Biggest thanks for Ace-Triad for fixing my SPAG problems, and Angel Wraith for beta-reading the chapter and providing feed backs.

Once again, special thanks to my long time reader/consultant Commissar Gaunt for making great suggestions which went into this chapter.

As always, I will blabber some more in my end note.

Firo runs through the night and most of the next day. The knowledge that now both Consevatie The Younger, and Roger of Ajax are surely hot on their tail keeps everyone in their small group on edge. Even Firo. They only take a break when Firo absolutely has to take a rest to stop herself from dying of exhaustion. But as a result, they crossed over the northern part of Whiterun County, and most of Rabier County in a single day when normally it would take several. The lack of armed presence in the now liberated stolen land gives Mein a bad feeling.

Sure, they brought The Bitch Lord to justice the last time they journeyed north. But the old Rabier County is still a bandit nation since they last visited. It was the reason they were forced to leave the corpse of the ancient thunder lizard behind. And why they went on a detour to Ascart County. Any adventurer has a duty to report to the closest local lord when they were forced to leave behind the dead body of a leviathan class monster. While in most cases, the native monster would eventually devour the body left behind, for certain leviathan monsters it could have interesting quirks that would cause massive problems to the environment, such as poison sack that would render a large area unliveable.

With the fall of the Bitch Lord as a central power organizing the different bands of bandits, the whole county should be in a state of free-for-all where different bandit groups fight over supremacy. Possibly with the host raised by the local lords thrown into the mix to either try and contain them, or cut into the Rabier County itself for their own profit or prestige. Yet, the entire land is free from any signs of humans (or demi-human).

Chapter 116: Kesenai Tsumi/Inerasable Sin

A sharp pain shoots down from Mein's shoulder down her right arm. She grits her teeth to bear it, and starts to taste iron in her mouth. Sir Oersted and Naofumi stop their attempt to help her by stripping out of her armor, and the Shield Hero looks at her with concern. "Are we hurting you, Mein?"

"Just get it off quicker. I think it hurts more if you slow it down." The princess shakes her head, and the simple gesture makes the pain feel more unbearable. Or perhaps the fact that she's trying to speak, rather than focusing all her mind to endure the pain. The boys nod their heads, and manage to pull the armor off her form.

"This is going to hurt more, Miss Mein. Maybe try to bite down on this branch. You don't want to bite off your tongue by accident." Oersted chops down a piece of straight, sturdy looking branch off a tree beside them. He holds it in front of Mein's mouth. The princess gives a faint nod, and does what he tells her. As a knight, Sir Oersted may only receive basic battlefield aid training rather than the full course for a healer, but it still means he's more capable of dealing with injuries and treating them than anyone else in this group.

Sir Oersted takes a dagger out. Its blade is well maintained and cleaned, with no visible signs of wear down, dirt or rust. The sun shines down, making the edge glitter. Mein shuts her eyes tight and bites down on the piece of wood in her mouth even harder as soon as the young knight begins to cut open the shoulder of her shirt which is now dried with the blood. Seeing her wounded shoulder being reopened by Oersted would probably send her into a wave of panic and make her do something she'll regret much later.

As expected, more pain overwhelms the princess' senses with her sight shut off. She can feel Oersted's blade slowly, and steadily break apart her flesh as the knight carefully tries to open her wound to dig out the arrow head embedded in her shoulder. It's hard to tell how long it took, but after a while the young knight speaks up. "I think you got lucky, Miss Mein. The arrow head didn't hit your bone, so we don't have to worry about me setting it wrong and having it improperly healed like what happened with Miss Nora."

Well, that's a sign of relief. At least it will be for the future when she regains the use of her dominant hand again. For now, it's barely any consolation as the young Gallian knight digs the shard of metal out of her shoulder, making her tremble from the pain once again. She slightly tilts her head to the side, seeing Naofumi raising his hand towards her. A golden orb of light slowly gathered in his hand. She remembers the feeling of a warmth wave washes over her, like a nice bath her maid Mala used to prepare back when she was still a royal princess pampered by her Father and her retinue of servants. It would instantly wash her pain away.

She turns around and raises her left arm. Pressing the palm of her left hand into Naofumi to snuff out the healing spell he's forming. The Shield Hero looks surprised and confused. "Mein? Why did you-"

"Conserve your energy, Master Naofumi." The princess shakes her head. She hadn't had a good look at Naofumi since their escape. Things were happening fast with them doing their best to get away from Roger of Ajax, and Consevatie The Younger who still has the ability to kill Raphtalia with a simple verbal command. What followed after was them riding nonstop on Firo's back at her top speed, when she could barely register the scenery flying behind them, let alone looking back at her fellow escapees.

But now she has a moment to look at Naofumi, Mein can see that the Shield Hero isn't well. His skin looks pale, hair drenched with sweat, and he looks barely awake on his feet. While some of these signs of exhaustion could be attributed to their daring escape, she knows the fight he was involved in against Roger of Ajax would play the bigger part despite how short it was. Chief God's divine fire is a potent weapon for the faithful, but it's also known for its destructive tendency to harm the user first before it can be directed onto the enemy. And while the church promotes the idea that it's a weapon their lord granted only to his most devoted servants, she privately wonders if the true reason only those 'redeemed' penal legionnaires wield them was to limit the damage it would cause on the church personnel.

"The fight with Roger of Ajax took a heavy toll on all of us, Master Naofumi. Especially you when you used Chief God's fire against him. And we don't have time or luxury to stop, and get full rest before we find someone to treat Raphtalia. You want to conserve what strength you have left. Not waste them on something that'll naturally heal."

The Shield Hero remains dumbfounded for a brief moment, before he explodes in what the princess assumes to be worry, and fear induced panic. "But your shoulder is still cut open! If I don't heal it up, you might get a bad infection!"

