"The deer jumped over the…creek? Is that it?"

"Close, but not quite," Arriet corrected, leaning closer in her seat to point out the foreign word on the paper. "This means 'stream'. You got the meaning behind it though."

Mitchell looked down at the sheet of paper in front of him. "Ah okay, I see now. Thanks."

"Mhm," the harpist returned. "I believe you're making excellent headway on this, Mitch."

"It really feels like it," Mitchell agreed, leaning back in his seat with a small, satisfied smile. He looked around.

Sasha could be seen at the makeshift kitchen getting food prepared for lunch. She had quite the job, but she worked like a woman on a routine. The children sat around several smaller tables nearby. One of the tables was being taught by Zullie, who took to the role with aplomb.

It had been several days since Sasha first invited him back to the orphanage. The first day had been pretty eventful for Mitchell, especially as he'd been able to wow the kids with whatever stories he could remember. It was the second day where things got interesting. Zullie had offered to help around the orphanage, seeing it as a great use of her time. Mitchell had a sneaking suspicion that she was unwilling to pass up a chance to be around him though.

But despite being new to the orphanage, Zullie had found herself well-liked by the kids, especially once they found out she could use magic. The hunter grew amused when he saw her completely forgetting about him when interacting with the kids, having dedicated herself to her new tutor role. And since Mitchell figured he could kill two birds with one stone, he offered himself to be tutored alongside the kids, much to their surprise.

Which brought them to now.

Mitchell looked back down at the paper in front of him as an idle thought came to him. The paper was surprisingly high quality for the time period here, but he recalled that everything he had seen in this world so far seemed to be hand-written. "Hey, Ettie, I was wonderin'. How often do you run into books outside of libraries?"

Arriet paused, looking up in thought. "Not very often, I'd say. The production of new literature is often time-consuming and costly to produce in large numbers."

"Oh, I see now. I noticed that everything looks hand-written here. Is that why?"

The woman looked at him curiously. "Yes, you'd be correct. Whenever more books are needed or requested, they find a dedicated scribe to write them."

Mitchell withheld a wince. "All of 'em are hand-written, huh? No wonder Melissa's library was makin' so much money."

"Oh yes," Arriet concurred, giving an emphatic nod. "Melissa was blessed to have such a collection of literature at her disposal. She had inherited it from her family, or so I've heard."

Mitchell hummed, frowning as he recalled the fall of Toulouse. 'And she lost it all in just a day. I kinda wish I could do something for her.'

"I'm curious," Arriet inquired, idly rubbing her thumb over the paper. "Are books common where you're from?"

Mitchell chuckled. "Yeah, I'd say so. More than we know what to do with at times. We mass-produce our books through printing presses." At that, he suddenly paused. 'Wait, the printing press? Maybe I could tell Melissa about that later.'

"That's a surprise," Arriet remarked, her brows raised. "But a welcome one. I must ask though, what is a 'printing press'?"

"Ah, that. It's a mechanism that prints out many pages at a high rate." Mitchell leaned forward, grabbing his paper. "Lemme give you an example. It could take this paper here an' print the first page of a book like this–" he gripped a book and stamped it against the paper, "–and another piece of paper will slide into position an' do the same however many times. Then the process will repeat for page two and the rest of the pages in the book until finished."

"That sounds like a marvelous invention," Arriet marveled, clearly impressed. "Such a thing would be worth its weight in gold here. And are these books available for everyone where you're from?"

"Yep." Mitchell nodded lazily. He saw that Zullie had moved onto the next kid, a young boy who looked frustrated at his paper. He turned to look back at her curiously. "I'm guessin' that folks here don't have the same access to literature?"

Arriet shook her head. "Sadly, no. The Order regulates what literature is allowed in the various kingdoms as well as who's allowed to read it." She looked down at the table. "I admit that I was one of the privileged few who grew up with books."

Mitchell noticed her wistful, almost somber expression. Curiosity about her childhood grew in him, but he hesitated. Would he let this moment pass him by, or would he be courageous? He pushed through the hesitation. "Would you like to tell me more? I'd like to know more about ya, if you're willin'."

Arriet looked up in surprise. Seeing Mitchell's sincere expression, a soft smile spread over her lips. "Of course. I don't mind." She shifted her chair to face him before resting her hands in her lap. "What would you like to know?"

"Well, you already know where I'm from, so let's start with somethin' similar," Mitchell began, swiveling his own seat to face her better. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't quite hide his enthusiasm. "Sasha had mentioned to me before that you're from a place called Ronét, but I wanted to hear it from you."

