"Morning, Lia!" Astra exclaimed, setting down a tray of fruit and bread on the side table.
"Morning..." Kalia yawned. "You're awfully energetic this morning."
Lia...
"Hehe, I brought you breakfast."
"Thanks, Astra."
Kalia sat up, grabbed an unfamiliar greenish-yellow fruit off the tray, and took a bite.
"Bleh... what is this...?"
"It's called a Lompo fruit. Don't you like it?"
"God, no... it's so bitter..."
Kalia wiped the juice off her chin with a grimace.
"Pfft..." Astra snickered.
"What?"
"You're not supposed to eat the rind. Everyone knows that!"
Astra doubled over laughing.
"You could've told me... Not from here... remember?"
"I'm sorry. I was gonna say something, but you were too quick. You need to open it up and eat the stuff around the seeds."
Astra held out a piece of the flesh to Kalia.
"Here."
Kalia leaned forward and took a bite from the piece in Astra's hand.
"Oh, this is great. It reminds me of lychee from back in my old world."
...She actually did it.
"I'm glad you like it. It's one of my favorites!"
"Are the girls up yet?"
Kalia stretched, grabbing a piece of bread.
"Yeah, they're in their room cleaning their weapons and organizing their supplies. I think they may be a little nervous and have been trying to distract themselves."
"I guess I'll let them be for a while. We still have some time before we need to get ready anyway."
"Hurry up!"
Harl yanked the chains, sending several of the slaves to the ground.
"Get off the floor and into your new homes! I don't have all day! Or would you prefer I get the whip again?!"
He sneered, throwing one of the girls into a cage by her hair.
"S-sorry."
She cowered, retreating to the far end of the cage.
"Who said you could speak? I think you need to be taught a lesson!"
Harl laughed as his whip uncoiled.
"N-no, p-please..." the girl cried.
"Shut up!"
Harl snapped the whip across the girl's chest and legs.
"...H-help me..."
Barely able to form words, the slave girl looked toward the others in the next cell with one hand outstretched and tried to crawl toward them.
"Don't, Ori..." one slave whispered, grabbing the woman's arm. "...we can't..."
"Ha! No one is coming to help you, filthy demi!"
Harl cackled, snapping his whip across the girl again.
"Let that be a lesson to all of you! Sit here in silence, and you might live long enough to meet your new masters!"
"N-no more. I'll be good... I swear..." the slave girl murmured.
As Harl raised his whip for another strike, another slave jumped in front of the crumpled girl.
"Enough. She'll behave."
"What's this? You dare try and order me around?"
Harl's face twisted with rage as he traded his whip for a dagger.
"This was your fault."
Harl whispered into the woman's ear as he pulled her off the floor and slit her throat.
"Jakar!" Harl called. "Come over here and help me get this trash outside to the pit!"
Harl kicked the girl's body out of his way as he cleaned the blood from his dagger.
"I just got these pants... and now they're stained."
"Boss is gonna be mad, you know..." Jakar muttered as he lifted the corpse.
"Ehh, what's one demi? We have plenty of them still alive to sell. Now they know to be quiet and follow orders."
Harl laughed as he tossed the body into a hole, where it landed on a pile of broken bones.
"Besides..."
He placed his dagger under Jakar's chin.
"...this demi tried to fight back and attacked us, right?"
"R-right, of course, Harl... We were just defending ourselves..."
Jakar stammered, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Glad we have an understanding, Jakar."
Harl laughed as he slammed the door to the slave cells shut.
"Ori..."
One of the captives wept.
"It's starting to get dark."
Kalia peered out the window.
"Astra, get dressed. We're leaving soon."
"Okies!" Astra shouted from the other room.
"I'll get the other girls ready."
"Thanks, Eron."
"Umm, Lia..."
Astra poked her head through the doorway.
"...I need your help..."
"Let me guess, the laces again?"
"No... it's... How do I look?"
