Year 4667 of the Unified Imperial Calendar:
Fourth Month, Day 9. (5:31 PM)
◇ Third Person POV ◇
The moment Reyshia saw Astra collapse, she paused in her steps as her eyes widened.
"Astra!"
She unconsciously tried to go to where he was, but was suddenly stopped. She looked at her arm and saw Lillia grabbing onto her quite hard.
"Lady Reyshia! Please calm down!" she scolded.
Seeing her angry look, Reyshia calmed herself and deepened her breaths. She then scanned the surroundings, but saw nothing that resembled an enemy. She glanced at Lillia. "Thank you, Lillia."
Lillia bowed in acknowledgement.
Reyshia then shifted back her gaze to Astra and spoke. "We need to save him."
Reyshia needed his help. For mysterious reasons, Astra was capable of understanding whatever was in this laboratory and was able to understand its language. She needed to save him. For the sake of...
"However, it is dangerous to just barge through." Lillia informed. "And we do not know if he really is in danger."
Hearing her words, Reyshia gave a sigh. That's right. Maybe she was just a bit too unsettled. She needed to think things more.
"Is there any way to confirm he's alright?" she asked Lillia.
Lillia pondered. She then spoke. "I think that would be difficult. The easiest way would be for one of us to take a risk."
"But that's what I'm trying to avoid!"
"But we have no other choice." Lillia said.
Lillia knew what she was thinking about, as she had been with her for half a year. Half a year since she started her training as a maid, she had seen how Reyshia thinks in certain moments. And right now, she deduced that Reyshia was most likely thinking about saving Astra for the sake of her dream.
Silence went between them for a while, and Lillia spoke. "I'll try it."
"Eh?"
"I volunteer to try."
"You can't! If something happens to you, we—" Reyshia panicked, but was cut off.
"It's my own decision, Lady Reyshia."
Reyshia went silent at her words. She seldom did things at her own discretion, so she was quite surprised.
Lillia ignored her surprised Lady as she went ahead and then passed through the passage. And when she did, she braced herself for an upcoming pain, but nothing happened.
"Huh?" She was confused.
Reyshia looked at her with worry, and asked. "Are you alright, Lillia?"
"I'm fine, Lady Reyshia. At least for now."
She then lifted Astra's body, and tried to carry him out. However. . .
"If you don't put him down this instant, I'll blow this girls brain off."
. . . an unfamiliar feminine voice suddenly reached her ears.
She put Astra down and then turned around in a hurry, and saw an unknown girl pointing a something towards her lady's head. Lillia was confused, what was that in her hand?
The girl seemed to have seen through her confusion as she took out another one with her free hand, and pointed it to the wall.
BANG!
A loud, dry explosion resounded.
The loudness practically rang in their head as they inadvertently covered their ears, and looked at where she pointed it towards. What Lillia saw was a small hole that seemed like the metal wall was...pierced through?
Cold sweat formed on her forehead as she started to realize just what kind of object was pointed to her lady. She warily looked at the girl, and asked. "Who are you?"
"That's my line. Who are you? And what are you doing here?" The girl asked back. The object in her hand still pointed to Reyshia's head.
Reyshia who also knew her predicament, was the one who answered. "We're the owner of the land this place occupies."
"Oh? Owner you say?"
"Yes."
The girl smirked. "Then, I assume the Union has already lost?"
Reyshia's brows raised at her words. "Union?" she asked. "They were defeated 200 years ago. By the empire."
The Union was an alliance of on nearby kingdoms that sought to topple the reign of the Sky Empire, but ultimately failed. The war that they waged however, brought great damage to the Sky Empire, making it one of the most tragic invasions that the Empire ever experienced in its history.
However, Reyshia's answer made the girl smirk even deeper. "Fufu, I see...I see! So those assholes finally went down, huh? Hahaha! Serves those greedy pieces of shit, right?"
She spoke as if she personally knew the Union, and even cursed them as if they were pests in her backyard. A reaction that roused curiosity between in Lillia and Reyshia.
However, before they could ask anything, the girl spoke. "Alright. Leave him here, and I'll let you go."
Lillia's eyes narrowed from her words, as she asked. "I can't let you do that. This man is Lady Reyshia's Warslave."
[AN: I'm replacing war slave to Warslave.]
Hearing Lillia's words, the girl's smirk disappeared as her gaze shifted to a hostile one.
"Oh? A slave, you say?" she asked.
The girl then turned to Reyshia as her eyes asked for confirmation. Reyshia nodded.
"It is true. He was the one to initiate the pact."
"And it's been completed?"
"Well, that is..."
Reyshia didn't answer further. She still hadn't have the time to tell Astra about the pact, so they still hadn't become official master and servant.
The girl smirked again. "Looks like you haven't."
Reyshia turned to the girl and asked. "Why are you interested in him anyway?"
The girl smiled at her, and only said. "Nope. Not telling."
Reyshia felt her blood boil from her answer. This unknown girl was messing with them, and perhaps was thinking they were pushovers. And a pushover? Reyshia was clearly not.
Reyshia strengthened her body for an instant, and spun at an incredible speed and kicked the unknown girl's hand. Due to it being a surprise attack, she had managed to land it, disarming the unknown, however...
"Oh? Not bad, missy." The girl didn't lose composure as she dashed and ducked, making her seem vanish. By the time Reyshia noticed her presence, a palm was already speeding towards her.
"Don't touch her!" a yell suddenly came from nearby as Lillia as she grabbed the unknown girl's arm, and threw her away.
The girl regained balance in mid-air as she than landed her feet on the ground, sliding as she dispersed the momentum of her body.
Lillia was surprised at her incredible mid-air agility. Her wariness increased further as she glared at the unknown girl.
"I see. Not bad, not bad. However, I've changed my mind now. Fun time's over." She said. "I'll just leave you verdict to him."
After she spoke, her eyes emitted a glow as she then disappeared.
And the next instant, Lillia felt a strong force hit her from behind her neck, depriving her of her consciousness.
'W-Wha—'
Before she completely passed out, she managed to see the sight of her lady, as she too had been attack behind the neck.
'Lady...Reyshia...'
And then, her consciousness faded to black.