Arriet couldn't fight an amused smile at Mitchell's expression. "Oh, she did, hm? Well, she's quite right. I was born in the agricultural town of Sarsbourg in the kingdom of Ronét. I was raised in nobility by my family bearing the Archaletta name."

Mitchell didn't bother containing his surprise. "You're nobility?"

The harpist's gaze softened and her smile seemed to wane a bit. "Yes, I was. But no longer though, as my mother and father had a falling out with the rest of my family after I was stripped of my title."

"Ah shoot, Ettie, I'm sorry," Mitchell apologized, feeling embarrassed for bringing up such a topic. "You don't have to talk about this if ya don't want to."

"It's fine, Mitchell, I don't mind," Arriet reassured, reaching over to give Mitchell's leg a friendly pat. "You couldn't have known." Her smile returned. "Truth be told, it feels good to share this with someone. So by all means, let's continue."

Mitchell breathed out a small sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear it." His earlier curiosity returned in force. "What was it like there in your hometown?"

"Oh, it's a beautiful place." Arriet leaned back in her seat, reminiscing. "Sarsbourg is a town built with wonderful architecture going back over a hundred years. Surrounded by rolling hills and fields full of wheat and crops as far the eye can see."

Mitchell smiled, easily envisioning such a sight. Arriet continued. "The town is well-known throughout Ronét for its food products, particularly its specially-made 'Sarsbourg Sweet Bread'." There was no mistaking the fondness in her voice.

"Now that sounds real good," Mitchell drawled. "I take it that it's a delicacy?"

"Absolutely," Arriet attested, making a gesture akin to spreading butter on something. "Especially if you place honey or berry jam on it! It's a wonderful dessert. I'll have to see if we can't find some at some point, because you simply must try it!"

Mitchell grinned, ignoring the subtle growl in his stomach at the topic. "Sounds like a plan. You really got me curious now."

"Right?"

"But I'm wonderin'," the hunter continued, giving Arriet a knowing look. "I recall you mentioning that you got your lyre from your mother. Is that where ya got into music?"

At the topic of music, Arriet's eyes lit up and her smile widened. But just as she was about to continue, there was a knock at the front doors. Everyone looked over as Sasha hurried over from the kitchen. She could be seen greeting someone before a man stepped through the entrance. Immediately, Mitchell could see that he was in his very late teens, with reddish brown hair. He wore a simple white tunic with brown trousers, and a sword could be seen hanging at his side. At the sight of the young man, the children grew excited. "Elt!"

At their exclamation, a few of them, particularly young Lisia and another older girl Mitchell learned was named Amanda, slid out of their seats and hurried to embrace him. The man, Elt, gave them a boyish smile as he braced himself for their collision. Mitchell didn't miss the quick, confused glance he gave the three newcomers though.

Mitchell turned to Arriet, disappointment passing through him at the interruption. "Maybe we can pick this up later?"

Arriet nodded, smiling apologetically. "Later."

Mitchell nodded, just in time as he turned to see Zullie making her way over. "You have fun, Zee?"

Zullie hummed affirmingly, looking over at the children crowding around their new guest. "Very much so…" She glanced at him with a knowing smirk. "They were quite…tickled at the fact…that an adult was…learning the same things…they were."

"I'll bet," Mitchell drawled in mock resignation. He gave a 'what can you do' shrug. "We all gotta start somewhere. I'm catchin' on at least."

Zullie nodded, and as she was about to speak, the red-headed man approached with Sasha in tow. "I see that I'm not the only guest here. I'm Elt. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

"Mitchell Marlowe," Mitchell greeted, offering a handshake, which Elt accepted after a brief moment of surprise. "It's nice to meet ya, Elt."

"Indeed," Arriet added, nodding her own greeting. "I'm Arriet Archaletta. Sasha is an old associate of mine."

Sasha rolled her eyes at that. "You're more than just an 'associate', Arriet."

The harpist gave a light snort at that. "You know what I meant."

Ignoring the byplay between the two women, Zullie greeted Elt by bowing her head slightly. "You may call me…Zullie. It's a pleasure to…meet you."

Elt appeared a little bemused at Zullie's way of speech, but to his credit, he made no mention of it. "It's good to meet you too." But as he turned to Arriet, there was no mistaking the recognition in his gaze. "So you're Lady Arriet? The 'Silver Tracer'?"

"I am," Arriet answered in a level tone.