Astra stepped through the door.
Not only was she wearing the dress, but Fio had done her hair and makeup.
"...."
Kalia was at a loss for words.
Astra had looked amazing in the dress alone, but this was like looking at an entirely different person.
"Well... say something..."
"N-no... it's..."
Kalia stammered, trying to find the right words.
"...you look..."
"What Master Lia is trying to say is that you look beautiful!" Milena chimed in, coming through the door.
"Y-yeah... that."
Kalia mumbled, grabbing her tail.
"Was I that obvious?"
"We heard your jaw hit the floor from the other room, Master Lia."
"Hehe..."
Kalia twisted her tail in her hands.
"I'm glad you like it."
Astra flashed her fanged smile.
"We're all ready to go, Master Lia!" Eron called from the other room.
"O-okay. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute!"
"Okay!"
"Astra..." Kalia whispered.
"What is it?"
Kalia took Astra's hands.
"Please be careful tonight... I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you..."
"I will. It's not like they could do anything anyway. Have you forgotten I'm super strong?!"
"I know that, but still..."
"I'll be fine."
Astra wrapped her arms around Kalia.
Kalia held her a little tighter.
"Promise?"
"I promise!"
"One more thing."
"Hmm?"
"I noticed you started calling me Lia recently."
"Do you not want me to?"
"No, no. I like it."
Kalia smiled.
"I finally got you to stop calling me Master."
"Hehe."
Astra gave Kalia one final squeeze before leaving the room.
Kalia ran one final check with the group.
"All right, just so we're clear. Once you secure the slaves, call me through the pin, and we'll bring the carriage around to collect them and make our way back here. Fio will need to summon Uuro and have it monitor Harl so we can get the location of their hideout. If anything goes wrong, call me immediately, and we'll be there to get you out. Is everyone ready?"
"Yes, Master Lia!" they all replied in unison.
"I don't believe I've seen you around here before."
The doorman eyed the trio suspiciously.
"Password?"
"Call the hounds, we have work to do," Astra replied.
"Excellent. Come on in, my lady. The selection is quite spectacular today."
The man ran his eyes up and down Eron and Fio.
"Who knows, you may even get an offer on those pretty little things behind you."
"Don't you dare lay a finger on my servants, worm."
Astra glared down her nose at him.
"Okay, okay. I didn't mean any offense, miss."
Astra snapped her fingers.
"Come on, girls."
"The auction will begin shortly. Do make yourself comfortable until then."
The man bowed as the girls passed him.
"Ahh, a new face! And a pretty one at that! It's not often we see a woman here. What is your name, my lady?"
A man greeted them as they entered the main hall.
"That is none of your concern. I don't consort with the lesser people of this world," Astra responded haughtily. "I'm only here to acquire new 'employees' for my brothel. I would like to inspect your stock before the auction begins."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. It would be unfair to the other guests."
Irritation crept into the man's voice.
"We do not offer special treatment to any of our guests."
"I guess it can't be helped. Eron, Fio. Find me a comfortable place to sit away from this riffraff."
The pair bowed deeply.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"That was Harl," Fio whispered to Astra as they took their seats. "I've already sent Uuro to watch him."
"Somehow, I knew that greasy pig was him..."
"Greasy pig... I feel like that's an insult to pigs everywhere..." Eron scoffed.
"Hehe, my apologies to the pigs, then," Astra chuckled.
"If I can have everyone's attention!"
Harl announced as the last few people settled into their seats.
"We will begin the evening as usual and have the merchandise lined up for inspection."
"These are people..." Eron gritted her teeth in anger.
"As you can see, we have an exceptional stock today."
"I won't forgive a single one of them," Fio said, taking mental notes of every person in the room.
"Easy, girls. Remember, we can deal with them after we rescue the captives."
Kalia's voice crackled over the Thought Bridge.
"Their day will come."
"I'm going to go look at the stock. Come, girls."