"It'll be okay, Master Naofumi. This kind of thing does happen in war where healing magic or potion is in limited supply. And we have to go the old fashioned way to treat a battle wound. And it just so happens we have someone who should have been trained to deal with it." Mein turns her sight back to Sir Oersted. "They taught you how to do battlefield aid before they knighted you, right? Because my view on Prince Joseph would really drop down a cliff if he allowed someone to be knighted without properly preparing for it."

"Yeah, Sir Dillon did. Those thugs took my first aid kit away when we were captured. But one of the knights rescued us gave me his during our escape..." The young Gallion immediately jams his hand inside his armor. After ramming around a little, he pulls out a pouch. "But are you sure you want to do it, Miss Mein? It's going to be painful to sew your wound back."

"I'm not delicate! I'll do what I have to." Well... two months ago she can't imagine having her wound sewed back on rather than having it healed with a spell... or get a wound that cut her shoulder completely open for that matter. But Mein likes to think despite all her pretense, she's at least now a proper adventurer rather than a princess playing pretense. She has to grow tougher now that the Three Heroes' Church... and an insane incarnate from Naofumi's world wants her dead and Father dearest isn't going to be there to save her.

Sir Oersted fishes the needle out, and Mein helped sanitize it using her fire magic. And the young knight quickly, and grimly begins his work after threading his needle. He didn't mince his words, the process hurt as much as he alluded, probably more. Especially at the beginning when his hand was obviously shaking and sometimes he would stick his needle in Mein's flesh wrong. The princess bared it with as much dignity as she can muster in the circumstance... which is not a lot considering how often she lets out a pained screech or curse.

Throughout the entire process, Naofumi is... well, she wouldn't describe it as an unhappy pout. But it might as well have been. He is definitely sulking, despite holding her left hand in an attempt to lend her support. No doubt his sentimental nature made him feel like a failure in being unable to prevent her injury, or to help make it better when he clearly had a means to. Trying to distract him, Mein starts a conversation with him. By this point, Sir Oersted is confident with his needle work to work in a rhythm, so it's easier for the princess to not put all her focus into bearing the pain. "You should turn in now and rest, Master Naofumi. We only have limited time and have to get back to running for our lives when Firo wakes up."

"If I'm not healing you, at least let me sit through the operation with you." Naofumi's eyes look up at her, and then quickly turns away. She hopes it's not due to disgust one might have for looking at her grotesque injuries. What he said is completely illogical, but she can understand his stubbornness. She would have a hard time trying to fall asleep if the same thing happened to him. Thankfully, Sir Oersted finished the treatment not soon after.

The princess flexes the fingers on her hand. They still feel sluggish but at least she gained some movement of her dominant hand again, which is a good sign. Of course, she wouldn't know if there's going to be any lingering damage from Sister Amelia's sneak attack. They can't know for sure until she, since he isn't a properly trained healer and only knows basic battlefield aid as a knight.`

"You should take a rest now, Mein. We don't have much time to waste around, and we have to go on the run again as soon as Firo gets up." Naofumi turns his head around to cast a look at Firo. The gluttonous devil bird's snore is like a rumbling thunder. She was completely exhausted after their harrowing escape from Consevatie. And with Raphtalia still enslaved, they'll have to repeat the feat again to not give their position away to the reincarnate. "You were hurt the most back in Balafon."

"The Shield Hero speaks the truth, Miss Mein. You can Miss Raphtalia rest. The Shield Hero and I will take watches to make sure we are safe." Just like Naofumi, Sir Oersted immediately jumps at the chance to be the gentleman.

For the disguised princess, she does want to take their offer. Her shoulder might now be healed, but she still feels phantom pain even without moving around. But she gives a look in the other direction. Raphtalia is rocking back and forth, her arms crossed in front of her chest not in a show of aggression or intimidation. But looks more like she is trying to warm herself up. The Q'ten Lo princess might not been physically hurt by Consevatie himself, but he caused great pain to her in some other ways. Not to mention his band of sycophants had found creative ways to make her suffer like Sister Amelia demonstrated in their 'training' session. "No. Raphtalia looks like she needs some comfort. You two rest first, I'll make sure she is okay first before I sleep."

"Oh..." Naofumi turns his own head around to look at his other daughter. For a brief moment, his head dips low, briefly showing his sense of shame for neglecting one of his surrogate daughters. "But you need to take a break the most to recover. I'll go to Raphtalia and make sure she's okay."

"I think this case requires the delicate approach of a woman, Master Naofumi. No offense. I probably understand what Raphtalia is going through much better than you two." The Shield Hero still looks unconvinced. So was the young Gallian knight, for that matter. "Don't worry about me. Like Sir Oersted said. The arrow didn't hit anything vital. And I rested during our escape. You held me between your arms on Firo's back, and I was able to doze off a little while we were escaping. We can do it again when Firo wakes up if you worry I don't get enough rest. You boys go ahead. I'll make sure to call you if I feel something's wrong."

"Oh... alright. But don't push yourself too hard. You wake us up if you feel tired. Even if nothing happens." After a brief moment of silence, Naofumi nods his head slowly and with great hesitation. He clearly wasn't happy about going to sleep like this, but he seems to accept, with some sense of guilt, that Mein is better at the job than he will be. So he shuffles over to Firo with Oersted, and the two of them lean into her soft feathers before closing their eyes.

Now that the boys have taken their leave, Mein moves closer to Rapthalia and sits down beside her surrogate daughter. The raccoon girl's eyes are unfocused. Seemingly not even realizing what's happening all around her. So Mein leans her head closer, and whispers to Raphtalia. "Raphtalia? You want to talk about what happened?"

The raccoon girl's body suddenly grows tense with a shudder. Her eyes slowly focus on Mein's face, before cast down again. "There isn't anything to talk about. Mas- Consevatie pampered us while you and Master Naofumi were running for your lives. I shouldn't complain about anything... I don't have any right to."

