The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 4

Chapter IV: Inglis, Age 16—Far-Off Highland (4)

Within Illuminas’s arsenal, a surface man disembarked from the flying battleship that Inglis and the mechanical dragons had rescued and gave her a deep bow.

“That was quite helpful. We were flying low, searching for you, when we were attacked by magicite beasts... I thank you from the bottom of my heart for rescuing us.”

He was young and handsome, with auburn hair and a distinctive monocle. His soft-spoken yet energetic air was on target for Rafinha’s type.

“Ah...” Rafinha breathed.

“No!” Inglis hopped up on Rafinha’s back and covered her eyes with her hands. No need to let Rafinha see too much.

“Hey, stop it, Chris! What are you doing?!”

“You shouldn’t be gazing at him with that look!”

“I thought this was supposed to be a serious conversation...” Leone said.

Liselotte shared a sigh with Leone. “You’re being a nuisance.”

Like that pair, Inglis and Rafinha had also put on something functioning as cover-ups over their swimsuits. They had gotten cold, and they didn’t want to be showing off their swimsuits forever. The white fabric they wore seemed like an elaborate ceremonial robe. On the chest was an embroidered emblem much like a stigmata. Given to them by Wilma, the long tunic seemed like it was a garment designed for foreigners staying in Illuminas. As long as they were wearing it, they had access to self-piloting Flygears, certain restricted areas, and the distribution of food and other supplies even without stigmata of their own.

Though it seemed that with the city’s core functions silenced during the state of emergency, only some of these were working. They had been fortunate during their visit with Chief Academician Wilkin that at least the lab’s functions were still online, but even their trip to the beach had required the use of the Star Princess, as Illuminas’s self-piloting Flygears were not operating.

“What seems to be the problem?” the monocled man asked, watching them in confusion.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Wilma began, her eyes fixed on the man. “Aethelstan Trading, was it? That’s strange, I don’t recognize you.”

“Yes, I believe this is the first time we’ve met. My name is Yuber Aethelstan. My father has had to retire due to illness. I intend to follow in his footsteps and maintain our business relationship. By all means, I hope it can continue to be fruitful.”

“I will report this to my superiors. I doubt there will be any issue, but I must ask you to wait here in the meantime.”

“Yes. Very well. But may I be allowed to unload my cargo? Otherwise, my repairs may be delayed.”

“Go ahead. Will you require any assistance?”

“No, I believe they can march out on their own two feet.”

Yuber was soft-spoken, but the reality he referred to was hard. Inglis suspected his wording implied his “cargo” was human. She’d heard both that Highlanders kidnapped surface dwellers and that some surface dwellers sold people to Highland. This seemed to be the latter case. Signs pointed to his being a surface slave trader.

She was surprised that he would have a flying battleship, but it would definitely be the most effective way to go about his trade. She had not, however, heard of any slavers with such ships in Karelia, so he must have been chartered by another country. Aethelstan Trading was a name to remember, then. An organization quite possibly far fouler than even Rahl and Fars’s Rambach Company.

But Inglis couldn’t understand why they would be doing business with Illuminas. After all, Myce—the Highlander boy whom they had just met at the beach—had said that Illuminas had no surface slaves, and he’d been taught that slavery was wrong.

“Let go of me, Chris!” Rafinha, her tone forceful, pulled Inglis’s hands from her eyes. “Wilma! What’s that supposed to mean?! Just what kind of cargo is it?!”

Wilma silently looked at Rafinha, a troubled expression on her face.

“Wilma!”

“Never mind that, what about him? Why is that boy here?” Wilma asked, turning to Myce.

“Well... While we were at the beach, we met a kid who said he came from the city. Between the ship and the magicite beasts showing up, he ended up coming with us...”

“I see. Thank you for taking care of the little rascal. Now, shall we return him home? I’m sure his parents are worried.”

“Wait, that isn’t—”

“I wouldn’t want to have to reach the conclusion that you abducted him. Please don’t let it come to that.”

“But—!”

It was Myce who halted Rafinha’s insistence. “R-Rafinha... I don’t want to cause any trouble for you, so I’ll go home. Mom and dad are probably looking all over for me. Can you take me home? I’m ready to go.”

It probably wasn’t a good idea to argue with Wilma, but if Rafinha ordered it, Inglis would search the ship, by force if necessary.