Astra snapped her fingers, signaling for the girls to follow her up to the auction block.
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Hmm, not bad. All of these look like fine... specimens."
Astra fought back the urge to gag at the sight of the slaves.
Bruised, filthy, and terrified.
"You there!"
She pointed to Harl.
"I wish to purchase the entire lot."
"That's not how this works, my lady. You must place your bids like the rest of the guests," Harl answered curtly.
These nobles think they can just do whatever they want...
"That won't do. I simply must have them. Girls, bring this man his payment for the merchandise. I wish to leave this filthy place as soon as possible."
"I said I won't allow that. You will make your bids when the time comes, or you will be forced to leave."
Harl seethed.
"Now take your seats!"
"Here you are, ma'am."
Eron and Fio dropped the massive chest at Harl's feet.
"I believe this should be more than any amount these..."
Astra looked around the room.
"...common folk could ever offer. Or is my gold no good here?"
"!!!"
Harl was left speechless by the massive sum set in front of him.
This is more than I could've hoped for from the auction. Boss would kill me if I let this go.
"Do we have a deal, or should I take my leave?"
Astra continued, feigning an attempt to walk out.
"N-no, wait... I-it's a deal..." Harl stammered, plunging his hands into the chest and pulling out a pile of coins.
"I'm sorry, folks, but tonight's auction has been canceled!"
Harl shouted to the room, followed by a cacophony of disagreement and jeers from the other patrons as the guards ushered them out in a hurry.
"What the hell?!"
"After I came all the way out here?"
"Leave it to nobles to ruin everything!"
"Excellent!"
Astra snapped her fingers again.
"Girls, show our new employees to the carriage while I finish up here."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"I have to know, what would someone as wealthy as you be doing out here in this backwater village? Surely there are better places to buy your things," Harl asked.
"I suppose I owe you that much. I run several brothels in Tomo. I happened to come across some people who mentioned your little operation here and thought I'd come take a look for myself. I have clients with all manner of tastes, and I'd be remiss if I didn't seek to fulfill them."
Astra smiled coldly.
"I'm always interested in new business partners if their merchandise is up to my standards, and I must say, you have exceeded my expectations!"
"Nice improvisation, Astra! And here you were worried about being able to play the part," Kalia whispered through the Bridge.
"How fortunate for us, then! I'm happy that we could meet."
Harl laughed, extending his hand.
"Indeed..."
Astra cast a disgusted glance at his outstretched hand but refused to take it.
"...I'm sure you'll see me again."
Very soon...
"You will always be welcome here, my lady."
"Mmm. I'll be taking my leave now."
Astra brushed past Harl without another glance and made her way toward the exit.
"Astra, we're outside. Master Lia is bringing the carriage now. Hurry."
Eron's voice hummed over the pin.
"Coming."
"That went smoother than I expected!"
Kalia sighed in relief.
"Greed always wins out for people like them."
"You should've seen that man's eyes when we set down the chest!"
Eron laughed as she imitated Harl.
"How are the girls?" Fio inquired.
"I don't think it's settled in for them yet. Most of them just stared blankly as I explained the situation."
"I guess I can't blame them. We were the same way when you rescued us back then," Eron admitted.
"Yeah. Once we get back to the inn, I'll explain things a little better. Fio, Sarah, can you sit with the refugees and try to explain things to them? I think you two would be the best people for the job."
"Mm-hm, no problem, Master Lia."
They nodded, jumping into the back of the carriage.
"Astra, we're all set. Let's get out of here."
"Okies!"
Astra snapped the reins.
"Hello there! My name's Fio, and this is Sarah. What's yours?"
Fio asked, taking a seat next to one of the girls.
"Keera..." she replied in a low voice. "Where are we going?"
"Master Lia is taking us back to an inn."
"So, our new owner is named Master Lia... Are you a slave like us?"
"No, Master Lia isn't that kind of master, Keera. You're free now."
