Claire didn't know how many days it has been since she was taken to this dark and crammy cell. Though if she have to guess, it might be a week now.

At first she was alone, then learning that the leader of the kidnappers is one of the known nobles locally who is also a participant of the Bushin Festival makes her feel somewhat disillusioned about the world.

She is actually feeling weak a few months ago, and her symptoms has become much worse this last week. If not for the abduction, she knows she will sooner be thrown and erase from the family due to her disease.

The Demon Possession. She can see it slowly terrorizing her body. Making her feel weak. It is also making it hard to use her magic lately.

The people around here seems to be interested with her disease. Though she don't know why it is. Maybe they are waiting for her to turn into a Possessed so they can sell her for a high price on the church?

Regardless, she wants to act nobly for the last time. At least she wanted to die without showing any signs of weakness against her captors.

Then they captured another girl, this time is a surprising one. It is the sickly daughter of their neighboring lord.

She thought that the rumors about the Frelldyll Family having a child was just false because she didn't show on any of the social gatherings for the local lords around here. It's been many years. Children usually debuts on the noble society when they hit six years old.

Though now looking at the weak small girl besides her, she can't help but feel her heart clench at the sight. She looks so weak. She is like a feather that is close to wilting to ashes.

She inherited the appearance of her mother, and those gentle eyes of her father. Even the beautiful shade of purple hair was inherited, so it can't be denied that she is the daughter of those two people.

Though, it also confirms some of the rumors about the sickly girl and why she is not being shown to the public. Unlike the vibrant eyes of her family, hers looks so lifeless as if nothing matters to her anymore. Her entire aura is nonexistent, and she seems to exude an atmosphere that essentially rejects any notion of socializing.

'She looks so frail' is what she is thinking.

She heard from rumors that the girl have some talent, but is being held back by her sickly nature. She can't amass enough strength to destroy stones, unlike the average dark knights who can do it. She doesn't even fix her appearance, like it doesn't matter to her anymore.

It depicts a grim picture, and it makes her sad to see that gloomy atmosphere surrounding this frail girl besides her.

'I'll make sure I save her!' That's why she swore to herself.

She didn't want the girl to live her life always being in despair of her own powerlessness. She didn't want the girl to live a fate being played by their captors.

As a proud noble hailing from the family who produces great Dark Knights for some generations, she swears that she will make sure Arisa Frelldyll gets back to her family in one piece.

Maybe, because of that resolve within her, her Demon Possession is subsiding.

She didn't know why but awhile ago, she felt the deepest parts of herself becoming warmer. The pinpricks tearing down on her resistance is slowly vanishing, until they were entirely nonexistent. Looking at her periphery, she can see her limbs has become fairly smooth without any of those black blemishes.

She might not know, but she thinks she can control her magic much better now.

Regardless of the reasons, she is grateful for that. She thinks this might even be a sign from the heavens. They are guiding her to do a heroic act right now.

"Just a bit more, and we will get out of here!"

Arisa only responded to her whispers with a weak nod. Her eyes still looking downcast and her face in that perpetual gloom.

Haha, this place is truly amazing. It's a great test of my endurance and focus!

They barely give us palatable meals, and we were given limited amounts of drinking water. They even shoved those meals to us roughly.

Of course, acting like a female mob, I always cry and call for my mother. I really feel satisfied. I'm sure even my audiences here we're immersed by my own acting.

At the same time, I have been training my magic control under this suppression, and it is a great success. I finally know how to flow magic into tiny linear particles. Though I'm sure I can make it more smaller. So I wanted to do this for a few months, or maybe even for a few years.

I have decided. I will take these magic suppressing cuffs when I decided to leave this place!

At the same time, I have been healing this person everytime no one is looking. It's also a great training for my stealth so that's a plus.

It's hard at first because I tried healing her while both of us still have these magical shackles. Though it's also training so whatever.

Well, she is basically cured now so I will consider my debts paid. Now I can just waltz on their territory and take all my money(bandit loots) in there!

Please have more criminals on your territory. That will greatly help me.

[Ladies and Gentlemen, our "Hero"]

While I was being immersed with my thoughts while continuing all of my training, I felt the familiar magical presences of my minions.

... Oh... they found me huh...

Well, it is good while it lasted. Maybe it's time leave this place anyway.

Just as I was thinking that, I heard the commotion just outside our cell.

"Sir Grease! We were under attack!"

"What!? Who is it!?"

"We don't know. It is a mysterious group of people wearing black!"

"Tsk. Have someone to escort these girls out! We can't afford to let these invaders take them!"

"Yes sir!"

For a bandit, they act professionally huh... though I think I should have expected that to a bandit group this large...

As I saw most of the bandits leaving, and one of them opening our cells, I saw Claire on my periphery slipping one of her wrist out of her bindings and punching the guard in the face.

Wow, this girl is good. She willingly bent her own hand and use that broken hand to punch the guard to the face. It was even a solid hit.

The guard crumples on the ground, though I can see that he was just concussed.

"It's our chance!" I heard Claire said as she reaches out to the key dangling on the bandit's waist.

She manages to reach out to it with her broken hand, I can hear her grinding her teeth as she uses it to take off the cuff restraining her other hand, then she quickly got to me to free me too.

"Come on, let's go!" She urges me on.

Well, Alpha and the others are already here so might as well. Though before that...

"Behind you!"

With my warning, Claire immediately ducks which causes the bandit's pommel attack to miss.

Then she charges at the bandit and uses her body to pin him down on the ground.

"Run! I'll take care of this!"

That is so ballsy. Just doing that despite being weakened. Honestly I think she can at least become the protagonist, or maybe an important side character that will help the main character.

I wonder why she is trying so hard protecting a weak ass mob like me, but maybe that's because of her heroine aura. Anyway, I'll just take the way out and leave her here.

I run away from there while still showing that I am reluctant. While doing that, I didn't forget to snatch some of those magic suppressing cuffs.

... Hmm... it will be bad if I leave her alone and let her be killed. It will be such a waste because I healed her.

Right, let's help her for a bit.

As I got on the bend that obscures me from their perspective, I took a single piece of my slime suit, rolled it around my thumb, and then flick it to the bandit that she is pinning down.

I made sure that he won't die. Can't let her become suspicious of it.

Now then, I heard they are wearing their Shadow Garden uniforms. That means they are playing without me.

Tch tch... I want in on the action too. I think I should go to my Shadow mode and beat some bandits too.