The red-headed man smiled, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "It's great to finally see you in person. Sasha's told me much about you."

"Oh. Well, thank you," the harpist thanked, giving him a nod. It was hard to tell, but Mitchell saw the subtle way she relaxed since her old moniker was mentioned. "It's nice to meet you as well."

"It's good that you're here, Elt," Sasha commented, heading back over to the kitchen. "Why don't you join us for lunch? I've made enough for everyone."

"Yes, please Elt," Lisia urged, looking up at the man pleadingly. Her fellow children joined her in agreement.

Elt smiled modestly at the children's earnest pleas. "I'd love to."

"Yay!"

"Before everyone gets excited, why don't you come help get the tables ready?" Sasha interrupted, grabbing various plates.

With everyone pitching in to get the food set out, it wasn't long before everyone was seated with the children being at their own table. Mitchell had just begun to unceremoniously dig into his food when Elt spoke. "So, what brings all of you here to Sasha's orphanage?"

"Sasha invited me to look after the children while she was busy running various errands," Arriet spoke up, looking over at Sasha with a faint smirk. "She's mentioned you to me a number of times."

Sasha narrowed her eyes at Arriet, a dusting of pink on her cheeks. "Of course I have. It isn't often you're able to be here, Elt."

Elt rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry. My superior is a real slave-driver about my training. And things have been really busy lately on top of that."

"I know that feelin'," Mitchell agreed, putting down his cup from washing down the hot stew. "Things were rough for me too back when I was startin' off in the military."

Both Elt and Sasha turned their attention to Mitchell in surprise. Elt leaned forward in his seat. "You're in the military too?"

"I was," Mitchell confirmed with a nod. "I served a few years–did a lot of combat exercises, an' even saw some live combat near the end of my tenure before I got discharged." He gave a casual shrug. "Most of it was just me and my unit just sittin' around doing nothin' much though."

"Huh." Elt sat back in his seat, his interest still clear. Mitchell noticed that he wasn't the only one–Arriet, Zullie, and Sasha appeared similarly interested.

"Wait, you were discharged?" Arriet inquired, her brows furrowed in faint concern. "Did something happen?"

Mitchell was taken back by the question. He shook off his surprise, shaking his head in the negative. "Nah, nothing like that. Military service is voluntary where I'm from, so once I did my allotted time in enlisted service, we're free to leave service. Barring any extreme circumstances like full-blown war of course."

A storm of memories both good and bad flashed throughout his mind. The hunter didn't want to make this conversation about himself, much less talk about the past, so he switched topics. "But anyways, to add on to what Arriet said earlier, I was also invited by Miss Sasha to help Arriet out in her absence."

"Ah, I see," Elt nodded. He looked at Zullie questioningly, although he missed Arriet's curious gaze lingering on Mitchell for a brief moment before returning her attention to the conversation.

Zullie anticipated the man's coming question. She gestured to Sasha with her hand, the movement appearing elegant for such a simple gesture. "Lady Sasha…was kind enough to…allow me to…help tutor the children. I found this to…be a wonderful use…of my time here."

"And thank you very much for doing that, Miss Zullie," Sasha added with a grateful nod. "I sometimes have trouble getting them to focus on their studies, so having someone new would help with that. I'm honestly surprised by how quickly they've warmed up to you."

Zullie merely smiled modestly at that. Mitchell chose this moment to look between Sasha and Elt curiously. "So, how do you two know each other, if you don't mind me askin'?"

Elt scratched his cheek as his mind went back in time. "I've known Sasha since I was little. We grew up here in Lescatie together."

Sasha smiled softly in remembrance as she looked over at Elt. "I was raised in a convent at the time we met. He would always make time to come visit me to tell stories of his adventures outside."

The red-headed man blushed as he pretended to dig into his food. Sasha looked back at her audience. "When it was discovered I had the aptitude for casting spells, I was sent to become a priestess-in-training for the Order."

"And I joined up to become a knight," Elt followed up. "It took me a couple of years, but I managed to get accepted as a knight-in-training for the Kingdom of Lescatie." He perked up in realization as he turned to Sasha. "That reminds me, I have some news."

Sasha paused at the man's words with everyone else doing the same. Elt's expression became a little more sober as he continued. "There's been some concerning things happening pretty recently."

Arriet furrowed her brow. "How so?"

Elt paused, looking over at the nearby tables of children before leaning in, lowering his voice. "I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but there's been a number of reports of missing people from my superior over these past few days."

