A cool air rose from the treetops, shifting the leaves as it escaped into the open sky. There, it met the sun's warmth - the same one that embraced the quiet peaks of the Oglen Mountain Range. It was a remote area just east of the Capitol. Rivers criss-crossed between the high peaks and flowed down, northwards, into Steep Lake, set at the provincial border between the Wyllset-and-Aubury and Ealdshire.

And amidst this solitary clime, tiny voices rose, in bursts of laughter.

"Ahahahaha! Hey!" The girl with the sparkling red head yelled as she threw a felt ball into the air.

"Wah!" The ball soon landed in the hands of a small girl, whose gleaming silver eyes flickered in surprise. She stumbled for a moment as she regained her balance, but quickly threw the ball back.

And in the middle, was another little girl, puckered out and panting, "Hah...! Hah...! I've got you now!"

Bending her small frame like a spring, she bounced up to intercept, but her weak little legs hardly mustered a jump that could reach the arcing ball.

Alas, the ball returned to the tall redhead's hands. "Ehehe! Nice throw, Emimi!"

In the meantime, the girl in the middle swept her dishevelled hair apart and grumbled, "Aaargh..! Hey, I've been 'it' for almost an hour now... someone switch with me already...!"

"Come on, Sylphie! Perk up!" She said as she backed up for a throw. "As soon as you catch the ball, you can swap out!"

Clenched her teeth, she charged full-speed ahead. "Argh! Gimme! Rikaaaaaa!"

But as soon as she lumbered forward, her friend threw the ball far overhead, and again into Emi's hands.

"Augh!"

With no hope of winning, Sylphia, finally, fell to her knees.

"Time out," she wheezed, "need a break..."

"Hm?" Rika cocked her head. "Okay! Let's just play catch now, Emimi!"

"Okay, big sister Rika!" She waved her arms in the air.

Meanwhile, Sylphia practically crawled back onto the picnic sheet they had earlier laid out. And there, a woman still dressed in her usual black suit welcomed her.

"Well done, my Lady," Eris said, handing her a small towel, "you ought to consider playing like this more, to keep your body fit."

"Bwah..." Finding a good spot under the shade, she collapsed onto her back. "No way. I'll definitely die."

"It's far too early for you to speak about that."

When Sylphia finally turned to look at her in the face, she saw a small, serene smile as Eris watched over her little sister.

"Don't you want to join?" she asked.

And in response, Eris shook her head. "Not even considering the state of my leg, I was never the athletic sort, anyway. I wouldn't be able to keep up with Emi if I wanted to."

"Ho...?"

She then took a sip of her tea, a pot of which they brought along with them for the trip. "Just watching her from afar like this is enough for me."

"Heeh...? Good for you, eh?" Sylphia then tucked her arms under her head and closed her eyes for a bit.

At that moment, a deep, muffled voice rumbled from beside her. "Heeey, little girl, are we eating yet?"

"Mmuh?" Curling her body, she brought out her fan and spread him out. "What was that?"

"You got a bunch of blood you said I could drink, right?"

Amidst their conversation, Eris glanced over, listening intently.

"Uh-huh?"

"Well, let me have it!"

With a sigh, she dropped her head back onto the mat, saying, "Later. We're having a barbecue, right? Let's all eat together."

These words seemed to give him pause as he then muttered, "Eat toge... ah. Yeah. That sounds nice."

Eris then chimed in. "So the reason you also had me ask for the blood was..."

"Hm?" Sylphia glanced at her. "Yeah, haven't I told you? Sebastian can't eat anything but blood."

"I... see."

Sebastian interjected, weaving his eyes between the two. "It's a living weapon thing, just so you know!? I'm not some sort of pervert or anything like that!"

Sylphia grumbled, "No one was saying that..."

Soon after, she felt something soft, yet heavy fall right beside her.

"Hee hee hee!" Emi chuckled, "That was fun, Sylphie, big sister Rika!"

At that same moment, Eris produced another towel from the side and beckoned for Emi to come closer, which she obediently did.

Sylphia made a complicated expression as she said, "Really?"

