Luciana looked over her shoulder again at the young man with unruly purple hair and grey eyes. He was sweating buckets and gasping for breath. That wasn't surprising; the walk here had been enough for even Luciana, a trained knight, to sweat a little.

"Ben, are you okay?" Luciana asked.

"I'm fine!" Bennett replied, even as his legs trembled under him. "I used to do walks like this all the time, remember!?"

That much was true… except that had been years ago. After Luciana had been recruited into the Order of the Holy Ice Flower and moved into Salvarision, Bennett had moved into the city with her, at her request. He'd taken up work as a clerk and stopped doing all the physical activities he'd done with Luciana as a child.

"Are you really sure about that?" Luciana asked. "If you'd just gotten a horse to ride—"

"No need!" Bennett insisted. However, he didn't meet her eyes. "Not when home's just a few hours' walk away from Salvarision!"

"Hmm…"

As a member of one of Lescatie's greatest knight orders, Luciana technically had some degree of authority. However, she was hardly going to use that authority on her childhood friend.

If there was anything she'd be using her authority for, it would be to make him look at her properly. But before that, she wanted to see if other approaches would work.

"Ben?" Luciana asked, walking closer to her childhood friend. "Is something wrong?" She swallowed nervously. "Why won't you look at me?"

Bennett flinched, then he slowly turned to look at Luciana's face, making a very obvious effort not to look lower. "B-Because… Lucy… it'd be… embarrassing…"

Then Luciana remembered that her clothing exposed her cleavage, her navel and most of her thighs. It was easy for her to forget when around the likes of Alameria, but she was dressed much more provocatively than most Lescatians.

"Th-That's…" Luciana blushed to the tips of her ears. Even if she'd been dressing to attract his attention, actually hearing him talk about it was mortifying. "I'm sorry for… making you feel uncomfortable…"

"There's nothing wrong with how you look!" Bennett said, waving his hands frantically. "It's just… I didn't want to say this before, but… I don't want…" His voice became quieter. "I don't want… other men… seeing you like this…"

"W-Well… thank you…" Luciana said, just as quietly. "Um… I didn't really bring any spare clothes with me, this was only supposed to be a short trip, but…"

Luciana adjusted her shirt to minimise the amount of skin she was baring. In hindsight, she really should have thought of this earlier. No one back home dressed like this.

But this is still nothing compared to some monsters wear… or don't wear. And now we're actually making deals with them…

From what Luciana and Bennett had heard, their home had already been visited by monsters. That would have instilled great terror in them if Wilmarina hadn't been the one saying it. Even so, they couldn't truly accept it until they saw the truth for themselves.

After another twenty minutes of walking, the two of them arrived at the small village of Galaville. They immediately stopped in their tracks.

"It's…" Luciana began.

"...a lot better than before…" Bennet finished.

When they'd left a few years ago, Galaville had been like most of Lescatie's villages: one bad harvest away from starvation, one violent storm away from ruin. Luciana had sent back as much money as she could, but it still hadn't been enough to properly fix up the place.

Now, all of the buildings were sturdy and clean constructions that would actually be pleasant to live in. The crop fields were lush with strange blue-leaved plants, which showed no damage from insects or blights. The people were plump and moved around with a healthy vigour…

...and included quite a few monsters as well.

They're already quite friendly, Luciana thought. She watched Leonard, one of Bennett's friends from a while ago, walking around hand in hand with a lamia. It doesn't look like anyone's being forced… really, it's hard to believe they ever followed the Order…

...And now I wish I never did…

Luciana's hand drifted to her back, where her sword was normally sheathed. She'd left it behind for this trip home since it wouldn't just be unnecessary, it would be an uncomfortable reminder of her work as a hero.

Even without that reminder, a couple of the monsters who noticed Luciana frowned. It was only for a moment, but it was clear that they hadn't forgotten all the monsters she'd killed.

Luciana didn't have time to dwell on that, however. The human villagers began noticing her and Bennett's arrival, causing them to smile and wave.

"Lucy! Ben!"

"You're finally back!"

"Did you finally get together!?"

That last comment caused both the hero and the clerk to blush furiously… which only resulted in more teasing.

-ooo-

While running across the plains, Paula looked over her shoulder again to confirm that her friend was really there.

"P-Paula," Alameria protested. "It's not like I'm going to disappear once I'm out of sight."

