Author Note: If you'd like to read more, you can read up to chapter 34 on
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SCENE: In front of the castle. A small HUMAN CROWD has gathered. RAPHTALIA and NAOFUMI approach the crowd, carrying a couple boxes to stand on. RAPHTALIA has a rifle slung over her shoulder.
NAOFUMI: Wasn't Motoyasu going to be here?
RAPHTALIA: He is probably still sleeping - he was pushing himself harder than we did. I didn't even go back to check on him.
NAOFUMI: Well, no matter. Let's start.
NAOFUMI jumps up on the boxes and addresses the CROWD, making a giant glowing shield appear above his head. RAPHTALIA stands next to him and salutes the crowd with her rifle.
NAOFUMI: I am the Shield Hero. Me and my partner Raphtalia will be training you to defend your lives against the monsters. Those of you who would rather die like dogs instead of training together with armed demihumans, kindly clear out.
Angry whispers pass through the CROWD in response, though about a quarter seems ambivalent.
CROWD: Demihumans did this in the first place!
CROWD: Princess said anyone could come, I don't want to kiss no animals! It's discrimination!
NAOFUMI waits for a bit, but as the crowd isn't quieting down, he motions to RAPHTALIA, who fires her gun into the air, silencing the CROWD for a moment.
NAOFUMI: You may also, optionally, save us all the trouble by jumping over the walls. You have three minutes to decide.
NAOFUMI jumps off his box, leaning over to RAPHTALIA to whisper together.
NAOFUMI: Is everything else ready?
RAPHTALIA: Reasonably. Fredalia didn't have the time to organize everything perfectly, or to teach other instructors, but we will start with simple things so it should be fine. We'd need to handle it very carefully, though - if some of them are already this angry, imagine how livid they would be when they find out I am far from the only armed demihuman here.
NAOFUMI shrugs.
NAOFUMI: I already told them the terms. They can get the training or they can get the door.
SCENE: Study of COUNT MERPET in the castle. The COUNT is pacing up and down the room, worry clear on his face. MYNE enters through one of the doors, followed by SIR ELTIS, and he hurries to approach her. SIR ELTIS bows deferentially to the count, but stands behind MYNE, cowering any time MYNE happens to move or turn in his direction. MYNE had changed into more practical clothes, and her face is tense, eyes twinkling dangerously.
COUNT MERPET: Your royal highness! What brings you to me in these troubled times?
MYNE: I came to discuss the orders you gave to Sir Eltis this morning, after his report to you. Would you like to clarify them for me?
COUNT MERPET's face turns into a scowl.
COUNT MERPET: Clarify?! What is there to clarify? Those demihumans are marching their army into town and beginning to sack and pillage like savages! The Devil of the shield is openly sicking them on our peaceful folk, and they stroll down the streets like
soldiers? This is the invasion I was talking about! We have to respond in force!
COUNT MERPET turns to SIR ELTIS.
COUNT MERPET: Why are you still here?! They should all be dead by now!
SIR ELTIS bows deeper, but doesn't move. MYNE sighs.
MYNE: It's a reasonable misunderstanding, but training demihumans has been Melty's idea, in order to defend against the monsters. Loathe as I am to admit it, Naofumi is competently following her orders. Just in case, I had Sir Ermet start to get our own soldiers into a proper fighting shape, and track where they go and what they do to keep a handle on it. Exterminating them would be completely wasteful - I hope this helps resolve any remaining confusion? Is there anything else?
The COUNT steps back in shock.
COUNT MERPET: Her- Her royal highness ordered it?!
COUNT MERPET rubs his forehead in dismay.
COUNT MERPET: It's worse than I thought. This mind virus of the Devil of the Shield had completely infected her mind... I truly hoped that she could be saved, but -
COUNT MERPET paces, as if thinking carefully. MYNE watches him attentively.