It seemed like you two were just bullying me all morning... how could she be so much more athletic than me, anyway? We're both little girls, so what gives!?

"Mm!" Emi brightly answered whilst her sister wiped the sweat from her cheeks. Soon after, she noticed the fan in Sylphia's hand. "Ah! Uncle Sebastian you're awake!"

"I'm always awake, pigtails. And I told you to stop calling me 'uncle' right? Call me big brother! Same way you call the redhead!"

"Me?" Rika cocked her head just as she sat down on the mat, joining the rest.

"Eeeh..." Emi whined, "but uncle is uncle."

At that moment, A thought flashed by Sylphia's head.

Hm?

She then asked, "Wait, if Rika's big sister, and Sebastian's uncle, what am I, Emi?"

"Hm? Sylphie is Sylphie."

"Eh?" She sat up, bringing herself in eye-level with Emi. "Isn't it big sister Sylphie?"

"Ueh...?" A blank expression covered Emi's face.

And so with Sylphia's. "Eh?"

The former then scanned the latter from head-to-toe. When she was satisfied, she lifted her hand, placing it on Sylphia's shoulder. And with a gentle smile, she said, "Sylphie is Sylphie."

The little girl's shoulders fell.

Wha... why am I the little sister in this relationship...?

It was the moment they had been waiting for.

Each observed intently as the red meat dangled over the blackened steel mesh. And with hot flash, a lick of flame jumped into the air, right as its underside touched the surface.

"Ooooh!" The younger girls gasped as fragrant steam erupted from the surface of the meat, filling the air with a savory scent so strong, it was as though they were already tasting it. Needless to say, these flew off the grill as soon as they were cooked, and each one merrily nibbled on their share however they saw fit.

A short distance away, Sylphia left Sebastian leaning on the bucket load of blood that had come at no cost with their purchase of meat. He conjured a steady torrent of blood, swirling it around in the air, before ultimately absorbing it in his body. This also served as entertainment as Emi, rather than being terrified, marvelled at the sight of the magic unfolding before her curious little eyes.

Amidst all this, the heroine took her secretary with her, away from the others.

They stopped arrived at a windy cliff-side they had scouted earlier in the day. Past the edge was an overlooking view of the Capitol and the surrounding countryside. Auburn Rock and its dusk-colored slopes, atop which the Royal Palace was built, dominated the center-point of the scenery, while outside of the city's concentric rings, flat plains stretched out as far as the eye can see, forming a patchwork of farmland, roads and housing, dotted by sparse woods.

"Pretty amazing view, isn't it?" Sylphia said.

And Eris answered, "It is."

"Tomorrow, we'll be back there again."

"Mm."

The girl glanced at her. "Did you have fun?"

For a moment, a look of incredulousness flashed in the woman's eyes, that quickly disappeared. With a meek smile she then chuckled, saying, "Of course. And my Lady?"

"Of course I did! Hihi!" she said with a full grin.

"I see. That's good." Their eyes then met when Eris turned to look at her. "You rested well today, so please do your best tomorrow. The documents you requested from the Royal Survey arrived this morning."

"Survey...? Oh! The land claim thing! What'd they say?"

"There is one available plot near Dellwick to claim for my Lady's estate."

"Oh! Great! Where is it?"

"It is located a bit off from the road between Northmarch and Brandonbury."

"Huh. A bit off from the road? Like in the middle of the forest or something...? Well I guess building a path is no real problem, but how far is it from Dellwick itself?"

"It ought to be within half an hour's walk to the village center."

The girl's eyes blanked out. "Eh? You're kidding, right?"

"Of course not."

"Eeeeh? How's that plot even 'in Dellwick'!?"

"Think of it as a way to burn the excess fat that you are collecting."

"Ah!" The girl puffed out her cheeks, "You said it again! That's it! This time, I really won't forgive you, Eris! Take this!" Aiming for the flanks of her waist, Sylphia lunged forward.

However, with a single motion, Eris stopped Sylphia in her tracks - by pushing her hand into the girl's face. "What are you doing my Lady?"

"Mmmf!" She struggled, but no matter how much she tried, she simply could not break through her secretary's defense. "Paah!" She gasped for air the moment she was able to swat Eris' hand away. "I'll get you for this! I won't let you keep treating me like a child!"