"I don't believe you..."
Keera frowned.
"No one would pay that kind of money for slaves just to let them go."
"I mean it, Keera. Master Lia really has come to set you free."
"Really?"
"Yup! She's super nice! I promise we came to help," Sarah beamed.
"Don't listen to her, Keera. Just you wait. They'll show their true colors soon enough."
Another refugee chimed in, having overheard the conversation.
"And what's your name? I'm Fio."
"Jino... at your service, Master Fio..."
The child answered with a mocking bow.
"I'm not your master... We really did come to save you..."
"Bah, spare me your lies..." Jino spat.
"Jino! Show some respect!"
One of the adults ran over to intervene.
"I'm very sorry for his behavior, Master Fio. Please forgive him."
The woman knelt with her face to the floor.
"I'll take responsibility for his actions..."
"But..."
Fio stammered.
The entire group stared at her.
"...I'm not..."
"Umm, please get up."
Sarah reached to touch the woman's shoulder but stopped as the woman recoiled.
"I know it may be hard to believe, but Master Lia really did come to rescue all of you."
"But that woman said she was looking for new people for a brothel. She paid for us with such a large sum of money..." the woman responded quietly.
"Her name's Astra. She only pretended to be interested in buying you. She was acting so the slavers would let us take everyone."
"But... that chest?"
"Just a trick."
Sarah let out a small laugh.
"Why go through all this trouble, though? We aren't important..."
"Trouble? You needed help. So, we came to help."
Sarah answered matter-of-factly.
"What if they come after you?"
"Don't worry. My friends are really strong," Sarah boasted.
"You can't possibly take on that gang... They have a lot of really strong people from Orenna with them..."
"Orenna?"
Fio interrupted.
"What do you mean?"
"Yes. Several people from a big guild joined them the other night..."
"I should tell Master Lia."
Fio wrung her hands together.
Kalia opened the door to the carriage.
"Okay, everyone, we're here! Let's get you inside."
"Master Lia! This nice lady has something really important to tell you!"
Sarah announced, jumping out of the carriage while holding a woman's hand.
"Hmm?"
Kalia turned.
"I'm Kalia Waywrenn. Nice to meet you."
"Hello, Lady Kalia. I am Lora. First off, thank you..."
The woman bowed deeply.
"...for saving us."
"Ehh, don't mention it. I'm just trying to do what I can..."
Kalia replied, uncomfortable with the excessive show of gratitude.
"You're too modest. No normal person would've gone through all this trouble for a group of slaves."
"I guess... So what's this important thing Sarah mentioned?"
Kalia answered, changing the subject.
"I think you should know that the gang you saved us from has some seriously powerful people with them. They could come after you."
"What do you mean by seriously powerful?"
Kalia's mood suddenly shifted.
"Who are they?"
"A few people from a big guild out in Orenna are helping them. I don't know much except that their leader is a man named Graland..."
The woman shivered just mentioning his name.
"How many?"
"I saw at least four, not including Graland."
Astra rounded the side of the carriage.
"What's taking you so long, Master Lia? Everyone else is inside already..."
"Sorry, Astra. Lora here just shared some troubling news about that gang. Have you ever heard of a man named Graland?"
"Hmmm, I know of one from Night's Gale in Orenna. Why?"
"It seems that he and a few of his guild members are with that gang. Is he someone we should worry about?"
"He's helping them?! This is bad, Master Lia! Alone, we could easily handle him, but if his party is with him, we may be in trouble."
"Damn..."
Kalia cursed.
"Lora, you said there were four other people with him. Can you describe them?"
"I'll try. There was a giant of a man carrying a battle-axe and a two-handed sword on his back. I saw a woman dressed in priest robes with a staff, another woman wearing leather armor and daggers, and an old man in robes with several books held around his waist by a cord."
