Not bothering with the older women, he instead openly approached the new captive trio and extended a hand towards the noble.

“My mask, if you would.”

The girl blushed slightly in embarrassment then reached into a bag and retrieved the splintered fragments, handing them over.

“I thought you were gone so I wanted to keep—”

“No matter,” cutting her off without any sign of politeness, he somewhat lazily fixed the mask with a few deft gestures. The mask would need replacement, but it would do for now. He didn’t have super glue at hand, but Materia came in handy as an alternative.

He didn’t conceal his feature from the trio, but the other women were better off not knowing in the first place. He’d already been exposed earlier when it broke, so there wasn’t much to be done about Prometheus being unmasked.

“I am more interested in the maids. Identical twins, are you..?”

Now that he wasn’t in a tense situation, he gave it some time to assess the girls and quickly confirmed his doubts. The noble girl should have been around Leo’s age, and despite being roughed up by the pirates, she still carried herself with ingrained arrogance.

The twins shied uneasily from his gaze, yet despite their best attempts to hide behind their mistress — Prometheus’ amber gaze kept piercing into them on a level they felt very uncomfortable with. Unlike the pirates’ lecherous stares, his eyes seemed to push even further, seeing through their very hearts.

Squinting slightly, Leo abruptly tore his gaze from them. Before they could could sigh in relief, the same intensity was brought upon the noble just as she begun to speak.

“I am Marta Faliermo, my family come—”

Just before she could curtsy and give a full introduction, she was cut off with disinterest, an act that ticked her off immediately.

“Tell me about those two. If I were to guess… they seem to be from the Khanat—?”

Seemingly not to be outdone, Marta’s temper flared up and she also interrupted Leo mid-sentence. Perhaps seeing he was as young as her and had drab clothing, she took him for a poor swordsman.

“They’re the maidservants I brought while traveling abroad.” Standing before them protectively, she warned him sternly, “You’d best not have any intentions.”

Leo paused, his eyes squinting slightly in amusement rather than mock-anger. Prolonging the silence, his gaze bore deeply into her for so long she started to feel uncomfortable. After some point, she broke and recoiled a few steps.

Drawing closer and closer until she had nowhere to back away, he leaned in to her ear. Without forcing himself to sound particularly threatening, he whispered in a mild tone, as if reciting a poem or an intimate promise.

“My lady… You seem to have missed the part where I singlehandedly killed twenty-some people. Either this sight is common for you, or your arrogance seeped so deep into your bones you think I won’t do anything to you.”

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“You think you are safe… don’t you?”

Seeing her face pale slightly despite trying her best to remain composed, Leonardo finally backed off.

“Either way… seeing as you tried to protect them and even lied to me just now… these slaves must be important to you?”

Studying her unsettled aura in search for answers, he then probed deeper. “No… Perhaps it should be said they’re important to your family.”

Momentarily, her eyes frantically twitched about for a second, though she recomposed herself quickly — much to Leonardo’s admiration.

“You can forget about it,” coming to a decision, he nonchalantly and forcefully swept Marta aside and came before the twins. His eyes softened and he spoke in a spell, his voice reaching their ears only. Irrespective of the language spoken, they seemed to instinctively grasp what he was saying.

“I have a sister your age, and I love her very much.” Starting with a display of sincerity, he continued only when their fears were assuaged, “If you wish to be free, come with me. A magus should not be forced to live in servitude. Your calling is too noble for that.”

Contrary to what the soothing promises he made the girls, he arrogantly proclaimed something entirely different for Marta to hear.

“I haven’t relished in twins yet, so I’ll be taking them as recompense for saving your life.”

Disregarding the girl’s facade crumbling into alarm, he walked aboard the ship and shouted loudly to gather everyone. While giving the twins some time to think, he also needed to settle things here.

“I am Prometheus.”

“You are no doubt wondering what will happen to you. That… I can only admit to not knowing.”

Shaking his head lightly in response to their subdued grumbles, he sighed and continued in a gentler voice, “But, I will try to help you.”

“You won’t be able to steer the ship out, and neither can I. You can’t stay either, because your food will run out shortly.

“But, fret not! I will soon arrange for a boat to come receive you and carry you back to civilization.

“Perhaps not all of you will be able to set new roots and start a new life, but I urge you all to forget this nightmare as soon as you can.

“Some of you bore their children, and perhaps even feel tied to their cause, but…” Gazing at the corpse of the woman who’d ambushed him, he sighed ruefully, “Just because your present is broken, does not mean you don’t have a future to look forward to.”

“Don’t give in to your loss! I can’t do much for your broken hearts, but I promise to ensure you can settle down and live in comfort for one year.”

‘I can neither do more for you, nor owe you anything. May our karma end here.’

Leaving the last part silent, he sighed for the umpteenth time. The fate of the women worried him, but he had others to care for. Ultimately, he decided to unbind their fates and give them a new start.

“All I ask of you is to try. It won’t be too late to give up once you failed. Good luck.”

His speech finished, he kicked the gangway into the sea to prevent the women from boarding the ship, and inevitably crashing it halfway through. Then, he gazed at the twins and sent his voice over.

“Just nod if you wish freedom. It is within reach.”

Upon noting their subtle and seemingly hesitant nod, he smiled slightly and casually approached them. Still keeping up his lecherous act for Marta, he wound an arm on either side of the girls and jumped off, bringing them atop the floating gangway.

“Farewell, then, Marta of whichever family... Keep things in order here, and don’t do anything stupid. Help should arrive within 3 days at the latest.”

Without using a paddle, he just inclined the makeshift raft forward. The reflux already pulled him away from the shore, and he only needed to slightly empower that effort with magic. Albeit slow, they soon vanished from view and Leonardo let his magic loose, practically turning the raft into a speedboat.

As they exited the cove, Leonardo nonchalantly removed the broken mask and tossed it into the sea. Perhaps, centuries later it would be recovered from the seabed and deemed a religious artifact. For some reason, the thought of trolling future scholars brought a huge grin to his face. He ought to plant more of these random things across the world.