"Missing people?" Mitchell questioned, frowning. "Do you mean that they're missin' from the city?"

Elt nodded. "From what I've heard, there have been a couple of cases of farmers going out of the city to tend their fields and haven't returned in days."

"Now that's very odd," Sasha remarked, her lips dipping in concern. "I certainly hope they're alright…"

Mitchell shifted in his seat, an uncomfortable thought hitting him. What if the mamono were behind it? Zullie caught his attention, the look in her eyes showing she shared his suspicions.

"Has anyone been sent to search for them?" Arriet asked quietly, making sure that she wasn't heard by the children.

"That's the thing," Elt answered conspiratorially, looking around the group. "They did send someone to look for the latest missing person." He glanced knowingly at Sasha. "A friend of ours, Primera."

Sasha's eyes widened at the name. She leaned forward in her seat, her concern apparent. "What? Primera was sent? Not by herself, I hope?"

Elt sighed as he massaged his shoulder. "Yeah. She insisted that she do this herself. I offered to go with her, but you know how she is."

Mitchell looked between them as he took a drink from his cup. 'Sounds like a mutual friend of theirs.'

Arriet clearly shared his musings. "Primera? As in Primera Concerto? I've heard you mention her a couple of times before."

"The one and the same," Sasha confirmed with a nod, but her concern had yet to fade. "It's unfortunate you haven't had a chance to meet her yet, Arriet. I'm certain you'd both get along well."

"May I ask…who she is?" Zullie queried, her curiosity faint. For some odd reason he couldn't explain, Mitchell felt that this was more her trying to lighten the mood from the concerned air their hosts were giving off rather than any true curiosity. "It sounds like…you know each other…well."

Elt nodded readily. "Oh definitely. I've known her for years."

"Both of us have," Sasha added, her concern momentarily forgotten as she smiled softly. "I first met her while I was still an official Order hero and priestess. I had been returning from a recent mission to provide…" Her expression grew conflicted for a brief moment before continuing. "...blessings from the Order. As I was returning to Salvarision, I stumbled across the scene of Primera desperately fighting off a pair of mamono."

Her eyes closed in remembrance, clearly reliving the memory. "Naturally, I intervened to help her. With my assistance we managed to drive the mamono off. She had been a lone traveler at the time, so I offered to let her stay here at my church." She looked at Elt with a faint, teasing smile. "Elt certainly made her welcome."

Elt shrugged as everyone's gazes shifted to him, his face red as he tried to appear casual. "I couldn't not try to help someone who looked like she needed it. I saw how people were looking at her."

Mitchell's brows furrowed at that. "How so, if ya don't mind me askin'?" He had a suspicion as he glanced over at Zullie, seeing her paying close attention. Arriet listened quietly with a soft frown.

Elt hesitated for a moment at the question, looking at Sasha before his expression took on a more controlled, almost cautious look as he regarded Mitchell and the others. "...Primera's a half-elf."

Arriet hummed in realization, her frown a bit more pronounced now. "I see." She looked at Sasha questioningly. "Did things get any better for her?"

Sasha sighed. "Not at first. She was understandably slow to trust." But her visage lightened remarkably quickly. "But those times have passed. She's softened considerably since then thanks to Elt."

"Really now?" Mitchell drawled, a very faint smirk visible on his lips as he eyed Elt from across the table.

Elt waved him off dismissively, but his flushed face told another story. "I didn't even do that much. I treated her no differently than anyone else."

"I believe that…might be why she…stayed," Zullie commended softly, her eyes conveying her seriousness to the red-headed man sitting across the table from her. "You did her…a great service. Both of…you did."

As both Elt and Sasha sheepishly looked at each other from the dark mage's encouraging words, Mitchell had a thought. 'I wonder why we haven't seen her around. I'm assuming that she would have been here at some point by now if that's the case.'

The hunter decided to share his thoughts, if only to keep the conversation going. "Does she still stay here?"

Sasha shook her head. "No. She decided to join the Order a few years ago at my suggestion. She joined around the same time Elt did as a matter of fact."

Elt rubbed his head with a slight nod. "Yeah…" He frowned the next moment, concern appearing once again. "And now she's out there looking for those missing people. She still hasn't returned."

"If none of them have been seen for days, that's a bit worrying," Arriet stated, her frown growing more pronounced as alarm crept through her. "It could be possible that Druella is behind these disappearances. We haven't heard any substantial information about her movements in days since we've arrived here."

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully at the table. "I hope this is just speculation, but to me this has Druella's handiwork written all over it."