COUNT MERPET: Your royal highness, we will have to get rid of her before it's too late. I know she is your sister, and it would be hard, but -
MYNE purses her lips. Fingers on her left hand begin to twitch.
MYNE: I see. Sir Eltis, would you mind closing the door?
SIR ELTIS hurries out of the room as if his ass was on fire and closes the door from the outside. His footsteps continue away down the corridor. The COUNT gives MYNE a confused look.
MYNE: It seems you need a reminder for why this country is named after
my family.
COUNT MERPET: Your royal highness, what is the meaning of this? Surely you do not believe the demihuman lies -
Small glowing points appear in the air all across the room, and erupt into an enormous explosion that blows out of the windows, shakes the walls, and obliterates the furniture into shards of wood and ash. The firestorm does not abide, but only roars stronger as seconds pass, swirling into a tornado of red and white consuming the entire room and gushing through the shattered window frames.
In the middle of it, MYNE is standing calmly, holding up COUNT MERPET by the throat. Fire swirls around her, leaving her clothing without even a spot of soot, but the COUNT is not so lucky. Half of his suit has been singed, and his skin reddens and blisters from the flames. COUNT tries to scream, but can't, and only gurgles as his own weight chokes him against the fingers that might as well be granite.
MYNE: You
pathetic worm, hold your tongue. I have given you face and tolerated your antics for far too long, and it seems you have forgotten where you are.
Get rid of my sister? Your life is worth less to me than a single hair on her head. If you so much as
think of touching her, you will die. Do you understand me?
MYNE relaxes her hand a fraction, and COUNT MERPET manages to cough up a few words.
COUNT MERPET: The Oculary -
MYNE raises an eyebrow.
MYNE: The order? Do you truly think they would want to save you, if I said you deserved to die?
MYNE brings the COUNT's face closer to her own.
MYNE: The order isn't
here.
I am.
The COUNT is kicking around with his legs, trying to find purchase, and MYNE raises him up a notch to keep the floor firmly out of his reach.
MYNE: I have helped you as a fellow member in the past, and I suppose this means you think we are equals of a sort. You are well overdue for a touch with reality. Do you know what you are?
The COUNT doesn't answer. MYNE clacks her tongue and a gout of flame briefly bursts from around the fingers holding the count's throat, making him scream again.
COUNT MEPET: Your servant! I am your servant!
MYNE: You are far too useless to be a servant. You are my dog. Who is your queen?
COUNT MERPET: You - you are.
MYNE: Will you follow my every command?
COUNT MERPET: Yes! To the death!
MYNE chuckles darkly.
MYNE: Good, it seems we have an understanding. You will do what I say. You will do what Melty says. You won't give
any orders to "your" guards. If you ever betray me… Well, you understand.
MYNE lowers COUNT MERPET, letting his feet touch the floor, and he manages to finally take a deep breath.
MYNE: You are right that Naofumi put a lot of demihuman nonsense into Melty's head, and she needs help. I will get her this help, and keep her safe from further bullshit. But compared to Melty, you are as stupid as a slug, so don't worry your little head about this. Do you understand me?
COUNT MERPET nods furiously. MYNE smiles.
MYNE: I think we need to make sure you do. Did you know why healing potions do not work on old injuries? You see, as time passes, your body begins to…adjust. It starts to treat the damaged state as the correct one. What few people know is that this adjustment happens blindingly fast if you heal
while the damage is occurring.
MYNE reaches into her pouch and takes out a healing potion, force feeding it to COUNT MERPET. Burns on his body begin to heal, but fire continues to flow out of MYNE's hand clutching his throat. Once the healing effect passes, she feeds him another potion, and waits some more. Finally, she lets him go, and he falls to the ground, clutching his throat, and coughing for air. A scarlet handprint of a scar stands out clearly on his skin.
MYNE turns to leave, and all the fire in the room winks out of existence, leaving behind cracked stone walls, charred black, and the floor covered in glowing coals. As MYNE approaches the door, she glances back on the COUNT.