"That's clearly not true. He might not be his creepy uncle." Raphtalia's body tense up once again. It makes Mein briefly wonder if she made a mistake, that she shouldn't have brought up the child loving bastard who caused the death of Raphtalia's best friend. But then again... it's not a good thing to have her live in denial either. Even without Raphtalia spelling it out, Mein can still hear the underlying message of how she feels she got off easy compared to her dead friend. "He didn't kill you intentionally, or through his negligence. But that doesn't mean he didn't hurt you in another way. I was there, I saw how he treated you. More like a trophy he paradeS around, than someone he genuinely cared about. He even let Amelia hurt you under the pretense of training. That's not the action of someone who truly cared."

Raphtalia becomes still at Mein's suggestion. For a brief moment, the two of them simply sit together in silence. Neither of them moves a muscle. And then, Raphtalia's lip twitches. The raccoon girl seems to be saying something, but Mein can't hear the quiet words so she moves closer. "He tried to manipulate Firo and I to hate you and Master Naofumi. He told me you were the first daughter of the king, and you were only nice to us so you can use us."

The princess feels like she's being punched in her gut. Somehow, these simple words hurt much more than that damn wavehound's fangs, the fire she used to cover her cursed scar with burn scar, or Sir Oersted's shoddy needlework when he tried to sew the flesh of her cut open shoulder back. Possibly combined together. She should have expected a rat like Consevatie The Younger would use her true identity against her, even if he is constantly on the verge of his own sanity. The mad reincarnate knew who she was from the beginning. They had an official courtship after all, no matter how much she regretted putting herself up with the fop. Now he had an extended period where he got to do whatever he wanted with Raphtalia, of course he would tell her the truth in an attempt to turn Raphtalia against her... and Naofumi by extension.

Expected or not, it doesn't soften the blow the moment Raphtalia exposed her lies out loud. Well, maybe not really out loud. More like the raccoon girl mumbled it under her breath that Mein had to struggle to even hear it but it matters not in the end. Honestly, the smarter thing to do would have been to convince Naofumi to not bother with Balafon at all and continue to run for their lives. Yet, she doesn't feel any sense of regret of rescuing someone who might have already been subverted by the insane reincarnate back into their party. Raphtalia (and Firo... maybe) doesn't deserve to be abused by that mad idiot who thought everyone besides him was some smart golem with more complex programming to emulate life. And deep down... there is also a sense of relief in the princess now that all the pretense will finally come down.

"That's why you didn't tell any of us who you really were, right? Because you used to be around bad people like Consevatie. And because your Father wanted bad things to happen to Master Naofumi." Raphtalia's next words completely surprises Mein. "You didn't want bad things to happen to Master Naofumi, or me. But you don't know how to approach us. So you pretended to be someone else."

The princess is once again at a loss of words. She didn't expect Raphtalia would still only assume the best things from her after everything they went through together. Especially not what Consevatie must have told her (which is probably very close to truth). Yet, just like the Shield Hero, she continues to see the best in other people.

If she wasn't a complete coward, Mein would tell Raphtalia, if not Naofumi everything. On how she really did plan to use them to further her own ambition. Her secret is out thanks to Consevatie The Younger, and she might use Raphtalia's kind nature to put in a good word for her to soften the blow of betrayal Naofumi no doubt would feel. She is the reason for his string of misfortune since his summoning after all. Instead, all she managed to squeeze through her teeth was much more underwhelming. "You don't mind how I've been lying to you?"

It's utterly pathetic how even when her scheme is dragged into the open. She still couldn't even muster enough courage to directly confess to her crime.

"Why should I? I didn't tell you who I was either at first." Raphtalia's reply makes Mein blinks her eyes. Well... technically it was true. As they didn't realize she was the lost princess of Q'ten Lo people till much later.

"There's a difference between our situation. Your whole family is killed in the first wave and there's nobody left to protect you. If you let other people know your lineage, you'll suffer a fate much worse than death." The princess looks down in shame, not daring to meet her eyes with her surrogate daughter. Not when their relationship is built on her lies. "My family is still alive and at the height of our power. If I had been honest from the start, a lot of these things wouldn't have happened."

"But bad people like Consevatie would have tried to kill you. Like he almost did in the capital... and I helped him." Raphtalia's reply sounds far away once again. Mein looks up, and sees the raccoon girl turning her face away. It's incredible how even after learning her treachery, Raphtalia is the one who felt guilt in the whole mess.

"We went through this, Raphtalia. You were only trying to protect yourself and Firo. So you didn't do anything wrong-"

"Then you didn't do anything wrong either, big sister Mein." The raccoon girl whips her head back to look at Mein in the eyes. For a brief second, her eyes seem to flicker, like she wants to avoid gazing into Mein's eyes. But Raphtalia takes a deep breath, and keeps her sight steady. "You were also only trying to protect yourself. And you didn't do anything bad to hurt us even if you didn't tell us who you were."

"Yeah, that's all it was... Both of us were trying to keep ourselves safe while also helping Naofumi." The princess repeated it three more times in her head. If she keeps telling the lie to herself, she might be able to believe it. "Did Consevatie also tell Firo? I can't imagine she'd keep it quiet like you did."

"No, Consevatie doesn't talk much with Firo. She just gets angry at him, and he doesn't like to spend time with her unless it's sparring." Raphtalia shakes her head. "I don't think she'd sit quietly and listen to the whole thing from Consevatie anyway. She'll probably just scream really loudly, complain he's boring her with words. Or maybe even try to kick him again."

Mein feels like an even bigger coward than before, but what Raphtalia said does give her an excuse to keep the pretense a bit longer. "Let's not share it with everyone just now. It'll only distract Naofumi when he learns I am not who I told him. I'll tell him everything once we get to somewhere safe and disappear. Like Zeltoble."

"Okay. If you think that's for the best, Big Sister Mein." Raphtalia nods her head with no hesitation. The raccoon girl didn't even show a hint of hesitation, or suspicion even after Mein's non-confession proving her deception.