"I agree," Sasha concurred, reaching over to pat her friend on the arm. "But let's not discuss this any further. We wouldn't want our food to get cold, do we?"

At that, Mitchell wordlessly went back to his food, everyone doing the same. But anxiousness over what was discussed lingered over him like a storm cloud. 'Why do I feel like something bad is brewing?'

Mitchell stepped through the doorway, the fading light of the afternoon sun greeting him as he heard the others filing out behind him. He noticed Zullie taking her place beside him as they watched Sasha giving her farewells to Elt and Arriet.

He gave Zullie a friendly nudge with his arm. "So how'd you like teachin' the kids?" He smirked. "Ya have fun?"

"I enjoyed it," Zullie responded with a smile. "They had so many…questions about…my magic. Especially…that one." She nodded her head towards the young girl, Lisia. The dark mage leaned in to Mitchell. "Just between us…I can feel latent magic potential in her."

Mitchell was surprised. "Whoa, really? Well she sure lucked out then if that's the case." He smirked at her. "Thinkin' about taking her on as your apprentice?"

Zullie gave a low, amused chuckle. "Not at all. I'll leave that…to Miss Sasha." Mitchell felt her give him a hip bump. "The only thing…missing from our…session today…is that I…didn't get to tutor you. I still have much…I want to…share with you. We really need to…find a time…where we can…sit down and…work on it again."

As he looked up at the woman, Mitchell couldn't help but marvel once again at the fact a beautiful woman showed so much interest in him. He had to admit, if this is how good it felt, then he could really get used to this. He felt relaxed as he shrugged. "Well, there will be plenty of opportunities later on. So no worries."

Zullie hummed, her mood light as she and Mitchell saw Elt approaching from where Sasha and Arriet were still conversing.

"Thanks for offering to help around the orphanage," The knight-in-training thanked, offering his hand for Mitchell to shake again, which he took. "Sasha often has her hands full, so it usually fell to me to look after the kids."

"It's no problem," Mitchell drawled, setting his hands in his pockets. Zullie nodded her agreement, idly checking her belongings to ensure she had everything.

With that, Elt turned away to leave. "I just wanted to share my gratitude for what you're doing. Take care."

As the man made his way down the street, Mitchell's attention was caught by Arriet's approach. She made sure the belt holding her sword was properly fastened as she spoke. "Well then. We should start heading back if we want to help get everything prepared for tomorrow."

"No argument here," Mitchell agreed, stretching his arms just a bit as he looked over at Zullie. "I've been meanin' to ask, but do ya have what you need ready?"

Zullie shifted her weight, setting a hand on her shapely hip as her lips pulled upwards into a faint smile. "Of course…I am always…ready."

The hunter brought his hands together into a single clap. "Awesome. Sounds like we're set then. All that remains is for me to help Andrei finish that last cart and we'll be good to head out."

He turned to Arriet inquiringly. "That is the plan, right?"

Arriet nodded. "It is. With any luck we'll be able to make it to the border of Ricarys unhindered. If we stay any longer, we'll risk higher chances of being caught out in the wilderness by Druella's forces."

"So you really are leaving, then?"

Everyone turned at Sasha's words, seeing her with a somewhat saddened expression. Arriet sighed as her own expression turned a bit apologetic. "Indeed we are, Sasha. The others refuse to stay, and to be quite honest, I share their sentiment. I'm sure you understand."

Sasha pursed her lips. "I do. But please, is there any chance you could be convinced of staying? The children have grown rather fond of you and I…" She paused for a moment, clearly conflicted before giving a sigh. "It'll be dangerous out there."

"I know," Arriet answered quietly, her visage softening as she reached out to hold both of Sasha's hands. The moment between the two friends felt intimate enough that Mitchell felt like he was intruding. "But I cannot stay. My friends need me, and I don't want to abandon them."

Sasha raised her head to look Arriet in the eyes. "Even Miss Zullie?"

Arriet blinked at Sasha's sudden seriousness, with Mitchell's eyes involuntarily widening. Zullie shifted at his side, her mouth pursing into a line.

Upon seeing the surprise on their faces, Sasha continued, her voice growing quiet. "I know what she is. I could sense it from the moment I met her."

"Ah," Arriet muttered as she and Sasha released each other. She met Sasha's gaze after a soft sigh. "Yes. Even her."

"I see," Sasha replied, looking for something in Arriet's eyes before stepping back. Then, she did something Mitchell hadn't been expecting–she smiled. "You really have changed, haven't you, Arriet?"

