earl could get his hands on her, it’ll be a big win.”

‘Huh...’

Hearing that, there was no way Sequencee could ignore this issue.

===

A dark sky void of stars loomed over them. The sombre marching of the knights towards the rendezvous point.

Sequencee trailed behind silently, soon reaching the edge of Norcto’s woodland.

“Where do we go from here?”

“We are still unsure if the information can be trusted, so until then, prudence is necessary. Everyone keep their three-point formation uptight.”

“Captain, there are markings on the trees based on the account.”

‘Markings huh?’

“Scouts will take the front line to check for traps. All keep sound to a minimum to avoid arousing enemy suspicion.”

“Mages dim the light. We’ll have to depend on other senses.”

“Keep an eye out for demonic beasts. Slaughter them clean, avoid exaggerated motion, don’t panic.”

“We’ll set off when the first team returns.”

Sequencee melted into the dark. Silencing his footsteps using [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze], he skipped past the knights and advanced forward. Stumbling upon the cross markings on the tree, Sequencee quickly charted a path in his mind. He found footprints on the ground and a barely discernable trail which the slave traders had likely used to move in and out of the forest.

There were no signs of traps, or at least, spatial magic wasn’t picking up anything suspicious.

As he was working solo, the knights were soon left behind in terms of speed, which Sequencee found to be in his benefit.

Gii, gii–

The sound of cackling goblins.

Crunch.. slither..

The hissing forest mamba.

Even though it was unlikely they would harm Sequencee, he made sure to keep his distance, taking the necessary detours if possible. Unfortunately, the smaller creatures like killer rodents, bats, and man-eating plants easily noticed him. They were not deterred by his demon aura, so Sequencee could only eliminate them the instant they entered his kill zone.

‘Hopefully the druid doesn’t come to mess with me again...’

Sequencee prayed that things don’t become complicated. It was considered taboo to travel inside Norcto’s woodlands during the night.

He found himself standing before a dilapidated road trail which sliced the forest into two halves. Sequencee guessed that the slave traders had stopped here to resupply at Luddite before moving on to their real destination. Had the knights delayed their actions by a single day, these people would’ve probably left.

Oddly enough, there were no night sentries around the dead campfire, but he could feel the presence of many people in the caravan.

Sequencee crept slowly, noticing the use of monster repelling powder on the ground. It was quite lavish of them to use something so expensive so thoughtlessly. The wagon at the very back creaked up and down in cadence. He killed his footsteps and approached his target.

Standing before the parting curtains, peering in, he saw hair scattered across the floor, viscous white liquid on skin–Sequencee’s heart turned cold.

‘These assholes...’

===

A muddled black sky, ash clouds covering the stars. The smell of ashes and smoke; embers dying, blood washed away by the pouring rain in the ruins.

“I sense life in that direction! Someone check underneath that building!”

The commanding figure of the search party shouted, a group of mages and mercenaries headed over to remove the debris. Brink and splintered wood structures smashed apart, the scaffolds of the mansion destroyed at its very foundation. This damage was not caused by the flames, but the stampede of demons.

“They’re alive! Quickly pull them out!”

“Some carry them out! I can’t hold this for much longer!”

“Let me help.”

“There’s a barrier.”

“Two more targets rescued.”

“Wait, isn’t this.. a noble’s home? These two’s clothes..”

“Quickly bring them to the tent for medical treatment!”

An uncoordinated but effective process to seek and rescue victims of the demon’s destruction– it was the calamity that struck Estia barony three years ago.

And the two victims found underneath all the rubble was a platinum blonde hair girl with fluttery eyelashes, and an adolescent guy who held her tight around his grasp, both unconscious, clothes soiled by dots of blood and dirt.

A barrier membrane protected them.

Leticia Estia and Lancet Estia.

…

..

.

“Welcome to our home.”

Standing before the two siblings was Count Stravince, or Cordon Stravince whose territory didn’t lie far from the now gone barony. He had a head of gray-red hair from age, a cordial smile greeted them.

“This is my sister, Leticia,” Lancet introduced her to Count Cordon Stravince.

“Thank you for your grace, Count Stravince,” Leticia curtsied in her simple dress.

“Don’t be. I only did what I wished, after all, this is but a mutual exchange. I will ensure that your people receive the resources they need for their livelihood sake, and the redevelopment of the territory.”

Leticia kept her eyes to the ground. While she had no idea what exactly happened between her brother and the count, at least she had no need to worry for him anymore.

Still, she couldn’t help but think that her brother’s decision came too precipitously. Wasn’t this no different from selling off their territory? Yet, what could Leticia do? She had no experience in management, let alone leading an entire territory of desperate people.

“Where’s Rose and Azaleas?” Lancet asked.

“My daughters? I believe they’re attending classes.”

“When will they be available?”

“To think the first thing you’d be concerned about are my daughters. I’m very pleased. While I may not be familiar with every aspect of my daughters’ schedule, I reckon they would be free later in the afternoon. Otherwise, you may simply ask Sir Raque for the rest of the details.”

Saying so, the butler who stood a step behind the count came forward and bowed.

“I’ve assigned him as your personal butler, feel free to speak up should you need anything. If you have any need for my presence, you may find me in my office. Otherwise, relay it to Mister Raque.”

“I shall be in your care, Sir Lancet,” the butler greeted.

“Likewise,” Lancet responded.

“Freshen yourself up for my daughter, she would be delighted to see you.”

“I will.”

“This way Sir Lancet, Miss Leticia,” Raque led them upstairs.

Leticia, following silently behind, finding the whole exchange quite surreal. There was an odd sense of dissonance which struck a chord in her. She had returned to life as a noble in comfort, yet everything about this mansion foreign. She stuck close to Lancet.

“Brother Lancet. Are you sure about this?” Leticia asked with a furrowed brow as they were about to part.

“Sure about what?”

“I-Is this decision really for the best?”

“Maybe. It’s not as if we have other alternatives,” he reached out to caress Leticia’s hair.

Belying his smile, he knew deep down that he wasn’t sure of his decision. Just like Leticia, he had knowledge of managing a territory. Making a mess of the line of command, arousing hate and turmoil, making immature decisions that may only do further harm to his people…

What was he to do when someone with more knowledge extended help?

They were each assigned an individual room. The butler placed a maid to serve under Leticia while he himself served Lancet.

Leticia brought nothing with her except some money– after all, she had lost most of her possessions to the calamity.

“I’ll bring you a warm tub and towel–or would you prefer a bath instead? As for your clothes, I believe there are some spare ones which I could provide you with, though it may not be as extravagant,” the maid, Pylin, asked with a distant tone.

“Is it alright to take a… bath?”

“Yes. Should I prepare it for you?”

“Yes… if that’s permissible…”

“Please wait a few minutes while I get it prepared. I’ll call you once it’s ready.”

She gave a curt bow and left to heat the water.

Silence ruled the room, Leticia’s stiff body relaxed. She scanned her new personal space. A white bed without a canopy, a desk to the side, french windows that allowed light to pour in and a built-in wardrobe for clothes. Nothing extravagant, but hospitable nonetheless.

Leticia walked up to the window and looked down. She looked upon the wide open plaza, seeing the corps of knights on the field below training in teams. Sweeping to the right, she could see the other wing of the massive mansion. To her left, the city, in the distance, a mountain range.

“Mom, dad, brother Lancet is doing his best. I won’t give up.. even though we lost our home, we still have each other,” she muttered her random prayers.

A tear slid down her cheeks.

Was it a blessing or misfortunate that the heirs of the baron’s children had to take over after the attack by the demon army?

After their rescue, the two learnt that they had only each other left. Their parents were dead; their corpses were never found.

The transfer of ownership anointed Lancet’s as the next lord, becoming responsible for the recovery of the wasted territory. With the destruction of basically every major facility within the barony, he had to somehow accommodate for the livelihoods of the people and bring back economic function to the land.

Everything stripped away from him– from them. The people mourned for days, crude funeral rites were performed with whatever little they had left, sleepless nights drowned him. Even the SS-rank mercenary, Anna died to the mortifying threat that is The Sovereign.

Walking through the ashen land, Lancet repressed the feelings of dread within him. He knew that beyond the anguish and anxiety he felt, the loss of his parents and everything else–he still had to do something about this. He was the surviving heir, there was no way he would want to bring shame to his late parents.

The first week after the mourning period was absolutely horrendous. Conflicts broke out within the community over the lack of basic supplies such as food and shelters. His unstable state only made things worse as many seeds of discord were sown due to his blunders.

Fortunately, Lancet discovered the money in the vault of his dilapidated mansion buried within the debris. There were also immediate aids coming from the central empire. He transferred all the money into his system.