“Myce...okay.” At his urging, Rafinha had no choice but to acquiesce. Inglis’s group squeezed into the Star Princess with the boy.

As they took off, Myce, his face serious, spoke up again. “Rafinha, once you bring me home, can you hurry back there? That knight was hiding something... She was just using me as an excuse to hide whatever it was from you all. I don’t think she could’ve if I hadn’t been there. Sorry for getting in your way.”

Myce was a smart kid; he’d kept his head and wanted answers from Wilma.

“Sure, Myce! We’ll go right back and find out what’s up!”

“Thanks! Can you tell me whatever it was? I’ll come back and ask you!”

“Wait, wouldn’t that mean you’re gonna sneak out again? You’re not supposed to do that!” Rafinha poked Myce.

“Once the machinator gets better and Illuminas is flying again, everything’ll be okay.”

They smiled at each other. Inglis was glad to see them getting along well. One of the best things about Rafinha was how quickly she made friends. Inglis was proud of the girl for that. Her parenting had been a great influence on her. Well, Duke Bilford and Inglis’s own aunt Irina had raised her, but she herself had spent the most time with Rafinha. She could have some pride in that.

“All right—Rafinha, Leone, Liselotte, Inglis, we didn’t spend that much time together, but it was great! And the fish were so tasty! Bye-bye!”

By a large road a bit closer to the city than the beach where they’d met, a stairway led underground. It was probably where he had come up to begin with. There was a thick barrier of some kind blocking it, but it reacted to his stigmata and opened an entrance just large enough for one person. Smiling and waving goodbye, he entered.

“Bye-bye! Next time, let’s eat some meat!” Rafinha waved even more enthusiastically than Myce did.

“Goodbye! Come play with Rani again sometime!” Inglis said.

“Take care,” Leone said.

“Try not to worry your parents too much,” Liselotte said.

They bade him farewell with a smile and then returned to the arsenal. There, Aethelstan Trading’s damaged ship had already begun its repairs. Many of the automated mechanical hands were working on its hull. Yuber was already gone, and the only people present were Wilma, who was preparing to board a transit Flygear, and a girl accompanying her.

The girl looked to be about Inglis’s age—her real age of sixteen, not her current appearance. Her hair was pale, with a calming bluish tinge, and she wore it in a bob above her shoulders, a bit shorter than the average woman. She seemed gaunt, but still graceful and beautiful. Her forehead bore no stigmata, and she wore the same robe Inglis and the others now did; she must have arrived aboard the Aethelstan Trading ship.

She looked at them, and called out desperately: “Y-You there! Are you from the surface?! Please, please! Save the people who were taken along with me! All they did was agree with me and follow me here! They’re innocent!”

Rafinha was the first to react. “Huh?! What do you mean?! Who are you?!”

“I am an imperial princess of Venefic!”

“Let’s go. Someone’s waiting for you.” Wilma cut the girl off and launched the Flygear.

“Ah! Wait, Wilma!” Rafinha protested.

“Barrier—privilege level: administrative. Disable reopening for one hour.” They flew away, and the path from the arsenal closed. It seemed like it would remain closed, as Wilma had commanded, for some time.

“She said she was an imperial princess from Venefic!” Leone exclaimed. “Did you hear that?!”

“I did as well, Leone!” Liselotte replied.

“Was that ship meant to bring her here?” Rafinha asked.

“I don’t think it was just for that, Rani,” Inglis said. “She said she wanted us to save the people who were taken here with her.”

“Yeah, she was more worried about them than about herself... I bet she’s nice.” That was, of course, Rafinha’s default assumption about people.

“What do we do, Rani? Shall we heed her words?” That is, would they save the other people who had been taken with her?

“Yeah, let’s! The barrier closed and we’re stuck in here for a while, so let’s try to find them! When it opens again, then we can go after her. They’d get mad if we broke it.”

“Okay, Rani.”

“Leone, Liselotte, are you two okay with that?”

“Yes, that sounds like a great idea, Rafinha!” Leone replied.

“You can count me in as well,” Liselotte said. “If she’s really an imperial princess of Venefic, then this might be an opportunity to improve the relationship between our two countries.”

“Smart thinking, Liselotte! That would be great, wouldn’t it, Chris?”

“Huh? Well...perhaps? According to some, you don’t truly understand someone until you fight them...” Inglis said.

“Letting your fists do the talking, huh? I think that only works for you and Dux Jil!”