"You were gone for days!" Paula said. She jumped over a fallen tree without bothering to look down. "I didn't even know if you were still alive, dammit!"

For the past three days, Paula had been stuck in her family's residence in the capital, unable to leave for fear of causing more trouble for her friends. The servants and the guards assigned to watch over her hadn't told her anything. She'd been utterly lost until the moment when Alameria sneaked into her bedroom… with the help of monsters, she later discovered.

"But I'm safe now, and that's what matters," Alameria said.

"Yeah… I just wish I got to see Olivie as well, to say thanks," Paula said.

After being smuggled out of her residence and into Salvarision, Paula had heard the full story. Olivie hadn't been present despite helping in the rescue mission, having left to do something in secret… though everyone else had a good idea what.

"I hope she succeeds in… what she's doing," Alameria said, looking back in the direction of the capital.

"And we've got to succeed too!" Paula said. "You can leave this part to me! I've got to make up for sitting around, doing nothing!"

"You didn't do nothing, you were forced to stay at home!"

They continued chatting like this for ten minutes. Eventually, as the sun began to set, Paula and Alameria reached the lands ruled by the Tronmail family.

These lands were near the western border of Lescatie, but they didn't lie near any of the major roads, so they weren't in a good position for trade. They also didn't have much fertile land or water bodies or veins of minerals. Supposedly, the land had been more fertile in the past, but by Paula's time it had deteriorated. Some people had been forced to turn to banditry due to the conditions.

Still, most of the people had done their best to survive. They were proud of their home, just as Paula was. And at this time of day, they'd normally be out in the fields, trying to keep their crops alive in the poor soil, or otherwise at work.

There was no one here now… no humans, at least.

In a deserted field was a small camp of monsters. Paula could see bulky orcs, small goblins, green-scaled lizardmen, a few slimes of various colours.

Paula looked around carefully as she approached the monsters. There was a human farmhouse nearby, but there were no signs of any fighting. It seemed the humans had just run away in response to the monsters arriving.

One of the orcs walked up. This one had dark brown skin, was taller than the rest and wore the pelt of a tiger… and little else. She had a massive bone club slung across her back.

"You're the ones here to talk to the lord?" the high orc asked.

"...Yes," Paula replied. "I should be able to get my father to listen, as long as none of his people have been hurt."

"We haven't hurt a single one of 'em!" the high orc said defensively.

"We just tried talking to them!" one of the lizardmen added. "Some of them listened at first, but when we tried making a formal approach, the others didn't care!"

"Now they're all locked up inside the town!" a goblin said. "If we go anywhere near, they shoot at us!"

"We'll take care of things," Alameria said reassuringly.

Then the pair of heroes left the monster camp and began heading for the town of Elgadine, which lay at the centre of the Tronmail territory.

Even after knowing the truth, it's hard to trust monsters… Paula thought. But so far, it looks like they're telling the truth about not hurting anyone.

They passed by more deserted buildings. There were still no signs of any struggle. There were, however, quite a few tracks leading from the buildings in the direction of Elgadine. All of them had to be fresh, as older tracks would have been erased by the recent rains.

Ten minutes later, Elgadine came into view. It was a moderately large town of several hundred buildings. It was surrounded by a wooden wall with a few watch towers scattered along its length—still nothing compared to the enchanted stone walls of the capital. If those monsters from before had been serious about invading, they could have easily taken a town like this.

There were guards standing at the top of each watchtower. When they saw Paula and Alameria coming, they cheered loudly.

They're still doing a good job, Paula thought warmly. Except Greg still hasn't figured out how to put on his helmet properly. I kept telling him, over and over again, when I was training these guys…

The gates to the town were soon opened. Paula and Alameria entered and were surrounded by guards and other townsfolk.

"Miss Paula, it's been so long!"

"We're saved!"

"Miss Paula, have you beaten the monsters yet!?"

Normally, Paula would have done just that, ideally with the help of the rest of the Three Musketeers. She used to live in a simple world of mostly good humans and always evil monsters, where everything could be solved by fighting. But… the real world turned out to be much more messy, a world where innocent people could be framed and sent for execution, even when they were clearly needed to fight monsters.

"It's… complicated," Paula admitted. "First, I have to talk to my family. Do you know where they are?"