While that resolved the problem of money, having the funds was only the beginning. Lancet panicked over what to do with all these resources. As someone who had barely received any education on regional management, he had no idea what his priority should be.

Farmlands couldn’t be rebuilt so readily because they first had to procure seeds, and even he went to buy some, the fact that he would only be able to reap the rewards the next year created doubt and uncertainty. There were many other more pressing issues besides restarting the farm, such as shelter, cleaning of the territory, and the repair of the aqueducts.

Even after holding a small council consisting of some of the more notable members amongst the survivors, what he got was a mismatch of needs and ideas. There weren't any advisors he could turn to, all of them had met the same fate as his parents.

Leticia could only watch on silently, knowing that she was too incompetent in this area.

Many aid funds or human talents arrived from other territories, but they all came with sleazy conditions, which Lancet frustratedly rejected. All but one which he recognized the sender as one of his father’s friends.

Enclosed were the count’s regards, regrets and his wish to help the territory but under one peculiar condition– he was to become engaged with the count’s daughter and pass the leadership of the territory over to him for a period of time. The count had two daughters, one named Rose, the other was Azaleas. Which of the two he was to be engaged to remained a mystery. Both were beauties in their own right.

Lancet would hand over the territory to the count for a temporary period of time. In exchange, the people would be provided better resources to restart the economy of the land. To put it otherwise, Lancet would become the adopted child of the counts’ family. Hence, he would be protected under them.

It was the count’s responsibility to protect the surrounding regions from any harm as they were a military family with strong ties with many other domains. The fact that they had failed to do anything during the attack gave rise to doubts of their ability to perform in a national scale emergency. Perhaps out of guilt or atonement, they had given these beneficial conditions to Lancet.

The council objected to the idea initially, thinking that it was a cheap way to swindle the territory from under his arms. But considering everyone’s benefit, including his own– Lancet said that what was important here was the well being of the people. In the first place, he had no wish to manage the territory. A 15 year old kid with no aspirations to become a lord–when such a role was forced upon him, the only thing he had to show for it was his incompetence.

He will study under the count the proper way to lead the people. Once the contract period ends, and the rights of the territory were returned back to him, he will return to his people.

And so, Estia barony henceforth, was assimilated into Stravince county.

It was another turning point in their lives.

===

“Ah..? So this is your sister?” Rose narrowed her eyes.

“She’s kind of cute. Nice to meet you, I’m Azaleas, now your step-sister,” Azaleas asked for a handshake.

Leticia received it in kind, her grip was strong.

“Your hair looks just like your brother’s, how old are you?”

Rose and Azaleas. Both had rose red hair and beautiful indigo-blue eyes–identical twins. Despite the similarities in their physical features, one could easily tell them apart from the way they portrayed themselves. Radiating dominance and hostility, Rose’s eyebrows were always pointed downwards, showing her fiery voraciousness and lukewarm hostility; meanwhile, Azaleas had a softer expression to her demeanor. Slanted eyes, radiating gentleness and warmth.

“I’m 13 this year.”

“Your brother is 15, so it’s a two year difference,” Azaleas clapped her hands.

“Heh. No wonder you’re so short,” Rose snickered.

“...” Leticia wanted to retort how those words reflected back to her, but thought it wasn’t a good idea to. She remained silent.

“How close are you to your sister? You two seem like you don’t talk a lot?” Azaleas asked Lancet.

“Close, she’s just the quiet kind.”

Leticia nodded to his remark.

“So she’s a mute then.”

“She’s not a mute. Watch your words, Rose.”

“Did we not agree that you’ll be calling me big sis this week?”

“Nope. Nothing of that sort, I don’t remember,” Azaleas played dumb.

“You..” Rose’s eyebrows twitched.

Lancet leaned in towards Leticia and whispered.

“The one I’m engaged with is Rose.”

Leticia blinked a few times and looked at him with a blank stare. A troubled expression rippled across his face, seeing her dumbfounded expression.

“Hah? Did you just slander me?” Rose snapped at Lancet.

“No. I merely told my sister that you were my fiance. That’s all.”

“Hmph? Not satisfied with me? You dare compare me to someone else?!”

“I said nothing of that sort,” Lancet responded with a frown.

“Now, now big sis. If you continue to get mad at every little thing, I’ll snag him over for myself. Boys like kind girls, isn’t that right, Lancet?” Azaleas questioned in a saccharine voice.

“Y-You..” Rose fummed.

“I have no comments,” Lancet could only respond as such.

Why did the count choose Rose as her finance over Azaleas? One guess was that with Rose’ attitude, it would lead to a lot of trouble for the family if she were to wed someone else outside the house. In a way, Lancet was a sacrificial lamb.

That said, it wasn’t like he abhorred it. In his eyes, Rose was an incredibly beautiful figure, so while her attitude may be a problem, he kept convincing himself that it was the price he had to pay to live with this belle. Moreover, her complaints can sometimes be cute to watch.

===

Count Stravince also had two sons. One of them was out studying for his magic engineering license, the other was managing the knight’s order within the territory. The former was the younger child, the latter was the older one.

Sean Stravince was his name, the family’s eldest child and next heir of the territory. He took the opportunity to have dinner with the two newly adopted family members. The meal was some thick block of meat grilled to look like steak. Leticia thought the taste was exquisite for a dinner held outside the mansion.

Under the moonlight, his golden eyes shone. He had spiky dusk-red coloured hair, some fringes curled; an angular jawline and sleek nose. The howl of the night winds caused the light in the lamp to flutter, his shadowed face flickering in and out of discernment. Muscular body and large frame, he looked imposing even without his armor.

“You should understand well what it means to give up your territory. As the new lord taken after your father, I find your actions deplorable,” as Sean spoke, the steak knife scratched the plate, creating an unpleasant sound.

“That.. of all options available, for the sake of my people’s well-being, I find that this is the best decision.”

“This is the best? To give up your land for your people? Have you not considered that the count may drive your people to death, reclaiming the land for his own?”

“It was part of the deal, that Count Stravince would aid in the reconstruction of the new land, for the sake of the people. In saying, it would also bolster his reputation amongst the people for his noble deeds should he succeed.”

“Reputation huh? Smearing mud all over your face to raise his own, father, truly,” shaking his head, Sean’s mouth curled up indignantly.

Lancet wanted to complain about his attitude towards his own father, but reflecting on it, he questioned the possibility that maybe Sean was right. Lancet only knew the count superficially, unlike Sean who had been with him almost all his life. It’s likely that he knew something about the lord Lancet did not, to make him abhor his father to such an extent.

“Lancet Estia and Leticia Estia. I may not understand the details of what has happened, but let me warn you,” his cold eyes stared into theirs. “This is no haven. The day you lost your home, your struggle has begun.”

“...”

“Lancet Estia. Tomorrow morning, you are to report for duty.”

“... yes sir.”

“As for your sister.. well, her fate has already been sealed.”

“What?”

“Leticia Estia, come to my room in the evening,” leaning his chin against his hand, he swirled his wine. An expectant smile on his lips.

“...”

Leticia, who had been acting oblivious on purpose, stopped her knife short of cutting the meat.

===

“Miss Pylin. What kind of person is young lord Sean?”

“Did something happen earlier?”

Leticia brushed her flaxen hair using a comb, gazing at herself through the mirror. She wasn’t sure why it was that Sean called her to his room, but she had to make herself presentable to some degree.

“Young lord told me to go to his room... does that imply something?”

“Did the young lord not specify the reason?”

Leticia plucked some of the hair stuck between the comb’s teeth and placed them on the table.

“No. I was asked to meet him at his room later without prior explanation. Do you know where it is located?”

“The young lord’s room should be one floor below, closer to the back end of the corridor with the painting of the county’s garden.”

Leticia stood up and looked herself in the mirror. Dark thoughts came bubbling to the surface of her mind.

“Miss Pylin, what is it that… young lord wants from me?”

“It’s the first time I’m hearing that he so readily invited someone to his place,” was all Pylin said.

“...”

Pylin guided her to the young lord’s room, but left when approaching the destination on the excuse that she had something she needed to attend to. In the dark, Leticia stood before the door. Her legs trembled, her fingers holding the hem of her short white nightgown.

She was ignorant of ‘that’ possibility.

Steeling her heart, she knocked on the door.

“You’re late,” his voice boomed.

Leticia didn’t know how to respond.

“Do you need me to open the door for you?” His pressuring voice, full of skepticism.

“N-No.”

She tried the handle– the door was locked. Her face burned out of embarrassment and anxiety.

“Huh. Well, what are you doing taking so long? I’ve been waiting all damn night!” His voice seethed.

