AN: The previous two chapters were solely Wilmarina's POV, but I decided to include another POV at the end of this one.
Also, this story arc is going to end up being four chapters instead of three. I could have made this chapter longer instead, but then the events would feel rushed. Splitting them up like this makes a more natural progression since each chapter now covers a day's events.
The next day, Wilmarina woke up in her bedroom in Castle Salvarision. She spent some time in bed, simply thinking.
Her bedroom and the furniture within weren't particularly luxurious by noble standards. Even then, the room was as big as some of the slum houses that she'd seen from a distance. Each piece of furniture would cost years of a commoner's salary.
Even what I'm wearing would be unthinkably expensive for most of Lescatie, Wilmarina thought as she tugged at her blue nightgown. And yet my lifestyle is still frugal in comparison to those who brag about replacing their belongings every year.
Selling it all off might be enough to feed and clothe a hundred people. But it wouldn't change anything in the long term.
...There isn't any other option. And I've already told Luciana yesterday… I can't leave her to be the only one.
When she'd come to a decision, Wilmarina got up, walked to the door of her room and opened it slightly. Standing just outside was Vermut, the knight appointed as her bodyguard by her father.
"Lady Wilmarina?" Vermut said, visibly surprised that Wilmarina was still in her sleepwear. "Did you need something from me?"
"Could you come into the room for a moment, Vermut?" Wilmarina asked.
Vermut looked even more surprised, but she did as instructed. Wilmarina closed the door behind her.
"Vermut… I'm in a complex situation at the moment," Wilmarina said. "First, I'd like to ask a rather personal question of you. From what I've heard, your father doesn't have a very good opinion of mine?"
This question immediately caused Vermut to panic. "I-I-I'm sorry if he's offended you, Lady Wilmarina! But Father is—I mean—!"
"That isn't a problem at all, Vermut," Wilmarina said. "Rather, that's more convenient for me."
Vermut's father, Sir Eustace Rosnair, was once the leader of Lescatie's Holy Knights. Though he'd been retired for years, he still commanded great respect from many in Lescatie… excluding those aligned with House Noscrim. Based on some acerbic comments from Wilmarina's father yesterday, Sir Eustace had once tried to oppose the rising influence of House Noscrim. His "retirement" had been arranged by Sun Priest Noscrim so that a puppet leader could be installed in his place.
The sons and daughters of Sir Eustace were all knights of some renown, Vermut herself being an example. They would make useful allies in Wilmarina's attempt to reform Lescatie.
Of course, Vermut just looked confused at what she'd just heard. "That… may I ask what you mean, Lady Wilmarina…?"
Wilmarina hesitated. Revealing her true intentions carelessly could result in failure. But she'd talked with Vermut almost every day of the past eight months, starting from the day the knight was assigned as her bodyguard. If she couldn't trust her, then she also couldn't trust Luciana either.
"I mean that I now agree with your father," Wilmarina said. "And I can no longer agree with what my father has done—has inflicted on Lescatie."
"L-Lady Wilmarina, that's…" Vermut said in shock. "But Sun Priest Noscrim is your father, and… a pillar helping support Lescatie..."
"He is only a pillar helping to support its corruption and political infighting," Wilmarina said bitterly. "The aspects of Lescatie that he supports, weaken our ability to fight against monsters."
Something flashed in Vermut's eyes.
"Your father said something similar, I presume?" Wilmarina deduced. "He was right. I know that for a fact because of my own experiences. Lescatie can only stand a chance against monsters if it is united, but it remains divided because of people like my father, who show more interest in personal authority and fancy parties… and arranging marriages."
That made Vermut clench her fists. While her own family didn't treat her like that, she'd had the misfortune of encountering several nobles who saw her only as a marriage prospect, as a way to build their own connections and influence. Ironically, Wilmarina's father was an exception to this, seeing her instead as a strong bodyguard for his daughter.
"This state of affairs can't be allowed to continue any longer," Wilmarina said. "So, Vermut, what will you do? And I'm asking this not as the daughter of House Noscrim nor as your master. I'm asking this as one citizen of Lescatie to another."
Vermut hung her head. It was clear she'd never expected to face such a dilemma. She was the sort of person who devoted themselves to a path, and hers was the path of the loyal knight.
"Lady Wilmarina… I must have time to think about this," Vermut said eventually. "But I vow that I will not betray your words to anyone else."