MYNE: Enjoy your new collar, dog.
MYNE slams the door shut behind herself, leaving the COUNT gasping among the ash.
SCENE: MYNE enters the barracks of the GUARD, her fires nowhere to be seen. She proceeds towards a wide room styled as a cafeteria with a tall ceiling, where large tables have been pushed into a square, forming a large planning table. The table is covered with a loose map of the town, clearly drawn by hand on the back of a tablecloth. The table is surrounded by several GUARDS IN FANCY HELMETS, including SIR ELTIS, who all bow to MYNE with apparent wariness.
MYNE: I am sorry for this distraction, but the count requested my presence. Now, where were we?
RAPHTALIA: So that's where you've been holed up! Why didn't you invite us to visit?
MYNE looks up and sees RAPHTALIA sitting on a large beam going across the ceiling and dangling her feet joyfully. MYNE gives RAPHTALIA an unamused stare.
MYNE: This is a restricted area. Leave.
RAPHTALIA: Aw, don't be like that! Shouldn't we -
MYNE chants under her breath and raises her hand, pointing at RAPHTALIA. A bead of fire manifests at the end of her finger and flies at RAPHTALIA at great speed. RAPHTALIA's eyes fly open in fear and she barely manages to roll off the beam, the bead missing her head by a mere foot.
The bead impacts the ceiling, and explodes with a clap into an enormous cloud of fire, washing the room in heat and blowing out the windows from overpressure. All the GUARDS in the room drop to the floor in terror.
RAPHTALIA lands on the floor below and rights herself with a roll, her face somewhat white.
RAPHTALIA: Are you fucked in the head?!
MYNE does not respond, and points at RAPHTALIA again, a second fire bead manifesting at the end of her finger. RAPHTALIA swears and her figure blurs in the air as she dodges right. MYNE tracks her with her hand and the second bead bursts through her chest, passing through and obliterating the right corner of the room in a conflagration.
RAPHTALIA's shape survives the explosion, stuck in mid air, and dissolves into sparkles of light a second later. MYNE sighs.
The GUARDS flee the room in terror.
MYNE: An illusion. Seems you've picked up a few tricks from being the Devil's whore after all.
MYNE unsheaths her sword and parries an attack from invisible RAPHTALIA, who fades into view.
MYNE: But tricks won't save you here.
MYNE and RAPHTALIA exchange blows. RAPHTALIA has a grim look on her face. MYNE's expression exudes boredom.
MYNE: These weapons, they teach you things, don't they? I suppose even a worthless demihuman couldn't help but pick up some sword skill, like a dog learns to heel.
RAPHTALIA: Is that why a psychotic bitch like you wants to marry Motoyasu?
MYNE laughs.
MYNE: You petulant pup, I have been trained to be a war mage from
birth. I already knew the magic and the sword like the back of my hand. All the Spear did was give me
power.
The air around them grows dense with fire beads. RAPHTALIA splits into three illusory figures that flee in opposite directions. MYNE laughs louder.
MYNE: Good, flee, hide, hope for the best, but nothing will save you. You think you can come into
my kingdom, put lies into the head of
my sister and expect to
live? I am Myne Q.
Melromarc, daughter of conquerors! Now
bow.
The beads scatter all around the room, and obliterate it in another explosion, shaking the ground and turning a third of the roof into dust and rubble. RAPHTALIA flies out of the window on the tails of it, rolling on the ground on the empty street outside, looking worse for wear. MYNE steps out through the destroyed window after her, drinking a mana potion on the way. RAPHTALIA fades out of view once again. MYNE clacks her tongue.
MYNE: Do you know what my family's name means, squirrel? I doubt you can read the history books, so I will enlighten you. In an ancient tongue, it means
wild magic. Sorcery is in my blood, in my ancestry - it's why we
are this country. You think an upstart like you could hold a candle to
me?
