Two days later, the main crew was gathered in a lounge at the castle. Claire, Pearl, Cythrel, Sora, Aidan, and fake Lumina.

"I called you here today because I need your help. We almost reached the point where we can try to bring Lumina back." Aidan told the girls "However, we need to perfect the method because we can't take chances with the princess' life. Not after going through all this."

Claire nodded all the time, a hint of joy in her face in the hope of getting her sister back. Aidan figured that one of the few people Lumina never treated badly should be Claire. Heck, when the rhinorses came, Lumina pushed Claire out of the way. Pearl knew what he was going to say, so she was holding her tension with a neutral face. Cythrel was curious but by some reason was with a wise aura around her. All elves learn basic magic skills and lore, Aidan reminded him. Sora was the only one with a worried face. She knew what he would need to do. Hack apart Dawn's body in long and excruciating sessions of cutting and regenerating and finally shear his own soul in twain to get Lumina out.

"I think it is better if you go straight to the point, Aidan. We are all ready to listen and help." Pearl pointed out.

Aidan took a deep breath. He loathed this kind of thing, especially because of his elemental affinities. He was a dark mage, nothing could change that. What he did at the orc village would raise heckles even in the biggest monster-hater in the hunter's guild. But because of that, he was always double-checking his morals, his acts. He knew that once he slipped into evil there would be little things that could get him out of that and back into the light. Maybe only these girls and his parents.

"You are correct, Pearl. Thank you. I really appreciate your support so far, all of you," He took his time to look at every one of them in the eyes. "What we need to perfect the method to resurrect Lumina is human experimentation. We need to put people through the process. Clone their bodies piece by piece, split their soul, graft half in the new body and then heal them until they can function as a person again. I know, gruesome."

"Oh, that is what the hacksaw is for," Nodded Cythrel in realization. Dawn shrunk in her seat.

"I want to talk to prisoners scheduled for execution and offer them a deal. We alleviate their penalties, mostly what affects their Houses or families and offer them a way out. If the duplication works, we let the copy live free as a commoner and execute the original."

"Is this what the Archmage came to talk with father earlier? They were locked in a conference room forever," Claire asked.

Aidan nodded. Astromelicus dismissed their morning lecture and told them to come to the castle first thing in the morning.

"Probably. Or he wanted to brew the King some coffee. Anyway, the late Count Bentley wrote a list of his co-conspirators. I want to cross-reference this list with the financial reports so we can pinpoint our probable volunteers."

The atmosphere was thick. Aidan reached out and held Sora's hand. She squeezed his and smiled back, trying to reassure him.

"There is another issue. Kazuya is in Yutis. From what the reports say, he is in 'Murder Hobo' mode."

The princesses froze at the term. Pearl was glancing at the open windows, afraid. Only Cythrel was oblivious to the otherworlder jargon.

"I'm sorry, but it seems I am the only one that doesn't know what a 'Murder Hobo' is," She asked after checking the other girls.

Dawn answered. Aidan wanted to cuddle a bit with Sora. "It is a term from their world. Here we use it when one of them confuse reality with fiction and start killing everyone without regard. In some extreme cases even children. They begin to believe they are in a game and that they can kill without consequences."

Cythrel covered her mouth after looking at the face Pearl was making. She looked like she had just slaughtered kittens.

"How many?" Pearl asked in a hushed voice. She let her head hang, hands clenched by her sides.

"We think he already destroyed five or six villages and one town. And the merchant camp at that river crossing you made a bridge at." Claire answered.

"How many?" Pearl asked between sobs.

"Around two or three thousand," Dawn answered pushing the knot in her throat back.

Pearl screamed. It was a heart-rending wail. She stood up and looked at the open window again. Cythrel and Claire, the ones closest to her jumped to hold her back. They were on the third floor. Even though she was the second smallest person in the room, the other two girls were not able to hold her back. Dawn moved ahead of the princess and bearhugged her. The four girls collapsed on the floor, a heap of people holding Pearl down. The rapier's hilt dug into Dawn's flank, eliciting a yelp of pain from the girl.

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"What have I done?" Was all they could piece together from what she mumbled.

"It is not your fault," Claire spoke to her fellow princess. "Yutis will not blame you. You were lucky to escape that dungeon alive. The world was lucky they failed in enslaving an otherworlder, two princesses and the God-Slayer."

Sora left Aidan behind and moved to close and latch all the windows.

"We are not giving up on you, Pearl. Hell, you are worthier than Lumina and we are not giving up on her either." Dawn told her wrestling partner.

The silence takes over the room. Sora kept her position next to the windows, ready to pounce and stop Pearl. Dawn locked Pearl's arms and leg, using the knowledge of wrestling Aidan had. Cythrel and Claire released their hold when Dawn signaled. Aidan approached them and healed their bruises.

