CH 4

ONE PAIR OR HEART STRAIGHT FLUSH

“…Ah…beautiful…”

This is Elven Gard, somewhere near the coast on the outskirts of Nirna, Clive State. A dark-haired girl, holding a seashell in her hand, murmured with dazed eyes. Her name is Chlammy Zell, an eighteen-year-old Immanity. She is a slave to the House of Nirvalen, a prestigious bloodline of Elves.

That day, she was sent on an errand to a merchant house in a trading port that did business with the House of Nirvalen. On her way home, she spotted a shiny object on the beach as she passed by and casually scooped it up. It was a shell the size of her palm. When she brushed off the sand and held it up to the sun, it glittered with translucent, magenta light. Chlammy held the shell close to her chest and looked around.

—The Ten Covenants forbid any form of “plunder.” In other words, if there is an owner, not a single pebble may be taken without permission. Chlammy took a few fearful steps back, still grasping hold of the shell.

—“Prevention by the Covenants”—not such prevention occurred, meaning these shells don’t belong to anyone. In that case, that means you can make it your own—well, usually you can.

“In my case, not quite…”

In the case of slaves, there’s one more step that must be taken before they can consider something their “own.” Chlammy smiled and left the beach with the shell in her arms.

——……

“—Master, I found this shell.”

With that, Chlammy knelt down to her master and reported. Her master is an Elf with long, cream-colored hair—Fiel Nirvalen. Surrounded by her maids, Fiel had a sunny smile on her face, however—

“I don’t want you to have to report eeeevery piece of trash you find. You can do whaaaatever you want~”

—she looked down at the shell as if they were plain rubbish and left with her maids.

—In any case, Chlammy had done it, she had finally been permitted to do whatever she wanted.

That was the basic picture of the position slaves have in Elven Gard. There is no such thing as ownership to slaves—rather, there is no such things as rights whatsoever. Slaves are the property of their masters, and all property belonging to them belongs to their masters. As long as they are upheld by their pact, it is absolute. If there’s one minor difference, it’s that in Chlammy’s case—

On the way out, Fiel glanced back at her.

—“It’s a beautiful shell, take good care of it!”she spoke with a glance.

So yes, Chlammy is a little different from an ordinary slave. Chlammy’s master, Fiel Nirvalen—is her friend. She even considers Chlammy, who is but a mere slave, her best friend.

—With that in mind, it was strange to think about how her family has been enslaved since the time of her great-grandfather’s generation. No matter how much they call her and her family their friends, it’s only natural for her and her family to hate them at first…that is, unless it’s Fiel. Fiel was the only one who was always willing to help ease the suffering Chlammy had to endure in any way she could. Whenever she was in pain or crying, Fiel reached out and supported her even though she shouldn’t do so so openly. But in the House of Nirvalen—as the daughter of a prominent family and the acting senator of Elven Gard now that her predecessor has passed away, Fiel cannot show such affection publicly. An Elf being close to an Immanity is nothing more than a liberty. Therefore, the best she can do is to just look apologetic and euphemistically say, “I’m sorry.” But Chlammy—she doesn’t see it as a problem. Anything beyond that was considered “too much” to Chlammy, whose family had been slaves since her great-grandfather’s time. She has allies. Even if it doesn’t look like it on the surface, that was enough. More than enough.

Later that evening, in the corner of the Nirvalen mansion, Fiel came into Chlammy’s room.

“Chlaaaammy~♥ I thought you’d be lonely again today, so your darling Fi came to sleep with you—”

“Ah, w-wait a minute, Fi, hold on—”

Chlammy wiped her eyes in a panic and tried to keep her composure, but… Fiel looked around the simple room—too simple in the literal sense of the word. There were slave clothes and clothes befitting that of a master, which slaves had to dress up enough in to go out. And then there was a patch of straw on the ground, which one could not even consider as a bed—rather, it should be considered a nest. It’s just that—what should be there, isn’t.

“—What happened to your shell from earlier today?”

“…Threw it away…”

“—You were forced to throw it away by them, right? …I’m sorry.”

As a slave, Chlammy cannot lie to her master, Fiel. The fact that Chlammy’s shoulders jumped told the whole story. As per the slave pact, Chlammy needs permission from her master to own anything. If she permits ownership, and they thought she was favoring a slave, the maids would be even more insidious in their treatment of Chlammy.

I said it was trash—Fiel grimaced, biting down on her lip, having realized she made things worse. If the master says it’s trash, then its ownership is nobody’s—it’s just trash. Judging by Chlammy’s reaction, the maids saw the shell as trash, so they told her to throw it away. It was easy to imagine from Chlammy’s reddened eyes that she had indeed followed suite treated it as trash and trashed it on the spot. As this overly simple room tells, the maids don’t like whatever Chlammy has on her—even if it’s just a seashell. Fiel thought to herself—My patience is running thin.