Arriet gave a low, modest chuckle, looking to the side where Mitchell and Zullie stood. "Maybe a bit."

Mitchell gave her a small smile back, with Zullie even inclining her head in a small gesture of gratitude. But Zullie wasn't finished–when she raised her head, turning her gaze to Sasha after glancing around for any bystanders. "I had a feeling…you knew…from your expression…when I first…introduced myself. Tell me…was it my mana…that gave me away?"

Sasha nodded. "It was. I've gotten…quite used to noticing mamono mana after so many years dealing with them." She then raised her hand in a conciliatory gesture. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But I'd like to ask a question if I may."

'Well, this wasn't where I was expecting this conversation to go,' Mitchell mused to himself, watching the scene unfold with interest. Sasha had really surprised him so far–he'd expected a more typical hostile reaction given that they're in the heart of an Order city.

Zullie and Arriet shared a quick look before the dark mage nodded silently. For a moment, Sasha looked thoughtful–even a bit conflicted for a second Mitchell noticed–before finally finding her words. "I confess, I've been wondering if it was possible for humans and mamono to coexist peacefully and happily for…awhile. Without bloodshed or distrust."

She looked at Zullie, then to Arriet, her expression pleading as if seeking answers to worries that had been plaguing her. "Do you think it's possible?"

"I believe so…" Zullie answered, gripping her staff a bit harder. "But make…no mistake…there are definitely…mamono that would…trample the wishes of…humans if given the…chance. It will take…effort from…both sides to live…side by side."

"Y'know, I agree," Mitchell affirmed. "While I've had a lot of run-ins with the forceful type a' mamono so far, it's likely not untrue to say that they're the exception an' not the rule. Hell, wouldn't we–" he gestured to himself, Zullie, and Arriet, "–be proof that it's possible?"

He continued, shrugging. "There's good an' bad people everywhere you go. I don't see why this should only apply to humans when mamono show the same qualities we do."

Unbeknownst to him, at his side, Zullie looked away, smiling softly. Arriet gave Mitchell a friendly bump with her elbow. "That was well said. But while I agree with that logic, you should be careful of who you say such things around." Her expression shifted to something more serious. "That kind of reasoning will get you in big trouble here."

"Yeah, I figured," Mitchell conceded, rubbing the back of his neck. He met their gazes firmly. "But it's my opinion an' I'll stand by it."

"I know," Arriet acknowledged, smirking. "You're not the type of person to not speak their mind. I enjoy it, honestly. Please, keep doing it."

Mitchell opened his mouth to respond for a moment, before realizing he didn't really have a response to that. So he settled on giving a thumbs up. "Yes, ma'am."

Arriet gave a soft, amused snort, her smirk widening a bit at his reaction.

Mitchell could start to feel his face heating up before Sasha spoke. "You have a more open mind than most people I know," the priestess remarked, her smile a bit more relaxed than before.

"I try."

Sasha hummed, her mood seemingly improved. "Thank you for humoring my question. I suppose I should get back to the children now though." As she turned for the door, she looked at Arriet. "Do you plan to leave in the morning?"

The harpist nodded. "Once everyone has their preparations ready, yes."

"Do you mind stopping by here before you leave?"

"Of course, you don't even need to ask," Arriet smiled, resting her hand on her sword's pommel.

Sasha returned the smile, although it was more subdued. "Thank you. You've found some good people, so don't let them go." She paused for a moment as she opened the door. "I…I hope you enjoy the new life waiting for you, Arriet."

'She sounded kinda sad there,' Mitchell wondered as the priestess closed the door behind her. 'I can understand why though.' He turned to Zullie and Arriet as he took a step down the street. "I guess we better get goin'."

Zullie adjusted her hat as she joined him without a word. Arriet took a breath, following after them both. "Yes, let's. We have much we need to do."

With a busy day ahead of them, the three departed for the refugee area, unknown of the eyes following them.

A low orange and light purple sky shone over the treetops as dusk descended on the kingdom. Light filtered through the forest as lamps were lit, the denizens of the massive camp confident that the magic cast around them would shield them from any onlookers traveling the roads. The hustle and bustle from the temporary abode was still in full swing, only setting up small tents in preparation for a swift departure the next day. Some residents were already putting them to use, the fabric shaking as the sounds of smacking flesh and lewd moans filled the air.