The two of them settle into uneasy silence afterwards. The princess knows that she failed at her own goal of comforting Raphtalia due to her cowardice at admitting her own treachery. Instead of making Raphtalia feel more sure of herself, Mein did the opposite. Leaving the raccoon girl with more questions, and more room to question her own actions. And knowing Raphtalia's personality, she would end up blaming herself for some perceived failure rather than the one who was truly responsible for their misfortune. Among Firo's loud snoring, Mein asks in a hushed voice. Trying to at least distract Raphtalia from her growing sense of guilt. "You don't happen to know what's been going on here in Rabier County, would you? Raphtalia?"

"What do you mean, Big Sister Mein?" Raphtalia turns her face towards the princess. Good, that at least got her attention rather than leaving her sulking in her misery.

"You remember this land, right? That's the place where Naofumi got kidnapped by that group of Siltvelt Ravens." Raphtalia nods at Mein's question, letting the princess know that she is paying attention. "The Rabier County was the bandit central of Melromarc. To the point people nicknamed it 'the stolen land'. There should still be a bandit group atop every hill, hiding in every cave even after we took down their leader, the Bitch Lord. It's not even a month since that happened. The remaining bandits should still be fighting each other, and the host the local lord raised to pacify them. But we didn't see any sign of recent fighting while Firo ran through most of Rabier County. I was wondering if you heard anything while you were with Consevatie."

"No... maybe there was something. But I didn't pay any attention. I was mostly concentrating on keeping my head down to avoid trouble. For myself, and Firo... especially Firo. I really should have paid more attention..." Raphtalia's head drops into her chest once again. Mein feels like slapping herself, on how her attempt at diverting Raphtalia's attention only ends up with her feeling worse.

"It's alright. It's not a big deal not knowing why there isn't more fighting. You did the right thing keeping your head down, and keeping Firo out of trouble. I was just curious, that's all." Mein feels a headache slowly creeping up on her. She leans closer to Raphtalia, and wraps her arms around her surrogate daughter's shoulders.

"Well... there was something. When Consevatie's cousin brought his men and his crates of holy water, he said something about an undead thunder lizard rampaging through the north. It supposedly killed a lot of people till the three heroes brought it down. I didn't pay much attention to him, since Consevatie gets angry around his cousin. But that's probably why there's not many bandits around." Raphtalia's voice is slow, as if she was unsure of herself but still doing her best to recount the event. Ironically, it's something that's more of an afterthought in her narration that caught Mein's attention more.

"Consevatie's cousin gave him crates of holy water? The same ones we used to free some of the Balafon people and Firo?" Raphtalia nods her head, making the princess drift off into her own thoughts. When Jackson dugout Consevatie's holy water stash, Mein had assumed it's something the insane reincarnate got from his superiors from the Three Heroes' Church. It would make sense that if they are going to force a good number of Melromarc people into indentured service, they need to also have a way to release them from their forced bondage.

The reason for it could vary. And there are a few good possible explanations. It could be to truly reward those who are faithful to their cause. Or it could be bait to give the slaves a false sense of hope to one day be freed so they would continue to perform their labor rather than give up is relevant. It could also be insurance in case the noble houses get too rowdy in thinking the church is stepping over their own power and band together to demand the church step back on their power grab. It's not important which hypothesis turns out to be true in the end. The point was that if the Three Heroes' Church decided forcing people into slavery is a good strategy to get through the ongoing crisis, they needed a way to release the people from it. Therefore it makes sense to supply their agents who are enslaving people with stashes of holy water.

But the fact that Consevatie The Younger got it from his cousin leaves some interesting interpretation. The first, most obvious point is that he might not even have any right to force Melromarc people into indentured service to begin with. Enslavement is used as a form of punishment for people who broke the law. And while there is definitely a lot of fudging between the lines by crooked officials in how these 'criminals' exchange hands, straight up slave trading like they are property is against Melromarc law. So is taking innocent men into indentured service against their will, for that matter. If it's done to demi-human like Yukari and her brother, most officials would not blink their eyes as not many people care about the well being of demi-human. But that's clearly not the case with most of Balafon's people being pure human.

Another interesting fact brought up by Raphtalia. Consevatie's cousin was the one who brought him the stash. Which means it either comes from the infamous child lover... or his elder brother. Lord Grima, Lord Paramount of Northeast Melromarc (even if it's mostly in name only), and the culture minister of Father and Mother's court. If the stash is from the vulture himself, it would make sense as the sick fucker deals with illegal slave trading of children to satisfy his own sick pleasure. But if it's from Consevatie's Father...

Mein shudders at the thought. She would definitely be unearthing a conspiracy that's too big for herself. Even if she regains her royal status. Lord Grima had made himself dear to both Father, and the Three Heroes' Church in Mother's absence. But he was still originally, one of Mother's creatures. Mother personally appointed him to oversee northeast Melromarc in a misguided ploy to break the Crusader Block after The Great War. If he was involved in an illegal slave trading ring, it would be a huge stain on Mother, and entire House Melromarc's reputation. Which means it'll come back to bite Mein's own behind even if she doesn't get herself killed in this conspiracy. Yeah, she'll throw the discovery back into the hole she pulled it out and pretend to have never seen it.

"Big Sister Mein? Are you okay? You are... shaking. Are you cold?" Rapthalia's voice breaks Mein out of the nightmare the enslaved princess managed to dig herself into.

"I'm fine, Raphtalia. Thank you for telling me what you know. I think we have enough evidence to nail Consevatie onto a wooden pole once... if someone brings order back to Melromarc." Mein gives a few comforting pats on Rapthalia's shoulder.