"That's his party... The berserker Hrogar Elstead. The priest Eliane Winthrop, her older sister Tiar the assassin, and the old man is Archmage Jor Tolland. They're easily one of the five most powerful teams in Orenna."
"Seriously..."
Kalia placed her head in her hands.
"...why couldn't they just be a gang of lowlifes?"
"Master Lia, this is really bad news. That party is extremely dangerous."
"It must be a Tuesday..." Kalia muttered. "Do you know anything else about them? Anything that could help us?"
"Well, Hrogar is probably the weakest since he only uses melee weapons, and aside from his berserker state, he has no other abilities. Eliane is a rather gifted healer from what I've heard, but lacks offensive magic and usually doesn't get involved directly in the fighting."
Astra continued.
"Tiar is dangerous. She's an exceptional fighter, and I've heard she has some kind of spatial magic that lets her move through shadows. Jor may be an old man, but do not let that fool you. He is by far one of the most powerful mages in Orenna. He has an affinity for fire, earth, and dark magic, meaning he has a wide range of offensive and defensive spells at his disposal."
She paused.
"Graland Eldane, however, is the real threat among them. He may appear to be an average knight, but his body has been endlessly modified with ability-enhancing magic. It's been said that steel snaps in his grip and even the mightiest warriors couldn't scratch him. Not only that, but his weapons and armor have all been enchanted as well."
"Is that all?"
Kalia sighed.
"This just became a major headache..."
"Well, thanks for letting us know, Lora."
"It's no trouble, really. It's the least I can do for you," Lora responded with another bow.
"Could you do me one more favor, though?"
"Sure. Anything for you, Lady Kalia."
"I need your help explaining the situation to everyone. I think they'll listen to you before trusting me. I've arranged travel for all of you to Tuugo. The king has offered to find you all places to live and work."
"The king?!"
Lora gasped.
"Setting us free was already the most we could've asked for, but this is too much. Are you sure?"
"Yes. He assured me that each of you will be taken care of. You can trust him. The guards will have carts ready for you in the morning. Until then, you're free to rest at this inn."
"Thank you, Lady Kalia... I don't know how I could ever repay you for your kindness."
Lora knelt in front of her.
"You are a truly wonderful person."
"Mm-hm..."
Kalia nodded, twisting her tail between her fingers.
"Please, Lora, there's no need to kneel. I just did what anyone should've done."
"I'll do my best to explain everything, Lady Kalia."
Lora left with a polite bow.
"Astra, gather the girls and meet in our room in a few minutes."
"Okie!"
Astra bounded off through the inn's doorway.
"Back already, Harl? How'd we make out?"
"We got a haul today, Boss!"
Harl announced, dropping the chest next to Hurgol's chair.
"Fantastic, Harl!"
Hurgol grabbed a handful of coins.
"I'd give you a promotion if you weren't already my number two!"
"Haha, thanks, Boss. Some rich woman from Tomo showed up and offered to buy the entire lot before the auction even started! She even said she'd come again!"
"Now that is truly good news! If she keeps paying us like this, we'll be out of this filthy demi nation in no time!"
"Not that it's any of my business..."
Graland interjected, eyeing the chest.
"...but don't you find it odd that a strange woman showed up and bought every single slave without even trying to haggle?"
"Bah, it was probably a show of good faith. I mean, even I will overpay to guarantee I have preferential treatment in business deals. You know how those merchant guilds from Tomo operate. All business."
Hurgol roared with laughter.
"Besides, if that isn't the case, then we just found ourselves an idiot we can milk dry of her fortune!"
"Exactly!"
"If you say so..."
Graland mumbled to himself, rolling his eyes.
He'd been around long enough to know something was off, but he was hired as muscle and felt no obligation to offer them any advice.
This is too convenient.
"This calls for a party! Jara, Kinno, bring up the casks of the good stuff! Harl has earned all of you a special treat tonight!"
Hurgol shouted, raising his stein in the air to the cheers of the other members.