Leticia kept fumbling with the handle, to no avail. At one point, she thought that maybe she should just disappear back to her room.

“Could it be? The door is locked? Yet you were so sure you didn’t need my help?”

He clicked his tongue and sprang off his bed– or at least, that was what it sounded like. Ferocious footsteps caused the ground to tremble under her feet.

Was this the same pompous person from back then? The leader of the knights' order? The man who held himself with high regard, emphasizing integrity and willpower–Leticia doubted her mind, her instincts were blaring.

‘I-I should go back. He wouldn’t notice...’

It would be the end of her if she entered–

Biting her lips, she turned around and quickly escaped.

Pacing down the corridor with scurry steps, she went in circles trying to locate the stairs to the upper floors. She could hear her heartbeat like a hammer, the throbbing of her veins, and the unstable emotions that soon overcame her thoughts.

Fear.

A wolf was out to get her, yet at this moment, she was lost.

She got behind a random furniture and hid there, rolling herself into a ball. One, to hide her presence, two, to assess her current location. Based on the mental map she drew, the stairs should’ve been right at the end of the corridor, yet, it somehow led to this dead end.

Could it be that she missed a turn somewhere? Or was she on the wrong wing?

‘Is he.. still chasing me?’

Leticia considered staying where she was until morning. That way, she wouldn’t be found even if that Sean guy tried to force his way into her room. After all, to him, it was the most probable location she would escape to.

Leticia clenched her fist near her chest and peeked out. She could barely make out the path with the weak moonlight leaking in. Unlike the other places in the mansion, here, it was pitch black. Moreover, there weren’t any sentinels around either. Was it on purpose?

‘C-Calm down. He won’t find me, he won’t..’

Leticia’s eyes moisten as warm tears condensed at the edges. She rolled into a ball and leaned against the wall. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to–

“Excuse me, excuse me.”

Leticia jolted awake at the touch of her shoulder. She panicked and retreated backwards just to find that the person who called her was a maid.

“Miss, what happened?” she asked out of concern.

“H-Huh?” Leticia examined her current situation and realized that she had slept. “W-What time is it?”

“It’s before dusk. Why are you out here? Did.. something happen?”

“N-Nothing.. do you know where the stairs are?”

“Did you get lost? You shouldn’t have slept here. What if someone else found out? We would be in trouble,” the maid pouted.

“Sorry,” Leticia lowered her head.

“The stairs are that way. Turn right at the second,” she pointed.

“Thank you...” Staggering, Leticia got up and crawled towards the directed location.

It was the same set of stairs she remembered. So, she had no problems locating her room with that as a landmark. Of course, she went to the washroom nearby before coming to her room.

The handle of the door was broken. A chill sent running up her spine.

She pushed it open carefully, feeling the cold wind blowing in. Her pupils trembled at the sight.

If she hadn’t gotten lost, she imagined what would’ve happened to her…

“W-What happened?!” Pylin the maid exclaimed in horror the moment she entered the room.

It was as if a monster had just been here, everything inside her room had been turned upside down. Furniture broken, windows smashed, the flipped bed thrown into disarray, mattress and blankets ripped.

“I-If the count sees this..” the maid paled. She glanced over to one corner to find Leticia curled into a ball. “M-Miss Leticia..?”

She made her way over and shook her shoulders.

“What happened? Tell me what happened?”

“...”

Pylin checked her condition but couldn’t find anything abnormal besides her unsound state. She had not a single scratch... it was impossible to think that she did all this.

“Miss Leticia. P-Please tell me what happened. I need to know so I can help you with this. Please.”

“S-Sir Sean…”

“The young lord?”

“I… don’t know...”

Pylin gritted her teeth.

She got up and ran out to call for the help of the other maids. The traces must be cleared up before the count, or his other family wakes up.

===

Lancet Estia, Leticia’s brother, was already out in the field. So he hadn’t the time to care about Leticia in her current situation.

After breakfast, she was called into the count’s office. She bowed, keeping her eyes down at the maroon coloured carpet.

The morning light poured in from the window behind him, casting sharp shadows over the two lords of the house. Their silhouettes felt domineering, fear gripped her heart.

“...”

“So you’re Leticia?”

The countess who sat beside the count asked.

“Y-Yes, Lady Sinea.”

“Truly remarkable that you never thought to give me your greetings the first day you arrived. Not only that, it seems you had even destroyed our property and caused a ruckus of all things to our servants.”

“I’m sorry about the matter...”

“Hah? Is your head working straight? Did you think this was your home?”

“...”

“Should I hear any reports of something like this happening again, I will take disciplinary measures. Be thankful that I’m sparing you, for being such an ignorant self,” hissing, she threw a document in front of her.

Leticia timidly raised her head.

“Where’s my thanks? Could it be that you’re deaf?”

“T-Thank you for your grace, Lady Sinea,” Leticia said in panic.

“From today onwards, you are to attend classes together with my daughters. Here lain within all the details regarding your education, fail to perform and I will not hesitate to throw you into a ditch. We don’t nurture parasites in this house.”

Leticia gripped her hands tight.

“Off you go. I hope I don’t hear from you again,” the countess looked away in disgust, gesturing to her to leave.

Leticia timidly reached out to take the paper, giving a meek acknowledgement of thanks.

“One more thing Leticia.”

Count Stravince’s gentle voice boomed. It was the first time he had spoken since she entered the room. He had only been smiling earlier in eerie silence.

“If you do well, you may very well garner the attention of our eldest son. If all conditions are met, I may even allow your engagement with him. I hope that serves as some motivation to encourage you.”

Leticia felt a deep chill in her bones.

“Yes.. I’ll do my best,” stiffly, she bowed.

Leaving the office, her chest felt airy, body trembling in fright as the hairs on her body stood on end.

‘W-What kind of house is this place...’

===

Leticia never saw the count’s first son again since that day. Despite so, the incident left a deep impression on her. She now slept with her brother instead of her own room out of fear something like that would happen again. She would leave early in the morning to avoid arousing suspicion.

Or course, it wasn’t like she could hide the trace completely.

“Bitch, I told you to stay away from my fiance, how many times have I told you!!” Rose grabbed Leticia’s hair and shoved her around at her mercy. Throwing her face against the table, the chair the floor, the window–

Blood poured from her wounds as she gasped for air, laying on the ground limp, with glass shard scattered all over her body. Her vision waned, flickering stars covered her sights as the world altered between light and dark.

“Big sis, what if the tutor finds out about this? She’ll come in another minute you know?” Azaleas, asked with her usual gentle tone.

“Ah? What did I do? She just went insane and smashed her head against the window.”

“You know she wouldn’t be convinced by just that?” Azaleas looked at Leticia pitifully.

“It’s your fault! If only you told her to not disturb my fiance!” She screamed.

“She’s his sister though?”

“So what? If your fiance keeps sleeping with his sister, how would you feel about it?”

“I would kill her.”

“Right?!”

The door to the study opened. Their magic instructor paused at the door front with a raised a question.

“Who did this?”

As if it weren’t a matter of life and death, she waited for a response.

“She did it!” Rose pointed at the girl bleeding on the ground.

“I ask again, who did it?” A calm voice, seething in rage. So much that it sent chills up their spine.

“She,” Azaleas pointed at Rose.

“Were you not involved in it too?” the instructor narrowed her eyes at Azaleas.

“I did nothing. I’m innocent..” Azaleas made a pitiful expression, hoping to garner sympathy.

“Bitch! You were having fun watching weren’t you?”

“Me? How could it be fun? I was afraid. Should I interfere, your next target would likely be me..”

“Hah? So you want me to smash your head into the window too? Please, be my guest..”

The instructor dropped the books on the table with a loud thud, ending their bickering. She walked up to Leticia to assess her condition.

It wasn’t like the instructor didn’t understand this girl’s situation, concomitantly, she didn’t hold much expectation for her. Leticia’s magic was moderate at best, barely able to cast the basic four elements.

“I’m sorry.. I’m sorry..” the delirious muttering of a broken machine, Leticia squinted her eyes and kept repeating in a whisper.

The instructor thought initially to treat her like air, thinking that she wasn’t worth her time. However, the possibility that she may die before such a thing happened had the instructor second guess her initial plans. Leticia’s head was bleeding, eyes swollen, fragments of glass shard pierced her skin.

If the count of countess learnt of this, the one to lose her life wouldn’t be this girl, but herself.

So out of self protection, the instructor picked up Leticia and dragged her to the clinic outside of the mansion. The guards who saw that could only allow them to pass.

===

Leticia sat on the floor, blankly staring at the edge of the bed–her brother’s bed.