“I’m going to fire them all.”

Hanging on to Fiel, who had a twisted smile on her face, Chlammy cried, “Wait, Fi, no!!”

“Why not? I’m the head of the Nirvalen family now. I’m not going to let them get away with hurting my best friend any more than they have, okaaaay~?”

Normally, I would have wanted to kill them socially, or even physically, but instead I’ll just fire them. They should be grateful, Fiel thought, half seriously.

“That’s going to cause trouble for Fi! I’m not gonna let you do that!”

Chlammy snapped with strong conviction. The maids in this house came from a noble family, even if not as noble as the Nirvalens. If they’re fired for harassing a slave—it’s Fiel who gets retaliated against.

“Hey, Fi, please…I’m fine with being a slave as long as Fi is there for me. But—” with tears welling up in her eyes, Chlammy pleaded, “I just don’t want Fi to get in trouble—because of me, so please—”

“Chlammy…”

“I’ll be fine—besides, in this country, Immanity are as good as dogs—”

Fiel hugged Chlammy firmly, halting her from saying anything further. She smiled and soothingly stroked Chlammy’s hair. But deep within—she oversaw the country with a magma-like fury in her eyes. In stark contrast to the gentle smile on her face, a murky thought filled Fiel’s mind.

—This country is a mess. Just because they’re Elves, they take advantage of their birth and look down on other races—other people. Even those who are nothing more than parasites hoarding the wealth of the Nirvalen family. Chlammy was about to say that in the eyes of the Elves, an Immanity was no better than a dog—but she was right. At least, that’s how they’re treated in this country. As servants—or are they slaves? When you think of the pacts that are imposed on slaves in Elven Gard, slavery would hardly describe it.

—They are cattle, or worse. You can’t resist if your master orders you to tear off your own nails one by one. They’re not even allowed to faint from the pain, and their absolute compliance with their pact makes it absolute. And yet, such madness is being practiced as if it were natural.

Such a twisted country is allegedly calling itself a “democracy”? What a laughable, vile joke, Fiel thought to herself. The electoral system of the Senate and the House of Representatives has long since been superseded. Fiel is the acting senator—you can tell when a daughter is taking on the responsibilities of her late father. There are three requirements to become a member of the Diet—family background, wealth, and connections. Even the Senate and the House of Representatives are, in the end, mere trappings of the Council, and the Consultants are made up of even more prominent families—in other words, a bunch of idiots and their own idiots, and it’s a completely hereditary system without even elections. And the decisions of the Senate are not easy to defy, even for the advisors, including the plenipotentiaries.

The current acting plenipotentiary of Elven Gard—a man who is considered by Fiel to be dangerous and also the “strongest” acting plenipotentiary—is only barely able to compete with the overwhelming support of the people. But there are only three years and a few months left in his term of office. You can easily imagine what the Senate and the other assemblies will do in reaction when they are removed from the Senate.

Therefore, I think—it’s corrupt. Rotten. It’s better to let this country fall apart once and for all. And if that’s not possible, then—

“Chlammy.” Fiel slowly untied her hand from her best friend’s embrace and told her, “I’m relinquishing all rights to you, Chlammy.”

“—Eh?”

With that one ruling. With just those words, Chlammy Zell was no longer a slave. The shackles that had bound her life and livelihood ever since she was a child were so easily removed.

“W-Wait—” But when she was “released,” Chlammy turned pale and gasped, “Fi, are you…abandoning me!?”

Even though she’d been freed from slavery, her expression revealed no trace of joy. The expression on her face was, rather, despairing.

My goodness—Fiel thought, Chlammy doesn’t understand. Being free, that is. She has no idea where she’s going or what she’s going to do. Even such a natural thing as that—she’s never been allowed to do that. Who was it that didn’t allow it? Fiel pursed her lips and swallowed her words—her usual coy smile disappearing—and said:

“Chlammy, I’ll do anything to make Chlammy happy and joyful—anything.”

Chlammy’s small, trembling hand—Fiel scoops it in her equally faint hand.

So—she continued.

“No more rules, Chlammy having a free will of her own—I’d like that.”

When Chlammy seemed uncertain of her intentions, Fiel lowered her eyes and told her in a confessional manner.

—I have two resolutions in my heart.

“No matter how much I think of you as my best friend…when I think of what the Nirvalens have done to Chlammy’s family, I don’t deserve you…so—”

“Fi.”

I’m asking you to think very carefully before you answer—interrupted the words that followed, and Chlammy answered straight away.

“Don’t be silly. Pact or no pact, my answer is still the same.” In other words, there’s only one answer. “I’m fine with Fi being here. But I can’t smile unless she’s happy too. There is nothing else that matters to me but Fi.”