"You're too kind," Harl said, beaming with pride. "I only aim to please!"
"I know you've had your eye on those two women at the market in Shella. I think a proper reward is in order."
Hurgol sneered, patting Harl on the shoulder.
"You honor me, Boss."
Harl laughed with a slight bow.
"But tonight..."
Hurgol poured him a drink.
"...we drink!"
"Hear, hear!"
Harl replied, downing the entire thing in one gulp.
"Man, that really is the good stuff!" another man slurred, raising his mug.
"You said it!"
"So, now you know what we're up against. Do any of you have any thoughts?"
"I don't think we should try to fight them, Master Lia. There's no way we could take on monsters like those people."
"I agree with Lucy. Almost everyone in this world has heard of Night's Gale. We're completely outmatched."
Milena nodded in agreement.
"I'm not afraid of them, Master Lia! I don't care who they are. Those people can't be allowed to continue with their evil."
Eron snorted, putting on a brave face.
"I'm with Eron. Their crimes must not go unpunished. For Kito and Kita's sake..."
Fio slammed her fist against the table.
"They have to be dealt with!"
"I don't really wanna fight, but I think those terrible men should be taught a lesson..." Sarah chimed in.
Kalia turned to Astra.
"What about you? Do you think we should abandon the mission and report back to King Modo?"
"It may be tough, but I think we could take them if we can separate them. They're indeed strong, but most of their combat prowess comes from their impeccable teamwork. I've seen them train once or twice while visiting Orenna, and they're completely in sync with one another. They move as though they share the same mind."
"So, divide and conquer..."
"We do have two advantages. We have an extra member, and Eliane isn't much of a fighter. If we can't separate them..."
Astra trailed off, unwilling to finish the sentence.
"We may die..." Kalia said, doing it for her.
She wanted the others to understand exactly what was at stake if they chose to fight.
"What do you want to do, Master Lia?" Astra asked.
The rest of the group turned toward her, waiting for an answer.
"I would love to bring them down, but... not if the price was losing any of you."
"That didn't answer my question, Master Lia. You need to decide. If you say fight, we fight. You're our leader, and it's up to you."
"Uhhh..."
Kalia fumbled with her tail.
She wasn't used to making such important decisions.
How can I decide to send these girls into such danger...?
"Sorry to interrupt, Master Lia, but Uuro has just returned. He found their hideout."
"This one has information for you," Uuro buzzed.
"What is it?"
Kalia asked, snapping back to reality.
"This one has found a secret entrance that remains unguarded this evening, as they are drinking themselves into a stupor. This one has also noticed five people of great power among their numbers, but the rest appear to be no more than common thieves."
"That must be Graland's party. Is there anything about the building's layout that we could use to separate those people you mentioned?"
"Perhaps. The main hall is at the center of the base, with six long corridors radiating out from it. This one is no strategist, but if you could lure them to the ends of those corridors, you could easily cut them off from one another, as there are no connecting tunnels between them, as far as this one could determine."
"Hmm... Thank you, Uuro. That was more than I could've hoped for."
"This one is happy to be of service."
"Thanks for the help, Uuro!"
Fio smiled at the small creatures as they disappeared into the Spirit Realm.
"I think I have an idea of how to get them apart. If we can get into those corridors and cause some kind of commotion, they'll have to come investigate. The trick is that we need to hit them at the same time, forcing them to split up."
"I don't know if that'll work, though. That would mean some of us would have to fight alone. Milena, Sarah with Imay, and I would probably be fine, but Eron and Lucy's abilities aren't suited for one-on-one combat. If they get stuck with a bad matchup, there's nothing we could do to help them in time," Fio added.
"Ah, true..." Kalia sighed.
Lucy raised a hand.
"What if we split them into two groups instead of individually? That way, we still have a slight advantage."
"That may work. I would venture to guess that Graland and Jor would make up one team, and the remaining three would make up the second. It would make the most sense from their perspective to balance out their weaknesses."