"Oh, okay. I'm glad I was able to help. But if we really do get Consevatie crucified, you think they'll let me hammer in a few nails? He deserves it, after what he did to you, Master Naofumi, Kyubey... and everyone else." Raphtalia's usually soft and awkward voice slowly turns sharper, vindictive near the end. Mein is actually happy about this development. Raphtalia's resentment towards Consevatie is a good thing. It means she'll focus more on blaming the insane fuckboy for what he deserved, rather than beating herself over something she is innocent of.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait in line behind me and Master Naofumi, Raphtalia. I think the two of us deserves the first swing at Consevatie more. Well... maybe not Master Naofumi because he doesn't have the ATK rating for it. But he's creative, I'm sure he'll think of something to punish Consevatie." Mein and Raphtalia giggles to themselves. They spend the rest of their watch coming up with creative hypothetical ways to torture, or embarrasse Consevatie once he gets rightfully condemned. By the time Naofumi and Oersted woke up from their brief rest, even Mein is feeling a bit light on the head. As innocent as Raphtalia is (or perhaps because of it), she can come up with some delightful, if not quite cruel way to make Consevatie regret all the bad things he did.

Mein wakes up with the world spinning around her, and a bigger headache than that time Bed-Chan screamed near her. She feels very hot in her armor, so she tries to move her left hand to pull at her armor. She briefly wonders if she remembered everything wrong, and it's her left shoulder that got shot by Sister Amelia. Because she can barely move her limbs.

"Big sister Mein is awake!" The princess can hear the desperate cry of Raphtalia, but she can barely see anything even as she opens her eyes. There's a lot of black spots, and blurred lines in her eyes. Mein takes a few labored breaths and blinks her eyes, her vision slowly becomes clearer, even if she's still looking through the world through deep bottles.

"She's burning up. I know how to make fever medicine, but I don't have the tools to do it! Damn that Consevatie! He took all the supplies Mein bought in Gallia City when he threw us into the dungeon!" Naofumi's voice sounds desperate, disjointed. But she managed to get the important part. She's sick, just like Raphtalia was when they first bought her from that slaver.

"If we continue north, we'll get to Reichnott County. We can get medicine, or tools to make medicine for Miss Mein there. If we can get some money..." Sir Oersted looks around. He clearly knows how much they are hurting for coins right now.

"Consevatie give me some money. We should have enough to get medicine for big sister Mein." Raphtalia immediately jumps in, and fishes out a leather pouch from underneath the the Three Heroes' Church robe she is wearing. There's definitely some glitter inside, even if Mein can't see it well from where she is lying on the ground.

"No... NO! We... keep going!" The princess sucks in another few labored breaths. She finally found enough strength to flail her left arm around and get everyone's attention. Even with her mind addled, she knows the importance for them to keep at least one step ahead of Consevatie. "Can't afford to delay. Consevatie... right behind us!"

"This is no time to play tough, Mein! You got sick, and you'll die if we don't do anything!" Naofumi turns around on his heels to look at her. He sounds frustrated, possibly even angry. The princess hopes he is angry at her for getting sick and delaying their escape, and not at himself again.

She wants to tell the Shield Hero that if they stay around to get medicine for him, it might be enough time for Consevatie to catch up and start tracing them with Raphtalia's slave seal. They'll not be able to escape in that case. And her death planned by Consevatie will definitely be much more painful than if she succumbs to whatever ailment she is currently under. But she has no strength left to argue with him when she falls face down into the grass once again.

The princess feels a pair of arms scooping her up, propping her back against a warm body behind her as she's dumped onto something that feels soft as a cushion. Probably Firo's body, and her feathers makes sitting on her much more pleasant than it otherwise would have been. The pair of strong arms wraps around her side, making sure she's secure, and then the world begins to violently shake. She drifts in, and out of consciousness where the only thing she feels is the violent rocking of the soft 'cushion' underneath her, and the arms and body keeping her from falling down.

Mein loses track of time, and she's lying face up on the ground again when she finally fully comes back to consciousness. To her surprise, she's under a roof rather than the sky, or maybe under the shade of some large tree. The building she is inside is constructed of wood. But they are cut into proper boards and nailed together as opposed to a bunch of logs lined up together like some of the shakes in Balafon.

How long had she been out? Was she so out of it, that she didn't even feel when she was moved down from Firo's back? But more importantly, where is she? And where is everyone else? Is the place they are resting right now safe? Her resting under a roof suggests they have reached civilization. Which is not a good thing in this case with the the Three Heroes' Church, and Consevatie The Younger no doubt hot on their trail. Staying inside a town leaves clues for them to follow, especially if nobody thought about covering their tracks with a fake identity, or if their lie gets discovered by whoever they are trying to deceive. She doesn't know what she'd do if they are captured by Consevatie again because she got sick ... perhaps commiting suicide by bite her own tongue off so she doesn't have to suffer any torture from Consevatie, most likely. But she hope it doesn't come to that... because she doesn't know if she has enough nerve to commit suicide when push comes to shove.

As if to answer her questions, she hears the sound of a door creaking open. The princess manages to tilt her head slightly up. It's even greater effort than she was climbing up the side of a mountain south of Balafon in their effort to avoid Consevatie's men.

Raphtalia runs into the room first. She's back to her child form, and wearing a set of cloth that's haphazardly sewn together with several pelt. Her face instantly brightens up, as she runs over to Mein's side. "You are awake, Big Sister!"

"Wow. Easy there, kiddo. Your big sister isn't fully healed yet." A new voice sneaks its way into Mein's ears. It belongs to a man, at least a decade older than Naofumi but nowhere near the age of Father or uncle Aldrecht. Maybe around Coach Zellus' age. Mein moves her eyes up, and focuses on the men behind Raphtalia. The man has tanned skin, his dirty blond hair cut short. The bushy beard on his face and around his mouth makes him look older than he probably is. Although the way he chews the root of a piece of straw does make him look younger. Like Raphtalia, he is also wearing something sewn together with a monster pelt, but he wears a set of dirty scale mail over his cloth. The armor itself is dull, worn by age but still well taken care of despite only being made of cheap iron.

There is the sound of rapid footsteps, and both Naofumi and Sir Oersted push their way into the room after the blond man. The Shield Hero in particular looks relieved to see her waking. "Mein! I was worried you wouldn't wake! Your body got more and more burnt up, and I thought I lost you near the end!"

