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“All right, do you need anything else?”

Ninym stood in a deserted mansion on the outskirts of Muldu.

“No, we’re very comfortable, thanks to you,” a man replied. He was the same Flahm slave she’d met the other day. Wein had recently purchased him. “Words cannot express our gratitude. You’ve both rescued us from servitude and allowed us to live as ordinary people.”

Wein had strategically bought up every slave in Ulbeth and now had to see to the task of feeding and clothing them all. Their accommodations also needed to be spacious enough to house the large group of previously scattered people. Wein used Kamil’s connections to rent an empty mansion in the suburbs and prepare it for immediate occupancy.

“I’m glad to hear it. I will inform Prince Wein.”

“Thank you very much.”

The slaves were ethnically diverse, but since Ninym was their primary go-between, the Flahm slave became the group’s representative as a matter of course. Fortunately, he seemed to have a degree of sophistication and skillfully managed the role.

“Has everyone decided upon their future plans as I requested earlier?”

“The majority wish to migrate to Natra. However, quite a few are still undecided.”

Although the enslaved people officially belonged to Wein, his attitude was very hands-off. They were free to go wherever they wished, or they could help him out in Ulbeth and emigrate to Natra afterward.

“Understood. Prince Wein will be in Ulbeth awhile yet, so ask them to consider in the meantime. We can’t wait forever, but there’s still room for compromise.”

“Yes…” The man nodded before hesitantly adding, “Might I speak on behalf of those who are undecided?”

“Of course. Is something the matter?”

“No, not at all. However, the others and I…feel lost.”

“Lost?”

Again, the Flahm man nodded. “Being slaves, we possess no outstanding qualities. Our life’s only purpose was to obey our masters and work until we die. Yet we’ve suddenly been told those days are over.”

“…”

“We’re grateful, of course. But we don’t know why we’ve been blessed by this unexpected fortune or if we even have the right to accept it. We cannot hope to repay such kindness…”

I see,Ninym thought. She understood where he was coming from. Their surprise windfall and sudden new circumstances left them feeling ungrounded. It gave Ninym pause to reveal the actual reason Wein had bought them. The young woman took a moment to find the right words.

“…You needn’t worry over that. Prince Wein is a man of great benevolence who often reaches out to the unfortunate. If you wish to repay his generosity, he would love nothing more than for you to live well as citizens of Natra. Of course, you may also go elsewhere. You are free.”

It was a shallow statement, and the Flahm man didn’t appearparticularly moved. However, there was nothing more Ninym could say. Nothing except—

“If you are still uneasy, Prince Wein is looking to fill positions. He requires workers and people who know the land, so you may consider those if you wi—”

“Of course!” the man answered before Ninym could finish her sentence. “Ah, forgive me. Everyone would appreciate the opportunity. For we who have nothing, it will bring us great comfort to proudly serve His Highness.”

“In that case, I hope you are ready. I have the details here, but I’d like to give a verbal explanation as well. Can you call everyone to the reception room?”

“Yes, right away.”

The man turned on his heel to leave the room, but Ninym called out behind him.

“Just a moment. There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“Yes, what is it?” the man asked, looking back at her with a tilt of his head.

Ninym closed her eyes.

“…Why did you smile that day?”

“So, the reps eloped. Didn’t see that one coming,” Wein remarked with a sigh back in Agata’s estate.

Kamil, Agata’s aide, stood beside him instead of Ninym.

“I understand we spread rumors about a romantic affair, but did you already know of their relationship, Prince?”

“Not at all. I just tossed the story out there whether it was true or not.”

In this era, hard evidence was difficult to come by, so what mattered most was the authority, wealth, and reputation of the accused, as well as their opponent’s lack thereof. Wein’s strategy dealt a heavy blow to Oleom and Lejoutte’s prestige, and there had already been others hoping to drag the pair down. These combined factors made even baseless accusations of a relationship as believable as cold, hard facts.

“So those lies turned out to be true, and now the representatives have eloped. It’s a shocking turn of events,” Kamil remarked.

Wein’s reply was quiet and doubtful. “I’m not sure that’s the case.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Oleom and Lejoutte wouldn’t outright announce they were eloping. That’s just what some Roynock and Facrita officials claimed. Isn’t there a good chance something else is going on?”

“The two apparently left a note behind.”

“That’s easy enough to forge. Their story has as much evidence as the rumors I started.”

Kamil groaned softly and sank into thought for a moment. After a bit, he posed a question.