Wilmarina nodded. Luciana had said the same thing yesterday. Turning against the society of Lescatie wasn't a quick or easy decision. The only reason Wilmarina had done so now was because she had eight years of increasing disillusionment with Lescatie.
"The decision is up to you. And for now, I think you should rest. You've been up all night, Vermut."
"...Thank you, Lady Wilmarina. I'll do just that."
-ooo-
After that conversation, Wilmarina changed into her usual garments and left her room to have breakfast. This was a simple meal of toast, fried eggs and slices of orange. The first two ingredients weren't terribly expensive, but the third had to be imported from a distant tropical country in magically cooled containers. Furthermore, the meal was prepared by a personal chef.
But Wilmarina forced herself to eat it nonetheless. She needed her energy for the tasks ahead. Furthermore, if she suddenly requested cheaper meals, that would attract unwanted attention.
After finishing breakfast, Wilmarina handled another pile of paperwork. Once the last sheet of paper was filed away, she made her way to the castle's training yard.
There were many other members of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower already present. However, most were too nervous to try sparring against her, since they were afraid of embarrassing themselves with insufficient skill.
Unfortunately, Luciana wasn't among the members here. She was in her room, still thinking about Wilmarina's words from yesterday.
I certainly can't blame her for that… if our positions were swapped, I might not show my face in public for days, Wilmarina thought. She began practising on her own, swinging and thrusting her sword through thin air. But while I said such impressive things to her, I'm not confident about making them a reality…
There was a very good reason why Lescatie had been sliding into decay for decades, possibly even centuries, despite many people desiring otherwise. It was because the vast majority of its population wanted it that way. They either gained personal benefit from this state of affairs or they believed it was hopeless to resist. A mix of greed, selfishness, apathy and despair had weakened the strongest human nation so much that, even if monsters weren't about to attack, it might soon collapse on its own.
To prevent that happening… I'll need to find like-minded allies. But how many people will be willing to stand against the might of an entire country? I'm not even certain if Luciana or Vermut will agree...
While pondering this question, Wilmarina sensed someone else approaching. She looked up to see silver hair and gold eyes: it was Lucas.
"Greetings, Lady Wilmarina," Lucas said. He held up his sword, Wyrmsend, an ancestral weapon passed down within House Mayer. "Would you care for a spar?"
Strictly speaking, as heir to a duke household, Lucas had a high enough rank to omit the "Lady". But Wilmarina would never tell him to do so, since it would only throw fuel to the fire of people trying to push the two of them together. That would be deeply unpleasant for her… and, she suspected, for him as well.
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Wilmarina replied.
The two heroes faced each other. Everyone else in the training yard stopped what they were doing to watch. That irked Wilmarina a little, but she understood their feelings; in her childhood, she'd also stopped her own training several times to watch the sparring between heroes.
There were a few moments of silence. Then Wilmarina and Lucas charged at one another.
"Haaaah!"
"Haaaah!"
In the next five seconds, Wilmarina's Orufoyu clashed with Lucas' Wyrmsend over thirty times. Each clash produced an explosion of sound that caused some of the audience to stagger.
Then they both began adding magic to their attacks. Wilmarina focused spirit energy down her arm and into her sword, surrounding it with an aura of icy particles. Lucas did the same, charging his sword with arcs of yellow lightning.
Like this, a single direct hit would make him vulnerable to more, resulting in his loss, Wilmarina thought. And the same applies to me!
Wilmarina slashed, hacked, stabbed and parried, each movement scattering diamond dust. Lucas was her equal in skill, never letting any of her attacks land on his body. Ice brought lightning to a standstill, while lightning shattered and melted ice.
After ten seconds of this stalemate, Lucas' eyes suddenly glowed with brilliant light and his movements accelerated. Even though he still had one sword, Wilmarina felt as if a dozen were assaulting her simultaneously.
He's enhancing his reflexes with lightning!
Wilmarina could never hope to match Lucas in speed when he was in this state. Instead, she conjured up a large shield of ice to block the storm of attacks.
The shield was as hard as tempered steel and as thick as the average table, but it still chipped and cracked from Lucas' attacks. Furthermore, Lucas kept moving around in an attempt to attack Wilmarina directly, forcing her to swing the shield around to continue blocking him.
But Wilmarina didn't just stay on the defensive. When she was confident that Lucas had committed to his assault, she stomped one foot on the ground, sending out a smooth sheet of ice.