Her wounds had been closed, but the throbbing pain remained. The world was colourless, a patch of gray. It was the first time she thought that maybe it would’ve been better if she had died then. Maybe it would’ve been nice if the instructor had spared her from any more of this suffering and let her go off in peace.

The door behind her opened. Leticia carefully turned around.

“Brother Lancet…”

“Leticia…”

He didn’t look too good either. In fact, clear wounds could be covering his arms, bruises on his face, blistered fingers and red swells on his wrist. In fact, he had it far worse than herself. It made her want to cry.

Saying nothing, he grabbed her by the shoulder and wrapped his arm around her. In response she dug her face into his shoulder. He disregarded the stinging pain all over his body, letting her sister find comfort in whatever he still had.

Did he regret his choice? Possibly.

But, what else could he do?

===

“Miss Rose, Miss Azaleas, you two are free to leave,” the magic instructor said.

“Ha? How about that dimwit?” Rose pointed towards Leticia whom the magic instructor had told to stand facing the corner of the wall.

“Rose, stop it. Let’s go, we shouldn’t get involved with her so much,” Azaleas tugged at her sleeve.

“Hey, magpie. This is your last damn warning. If you don’t move out from my fiance’s room, I will drag you out of there myself tonight.”

Leticia said nothing.

“Are you deaf?”

“Do you want me to punish you in the same way?” the instructor’s cold voice threatened.

Rose clicked her tongue, “Azaleas, let’s go.”

“Thank you for your teachings today Miss Yumi,” Azaleas performed a polite curtsy before leaving.

Click. The door of the study room was shut.

Yumi picked up the books and returned them to the shelves in the surroundings.

“If you hate this place so much, I think you should make plans to leave,” she said as she passed by.

“I.. don’t know if that’s.. possible. What would happen to my brother.. then?”

“From my view, your brother would be much better off without you.”

Her words cut like a knife. Leticia’s guilt deepened.

Had Yumi left her to die, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. So why did she save her? It wasn’t as if Leticia had many talents, neither did she have any goals to strive for. She only wished was for peace–yet, something so simple was impossible; what more could she look forward to?

Her future was bleak, there was no escape. Only in her brother did she find solace and peace, the only other person who understood her; the sufferings they were subjected to as external members of the family.

“Sit,” Yumi prodded as she pulled out a chair.

Leticia turned around and sat down beside the instructor.

“I want you to perform this. Be careful not to push too much mana, it’ll cause an explosion.”

Under the guise that Leticia had to stay back for supplementary class as punishment, Rose and Azaleas didn’t think that Yumi had Leticia’s better interest in mind.

There was no way she could guide Leticia properly with the two spoiled children around, so the best option she had was to drive them away first before giving her lessons. So lampooning Leticia was a tirade of harsh words, telling her to reflect on her failures in the corner of the room–that was merely a disguise.

Though Leticia knew Yumi didn’t mean it, she still felt like those were her genuine thoughts about her. An extension of around an hour or two hour.

“So the young lord is beating up your brother, obnoxious. In time, I’m sure your brother will get used to it. He’s resilient, probably,” Yumi said, leaning against the chair with arms spread out like an eagle.

“Won’t he.. die from all the wounds?”

“I hear that there are priests on site. So to put it otherwise, they’re proposing withholding treatment. Why do you think that is?”

“.. me?”

“Exactly.”

No beating around the bush. It was a straight and direct shot to her conscience. Leticia’s expression crumbled.

“If you really piece everything together, your brother is desperately trying to protect you. And because of it, he’s going to continue getting hurt.”

“...”

“Honestly, how long can he last? That tyrant is not one to joke around with,” she played with her nails.

Yumi knew Sean’s true nature. She wouldn’t be called to teach.. or survive in this household if she didn't have that kind of ability to analyze a person’s character.

“Look. The best option you have is to get strong with magic, then leave. They’re after your brother, they don’t need your involvement. If anything, you’re a nuisance to everyone. I’ll help you escape this place. You’ll have to do mercenary work to survive, but I believe it will sure as hell beat staying in this hell hole. What do you say?”

“Why... are you… doing this for me?”

“Didn’t I say it before? You’re a nuisance. I merely want to get rid of a nuisance.”

“...I’m… a nuisance.”

“Exactly. I’d rather you be free out there than be trapped in here. Sure, the outside world is filled with dangers, but compare that to this, which would you rather, right? And hey, you might even grow up to become a famous mercenary, something absolutely impossible in your current situation.”

Leticia lowered her head, Yumi placed her hand on her hair.

“I can only provide so much assistance. The rest is up to you,” she ran her fingers through her platinum blonde hair.

Leticia merely nodded. The dilemma churning in her mind.

===

It was a silent dinner between the two siblings. While they had the dining hall to use, both of them refrained from going there out of fear they might bump into a certain someone of the house.

Life the past month had been miserable. And their only respite from the suffering was this short window of time together, indulging in each other’s presence to relieve themselves from the pain they were going through.

Lancet was covered in wounds, parts of his body wrapped in bandages. He could barely move his fingers, so Leticia opted to feed him slowly.

It was a blessing that Mister Raque still allowed their food to be brought into the room. Soft bread, stew, ham slices, fruits–the basic staple of most nobles. There was also a small portion of today’s special dish, a bean pudding.

“Open–”

“That’s enough Leticia. I’m full.”

“Alright...”

Carefully placing down his fork on the plate. She returned to her seat to resume her own meal. Lancet watched her as she ate, a pace that wasn’t too slow nor fast. His gaze bothered her, she did her best to ignore it. She didn’t have the will to question his actions. As someone who had been trying to protect her all this time, allowing him this much as the least she could do.

“Brother Lancet… would it be better if I left...?” her question come out in a fading voice.

“Leave?”

Leticia nodded. “You’re suffering because of me, isn’t it?”

“No. You’re mistaken, this is all just part of training..” even talking was a struggle for Lancet.

“I don’t mean that I’ll leave forever… just… I’ll go somewhere and get stronger... then… I don’t need to depend on you..”

“What are you saying Leticia?! Did I not do enough for you!?”

“T-That’s not what I m-mean...?”

“Then what? You’re dissatisfied with this life? You hate it, don’t you? I know you’re suffering, but I am too, alright?” Lancet said with painful tears in his eyes. Leticia’s heart squelched, the desperation scribbled all over his face.

Leticia lowered her gaze, a shadow loomed over her eyes. “I don’t want to see you hurt like this. The young lord is threatening you to hand me over, you rejected it, which is why this is happening. Brother Lancet, stop lying and tell me the truth. This is what is happening to you, isn’t it?”

“Forget about it, Leticia. Just take care of yourself, I’m fine.”

“Fine? You think you look fine to me?” Leticia laughed, “I hate you. Why do you keep hiding it from me? I don’t want to be a nuisance in your life, yet you seem to think it’s alright to keep me like this.”

“Leticia. I’m doing this for your sake!”

“I know! This is for my sake too!” she yelled back.

“You think I would allow you to give up your body for that damned guy?”

This was what Leticia had been waiting for. This piece of information was all she needed to steel her resolve.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone pounding against the door. The two fell silent at once.

“Get the fuck out of there bitch!! Do you want me to tear down this door for you?!” Rose’s voice exploded. She actually kept her word when she said that she would drag Leticia out by force tonight.

Leticia stood up.

“L-Leticia, where are you going?”

“I’m through with this. I don’t want to keep living a life where I hide behind someone else,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“Letic–”

She opened the door. Rose was standing right at the entrance, eyes blazing.

“I’m going ba..” before Leticia could finish her sentence, a mana reinforced punch was sent her way. Leticia flew a meter and slammed to the ground.

“What the hell!!” Lancet screamed.

Leticia spat out some blood.

“Bitch I warned you!!”

“Stop it.. ugh..” Lancet wanted to help, but his condition disallowed him to. He staggered and fell off the chair.

“L-Lancet?! What the hell is going on?! Who did this?!”

Shifting her attention to Lancet, Leticia got up after a couple coughs. Even though she was seeing stars, that didn’t prevent her from escaping the room.

Mister Raque who was nearby came to check on the commotion, shocked to find Leticia running while bleeding and the young miss Rose who was trying to tend to Lancet’s wounds.

“Why didn’t you do anything about this?!” Rose yelled at Raque.

“I was told to not intervene..”

“Fuck you! I’ll tell my father about it, you better be prepared to die!”

Raque’s expression stiffened.

Leticia escaped to her room. The lock had been repaired and so was everything else. She leaned against the wall and hugged her knees.

She could taste the iron in her mouth and the saltiness of tears that fell from her eyes.