——……

“…Is that…the truth? Do you swear to this?”

“I swear to it. So please—let me be Fi’s slave again.”

At those words, Fiel hesitantly lowered her eyes.

“But…Chlammy…”

“‘It’s the chain! It’s my bond with Fi! Even though I can’t hold anything, no other Elf—or anyone—can take that chain from me…” Chlammy said in a muffled voice, nodding helplessly.

“Please…I don’t care about the shell. If I lose the bond I have with Fi—I…”

—I couldn’t live with myself.

But Fiel kept her eyes downcast as she thought about what Chlammy had said.

I wonder, who really created Chlammy’s heart to be this way?

From the time she was a child, Immanity had been living as slaves in the midst of a group of Elves. She’d been a slave since the beginning of time.

—I unraveled the pact and asked her, wanting to hear the words from Chlammy’s free will. But…is it really—is it really Chlammy’s own free will? Isn’t this the freedom that she clung to at the end, after having lost all of it?

Fiel lowered her eyes and hid her tears, which flowed not only from the relief of knowing that the feeling was mutual, but mainly from the guilt of having made her doubt. Their relationship was somewhat twisted, and so were their feelings. Fiel no longer knew what was right and what was wrong. But…still.

“I feel the same way as Chlammy—so…”

Fiel fought back the tears that threatened to spill and threw away her “first resolution.” Her first resolution—If Chlammy refuses to be herself and wants to be free, I will fulfill it. As long as it makes Chlammy happy. I will give up my own happiness as long as Chlammy was there, but if Chlammy didn’t want that, then I had to make a second resolution. The only way to make Chlammy happy is for Fiel to be happy with her.

But such a dream—her second resolution—is not possible in Elven Gard. This country is corrupted—it’s better to let it fall apart. If even that is not possible, then—

“We’re going to take control of Elkia—the very last nation under Immanity’s control.”

—This is what Fiel had planned. Currently, she is an acting senator—she will have a say until the next election. And no matter how incompetent and despised Fiel herself was, the influence of the Nirvalen family itself was still unmatched—and naturally, there were plenty of people who don’t like them. She takes advantage of this to offer another senator the opportunity to take Elkia.

Presently, Elkia is holding a gambling tournament to select the next king, according to the will of the late king. She said she could send an Elven spy—her slave—Chlammy, to the tournament, so she could create a puppet king. Of course, one might ask, why? What is the value of such a small country, much less an Immanity, now? But—the senator who is proposed to do so always agrees. This is because Fiel says something of great interest.

—She says it would be a great opportunity to get information regarding the Eastern Union.

The Eastern Union is the only radical nation that Elven Gard has been defeated by four times in the past and to this day still have not an ounce of a clue on how to defeat them. The Elves don’t even know what the game entails, as their memories are erased after the game concludes. So, let the puppet take the throne of Elkia and challenge them in the same way as the former “Foolish King.” However, this “Immanity” is their slave, and technically—they are not an Immanity. They said that the full rights belonged to Fiel, and that there was a way to avoid the memory erasure of the Eastern Union.

—Of course, these ideas are full of holes. In the first place, the important part—“how to expose the contents of the Eastern Union’s game”—is rather vague. And—that’s the point. It sounds like a good idea, but it’s also a bad idea—the exact kind of plan that Fiel would come up with. If you make them aware of it, they will approve it—they always do. She dared to approve this plan just to keep the Nirvalen family in line. In the unlikely event that it succeeds, the senators who proposed it and the senate assembly that approved it will look good to the Council of Elders. If it failed, it’ll forever be a failure and a loss of honor for the House of Nirvalen. They’ll always approve it anyway, because they have nothing to gain from it either way. And they never notice. They can’t notice. With Chlammy as the king of Elkia, Fiel’s target in return is not the Eastern Union, but rather…

—Elven Gard itself.

With the sole aim of destroying her rotten country, Fiel, for fifty years, had been acting incompetent so that the higher ups would underestimate her on the occasion that she had the opportunity to act. And, finally, the moment to use her trump card had arrived—

—This is what Fiel said about Chlammy’s room where the plan had been told: What would a top-notch Elven mage think—or not think? Such a question was valid as, perhaps, Chlammy would not be able to notice what Fiel had let loose in the room.

Soundproofing rites—a proficient technique to hide magic and even eliminate the presence of spirits. Fiel, a hexa caster known as a disgrace to the Nirvalen, asks:

“How about it, Chlammy~♪ I’m sure it’ll work out♥”

“…………”

Chlammy’s throat throbs inaudibly at the devilish ideas and intelligence that contrast with her friends’ gentle smile.

