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?"

Neph

of the outer settlement as a

Caster sighed and added:

cautious in how we dealt with these provocations, things would have been very

Changing Star nodded.

to have changed. We received word from the castle that Gunlaug is going to act against us

glanced at the unruly huntress and raised his eyebrows. He

"Why her?"

Caster clenched his fists.

of Guards who came into

'...Oops.'

that he knew exactly what had happened to them, though. After all, he was the

to know any

might know something about that!" Kai

asked that fool to

to make the archer shut up with a murderous stare, but it was already too late. Kai enthusiastically went on to describe how he was kidnapped, put in the well, and then rescued by a mysterious stranger

the Black Knight, not realizing that Sunny was the one who had lured them into the cathedral in

truth, things might

done talking, Caster

in danger. The Bright Lord 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.

the dungeons of the Bright Castle. In fact,

lunatic.' Sunny thought with scorn, making his shadow

and Caster,