"They're in the mansion right now," one of the guards replied.

"Alright, then we're heading there!"

Paula jumped over the crowd's heads and began running towards the centre of the town, Alameria right behind her. They reached their destination in mere seconds.

The mansion of House Tronmail was hardly worth the name. While it was larger than any other building in the town, it was just a single storey with about a dozen rooms. The capital nobility would laugh if they ever saw this. But for Paula, this was a place of happy memories: being chased around by servants, catching bugs and then letting them go afterwards, listening to stories of heroes as she was tucked into bed.

Normally, there'd be a guard at the door to the mansion. There was no one there now, suggesting even the private guards of House Tronmail had been sent out to man the walls.

Paula thus rushed straight into the mansion and to the largest room. As expected, her parents were both here, standing around a table with various documents on it.

"At this rate, our food supply won't last for more than two weeks," said a woman with light brown hair and grey eyes. "Perhaps not even that…"

"Still, we must hold out until reinforcements arrive," said a man with light brown hair and blue eyes. "It shouldn't be much longer—eh?"

Baroness Isabelle Tronmail and Baron Julian Tronmail looked up from their work. They were both haggard with exhaustion, yet that seemed to melt away when they took in their daughter.

"Paula!" "Paula!"

Paula approached and hugged her parents. They felt a little pudgier than she remembered, presumably due to age. But they were still the ones who'd brought her into this world, they were still alive and safe.

"H-Hello…" Alameria said, waving her hand nervously. "My name is Alameria Crescentria, and I'm one of your daughter's frie—um, comrades-in-arms…"

It was bizarre to witness Alameria acting like this, when she was normally outgoing and energetic. But when considering what Paula's parents were about to learn, her behaviour made sense.

Paula reluctantly pulled away from her parents. "Mother, Father, I'm home." She looked around. "Where's Sebastian?"

"Your younger brother is in his room, studying with his tutor," Isabelle said. "We… thought it would be a good way to distract him from… the monsters outside."

"But with two heroes, we should now be saved," Julian said confidently, looking between Paula and Alameria.

"Well… kind of?" Paula said. "It's… It's really complicated. Have you heard about what happened to Alameria recently?"

Her parents just looked confused. As usual, the people of Lescatie's outskirts were behind on events in the capital.

"So, what happened is…"

Paula and Alameria explained everything: starting with Wilmarina's plan to reform Lescatie from the inside, then the backlash from those who wished to preserve the status quo—this included Alameria's trial—then the rescue mission and the new plan of negotiating with the monsters.

By the end of it all, Paula's parents were both sitting down on chairs, overcome by this barrage of information.

"Paula…" Julian said eventually. "You're… sure your friend is actually a monster?"

"I've seen her parents now, so there's no mistake," Paula replied. "And I'm just as sure she's not a bad person, even if she's a monster!"

"Th-Thanks," Alameria whispered.

"We believe you, Paula," Isabelle said. "But… the ones in charge of Lescatie are very well-entrenched. And there's the other Order nations to consider. They won't just stand by if Lescatie makes any treaty with monsters."

"I've always had trouble understanding things like that," Paula admitted. "But there's one thing I do understand. We lost to those Senate bastards because we tried playing by their rules." She clenched her fists. "But we haven't tried actually fighting yet. And the kinds of heroes those bastards have on their side, aren't the kinds who actually do much fighting."

The Paula of just a few weeks ago would never have had such thoughts, instead trusting Lescatie's leadership to keep the country running. The Paula of a few days ago had been filled with such thoughts, but she still wouldn't have said them out loud. Now… Now she'd made up her mind.

"And they've left us with no choice!" Paula shouted. "Sure, Alameria turned out to be a monster after all, but they didn't care about that! They arrested her, tried to execute her, because she was part of—part of some other faction! THEY TELL US TO FIGHT MONSTERS, BUT THEY'VE BEEN FIGHTING US INSTEAD!"

Paula breathed heavily, in and out, after that outburst. She only now realised that she shouldn't be shouting for all to hear. However, she was in no state to care.

"So… that's why we decided to switch sides," Paula finished. "It's something we can do, and something we have to do."

There was awkward silence within the room. Outside the room, Paula could hear faint muttering—her words must have been heard by the servants, as expected.