A crossbow bolt strikes MYNE in her potion pouch, shattering the glass inside. A second one hits her in the stomach. MYNE growls, her high health easily dealing with the hits. RAPHTALIA remains invisible.
INVISIBLE RAPHTALIA: Don't need much magic for a clown like you.
MYNE: You think I need to
see you?
MYNE chants under her breath, and long, thin strands of fire criss-cross the street like a spider web. MYNE's eyes flicker over it, until she sees a disturbance in the flow of fire and grins.
MYNE: Found you!
MYNE raises a hand and sends a dozen beads of fire in that direction, obliterating that section of the street and the walls of the houses next to it. The dust billows upwards. Suddenly, MYNE is grabbed from behind, a sword pressed up against her neck as RAPHTALIA fades into view.
RAPHTALIA: Found me? Dipshit, I am an
illusionist. Now stand down or -
MYNE slams the back of her head in RAPHTALIA's nose, making her stumble backwards, and MYNE follows up with a sword of her own.
MYNE: Should have done it while you had the chance. Show yourself for the rabid beast that you are! Make my sister finally open her eyes to the truth!
RAPHTALIA: Rabid beast?! You are tossing artillery spells around a populated town!
MYNE does not respond, instead scattering more fire beads around the area, and RAPHTALIA is forced to flee again. MYNE's breathing is ragged. She reaches for her potions, but only finds a pouch of shattered glass. Another crossbow bolt hits her in the flank and she snarls.
INVISIBLE RAPHTALIA: How do you think this will end? I've killed things stronger than myself before.
MYNE lashes out with more fire in the direction of the voice, but it was merely another illusion.
INVISIBLE RAPHTALIA: Soon enough you'd run out of magic. Without that, what even are you?
MYNE: When Motoyasu gets here -
RAPHTALIA laughs.
INVISIBLE RAPHTALIA: Oh that is
precious. Did you know your fiance was helping us train demihumans last night?
MYNE stumbles.
MYNE: What?!
INVISIBLE RAPHTALIA: Oh yes. I brought him there. He seemed to
like it, too, helping those "lowly demihumans". Kicked you out of his party while doing it, of course. Even if he was awake, he'd have no idea you were in a fight.
MYNE: You
bitch. First my sister, and now my husband? Is there
nothing sacred to you?
MYNE snarls, and fire fills the air around her, swirling and exploding outwards, far larger than before, filling the entire street. MYNE stumbles from the drain of it, but RAPHTALIA screams, having been caught by the edge of the massive conflagration. MYNE gives her a dark grin.
MYNE: There you are. And now you
die.
MYNE stumbles over to where CRISPY RAPHTALIA is rolling on the ground in pain, but a sudden gust of wind clears the fire away. MELTY and FULANA JEN, riding on top of FILO, land in the middle of the street. MELTY is wearing a sleeping gown, with a long night cap with stars sewn onto it.
MELTY: Myne! Stand down!
MYNE growls in response.
MYNE: She
has to
die.
MYNE steps forwards, but a ray of water from MELTY rakes across the earth in front of her. FULANA JEN hops off FILO and rushes over to CRISPY RAPHTALIA, feeding her a healing potion.
MELTY: That wasn't a request, Myne. Leave Raphtalia alone.
MYNE turns to MELTY with a betrayed look on her face.
MYNE: You would choose
that beast over your own
sister?
MELTY's lips jerk downwards in irritation.
MELTY: I am not
choosing anyone. You are fighting in the streets, this stops now. If you won't listen to your sister, then this is an order from your sovereign!
MYNE:
Mother isn't
here.
MYNE lunges at RAPHTALIA, and FILO immediately turns into her human form, accelerates through the air, grabs MYNE by her midsection and supplexes her into the ground, driving all air out of her lungs in a single fluid motion. MELTY, no longer supported by FILO's bulk, falls to the ground with a yelp and gets up, rubbing her butt with a wince. FILO calmly pins MYNE's hands behind her back and sits on top of her triumphantly. MYNE is wheezing below her.
