Raphtalia stared out the window without blinking. Awe filled her. She tapped the transparent surface that felt oddly like wood, but was as clear as glass, and jerked backwards with her hand reaching for her sword when a massive fish swam past the prison.
The illusionist had known that Malty was absurd, but a prison nearly a thousand meters below the surface that could only be accessed by teleportation was not something she'd ever manage to imagine.
"How?" she muttered to herself.
Malty answered regardless, "Enchantments that manipulate the pressure mostly," said the Princess with her Cane that had a shark motif, "Add some oxygen extraction and a couple of lights with some plants to anchor us to the sea bed and a nearly inescapable prison becomes easy. Follow me, let's meet our guest."
Raphtalia shook her head and followed. Easy wasn't the word she'd use for this. She had learned enough magic to know that the Pressure manipulating enchantment was a complex spell. The idea was probably simple, but the execution was probably hellishly difficult. Thought Malty's Cane probably made it much easier.
Still, she couldn't deny that this prison was incredibly useful. No one would expect it and the prisoners could never even try to escape unless their defence stat was enough for them to survive the pressure. No one below level 50 or 60 could even try and even if they were at that level they would have to break through Malty other defences.
A smile lit up her face as they passed a bound man she recognized. He was embedded into the wall like all the others, only his face visible, with vines and crystalline stone draining him of blood and mana.
It was cruel, but it was better than the Church scum deserved. There was no pain, no discomfort and no awareness of their fate. They would only awaken if Malty had a use for them and rot down here otherwise. No casual torture for the fun of it or brutal labour.
They reached the Shadow that Malty's mother had sent near the end of the Prison. Raphtalia shuddered as she glanced at the thin walls that shielded them from the water. She trusted Malty's magic and her skill. It didn't change the fact that she respected the Ocean too much to dismiss it. Even Sadeena, whose Therianthrope form let her swim with ease, didn't underestimate the sea.
"Ready?" asked Malty as the walls shifted and freed the Shadow. Thin vines pulled out of the surprisingly young woman's wrists and neck, it made Raphtalia shiver as thin crystal tipped vines pulled out of her belly and back. The woman collapsed once the bindings were removed. Raphtalia darted forward to catch her before the naked girl slammed onto the floor, but Malty shaped the air to carry the Shadow.
The Princess showed no sympathy to the girl, who wasn't more than 15, she simply levitated the Shadow to the largest room in the prison and bound her hands behind her back before drawing a small wooden chair out of her Cane and placing her on the floor. The Shadow didn't stir despite Malty's rough treatment.
Raphtalia had not expected this. When Malty had asked Raphtalia to help her interrogate one of her mother's Shadows using some illusion magic the Demi-human had been proud to be able to help. When she had imagined a shadow her mind had conjured an image of a tough-looking man wearing black clothing like the stories of ninjas.
A thin girl younger than she was who looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks wasn't within her expectations.
Malty didn't miss her hesitation. "What is it, Raphtalia?" she asked while casting a wind barrier to keep their words from reaching their prisoner.
"Nothing," she said with a shake of her head, "What do I have to do?"
Malty smiled at her, "Some advice," she said, "Whenever you have something to hide don't say Nothing. It's very suspicious."
Raphtalia looked away, but Malty took a step forward and gently placed a hand on Raphtalia's cheek. The Princess forced the demi-human to meet her eyes. "You are nervous," she said, "Why?"
The illusionist only glanced at the unconscious girl.
It was enough.
"You feel bad for her," said Malty, her smile a little sad, "That's good." The words left Raphtalia staring blankly at her. The Princess laughed at her confused expression.
"Your sympathy for her is perfectly understandable," she said, her tone soothing, "This girl is, for the most part, nothing more than one of my mother's pawn. I have no doubt that she has been carefully cultivated by my mother to be her loyal slave. The only reason she is going to be interrogated and perhaps, imprisoned forever, is because of her ill luck. She met my mother and proved to be useful."
Raphtalia's anger rose. "You can choose to treat her properly," she said.
The Princess didn't back away from the accusation, "I could," agreed Malty, "but the cost is not something I can accept."
The demi-human had expected some sort of defensive justification. "Cost?"
"She has information about Mirellia," said Malty turning towards the Shadow, "If I fail to get it then it extends the conflict, gives her more chances to remove me from power and risks all of our lives. If we die, then everything we have worked for, every slave we have freed will suffer. Remember, my rule is unstable, incredibly so. It has to be because my only other choice is to let the status quo resume, but it has a cost."
Raphtalia winced. She wasn't blind. Even Malty's loyal allies looked at her and Priam and the others with disdain. Even Azure was treated like she was sub-human! It was ridiculous and thanks to her skill and Malty's support it had meant nothing, but Raphtalia didn't dare to assume that it would be okay if the previous Queen or another noble took the throne. The Queen and King had been in power for decades. Malty had ruled for a little more than two weeks. If they really wanted to help people than they would have.
The demi-humans eyes flickered to the poor girl who was serving a cruel master. A surge of pity rose.
Determination crushed it as images of Rifana and Mama and Papa flooded her mind.
There was no choice.
"What do we have to do?" she asked.
Malty gripped her shoulders tightly for a second before giving her a smile, "I have a rather...special type of magic," said the Princess, "It allows me to affect people in some odd ways. I've tried to combine it with my illusions, but it's almost impossible for me to do it by myself even with the Cane."
Raphtalia frowned. She nodded slowly, "So I cast the illusion..."