Lucas slipped on the ice and—less than one-tenth of a second later—regained his balance. But that mistake still gave Wilmarina enough time to send her ice shield forward, slamming into Lucas and knocking him backward.
There was an explosion of lightning, shattering the ice shield and revealing a mostly intact Lucas. However, his eyes were no longer glowing—he couldn't maintain lightning reflexes for long, even with a hero's constitution.
"Impressive, Lady Wilmarina," Lucas said. "But this is not over yet."
The two heroes began clashing again. This time, Wilmarina began to speak.
"Your skills are impressive as well, Lucas. If I may ask… just what drives you to reach such heights?"
Lucas frowned. The nature of Wilmarina's question was probably just one reason for that. Another reason would be that she was speaking so quietly that even he could barely hear her over the sounds their battle. The audience certainly wouldn't be able to hear a thing.
"...I didn't expect to hear that in this situation," Lucas replied, just as quietly. "If you want to know something like that, shouldn't you volunteer your own information first?"
Wilmarina slashed with her sword, accompanied by a hail of ice spikes, but all of it was blocked. "Of course," she said. "I train myself to this level in order to do my duty as a hero of Lescatie, and as a daughter of the Noscrim family."
These words had been said by Wilmarina, with only minor variations, hundreds of times before. And unlike before, she didn't bother to include any sincerity in her words.
"Hmm," Lucas said. He raised his sword to the sky, bringing down a dozen lightning bolts that Wilmarina quickly dodged. "Then my answer is the same as yours. I train, and fight the scourge of monsters, to do my duty to Lescatie and to the Mayer family."
Like Wilmarina, Lucas gave a response fitting for someone in his position. Also like Wilmarina, there was not a trace of sincerity in his response.
"...I see," Wilmarina said. "I shouldn't have expected anything else."
-ooo-
The spar with Lucas ended a few minutes later with no clear victor. As usual, the Order of the Holy Ice Flower crowded around the two heroes to praise their skills. Words like "magnificent" and "dazzling" were thrown around frequently enough to lose all meaning.
Lucas left shortly after, citing personal business.
Does he agree with me or not? Wilmarina wondered. He might be dissatisfied with Lescatie but in a way different to me. Or he might not be dissatisfied at all, instead putting up a facade to find out what my own intentions are.
It was sickening to suspect people she'd fought alongside for months, over a year in some cases, but Wilmarina had no other option if she wanted to succeed. There were too many people who might betray her for their own self-advancement.
And I've never been sure what Lucas is thinking. Nobody else in the Holy Ice Flower seems to know, either. He acts as an ideal hero of Lescatie… much like myself.
Hmm… perhaps I should ask my father for more details about the Mayer family. Such a question wouldn't seem unusual to him, and it might give me more insight into how Lucas thinks…
House Mayer was among the strongest noble houses of Lescatie, being in second or third place—depending on the criteria—behind House Noscrim. It would be very beneficial to Wilmarina to have their heir on her side. If she couldn't manage that, leaving the entire house as her enemies… some of her father's records could be used to blackmail them, but it wouldn't be easy or painless to incur their wrath.
I have to keep my expectations realistic. I have no guarantee of what Lucas will do. I should therefore see who else I can sway to my cause.
-ooo-
Wilmarina left the training yard and walked through the corridors of the castle, searching for other members of the Order of the Holy Ice Flower.
Who else is at Salvarision currently? Eva, Kirsch and Parshe are all away, helping in our preparations against the monster invaders. I might be able to track down some of them in the capital, but that would take too much time and attract too much attention. Then among those remaining…
After asking a few questions of the castle inhabitants, Wilmarina found the location of the ones she was after. Said questions also helped her gauge the opinions of the lower-ranking members of the Order.
Overall, they seem to be more loyal to the Holy Ice Flower than to anyone outside. But appearances could be deceiving. Just yesterday, Father told me of the value of having agents in other factions… and even within your own faction. If he was willing to admit that to me, it's possible he has agents within this castle that he doesn't think even I could uncover.
With these concerns weighing down on her mind, Wilmarina approached the room that the Three Musketeers were currently in. They were talking loudly enough for her to hear from some distance away.
"We need to make sure none of the monsters escape!" Paula said. "We can't let them get away with something like this!"