“I have to… Brother Lancet, don’t stop me...”

Leticia gripped her fist weakly.

‘I’ll get out of here. I’ll definitely get out of here..’

She pulled up her system. Having gone through so much, her accumulated points had reached a staggering value. Immediately, she exchanged the points for her first gift.

[Unique Trait: Nature’s Blessing].

It was a gift which linked her to all things nature.

While most may not notice, one of Leticia’s eyes had now a gold twinkle to it.

===

Leticia rarely met her own brother. Though, in the few occasions when they’d pass each other, it seemed that his treatment in the house had improved, no longer were there any scar or bruises found on his body. Sean was also much more amiable towards him.

Everytime, Lancet would try to strike up a conversation with Leticia, she would simply walk past him as if he were air. It was the best for both of them. After all, they would be leaving each other eventually. It would be easier to part this way than if they were close.

Rose and Azaleas had also begun to distance themselves from her. The novelty of bullying an outsider had worn out. Now, they simply treated her as how she treated her brother. Leticia didn’t know if it was their way of exacting revenge, nevertheless, it had nothing to do with her.

“Miss Leticia, here is your meal,” Pylin pulled a cart into her room.

“Thank you.”

She carefully arranged the items out on the table. Their relationship had grown much more ‘respectful’ over the past few months.

“Have you decided on what dress you would want to wear for the party coming in a week’s time?” Pylin asked.

“We hadn’t gone out to shop for anything, have we? I don’t think I have many options.”

“Yes. That is an issue..” Pylin bit her lips.

“It’s alright. I believe the ones you’ve provided should suffice. I don’t think there’s a need to stand out, after all, I’m merely a decorative ornament,” Leticia said with a smile.

“Could I ask your brother for his thoughts? I believe he would be troubled to see you not in a dress that matches your beauty.”

“No. Don’t mind it,” Leticia shook her head.

“... I hope you reconsider. He had already allocated funds for your evening dress,” Pylin bowed and left.

“...”

The party was to announce her brother’s engagement to Rose as official. It was also to garner support from the public for the easier management of the under-reconstruction territory of Estia. Leticia was a frog in the well, so she couldn’t care less about the other details.

Leticia turned away from the door and stared at her food. She took one of the innocent looking potted plants she had near the window and placed it near the table. She had it grow out its roots to touch each item. Small leaves withered into yellow.

“The food is poisoned again.”

With a sigh, she pushed away the stew and only ate the fruits.

“Here we go.”

Taking the seed out from the flesh of the plum, she fed it to the plant. The roots twirled around it and buried it into the ground. The leaves that were once yellow regained its verdant colour once more.

“Thank you for taking care of me..” With a pang of loneliness drowning her heart, she stroked the leaf of the plant.

===

“...”

“I’ll take all of these.”

“Yes. Should I add the accessories along with it?”

“Please do.”

“We’ll send the gifts to the manor at once, so don’t feel burdened to take the items with you,” the saleswoman said with a million dollar smile.

Leticia watched in silence as half a dozen dresses, all picked by her brother, were put into a box, packed up and sent out of the store.

“Is there anything here that caught your eye?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Leticia didn’t even want to look at his face.

He had grown from his timid, overconfident character into a well primed man. His small body frame had bulked up, the tight suit he was wearing showcased the latent aura of dominance which had long been hidden within himself.

Yet, despite all of these achievements, there had been one thing he had been unable to come to terms with–and that was Leticia. If he wanted, he could, like the rest of the Stravince family, respond to Leticia’s cold aggression in kind. However, as her last family member, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

First impressions last; having adapted to the atrocious living standards of the count’s family, Lancet thought that she should accept the new, not cling to the old. To help her do that, he knew that he couldn’t approach her with the same coldness everyone else was granting her.

“Leticia, let’s go have some tea together.”

Responding with a despondent nod, Leticia followed behind Lancet as they went to the nearby cafe. It would take time to thaw the ice that had long enveloped her heart, Lancet vowed to make her see the light some day.

…

..

.

A grand party was held at the capital city of Equestria to announce Lancet’s engagement with Rose and the future of Estia.

The venue was the garden at the count’s holiday manor. Rows of food arranged atop conjoined tables draped over with cream coloured cloth. Waiters and baristas working around the clock to serve the guests who arrived for the banquet.

A small stage area decorated with white lilies and laurels in the center, Leticia took a spot at the corner together with Yumi. Her eyes assessed the people in her vicinity, none of which really took notice of her.

While her brother and the two daughters were nowhere to be found, Sean was having a light chat with his younger brother near the refreshments area. Daniel Stravince, the brother who hadn’t been able to return to the county because he was busy studying. By Leticia’s standard, she thought that the count’s second son who wore glasses looked like a proper scholar. The main reason why the party was held in the capital and not the county was for the sake of his attendance.

Sean and Daniel, still talking, slowly made their way towards Leticia.

Freezing up, she thought to excuse herself when Yumi held her in place.

“Face it. I’ll be standing here with you if they try anything.”

“..Yes.”

“Leticia, this is my younger brother, Daniel. Your soon-to-become brother-in-law,” Sean said calmly, as if all the cold treatment she had received before were a lie.

“A pleasure to meet you Leticia. Daniel Stravince. A major in magic engineering, studying in Gustolve’s Academy. I apologize for not passing my greetings to you earlier as I have been busy with my studies. I hope you would pardon that,” he said with a heartwarming smile.

‘This family is bipolar.’

The genial Daniel, Azaleas and Count Cordon Stravince were the exact opposite of countess Sinea, Rose, and Sean who were monsters in the making. Leticia was beginning to make sense of the crazy family profile.

It was too bad that Leticia happened to be slapped in the middle, neither an angel nor demon. Perhaps that was why she was never able to get along with anyone... then how about her brother?

“I hope you enjoy the evening.”

Not wanting to drag on the awkward mood, Daniel decided to leave first. He understood that it would take some time for Leticia to get used to being around him. There was no rush.

“Yes. Enjoy your evening...” Sean showed a sinister smile behind Daniel’s back.

Leticia tightened her fist. Her heartbeat thumped loudly against her chest.

“We better escape while we have the chance,” Yumi said.

“Right.”

Tonight. Tonight, where the security would be at its most vulnerable, was the night Yumi will bring her out.

A roar of applause rang out as the stars of the show finally arrived at the banquet. Lancet who wore a neat dark blue suit finished off with a dashing red bowtie; Rose who wore a fitting red dress embodying the beauty of a blood colour rose, the many layers were like individual petals, loosely swaying at each step.

Azaleas stood closely behind them with the count and countess. Each of them wore lofty outfits which showed off the wealth of their home.

Lancet glanced towards Leticia who wore one of the dresses he had picked out for her. A smile formed on his face, she turned away. Rose, who noticed the exchange, clung tightly onto his arm. The crowd of nobles gasped in thrill.

First, the count went upon the stage to give his speech. News that Estia territory will become part of Stravince’s territory, but placed under Lancet’s direct management in the near future. With this, Lancet's future as the lord of the land had been secured, but also, it meant that Estia had actually come under the count’s direct control.

Following that, the count made proud proclamations of the achievements accomplished by Sean and Daniel, his two sons. The fact that the count would praise them so heartily caught them off guard, so the two of them felt rather embarrassed. Meanwhile, the countess looked like she was going to blow up.

Ending his speech, he announced the official engagement between Lancet and Rose, the date in which the marriage would proceed remains on air.

With tensions hanging, the couple climbed onto stage, and as practiced, recited their vows and plans for the future.

Leticia wanted to puke blood.

===

“Go to the garden outside the moment dawn ends,” Yumi handed Leticia a sigil drawn on a scroll.

“What’s this?”

“Tear it when you’re going out. The effect should last an hour, it’ll mask your presence to a degree. Of course, you have the few main city routes memorized already, right?”

“I do.”

“Then I’ll see you there. As a warning, the scroll doesn’t completely remove your presence, so keep moving in the dark. They’re going to be people out in the street... careful not to bump into prostitutes or drunkards.”

“I know.”

“And... wear a coat or something to cover yourself. Your face might stand out.”

Leticia nodded.

“See you then.”

Six months in preparation. Leticia’s magic capability had grown by leaps ever since she arrived. The motivation of wanting to escape drove her to practice magic during her free time, leading to her steady progress.

Outside most other classes like literature, sciences, history and etiquette, it was only Yumi who had the kindness to help her in this situation.

…

..

.

Past midnight.

She opened up her system and read the description of her gift once more.

