The Princess walked into the room. Her Cane in a grand, golden draconic form with the gemstone prominently located on the head of the dragon. Her dress was ornate and more than a little beautiful and the enchanted gemstones shone like beacons.

It was horribly uncomfortable. Only magic made it decent enough to wear and its defence rating was high thanks to all the gemstones acting as foci and the rare thread made out of monster plant material but the main purpose was simple.

Intimidation and credibility.

She needed to look like a high-level quest giver for the Bow Hero to take her seriously and like true Royalty for his party to do so.

The way the Bow Hero's party stood up and bowed the moment she entered into the cosy little meeting room they had been led into suggested that it worked. The way the Bow Hero clumsily copied them and stared at her with wide eyes confirmed it.

"Sir Itsuki," she said after sitting down and waving at them to be seated, her tone calm but friendly, "I'm glad to see that you and your party are safe."

None of them spoke. Etiquette dictated that the Bow Hero speak first but he seemed a little stunned. After a couple of seconds the boy gathered himself, "Thank you," he said, more a question than a statement.

"My father was assassinated," she said "by the supporters of the Shield Hero. They will likely seek to remove all who chose to stand up to him and hold him accountable."

"...so why did you call me here?" asked Itsuki after a moment's pause.

Malty suppressed a sigh. Killed her anger at his utter disregard for the fact that Aultcray was dead and ignored the uncomfortable expressions on the faces of his party, "I have a quest for you should you be of sufficient skill." said Jessica.

The indignation and determination that flared in the wake of her sentence almost made her smile.

"I'm the Bow Hero," he said, raising his weapon as if that meant anything.

"Indeed, I apologize for doubting you," she said, "but this mission is very delicate. I would understand if you seek to take something easier until your level is high enough."

"I'm ready," he said firmly.

"Then, please allow me to ask you to correct a great injustice that my parents, the King and Queen have allowed to fester in my country," she said and watched him lean forward and attempt to hide his interest. "Are you aware of Demi-humans?"

Itsuki nodded, "Yes," he said, "they're a minority here in Melromarc."

"That is a very kind way to put it," she said, tapping her fingers on her cane, "It also hides the horrible condition that most of them live in. Let me remove the veil; most demi-humans in Melromarc are either slaves or suffer in extreme poverty. This crime is something that a vast majority of nobles, the church and even my parents supported."

Itsuki's interest hit a peak. "I see," he said, as if contemplating the situation, "You want me to free them and punish the criminals."

Malty almost burst out laughing at the horror on Mald's face. The man from the most powerful slave-trading family in Melromarc looked at both his Hero and herself with shock. The other party members maintained their composure somewhat.

"Correct," she said, "I'm afraid to say that my knights are not truly Just. In time, I will have them removed and a better army built in their place but decades of corruption will not wait for me. I will not have my people suffer simply because they are different...but my ideals mean nothing without the power to enforce them. Too many fear to act simply because it will draw the ire of the Church and the nobility. Only a Hero can change this horrible situation."

"Princess!" said Mald standing up without permission, "Please-"

"Silence," she said harshly, glad he had taken the bait, it made the scouting worthwhile, "Sir Mald of House Tenik. Do not think I have missed the fact that your house has enslaved thousands over their long history. Do not think I do not know that even now you have slaves in your home."

Itsuki, who had frowned when she had first addressed his party member, whirled around and stared at Mald once she had finished. He said nothing but the question was obvious.

Mald was smart. He turned to the only person in the room who could save his family and himself from an execution...or worse, "Sir Itsuki," he said, "I assure you that the Princess is mistaken-"

Malty laughed. It was a soft, bitter sound, carefully amplified by her wind magic to fill the room. "Then, shall we go to your mansion?" she asked and turned to the Bow Hero, "I have a teleportation beacon set for the town his family rules. It isn't far from here. It will not take long for us to verify my words."

Mald frozen. Itsuki, to his credit, noticed and frowned at the man. His facade of being a Hero of Justice compelled him to check on her claims.

"Let's go," he said. Jessica kept a frown away at his rude demand but reminded herself that she was just a quest NPC to him.