“More than a few people would certainly benefit from their disappearance. But if you’re correct, why would the representatives’ adversaries choose elopement? They could have reported their vanishing as some kind of accident.”

Wein already had an answer.

“In a touch-and-go situation like this, any conspicuous ‘accident’ would look unnatural. Those eager for Oleom and Lejoutte’s positions would become the targets of suspicion, and their authority would be undermined from the outset. It’s the same as hurting your own crown by violently usurping the throne. Not a helpful solution in the long run.”

“In that case, couldn’t they fake a double suicide? Two rumored lovers taking their own lives before fate can separate them sounds quite plausible.”

“An act like that would make them martyrs to the masses.” Wein adopted a dramatic tone as he went on. “‘Society has separated the star-crossed lovers! Oh, how tragic that they could be together only in death! Whoever would drive them to such a fate?!’Can’t you hear it already?”

“…Yes, I see what you mean. However, even if the opposition did announce a lovers’ suicide, I’m certain you would generate that very scenario, Prince,” Kamil replied with both awe and dread.

Wein did not comment, and Kamil took this silence as affirmation.

“At any rate, I understand now why the southern and the western cities chose elopement. ‘The representatives disappeared from the political stage because they fell to the temptations of love.’ Yes, that would receive the least protest.”

“Of course, there’s always the chance theydidrun away together. I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty shot. If the announcement is a lie and the competition actually caught the two, their chances of survival are around seventy percent.”

“I’m surprised. You’re that certain they’ll keep them alive?”

“The situation is still chaotic. Oleom and Lejoutte are useful scapegoats, and once they lose all support, the captors can step forward and earn credibility by forcing the ousted pair to declare a transfer of power. Still, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were killed before they could become a nuisance.”

“…” Kamil went silent.

“Something wrong?”

“Ah, no, forgive me. So the West and the South Representatives’absence will give us an advantage,” Kamil stated as he returned to himself.

Wein nodded. “Right. A surprise transition won’t be easy, and we can strike hard while everyone else is occupied.”

Wein remained focused on splitting the opposition, and his plans were coming along well. At this rate, Muldu would regain enough authority to give Roynock and Facrita a run for their money, if not surpass them.

“The western and the southern cities will set aside their differences if we push too hard, so it’s a fine line. We’ll discuss the particulars with Ninym later.”

“Come to think of it, where is Lady Ninym?”

“She’s with the slaves. Can’t just leave them hanging, after all.”

Kamil’s following words were weighty. “I understand such a force has put pressure on Roynock and Facrita, but to even allow them a mansion…”

“Something wrong with that?”

“No, I’m just deeply impressed. I’ve heard the Flahm live in Natra without fear of persecution. Although merciless to your enemies, you truly are a kind man, Prince Wein.”

Kamil’s comment was heartfelt, but…

“‘Kind,’ huh?” Wein smirked faintly. “Come to think of it, my sister said the same thing before I left—”

The balcony looked over a silvery landscape. The northernmost nation of Natra was already blanketed in snow.

Could her brother in the Ulbeth Alliance enjoy the samescene? Did an unfamiliar country and city share the same winter wonderland?

As Falanya pondered this absentmindedly, someone draped a jacket over her shoulders.

“…Nanaki.”

The princess turned to find that Nanaki had appeared by her side at some point. The young man with pure white hair and fiery red eyes stared at Falanya.

“Put your arms through the sleeves. It’s cold out here.”

Falanya obeyed and wore the jacket properly. She hadn’t realized how cold she was until she donned the coat, and a faint warmth filled her. However, even the extra heat didn’t ease her tensed expression. She continued to gaze at the winter scene solemnly. Nanaki faced her and spoke again.

“Has the shock not worn off yet?”

“Huh?”

Falanya looked up at Nanaki, and he pressed on.

“Wein told you, right? About the Flahm’s history.”

“…”

Falanya stared into Nanaki’s eyes. The boy rarely showed emotion, yet it wasn’t as though he’d never known anger, happiness, or sadness. Even now, his profile was blank—or so most people would’ve thought.

Falanya saw it differently, however. She could see the subtle shift in Nanaki’s features. At present, he seemed rather downcast.

She also could guess the reason.

“Yes, you’re right. I was shocked to learn of the massacres the Flahm committed.”

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The Flahm man known as the “Founder” elected to create hisown deity after a journey to find gods proved none existed. The result was the one true God.