“Really? But Venefic’s army still has others of the same rank as Mr. Rochefort, so I think there’s a lot to look forward to. I hope they all come at us at once.”

“Wouldn’t that be all-out war?! That’s no good at all! Now let’s get going!”

“Okay, if you say so.”

Total war against Venefic sounded interesting, but if Rafinha didn’t want it to happen, then its avoidance was acceptable—pleasing, even. After all, Rafinha’s smile was more important than anything. And for opponents who pulled no punches, at the very least Inglis still had Dux Jildegrieva, whom she knew she could count on for a sparring match.

“Where to, Rani?”

“Over there! That’s the Aethelstan Trading ship! There might still be people aboard!”

“Yeah. And it does technically belong to a surface company, so even if we cause a ruckus, it’s not Highland’s problem!”

“All right, let’s go!”

Inglis and the others went to board the Aethelstan Trading ship. The mechanical hands surrounded the ship’s hull, but they continued working rather than attempting to stop them. The ship was braced on a large poppet, and there was a gangway from a hatch to the pier. As they crossed, they saw no one on deck, but there still may have been people inside.

“We’re coming in!” Rafinha was first in the impromptu boarding party. As she ran across the gangway, no voice answered her—but something else did.

Shing!

The moment she set foot aboard, a pair of sentries were on either side of her. The long guns they carried had spear-like blades attached—bayonets—which crossed in an X shape, silently blocking Rafinha’s path. The unspeaking sentries were Highlander soldiers under Wilma’s command, clad head to toe in black armor. They must have been sent to both guard and monitor the ship.

“Er, ’scuse me! May I go inside?!”

Rafinha’s request went unanswered.

“I can’t?! Then at least tell me, are there any of the people who were forcibly brought here still aboard?!”

Rafinha’s question had changed, but the Highlander soldiers’ lack of a response persisted.

“Was the girl Wilma took away really an imperial princess of Venefic?!” Leone asked.

“What are you going to do to her?!” Liselotte added.

More questions led to more silence from the two sentries.

“Can’t you answer at all?! C’mon, c’mon! C’mon!”

Still, silence. The probing had reached the point where an angry roar might be expected, but at least in that aspect they were gentlemanly.

“What do we do, Chris?!”

“Well...” Inglis could force her way in, of course, but the consequences made that unappealing. They were here at Ambassador Theodore’s request, as representatives of Karelia. If something were to happen, it would become an international incident between Illuminas and Karelia, thus weakening his position. And, most importantly, Eris was currently being repaired in the Greyfrier sarcophagus. In other words, she was essentially a hostage. They had little leverage to work with—which, then, indeed produced the question of what was to be done.

“The people who were brought here have already disembarked,” a voice finally answered. It was calm and quiet, unlike the frenetic questions. “The girl who the Highlander knight took away is, indeed, an imperial princess of Venefic. Imperial Princess Meltina, to be precise. She was brought here after being judged a likely candidate to become a hieral menace. Is that not an honor?”

The answer came from Yuber, the leader of Aethelstan Trading whom the group had just met. He appeared from the passageway that the soldiers had blocked. He must have noticed the commotion.

“Oh, you’re—!”

“Yes. These are the perfect soldiers—loyal to a fault, fearless, but not even remotely flexible, so I will answer in their stead. And besides, I hadn’t even properly thanked you for saving my ship. Does that answer your questions?”

“Th-Thank you...” Rafinha responded politely, but her expression was still guarded. As was only natural, given that Yuber appeared to be a slave trader. “But what about the people other than Her Imperial Highness? She said she wanted us to save the people taken with her. And I’m sure she’s a good person! She wouldn’t have sold them away! That’s terrible! So how could you do this?!”

“Now, now, calm down. I have no intention of causing you any trouble, given your generous aid, and I’d prefer if possible that we remain amicable.”

“Then answer my question!”

“Yes, of course. But of course, I can’t keep you waiting out here. Please, step inside, I’ll have refreshments prepared. You understand, these people are my guests.” At Yuber’s final line, the two soldiers stepped aside. It seemed like they would at least listen to the ship’s owner.

Passing through the ship’s lower decks, they arrived at something of a large meeting room where tea had already been served. Its aroma was wonderful—this was good tea, with a refined flavor. The cookies served along with it were delicious as well.

“Delicious, isn’t it, Rani?”