As RAPHTALIA is slowly healed, she rasps out.
RAPHTALIA: Filo, kill her now.
MELTY: Raphtalia, stop!
RAPHTALIA: The cunt is out of mana, just snap her neck.
MELTY: Shut up!
RAPHTALIA: She threw an
artillery spell at my
face! You let her go, and she won't stop until we are
all dead!
MELTY turns to FILO, panic clear in her eyes.
MELTY: Filo, don't you dare.
FILO looks between them, then shrugs.
FILO: Eh, sure, Melty. She doesn't seem that dangerous either way.
RAPHTALIA chokes, then starts laughing hysterically.
SCENE: Dining room in the castle. NAOFUMI, RAPHTALIA, FILO and CONSTANCE are sat on one side of the table. CONSTANCE is whispering with NAOFUMI and RAPHTALIA. RAPHTALIA's long hair had been considerably shortened after her run in with artillery fire.
Loud shouting is coming from behind one of the doors into the room. Finally, it stops, and MELTY, MYNE, FULANA JEN and MOTOYASU enter. MOTOYASU looks chagrined, and MYNE is throwing poisonous glares at him.
MYNE sits down on the other side. She looks more collected now, with most of her distant noble haughtiness back on display. MELTY takes the seat at the head of the table, in between both sides.
MELTY: Before we begin, I would like to thank everyone here for confirming that I literally cannot take a nap without my allies going at each other's throats. Really, it's flattering how much you all need me.
NAOFUMI: Any time.
MELTY: Unfortunately, we have something of a problem since there are no unbiased witnesses to what happened between Raphtalia and Myne.
RAPHTALIA slams a hand on the table.
RAPHTALIA: The fuck? There were like a dozen guards in the room!
MELTY sighs.
MELTY: I said unbiased. The guards are terrified of Myne and, simultaneously, hate you for being a recent symbol of the demihuman movement. Not only are they biased, they are
so biased that I can't even begin to guess in which
direction they are perverting their testimonies. The best I can glean is that there was some kind of confrontation between you and Myne, and that at some point Myne threw out a fireball - which is of no help at all, because their testimonies contradict one another on who attacked first.
RAPHTALIA scowls. MELTY shrugs.
MELTY: I am just going over the facts. You didn't bring a recording orb on your stroll, so I can only make guesses about what happened based on what I've known of you two, as well as what Fulana told me happened while I was asleep. Right now, I am only here to try to mediate this conflict.
RAPHTALIA: Is this some kind of sick joke? She tries to murder me in broad daylight and you call it a
conflict?
MYNE: I agree, there is no point in this. After trying to assassinate me, this dog does not deserve any mercy. Send her to the gallows.
MELTY's lips jerk in annoyance, and she throws a poisonous glare at MYNE.
MELTY: Myne, shut up. The only reason I am not throwing you under the cart is that you are my sister. You best not push me.
MYNE sighs, looking distraught.
MYNE: Melty, please. I don't know everything they told you, but they are
lying to you. Why do you want to ally with people who will stab you in the back?
MELTY whirls on MYNE.
MELTY: Stab me in the back? Stab
me in the back?! I wake up, and find out that the count has been disfigured and is barely capable of
speech, and then you do your level best to blow up all my attempts to ally with the Shield Hero! It's a wonder they didn't already leave the town and then the
country, permanently!
NAOFUMI: We discussed it, but decided to save the town first.
MELTY: - no discussion with me, not even a damn
note, you simply decide to do it, all because of what? Because you think it would be better for me? I can't
know what happened in those barracks, but I damn well have my suspicions, Myne, and they are not in your favor. With a family like that, do I even need enemies?!
MYNE wrings her hands.
MYNE: It
would be better for you! They would spit -
MELTY pokes herself in the chest, interrupting MYNE.