"It takes more than a little fever to stop me, Master Naofumi. I'm too stubborn to die." Despite the sorry state she is in, Mein smiles at the Shield Hero. She takes another look at the room she is in. There is a wooden shutter that's open, but all she sees is more trees rather than other buildings. "Where are we?"

"You are in my humble little shack, Young Miss. We are about half a day's walk to Count Reichnott's keep, I think? Depends on how fast you walk. Or if you have a steed. I guess." The blonde man with the beard moves closer to her bed, and Mein notices he's holding a bowel in his left hand, steam slowly raises up. So they got help from some woodsman living alone? Better than if Naofumi charged right into a town on top of Firo, although still not the most ideal situation. "Stubborn or not, it's time for your medicine. You wouldn't get better if you skip on it."

Naofumi takes the bowel over from the older man. He kneels beside Mein's bed, and she sees the black liquid inside the bowel. It appears that just like the demi-human from Mother Sylvia's church, this woodsman has knowledge of Siltvelt's herbal medicine. With Naofumi's help, she begins to slowly take in the bitter liquid for her own good. "Thank you for your aid, Sir...?"

"Not any of this 'sir' business, Little Miss. Never been a knight in my life, even if I'm a man of faith." The blonde man chuckles again, even if his answer makes Mein's heart beat faster. The man doesn't look like a former priest, but looks can be deceiving and she can't imagine how he would react once he learns who they are. "Name's Eder. I'd shame Atlus if I turned away people from my door when they needed help."

Atlus... that's the name the former Albion people give to the Holy Spirit, isn't it? So he follows the path of the Holy Spirit?

Could he know about that uprising after the Great War?

Omake: Sacrifice of the Chevalier Princess

This is not the first time she walked through the hallway lined up with torches towards the prince's study. The castle had been her home since her birth after all. Yet this time, it feels almost alien. Maybe it's the way neither servants nor guards are present. But the corridor feels much longer than she ever remembered as her steps echo in the empty hallway.

At the end of her walk, the door to the prince's study stops her. She hesitates only for a brief moment before pushing through. Once again, the room feels completely alien despite her spending time with Father in his study when he would go over all the documents in regard to ruling the realm while she quietly read one of Father's books. Letting her mind take her through time and space, into the world she never saw with her own eyes. Perhaps it's because all the niceties that used to decorate her father's large, yet cozy study are gone. Pawned off to whoever is willing to pay them coin to fund their effort to rebel against the Siltvelt invaders. But most likely, it's because who is now sitting behind the desk. Not Father, who would constantly let his eyes wander from the document he is reading to look at her with a warm fondness.

Uncle... no, Prince Joseph doesn't look that different from Father on account of them being brothers. But the lines of his face feel more jagged with his stern expression. And he didn't even raise an eyebrow the whole time she was in his study. The current prince of Gallia has his eyes fixed on his desk, while his quill moves nonstop over the parchment.

"Charlotte." Prince Joseph didn't bother to lift his eyes and look at her even as he addressed her. "House Melromarc is requesting me to send one of my daughters for them to foster. Tell me, who should I send? Clever Isabella? Brave Josephine? Or Alethea who is still too young to understand anything?"

The royal family is asking for a political hostage from House De Gallia disguised as fostering after Prince Joseph's failed attempt to force House Melromarc to step down as their ruler. There is only one right answer.

"I will volunteer myself, Uncle." She bows her head, and her upper body down. Till she can't even see her uncle from her peripheral vision. Ironically, she can feel Prince Joseph's gaze on her now she can no longer see him. "You have taken care of my mother and I after my father's death at the hand of the Siltvelt invaders. It is only right for me to repay your kindness by offering myself to House Melromarc."

After a brief moment of silence, Prince Joseph's reply is to the point and empty of any warmth. "House De Gallia thank you for your sacrifice, Charlotte."

Another hallway, this one much more well lit than the old stone wall of Gallia Castle. Unlike the ancient fortress, the Menageries Grand Hotel dated much younger, and is constantly being renovated to offer the best sense of luxury. It is the face of Cal Mira Archipelago, the eternal neutral ground mandated by countless generations of heroes and the official place to host the revered heroes when they need to sit down in a conference to discuss the future of their world.

Despite its pristine white wall and large windows that reach from the floor to ceilings letting in warm sunlight, the oppressive feeling is the same as the Gallia Castle Sir Tabitha walked through in her youth. It may be a resort that offers the pinnacle of hospitality, but it's still only a gilded prison for someone under house arrest. And right now, her queen is walking through the hallway towards King Egbert's suite to discuss the crisis that's currently happening back home.

Her liege's face looked calm on the outside, but Tabitha knew her enough to see the brooding storm underneath her eyes. The Three Heroes' Church, one of her queen's most powerful allies, had turned on her, and went into conflict with the summoned heroes. Heroes who were summoned illegally into Melromarc, without the consent of other nations. To say the situation was bad was like saying Melromarc would have been better off if The Great War didn't happen.

"Open the door. Your king is expecting us." Queen Mirellia commands the guards in front of the door to King Egbert's suite in her most regal voice. Yet, Tabitha could see the way they scoff and turn their noses at her as they move to comply. If her liege felt indignant for such a slight, she didn't let it show on her face.

By contrast, King Egbert's response is much warmer. Almost unbearably so. He raises the wine glass in his hand as he lets his diminished form lean further into the well cushioned arm chair he is currently sitting in. While a pair of beautiful demi-human slaves continue to rub his feet. "AH! Cousin Milie! It's always a pleasure whenever you grace me with a visit!"

"I'm afraid there is no time left for pleasantries, Cousin Bert." Her liege's voice is clipped, betraying the sense of urgency she no doubt feels deep inside. "Things had truly turned dire in my nation. The fanatics of the Three Heroes' Church had completely gone out of control, even going against the wishes of their Pope in a misguided attempt to purge the Shield Hero, who they believe is a demon. You need to grant me the permission to return to my country where I can put things back to order. If the current situation is allowed to continue, the Shield Hero could be killed, and it'll be the end of everybody, including you."

