Chapter 38: Arc 4: The Burning Port’s Reaper (5)

Betty didn’t know what led to this outcome.

After the showroom, both Betty and Amy planned to follow the enigmatic Seat 6, but the woman came to them. Somehow she picked them from the crowd, and didn’t waste a single minute to invite them to her lodging to clear any potential misunderstanding.

That was how the Market Team became the guest of Dios Apolline Sfolgorante, ending their Eleanor’s tour at the Montgomery Embassy.

To Amy’s relief and Betty’s awe, the slaves Apolline bought were processed with efficiency. A middle-aged woman in the nurse outfit guided the slaves into their room. Doctors arrived in tow, to check the health of the recently liberated. Given the factory efficient speed of this process, they were convinced this wasn’t the first time.

“Aunty,” said the child Apolline bought. “I wanted to go back to the forest.”

The Elf-girl hugged her mother, who was trembling under the attention of the Archangel. Truthfully, they had nothing to fear.

Apolline patted the girl in the head, “I’m sorry, but the ship to the Western Continent is pretty hard to come by.” She smiled was like sunshine. “Just stay here for longer, okay.” The angelic woman put out her pinky finger. “I promise I will get you home. Just don’t trust any stranger in this town and stay in this place. It isn’t safe outside here. Promise me, okay?”

Apolline gave the girl her outstretched pinky.

“Promise,” the girl made the pinky promise with the Archangel.

The Elf-mother bowed her head to Apolline, “I thank you for—”

“No need,” Apolline nodded to the woman. “I simply did what I felt was right.” Apolline warned the woman. “Elves are pretty exotic in this region. I need to stress you not to go outside this Embassy, unless I’m with you.”

“Thank you, very much,” the Elf mother said.

Betty saw several children running carrying a book across the manor, and her eyes widened.

“Aren’t those textbooks?” Betty gaped. “This is an embassy, right?”

“It’s technically a manor gifted to me as a favor from a former merchant in Eleanor,” Apolline explained. “He’s retired to build a wine-yard. I can use it however I like, and these children need a proper education,” Apolline’s face crunched as she thought back to her effort. “I had to write letters to my associates around the continent before finding these tutors.”

Unlike Betty, this was the first-time Amy saw Apolline Sfolgorante. The woman was a charismatic beauty with crimson hair and a dress of chain-mail. Her bosom and body were heavily hidden beneath her protective gear, but even Amy knew her assets must be one worthy of her heart.

“Is this what you have been doing?” Betty couldn’t believe Apolline's sheer selflessness. “You are buying slaves, setting them free, and giving them education?”

“It’s what I want to do,” Apolline said grimly. “But I don’t have endless funds, so I settled with women and children with no criminal record.”

“This won’t end,” Betty said. “There will always be another slave in Eleanor.”

“I know,” Apolline understood that truth. “I can’t save everyone. But I won’t forgive myself, if I never try. Just seeing people oppressed breaks my heart. If there is no one fighting for them, I will.” Apolline declared. “Yes, I’m operating more on emotion over logic, and I know about the political weakness I am showing, but if I can give them a chance, I have no regret.”

Amy looked at Betty, “Wow, her protagonist's energy is ridiculous. Are you sure she is our enemy?”

“I hope not,” Betty muttered.

“I’m right here!” Apolline said. “I understand you two don’t trust me or Montgomery, but you saw Eleanor for yourself. This place needs a regime change. I can’t bear to see more suffering, and I doubt you enjoy it.”

“You’re appealing to my emotion,” Betty pointed out.

“Emotion made us human, Elizabeth,” Apolline said. “I’m appealing to your humanity, not just a light-hearted run-of-a-mill feeling.”

Betty felt the need to downplay Apolline’s statement, “I would like it better if you try to appeal to my rationality. What is in this for me?”

Apolline stared into Betty’s eyes. “For someone who dislikes Eleanor, why do you sound so much like people profiting from it?”

Betty had little options to counter that, so she resorted to pop the holes in Apolline's plan, “They’re going to realize what you’re doing sooner or later. You know they will use this to drain more money out of you, right? You are motivating them to wheel out more children every time you visited that market.”

“That is a problem,” Apolline agreed. “That’s why I need this place to blow-up as soon as possible.” Apolline looked into Betty’s eyes, grabbed her hands, and started pleading. “Elizabeth, I’m a blunt person. My best approach to solving the problem is burning it down in a hellfire, but this is bigger than I am. I need your subtlety. Please. Yes, I want Montgomery to take this place, but I will be fine with Yulong winning as long as thing improves for the better.” Her eyes were like a teary sunset. “I need your help.”