The uncomfortable stalemate was interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

"Your Highness. We have an important message!" A man shouts from the other side. Their privacy wards only blocked outbound sounds and images.

"Which one?" Aidan asked.

The man couldn't hear him though. He had no choice but to open the door and step outside. Aidan talked a little with the guard and returned.

"What the guard wanted?" Claire asked him.

Aidan looked exasperated. Frightened. The same expression could be seen in Dawn's face. Even Pearl that stopped thrashing a minute ago because of the knocking noticed.

"Claire. The Crown Prince has returned. He is coming here this very moment."

It was like a magical portal linked the room to the summit of the ever-frozen mountains surrounding Yutis. Everyone but Cythrel shivered.

"Is that a bad thing?" The elf asked. The temperature dropped a hundred degrees. "I'll take that as a yes."

Aidan focused on what he knew. Crown Prince Lucien of Yutis. They never met but he knew about him. Lumina's older brother, five years her senior. Should be around twenty-one years old now, unmarried and open for business, without a bride. Dotes on Lumina and has a sister complex. Was away jumping between war campaigns against monsters and barbarians in places too far away to matter until a month ago. Estimate chance of trouble? 200%.

Claire broke the silence and shook the young man. She was afraid of something, but she needed to get him out. "Aidan, get away from here now."

"Hurry, go out the balcony and climb down, jump, anything. Fly with your magic." Sora added. She was also scared, her tail twitching as a sign of danger.

"What? Why do I have to hide? is something wrong?" He resisted. It was too strange, too weird. Claire and Sora bickered about anything. Why they are so keen on working together this very moment? Something was wrong, he could tell. Why the Crown Prince couldn't see him? "I am not going anywhere until I get an explanation!" He demanded.

Pearl stopped struggling and both her and Dawn were already standing up. They used water magic to wipe their faces and compose themselves the better they could, one girl straightening the other's dress.

"There is no time!" Claire pleaded. Aidan could feel her hands pulling him, they were clammy.

"This is too strange and I am tired of these petty secrets. Tell me what is going on now or I won't move," He stubbornly stalled like a pack mule.

The door opened. A hunky and handsome man, a meter-eighty-something tall, manly chin, a muscular body visible even beneath his military uniform, the resemblance to Helios, astonishing.

He entered the privacy ward and Claire let go of Aidan. She straightened herself and curtsied.

"Prince Lucien. Welcome back." She positioned herself to divest Lucien's attention away from Aidan.

Lucien smiled at Claire, and placed both hands on her shoulders.

"Claire! Oh, sister, you don't need to be formal with me! I'm glad you got recognized. It was awkward not being able to call you 'sister'. I'm really happy for you."

He kissed Claire on the cheek and turned around. Finding Dawn he raised his arms and opened a smile so wide his ears were at risk of falling inside his mouth. It was creepy. Every fiber in Dawn screamed to get out of there. Pearl took a few steps to the side, previewing what was about to happen. She also knew of Lucien's reputation as a irredeemable person with a bad case of sister complex.

"Lumina! My dear sister! I rushed here when I heard you were kidnapped, it lightens my heart to know you are back and healthy." He ignored everyone else and walked to hug Dawn.

As his back faced Aidan, Claire tugged him in the direction of the door. She was almost shedding tears at him.

"Get out now before he realizes who you are!" She whispered. Aidan didn't move.

Dawn felt that strange sensation of being held by that man. It was a tight hug, a little painful even. And then he began to kiss her cheek. It was off-putting and kinda disgusting. The man's face was pure joy though. Innocent as a toddler.

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong person," Dawn spoke to him as she tried to push him away and set herself free. "I'm not Lumina. Can you let go, please?" She said with a hint of disgust.

"Sister! What are you saying? Were you injured in the head? If you are not Lumina, who are you?"

Aidan could see both Sora and Claire making 'no, don't' gestures at him, behind Lucien's back. It irritated him.

"I'm Dawn, a D-rank hunter. Please to make you acquaintance, your Highness. Can you let go now?"

Lucien released her. "I can't believe. You are playing adventurer again? Just like when..."

He cut his speech and it was as if he discovered a new fundamental law of the universe. Lucien looked at Sora carefully and then turned around, locking his eyes on Aidan.

"You! You are that brat! I can't believe you have the gall to breathe the same air as us! I promised I'd kill you next time I saw you, and that time is today!"

Lucien drew his sword. The face of the Crown Prince was rage incarnate.

Aidan noticed too late that he was unarmed. And that his estimate of 200% trouble was way conservative.