“When the next election comes, I’ll be out of the assembly because of the other members’ coaxing. Then, before that, take Elkia, cut off the territory from Elven Gard, and say goodbye♪ If Chlammy declares war on them, we can finally outsmart and defeat those idiots once and for all. Once we have taken the territory we need, we will close off all trade so that we won’t be forced to accept the match♪”

—She explained her plan thoroughly, with a sunny smile on her face. But that means—Fiel would betray her own race and they would turn on her. Well, Elkia would be a good place for Chlammy to live—but…

“B-But then, Fi won’t be happy this time!”

Her best friend, right in front of her, will have to leave everything behind and go to an unfamiliar place. Even so—Fiel smiled and replied, “I’m happy if Chlammy is happy, you know that, right? Chlammy is the cutest.”

“—But…”

I’m being set up—why, even at a time like this, would Fiel—

“It’s alright, I can pretend to be an Immanity or something, and although it’s hard to get a real alliance, if I take back more territory from the surrounding countries and expand the Immanity’s sphere of influence, I might be able to create a comfortable place for me to live~♪”

……

“…Fi, hey…why…are you so willing to do this for me?”

“You don’t like it, Chlammy?”

“I never said that—! But how much will Fi lose because of me—”

Her question was answered almost immediately by Fiel’s smile.

“Wealth, fortune, and fame; it’s all a small price to pay for Chlammy’s smile.”

—In response, Chlammy just pouted. She knew the plan, but she also knew that Fiel hadn’t dared make any explicit statements. The trump card that’s been saved for fifty years—the trump card to destroy the country. You use it for one person, Chlammy, and lose everything in the process.

“……”

Chlammy thinks, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy. The fact that Fiel feels that way about me makes me want to cry, to put it mildly. But why would she go to that much trouble for something like this—

“In that case, we’ll rekindle our pact of slavery~”

Fiel said, interrupting Chlammy’s thoughts, making her rub her eyes and giggle.

“You’re going to read that code-like pact again. Then, abandon the pact without a second thought—”

A formal “slave pact” is not something that can be done verbally. If they were to carelessly take away “all rights” in the pact, they would have to give permission for each and every activity of life, such as eating, urinating, sleeping, etc., and it would be too difficult to use them as slaves. However, if they simply allow it all at once, the slaves themselves will have greater discretion and there will be room for betrayal against their masters. In order to make a “complete slave,” you need to poke every hole and eliminate all ambiguity.

After reading out the pact, which is a very complicated legal document, a slave pact is completed only when the slave is defeated in a game under Aschente. It’s a very Elven Gard way of doing things: clever and devious.

Fiel began with a sly smirk, “I could care less about that piece of crap document♪”

“What…?”

While Chlammy rolled her eyes in disbelief, Fiel happily took the oath.

“Fiel Nirvalen is challenging Chlammy Zell to a game—and the objective of the game is to ‘walk together forever, even in sickness and in health’—♪”

“Wait, Fi! That’s not a good idea! Isn’t it like a marriage contract!?”

“Eeh~? Aren’t they similar~?”

“No! Not even close at all!”

In the first place—that’s as good as an innocent contract. With such an appropriate contract, virtually nothing can be done—

When Chlammy complained in a panic, Fiel continued with a smile on her face.

“What Chlammy and I want is a bond, a firm pact, a proof that no one can violate, whether we call it slavery, friendship, or marriage, it’s a small matter♥”

“———No, why think of it like that when they aren’t the same thing at all!?”

“That’s not true~ Come on, let’s make a pact…”

If you want a chain that no one can take away from you, I’ll wind you up with it. That was Fiel Nirvalen’s answer. Then, her smile disappears. Decisively—she told her:

“A place where Chlammy can laugh and live happily ever after—I’m going to make that happen no matter what.”

—Does one even have that kind of value?

——But Chlammy simply nodded, as it was a question she still couldn’t answer.

I didn’t realize that was only about a month ago. It’s a little hard to believe—Chlammy thought to herself.

—…

——……

A gambling tournament to select a king, Othello—the end of a series of battles that have left her with no sense of sanity. The Elkia VS. Eastern Union game was finally over, and Chlammy has returned to Elven Gard, where she laid down on the straw in her simple slave quarters, smiling as she fumbles with the gold coins in her hands, looking up at the ceiling. As she looks at the gold coins spinning around her fingertips, she remembers—that man. The man looked resolutely into his own eyes, then into the eyes of the girl Fi was behind, and said:

“…Don’t underestimate the power of mankind…”

Chlammy couldn’t help but believe those words of his at the time. He can’t use magic but can see through Chlammy’s eyes—behind her. He told all the races, including the Elves, not to underestimate them. He said that if he wanted to, he could take on the higher ranked races, even the gods. You’d think it’s impossible. That’s what a normal person would think. And for Chlammy, the unquestionable nature of Elven magic was ingrained in her bones. Otherwise, how could they have stayed together across generations? So naturally, he suspected—suspected the involvement of another species. That’s because it’s only common sense. But there was something else to suspect. She should’ve realized it sooner. And so—the answers she got from sharing her memories was…

“Yeah—I should have questioned his sanity. You’re right, he’s—they—are crazy.”