“Yeah...” Rafinha’s nervousness had her in a half pout. Her usual gleaming smile when encountering delicious things was missing. Given the circumstances, Inglis wasn’t shocked.

“I’m sorry, we have not heard much of Aethelstan Trading in Karelia. What is it that you trade in?” Inglis asked.

“We trade in wares from Venefic and its friends to the southeast. Our market area does not approach Karelia, so I’m unsurprised that you’ve not heard of us.” Even though Inglis appeared to be a tiny six-year-old, Yuber was unfailingly polite in his answers.

“As so much of your business is in Venefic, of course you can’t expand into Karelia—that could well lose you what you have. And with relations worsening, you might even be suspected of playing one side or the other,” she reasoned.

“Hm...? And what brings you to that conclusion?”

“The decision to take an imperial princess and deliver her to Highland is one no ordinary merchant would make to line his pocket. That would be high treason—the company itself would be forfeit. Now, on the other hand, if internal conflicts in Venefic resulted in the loser, an imperial princess, ending up in Aethelstan Trading’s custody, that would simply mark you as an official purveyor.”

From that perspective, trading in Karelia—Venefic’s enemy—would be dangerous. It would be more advantageous to remain loyal to Venefic.

“Mm-hmm. Small as you are, you’re quite the perceptive young lady. That’s correct, I’m proud to serve by appointment to His Imperial Majesty, as well as all of Venefic. And it is quite lucrative indeed. Ah, would you like more of the snacks?” Yuber nodded along to Inglis, as if impressed, and offered more to eat.

“Yep!” She might as well take him up on that. “Which would make those who came along her followers, wouldn’t it? Political prisoners, to put it bluntly. Powerful people, those whose execution could spark an uprising, or who could, if imprisoned, someday lead a rebellion—selling them to Highland instead is a clever way to deal with them, I must admit.”

“Yes, and in return we receive Artifacts with which to defend our country—far more profitable than simply executing them. You might even say that they’re belatedly doing their duty to Venefic. It’s a wonderful thing—especially because we share in the proceeds.”

“Meaning, then...their lives are forfeit?” Inglis replied with a grin. All the better of an argument for acting now.

“Oh my, I do believe we’re getting into the weeds here.” Yuber returned a dry chuckle.

Thunk! Rafinha arose with a start. “Where are they?! If we don’t save them right away, it’ll be too late!”

Yuber watched her, silently, calmly, but gave no answer.

“Say something! If you don’t tell us, we’ll force it out of you!”

“Before that, I must ask: are you sure this is your concern?” Yuber’s monocle glinted sharply.

“What do you mean?!”

“You are from Karelia, are you not? This is an internal matter for Venefic, and perhaps aiding the princess would be sticking your neck out too far.”

“If we don’t help them because they’re enemies, how will we ever be friends?! I don’t want that! We need to help anyone we can!”

“Even if it prolongs that enmity? Think this over. She and her lot are political prisoners.”

“Wh—?!” Rafinha, her expression steeled, glanced over at Inglis in silence.

“We aren’t even sure why they’re political prisoners,” Inglis filled in. “They’re dissidents of some sort, but what if they were hard-line opponents of the establishment of the Rangers and peace with Karelia? Helping them might lead not to peace, but to all-out war, is what he means.”

“You truly are a perceptive young lady. That’s exactly what I wanted to say. And are you willing to assume that level of risk?”

Rafinha bit her lip in silence.

“Very well, then. What, precisely, are Her Imperial Highness’s opinions?” Inglis asked.

“Wrong, presumably. I’d prefer not to be pressed any further on the matter.” As could be expected, Yuber stonewalled her.

This left Inglis with only one possible response. “It’s okay, Rani. Do what you feel is right. I’ll make it work out,” she whispered from Rafinha’s side so only she could hear.

In response, Rafinha nodded, and turned to Yuber with a smile. “Then we’ll save them! Even if we have different opinions, I’m sure I’d be able to find common ground with someone willing to put others before themselves! I want to believe the world is like that!” Rafinha insisted, her expression firm.

Yuber chuckled. “You live in quite the beautiful world, don’t you? I envy you. If only we could all be so lucky. However...about that level of risk—what will you do when your innocent hopes are replaced with Karelian corpses? Pretend you didn’t know? Even though I’ve given you fair warning?”

“That won’t happen! And if it looks like it will—” Rafinha paused to scoop Inglis up. “This girl will beat up all the bad guys!”

