In the third letter, Gab tells that during one of the auctions for the ladies, a Mage was seen buying a few young prostitutes. The only reason why he thought that of her was because of her wings. She had fuchsia butterfly wings emerging from her back.
"Before I could give chase, these girls and the butterfly girl were gone. She ain't normal, she ain't human. I'm betting my food on this girl being a Mage and she's got a hand in these disappearances," wrote Gab.
That became the turning point to tell Gillian. Since it was quite the minute one, Mavislin was allowed to bring a junior with her. Ysabeau tagged along since the mission called for females. One wasn't enough for the mission to cover enough ground.
"Is Gillian really fine with his wife going to such a dangerous area?" asked Raiyen, nudging Z in the side.
"First, don't do that when I am eating. Second, this is the High Queen we are discussing here. Gillian had no choice since Ysabeau was the one who volunteered herself. And besides, have faith in Ysabeau. You should be worried about Mavislin instead," replied Z, flicking the boy's temple.
"No need to worry about me either. I can be a demon if I need to. And besides, no guy will like my appetite so I will be fasting for the whole time we are needed there. If a guy wants his way with me, I'll bite off his..."
"That's quite enough," said Z, walking away with his hands covering his ears.
As the Galaxian Mage went to clear his plate, Bryan laughed at Mavislin's pouting face. But the Valkyrie composed herself and turned towards her underling.
"Bryan, I would need you to use your charm on the humans there as well. You think you can do that?" asked Mavislin.
"That should be easy. But I will still be faithful to you, Lady Roydon," said Bryan, bowing slightly.
"I have confidence in your loyalty. But if need be, go for the chance. We need to save those ladies. They may be seen as objects but Gab sees them as his subjects. I do not mind at all," said Mavislin, smiling once more.
"I know you won't mind, but if I'm tied to an owner, it is my policy to stay loyal. Don't worry, if the situation arises, I will be sure to honor your request."
"Hey, I'm not a 'Master', you know. And you are certainly not tied to me. I'm going to treat you like an object. I don't treat my underlings as objects or weapons. I treat them with respect as if they are my fellow teammates, which they are. Which you are."
"I'm used to Minwoo using me as a moving piece on the battlefield. As a weapon to destroy conflicting parties."
"I'm not Minwoo. The Arks function very differently from the Five Kings. The founders or leaders make decisions together but it is up to the individual Ark to determine if they want to accept the mission."
"So that's why Z, Raiyen, and Baldwin weren't in the meeting with us," said Bryan, understanding more about the structure of the Arks.
"That's correct. In fact, it was supposed to be Raiyen and I teaming up since this called for collecting intelligence. That is the niche of the Vigilante. But since Raiyen hates going to Red Light Districts, Ysabeau was called upon instead."
"Why not send a lower-ranking Mage?"
"Gab wrote me personally. If someone writes to a leader personally, means the situation cannot be handled by the lower ranks anymore. It's better to send one of us instead of hundreds to their deaths. We are not mindless dictators. We are running a shelter not a concentration camp."
"Well, that's good to know. That I am in the hands of people who care for my wellbeing. Even if I was nearly tossed into the hands of death himself."
"Believe me, we've all had our fair share of meeting with Death himself. I think he's sick of seeing us. We are probably his regulars," said Raiyen, brushing past the duo.
"I don't think that that's a good thing."
"It isn't, but it's our life. Anyways, each Ark has its own rules and responsibilities. In the Barren Pillars, I command the First Seats as a group. Each First Seat can command their own Pillar since there would be four more seats lower than them."
"So, I get juniors too?"
"Yep. But if I see a lower Seat performing better than a First Seat, I will swap their roles instantly. My Ark has always been the attacking piece, so the more offensive your skillset is, the higher I'll place you. But the First Seats are usually handpicked by me, as seen for these days."