She couldn’t hold back her laughter and remembered as she blurted it out. A memory they shared with themselves before they took on the Eastern Union—the memory of Sora. It’s fair to assume the nightmarish swirl of memories are still gnawing at his spirit, that’s for sure. But the memory holds at the same time—something that can blow away all those nightmarish thoughts.

The light shining brightly—again. She smiles. This time, instead of smiling wryly, she grasps the gold coin that was twirling around her fingertips.

—There’s still a lot to do.

Fiel has now gone to the Senate to report on the true nature of the game with the Eastern Union. False reports, with memories tampered with by the pact with Sora. She left the room to do what she could while she still could—

“I thought you’d finally came back, but you sure took your time, slave.”

“Have you actually been wearing the clothes you use for going out? Hurry up and change back into those crappy rags, will you?”

—I was greeted by the maids of the Nirvalen family. Just a few minutes ago, I was nervous just by being stared at by these people—but now for sure I was. The man who outsmarted and bruised even Fiel—I have the memories of Sora now. It’s not that I didn’t like them, it’s just that the Elves in front of me look so stupid. The thought of being frightened by such a thing made me feel like I was so disciplined.

“—and what’s with that gold coin?”

One of those idiots notices the gold coin in Chlammy’s hand. In Sora’s memory, there is a seemingly infinite number of cheats and deceptions.

All of this knowledge has been taken to heart in order to assist Fiel—although that’s a bit of an overstatement. Chlammy pondered what she should say—and then suddenly thought:

—There’s still a lot to do. In the meantime, I’ll do what I can here. For example—how about “cleaning” like any other slave?

“Sorry, this was just given to me by my master.”

I bite back a smile and carefully show them five gold coins—so yes, a lie. I’m just keeping it safe. To take it away means to take it away from Fi. They flinched for a moment when Chlammy warned him, but the leader of the group, the head maid, laughed.

“—This is the first time I’ve seen the Nirvalen family do such a thing. Not only did they fail to take control of the Immanity’s territory, but they’re even putting that much money in the hands of slaves—I really don’t think they know what they’re doing.”

“You’re not thinking about anything, are you? I bet the nutrients that should be going to your head is just going to your chest.”

“Mhmmm, it’s possible!”

Even though the maids were saying whatever they wanted, Chlammy continued to bait them.

“—With all due respect, ma’am, we’ve used it to expose the game of the Eastern Union. Looking at the results, it seems that we’ve opened a breakthrough that will annex the third largest country in the world, right…?”

—Of course, I’m lying. Because what Fiel is reporting to the Senate is a false memory—however…

“That’s to the credit of Secretary Will. He took advantage of that bitch’s failure.”

“She should’ve figured it out her place and kept quiet. It was all because she boasted to the council that she let her incompetence reveal itself.”

—Yes, everything is going according to plan. Now the maids are laughing and they keep taunting while smiling contemptuously. I watched them carefully and made sure they all talked behind Fi’s back.

That’s right, bite the bate, Chlammy mumbled inwardly, with a big smile growing on her face as she spoke.

“Yes. So, um, how about you lowlifes hurry up and figure yourselves out too?”

——

Chlammy’s change in attitude was so sudden that the place went silent for a moment,

“——What? What did you just say?”

“…You heard me.”

Chlammy laughs, feeling an emotion she had never felt before. The Elf, shaking with rage, says with a boisterous smile:

“You seem to have forgotten your place in this world, missy…you need to be disciplined—”

“My place? …I’m sorry, I forgot. Let me put it this way from your perspective.”

Chlammy began with a gesture as if she were desperately thinking.

“After the death of the previous head of the family, there were too many maids for one master. If I’m dismissed, I’ll be sent back to my family’s lowly noble house—is that right?”

While everyone was taken aback by her statement, Chlammy continued without hesitation.

“So to the ancestors of the Nirvalen family—no, to the old family this would be very disgraceful, no?”

—Everything went still for a moment. The maids finally came to their sense and tried to scream in anger, but—

“Oh, I remember! My position—‘slave’! I’m the poor slave who has no choice but to tell Master every little thing she says about her when she asks. Yes, I remember now, how could I have forgotten!”

They went still once more at the sound of Chlammy’s voice that followed.

“But…strange? I seem to remember everyone insulting Master—looks like this is gonna be fun.”

Then she smiled like Fiel and flashed the five gold coins at them.