Standing on a large incline overlooking the forest leading away from the camp, Druella gazed resolutely at the distant Castle City Salvarision, the seat of the kingdom of Lescatie. The city's high stone walls showed itself to be a formidable bastion against any threat. Druella had to admit, it was remarkable what humans could achieve on their own. That was why her cause must succeed–she could only imagine what they could accomplish with mamono at their side, walking forward hand-in-hand.

She took a breath to steady her rising anticipation. The thought of the city's streets filled with the sounds of love and laughter made her smile. 'Soon, Druella. And then I will be one step closer to facing Mother on equal terms.'

Footsteps could be heard approaching, growing close before stopping behind her. Druella was unable to stop the flicker of disappointment at that–she'd been hoping they'd join her at her side. Her disappointment subsiding, she turned to see the new arrivals.

Her loyal kunoichi, Kiyome, stood there quietly, with a woman Druella had seen a few times before but never had the chance to speak to. The lilim smiled at them both. "Well, well. You're back already, Kiyome?"

Kiyome nodded her head, pulling her facemask down, revealing kissable pink lips that Druella wished smiled more often. "Yes, Lady Druella. We come bearing news."

"Oh?" Druella raised a brow, looking between her friend and the new arrival. "Do tell. I can see your friend here seems quite eager for something."

Kiyome looked over at her companion expectantly. The girl, a succubus with dark blue hair, stepped forward with a somewhat awed expression. Her eyes roamed Druella's body with open admiration and appreciation as her thin, black tail excitedly flicked to and fro. "It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Lady Druella. My name is Camille."

Druella's expression softened a bit, allowing her smile to become a little more friendly and less teasing. "I recognize you. You're Kiyome's newest recruit." She turned to face them fully. "But first, I'd like to offer my congratulations to you for becoming a fully-fledged succubus."

Camille jumped slightly in surprise, her wings flapping cutely as her tail entwined around her leg. "Eh!? How'd you know?"

'Oh dear, she's cute. I already want to have some fun with her...' Druella's eyes grew lidded as she didn't bother fighting the flare of lust she felt at the sight. "The smoothness of your horns and your pristine wings are an easy indicator of a recent awakening. How long has it been since you were a lesser succubus?"

The lilim caught Kiyome looking away with the tiniest eye roll as Camille flushed with a sheepish smile. She giggled, twirling a bit of her hair. "Only a few days. I've been training my magic really hard to hone my skills." A bit more confident, she threw her hair back over her shoulder. "I want to be the best succubus I can be. I've had enough of being weak and husband-less."

"And that is quite admirable," Druella praised, her tail swaying curiously as she smirked. "I believe you'll find a man who'll give his heart to you very soon, my dear. What man doesn't love a girl with confidence?"

Camille smiled brightly, doing a little curtsy with her wings spread. "Thank you, milady. I'm sure the perfect man is out there for you as well." It was then that she saw Kiyome's flat, expectant stare, and she quickly straightened, clearing her throat. "B-But onto business. I have important information regarding my recent infiltration, milady."

Druella turned serious. "Oh, I see. What do you have for me, Camille?"

Camille stood a bit straighter at the mood shift. "Following Lady Kiyome's orders to find out about the man who took Lady Marianne's life, I set about doing exactly that. From what information I've been able to glean, rumors had spread in the city regarding Lady Marianne's death, but it appears that the city officials aren't taking these rumors seriously."

"Hmm. Well, that's a pleasant surprise," Druella mused, tapping her cheek with a finger. "But in a way, it does make a certain amount of sense. It has been a long time since a human has legitimately laid low a mamono of such high standing, underhanded or not. While I have many things I want to say to this man, at the very least I can say he has made history. Not many would believe that so readily."

She shook her head as thoughts of her sister threatened to resurface, but she pushed through, continuing her line of thought. "I certainly didn't believe it."

"Yeah…" Camille muttered quietly, before an excited smirk spread across her lips. "But have no fear, milady. I believe I've found the man we're looking for."

Druella felt her heartbeat quicken as her eyes widened in anticipation. "You have? Truly?"

Camille nodded, her smirk unwavering. "Oh yes. I figured my best lead would be to search for any large groups of new arrivals to the city these past few days and I found out about a sizable group of people that had appeared from the settlement of Toulouse."

"Toulouse," Druella repeated, nodding thoughtfully. "Yes, that was the town that we found Mari at. Saphir gave me the details of her attack there."

"That's not all," Camille added, pressing her hands together as her tail began to flick. "One of our informants, Sasha Fullmoon, happened to live near this group. She knew exactly who we'd been searching for when I asked her."