Feeling the chill of the outside wind, Leticia invested her point into upgrading [Unique Trait: Nature’s Blessing] to the first tier. The breeze sent her hair fluttering, her once flaxen coloured hair mutated into a natural green shade–

She rubbed her hair in between her fingers to feel the texture– it was much silker, nicer to the touch.

“See you brother.”

Leticia tore the scroll, donned her hood and jumped out of the window. Leaning against the ledge, she drew near the vines growing on the side of the mansion and manipulated the stems to guide her down.

It was at the edge of the holiday mansion somewhere, overlooking the garden where the party had been hosted. There were a lot of shrubs and forages to disguise her advances.

Basking under the moonlight, Leticia saw a girl sitting at the ledge of the wall.

Yumi, who was wearing a dark uniform waved at her with a smile. How rare it was to see her like this. It seems Yumi was an ex-mercenary before she become a private instructor for the count.

Without saying a word, Leticia followed her out climbing the wall. After which, they entered into an alley.

“I’m surprised. Did you do something?” Yumi asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Your hair.”

“I merely changed my hair colour.”

“That’s wonderful.. it’ll definitely make it harder to discover you when they try to locate your whereabouts.”

Leticia nodded.

“Absolutely perfect..”

Just as they were about to reach a fork, Yumi suddenly turned around and stretched out her arm.

Leticia slammed into some sort of invisible wall while a magic circle beneath her began to pulsate in a dusky white glow. She felt floaty, restrained in some thick goo.

‘What is… this?’

“Good job. You exceeded my expectations. Someone like yourself... especially with your unique hair colour, it’s exotic, I’m sure you’ll be sold for a lot,” Yumi’s voice sounded thunderous under Leticia’s disordered state. Her body trembled throughout, gasping for air.

Her consciousness flickered.

Leticia whimpered as pain seeped into her body, her body collapsed on the ground as perspiration covered her forehead.

Yumi never had any intentions of helping Leticia. After all, she was the one who innocently assumed that she was going to actually ‘save’ her. A period of six months was a long time for Leticia to change her mind. Even Yumi herself wasn’t expecting it to work out, knowing how unpredictable the human will was. Yet surprisingly, Leticia’s tenacity won out in her favor.

“You’re free from your family now, isn’t that great?”

A calculated trap. With a smile on her face, Yumi trembled in excitement just thinking how much she would profit from this single victim.

Left consciousness faded... left ringing in her ear was a blithe laughter announcing the start of a new hell.

===

The chirping sounds of the birds; Leticia opened her eyes. She found herself lying inside a dim, sealed off wagon. She could feel the hum of an engine, the vibrations of the wheels treading dirt ground, the crunching sounds of metal pieces rubbing against one another.

Daylight leaked from the crevices of the shabby wood planks, the place smelled like rot.

Leticia trembled all over, feeling the cuffs restraining both her hands and legs. She wasn’t alone in this wagon.

There were others in the same predicament as herself, children of similar age, or younger than her–all were girls. Their minds hazy in despair, not a shred of light could be seen in their eyes.

One of the girls who noticed Leticia struggled over to her.

“Are you... okay?” she asked.

Blonde hair, emerald eyes. She looked like she was the eldest among the other five in the wagon.

“W-Where are we..?” Leticia’s eyes widened when she saw the crest imprinted on the girl’s neck.

“I don’t know where we are... what I do know is that, we’re being brought to somewhere... to be sold..” she said with remorse.

“I-I’m a slave?” Leticia muttered to herself in disbelief.

“Everyone here is,” she replied weakly.

Leticia looked at the girls once more. Like herself, everyone here was a beauty in their own rights, which meant that they were in a sense, premium products. She recalled everything that Yumi had done for her–first came seething rage, then a wave of despair crashed.

Leticia had been kidnapped, sold, and enslaved. Now, she was going to be sold away.

The terrifying realization struck her. She tried to use magic to escape, the slave crest glowed black, her world darkened, mind went blank as an indescribable pain coursed through her body.

She couldn’t move, couldn’t scream. Nothing else but to accept the pain injected into her being.

The girl panic as she watch Leticia froth at the mouth, but couldn’t do anything to help her as once the effect of the slave crest was intiated, it would be another ten seconds before it subsided.

And during those agonizing ten seconds, Leticia fainted.

===

“Eat up you lovely girls.”

Leticia and the girls were brought out to the plains for food. Brawny men and scantily dressed women armed with weapons merrily chatting along over a fire while the slaves were ushered to one side where they were giving bread and stew.

They weren’t stingy about the quantity, going so far as to provide them with enough that their bellies would be full.

“These girls will sell for a lot won’t they?”

“Hey, which one do you think would be best to fuck?”

“Dunno. I think the smallest one would be nice to enjoy. A small cunt, nice warm and tight.”

“I think I prefer the blondy. You see her breasts? Absolutely magnificent, you should’ve felt it when we had a taste earlier.”

Leticia’s appetite crashed, barely able to finish a single loaf of bread when tears trickled from her eyes.

“Leticia, eat. You have to,” Carolline urged. “You too Eryll.”

Being the eldest in the group, she naturally took charge of the girl’s well-being. As slaves, their ultimate goal as of current was to survive and escape. Their life going forward would be an uncertain one, and because of this, they had better take advantage of all the resources they could.

Emotions shouldn’t impact their ability to make rational choices, not when their life is at stake.

Leticia forced herself to eat the food over the raunchy conversation, nevertheless, the most she could take was two loaves of bread.

===

“AHHHH!!!!”

Kick. Step.

“GAHKKGAHH..”

Grab. Squeeze. Grope.

“Stop. Help..”

Throw. Slam.

“Stop it please, s-stop!” Leticia raised her voice.

“Shut up you bitches, or I'll kill her!!”

She shrank back along with the four other girls. Even so, the guy didn’t stop hitting Carolline, spouting words of disdain. Her clothes thrown into sambles, bruises covered her body, wheezing in her every breath.

“Listen obediently and don’t think of trying anything on us yer hear?” he said with a grin.

Under his foot was Carolline bleeding from the mouth, eyes squirted in pain with tears.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! Don’t be physical on them! Remember that they’re important products!” a female party member quickly pushed the man away.

“Bitch, I know! I just need to teach these sex slaves a lesson. What if their value is reduced because of their disobedience?”

“In the first place, our responsibility is only to transport them dimwit! Injuring them or breaking their minds will only decreases their value. The best slaves are those who can make good judgement, and act on behalf of their master’s needs,” the woman grabbed him by the collar.

“Tsk. Should’ve told me earlier.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself newbie,” saying so, the woman kicked his crotch, went over to Carolline and began healing her wounds. She was a priestess.

The man remained sprawled on the ground for the next few minutes after the perfect nutcracker.

Either way, Carolline’s abuse had left a deep wound inside their hearts. Huddled around her as the leader; it was because of them that she was beaten up profusely.

Ever since then, the girls avoided interacting with one another, out of fear that they would get the other in trouble. Carolline herself had lost her will. The hope within her doused by the waters of harsh reality.

It would be best if they quiet themselves and act in obedience. That was how they would get out of the situation alive. Be a good girl and everything would be fine philosophy– it was their best option, but not a guarantee.

The days seemed to pass longer as the wagon treaded to their destination–

“Ngh..”

“Shh..”

‘For everyone’s sake..’

With a hand tight around her upper mouth to silence her screams and moans, a hard object inserted itself into her lower mouth.

The girls in the wagon could only watch in horror as the scene unfolded, blood trickled down her inner thigh as she did her best to hold still. Her body was grope, mind fuzzy with the sensation of something going in and out of her body.

This man, who was responsible for the contract magic which bound them to slavery had secretly entered the wagon to do good one of them. His initial aim was Carolline, but when asking for a volunteer, Leticia somehow gave up herself. The guilt of depending on the eldest ate at her, she wanted to atone for her mistakes.

And thinking back to just a few moments ago, she thought how silly it was to become a sacrifice for others. She regretted it... she should’ve just stayed silent.

A searing hot sensation of pleasure shot up her body as desperation and disgust muddled her mind. Euphoric–so much so that tears poured out of her eyes.

“How was it?” he whispered with a grin.

“Nn..” Leticia merely replied so.

She could feel the warm liquid entering her.

A mix of disgust and pleasure, a blend of conflicting feeling wreaking havoc on her mind.

‘Just.. get it over with already..’

A short rest later, the man began pumping again.

And so, the soft sound of the wagon creaking kept echoing through the night. He left early in the morning, before anyone woke up. The sticky sensation remained, and having nothing to remove the ‘seeds’, the fear quickly consumed Leticia.

What if she becomes pregnant?

Days passed with the man enjoying his ritual with her body each night. Leticia was sure that her fate had been sealed. With so much of his ‘seed’ poured into her, not having a child was but a wistful dream by this point.