"...I understand," Julian said. He looked briefly at his wife, who nodded, and then he continued, "We understand now. There were a few of the farmers, before, who were claiming the monsters weren't our enemies. We… thought them heretics and locked them up for now… but perhaps they were right."

"Then let's go, Paula," Isabelle said. "We'll come with you to explain this to everyone else… and to talk to the monsters."

"Thank you," Paula said, her heart filled with relief.

"Thank you so much," Alameria said, bowing her head.

The four of them left the room. They almost immediately ran into a pair of scared-looking maids.

"Flora, Elsie," Paula said, recalling their names. "Sorry if I scared you just now. And you're not in trouble or anything!"

The maids still looked scared, but at least they didn't run away. One of them, red-haired Flora, asked, "M-Miss Paula… you were talking about…" she looked fearfully at Alameria, "about…"

This was another example of the world being more complicated than Paula once thought. Before, hating and fearing monsters was perfectly normal, even expected. Before, anyone who hated one of Paula's friends had to be a scumbag. Now…

"You heard right," Paula said. "Um, so it's complicated…"

"First, please go around and tell everyone to leave the mansion and head to the town square," Paula's father ordered. "Everything will be explained there."

This sequence of events was repeated throughout the mansion. Soon enough, it was almost empty of people.

A boy of around twelve appeared from one room. He ran up to Paula and practically tackled her.

"Sebastian!" Paula cried out. She rubbed the boy's head, which was now high enough to reach her chest. "Look at you now, at this rate you'll get bigger than me!"

"Big Sis!" Sebastian said. "Thanks for coming, now I don't have to go do that boring lesson anymore! Hey, weren't you shouting something about monsters before? Does that mean you've got more amazing stories about fighting monsters?"

Paula looked up to see Miles, the elderly tutor, approaching. Miles looked stiffly from her to Alameria and back again.

So Sebastian did hear my shouting properly, but you convinced him it wasn't something to worry about, Paula guessed. Thanks for that.

"It has something to do with monsters," Paula said. "Just… come with us, and you'll get to hear everything."

"Alright!"

Paula and the others left the mansion and headed for the town square, where a growing crowd waited.

Alright… it's time for the real challenge. But if Lady Wilmarina could do this to even more people, then I can handle this.

I'm not alone, after all.

-ooo-

In a room within Castle Salvarision, Wilmarina lay down on a couch and sighed.

It had been an extremely long day. There was the discussion with Salvarision's major figures and the two ambassadors from the monster side, then they spent hours planning how to free Paula from house arrest and make use of the aftermath. Before and after these events, she'd had to personally reassure various people that siding with the monsters was correct, read countless reports on the state of Salvarision and elsewhere, and…

It doesn't help that half of the Holy Ice Flower are away. Vermut is still talking to her family, Paula and Alameria to the former's family, Olivie has gone off to settle her own past, Kirsch…

Once again, Wilmarina felt seething hatred for her former ally, and for her father who gave the command in the first place.

Serving Lescatie… by killing its own people. Not for consorting with monsters, which would at least be consistent with the Order's teachings, but for merely challenging the privileges of a chosen few. A group I belonged to as well, until recently…

A good deal of that hatred was directed at herself. If Wilmarina had had the courage to fight back earlier, she could have reduced the suffering just a little. For one thing, Kirsch could have been stopped before murdering so many people.

There's no changing that now… we can only work to make sure this… transition… goes as smoothly as possible…

And… right now my father is still in prison. With Kirsch locked away, that makes me the only active member of House Noscrim in Lescatie.

Most noble houses had complicated family trees, giving plenty of backups in case of disaster. But the current generation of House Noscrim didn't due to an unlucky mix of circumstances. Her mother had no siblings, while her father had one sister who'd moved out of Lescatie—said sister's son was Wilmarina's first cousin Karl. Wilmarina's own mother had died in childbirth, a rare complication that Lescatie's best medical care couldn't handle, and the babe had died with her. Her father had never remarried, even though others must have urged him strongly to sire more children, just in case… it was one of his few humanising moments.

The end result of all this was that Wilmarina was an only child with no close relatives, none who were in Lescatie and able to act freely. Others in the Order of the Holy Ice Flower had plenty of family, some were visiting family at this very moment.

What would my life have been like, if I did have younger siblings? Would they have empathised with me after Elt's family was thrown out? Would they have agreed with Father's… and Mother's… line of thinking?

