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Illuminas Main Island. The Great Arsenal—

“Thank you very much. We were flying low in search of this place when we were attacked by a pack of Magic Stone Beasts. I’m deeply grateful for your timely rescue.”

Descending from the flying battleship now docked in the Great Arsenal, a young man from Midland extended his thanks. With a deep bow that almost had him folding at the waist, his striking silver hair and a noticeable monocle added to his handsome appearance. His genteel and poised demeanor was the kind that would usually catch Rafinha’s eye.

“Ooh…”
“NO!”

Inglis sprang into action, wrapping her arms around Rafinha’s head from behind, effectively covering her eyes.

“Ah, hey, Glis…! What are you doing…?!”
“You mustn’t see weird things!”
“Really, when we were trying to have a serious conversation…”
“You’re being a nuisance, Miss Inglis.”

Leone and Liselotte exchanged weary sighs.

“…Is something the matter?” The monocled youth looked around, puzzled.

“No, please don’t mind them.” Vilma dismissed the distraction and scrutinized the newcomer.

“…You are from the Æthelstan Firm, aren’t you? I don’t recognize your face.”
“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Über Æthelstan¹ . My father has recently retired due to illness, so I’ve taken over his duties. I hope to continue our cooperative relationship. Thank you for your support.”
“I’ll report to the higher-ups and seek further instructions. It shouldn’t be a problem, but please wait here for a moment.”
“Understood. However, could we possibly start unloading the cargo first? It might obstruct the repairs.”
“Leave it to us. Do you need any assistance with that?”
“No, they can walk on their own…”

Über’s words were gentle, but the implication was heavy. Cargo capable of walking suggested they were dealing with human trafficking.

Legends of Highlanders hunting humans or Midlanders selling their kin as slaves were not uncommon. This could be evidence of the latter. The idea that Über might be involved in a slave trade from the surface was disturbing. The fact that slave traders now possessed a Flying Battleship, a formidable means for transporting large numbers of people, was even more alarming.

Inglis had never encountered slave traders operating with Flying Battleships in Charalia; thus, they must have been based elsewhere. It would be wise to remember the name Æthelstan Firm—they could be far more dangerous than the notorious Lambert Firm, led by Rahal and Faris.

What perplexed Inglis the most was the rationale behind such entities engaging in dealings with Illuminas, especially since Mais had indicated that the notion of human slaves was distasteful and supposedly non-existent in Illuminas.

“Glis, let go…!”

With determination, Rafinha freed herself from Inglis’ grip.

“Miss Vilma…! What does that mean…?! What’s in the cargo…?!”
“…”

Vilma offered only a grim expression in response.

“Miss Vilma…!”
“More importantly, what’s with the kid? Why is a citizen child here…?”

Vilma turned to Mais as Rafinha began to explain.

“That’s, um… When we were playing in the sea, we met him when he was going out of the city. That’s when that ship arrived with Magic Stone Beasts, so we had him follow us…”
“I see. So you were taking care of a mischievous kid. Why don’t you go and return to where he belongs? I’m sure his parents are worried sick.”
“Wait a minute, you haven’t answered…!”
“You better be fast, otherwise they might see you as a kidnapper of one of our own. Don’t make me resort to that.”
“But…!”

Rafinha still refused to back down, but Mais stopped her.

“R-, Rafinha… I don’t want to cause trouble for you guys, so I’m going home. I’m sure my mom and dad are looking for me and making a fuss right now. You’re going to give me a lift, right? Let’s go.”

It was fortunate that Mais was the one who suggested this.

Rafinha getting into an argument with Vilma wouldn’t end well, but if Rafinha wanted Inglis to examine the ship’s cargo, she would do it swiftly. However, Inglis doubted there would be someone strong for her to fight against in the cargo, so she wasn’t thrilled with the idea.

Then again, if they were to resort to force, Vilma might deploy a secret weapon far surpassing the Mecha Dragons to stop Inglis.

“Mais… Yeah, got it.”

Urged by Mais, Rafinha had no choice but to prioritize his safety, and they all boarded the Star Princess.

As they took off, Mais turned to Rafinha with a serious expression.

“Rafinha, hurry back there after you drop me off, okay? Miss Knight had something to hide and used me as an excuse… but she won’t get away with it if I’m not there. I’m sorry I dragged you down.”

Mais seemed more aware and suspicious of Vilma than Rafinha was.

“Mais… Yeah, you got it! I’ll make sure to wring out every answer from Miss Vilma!”
“Yeah, please do! Tell me if you learned anything. I’ll come to see you again!”
“Aah~ That means you’re going to sneak out again. You naughty you~”

Rafinha playfully poked Mais with her fingertips.

“If the Duke gets all better and Illuminas is back in the sky again, then it won’t be sneaking out.”

Rafinha and Mais exchanged mischievous grins. It was charming how quickly they had bonded. Rafinha’s ability to forge connections with just about anyone was one of her strong suits.

Inglis was proud of her beloved granddaughter surrogate. She had played a significant part in her upbringing, and though Marquis Wilford and Aunt Irina had raised Rafinha, Inglis felt no less proud.

1. Mab: I hate this guy. Not because he is the token “shoujo-esque hot guy,” but because his name uses a diacritic and a ligature. I’m not too excited copying and pasting his name and his company’s name every time.
   Also, a guy whose job is deliver stuff and you name him Uber. The author is really creative.