“Let’s bet on who will be fired first—that said, what a shame. I don’t have any betting money on hand. After all, this money is just cosigned, I’m just a miserable slave with no money of my own.”

The maids began to look at each other in disbelief, and she walked through the gap between them—and then, Chlammy listened behind her as they began to argue.

“Fi, we got a big catch today, huh?”

She walked away, leaving behind the maids’ disputes.

—Evening. Living room of the Nirvalen residence.

Five maids were gathered in front of Fiel. Fiel looked at them in silence, and the maids thought about the “backbiting” Chlammy had likely mentioned and waited nervously for Fiel to speak. However—what actually came out of her mouth was unexpected…

“Let me get straight to the point, I heard that there’s someone who took the gold coins that I left with my slave, is that right?”

—The maids froze all at once at the unexpected issue. If it was just a backhanded remark, there’s still a way to excuse it, but indirect theft—that was an instant firable offense. And if they are under such suspicion, they’ll never get a proper job again—

“T-That! I-I don’t know what you’re talking about—!”

The other four maids nodded in unison as the head maid hurriedly raised her voice, however…

“Is that so? I see…then everyone, put your belongings on the table.”

Thus—each of them took out their belonging from the pockets of their aprons.

In their pockets, the maids froze at the touch of a cold, metal object against their fingertips—a gold coin.

While waiting for the maids to take the, out, Fiel asked Chlammy, who was standing right next to them, “Slave? I ask in the name of our pact …they were taken, correct?”

“Yes, Master…but exactly when and where they were taken, that I am no so sure…”

Then Chlammy bowed her head as if she genuinely felt guilty, and when Fiel saw this, the Elven maids became anxious—and thought desperately.

—In principle, it is impossible for a slave to lie to their master because of their pact. If it was just the money that Fiel had deposited, it would be impossible to loot it with the Ten Covenants in place. In that case, the only logical explanation would be Chlammy was “robbed” via a game. Therefore—it’s an indirect theft against Fiel Nirvalen. As Chlammy pointed out, the girls can’t afford to be fired, and there’s no reason to do so. But the fact that the gold is in one of their pockets—that’s a fact. At that moment, all of them were struck by Chlammy’s words.

—Too many maids…all talking behind their master’s back…and the first one to be fired is—!

Everyone in the room comes to the same conclusion—that is, in order to avoid being fired for talking behind her back, someone takes the gold from Chlammy in a game. Now everyone was thinking, “that slave snuck the coins into their pockets to fake a crime worse than insulting their master”! And—“that slave gets to take the other four coins at the end”…!!

As they looked at each other with suspicion and distrust, Chlammy laughed to herself while keeping her head down.

—That’s right. I knew this would happen. That’s the way it’s going to go—and that’s the only way it can go, right? Unless you know that I can lie to Fi and that the gold coins are mine, right? I was able to come up with this kind of fraud on my own, Chlammy thought.

Chlammy opened a single drawer of irony in Sora’s memory.

The Ten Covenants do indeed forbid the use of plunder. However—gifting is not forbidden. Even if it were to fall into your pocket as you pass by—it’s still a gift. No matter how it turns out—for example, it may result in something like this: Chlammy smiles down at the memory of the “confirmation” that Sora had experimented with Stephanie Dola.

—Sora had put his underwear in Steph’s pocket, and witnessed her reaction—

—When Chlammy looked up, she saw that the situation was about to change.

“It’s not me! As you can see, I don’t have anything!”

Chlammy is the only one—what about the leader who doesn’t have gold coins?

“Liar, it’s her! She’s always said that Master Fiel is a disgrace to the Nirvalen family!”

So, the four who remain assume that she is the culprit—and then, lo and behold.

“—What!? Who are you to talk about me!? You often meet with the Noel family’s butler and report to him about the Nirvalen family, do you think I don’t know about that!?”

—Now, let the catfights begin. In the midst of the clamor and condemnation, with a sunny smile on her face, Fiel tells Chlammy:

“I’ve come to realize that my home is filled with nothing but garbage pests♪”

This would give Fiel a legitimate excuse to fire the girls, leaving them with a criminal record for illegally taking their master’s money.

No matter how much Fi is despised by the rest of the great families. I wonder, where will those girls who took my master’s money get their next job? Fiel smiles and dodges a glance at Chlammy, who smiles sparsely as she sees her lead the maids away.

“Soooo~ One by one, I’ll listen to your excuses individuallyyyy~♪”

As they were being taken away, Chlammy looked at their backs and suddenly a phrase came to her mind. A phrase that she didn’t know—so it must’ve been from a memory, in other words…

—The difficulties of the world are always easily solved. Even a dam of a thousand feet can be broken by the hole of a mole—

If you read it at face value—it means that no matter how big it is, it is made up of details, and a dam can crumble all because of a small hole.