"..." Eris adjusted her glasses that had been gone crooked from the short tussle. "...but you are a child."

"W-well... wait no, I'm not a child!" Steaming, the little girl brandished her arms in the air. "I'm supposed to be your master, you know!"

"Pardon me, my Lady." Eris partially covered the smirk on her lips. "But if you say that while pouting, you will not be able to convince even the most gullible person in the world."

"Gnnnnnn!" Sylphia grimaced. "How does that claim thing work, anyway? I should be able to find some closer land to claim than that!"

"I doubt it, but if my Lady wishes to know, citizens, even commoners are able to lay claim to unowned plots of land as per a decree passed by His Majesty to encourage settling the sparsely populated frontiers of the Kingdom. Any free citizen may establish a homestead upon any land of up to 2 acres in size, though for my Lady's case, being a noble, no such size restrictions apply."

"Hmm... I see."

That sounds... really good. Actually, strangely good! Like, too good, even.

"Hold on," she added, "there has to be a catch, right? What's stopping anyone from claiming land in the capitol for themselves? There's a whole lot of open countryside between the city and the nearby villages."

"Hmph." Eris snickered. "My Lady is quite sharp. Of course, the caveat is that most of the good land is already owned under fief of any one of the Lords, or even the King himself. Thus, the law really only applies to land that are very far into the frontier, or ones that are unwanted by anyone, for instance, beside an active volcano or near a dungeon."

Sylphia flinched. "Did you say... near a dungeon?"

"Hm? Yes, I di-" Her eyelids then dropped halfway. "Please, don't tell me-"

"Heheh! The mouth of the Mythril Cave is located on the side of a steep hill. If I build my estate on top of it, I would have clear vision on the countryside surrounding Dellwick!"

"Hmm?" Eris placed her hand on her chin.

"Though it's relatively far from the village itself, if we upgrade the trail to a paved road, it should be possible even for you to walk back and forth everyday! Apart from that, I can to fortify the entry to the Mythril Cave, to make sure no one gets in or out without my permission!" Sylphia held her arms triumphantly on her waist. "Aaahahaha! I must be a genius!"

While Sylphia was busy indulging herself, Eris seriously considered the idea. "A hilltop residence? I see..." she rubbed her chin. "I shall counter-check with the Royal Survey, but I doubt anyone in their right mind would ever lay claim to land right beside a dungeon, so my Lady could probably claim this land as her own."

"Yea-" Suddenly, Sylphia's shoulders dropped. "Hey, did you say something rude, just now?"

Eris snickered. "I would never."

After another round of banter, the two sat down beside each other, under the shade of a tree. They watched as the sun dropped past the farthest mountains, tinting the sky in a vivid red glow.

A sombre moment passed between them as they gazed into the distance.

And the first to break the silence... was the soft voice of a sleepy little girl.

"So, Eris..."

"Yes, my Lady?"

"What are you planning to do with the remaining bandits in Dellwick?"

She paused for a moment, nodding her head down in thought, before answering, "With my Lady's permission, I was planning on keeping them in my service..."

"Still not done with the banditry business?" Sylphia idly asked as though it was someone else's problem.

"It's not that." She shook her head. "There are more uses for outlaws other than banditry."

"Huh..."

"For one, their leader is a close contact of mine. For that reason, you could say that I hold a certain amount of sway over their entire group."

"What would you say if, for example, I just sent the kobolds in and slaughtered all of them?"

Eris but her lip, her shoulders visibly tightening. "I would think... that would be wasteful, my Lady."

"A waste? How so?"

"Banditry... does not sprout from individuals. Nothing would change from eradicating their group. Dellwick is in a frontier province, after all, and it is close to the border with Rafale. If this group is annihilated, other nearby groups could simply expand and take its place."

"I see... and if I spare them?"

"Then, they would act as a deterrent for other groups to intrude inside Dellwick. At the very least, their attacks upon Dellwick will be predictable, and manageable."

"So they will still be a problem."