"And I will combine it with my magic and direct it," said Malty, "Of course, this will only be after I've asked her politely, but it's highly unlikely that she will tell me the truth despite the seal."
Raphtalia's mind froze as she turned to the Shadow. She couldn't see a seal, but now that she reached out using her mana senses, she could feel the powerful touch of Malty's magic and how it had twisted around the Shadow in a familiar pattern.
Betrayal stung.
For a moment she couldn't help it. Raphtalia stared at Malty with accusation written all over her expression.
Moments later she looked away and shook her head. The logic was sound. The slave seal would force her to be honest or stay silent. It was also probably set up to make sure that she didn't escape in case she somehow managed to wake up and had some tricks up her sleeve to get to the coast.
"Raphtalia?" said Malty.
"Let's start," she said firmly. The Princess studied her for a long moment before nodding.
The Shadow woke up seemingly without Malty doing anything, but Malty's lack of surprise was as good as her boasting about her magic. Something had been done, whether it was thanks to her Cane or otherwise, that woke the Shadow up completely.
The woman struggled with her bonds for only a moment, before she caught sight of the Princess and Raphtalia, "Princess Malty," she said with a raspy voice.
"Anya," said Malty with a cheerful tone, "Please tell me what your message was."
The Shadow gathered herself slowly, but her words were clear, "Her Majesty said that Siltvelt was sending an invasion force to take the Shield Hero back. The Claw Hero will be with them and they will arrive by the end of the week." she shook her head after she spoke, "Princess, how long was I unconscious-"
"One day," said Malty and the Shadow, Anya, slumped with relief, "Your Highness, I beg you to stop this invasion."
Raphtalia's mind was blazing. An invasion? While the Waves were ravaging the world?
Those people must be mad.
Malty chuckled. "If your words are true then I will," said the Princess. Both Raphtalia and the Shadow turned to her, "but surely you cannot expect me to be pleased with such limited information. Tell me more about this invasion."
Anya shook her head, "This is all Her Majesty knew," she said before coughing, "I swear that nothing else is known about the invasion."
The seal didn't light up. Malty sighed. "Very well," she said, "Where is my mother? What are her plans regarding this invasion?"
"I don't know," admitted the Shadow, "Her Majesty didn't communicate with me directly."
"Do you know anything about her allies?" asked Malty.
"No, Your Highness."
"What about your fellow Shadows in Melromarc or any other country?"
"I have no recent information, but they are spread out everywhere. I know of only two long term agents in central Melromarc and both of them have been removed."
Malty asked another half dozen questions. None of them had satisfactory answers. None of them triggered the seal.
After the Princess was done she only stared at the Shadow with exasperation. "I should not have underestimated Mirellia," she said, "You were her most expendable and inexperienced Shadow, Anya. There is so little you can tell me and I assume that you were ordered to be completely honest, correct?"
"Yes, Your Highness," she admitted looking pained at admitting to her lack of experience. The girl had flinched when Malty had said 'expendable'. Raphtalia's rage multiplied when she realized that Malty's mother had expected this girl to die.
Still, Raphtalia's hope spiked when Malty suffocated the Shadow.
There was no need to torment the girl.
Malty looked furious as the plants wrapped around Anya and pulled her into the ground. The fury vanished as Anya was dragged back to her old position.
"Damn that woman," she muttered before turning to Raphtalia with an annoyed frown, "Raphtalia, I'm going to teleport you back to Melromarc. Get Cromwell, Motoyasu, Itsuki and your squads ready. I'll leave for the border and reinforce it and send out some scouts. Make sure to tell them all we know and follow Cromwell's lead for this. He'll know what supplies you should take. Don't deploy until I send word."
"Malty," she said interrupting the pacing woman, "Please calm down."
The Princess glared at her for a moment. Raphtalia looked back evenly. The Princess held her gaze for a long minute before taking a deep breath, closing her eyes and sighing.
"Thanks," she said, but there was no smile. "but my orders stand. Be cautious. This might be a plan to drag me away from the capital. I've already triggered the defences around the city and in the castle. Make sure to be careful. I'll be back with you within the hour."
Raphtalia nodded seriously. "Understood," she said, before pausing, her mind turned to Cromwell's disdain whenever she spoke to him, "I'll need some proof to show Lord Cromwell,"
Malty nodded slowly, "Very well," she said pulling a paper and some ink out of her Cane and telekinetically manipulating the water in the ink to write a message. She used it to write a message, dry the ink and wrap the paper before infusing it with so much mana that it staggered Raphtalia.
The Princess floated the paper over to her. When Raphtalia held it she learned that it felt like it was made out of steel. An inquiring look won an answer, "It's nearly indestructible. Cromwell will recognize it, I showed it to him a couple of days ago."
Raphtalia nodded and Malty held her Cane and pointed it at the demi-human, "Good luck," she said and Raphtalia found her world wavering before she could muster up an answer. Or ask what would happen to Anya.
She moved it out of her mind. Malty would not be needlessly cruel.
She emerged inside the Castle's teleportation room. It was a large stone room with nothing in it. Well, nothing obvious anyway. Her mana sense told her a very different story. The four Guards, each at level 80 and enhanced by the Heroes, nodded at her politely but didn't open the door that led to the rest of the castle. It only worked for select personnel. For Raphtalia is was an ordinary door that opened with a touch. Featherlight and easy to open.
For anyone, without permission, it would cripple them brutally with a massive lightning bolt.
Raphtalia strode down the hallways with purpose. Not running, that would only alarm the guards, but quick nonetheless.
It was good to be back home.
