Chapter 26- I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About

Both Cael and Selene could see the visible struggle on Lily’s face, futile as it was. Despite all this effort she was in the end unable to resist for long and thus her firmly nailed mouth soon opened.

『She said …』

It was not two words in Lily’s eyes turned dull and lifeless, her voice stopping abruptly. Seeing this odd result Cael turned to Selene for answers.

『Oi Selene, does that thing really work? She’s frozen, I can practically see her brain blue screening.』

Seemingly confused as well the princess shared what she knew.

『It looked like it was going fine at first but then her eyes went all glassy. Slavery collars don’t have that kind of effect. I’ve seen them in use before, the way she struggled but moved anyway was what was supposed to happen. While you are forced to move and say things regardless of your will your mind is supposed to be untouched … its very strange how she just went still like that.』

While the duo discussed Lily seemed to have regained a certain sense of self. Blinking a few times before shaking her head the girl soon noticed her own abnormality.

『What, just happened?』

Noticing said recovery Cael moved in to speak to her.

『You just showed us your best impression of a statue.』

『I did? I remember putting on the choker and then you asked me to … that was really terrible of you.』

Not the least bit guilty Cael maintained his little smile unaffected by the accusations thrown his way.

『Please~ your obviously conspiring with her somehow. Why else would your own mother give you the cold shoulder like that. The fact she also took issue with yours truly means I’ve hurt her in some way, weak little old me hurting your scary ass grand spirit mother. The only scary thing that has to do with me is doki doki girl and so the rest became simple enough to figure out. At some point between now and when we last met Aria came here and I don’t know if she threatened or bribed you but you came to some kind of agreement that Granny wasn’t fond of.』

Winking in a similar fashion to Lily herself Cael put his hands in his pocket and asked for his grade.

『How’d I do, pretty close right~?』

Lily was once again at a loss for words finding his disgustingly accurate intuition chilling. While she was still finding her voice it was Selene who interjected instead.

『You know I thought this before, but despite your looks you’re actually really smart huh. Honestly it’s kind of jarring when I think about how you usually act.』

『Oi, I take offence to that.』

『But it’s true though isn’t it?』

『It’s not like I can help it, that’s just how the human named Cael operates.』

Watching her cousin joust playfully with her words back and forth alongside the man she set her heart on Lily made up her mind.

『I want to be trusted by you. I don’t want to lie to you Caelus. If you really want to know what that woman said I’ll tell you even without the order.』

Looking at Lily’s earnest figure that wanted nothing more than to be helpful to him Cael visibly sighed in exasperation.

『Don’t bother.』

Hurt by the boy’s blunt dismissal Lily continued speaking all the while hiding the pain she felt at his lack of belief in her.

『I want to do this.』

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Rubbing his eyes at the girl’s sheer stupidity Cael no longer cared to dissuade her.

『Fine then, tell me what it was Aria said when she came here.』

Smiling Lily opened her mouth … only for her eyes to glaze over again. Like some kind of zombie or badly programmed NPC she only had one line to share.

『I don’t know what you’re talking about.』

『As expected it seems like some kind of failsafe was jammed into your mind when you met her. What do you think Lillianne?』

『I don’t know what you’re talking about.』

『Yes, yes, yes, I get it. Y’know~ I think I saw something similar to this before the first time I chatted with short, dark and pretty.』

『I don’t know what you’re talking about.』

『Want to marry me?』

『I don’t know what you’re talking about.』

『Hehe~ never gets old.』

『Stop screwing around!』

Unable to take the nonsense going on in front of her any longer Selene was very verbal in her disapproval. Looking to the noisy princess while rubbing his ears in pain Cael thought the shouting was uncalled for.

The hell woman. Are you trying to make me deaf?

In the time it took for Cael to recover from Selene’s shout Lily too lost some of the blankness from her expression, though her usual attempts at kuudereism remained.