"Well, that may or may not be practical," Olivie said. "And it might even be more effective to let a few escape, so that they'll spread word that Lescatie is not to be trifled with. What do you think, Alameria?"
"Huh?" Alameria said. "Oh! Um… it sounds like a good idea!"
"...Alameria?" Paula said, her voice taking on a teasing tone. "You're not thinking about him again, are you?"
Wilmarina stopped in her tracks.
"W-W-What!?" Alameria said. There was the sound of her feet hitting the floor, suggesting she'd jumped in surprise. "What are you talking about!? I'm definitely not thinking about anyone! And how would you even know about that sort of thing, Paula!?"
"Hey, that's rude!" Paula said. "Besides, anyone could tell who you're thinking about when you've got that look on your face! You literally spend the nights and the mornings with Marion! There's no one else it could be!"
"Th-That's…"
"Now, now, don't tease her," Olivie said, clearly amused. "Let the two of them work out their feelings on their own. I'm sure… I'm sure they'll make it work. More importantly, we have a visitor."
Wilmarina broke out of her thoughts of envy and entered the room, closing the door behind her. The Three Musketeers quickly stood up.
"Please be at ease," Wilmarina said. "I just need to speak with you for a moment."
"What is the matter, Lady Wilmarina?" Olivie asked.
Wilmarina briefly paused to listen to the surroundings. She'd already checked for servants while on her way here, but she wanted to be extra-certain that no one could eavesdrop. The topic was too dangerous for her to take any risks.
"...Lescatie is currently facing a great threat from the outside," Wilmarina said. "But soon, there will be turmoil within it as well."
"Will the monsters try to sneak into Lescatie and sabotage it from within?" Alameria asked. Her previous embarrassment had now been completely overwritten by seriousness.
"That's possible, but not what I'm referring to," Wilmarina said. "I suppose I should start from the beginning. Lescatie… do you believe it's as effective at fighting monsters as intended? Do you think its true potential is being realised?"
The Three Musketeers exchanged uncertain glances. In a public setting, they would have responded in the affirmative. In this private setting…
"I think most people are trying their best," Paula said. "There's times we have trouble working together, so I guess that part could be improved."
"There's parts of Lescatie that could really benefit from more money and attention," Alameria said. "If those villages in the countryside were more developed… maybe they wouldn't be so defenceless against monsters."
"Lescatie would be in a better position if… there was less competition among factions," Olivie said, sounding the most cautious out of the three.
Wilmarina nodded. These responses were within her expectations. But if she'd received negative responses, she would have changed her plans significantly.
"I agree with all of those points," Wilmarina said. "And… the time is ripe for Lescatie to change."
-ooo-
After another nerve-wracking conversation, Wilmarina had lunch, then returned to her study to relax.
I can't believe I've in a state where dealing with paperwork is relaxing. But I must do this. I can't back down now.
There was more paperwork now than in the morning. Wilmarina remained in her study for over an hour. During that time, she had a few visitors.
First was Luciana. She came through the door while looking around nervously.
"Lady Wilmarina, can I speak with you?" Luciana asked.
"Of course," Wilmarina replied.
Luciana took a deep breath. "I… think you're right. I mean, the new path you've chosen should be the best for Lescatie."
Wilmarina didn't even try to hide her relief. While there had never been likely that Luciana would side with the proud aristocracy, it still warmed Wilmarina's heart to know she could trust her deputy.
"Thank you, Luciana," Wilmarina said. "For now, I'd like you to continue acting as you usually do. But… if you see anyone else who wants Lescatie to change, consider letting them know they aren't alone."
Luciana nodded and left the study, now with a spring in her step.
Next to visit was Vermut. The blonde knight looked even more nervous than Luciana had, to the point that Wilmarina feared she might have given the secret away.
"I-I've delayed you for too long, Lady Wilmarina," Vermut said. "But I've come to a decision. As your sworn sword, I have been to many of the same places as you, and the things I've seen there… I turned a blind eye to them at the time, but I can't do so any longer. While your father—Sun Priest Noscrim is responsible for my current position, I am prepared to stand with you in opposing him."
Vermut drew her sword and held it straight up, a knight's gesture of fealty.
"And as soon as the opportunity arrives, I can speak to the rest of my family," Vermut continued. "I can ensure that House Rosnair stands with you in your endeavour."