MELTY:
I decide who I ally with. Me, personally, nobody else. Not you, not Mother, not Naofumi,
me. If you try to decide for me
again, then I will no longer have a sister.
MELTY stares MYNE down until MYNE deflates and looks away. MELTY nods.
MELTY: Good. Now let us figure out how to resolve this conflict so that we can deal with the plant monsters that, need I remind you, are still trying to kill us all.
CONSTANCE shrugs.
CONSTANCE: Honestly, I am struggling to imagine how that could happen. As far as we are concerned - "unbiased witnesses" notwithstanding -
CONSTANCE makes mocking quote mark gestures in the air.
CONSTANCE: - Myne had attempted to murder Raphtalia over what amounts to Raphtalia helping an exhausted Motoyasu walk over to his bed, looking in on some defense planning we should have been privy to in the first place, and some light ribbing. We fully expect her to do so again. If you would protect her from retaliation, then that calls into question any possibility of our cooperation.
NAOFUMI: What was it you said back then? If we can't trust Myne, then we must abandon everything else and deal exclusively with her?
MELTY nods.
MELTY: That is fair. I do not imagine that further political promises would help?
CONSTANCE: It is an issue of trust. If we can't trust you to uphold your end of the bargain, then any promises you can't fulfill immediately are worth nothing.
MELTY nods again.
MELTY: Well, I did expect that to be the case. Still, I am afraid I will have to make my own position worse: I can't remove Myne from her position as effective head of the city guard. Not only is she too powerful of a mage to lose, but also the town is in a state of… great excitement after today's events. The guard was already hesitant to follow my commands because I associate with you, and you train up demihumans; now, the only thing that keeps them in a semblance of control is their fear of her. If I remove her, then I fear the town might descend into a full-on panic, and fall shortly thereafter.
CONSTANCE frowns behind her mask.
CONSTANCE: You are leading to something.
MELTY: I am. First of all, we have already been sleeping nearby: I would propose we make it official. If we sleep in the same rooms, then you would not have to worry about Myne attacking you in the middle of the night.
CONSTANCE: It would help against some of the most explosive forms of attack, I suppose.
MELTY: Furthermore, I would propose we move our accommodations to the warehouses where the demihuman fighters you have trained sleep, to indirectly protect them against retaliation as well.
MYNE: Melty!
MELTY: Quiet. I have no gold or mana crystals to offer, but I do have valuable information. I'll tell you everything I know from our little black book - favors owed, blackmail collected, lists of agents and allies, and so on.
FULANA JEN shuffles uncomfortably behind MELTY's seat. CONSTANCE frowns in thought, tapping her cheek. MYNE covers her face in both hands.
MYNE: Mother would
kill you.
MELTY: Mother won't kill me faster than the monsters outside the walls will.
You should have thought about how important an alliance with one of the four heroes was to me before you almost broke it.
NAOFUMI leans back, crossing his arms.
NAOFUMI: How could we possibly know if that information is correct?
CONSTANCE shakes her head.
CONSTANCE: No, I think I should be able to tell. The key parts especially. Assuming the promise is honest, its value would be immense.
MELTY: I would not get too excited, as most of it is only of value to someone from my family. But given that it is something I can only reveal once - assuming I did this, would this settle the grudge?
NAOFUMI: It does nothing to dissuade Myne from attacking us during the day, especially when we are separated.
MELTY: Myne would not attack people under my
explicit protection,
especially if she knows I will do something drastic in the same vein if she did so. She is right that revealing the black book is a very serious move.
Right, Myne?
MELTY glances at MYNE. MYNE nods despondently.
MELTY: So, Fredalia? Would this be enough?
CONSTANCE deliberates for a moment, then nods.
CONSTANCE: It should be, I think. In the end, our grudge is not with you but with Myne - if the cost does not suffice, it will be enough for Myne to know you will pay the remainder later on.
MELTY: Excellent. If that satisfies everyone, then I want Myne and Raphtalia to shake their hands, and
bury this conflict.