『It happened again. It’s so strange, if you weren’t staring at me like I did something weird I probably would have never noticed anything at all.』

Looking at his party with a smile Cael wasn’t particularly bothered to begin with, in his mind the whole thing was a long shot anyway. Clapping his hands together to gather the two girls attention the red head decided to put this incident behind them and focus on the next order of business.

『So then girls seeing as though I’ve got no cash on hand and we need to really get going soon does anyone have any suggestions?』

Selene and Lily looked at each other in uncertainty before the princess eventually turned back to Cael and spoke first.

『I have some savings but nothing significant. As a princess most of my expenses are covered by the imperial treasury.』

Lily not wanting to be out done stepped up as well to volunteer her meagre wealth towards the cause.

『Mn, Mother would occasionally receive offerings from worshippers of Lady Dryad, she would then pass them onto me as she hadn’t any particular use for them. It’s not much but I have around five gold on hand in my bag.』

Nodding her head Selene elaborated.

『That’s about what I have as well.』

『Okay then so about ten gold. It’s a start, the next questions then become “Where do we want to go?” and “Can ten gold get us there?”. Thoughts?』

Selene shrugged non-committedly as she seemingly had nowhere in particular she wanted to go but Lily …

『I said this before but I always wanted to see Eldenbloom and the continent of Haven.』

Rubbing his chin Cael gave the suggestion some serious consideration.

『That’s the place with the World Tree right? Selene how serious do you think your dad was when he said I would be killed on sight so long as I stayed in Eden?』

Selene too gave this point of inquiry some serious thought unconsciously mimicking Cael’s gesture of rubbing his chin with her own.

『While I do think he was completely serious, I also think that outside the Severin Heartlands it would probably be difficult to enforce an order like that.』

『What do you mean?』

Scrunching her brow cutely Selene did her best to explain the geopolitical landscape of Eden in a way that wouldn’t bore her audience to death.

『Basically while the Severin Empire is definitely beyond question the primary power of Eden, the level of control we have over our vassal kingdoms is tenuous at best.』

『Wow~ and I remember ol’ Damian boasting “I am the sole ruler of Eden!” like that. But really … 』

Looking flustered at the result her own words produced Selene was quick to amend herself.

『Hey its not like that! Its just that so far away from the capital we can’t monitor the various situations as well. The kingdoms follow Severin law and bow to Severin power but that’s only really when we’re looking. What I meant was my father could put an execution notice on your head but how well its enforced in say somewhere like Opulen is anyone’s guess.』

Finally getting Selene’s point, Cael summarised what she meant.

『So it’s a case of foreign dragons being unable to compete with local snakes. In conclusion I don’t necessarily have to leave Eden but staying would be a gamble.』

Thinking some more Cael was still on the fence about the whole idea of leaving the continent altogether. Seeing the boy’s doubts Lily expressed her regret at her suggestions falling through.

『Too bad and I really wanted to meet some elves too. Not to mention the beast people. It would have also been interesting to meet more silkie other than myself I hear they’re a lot more common in Eldenbloom than Eden.』

Hearing all the familiar terms being thrown around Cael almost thought he was back in Akiba Japan.

Elves, beast people, seriously?! Damn this world is so cliche~

Curious Cael threw a question at his companions.

『Are beast people and elves different kinds of fae or kindred as well?』

『Huh, so you are stupid after all?』

『Hey Selene I resent that, I’m new remember. Not knowing something is not the same as being stupid.』

『No I remember very clearly reading about how in the place called Earth they have legends about many of the races that live on Pleiades. Elves, dragons and dwarves being especially well known and this was corroborated by a variety of heroes throughout history.』

『So there’s dwarves as well damnit?! Look it’s not that I don’t have some idea about what you’re talking about but the distinction of fae and kindred is something I’ve never heard of before I got here.』

Looking somewhat unconvinced Selene elaborated regardless.

『Elves are elves, beast people are beast people. It’s just that simple.』

『What about dwarves?』

『They’re fae.』

『Whyyyyy?!』