Though, the only thing Leticia relieved her was the fact that this man only targeted her, and no one else. Her noble sacrifice–she hoped that the other girls would have a better shot at finding a good master. As for herself... Leticia thought maybe it would be nice if she could just die.

What other purpose did her existence serve in this world? She was a nuisance, wasn’t she? An existence more worthless than a cockroach.

“Oi?! The hell?!”

One night, another man happened upon the scene.

“Sshhh–” the man atop Leticia hissed.

“You just ruined the product?!”

“L-Look. How about this, I let you have a taste of her, you let me off this time can’t you? We’ll just say that we didn’t know that she somehow came as a non-virgin. After all, t-this girl was from that miserable count’s home where that sex beast lives.”

“Shit man..”

===

“Damn assholes..”

The priestess was one of the only two girls part of this group of slave porters. Despite it being clear to everyone what had happened to the girls at the back, she couldn’t tell those monsters to stop. What if they aimed at her instead?

The only reason she ever thought to join this operation was to earn some easy money. She was in dire straits of financial support to pay off her debt, and this secret quest seemed to be the perfect one for her. All she needed to do was to accompany these bastards out of the capital city and she’d be paid. The agreement was confirmed by the slave merchants association on both ends of the deal, so there was no way her payout could be exploited against her.

Strutting through the gates of Luddite Earldom, she entered a random tavern and drowned herself in alcohol.

She had never been one to drink. But ever since she was blacklisted from the medical association due to false charges, she had lost all rights to practice healing magic in a professional setting.

The debt she incurred was one where she used to pay her student loans during the period of her study. With more than 200,000G remaining, there was no way she could sustain herself properly with a ridiculous interest rate of 10 percent per year without a proper job.

“Fucking.. those guys, don’t they know how to abstain themselves? Why are men always so horny huh?” She complained, slamming the glass against the table.

“Seems like you’re having some problems,” a man next to her questioned, swirling his drink.

“Shut up dickhead. If only men were more obedient, shit wouldn’t have happened.”

“So what happened?”

The priestess gritted her teeth.

She knew she couldn't just spit out what was in her mind, so she began conjuring an elaborate story about how there were some men who kept enjoying themselves with girls in a room next to her inn.

With the alcohol beginning to work its way into her system, she began to reveal that she was struggling financially, and how she had to do some nasty jobs just to get out of debt. Every morning, the priestess would do a quick check on her items, and each time, Leticia’s dead eyes would stroke the penitence within her. She knew... of course she knew what was happening.

She wanted it to stop, but she didn’t know what to do…

She left the bar feeling worse.

– Come to think of it, there was the count’s missing daughter, wasn’t there?

“Wasn’t.. one of the the slave the one?”

– Some way to make amendments.

She took this quest thinking it was some simple transportation of human goods. After all, it’s just moving slaves, right?

Gritting her teeth, she walked into the knight's office.

Just... who would’ve thought she'd see a side of humanity that she never thought could actually exist.

‘If I die, I’ll make sure to bring everyone down with me.’

…

..

.

[Passive Trait: Commiseration Grantee]

It was a gift which aroused a person’s wish to protect the individual. It made people pity the owner, and in Leticia’s case, she spent her points hoping that it would end the ever increasing number of men entering the wagon at night.

The girls were unable to voice their desperation, screaming led to excruciating pain, their slave crest had been used against them.

However, there didn’t seem to be any effect as it only aroused the men’s urge to conquer. So much that the lust had spread to two other girls, one of them being Carolline. It was a wonder how many nights they had to go before they reached their destination and... why nobody noticed despite the heavy smell of the ‘seeds’ in the wagon.

Tonight again, they thought that it would all begin once more. The men snuck in again, while the girls had already given up all hope. After the countless sleepless nights, they had lost all strength to retaliate. All they could do was accept it all and pray, become rag dolls in hope they would satisfy themselves quickly and leave; don’t act in a manner that aroused their lust further, just lay still and let them get it over with–it was the tacit understanding between them.

“Can’t we just pop another? Then we each get one.”

Four men, three girls to share. The fourth guy complained to the other three.

“If we do that then it’ll be suspicious.”

“It’s.. hah.. already suspicious.. hah.. to.. hah.. begin with.”

“It’s better this way. After all, don’t you think it’s fun having spectators? Being a cuckold isn’t bad.. turn over. I want to fuck you deeper.”

“Hm.. guys, did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Just now there was..”

Before he could complete his words, his head exploded, showing the interior with blood.

“A-AAHHHH!!!!!”

“What the fuck, what the fuck!!?!”

Ignorant of their duty as the night guards, the unsuspecting men were killed one by one. The slaves merely squited their eyes shut. For some reason, they felt solace from this new kind of fear... the fear of death; they would be relieved of their eternal suffering.

“When the knights arrive, just say that an assassin came here and killed everyone.”

She felt the body of the man on her pushed away. Leticia opened her eyes to the young voice.

It had not a trace of remorse whatsoever, tranquil, as if killing were nothing more than the act of breathing.

His blue eyes glowed and seemed to glow slightly under the hood. She found his scrutiny over her naked body calming, a sense of confusion engulfed her.

‘What is he looking at me like that?’

“What’s with that scream, oi?!”

“Is it an enemy attack?!”

Shouts came from outside the wagon.

“Don’t tell anyone I came here.”

Leaving those words, he leapt off the wagon. Screams, explosions and shouts reverberted, the caravan shook.

The smell of iron intensified. And despite the warm, sticky sensation of blood all over her body, they all felt a sense of peace instead. The girls sat there silently, letting the blood drip from their bodies.

“They’re dead,” Carolline said weakly, looking at the corpses before them.

“Un..” Leticia nodded.

“He said.. we would be rescued, right?”

“Un..”

Leticia nodded again.

‘We’re saved…’

…

..

.

“When the knights arrive, just say that an assassin came here and killed everyone.”

When her eyes opened, Sequencee found an odd familiarity to those odd pair of mismatched eyes. Her right eye the shade of blood, her left glowing like the dusky sun shrouded in black haze. She stared back at him, for only a moment, but to him it felt like an eternity.

‘She...’

He realized the hell these girls had suffered.

‘... just how long had she...’

““What’s with that scream, oi?!””

“Is it an enemy attack?!”

The shouts on the outside sounded like the whispers of quietus.

“Don’t tell anyone I came here.”

Leaving those words, he jumped out of the wagon. A deep guilt took root in his heart, he questioned why it was that he decided to come here in the first place.

“Who the fuck are you and... what the fuck are you doing?” the priestess growled.

It was unexpected that there would be an assassin part of the knight’s order. She thought that they would march in and request them to surrender.

“What?”

Without answering the question, Sequencee evoked an earth obelisk from below.

The priestess, using a system skill, reflected the obelisk back to the ground, causing cracks to run along the earth.

“Shit. At-attack him!”

Bloodlust peaked. The other party members rushed towards him. Fighters brandished their weapons while a mage began condensing a strong spell behind enemy lines.

Five against one.

Utilizing a variety of trained skills and gifts, the fighters on par with B-rank mercenaries were able to lock Sequencee in a stalemate. Spells bounced off perfectly timed shields, casting interrupted by mental attacks, defenses that crumbled before their amazing coordination. Any wounds created would be healed from a distance, and every time Sequencee tried to aim at the mage or healer, it would be disrupted by a spurt of blindness.

Sequencee probably bit off more than he could chew. He hadn’t expected that these slaves were being guarded by strong mercenaries.

“Zai,” the mage chanted.

“MOve!!”

The three fighters jumped away at once. One casted earth binds to hold Sequencee’s feet in place, the other blinded him with a system gift, a third distrubed his mind with flickering images of guts and corpses.

A dusky magic circle bloomed beneath his feet, the exact same one which had encapsulated Leticia before this.

Sequencee felt the rise in mana in his surroundings, an odd feeling of vertigo assailed his senses. Sequencee got on his knees.

Thinking that they had won, the mercenaries grinned to themselves. The priestess and mage sighed in relief.

He placed his hands on the ground.

And injected a whole load of anti-magic mana into the magic array.

It was a volume that went against common sense for most people. But for someone who knew magic as well as the mages working in the empire, canceling a magic array before its effects could fully take place was the way to go.

‘These people ought to die.’

“He’s going to break the magic!” the mage shouted in panic.

“Attack!”

A loud shattering sound reverberated as a powerful hurricane of wind sent everything in the vicinity flying. The wagons creaked, fabric from sleeping tents torn off the ground, branches bent permanently in a single direction, humans flung high into the trees.

