Shadow Slave

Sunny grew silent and tried very hard not to look at the huntress, who was glaring at him with murder in her eyes. Did he hear it right?

"Uh… excuse me? Keep her safe?"

Nephis gave him a nod, then hesitated for a few moments and sighed.

"I guess I owe you an explanation."

With a frown, she glanced at the map of the Dark City. Her gaze was fixed on the symbol of a tower drawn in its center with white paint.

The Bright Castle.

After a few moments, she said:

"You asked why Gunlaug hasn't killed us all yet. This is a good question. However, the answer is… complicated."

Changing Star turned her head and looked at Sunny.

"Partially, it is because I have not challenged him openly yet. I also haven't done anything to justify an intervention. Everything we have accomplished for the benefit of the outer settlement not only fell outside the purview of his reign over the castle, but also strengthened the human position on the Forgotten Shore overall. Officially, he has no grounds to accuse me."

Sunny scoffed.

"It's not like Gunlaug really needs justification. He only needs the pretense of one, and even then just barely."

Nephis slightly frowned.

"You are right. If he really wanted to escalate the situation and bring about an open conflict, he could have easily created a reason. Alternatively, he could have sent Harus under the cover of night to make me disappear without a trace. But he didn't. And… we are not entirely sure why."

Sunny blinked.

"You don't know?"

at Caster, Neph shook her

uncertain if Harus will be able to dispose of me. Perhaps he is using the growing status of the outer settlement as a deterrent against his

Caster sighed and added:

to overcome. If we weren't cautious in how we dealt with these provocations,

Changing Star nodded.

confrontation already. Nothing too bloody, though. However… things seem to have changed. We received word from the castle that Gunlaug is going to act against

and raised his eyebrows. He had a

"Why her?"

Caster clenched his fists.

into a rather vulgar argument with a bunch of Guards who came into the outer settlement for some entertainment. Coincidentally, some of these Guards went missing last

'...Oops.'

sure that he knew exactly what had happened to them,

to know any of

something about that!" Kai

that fool

murderous stare, but it was already too late. Kai enthusiastically went on to describe how he was

Black Knight, not realizing that Sunny was the one

the full truth, things might have

was done talking, Caster

is going to use her as a hostage and force Lady Nephis to challenge him. If she does, he will kill her. If she doesn't, Effie will die, and our reputation will be ruined.

Effie, who was still relaxed and seemingly undisturbed by the prospect of dying horribly in the dungeons of the Bright Castle. In fact, she was currently more interested in fishing out a piece of meat that was

thought with scorn, making his shadow shake

and Caster,