"Thank you, Vermut," Wilmarina said. "I'm actually planning to go to the capital for a Senate meeting tomorrow, bringing you and a few others. Before the meeting, you can meet with your family and…"
Wilmarina removed two of Father's records from a pocket and handed them to Vermut.
"...give this to them. It's important evidence for the case that we'll make to the Senate."
Vermut nodded and carefully tucked the records away in her own pocket. She didn't inquire about the rapid timeframe, likely because she could figure out the reason herself; with monsters advancing on Lescatie, there was no time for a more cautious approach.
"I will, Lady Wilmarina."
Then Vermut left. Wilmarina didn't receive any other visitors until she'd almost finished with her paperwork and was ready to leave.
Olivie was the final visitor. She entered the room with her usual confidence, no doubt aware that this was the best way to avoid unwanted attention from spies.
"Lady Wilmarina, I'd like to give you an answer regarding the topic earlier," Olivie said. She fiddled with the hem of her cape for a moment. "While Alameria and Paula are in broad agreement… I must confess that I'm still undecided. If this endeavour of yours fails, there'll be harsh consequences for all involved, I'm sure you understand that."
"I do," Wilmarina said. "In that case, I'll show you something I didn't mention earlier, as I was still being cautious back then. It's the evidence I've gathered of Lescatie's corruption."
Wilmarina took out the remainder of her father's records and spread them out on the desk. Olivie looked at them and her jaw dropped.
"It can't be… all of this was happening under our noses…?" Olivie exclaimed.
"This is only what I've brought with me, there's many times this number in a locked chest of my father's," Wilmarina said grimly. "And… I'm sorry to admit this, but… your own family is not exempt."
Olivie snatched up one of the records, a letter from her father to Wilmarina's father that mentioned Lescatie's extortion of its neighbours for money and supplies. Her face twisted in horror.
"I… never thought… he was capable of that…" Olivie murmured. "Even though… it should have been obvious…"
"Olivie, do you need to lie down?" Wilmarina asked. "I know this is a shocking revelation…"
"No… this has just made me realise what I should do," Olivie said. "Yes, Lady Wilmarina, I will throw my support behind your cause. In the past… I thought he was only harsh when it was necessary, but now I see that was a lie."
"...When it was necessary?" Wilmarina asked, sensing something familiar about this topic.
"In the past… I loved one of the servants in my family home, and he loved me back," Olivie said. She laughed bitterly, something that Wilmarina had never witnessed before. "Or rather, I thought he did. We planned to run away from Lescatie together, when I was fifteen and he was sixteen… then I learned that he was only entertaining me because I was his master's daughter. He took a large sum of money and… simply left. I never saw him again."
Now it was Wilmarina's turn to be shocked. Her past with Elt was painful, yet even she had never experienced the heartbreak of realising that someone she loved didn't care for her at all.
"That experience made me give up on any rebellion against Lescatie," Olivie continued. "But thanks to your efforts, Lady Wilmarina… I believe we can succeed."
Wilmarina nodded stiffly. She handed over two of the records to Olivie, saying, "We will. Thank you for making this decision."
Olivie nodded and her lips twitched in a slight smile. It was like watching a seemingly dead flower, brown and thoroughly wilted, bloom into life again.
"I never thought I'd be able to dream again… I'll pass on the good news to Alameria and Paula."
With that, Olivie left the room.
Wilmarina relaxed in her chair. Even though she'd put considerable thought into how to gather allies, seeing the rewards of her labour arrive so quickly was a pleasant surprise.
Sometimes, I wondered if the rest of the Holy Ice Flower only feigned loyalty to me, to benefit from my power and my family name. I suppose that fighting together is an excellent way of building bonds of trust.
And in the past couple of days, I wondered about the possibility of failing… but it's looking more and likely that we will succeed. It will be a lot of work, rooting out the corruption and strengthening Lescatie's defences, but we won't lose heart.
After all… true happiness is now within our reach.
Wilmarina thought back to those carefree days when she, Elt and Francisca—Fran—were sitting together on a hill in the open sun. Granted, they'd only been able to sneak the fourth princess away because of how neglected she was… but those days were undeniably happy for all of them.
This will be my chance to find her again, to apologise for treating her so coldly at that dinner. And…
Wilmarina blushed at one particular memory: when she'd admitted to Fran that she liked Elt, causing Fran to admit she liked him as well. Just childish infatuation back then, but at least in Wilmarina's case it had grown into love, the sort of love that was driving her to rather extraordinary lengths.