The only unaffected one was the priestess who stood with hands crossed in front of her. It was apparent that her gift was some sort of inviolable null barrier zone which wrapped around her.

The two of them stared at each other for a good ten seconds, the wind dying down, tension rising between the two of them.

“I sometimes wonder why it is that people like you can do something like this,” Sequencee said coldly.

“The girls. You didn’t kill them... did you?” the priestess sharpened her mind. Her only defense she had by this point was her system [Unique Magic: Null Zone], which allowed her to cancel things within a small area around her, be that magic, physical attacks or change in air pressure.

Sequencee fired off an ice pike hidden from behind her, hidden using [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze].

Late to the uptake, it stabbed into her stomach.

Blood poured from her mouth as she fell on her knees, blood pouring from her mouth.

Like a surgeon trying to do surgery on herself, it was possible to perform healing on oneself, but incredibly difficult due to the pain.

“No. Why would I kill them?” Sequencee replied.

“I... see,” she coughed out blood, a smile hung on her face, “... at least protect them until the knights arrived..”

“...”

He watched as she fell to the ground, laying there to die.

Regret, guilt, confusion–numerous thoughts cross his mind.

Sequencee watched as her soul phased out from her body. He stood there as he watched as it drifted towards the sky.

The marching of the knights could be heard from afar. Sequencee knew that he had to leave now.

‘What the hell... have I done?’

===

“Leticia.”

“Leticia? Hm.. I’m sorry to ask, but were you aware of how you were caught?”

“...”

“Nevermind. Do you remember who your parents were? We will be glad to send you back to them.”

“Dead,” Leticia’s robotic voice belied the pain she felt in her heart.

The inquisitor compared the description of the missing count’s daughter and the person in front of him. They had some semblance from each other but her hair and eye colour were completely at odds despite the coincidence in the name.

Furthermore, she said that her parents had died... which likely meant that she wasn’t the person they were looking for. The source of the information was probably inaccurate. Incidentally, it wasn’t like anyone could confirm with said person anymore because someone killed her.

Unlike the other girls who were quick to announce who their parents were and wanted to return, Leticia looked like she had nowhere to return to.

“What were you doing before this incident? Was it that your parents were...” still, the investigator wanted to confirm it. He dangled the question before her, wanting to confirm his suspicions.

Leticia lowered her head.

“I see...”

In the reports, the investigator wrote that her parents likely died by the hands of the slave trader group.

“Moving on. Do you know who it was that killed the people who hurt you?”

Leticia only recalled those pair of deep blue eyes. Everything else was a blur. Why he killed them, why he left... none of those questions she had an answer to.

“No,” Leticia replied promptly.

The inquisitor knew that he didn’t need to ask any further. The other five girls had similar answers. Vague things like the man wore a cloak, or that he sounded like someone around their age. The deduction they came to was that this assassin was likely sent to kill the traitor who sold out the group.

Though, if that were the case, why did he spare the children?

Leticia was provided with care for abortion and mental health. The treatments were all subsidized by the Earl, and later, she was brought to Mane’s Home for Disaster Children.

Was it luck, or perhaps fate? She found herself staring into those familiar pair of blue eyes.

Calm, indifferent–but underneath it she saw angst, anxiety and pain. The boy sat in the middle of class, casting her an aloof gaze.

“From today onwards, she will be our new student. Leticia, please greet everyone in class,” Suzy announced with a smile.

Leticia bowed, hair fell to the front in a mess.

“Leticia,” she introduced herself.

She raised her head, tossing her long green hair back to look at him once more. There was no change in his expression.

‘He doesn’t remember me.’

Suzy secretly heaved a sigh in her heart as she sent Leticia down to her seat.

‘Right. I’m air. Of course he doesn’t remember me.’

Class began, Leticia couldn’t keep her mind off the boy who she thought might’ve been the one to kill those people that night.

===

“Line up properly!”

“Slowly now, use both hands.”

The canteen was packed with students eager to grab their food. The teachers who acted as the purveyors kept the pack of live human sardines in line, reminding everyone that those who cut the queue will not receive any food. The culture had been established that everyone would wait patiently for their turn.

Leticia, in a daze, carried the tray and walked off. Today’s meal was two sandwiches, a side of potato slices and some kind of tubber soup.

She scanned the place for an empty spot–a corner seat–and sat down.

The bustling mood of the place didn’t feel too right. She felt anxious, out of place. Compared to the silent tension of not knowing what would happen, the kindness and freedom she had now was a complete 180.

She hadn’t gone to her dorm, she didn’t know what to expect there. She had been trapped with sweet honey once; she didn’t want to be tricked again.

As dark, confusing thoughts swelled in her mind, someone took the seat opposite of her.

Snapping out of her quandary, she found herself locking eyes with a pair of sharp blue eyes. His hair was brown, a little messy with rough notes of loosely swaying hair. His chin was angular, jawline narrow.

“...”

“I didn’t think you’d take my seat. But whatever.”

Leticia bowed, and stood up with her tray.

“Where are you going?” his perplexed voice halted her in her steps. “I didn’t say you couldn’t sit here, did I?”

“What do you want?”

“???”

“...”

“You know. Whatever. You want to go somewhere else, be my guest. I was just trying to be nice,” Sequencee muttered as he shoved the sandwich into his mouth.

Not knowing what exactly she should do, she found herself sitting back down.

“I’m Sequencee. Nice to meet you Leticia.”

“... Nice to meet you.”

‘Ah... so his name is Sequencee... hm?

He didn’t show any exaggerated response to her clumsy greetings. Seeing as he was treating her as air, she started eating while conscious of his presence.

===

While not to the extent of stalking, Leticia would keep an eye out on him. She soon got used to the environment of Mane’s Home, which she found to be a place a hundred times better than her previous home.

Sequencee didn’t seem to have many friends, only talking when he felt the need to. He didn’t bother himself with the mass, quietly keeping things to himself.

During magic classes, he showed the best results. However, when it came to subjects like physics and chemistry, he struggled to comprehend. Which was odd because magic was technically much more complicated than both of those subjects.

Despite the peaceful days, Leticia would frequently have nightmares at night. In those instances, Lilian would be the one to soothe her tears. Of course, by reaction, Leticia would act in a rigidly docile manner which Lilian found scary.

On one of these peaceful days, Leticia followed Sequencee after their dinner. As far as things went between them, the only time they spent together was when they had meals. Though, it was far and few in between as Lilian would drag her into her clique most of the time. Nevertheless, the fact that she would go to eat with him already hinted that there was something deeper going on in their relationship. Their conversations were limited to things like greetings, homework and food, most of the time, they just ate in silence.

“Anything you need?” Sequencee asked, headed to one of the dilapidated sheds.

“I’m just curious what you always do there.”

“Practicing magic.”

“You’re just meditating.”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll do it to.”

“???”

Sequencee sat down on his usual spot.

Leticia mimicked him and sat a little further away.

They could hear the deaden chatter of other children towards the direction of the canteen. She raised her head to look up at the twinkling stars above. A sense of peace enveloped her; an unusual peace that only existed when she was in his presence.

Casting her gaze down, she noticed a small light flickering in the corner of her vision. When she turned to look, she found herself at awe with the myriad of floating things surrounding him.

“What is this?” Leticia asked.

As if having expected the question, Sequencee replied, “It’s my way of practicing magic. I’m just showing you how I do it.”

She had seen these before, and there was only one person she knew had this ability.

“I can’t touch these... right?”

“No. It’s dangerous to do so.”

Leticia nodded, only daring to look from a distance. The beads were like individual little diamonds, shimmering in the dark, it was a beautiful show that fascinated her.

“Do you want me to teach you?” Sequencee asked, finding his own question quite ridiculous.

Leticia nodded at once. In the olden days in Estia, she denied his offer.

“These beads actually represent one element. For example, this here is ocean element, this is lava, or magma, this is wind, this is earth.”

“These are elements? Why do you practice like this? Isn’t it supposed to be practiced.. by casting the basic spells?”

“This is just my variation. It trains your proficiency in all elements in a way that uses a very minimal amount of mana. That way you don’t exhaust yourself.”

“Un..”

Leticia tried to perform the same. Attempting to create a wind elemental bead, she was stumped at the very first step.

“Why is this green? Isn’t wind magic supposed to be invisible?”

“If you condense it, it’ll glow green. I wish I knew why that’s the case myself,” Sequencee went on.

An unspoken rule between them not to mention anything happened that night. Their meeting here today, marked a new beginning.

– Against the trials and challenges in life.

– The creation of a new seed soon to blossom into a beautiful flower within her.

And two year later. Their new beginning will come back full circle when the past comes to revisit her.