—But apparently, Sora didn’t see it that way. Chlammy couldn’t help but blurt out “Sora and Shiro’s self-interpretation” attached to the memory.

“All things are simple. No matter how majestic, a fortress can crumble because of some small loophole—very much like his explanation indeed.”

With just four gold coins—she could destroy a group of Elves. Then, Chlammy laughed aloud as she fumbled with the only coin remaining.

In the garden in front of the main gate of the Nirvalen mansion, in the middle of the area, at a table made of woven wood, Chlammy sipped tea from her teacup.

—The people who have been tormenting me since the day I was born. I watched as one by one they were driven out of the Nirvalen mansion with their belongings in hand.

“…I wonder if this is another form of…revenge.” She mumbled to herself, but strangely, nothing came to her mind.

I was terrified and trembling at the thought of those who could cough up this much. As I was about to leave, I felt that my self-consciousness was more obvious than my sense of accomplishment.

Suddenly, the head maid—correction, the former head maid—caught sight of Chlammy and their eyes met.

“——”

I think I’ve been too poisoned by Sora’s memories, Chlammy thought to herself as a smile suddenly grew on her face. But that smile—finally noticed by the Elven maid—turned her gaze and shouted:

“…Y-You…! Y-You couldn’t possibly have framed us—”

The hysterical voice of the maid was interrupted by Chlammy’s contrastingly calm voice.

“It’s better if you didn’t know. You’ve been fired from the Nirvalen family for misconduct—”

She then smiled in a way that would remind one of the blade on the Grim Reaper’s scythe.

“Furthermore—are you happy with the label ‘incompetent maid framed by an insignificant slave’?”

—I definitely am, you’ve been tricked and set up by an Immanity of all things. Now, sing out your incompetence in high pitch—please. When Chlammy finished that—the Elf’s throat creases and her wrists curl.

Aha—well, this isn’t so bad, Chlammy thought. The Immanity are no more than cattle to the Elves. It’s not about discipline or anger, it’s about climate science—and fear.

“Well…it’s been fun. I guess it paid off to sit here and watch.”

“Ah…ah…”

The maid was speechless, and Chlammy thought about it. It’s boring to learn it now—so it’s better to trim it a bit—but no. Concluding that no more words could come to mind at the moment, Chlammy said those words she heard all that time ago. She says what she’s been wanting to say for a long time.

“—Don’t underestimate the power of mankind♪”

What kind of face did Chlammy have when she said that? Not even she knew, but whatever kind it was, the Elf grimaced in fear from it. With that, all was achieved.

“Well, good day to you, former maid of Nirvalen. I wish you well, and to hell with your future.”

The Elf runs away from Chlammy, who smiles and waves.

—Everything in this world is just a game, and the game is long over before it begins. Just as the coin toss in Sora’s swallowing of the Eastern Union was over before the toss. Then, can’t we think of it this way? If the game is over before it starts—why even participate in the game? Let them play the game on their own, watch them crush each other, and one of them wins. That’s a good idea, right?

“Well, as Sora would say, ‘winning by default isn’t pretty.’ Sorry, but I’m gonna use every trick in the book I can. Until I surpass you—gyaahh!”

“Chlaaaaammmmmyyyyyy~♥”

As Chlammy stood up to gracefully close the door, she jumped on her—rather, she had been clung onto by Fiel, who seemed to have actually jumped on her from upstairs via magic; Chlammy making a strange noise as a result.

“With that all taken care of…it’s just me and Chlammy in this house now~♥”

——Huh?

“Hold on, Fi, did you fire all of them!? Not just those five!?”

Indeed, Chlammy was going to “clean up.” However, this level of “cleaning” was indeed unexpected. But Fiel, with a puzzled look on her face, tells her:

“Eh? Isn’t that what Chlammy planned? Didn’t you plan to make them suspicious of each other, and then if you just interrogate them individually, then won’t you be able to expose the crimes of those not involved?”

Once again, knowledge that Chlammy didn’t remember hearing came to her memory.

—Prisoner’s Dilemma—

That’s why Fiel listened to their excuses “individually.”

“If we all protect each other, we can help each other, but if we all flirt with each other, we all betray each other~♪ It’s a great way to damage the names of all the families, fire them, and even learn their secrets, then say goodbye to them once and for alllll~♥”

—I can’t say I’m surprised. I thought it was a big catch for sure, but Fi was always a cut above me. It’s not simple “fishing”—rather it’s “overfishing,” which then leads to “extinction.” That’s all I’m saying. So yes, that in itself is not surprising—but the problem is…

“And with this, Chlammy and I have completed our love nest~♥”

—What if I’m the one who jumped into hell?

Fiel pushed Chlammy down onto the floor and began to nibble at her.