"In a way. However-" Eris turned her head and looked at Sylphia intently, which the latter met full-on. "-rather than pests, I prefer to think of them as tools, with a constant upkeep. And unlike any other bandit group which would come in to take their place, their 'upkeep' can be controlled. Somewhat."

"Hmm...?" Sylphia rubbed her chin. "Alright, how do I make use of these 'tools', then?"

"For one, they can simply be unleashed on your enemies."

The corners of Sylphia's mouth curled upwards, though she quickly covered it up with her fingers. "You have my attention."

"Apart from that, they are what you may call 'disposable labor'. They are mercenaries, in the fullest sense of the word, unbound by even the laws of the land. If it is something you need done, you can make your coin do the work for you. If necessary, nobody needs to know they you are their employer, either."

Sylphia then drew her fan and spread it out, covering her mouth as she cackled, "Hihihi. Alright, then. I'll give them a try. Show me how useful a group of 'mercenaries' could be. If I'm satisfied, I'll let you keep them." Her eyes then narrowed. "Otherwise..."

"Thank you, my Lady." Eris nodded. "I will see to it that they will be of use to you at any time."

"Mm." Sylphia then returned to staring out into the sky. While she did this, she also snuck a peek at her secretary from the corner of one eye. An expression of relief seemed to surface from whatever emotion she could discern from the woman's unmoving visage.

Strange... why care so much for a gaggle of lowlives? Even if I wiped them out, and what Eris said is true, she could just do what she had already done and take control of the new group, right? Or is she still holding something back?

Fishy...

A cool breeze soon blew past, sweeping her hair across her face, and sending a crawling chill across her body. At that same moment, she heard a soft, breath escaping just beside her ear. And when she turned to look, Eris had closed her eyes and was letting out a prolonged breath.

In the midst of this Sylphia followed up with her question, "You said you had a close contact among those bandits?"

The woman's eyes opened and turned her head slightly. At that angle, light reflected off her glasses, obscuring all but part of her nearest eye. She then answered, "Yes, I did."

"Could you tell me more about that? I just find it strange that you seem so invested in these people that you'd go out of your way to plead their case to me. No offense, but I don't think that suits your character."

"Invested...?" Eris adjusted her glasses. "I... suppose that is correct. I am invested in them. I would say... about six or seven years of investment, to be exact."

"Hm?" The specific wording she used piqued the little girl's interest. "Tell me more," she then said, with a tiny smile, "I'm interested to know what you've been up to all these years."

A long silence followed. Clearly hesitant, Eris turned away with a melancholic look on her face, like she was about to say something she would rather forget.

But Sylphia said nothing. She just waited, resting her head back against the tree trunk and gazing back to the darkening skies above.

Her secretary then took in a deep breath. "I first became the Secretary of Dellwick seven years ago. I replaced my predecessor, who had died of old age. We both served the late Marquess Farleigh, the former Lady of Dellwick."

"Oh?" The inquisitive girl leaned in and asked, "Lady of Dellwick? I thought the King owned Dellwick before I did."

Eris nodded. "That is correct. The Marquess died in a tragic accident on the road to Rafale several months ago. Normally, fiefdom would be passed to her immediate family, but she was young, and had yet to either marry or birth a child."

"Aww, she doesn't have family? That's pretty sad..."

"Not exactly. She had two brothers, both of whom fought for the claim over Dellwick."

"Ah..." her eyes shifted sideways as she muttered, "Of course they would..."

"However, matters became complicated when the brothers began accusing each other of plotting the death of the Marquess precisely so that they could gain the fief."

"So? In the end, who did it?"

Eris shook her head. "Neither's claims were proven. However, one day, another tragedy occurred."

"Eh? Did they die too?"

"No. Just one of them. Anderson Farleigh had his younger brother, Richard Farleigh killed, soon after being humiliated in a public gathering by the latter."

"Eeeeh? Just like that!? Is he insane!?"

"The brothers never did get along. In many ways, the eldest sister, Marquess Farleigh, acted as the mediator in their relationship. And with her gone..."

"Uwah... talk about a tragedy. Well, how did the older brother get caught? He had him killed, right? Like assassinated? He didn't kill him himself."

