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 shook

the outer settlement as a deterrent against his lieutenants' ambitions. Perhaps he is just confident and

Caster sighed and added:

were still challenges we had to overcome. If we weren't cautious in how we dealt with these provocations, things would have been

Changing Star nodded.

though. However… things seem to have changed. We received word from the castle that Gunlaug is going to act against us soon. This time, he is aiming at one of my companions. The attack will be a serious one, and the target

raised his eyebrows. He had a

"Why her?"

Caster clenched his fists.

been any of us, really, but Effie… despite all my warnings… got into a rather vulgar argument with a bunch of Guards who came into the outer settlement

'...Oops.'

what had happened to

didn't need to know any of

that!" Kai

that fool to

Kai enthusiastically went on to describe how he was kidnapped, put in the well, and

that Sunny was the one who had lured them

full truth, things

done talking, Caster

this is a very valuable piece of information. Sadly, it doesn't change anything. Effie is still 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,

of dying horribly in the dungeons of the Bright Castle. In fact, she was currently more interested in fishing

thought with scorn, making his shadow shake

to Nephis and Caster, he