It might have been a tragedy that Wilmarina's mother died. Said death might have been one of the only things to arouse true emotion in her father. But Wilmarina could not forget that Elt's father had been accused of trying to coax her mother into adultery. That accusation was only allowed to exist with her mother's cooperation, and it was one of the reasons used to expel Elt's family.

In any case, it no longer matters. The Lescatian branch of House Noscrim is not going to expand… until I… until I...

Suddenly, Wilmarina heard a tapping sound. She sat up with a jolt and curled the fingers of one hand, ready to summon Orufoyu to her grasp…

...and then she saw him. Just outside a nearby window, illuminated in the faint moonlight, was a young man with red hair.

It can't be… Am I… imagining him, out of my own longing…?

Then Wilmarina spotted the green-haired half-elf next to Elt. Primera Concerto was holding him up with one arm, explaining how he could be at this window on the third floor.

Wilmarina sat there dumbly for a few seconds. Only then did she remember what she ought to be doing. She jumped off the couch and hurried over to open the window.

"Th-Thanks, Mary!" Elt said, slipping into the room.

"This guy wanted to meet you," Primera explained bluntly. She shut the window behind them. "Since you wouldn't have many chances to sneak away, it's easier for us to sneak in."

"Yes, but how?" Wilmarina said. "Salvarision is surrounded by high walls and defensive enchantments, and patrolled by guards even at night. Even that vampire and incubus needed some inside help to sneak in."

"Apparently, you need better defences," Primera said. "Getting past the outer wall was tricky, but once we were in, there were plenty of gardens to hide in, and that castle wall we just climbed up has some decorative ivy."

Wilmarina took a moment to process this information. While the elves were unlikely to invade Lescatie, Primera managing to get here with half-trained elven skills still showed that Salvarision's defences had gaps. And this was arguably the best-defended city in Lescatie, lacking the many flaws of the capital.

If the monsters had actually come here with hostile intent, we'd be helpless to resist… I already realised that, but the reminder is unpleasant…

"Well, thank you regardless for bringing Elt here," Wilmarina said.

Before Wilmarina could say or do anything else, Elt walked up to her and lay a hand on her forehead. Both Wilmarina herself and Primera gasped at this gesture.

"Mary, you look like you've been working too hard," Elt said. "Don't you have other people to help you?"

"E-E-Elt…" Wilmarina stammered, her face so hot it was practically burning.

It took about five seconds for Elt to realise just what he was doing. He blushed and took his hand away quickly.

"S-Sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Elt said.

"This is just painful to watch," Primera grumbled. "I'm not needed here—"

"No, please stay, Primera," Elt said.

Primera visibly hesitated. "Are you serious about showing that to her?"

"Showing… what?" Wilmarina asked. The idea of Elt having some kind of secret with another woman, even if only temporarily, was irritating.

"Mary," Elt said. Though he sounded uncertain, there was clear determination in his eyes. "This… isn't about Lescatie or monsters or the Order or anything like that. It's personal."

Wilmarina readied her heart as best as she could. Unfortunately, matters of the heart were much more uncertain and unpredictable than warfare. One could raise a shield to block an attack, but how could you defend against the words of a… of a loved one?

"This goes back to when Druella first took me and Primera away from Lescatie," Elt explained. "We saw a lot of things there, and haven't mentioned some yet, since, um, they weren't as important as monsters not being all evil." He gulped. "One of the things we saw was… was… something we have to tell you about now."

Elt took a book out of a small backpack he was wearing. Said book had the bizarre title of "An Idiot's Guide to Romance!"

"Th-This isn't a suggestion to do anything," Elt said, trembling even as he handed over the book. "It's just… showing what options there are—there might be—um, but please listen."

"Elt," Wilmarina said. "I listened to you when you suggested siding with the monsters, even if it took more for me to actually agree. I will never get angry for you for just talking honestly with me. Now, what are you trying to tell me?"

Elt wrung his hands nervously, then said, "So… you know how we're planning to make peace with monsters—and incubi, and everyone else on their side?"

"Of course."

"And that means accepting monster culture, at least a little bit?" Elt continued. "Well, um, monsters have lots of their own ideas on relationships, and… again, this isn't a suggestion or anything! But… there's something that might… could maybe solve our personal problems…"

"Open up the book and see the title of Chapter Seven," Primera interjected.