"About that..." a subtle smirk surfaced on Eris' lips and her shoulders raised slightly as if to shrug, "it seemed that, just from utter coincidence, the assassin slipped up and left a clue as to who ordered the assassination."

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

Sylphia grimaced. "Ueh... what a useless assassin."

"Indeed." She gladly nodded. "And so, with the younger brother dead, and the older brother sentenced to hang, the fief of Dellwick was left without a Lord. Thus, it was returned to the personal ownership of the King."

"Just like that," Sylphia lounged back on her seat, "an entire noble family was wiped off the face of the earth, huh?"

"So it was."

"Hm?" Sylphia put a finger to her lip. "Wait, how does all this relate to the bandits?"

She smirked. "Why, all of it, my Lady."

"Huh?" The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Allow me to continue, my Lady. One of the first tasks I was given by the Marquess was to quell the bandits around Dellwick."

"Oho?"

"It was an exhausting campaign, especially because Dellwick was a very small village back then, even smaller than it is now, and thus did not have the income to support a force large enough to subjugate them." Eris' expression darkened. "Nevertheless, I was ordered to put an end to them, no matter what."

"A tough boss, huh?" she said, before turning away and muttering under her breath, "I know that feeling..."

Eris continued, "Seeing no end to the campaign, I instead focused my efforts on making contact with the bandits, to possibly direct them to attack elsewhere."

The girl's shoulders fell. "Well... that's a creative way to interpret 'put an end to banditry'."

"No, my Lady. It was the only way. It was either that, or Dellwick goes under." The woman's intertwined her fingers and held them tightly. "The subjugation effort forced conscription upon the village. Able farmers turned into corpses on a weekly basis. Had I allowed it to continue, Dellwick would have ceased to exist."

"T-that sounds familiar..." She muttered under her breath as she scratched her head.

"Yes, my Lady," she replied with full conviction, "first and foremost, my position was that of the Secretary of Dellwick, not of a specific Lord. Therefore, it was my job to place the interest of the village and its people above all else."

"So, what happened next?"

"I finally met the leader of the bandits."

"Hoh, your contact?"

She nodded. "To my surprise, it was a girl not much older than I was. Eckhart was the name she gave. Just like me, she was an immigrant from the Easter Empire."

"Hm?" Her head suddenly jolted upwards. "Immigrant? You? This is the first time I heard of this."

"Ah, yes, my Lady. I gave you my full name, did I not?"

"Mm. Evelyn Canaris, wasn't it?"

"I believed my Lady would immediately notice that it wasn't a Londinian name, and come to the appropriate conclusion."

"Ah-eh-sorry..." Sylphia rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm not too keen on things like those."

Not being from this world, and all...

"I see." Eris adjusted her glasses. "I shall keep that in mind from now on. In any case, because of our shared origins, we were able to get along rather quickly. The life of immigrant in Londinium is quite harsh, so we had a lot to talk about."

"Huh... I see."

"Ah-" Eris shook her head. "I'm sorry, my Lady, I rambled."

Sylphia chuckled in response. "Don't worry, I enjoy listening to what's on your mind."

Eris' eyes widened. "I..." And then averted her gaze. "I see..."

A wide grin immediately blossomed on the little girl's face.

That was a cute reaction...! So Eris can be cute from time to time! What a revelation!

"Ahem," the slightly flustered secretary continued, "in short, I was convinced that I could work with her somehow. To begin with, I asked her to divert their actions from Dellwick to the other villages nearby - crossing the border to Rafale in necessary. Showing such positive results, I thought I would be able to convince the late Marquess to work with them in the same way."

That's... the same thing she asked me just now...

"But when it came time to submit my report and proposal..." A grim expression clouded Eris' face. "...she ripped them apart and threw them in my face."

"Uwah..."

"I had misjudged the late Marquess. I failed to get a good grasp of her personality before acting. I did not expect her to be so upright; so bound by a sense of honor. In retrospect, I should have figured as such, given how much she was respected by the nobility and her own family. However-" Her hands tightened once more. "-she spared no thought for those below her, in pursuit of that honor. She demanded the complete annihilation of the bandits, at all costs."

Eris' brows furled.