“She isn’t kidding,” Inglis added. Perhaps she owed Rafinha a fist pump again.

“Ha ha ha! I see, given that you were strong enough to throw and catch my ship, I suppose I have to take that seriously. And besides, all-out war with Karelia, which has shown it’s capable of defeating a Prismer, would be unfavorable for Venefic. As a merchant, I certainly wouldn’t welcome the lack of customers.”

“And is that the prevailing view in Venefic?” Inglis asked. That was a bit disappointing in its own way. She wanted a good war where the hawks would throw everything they had at her. Taking on overwhelming numbers alone seemed like it would teach her a lot.

“Perhaps. In the end, I am only a merchant; I cannot speak for my betters. I’m unaware of even the finer details concerning Her Imperial Highness. However, I can say that we in Venefic were shocked that the Prismer was not merely chased off or sealed away, but actually destroyed in the early fighting. We had hoped that it was powerful enough to, if not completely neutralize Karelian resistance, at least leave it crippled. It was to ensure this that General Rochefort and the hieral menace Arles made their death ride to your capital.”

Rochefort and Arles were now instructors at the Chiral Knights’ Academy, and Inglis had no intention of giving them back. They were too important to her right now to lose. As powerful as they were, they were still willing to train with her every day after class. She couldn’t ask for a better learning environment.

“However, there are some who hold that Karelia’s reserves are depleted, and that now is the time to go on the offensive. It seems to me that the division runs deep.”

“I see...”

“Never mind that!” Rafinha broke in. “What about the people who were taken along with Her Imperial Majesty?! We have to hurry up or it’ll be too late!”

“We seem to be getting along quite well like this, so while I’d like to answer you, I must warn that you may regret what you learn,” Yuber said.

“I won’t regret it! C’mon, tell me!”

“Well, to bring it all together... You’re asking where they are, when you’ve already met. If there is a late to be, then late you are—since you have, of course, found them already.” Yuber’s statement was cryptic.

“What?! We’re too late?!”

“Yes. Nothing can be done for them now,” Yuber insisted with a calm smile.

“What do you mean?!” Leone remarked in confusion.

“Explain yourself!” Liselotte demanded.

Those sent to Highland would be forced into slave labor, or selected as hieral menaces if their aptitude was high enough, was Inglis’s impression. Simply killing them would accomplish nothing. So if Yuber said that she and her friends had already met them...

“The soldiers at the hatch, then?” Inglis offered.

“Huh? Those were Highland soldiers, Chris.”

“Yes...but if Yuber insists we’ve already met the taken people, it has to be them; there’s no alternative.”

“When you put it that way, it makes sense...” Leone said.

“But then what could he mean by it being too late?” Liselotte asked.

“Wilma said that their soldiers were homunculi. I think maybe the raw materials for those homunculi are people taken from the surface,” Inglis said.

“What?!” Rafinha and the others gasped.

Meanwhile Yuber nodded and clapped, pleased. “I certainly appreciate your being so quick-witted. I’d prefer not to play the villain being the only one saying such unpleasant things.”

“What exactly are they, then?” Inglis asked.

“Artificial humans called mana coats. Their near-complete lack of a self-conception means, as you can see, that Highland uses them as soldiers.”

“In that case...what exactly does it mean for them to be created from humans?”

“The people sent here are first placed in a reactor, which is filled with a fluid called mana extract. In only a few seconds, they melt away, becoming part of the mana extract, it seems. I have not seen the reactor itself.”

“What?! Then...” Rafinha began.

“Everyone was turned into mana extract?!” Leone asked.

“So that’s what you meant by it being too late!” Liselotte said.

“And the soldiers generated by processing that mana extract are the ones you just met. The entire process takes only a moment. It is truly a fearsome technology,” Yuber explained.

“It definitely sounds that way. It didn’t take much time at all to drop Myce off and come back,” Inglis said. If those were mana coats, maybe hi-mana coats were made from only the purest and highest-quality mana extract. How many lives had to be sacrificed to create one? She didn’t know, but it seemed like an extremely ruthless process.

“The convenient thing about mana coats is, once one is finished with them, one can simply turn them back into mana extract. Living slave soldiers eat, and fall ill if unfed—supplies are necessary. But not for mana coats. They truly are the perfect soldiers. Illuminas’s flying battleships are equipped with mana extract tanks, from which they create soldiers as needed. There is no waste at all.”