Wilmarina did as instructed, flicking through pages to reach the table of contents. There were… actually quite a few chapters with concerning titles, such as "Chapter Five: Thirty Techniques to Use in Bed… Or Other Places ". Wilmarina was mostly shocked by these titles, though also just a little curious.

Then she came to something that made her mind go blank: "Chapter Seven: Relationships with More Than Two People".

Wilmarina took a deep breath and used one hand to rub her temples. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Primera look like she wanted to jump out of the window at any moment.

"One of the things we saw on Court Alf, that we didn't mention before…" Elt said, looking down at the floor, "was people who were… in marriages more than just couples… and looking happy together..."

"...I see why you emphasised this wasn't a suggestion," Wilmarina said. "Elt… I know you just want to make everyone happy. And I… won't necessarily deny the culture of monsters. Come to think of it, I've heard of some human cultures—not aligned with the Order—who also practice polygamy. But… that doesn't mean I'd like to engage in that myself."

"Of course!" Elt said, deeply apologetic. He reached out to take the book back. "This whole thing was a crazy idea, I shouldn't have—"

Wilmarina kept her grip on the book. "Still, thank you for talking to me about this, Elt. I'd like to keep this to read in my own time. It will be… useful since we're aiming for a better relationship with monsters."

Even Wilmarina herself didn't find that reasoning convincing, not with the book's… contents. Primera didn't as well, judging from her look of scepticism. However, Elt seemed reassured.

"Then you can keep that for as long as you need," Elt said. "Is there anything you want to talk about, Mary?"

"Well then, we may as well talk about… less personal things," Wilmarina said. "How has that expedition to the monster camp turned out? I obviously heard of it returning to Lescatie, but I don't know much about the consequences. And how have the others fared in their parts of the plan?"

"So this afternoon, I talked to a couple of my friends…"

Wilmarina listened to Elt and, occasionally, Primera talk about events outside Salvarision. It gave her perspectives that simply weren't available from the reports she received earlier in the day.

"...Haven't gotten the chance to talk to Mimil yet," Elt said, looking worried. "There's lots of rumours about arguments in the magic institutes. So far, we can only hope she's doing okay."

"Sasha managed to meet three nobles—ah, two nobles and one priestess, but I'm not sure if it'll go as she wants," Primera said. "It would be bad if even one of them stays loyal, and if all three stay loyal…"

"It might not be as bad as you think," Wilmarina said. "Even if they try to arrange attacks on Sasha or any of the rest of us, they'd expose more weaknesses by doing so. In fact…"

Wilmarina explained what she and the others in the Holy Ice Flower were now planning. It would be important to warn those working in the capital, giving them time to adjust their own actions.

"Are you sure about this, Mary?" Elt asked. "It puts you in a lot of danger!"

"It should be safe, and I wouldn't be alone," Wilmarina replied. She smiled slightly. "But… thank you, Elt."

Eventually, there was nothing else of importance to discuss. That led Wilmarina to ask another question, one that made her feel as awkward as Elt had felt just before.

"…Elt. Since you brought this… option to my attention… what other women are interested in you?"

Elt blushed again. He opened his mouth but only incoherent babble came out.

"...I am," Primera said. Her expression became softer than Wilmarina had ever seen before. "While we were out in the wild… Elt told me that Sasha had confessed to him, just after getting turned into a monster… and then I… didn't exactly confess to him, but… he knows now. Sasha as well."

This much Wilmarina expected. Still, hearing confirmation of some of her rivals—rivals far more threatening than any enemy on the battlefield—was a major blow.

Then Elt found his words again. "Then, earlier today, Mersé… came to Sasha's church, and we talked for a while, and eventually she said:

'Dammit, I can't hide it anymore, not after seeing those two kids being brave. So, Elt… I do like you. Not as… Not as a friend, but as a woman.'"

Elt was nervous as he said these words, yet he was clearly devoting all of his effort to reproducing them properly. Wilmarina could easily imagine that battle-scarred hero standing in the room, admitting her feelings with a red face…

...adding one more to the list of Wilmarina's rivals. And while most in Lescatie might think Mersé to be hopeless as a rival in love, Wilmarina wasn't going to underestimate her.