Betty gritted her teeth. She wanted to press Apolline for leverage, but she didn’t have the heart to do it. The Archangel’s golden heart was too warm.

…

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As Betty fought and lost to Apolline’s integrity, Ciel met with Nuan Yulong.

Ciel squinted. Nuan had the potential of an SSR, as expected from that stone-face communication disorder of a dragon.

Nevertheless, The ‘negotiation’ was pretty one-sided.

“So you are Mandrake’s daughter,” Ciel pressed. “What does your old-man tell you about me?”

“You’re a very noble and competent Lord who cares too much about mortals,” Nuan said with a cheerful smile. “Among the Lord, you are my favorite.”

“That’s a lie,” Ciel said. “Mandrake would never call me noble. Hell, he is almost as bad as Romulus about calling out my attitude. And ‘care too much?’ The dude knows very well why I care.” Ciel looked at the lying girl. “Nuan, right? Let me be honest here, you don’t know your father at all.”

Nuan suddenly felt she was hanging from a precarious cliff. She was supposed to be the herald of the greatest Empire in all of Acceltra — an agent which held the fate of the Eastern Continent in her hand. As a daughter of a Lord, she and her sisters were literal monsters. As an ambassador from the Southern superpower, her advantage was a universal constant. But within the first trading of words, all those facts disappeared. Nuan Yulong felt exposed, like a fish out of water at the mere mention of the Emperor.

Still, the girl with the energy of the autumn storm kept her faulty smile, “What a shame. How would you describe the Emperor, then?”

“Well, Mandrake is a pretty awkward person to be around,” Ciel said. “Given how bad his communication skills are, it’s pretty easy to assume the worst about that stoic dolt.”

Nuan felt her smile turning very heavy.

“He cares more than he lets on. Paranoid to a fault,” Ciel continued. “He’s a failure at connecting to others, despite wanting to. The idiots think he is carrying the world on his shoulder, and the expectation he feels for those he respects is downright burdensome.”

“That is a lie,” Nuan’s voice lost its control. Her smile disappeared. “The Emperor is nothing like you said.”

“So, what is he like, then?” Ciel asked. “And according to Betty, you never call him your father.”

“What’s he like?” said Nuan Yulong as trauma flowed from her. “He is a shadow of power and strength, a silent conqueror who aims to expand the Empire. He doesn’t tolerate failures.” Nuan trembled at the mention of the Emperor. All composure faded as she met the one subject she could never counter. “He rules us with an iron fist, turning his sons and daughter against each other. The inner-court of the Yulong Empire is a den of wolves,” she ranted, “the Emperor, the dragon of Yulong, looked at our suffering and did nothing.”

“Yep,” Ciel confirmed. “Still the same old Mandrake.”

“Isn’t that some crappy fathering skills?” Xia asked.

“She is right,” Nuan added to Xia’s response. “The Emperor is more of a monster than a man.”

“Xia, remember when I said Romulus would make a great father because of his honesty,” Ciel asked. “Well, Mandrake is the opposite. He is a terrible father because he can never be honest with his feelings.”

“He never has feelings,” Nuan argued. She realized her mask was slipping, and she didn’t care. “You should know he is a tyrannical expansionist who forced his daughter to be his personal enforcer,” Nuan let out the anger of the child robbed of her childhood. “Betty said you are reasonable, so why are you defending him?”

“How did he punish you then?” Ciel said. “Let me guess, a house arrest in some secluded place no one knows.” Ciel nodded at Nuan’s widening eyes. “Ah, and he probably forbids their names from being said in the court — basically disappearing them.”

Nuan’s expression told them Ciel was spot on.

“That’s harsh,” Xia said.

“Nope,” Ciel said. “He did that for a reason,” he groaned, “but that could only mean that guy is still out there.” Ciel sympathized with his fellow Lord. “Poor Mandrake, he is too used to suffering in silence.” He turned toward Xia. “Don’t worry, I will tell you all about that guy later.”

Before Nuan could unleash another barrage of protest and rant, one person silently joined their conversation.

“Hello, Lord Ciel,” said Hikari, dressed in a suit. “Lord Borbonsi wants me to accompany you.”

“Hikari-chan,” Nuan quickly switched to lively girl mode. “I don’t know you are following us. Are you finally changing your mind about my employment contract?”

“I can’t allow the guests to bother each other,” Hikari brushed her black hair alluringly. “Lord Borbonsi entrusted Lord Ciel to me as an honor guest.” She then turned toward. “Lord Ciel, please, I invite you to my residence.”

Ciel actually knew the true meaning behind Hikari’s suggestion.

Borbonsi was making a honey-trap pitch. 

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