"Please join my party," she said, sending him an invite. Mald, realizing he was cornered, drew his sword.

Malty smiled. It had been worth it to allow them to have their weapons. She prepared herself for an attack. Her barriers were ready and her attacks were but a moment away. Her stats far surpassed the others.

She waited and watched as he pulled out his blade. Itsuki's other party members didn't react in time. She almost blasted him.

Then, the nobleman swung at the Hero he was meant to serve and Malty had to stop herself from grinning.

This was perfect. She hadn't dared to assume that it would go so right.

Itsuki tried to dodge. His bow raised to clumsily block the brutal swing.

Malty let it hit, just barely, before a wind blast sent the armoured man flying into a wall. The armour was crushed instantly.

Mald died before he hit the ground.

Itsuki stared at his former party member with shock while the party healer fussed over the flesh wound the Hero had received.

Malty sighed loudly, "It seems he wasn't willing to face your judgement," she said, walking over to Mald's crushed form and closing his eyes.

Itsuki said nothing, just stared.

"Bow Hero," she said gently, "You have seen his cruel actions. The mere thought of facing your justice had him try to kill you. Your strength was such that you lived. Can you imagine how much the slaves his family has suffer every day?"

The boy said nothing for a long moment before standing up. He nodded. Not to her but himself.

"Let's go," he said, voice shaking, muttering about Dimension Wave.

Malty obeyed.

The world around them wavered but Malty only transported the Hero and herself. No need for his party to be present and add a factor out of her control. Mald had been a wonderful tool. His reactions had been better than expected. Had she been the actual Malty it would have worked perfectly.

He had assessed accurately, without letting the whole Hero thing get to his head, that Itsuki was weak.

Too bad he had not realized how powerful she was. He could have been an interesting asset.

It was time to start breaking this Hero.

Malty paused before stepping near the gates of the marble mansion, "Bow Hero," she said, "I shall take the lead. Please allow me to prove my words before acting."

Itsuki, still shaken by the attack by Mald, nodded and attempted to look regal and unshaken.

She smiled at him, watched him blush, reminded herself again that Malty was pretty in a way that she had never been as Jessica and changed the form of her Cane into one that was suited for Metal Shaping.

A thought and a flick of her Cane tore the gates of their hinges. Another instant and the poor guards who ran to her were restrained by their armour. The pitiful enchantments and low level providing no resistance.

Itsuki stared at the way she had crippled the guards with surprise.

The Princess walked ahead without addressing him or his shock. It took only a minute for the guards to realize that fighting her was suicide.

Lord Tenik, his brother and his two cousins ran to meet her outside their mansion. Unlike the commoners who had been holding the first level of defence, they recognized her and the Bow Hero who was hesitantly walking behind her.

"Lord Tenik," she said sweetly while extending her senses and marking where the people were inside the mansion and the enchantments which could get in her way, "I have several concerns."

It was nicer in the day when she didn't have to worry about being spotted. When she'd arrived her last time to scout and set her teleportation beacon, her focus had been on confirming his slaves.

"Your Highness," he said, confusion writ on his face, but wise enough to kneel after a glance at his guards who had been casually crushed. His family followed his lead, "we are ready to serve."

Malty said nothing and walked past him. Itsuki stared at the kneeling men and women for a moment before asking, "Do you have slaves?" His voice was tired.

Tenik looked puzzled, before fear struck him, "Sir Hero, Princess," he said with admirable calm. "Rest assured our donations to the Church have been cleared. The Pope himself verified it-"

Malty laughed and Tenik silenced himself quickly. There was no joy in her laughter. It was a hollow, furious sound. Mockery of amusement.

"Where are they?" she asked, cutting to the heart of the matter, "Where are your demi-human slaves?"

He hesitated. Itsuki's angry expression and Malty's cold smile quickly tore through whatever resistance he had. Lord Tenik went down on both knees. His family looked shocked at the display of false humility and fear.

"Forgive me," he said, voice clear despite being muffled slightly by the marble floor, "I did not mean to offend in any way."

Itsuki grit his teeth and pulled at where the string on his bow should have been. There was no arrow, he had no quiver.

