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“You pulled that off really well considering it was your first time. You know how you need Dark Cores so the freezer can work? Now I’ll teach you how to use your Saint Core in parallel to your previous abilities to subjugate monsters.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t have time for that. I’m really interested in this power, but I really need to make sure everything is ready so we can open the restaurant.”

Schenna returned her sword to its scabbard and went to check the ingredients were all good, and that the vegetable soup broth they were preparing was seasoned correctly. They still had enough Dark Cores for three more days, so the next day she would have to ask Luthors to go gather more from monsters.

“If we use my teleportation magic, we all could gather more than enough Dark Cores in a single hour. The other two seem to be on board with the idea, so only your decision remains now.”

Luthors readied herself inside the restaurant before joining Schenna outside.
If Grana really had teleportation magic, then one hour would not delay the opening time of the restaurant at all.

“Kishana will be working in the restaurant and wait for us apparently. And I know I’m the one in charge of hunting monsters but…”
“As the manager of the restaurant, I had already planned on watching you take down monsters at least once. I’ll try not to get in your way so I hope we can go together.”

Last time Luthors had gone on her own to gather the Dark Cores, but she brought many more than expected back.
When they asked her what kind of monsters she had slain, she just said they were so many different ones she couldn’t remember.

“If you think it’s too dangerous, just use him as a shield. He’s a monster that can stand a fight against the Hero’s party without sustaining a single fatal wound.”
“That’s just rude… What you said might be true but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel pain. Though I’m not saying I’m against being used as a shield, but you could have worded it a bit better…”

“Shut up already and teleport us!”
“Arrite arrite, as you wish.”

Luthors was clearly pissed as she pressed Grana to chant the spell.
Since those two had already met before in Gafenna, Schenna could only assume there was some secret between the two.

Schenna and Luthors held Grana’s hands, and as he chanted what sounded like an aria in an ancient language, the spell was cast.
Their surroundings changed from the streets of the fortress city to plains all around as far as they could see.
The spell had worked, and Grana unfolded a map of the entire continent to show them their current location.

“We are west from the center of the fortress city, so that means we’re in Swead Kingdom’s territory.”
“Swead huh. That’s one place I wouldn’t like to be in for too long.”

Schenna frowned when she heard the name ‘Swead’.
Swead was in the middle of the Five Great Powers, and was a place mostly known for the slave-trading that took place in there.
When Gafenna had resurrected the Demon King, they only agreed to participate in the war near the end of it.

And while it was just a rumor, it was also said that all of Gafenna’s soldiers that survived the war were made into slaves there.
The Hero’s party approached them many times in efforts to dissolve slavery, but Swead always pushed them away and stood as far apart from them as possible.

“We’re currently standing on Swead’s territory without any documentation on us. Do you understand what this means?”
“…Even if they turn us into slaves, we can’t say anything back.”
“Exactly. So Grana, I’m sorry but could you take us somewhere…”

Schenna wanted Grana to teleport them somewhere else, but then she spotted a group running ahead of a caravan traveling through the plains, so she stopped talking.
After they hid, they observed their surroundings until they confirmed they were safe.

“So that’s a slave caravan. It’s my first time seeing one.”

Caravans like that were said to be part of an organization that captured slaves to present to the royalty, but nothing much was known about Swead compared to the other kingdoms. The immigration process was really strict, and they controlled any outgoing information really well.

Swead Kingdom was also known with a nickname: the Spirited Away Kingdom.