"At all costs, she said. But who was to pay that price? Not herself, certainly. Not her family, gilded with their riches, safe and sound in their estate in Brandonbury. No - she truly meant 'at any cost to the people of Dellwick'."

Sylphia felt the bitterness those her words crawling just under her skin. It twisted around her heart, like a heavy ball and chain, tugging it down just like it did her entire body. She then muttered, "I... didn't know you cared so much about Dellwick, Eris."

"Care... no, perhaps that would be the wrong conclusion." As if she had never even said anything just now, Eris' face returned to its normal, blank slate as she relaxed her back against the tree.

"It's a good conclusion, though."

She shook her head. "I do not wish to give my Lady a false impression of myself. What I said... was merely the reason I used to justify my decisions. In truth, I knew that the success of my career hinged on the success of the village that had been entrusted to me. Therefore, my intentions for antagonizing the late Marquess were entirely self-serving."

"Hmm? Is that really all, though? Or are you deliberately selling yourself short because you can't handle the thought of not being a villain?"

A sigh escaped from Eris' lips. "My Lady is free to believe what she wants." But then, right as she turned to face her mistress, a mischievous smile sprouted from her face. "At your own peril."

The tone in her voice sent a shiver down the girl's spine. Hiding the anxiety in her guts, she then clicked her tongue and grumbled, "You're no fun to tease."

Eris chuckled. "May I continue, my Lady?"

The girl pulled in her legs and secured them within her arms. Then, resting her head against her knees, she then said, "Fine."

At least she looks like she's having fun... that makes be a bit happy.

"Needless to say, I had no choice but to send more people to their deaths. Eckhart's camp is located somewhere in the vast forests between Londinium and Rafale. Even now, I do not know where it is, precisely. Indeed, I believe she would be wise enough to regularly change its location. Though her occupation is that of a mere bandit, Eckhart is very skilled at what she does, and she has never been caught even once."

"That's high praise, coming from you."

"It is simply the truth. It is no coincidence that she is my most trusted agent. I..." Her expression quickly turned somber. "...I had even considered the possibility of escaping with my sister to join her, if something were to ever happen..." Her eyes slowly shifted to her lady. "One of my schemes falling through, perhaps? And if we were thus exposed to mortal danger."

"Ahh..."

Eris chuckled quietly, "Needless to say, I was soon disillusioned with the Marquess."

Sensing the climax approaching, the girl's eyes widened, and she leaned her head in ever closer. "So what did you do?"

And then, Eris' lips stretched out, forming a wide, devilish grin on her face.

Sylphia shifted uncomfortably in her seat even as she watched Eris' lips open.

And so, the answer came.

"I arranged for an accident during one of her trips to Rafale."

Sylphia's heart fell.

"Yes, my Lady." Eris's eyes narrowed down to thin slits, her pale, gray eyes almost disappearing behind the shroud of her eyelashes. With these eyes, she focused into Sylphia's trembling pupils.

"It soon came to my attention that the fief of Dellwick would then be transferred to one of the late Marquess' younger brothers. You might not be aware, but they were quite infamous in the Kingdom, my Lady. The older one was a heavy drinker and a known lecher; while the younger was a limp-wristed brat who depended too much on the patronage of his sister." She held her arms up and shrugged. "I quickly came to the conclusion that leaving Dellwick in their hands would lead to disaster."

A cold sweat formed on the girl's forehead. "T-then..."

"Please don't make that face, my Lady," she quickly retorted, snickering, "I did not do anything to them. But it just so happened that the fool of an older brother approached an assassin under the employ of Eckhart, and she thought, correctly, that I might be interested to know. And so, with a small investment of a few silver coins, I asked the assassin to leave incriminating evidence of his paymaster right at the scene of the crime."

Sylphia's skin was a mat of goosebumps. "T-that's... frightening... Y-you know, you just confessed to killing a Lord, Eris!"

"Hm?" With an arrogant smirk, she raised an eyebrow, saying, "If you really intend to turn me in, just the things I've done to you would be enough for me to hang. What are they going to do, execute me twice?"

The girl's eyelid twitched. "G-good point..."