...It might mean I have more… potential rivals. But even that would be better than the current situation, where I need a good excuse to meet Elt at all.
Frankly, it was a wonder that Elt hadn't been ensnared by someone else yet. Even as a fellow woman, Wilmarina could see that the others around him were all attractive. And Elt was terrifyingly good at getting girls to fall for him, as evidenced by his relationships with Lescatie's most famous hero and one of its princesses…
While lost in personal thoughts, Wilmarina sensed someone approach the door of her study. She quickly tensed again, only for the would-be visitor to turn away.
Who was that? Everyone in the castle knows this room is for my use, so it can't be someone who got lost…
Wilmarina stood up from her chair and noticed a sheet of paper under the door—it must have been slipped through the gap. She picked it up.
On the paper was a message with the neat handwriting of Lucas Mayer. It read: "You should be more careful, Wilmarina. If your activities are noticed, it might lead to the loss of someone important to you—something I learned only by experience."
He's threatening Elt!?
Wilmarina immediately reached for her sword, only to notice something off about the words. She read them again.
Wait… "by experience"? But that would mean… oh.
If Wilmarina's interpretation was true, that meant at least three different nobles who once had a close relationship with someone of lower birth. It was far too much to be a coincidence.
Perhaps… we all found the high society of Lescatie to be stifling, so we sought out something different…
And it seems that Lucas' own experience allowed him to see what Elt is to me. He would just have to hear about Elt meeting me, then compare my behaviour before and after that meeting. Now I wonder if Olivie knows as well, but kept her knowledge hidden...
Wilmarina flipped over the paper to see the rest of the message: "But if your plan will let me unseat my mother, that alone is reason enough to help you."
According to Wilmarina's memory, Lucas' mother was born to House Mayer and was its current head, while Lucas' father had married in from another family. It was easy for her to put together the rest. Lucas' childhood friend had been made to disappear by his mother, who didn't want a commoner around her son, so now he wanted revenge.
It's like the story of my own life, with the sexes reversed. Though judging from his demeanour, I don't think he has reunited with his friend. It's quite possible they're now dead…
But now Wilmarina had another ally. And she would heed his advice about being more careful. Instead of meeting Lucas in person, she'd just slip some of her father's records under the door. He would understand what to do with them.
Many of us have been hurt by Lescatie, some irrevocably. It's time to bring that era to an end so we can focus on our true purpose of combating monsters.
-ooo-
There was a large amount of forest and woodland near the capital of Lescatie. It was often visited by hunters, herbalists and training soldiers, and Primera spent most of her time there. But it was rare for anyone to travel more than a few hours' walk from the capital, leaving large expanses that were essentially unexplored.
It was into this unexplored territory that Sasha was now leading Primera and Elt. If their guide had been anyone else, Primera would have already killed them or captured them for interrogation. But Sasha was someone whom the half-elf and human trusted… even after certain recent revelations.
And to save time, Primera was carrying Elt over her shoulder so that the entire group could move at a hero's pace. The only good thing about this position was that it prevented Elt from seeing how red Primera's face was.
Eventually, Primera's ears twitched. "There's monsters up ahead, at least a dozen of them," she reported.
"Yes, that would be the right location," Sasha said calmly.
They slowed down to a walk. Primera set Elt down on the ground.
"I still can hardly believe this is happening," Elt said, now walking with his own two feet. "Though I guess it's not any more unbelievable than Primera and me… getting brought around on a tour by a lilim."
The secret orphanage came into view. It was a single-storey building made of unpainted logs, similar to a typical hunters' cabin.
And at this very moment, there were monsters just outside. These weren't the monsters described in heroic tales and portrayed in paintings, for they were all children. There was a lamia, a red slime, an arachne, a werebat, a group of orcs… none of them taller than the level of Primera's chest. Some of them were running around in childish games, while others were gathering wild herbs and mushrooms.
When they saw who was approaching, the monster children ran towards Sasha with smiles on their faces… smiles just like those of the human children at Sasha's usual orphanage. Then their smiles fell when they noticed the two strangers.
"Big Sis?"
"Who are these people?"
Primera felt a surge of guilt. In the past, she'd killed at least thirty two monsters with her arrows—possibly more, since some of her targets might have died of their wounds later. Only the first of them had made her feel any hesitation. The others? She'd shot them down with no more regard than if she was shooting animals. Dangerous, intelligent animals, but animals nonetheless.