That's four… that they know about. And I know about a fifth…

"I can't believe even she's involved in this… this mess," Primera said quietly.

"That's… not the end of it," Wilmarina said. "Elt… do you still remember Fran?"

"I do," Elt half-said, half-gasped. "But… it's been eight years since we last met."

"But even back then…" Wilmarina said. "I swore to keep this a secret, but now it has to be revealed. Elt, on that day when we brought Fran out to that hill to play… I confessed to her that I liked you… and she admitted she felt the same way."

Then the room was filled with stunned silence.

It's possible that Fran doesn't feel that way now, Wilmarina thought. Even my own feelings could potentially have changed as I grew up… but that's very unlikely for Fran, who's hardly ever interacted with anyone else…

And I swore to her that I wouldn't lose when it came to Elt… but thinking about it now, could I really do that to her? Could I really take away one of her few chances at happiness?

A small part of Wilmarina hoped that Fran had moved past Elt, since it would mean less competition. The rest of her erupted in shame at the very thought of it.

"The princess is actually involved too…" Primera shook her head. "Now, it's not just a question of whether you've got a divine blessing or not! Seriously, Elt, should we lock you up so you don't attract anyone else!?"

"We… We have to talk to her too," Elt said. "Maybe not face to face, but… Mary, do you have any way to send her a message?"

"I wish I did," Wilmarina said miserably. "But there's not much I can do in the royal palace, not without drawing attention. And I'm not sure just what's happening in there."

Wilmarina imagined shadowy figures stealing the fourth princess from her bed, using her as a hostage to make her family submit. She imagined herself storming the palace to rescue Fran, practicality be damned.

"...I know this'll sound like a terrible suggestion," Primera said. "I don't like it one bit. But you could ask Druella about what's going on in the palace."

"We could certainly try that," Wilmarina said. "It would be frustrating, having to depend on that lilim more than we already are, but—"

Then Wilmarina heard someone walking towards the door of the room. Primera sensed it almost at the same time, judging from her startled reaction.

"Time for us to go," Primera said.

One part of Wilmarina wanted Elt to stay, so she could introduce him to the others in Salvarision. But it was clear that Primera wasn't keen on doing the same, and Elt didn't look like he wanted to let her leave alone.

That actually makes me a little jealous… Wilmarina thought. Out loud, she said, "Then this is farewell for now. Thank you for visiting tonight, Elt, Primera. I hope we meet again soon."

"Farewell, Mary."

Then the two of them left via the same window they entered through. Wilmarina shut it behind them. She continued looking out into the dark scenery until she heard a knock on the door.

"I'm coming!" Wilmarina called out.

Wilmarina hid her newly acquired book under the couch, then went to answer the door.

It turned out to be Eva. Wilmarina talked with the young strategist for a few minutes, going over details of the plan, then reassured him once again that they were following the right path.

Then Wilmarina was alone again. She slumped down on the couch and took out the book from under it.

Really… of all the things I expected to hear from Elt, this was never one of them…

She should have felt insulted. According to most people, Elt was someone far below her status, he should count himself lucky that she even took interest in him. Being asked to share him with other women, most of them of lower status…

But she knew Elt well. She knew him much longer than Fran, than Mersé, even longer than Primera. Even if she'd been deprived of recent time with him, Elt hadn't really changed over the years. Deep down, he was still the same as that boy who'd always made her happy… the man simply had other people he wanted to make happy as well.

By the Chief God, this is ridiculous! I should have made it clear that I want him, him all to myself, that I'll never settle for anything less!

But… I can't.

She simply could not say such harsh words to him. This was partly out of guilt for her family's role in the destruction of his family. And it was partly because, deep down, she was the same as that girl who'd always wanted to make him happy. She couldn't easily tell him to reject many of the important people in his life.

After remaining still for what felt like several minutes, Wilmarina finally lifted up the book and opened it again.

It… can't hurt to just read it, surely? There are stories of monster literature being cursed, but if several humans and a half-elf have already read it, I have nothing to worry about.

Thus Wilmarina began to read… not from the chapter she'd been pointed to, but from the beginning of the book.


AN: The brief history of House Noscrim is my own invention.

The history of Wilmarina, Elt and Francisca is taken from Francisca's Fallen Brides chapter. It's not translated, but I skim-read it a while ago and posted a synopsis in QQ's MGE thread.