This one's really dangerous, after all...

Eris chuckled. "Please be at ease, my Lady. I would not think of ending your life in a similar manner."

"Really...?" Sylphia snuck a suspicious glance at Eris.

"Indeed." She brought her hands together, making a soft clap. "Your death ought to be a grand spectacle, worthy of a large audience!"

"Hyaaaa!" Sylphia scurried away, flailing her arms between her and her secretary.

"Hahahaha! I'm joking, my Lady." Gradually, her expression returned to a somber smile, "I'm joking... Where else in this world would I find a master willing to forgive a traitor such as myself?" She turned her head down and looked into her palm. "My body ought to be hanging from the gallows and feeding the crows. But instead I am here, having enjoyed a barbecue with my sister, and the very person I betrayed..."

"Huh..."

"It just doesn't make sense. Even now I still could not feel at ease. It all seems surreal. It's as if I would wake up in any moment into the harsh reality that I do pay for my crimes. That I am sentenced to death."

"Eris...?" Sylphia attempted to reach out, but held her arm back.

"Why is there no justice? Why is every cynical belief I have ever held, every disgusting truth I have known, been validated? In the back of my mind, I have always wanted to believe. In hope. In the church's teachings. But every time these beliefs were tested, they fell flat. Every day, the wicked prosper. The church itself is a sham. The Bishop of Brandonbury is a murderer, the Bishop of Aubury is a sodomite. I thought I would put it to the test myself. See how long I could go before I received this so-called divine retribution... and yet, I received such mercy, instead..."

Eris was on the verge of tears.

"Eris." Without hesitation Sylphia wrung her arms around her secretary's shoulders and pulled her close. "That's enough. It's okay. You don't need to think about that anymore."

She held her tightly in her arms. So much so that she felt it in her body every time she sobbed.

"Look," she said as she rubbed the woman's back, "I know nothing about that religious mumbo-jumbo, so I can't really answer your questions. But you say there's no justice? What about the divine ass-whooping I'd wrought on you?"

"...huh?"

"Not justice enough for you?" She shrugged. "Too bad! You're playing by my rules now!"

"Huh..."

"Everyone has a different sense of justice, don't they? I'm not saying you should conform to mine or anyone else's, but if you think it's right, why not do it? If someone else disagrees, then you fight it out! And if they lose, that just means your justice is superior to theirs!"

"Could... such a thing really be called justice, then?"

"Who knows? Who cares? But that's how the world works, right? Why fight it? Now that I understand your situation a bit more, I might even say I understand where you're coming from. Well, I still think you're a dirty rat for trying to sell me out, but in the end, you just did what you think was right."

"Uh... huh..."

"And, well, if all that fails, then just remember this!" She then leapt onto her feet, twirled around and struck a cute pose, pushing her index fingers into her cheek. "Cute is justice!"

Eris completely blanked out. "What...?"

"Or something like that?" She then shrugged, chuckling all the way back to her seat beside Eris. "Point is, does all that worrying really matter? You're my secretary now. Dellwick is safe. Your sister is safe. We're having a barbecue. Isn't life swell? I say just roll with it."

Her eyes widened. She still seemed slightly confused, but as though her thoughts began to fall into place, she let out a subdued sigh and smiled, "I'm... not really sure, but I think I understand."

"Ah," the little girl snapped her finger, "but hey, if you feel extra guilty, I really wouldn't mind if the forms you brought me were already pre-filled with my signature, so I wouldn't need to-"

"I'm sorry, my Lady, but no matter how sentimental I get, you won't be able to weasel out of your duties."

"Ugeh..."

It was worth a try I guess...

A while later, the little girl jolted, after a flash of remembrance.

"Ah," she exclaimed, "and speaking of forms, here!" She then pulled something out of her pocket - a piece of paper, much like the documents that often arrive at her table..

"What's this?" After a quick scan, Eris muttered, "...Adoption... form? What is this for my lady?"

"I promised I'd get Emi to school, remember?"

Immediately, the woman's shoulders stiffened.

"Well, it turns out no matter what I try, a commoner like her won't ever get into one."

But again, her spirits were dampened. "As I thought..."