"Ahhh," Druella purred, smiling. "I know her. She's been quite helpful in sharing the right targets for our plan. I intend on giving her a fitting reward for her cooperation once we take the city." She then quickly shook her head, eyeing Camille expectantly. "So tell me, who is this man I seek, dear Camille?"

Camille matched Druella's smile. "His name is Mitchell Marlowe, milady. I've even seen him once, and let me say…" She shivered breathlessly at the memory. "His mana…it's wonderful. It's so potent, I could feel it even standing a few meters away. And its smell…oh, its smell is amazing." The succubus gulped, her face flushing as her mind went to some very lewd places.

From the girl's surprisingly in-depth description, even the two senior mamonos' minds couldn't help but wonder. Druella could feel her mouth start to water, and her skin starting to tingle pleasantly as her mind began to go into some raunchy territory. It took reminding herself that this man is responsible for Mari's death before she reigned herself in. When she glanced at Kiyome, while the kunoichi had always been stoic, Druella could instantly tell she wasn't faring much better with the way her tail curled tightly around her leg as she looked away, her face slightly flushed.

"Mitchell Marlowe," Druella echoed, tasting the name curiously. "So now I know your name…" She took a breath before returning her attention to Camille. "Did you find out where he is?"

Camille nodded, having recovered from her momentary lapse. "I did. He's living among the remnants of the escaped refugees of Toulouse in the southern quarter of the city. They reside near Sasha Fullmoon's orphanage." She perked up as she recalled something. "Oh! I should also mention that one Arriet Archaletta is there as well."

Druella smiled gleefully at that. "Oh, that's wonderful news! How did you find her?"

"Sasha Fullmoon," Camille answered. "It turns out she's longtime friends with Arriet. Sasha also wanted me to ask you to please not treat Arriet harshly."

"Treat her harshly?" Druella repeated, stunned. She shook her head emphatically. "She need not worry, that's the last thing I want to do to her. I wish to bring her to my side, as a friend and fellow mamono, nothing more." And have some fun with her, but she felt that didn't need to be said.

"Of course, milady, I believe you," Camille responded, waving her hands. "I was just passing along Sasha Fullmoon's wishes."

Kiyome stepped forward, her lips pursed. "That's not all. It seems there's a mamono at Mitchell Marlowe's side as well–a dark mage. Curiously, she doesn't seem to have claimed him."

"That's weird…" Camille muttered under her breath. "How has she not completely raped that man yet?"

"I do recall Saphir telling me there had been a magic user fighting against them during her attack on Toulouse," Druella mentioned, brushing her hair back as the wind blew. "It shouldn't be too big of a problem. I'm sure she can be reasoned with. And if not, then we will subdue her."

The lilim looked to her kunoichi friend. "Kiyome, are all the roads leading to the city being watched? We can't have anyone getting an early indication of our actions."

"Yes, Lady Druella. We have already apprehended a number of people from the city before they could return though, so they might grow suspicious if they are missing for too long."

Druella chuckled, a confident smirk growing on her lips. "Oh, don't worry about that. Everything is already in order. All I need to do is give the word."

She regarded Kiyome expectantly. "I'm assuming you know where Mitchell Marlowe is, correct? Right down to where he rests his head every night?"

Kiyome stood straighter. "Of course I do. He wasn't too difficult to find once Camille relayed her information to me."

"Then I want you two to capture him by morning," Druella ordered, stepping up to the two of them and looking them both in the eyes. "This means a lot to me, so I'd prefer it to be left in especially capable hands."

Camille nodded, clearly excited to be personally selected for an important mission. Kiyome merely lowered her head subserviently. "It will be done, Lady Druella. Do you wish for us to capture Arriet Archaletta as well?"

"If possible, yes. In fact I believe it would be best if you handled her, Kiyome," Druella responded, narrowing her eyes. "She's quite skilled, so be careful. Camille, I'm leaving the capture of Mitchell Marlowe to you."

Kiyome nodded silently as Camille's smile widened. "Yes! Consider it done! I already know just the thing too!"

Druella sighed in satisfaction. "Excellent. I must say, things have turned out to be quite lucky for us so far. Let's not get too complacent, shall we?" She turned back to watch the city once more. "We attack at dawn. If this luck holds, we'll all be walking those streets hearing moans and sweet words of love this time tomorrow. But first…"

She turned her head back to her companions, a triumphant grin on her face. "Would either of you know what our dear target looks like?"