“That’s—! How can you say that so calmly?!” Rafinha yelled. “That’s even worse than being forced to fight or work as a slave! At least that way you’re still yourself, you’re still alive in your own body! If you’re mana extract, you may as well be dead!”

Yuber regarded Rafinha with confusion. “And why are you saying that to me? It is the Highlanders of Illuminas who cause it to happen, is it not?”

“Ugh...” Rafinha slumped at his response. On this point, at least, Yuber was correct.

“When I first saw your faces, I thought, with all due respect, that you were entirely too easygoing. ‘How could someone smile like that in such a terrible place?’ I asked myself. Every moment I spoke with that Highlander knight, I was trembling, wondering when I, too, would be turned into mana extract... But I suppose, if you weren’t aware, it’s understandable.”

“Right... We didn’t know. Maybe I was just on cloud nine after receiving a special-class Rune...” Leone said.

“It wasn’t just you, Leone. I was as well.” Liselotte slumped, frowning.

“You seem to know quite a bit about this. The Highlander boy we met in the city said that unlike some places, Illuminas had abolished slavery, that people didn’t support it,” Inglis said. Even Wilma didn’t seem to completely grasp the process behind the mana-coat soldiers, though she might have wanted to muddle the topic. At the very least, she must have had some idea, given that she was aware that Illuminas still bought slaves. But there was a good chance that Myce, or even the average adult Highlander, knew nothing, given what Myce himself had been taught.

“I suppose. My family has kept close contact with Highland for generations; we’ve had many opportunities to learn.”

That must mean they had had opportunities to speak candidly with Chief Academician Wilkin or others in the upper strata. If the average person didn’t know, it had to come from the top.

“How can you be against slavery but then turn people into mana extract and use them?! It makes no sense... I just can’t...” Rafinha’s tone shook, her shoulders shook, as she sat back down next to Inglis. Her initial momentum had faded away.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right, Rani.” Inglis softly stroked her back as she spoke. For someone who had been enjoying sightseeing in Highland, this must have been quite the wake-up call. She was clearly shocked.

“I fully agree,” Yuber said. “For surface people like us, it seems like some cruel deception... It makes me angry. But mana extract can be made into mana coats, or used to power the city’s functions. It must be an extremely useful material.”

“Seeing slaves must scar them on some level, but unseen slaves would not. What they don’t see can’t hurt them, I guess. In their own way, Highlanders are not so different from surface dwellers,” Inglis mused.

Yuber laughed wryly in return. “Ha ha ha, I suppose... Those aren’t words I’d expect from a young child.”

“To be honest, I’m in a child’s body, but I’m actually sixteen.”

“I see... But even for a sixteen-year-old, that’s impressive. I’d expect a normal girl of your age to react more like your friends here.”

Rafinha and the others didn’t seem to have the energy to respond.

“They’re good girls,” Inglis said. “I’m the only one who doesn’t think about things all that deeply.”

Yuber chuckled. “I understand why you believe they’re good girls, but I simply cannot understand why you believe you don’t think deeply about things.”

“I suppose.” Inglis smiled and tried to pass it off.

“Anyway, the truth is that there is no—and can be no—‘good Highland’ from the perspective of the surface. If you come to believe that Illuminas is a good place, friendly to us, you’ve simply deceived yourself. We are the best at what we do, you realize? And I hope you realize as well what that means.”

It meant that they were the prime purveyors of surface slaves. With the technology to convert them to mana extract, slaves didn’t need to be fed, and they were cheaper to keep. Which meant that Aethelstan Trading could operate in volume.

“Does that mean the other parts of Highland don’t have this technology?”

“Correct, as far as I’m aware. The Papal League has declared it forbidden, so I do not expect it to be taken up on a broad scale. It seems like for now it is exclusive to Illuminas—which, if I might say, makes Illuminas the most fearsome part of Highland there is. As well as our best customer.”

“I see... Thank you for telling us this.” Inglis bowed politely.

“Well... No matter where you go, we’re nothing but livestock to a Highlander. They take our lives just as we eat the cattle or swine that we raise. An even footing is impossible, and we can only sweeten our words in the hope that our own turn never arrives. So do take care, please.”

“Yes, we certainly will. Rani, Leone, Liselotte, let’s go. We could use a short rest. We can ask Wilma about Her Imperial Highness later.”

Soon, the passage which Wilma had sealed would reopen.