But… there's a good chance that some of these children are only here… because of me. Because I thought it was the right thing to do, that monsters were a threat to humans, elves and anyone in between.
That line of thinking had been challenged by the forced tour of Court Alf, where monsters and humans lived together in peace… where no one had cared she was a half-elf. It had been further challenged by Sasha's confession of her repeated assistance of monsters.
"These two are my friends," Sasha said, crouching down so she was at eye-level with the monster children. "This is Primera and this is Elt. Please say hello to them."
"H-Hello."
"Hi…"
"It's nice to meet you..."
Now, Primera was faced with fearful monster orphans. Their fear was nearly identical to that of the human orphans when Primera had first been brought to the orphanage. The human orphans had heard stories of elves killing anyone near their forests. That fear was unnecessary in Primera's case, but it had still taken months for them to open up to her. And these monster orphans had an entirely justified reason to fear her.
"Hello, I'm Elt," Elt said uncertainly. "I've been living with Sasha for the past seven years, thanks to her mother being kind enough to take me in. Primera joined us five years ago, when… ah…"
"I was attacked while on the road near Lescatie, and Sasha saved me," Primera said, omitting the part where it was hostile monsters who'd attacked her. "So I… owe a lot to her. We both do."
"I was only acting as a hero should," Sasha said. "Anyway, we've come here together because I need to introduce them to you. There's times when I might be too busy to look after you, so Primera or Elt here would come in my place."
There was some more conversation between Sasha and the monster orphans, mainly about how the latter were doing and if they needed anything. Sasha then went into the orphanage to inspect the conditions inside. Primera and Elt continued keeping their distance since they could easily terrify the orphans by accident.
Judging by the way these kids are looking at us, they might run away screaming if we tried going in, Primera thought. And I never expected to think of monsters as just kids… even if it should've been obvious. It's not like they pop into existence as adults, after all.
Prior to coming to Lescatie, Primera had spent four years of her life as an orphan herself, so she was well aware of how harsh this world was to defenceless children. One of the reasons she'd agreed to become a hero, even if it meant serving people who looked down on her, was to help support the orphanage that had taken her in. Another reason was that monsters were an abomination to the natural order, so every dead monster was an improvement to the world… or so it should have been.
"Elt," Primera said. Due to her chaotic mess of thoughts, it took a few seconds for her to find her next words. "I… we've all been taught to fight monsters. Even the people who don't literally fight them are still taught to support those who do. But has anyone ever tried… negotiating for peace with monsters?"
"I don't know," Elt admitted. "Maybe someone tried in the past, but that was forgotten… or covered up. Everything we're taught says that monsters are… pure evil, only using their good looks to lure humans to eat."
"We've never seen anything like that," Primera said. "And while I've stayed far away from the monsters I killed, and Druella's tour could have been a trick… Sasha has actually seen monster settlements after Order raids. She hasn't seen anything like monsters eating humans… or killing them at all."
"So the main message of the Order is a lie," Elt said, shaking his head. "I knew for a long time that people don't always live up to it, the whole existence of the slums is proof… but what now? What else can we believe in?"
That was the real problem. The Order was the main religion of humanity, the single guiding light that kept it united against monsters. Even Primera, who didn't truly believe in it, still accepted it because having a hero's blessing was useful. If they discarded it as a lie, what else could they believe?
"One thing we definitely shouldn't do is believe in Druella," Primera said. "No one just plans to take over a country because they want to help it. No one is that… generous…"
Primera remembered an extreme counterexample in Sasha, who not only turned down a life of luxury to run an orphanage in the slums, but also built and ran an entire second orphanage for literal monsters.
But even then, I didn't trust Sasha until months after we first met. That was just a natural reaction. A lilim is going to have to do a lot more if she wants us to do anything other than fight back.
Then Primera looked back at the orphanage for monsters. It was devoid of any fortifications or defensive spells, much like the human villages that dotted the countryside. If war broke out, the monster forces presumably wouldn't harm this orphanage…
...but the human forces were a very different story.
AN: It is really annoying that the Order's name is identical to part of the name of Wilmarina's group.
For a more important topic, I'm a bit worried that this part of the story feels too rushed even after splitting the chapters and giving an in-universe reason for the characters to rush things. Let me know what you think.