"Even if you are from another planet, you are still a child," whispered Minwoo, allowing the child to sit on his lap.
The child pointed at the plate of food that Minwoo had been eating. She gave him an inquisitive look. She then pointed towards her mouth.
"What that?" asked Mavislin, still having pieces of meat stuck in her tiny mouth.
"It's human food. It's rice and chicken," explained Ysabeau.
The child remained silent. She then spoke softly.
"Does it taste nice?"
"I could give you some of my rice. If you'd like to try," offered Minwoo, holding a spoonful of rice to the young girl.
The child shyly nodded and ate the whole spoon. And part of Minwoo's hand.
"We've got to do something about this. She'll end up eating the Marquess soon..." grumbled Baldwin as he pulled the child away from Minwoo.
"And the rest of the humans we are working with," added Gillian, bandaging the poor man's hand.
After clearing up, it was time for the adults to discuss the current situation yet again. Little Mavislin was bored as she didn't have a clue about what was happening. All she knew was people dying all over the area. That, she did not like.
Big words flew by her head as Baldwin and Minwoo discussed on the Campania's domain. About being a leader, about helping the humans who have fallen from common society. She hugged her eye patch bunny close to her chest, unsure if she should join in the conversation.
"So, have you got a group that you can trust?" asked Gillian, sifting through a mountain of papers.
"Friends from all over. Nobles usually have a wider array of people to count on. Right now, pick out those that you see as friends that you can trust," explained Ysabeau.
"Who you could use as pawns to your game would be beneficial too," added Gillian.
Minwoo closed his eyes as he recalled what Ashley had told him before they became independent.
"Constantly and skillfully maneuver your pieces to your advantage. That's how you survive. Use any piece within your reach. Your throne may be built on the fallen bodies of your pawns but for how long could you last? Because if the king falls – the game is over."
Never thought a game of chess could hold so much meaning when it comes to commandeering a domain.
"Well, I've got Ashley, who is a mafia head in my domain. There's young Viscountess Ling at the Briton domain. And a few days ago, Duchess Midford had recently announced that she'll be giving the title to her daughter, Vernice," explained Minwoo.
As Minwoo remembered his past adventures, he tried writing down some names that could aid him. Most likely some powerful names.
"Hm... And who do you trust the best?" asked Gillian, looking at all the names.
"I'm close to Ashley, that's for sure. I've listed all that I am comfortable with. The entire tree of Midford could be trusted as well since they are known for their battle skills."
Young Mavislin's head started to hurt from all those noble rankings. She hugged her plushie tightly as she looked at the giant list of names.
"How about the Albion domain? You've got anyone there?" asked Ysabeau, patting the child's head.
"There's one...But I wouldn't count on him..."
"And why not? Right now, you need connections from all over the area to make this thing work," asked Baldwin, raising his eyebrow.
"Well, he's called Baron Tuazon. Better known as Gab the barista. But he doesn't like being part of these kinds of things," reasoned Minwoo, looking at the child.
Mavislin's eyes grew big as he gave a heart-warming smile. She laughed and dived into his lap, startling the Marquess. Minwoo gently accepted the child into his lap, patting her head once more. Albeit, cautiously.
"Ashley and Gab don't exactly go well with each other. Another fight might start if their opinions differ," said Minwoo, sighing.
"Who's Ashley?" asked Mavislin, looking at the list of names.
"He's my best buddy. We used to live in the same town before going our separate ways," explained Minwoo, remembering the fond times with that stick man.
"Minwoo, filter out the list of names. Leave one name for one domain. The lesser the names given, the easier it is to help first. We can conduct investigations regularly. Then, I need you to gather all these people that you've mentioned," ordered Gillian, pointing at the list.
"And how should I do so?" asked Minwoo, with a happy Valkyrie on his lap.
"By ranking and trust. The higher the rank, the better. We need to have the best influence across all domains. Now that the Congregation is crumbling, a new power has to come up to restore order," answered Gillian.