MYNE gets up and stretches out a hand to RAPHTALIA, a sour expression on her face. RAPHTALIA doesn't budge.
RAPHTALIA: So, this is it, huh. She just gets away with it because she is your sister.
RAPHTALIA spits on the ground.
RAPHTALIA: Everything we ever said about your justice has been true. When it comes down to it, family will always come first for you, and justice second. What a great monarch you are.
MELTY sighs in exasperation.
MELTY: Raphtalia, you can ask Fredalia about the true costs of the things I am offering, if you do not believe my word.
RAPHTALIA: Nothing that costs
her any though. You are paying all the costs, and she gets off scott free. She'll do it again, and you'd pay again.
MELTY: If I want to pay the debts of my family, then I will do so as many times as I want.
RAPHTALIA: Well, I say it's not good enough. I don't want your family's debts, I want her to pay personally.
RAPHTALIA jerks her head at MYNE.
RAPHTALIA: You want me to eat ash and shake the hand of this snake? Force her to shave her own hair.
MYNE scowls. RAPHTALIA grins at her maliciously, and flicks her own burnt hair.
RAPHTALIA: You take my hair, I take yours. That's fair, right? Except I think you care about your looks way more than I do. Call it a bonus for the excruciating pain of being burned alive.
MYNE scoffs at her. MELTY's lips twitch in annoyance.
MYNE: In your
dreams, animal.
MELTY: You realize she will resent you forever if I make her do it?
RAPHTALIA: So? She already tried to kill me. What is she going to do, double-kill me?
MELTY crosses her arms.
MELTY: And your grudge will be satisfied? After this, no more retaliation?
RAPHTALIA snorts.
RAPHTALIA: Sure, whatever.
MYNE turns to MELTY in shock.
MYNE: Melty, you
cannot be serious.
MELTY scowls at her.
MELTY: Why not, Myne? Why can't I be serious? Please, tell me.
MELTY gets up and approaches MYNE.
MELTY: Because I am naive? Because you are my sister? Did you think about being my sister while you tried to kill one of the few people who saved me from assassination? One of the
only ones with a past experience of a similar crisis to what we face now? Did you consider that if you succeeded, they might just kill
me in retaliation? Tell me,
sister, what was your plan after Raphtalia was dead?
MYNE cradles her hair protectively.
MYNE: Not my hair. Please, anything but that.
MELTY: Raphtalia demands it as recompense, and since I still need this alliance, my hands are tied, no matter how much I hate to do this. You should have expected this yourself - really, I am amazed she didn't ask for something more permanent.
A tear rolls down MYNE's cheek.
MYNE: Melty, please. Don't be like Mother.
MELTY scoffs.
MELTY: Mother would take way more and you know it. I'll give you until the night falls.
MELTY turns back to RAPHTALIA, pursing her lips. RAPHTALIA looks incredibly smug.
MELTY: I will no longer ask you to shake hands, but know that if you seek further revenge against my sister, I will respond in kind.
MELTY walks out of the room.
NAOFUMI IWATANI, THE SHIELD HERO. One of the socialists. Protagonist. Hobbyist rhetorician.
KITAMURA MOTOYASU, THE SPEAR HERO. Is also there.
PRINCESS MELTY Q. MELROMAC. First heir to the throne of Melromarc. Avid sleeper and negotiator. Exhausted to the bone.
PRINCESS MYNE Q. MELROMARC. Second heir to the throne of Melromarc. Long-haired psychopath.
RAPHTALIA. One of the socialists. Mageslayer in training.
CONSTANCE VON MARUKIEVICH / FREDALIA. Secretly demihuman. Political analyst.
FILO. Avid wrestler. WIll still throw down with anyone at any time.
FULANA JEN, SHADOW. Head of MELTY's SHADOWs. Secret service.
COUNT MERPET NAVLIDIA. Tried to do a pogrom. Wasn't very good at it.