"So, I figured, just make her nobility, then!"

And then her eyes nearly jumped from their sockets. "W-what was that...!?"

"Mm! I'm a noble, after all! So if I adopt her, she'll be a noble too!"

Thoughts and emotions all flooded in the very same second, utterly stumping Eris as to what she should say.

"Err... but of course, I wanted to ask you about it first. I mean, nothing would really change. She won't suddenly stop being your sister, and I'm not really thinking of being a real mother either. I mean, look at me! I'm just as tall as her! That would be weird! So, she'll be a noble by name, and we can enroll her in Brandonbury Academy!"

"B-Brandonbury...!? That's-"

"Mm! I heard it was one of the best ones! And it's pretty close to Dellwick, too! Once the estate is built, we could even bring her to school! Maybe. Or you can! Yeah, it'll mostly be you to be honest."

Even with her mouth stuck agape, tears flowed past her lips and met at the tip of her chin.

There was so much she wanted to say. Such intense emotion she wanted to convey. She wanted to jump for joy and break down in tears. But her body would not let her.

And in the end, all she could manage to say was:

"Thank you, my Lady!"

After a short trek back down the mountain, they returned to the carriage awaiting them, as scheduled.

It was getting dark, and the driver had lit the lanterns hanging on the corners of the vehicle. This faint light entered through the windows, illuminating the sombre cabin where both the young girls had fallen asleep after a whole day playing in the mountains.

Eris was half-asleep herself when a whisper reached her ear, "Hey, Eris..."

It woke her up slightly as she peeked a single eye out at the girls on the other side of the carriage. "What is it, Miss Evrika?"

The lady knight gazed idly out the window, stroking Sylphia's head, resting on her lap. And without even turning to look, she continued, "Just so you know... I still don't trust you one bit."

"...huh?" Those words, out of the blue, titled her off balance. It being Evrika, she had anticipated some form of small-talk, possibly involving the little girl, but instead she was met with uncharacteristic and unreserved hostility.

Only after this did the girl with crimson hair bring her face around, and their gazes met.

Bewildered, Eris could only respond with incredulity, "What are you talking about?"

"Sylphie told me everything, you know. About the bandits. About your attempt to kidnap her." Her brows tightened. "And while I wasn't there to protect her..."

"Ah..."  She pinched the frame of her glasses, realigning them. "I see. So that's what this is."

Though she intended her mutterings only for herself, they were nonetheless heard across the carriage, further agitating the girl knight, who then added, "Sylphie told me to get along with you, but you don't even feel remorseful, do you? Betraying your friends. Hurting so many innocents. A person like that, I can never trust. Never, in a million years...!" She then let out a deep, anxious sigh. "But for her sake, I am willing to put up with you. Just remember this - if you ever betray Sylphie again, I will never forgive you."

Listening to this girl's spiel left Eris at a loss for words. It took a while, but once everything sunk in, she felt her drowsiness evaporate like steam. "Friend, you say?" she sneered, "aren't you mistaking something? We were never friends. We are colleagues, serving the same mistress."

Evrika's eyes twitched at her retort. "Is that how you justify your actions?"

"No. It's just a statement of fact."

An awkward silence passed between them, with each just staring to the eyes of the other, as if trying to read what the other was thinking.

And then, Evrika asked, "You don't have any friends, do you? Someone who throws people away so lightly wouldn't make any."

Eris' eyes narrowed. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Hmph." Finally, Evrika turned away and returned to staring out the window. "I just wanted to get that out of my chest."

That's it? Eris sighed. What a silly girl.

Soon enough, the atmosphere returned to silence.

Gently, very gently, as though the carriage were a rocking crib, Eris was lulled back to sleep. And in her mind, fragmented thoughts remained, dissolving slowly, one by one.

Why does my Lady employ a fool like her?

Even she seems to know this fact.

I cannot help but feel anxious.

One of these days, she will be a hindrance to my Lady's plans. And when that happens, what will she do?

It's strange...

Even now, I still recall that face, on the night of my failure. That is not an expression she has shown since. Does this girl not even know our Lady's true personality? That devil, hiding under the guise of a little girl...