Shadow Slave

Sunny settled in a corner and stuffed his mouth with stew. A few moments later, the flap of the tent opened, and Morgan walked in, followed closely by Cassie.

The Princess of Valor seemed to be in a good mood. Her strange vermilion eyes were lively and vivid, shining with barely contained excitement. It was as though the calamitous battle had invigorated the usually restrained young woman, revealing a glimpse of her true self.

Without the habitual mask of composed decorum, Morgan looked... younger.

Her words echoed Sunny's thoughts. A pleasant - and disturbingly familiar - smile appeared on her beautiful face, and with a melodious laugh, Morgan said:

"That was spectacular! Dear sister, venerable Masters... you did not disappoint!"

With that, her lips twisted a little in an expression of wistful regret. She seemed disappointed by the fact that she had not received a chance to participate in the battle personally.

Morgan sighed.

"The whole camp is aflame with the tales of what happened in your corner of the battlefield. Even the feats performed by the Saints seem to have taken a back seat to what Changing Star has achieved. Ah... I'm so proud of my talented, capable little sister. Nicely done!"

She paused for a moment, and then added with a smile that seemed a little sharper than before:

"Your glory is clan Valor's glory, of course. So, I am very happy right now."

Sunny silently chewed his food. Hearing the word "glory" from a descendant of War God really rubbed him the wrong way, but he didn't let it ruin his appetite.

'Indeed, she has a good reason to be happy...'

If the war of the great clans was a popularity contest - which it was, in a sense - then Valor was currently winning. Not only had Sky Tide been the first of the Saints to slay her foe, but the potentially catastrophic breach in the defensive formation had also been repaired by Nephis.

'Was that why Morgan failed to send us reinforcements? To earn her damned clan some glory?'

frowned. That was a possibility, but a small one. Anvil's daughter was not someone who would sacrifice strategic benefits to earn a little bit

he simply glanced

to those reinforcements we were

or taken

didn't look like you needed any, so I

wanted to rebuke her, but then changed his mind and turned his attention back to

end. The perspective of the people directly participating in the bloodshed was, naturally, limited. Morgan, on the other hand, had enjoyed the

make sure that the

Fire Keepers had been left for dead from Sunny's perspective, she really could

not sure that I'm buying it... but on the other hand, I'm also not sure

interrupted by the fact that

Sunny shifted.

"Uh... what?"

Her smile grew wider.

gave me a very, very pleasant surprise. It seems that the reports I've read about you were not nearly detailed

leaned forward, staring at him with something

a good eye. You fought beautifully, Master Sunless... we really should spar sometime. I have not had a good sparring partner in a long, long time. My dear sister indulged me

Sunny, meanwhile, shivered under Morgan's burning

forgot. She's a complete

He coughed awkwardly.

Oh, but I mostly fight Nightmare Creatures, so my habits are a

with a dangerous

problem. I tend to get carried away myself, sometimes. That's why it's hard to find suitable

Sunny shrugged.

say that

reason to be concerned. A spar was just a

cold? As if he had just gotten himself into a