Astra patted the girl on the head.
"Great idea, Lucy!"
"It's nothing special. I just thought it would be better if we fought together..." Lucy replied bashfully.
Kalia looked down at the girl.
"Does that mean you want to fight them, Lucy?"
"Yes, Master Lia. I'm afraid of them, but knowing we won't be alone makes me feel a little bit better."
"Excellent. Milena, do you still want to stay out of it?"
"N-no, I'll fight too. I can't sit back here like a coward and hide while you guys are out fighting..." Milena answered shakily.
"I know you're scared, Milena. We'll be right there with you," Fio soothed, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"O-okay. I'll fight too."
"Thank you, girls. I know I'm asking a lot of you both, but I'll make sure everyone comes home."
"Now for the teams."
"I'm going with Master Lia!"
Astra shouted, waving her arms in the air.
"Sorry, Astra, but we're going to have to be in charge of each team."
"But..."
Astra pouted.
"No buts... You know we have to watch over the girls. We have a responsibility to keep them safe."
"I know..."
Astra sighed.
I don't wanna miss out on a new Armory item...
"That being said, Astra, you'll lead Milena, Eron, and Lucy. I'll go with Fio. Sarah, I need you to stay here and help the people we rescued. Can you do that for us?"
"I can do that, Master Lia!" Sarah beamed cheerfully.
"So, how are we going to get their attention?"
"Hehe, I have an idea!"
Kalia donned a sinister grin.
"No, no, no..."
Astra frowned.
"...I know that look."
"What better way to announce our arrival than an explosion!"
Kalia laughed.
"An explosion?! Won't we get caught up in that too?"
"Nope. I've got just the thing for that."
Kalia manifested several spherical objects with lights glowing softly around their bases.
"What will these tiny things do?"
Astra questioned, holding one of them up to inspect it.
"These look like children's toys, Master Lia..."
As she turned the object over in her hands, it began to emit a ringing sound.
"..."
"What's that noise, Master Lia?"
"Ahh, be careful with those!"
Kalia shouted, grabbing it out of Astra's hand and twisting the top half of the object to shut it down.
She had unknowingly activated the explosive.
"That was rude... I was only looking at it."
"You could..."
Kalia sighed, placing the sphere gently back on the table.
"...have killed us."
"Wha? I didn't do anything."
"See the lights on the side here?"
Kalia pointed to the device.
"These are called Breaching Units. They're designed to blow open doors and walls. Press these three buttons, and they'll begin ringing. When the ringing stops... they explode."
"I'm sorry, Master Lia..."
Astra cast her gaze toward the ground.
"I didn't mean to."
"I know you didn't. You should know by now that things from my Armory can be dangerous."
Kalia patted Astra's head.
"Just be more careful next time, okay, my curious little researcher?"
Astra's cheeks flushed faintly at Kalia's touch.
"Okay..."
"I'm going to give each team one of these. Press the three buttons here to start the timer. We need to set them off a few moments apart so the enemy hears two explosions from different parts of the hideout. That should force them to split into two groups to investigate instead of assuming it was an accident."
"Yes, Master Lia!"
"All right, let's get going. According to Uuro, the secret entrance isn't too far from here, which works out since the carriage would be far too noticeable."
"Kalia?"
Lora poked her head through the doorway.
"Mmm, did you need something, Lora?"
"I overheard you planning your attack on those people. I just wanted to say good luck and... forgive my selfish request. If you find a man named Harl..."
Lora stopped and stared at the ground.
"...my sister, Ori..."
"You don't have to say it, Lora. I have something very special planned for that one."
Kalia's tone was grave.
The memory of letting Harl walk away that night still burned in the back of her mind.
She refused to make that mistake twice.
"Good... Be safe, Lady Kalia."
"I will. Thank you."
Kalia waved as she closed the door behind her.