"Have a seat, maybe a drink. Cousin Millie. There is always time for pleasantries." By contrast, the king of Faubley simply waves his free hand at the empty armchair in front of him in a lazy manner. "As for your release from your current house arrest. I do want to help you, Cousin Millie. For old time's sake, if nothing else. After all, you would have been my queen and the bond of our respective dynasties would have been further strengthened if your Mother Lianne had her way. Alas, life tends to keep us away from good things. So I can't simply let you return to your home without even a slap on the wrist. The House of Lords would not have it, and it would be my feet being roasted on the stove. If you want permission to leave... well, I'm afraid you need to give me something to let me convince my fellow lords that I didn't let you off easy with nepotism."

Her liege visibly takes a deep breath to calm down, and sits across from the Faubley king. "Have I not given up enough when I give you the hand of my first born daughter, Cousin Bert? What more do you want when I already trusted you with my chosen heir?"

"Let's not mince our words here, my dear Cousin Millie. Malty was never your chosen heir, because you wanted to raise someone more like your sister, not yourself to take the throne. And despite her likeness to you, we both know Malty is nothing more than a pale imitation of you. But that's the main problem at our hands, isn't it?" King Egbert downs his drink in one go. And it seems like a message to his slave servants, as both of them quickly scampers away, disappearing from sight into the backroom of the Faubley King's suite. "Both my spies, and yours know of Malty's exploit since this sordid affair started. She had managed to make herself quite endearing to the Shield Hero, and his fellow summoned heroes. With our agreement on Malty's betrothal to me being a verbal agreement rather than something more legally binding, she would not willingly part way with a young, vigorous hero to marry the infamous 'pig king of Faubley'."

"Her wants, or the heroes' wants for that matter, are irrelevant. Malty has enjoyed more than twenty summers of her life with the privilege of royalty. It's time she pays it back with the responsibility she owes the realm as one of the royal family." Her liege's words make Tabitha feel cold. Colder than the ice Tabitha conjures up with the combination of her water and air magic. It's the same tone Prince Joseph used when he talked about House De Gallia's 'fostering' under House Melromarc.

"Be that as it may. Even if you could somehow manage to deliver your promise, which I highly doubt. It still doesn't change the fact that you already promised Malty's hand to me back during Alducray's fuckup during the Plague of the Wailing Death. The House of the Lords knows it, even if it was never put in a formal contract. And you finally fulfill the promise you made over a decade ago. Considering his newest round of hairbrained scheme, I need something more to plug up the gossiping mouths of my lords and ladies." King Egbert's finger drums on the handle of his arm chair. The pig king isn't a powerful man in terms of his stature. Yet, every click of his finger on the wooden handle feels like a warhammer to Tabitha's chest.

"I will not give you the hand of Melty too. Is your hatred of Aultcray so incandescent, you would completely deprive me of a single heir?" Queen Mirellia narrows her eyes and glares at King Egbert. Let it not be said that the Red Queen of Melromarc is a weak ruler. For even in her most vulnerable moment, she would still bite back at someone who has her by the throat rather than grovel for clemency.

"And why should I NOT hate that pathetic pretender?! What even was he, but a cousin whose bloodline is so distant to me, he might as well have been born a commoner? If not for my Father's favor, he and his younger sister wouldn't even have their names remembered by the chronicler. Yet, he was the one who the nobility wanted to sit on the throne of Noble Faubley? The True Prince of Noble Faubley. For what? Because I had some fun with a few slaves when I was young and unwise?!" The pig king jumps off his armchair, and begins to stomp in circles. Despite his stature, the intense wave of rage rolling off him makes him feel three men tall. "As if he didn't have his own vices, with the way he fusses over his younger sister! I wouldn't be surprised there's something highly unbecoming between the two of them behind closed doors! Jasmine kept the throne of Tristan empty for his return, even if he'll never go back to her!"

The king of Faubley isn't done, as he turns around to look at Queen Mirellia with a lot of indescribable emotion behind his eyes. "As if that's not enough. After he ran away from his duties my Father entrusted him. He has the sheer gall to take you from me! Lord Charles Dance Belproven, Arya Von Tasmeria... the true king and queen of Noble Faubley... they would have been nothing if I had you ruling by my side as my queen! I would have put them both, and that senile mountain goat Dumbledore all in their places! Of course, I hate him more than anything in this world. The commoner trash who pretended to be a prince, and took everything I wanted away from me!"

"Are you done yet? Cousin Bert? I care not for your personal vendetta against my husband. After his latest stunt, I have half a mind to tie and gag him, and ship him to you for punishment." Queen Mirellia met King Egbert's white hot anger with her ice cold fury. Unlike Tabitha, she doesn't look very impressed at the king's display.

"Ah. A tempting offer. Excuse my outburst. But let's not pretend you would keep mad at that sentimental old fool long enough to make good on the promise, shall we?" This time, it's the Faubley King who takes a deep breath to re-center himself as he jumps back into his arm chair. "Plus, it doesn't give any benefit to Noble Faubley even if you have the gut to follow it through. No, I want something more tangible. Noble Faubley has the best air cavalry between our nations, and we'll need them at their peak to contend with House Dainn's wyvern riders from Siltvelt. In that, I'll need a good commander."

"I was under the impression you are already very pleased with the head of your air cavalry Sir Tansy. Not many knights can claim that they bested a dragon and forced it into serving her. Not a wyvern, not a drake. An actual, full-blooded dragon." For the first time since she arrived in King Faubley's suite, Queen Mirellia takes the filled wine glass up and takes a single sip.