The SP and Mana infused arrow manifested anyway.

Tenik's family looked worried and Tenik himself was barely maintaining any semblance of calm.

Malty wanted to laugh. Tenik was at least level 50. Surely, he would survive the arrow from an underleveled Hero like Itsuki, yet the simple fact that he was a Hero blinded Tenik from reality.

Preconceptions truly were terribly amusing.

"In the fields," said Tenik, "They're in the fields and some are in the barns."

Itsuki nodded and dispelled his arrow and started to move.

Malty sighed. "Where else?" she asked, a blazing fire surrounding his entire family, which got hotter every passing second.

The marble was already melting by the time she finished her question. The Bow Hero paused and Tanik spoke after wiping the sweat off his brow with his expensive doublet. "I-I have some in the basement," he admitted.

"Thank you for telling us this," she said and stepped towards the kneeling man. She placed a hand on his cheek gently, heating her fingertip and pressing it into his flesh, branding him, "But If you're lying to me..."

"Princess," said Itsuki, uncomfortable.

She turned and smiled at him before looking at the Lord Tank who had come to challenge her and the Bow Hero, "Lead us to the basement," she said, "The rest of you...Air Zero."

Itsuki reached out to grab the first who collapsed after she robbed them of the air they needed to stay conscious. Naturally, he failed. Too slow and too far away.

The crashed onto the hard ground.

He looked frustrated and angry, but Malty didn't react. She didn't want to seem perfect. No, she would be a cold, but just woman for Itsuki.

The Malty he would know had no mercy for those who committed crimes.

Malty dragged the Lord by his hair before flinging him forward, "Lead the way," she said, "and pray to your God that you treated them well."

Tanik stumbled, looked back at her and Itsuki, and hesitated.

A flame floating above them, illumination and a threat, was enough to get him to move. Tanik knew what a blue coloured flame summoned without any incantation meant.

"Princess," said Itsuki, shooting a glance at the collapsed nobles.

"You will see for yourself why I cannot find it in myself to be kind to them," she said sadly, her voice a whisper only he could hear, "I didn't know for certain that he had a basement where he stored them, the reports I received suggested labourers, but this will not be pretty."

He looked a little angry.

That anger was multiplied when they reached the cages that the Demi-humans were kept in, but their target was changed. Tanik cowered. Itsuki's Bow seemed to glow in tune with his fury.

"Why?" said the child, tone cracking as he saw the naked women cowering in their cages. Cages so small that they couldn't even stand properly. It was surprisingly hygienic though. The Slave Trader had been cruel by negligence.

This man wielded it as a tool for control.

Tanik had no answer. He tried to run. Itsuki fired off a bolt and hit despite the swift movement of his target. His ESP power was no joke. Especially not in the hands of a boy who could one day wield enough power to tear through mountains.

Still, he was weak right now.

It did next to nothing.

Her wind blow was far more successful. He hit the wall and sank. A couple of his ribs had been broken and his breath was short.

"My Lord," he said, "Please...I beg you,"

Malty placed a hand on Itsuki's shoulder when he pulled back the string for another shot. She suspected this one would be fatal.

"Sir Hero," she said, "I need him to unravel the entire slave-trading network. Buyers and sellers both play a role and one nobleman killed is not enough to truly save all the victims."

Itsuki glared at her for a long moment.

She wondered if he'd dare turn his weapon on her, but abruptly, he calmed down. "We need to free them and then get the others in the fields. I'll do that. You take him in and free them"

She smiled and nodded, even as his order tempted her to crush him underfoot, this fool seemed to be ignoring the fact that she was stronger than him.

Only the Bow in his hand stopped her from showing him why he had been unwise.

That and pity.

He ran out.

Jessica smiled as satisfaction surged through her. This wasn't her victory. Not yet, he still didn't see her as someone to be obeyed without question.

But it was an excellent first step.

A chance to help people who would likely be loyal to her, crush an annoyance and secure the loyalty of a magical superweapon tied to an immature idiot.

There was joy in her words as she began to chant, the cages were torn apart, and the wounds on the women began to heal.

This had been a wonderful day.