Faithless approached, whispering a word under his breath—"Rebliwam." A sword appeared in his hand, erupting like a volcano. Lady Marianne noticed it and was surprised by the move.
The two girls were hugging each other and crying. Faithless stood there, surprised, looking at Lady Marianne, who was laughing softly.
They both spoke with trembling voices as they wept and begged:
"We're sorry, Sovereign… we were starving and had no other choice… please, forgive us."
Marianne stepped closer to Faithless and spoke in a mocking tone:
"So, Sovereign, what do you want to do with them?"
Faithless placed his index finger on his chin, thinking.
"Should I cut off their heads?"
"Noooo! We're begging you, please!" they cried in tears.
"No, no, no… better to chop them up and feed them to the animals in the forest."
"No! We'll do anything you ask, Sovereign! Just spare us!" They knelt before him, their tears flowing.
Faithless looked at them with cold, mocking eyes… but Marianne smiled. That look on Faithless' face reminded her of their fight with the Liar.
"Looks like you're planning something for them." Marianne asked curiously.
"Correct. I'll have you both work for me. What do you think of that idea?" Faithless leaned down slightly and gently lifted their heads as he spoke calmly.
The two girls exchanged glances, then knelt again, smiling with relief:
"Yes… yes, Sovereign, we'll work for you."
Marianne asked:
"Do you think Isaac will agree to let them come with us to the village?"
Faithless whispered with a smile:
"Would Isaac dare refuse a request from the Emperor's son?"
"Ohhh, such great pride the prince has." Marianne smiled lightly, and they both laughed.
Faithless walked over to the girls and tied them securely to a tree trunk. Marianne entered the tent to sleep, while Faithless sat on a log.
"Aren't you going to sleep inside?" Marianne asked gently.
"I'll come in a bit." Faithless smiled.
He was watching the fire silently, strange thoughts swirling in his head. He held a small stick and slowly lit it.
In the fire's glow, he saw a flash of his parents' death and his brother's abduction—blurry, fast, and disjointed. He placed his palm on his temple and muttered to himself:
"The worst kind of thinking… is thinking about the past. Even if it shows up for a second, it brings the pain back like it never left."
He looked at the two girls. They smiled at him, and he returned the glance with a faint smile.
"Sometimes, people resort to killing… just to get food—because of a failed rule that starved them."
He tossed the stick into the fire and entered the tent. He grabbed a small piece of cloth. Marianne noticed.
He approached the two girls and covered them with the cloth… a gleam of joy shone in their eyes, and they nodded, saying:
"Thank you, Sovereign."
"It's the duty of a sovereign. What are your names?"
The girl in the black dress replied:
"I'm Lily, and this is my little sister Lulia."
Faithless smiled kindly and said:
"Beautiful names… now, it's time to sleep. We've got a long journey ahead."
They nodded. He returned to the tent and lay on the ground with no bedding. Marianne smiled with her eyes closed:
"I didn't know you were this gentle."
"I'm just someone searching for safety in the middle of darkness." he said quietly.
"And what if you are the darkness itself, Lost from Fate?" Marianne spoke in a deep tone.
Faithless smiled at the mention of the name and touched the collar around his neck.
"Then… I'll kill the darkness—to create safety."
Marianne smiled at his blunt response… and they both drifted into sleep, after a day filled with strangeness and laughter.
Faithless woke to the sound of birds chirping. He sat up partially and looked around, but couldn't find Marianne. The smell of cooking, however, was clear.
He stepped out of the tent. The weather was sunny and beautiful. He saw Marianne preparing breakfast, with Lily and Lulia helping her.
"Smells delicious… and I see Lily and Lulia are helping you cook!"
The girls stood up respectfully and said:
"We're helping our Sovereign's friend."
Faithless approached and asked calmly:
"Strange… why did you untie them?"
Marianne whispered with a laugh:
"They said they wanted to help—just to please the Sovereign."
"Seems the word 'Sovereign' makes you laugh, huh?" he said mockingly.
"Yes, hahaha." Marianne laughed, and Faithless laughed with her.
Lily was laying a mat on the ground and said to her sister:
"Lulia… don't you think the Sovereign looks strangely handsome?"
"Hmm… yeah, we couldn't see him well last night. Even the girl with him… her beauty is different, like she's from another continent." Lulia said, twirling a lock of her hair.
"Hey, go get breakfast from your Sovereign's friend," Faithless called with a smile.
The girls stood respectfully and responded together:
"Yes, Sovereign."
The girls took the breakfast, and everyone sat down to eat in peace. After about fifteen minutes, they began preparing to head to the Lost Emerald City.
The girls carried some luggage that hadn't been stored in Bonfire, the sword. Marianne said to them:
"We're going on a short trip to the Emerald City to handle a few tasks as bounty hunters."
Faithless added, lowering his head slightly:
"All you need to do is carry the bags and stay out of everything else… understood?"
"Yes, Sovereign." they answered with discipline.
The weather was beautiful as they walked through the forest, until Marianne asked:
"I almost forgot… when did you start wielding a magical sword? I've never seen you use it in training."
"Oh, it's a technique I learned from my mother… I'm still not good at it, trying to practice." he replied with a smile, hiding the truth. It wasn't the time to speak it.
"Sounds like your mother was a great warrior." she said softly, looking into his eyes.
"She was… and now, she's no longer here." he raised his head to the sky as he remembered her.
Marianne noticed the sadness in Faithless and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, whispering near him to break the somber mood:
"Have you ever tried hunting criminals or creatures before?"
"No… most of my time was spent in the palace. I don't know much about what goes on in the world." he said quietly.
"In the Emerald City, there's a place where you can drink wine and take missions from a wall. You complete them and get paid… the rewards vary based on difficulty."
Faithless smiled:
"You've really hyped me up… looks like we're gonna make a fortune! Hahaha."
And the two laughed together.