"Don't get me wrong, my dear Cousin Millie. Tansy is an unparalleled fighter, and the only one who can claim to be her better are those who are bonded with a hero weapon. But just because she's a great fighter, doesn't mean she is a great commander of the army. Her go to method when going into war is always 'everyone follow me, full speed ahead'! And she can't even get along with her fellow commanders, if her long feud with Sir Aphrodite, the commander of my manticore corps, is an indication. I need someone who could lead my air cavalry to victory." King Egbert raises his finger to point at Tabitha's direction, and the honored Chevaliar feels her heart drop into her stomach. "I want the service of your air cavalry commander, Sir Tabitha."

Tabitha turns her head towards her queen in almost desperate urgency. As before, Queen Mirellia's face is passive, not betraying any personal emotions. "If you want a new toy from a noble house to break, there are better candidates. I'm sure I can give you someone else without crippling my own air cavalry."

"Oh, you truly wounded me. My dear Cousin Millie." The Faubley King presses both of his hands over his heart, as if he truly is suffering a crippling blow to his chest. "I'm content with playing my role as the stupid 'pig' king of Faubley. But you should know me better than that. Yes, I had lived a naughty, naughty life when I was young. Something I now deeply regret, as it pushed you into the arms of that Chief God damned pretender. But now? I don't do something like this simply to satisfy my base desire."

Queen Mirellia stays silent for a few moments, and then she sounds like she's squeezing every syllable through her gritted teeth. "If you aren't going to get yourself a House Melromarc Queen, you want to settle for a House De Gallia Queen. Aren't you?"

"So what if I do? Dear Cousin Millie. There's no love lost between you and Prince Joseph is there? Even if I want to have a backdoor claim to House De Gallia's seat with a half Gallian daughter, it would only help you in return by weakening your biggest rival to your throne." King Egbert raises his left hand and props his face up. The precious gemstones embedded on the rings around his fingers gives his smirk a sinister shine. "Don't be stubborn, and let the nation, Aunt Lianne and Cousin Greta leave you fallen into ruin due to your hubris."

"You have no right speaking of them in this manner!" Woods cracks under Queen Mirellia's hands as she completely crushes the ancient wood handles. Something almost as durable as mithril.

Yet, despite the rage Queen Mirellia is showing, Tabitha knows better. This is where her courage disappears, for the queen above all else, loves the nation her Mother and sister passed down to her. There is no price she would not pay, if the alternative is letting the nation they left her to govern fails.

"I meant no disrespect to aunt Lianne and cousin Greta of course, my dear Cousin Millie. But you have to also recognize the challenges I face as the ruler of Noble Faubley. You know as well as I do, that even if I want to give you the world for old time's sake, my lords and ladies will not allow it. And if I let you go without a sufficient retribution, they will take power away from me, claiming I'm no longer fit to rule. And the next step will be a crusade against Melromarc, that'll surely see the nation come to ruin in the aftermath. Don't let it happen due to your hubris."

The labored breath of her liege slowly calms down. After a short while, Queen Mirellia turns to look at Tabitha. "Sir Tabitha. As you heard. From this day onward, you are a knight of Noble Faubley. Serve King Egbert faithfully, as you did to myself."

The princess of House De Gallia, the Chevalier of House Melromarc. None of these titles mattered in the end. This had always been how much she was worth. Too valuable as a pawn that'll be senselessly thrown away, but not too valuable to not be traded away in a bargain. The princess of Gallia bows her head in submission. "As you wish, my liege."

End Note:

The suggestion Commissar Gaunt made this time was having Malty's wound sew shut with convensional healing method instead of having Naofumi heal it with his healing magic. And of course, have Malty get a fever from it. While his original suggestion was more in line of my 'too much healing magic will hurt a patient because a body can only take so much magic even when it's for healing nature' line of thought. I changed the reason a bit more for Malty asking Naofumi to conserve his strength. Because one, none of them are professionally trained healer so they wouldn't know how much magic healing is 'too much' till it's too late. Plus, I think Malty notice him already tired from his brief fight against Roger of Ajax flows better from the last arc.

In case anyone of you wonder what torture Raphtalia suggested like Angel Wrath. In my head she suggested something more like childish prank. Like leaving bugs in his hair and cloth while forcing him to run circles. Or force him to do embarrassing stuff like dance around in his loincloth. But yeah, feel free to substitute your own idea of what's the best way to torture an annoying and smug SIOC.

:)

Since the whole post The Great War rebellion in Defiant Bay was directly inspired by Saint's War from Pillars of Eternity (if name dropping a location from PoE wasn't enough clue), I always have thought about letting Eder makes an appearance since I added that event to Melromarc's history. So Malty get sick is a great opportunity for them to run into Eder here.

For this chapter's Omake. I been wanting to get to this part for a LONG LONG~ time, but I got too lazy to push it out earlier. So yeah... that happened. I legitimately made Pig King of Faubley THE smartest ruler in the world. In my story, he is someone we Chinese would use the phrase 'pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger (and not the paper tiger variety)' for. The queen returns to her nation not by intimidating her opponent, or smart political manuevering. She did it by selling out another one of her loyal servants. God save us from the queen indeed.

And funny enough... unlike characters like Malty or Pope Balmus (and Trash, to a lesser extend) I NEVER intended to give any depth to Pig King of Faubley because... well, how he was portrayed in canon should speak for itself. Much of his change in my story is me working around what changes I made to Melromarc's king and queen, specifically how their past shaped them into the people they become at present time. And the change to Piggard happened naturally afterwards.

Obviously I never intended to have him be a reflection of Malty, but I think fitting he shares a lot of similarity with her considering they had a secret betrothal. Much like Malty, he's also the rightful heir to his nation but had his position replaced by an upstart who were never supposed to be there due to their own vice in their youth. Although in Piggard's case, his father really did adopt Trash and his sister only with the intention of having Trash serving him during his reign. And it's was the powerful lords (especially the Shield faction) underneath the king who plotted to put Trash on the throne because they consider Piggard unfit to rule. So yeah... if Malty had gone ahead and married her uncle, she would obviously become a different person than this story, but she would have had a good life like her mother expected... whipping boy's impending future coup not withstanding.