“F-Fiel, c-calm down, okay! W-We can still be seen here—”

“Well, you aren’t wrong…I’ll be waiting in the bedroom dressing myself up♪”

“This is what I’m talking about, this isn’t good— iiiiyaaaaaa !! ”

Chlammy screams her head off at Fiel, who suddenly disappeared without a trace, as if she had used some kind of transference magic. Then she thought to herself:

—Whether it’s an Elf or a God, I will defeat them—She stared intently with eyes like that of Sora’s. With that said, will I really be able to surpass Fi—?

“What are you getting so skittish about, Chlammy Zell!? Oh, there’s no shortage of people like them out there!”

…Yes, and must not lose. Rather, it is because one is, well, strong……

At the dead of night in the Nirvalen mansion, a knock sounded from outside Fiel’s bedroom.

“Chlammmmmy, you’re late! Were you going to make me start on my own!?”

Fiel says with a pouty expression on her face, to which Chlammy replies without asking “what?”.

“You know…I hate to tell you this, but since Fi fired all the maids, I’ve had to do everything around the house…even washing this one pillow and this outfit.”

Chlammy said to Fiel, who was hugging a pillow to her chest and argued in a similarly pouty manner.

“We’ll be leaving this house in due time anywayyy, this room is enough for cleaning and washing, if you had told me, I could have done the other stuff rather quickly with my magic~”

Indeed, from here on, as per Sora’s plan, we will cut down Elven Gard from the inside. The time spent in this house was shortened and all the maids were fired to prevent them from being punished. I’d also like to add that, if all goes according to plan, it won’t be long before we’re out of this damned country. But—that’s not the point, Chlammy thought to herself.

“…What are we going to do for breakfast tomorrow?”

“Ah—…Ehehehe, I’m looking forward to Chlammy’s home cooking♥”

Should I be relieved or disappointed that Fiel has her own weaknesses? Anyway, Chlammy flutters into the room—however…

“Mmmm, Chlammy, that dress isn’t moody enough!”

“M-Mood…? Don’t be silly, I only have two outfits—”

“That’s no good~♪ You should always have an outfit that’s appropriate for a wedding night.”

“Please…don’t call it a wedding night—”

A group of spirits swirled momentarily, locking out Chlammy’s rebuttal. All Chlammy could see was the flickering patterns in Fiel’s eyes—

“Wai—!?”

Chlammy, who was instantly stripped naked, screamed, and moved her hands to cover her sensitive parts.

—As soon as you can, Fiel told her with a smile.

“Here we go, it’s ready~”

“…This magic is really…messed up.”

A white negligee with the texture of silk was wrapped around Chlammy’s body. Fiel smiled as Chlammy appeared to be visibly impressed by it. That’s it—clothes that are simply knitted with illusion magic. Fiel could see Chlammy’s skin clearly and distinctly through the transparent cloth. Furthermore, when Chlammy goes to sleep, the maintenance of the technique is interrupted—and when she wakes up in the morning, she doesn’t even say she’s naked, she just smiles.

“Come on, Chlammy♪ Hurry up and come over here~”

Fiel said, as she pats the bed sheets with her palm.

“I can’t say that I don’t have a bad feeling about this, but…well, fine.”

Until now, because of the scrutiny of the maids, whenever Fiel slept with her, she had to sleep on the straw in Chlammy’s slave quarters. Feeling guilty that this was the first time she was given the opportunity to sleep in a bed that was comfortable for Fiel, she laid down on the bed as she was told.

Almost immediately—Chlammy gasped softly at the unbelievable comfort. She wondered if she had slept on that straw for her, even though she usually slept on beds like this. Chlammy was about to turn her back on her, feeling sorry, but…

“…Chlammy, I hope you can forgive me.”

“—Hm? Erm, what?”

Chlammy was caught off guard, but Fiel apologized, nonetheless.

“In truth, Chlammy is aware of this, isn’t she? If all you really wanted is for Chlammy to be happy, you should’ve left everything behind and ran away from Elven Gard to live a nomadic life.”

“……”

—I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t aware of it. But that’s…—

“But, I was scared…because Chlammy…is an Immanity. No matter what, she would die before me. I didn’t think I could live on my own after giving up

everything when Chlammy was gone… I couldn’t have children because I was of a different race…”

“—Sorry to interrupt, but…you know, kids are a bit—ahh.”

—Elves, they have the longevity of a thousand years. Even if Fiel were to concoct magic, Chlammy would only live for less than two hundred years at most. And after that? What would Fiel do then? In the end—she pretended not to notice. But—

“…Hey, Fi…why are you willing to go to such lengths for me?”

That day, the day when she talked about taking over Elkia, the question of how they would do it came back to haunt her. Of course, she was happy that Fiel adored her. But Chlammy still didn’t understand why she was doing it, and to that Fiel simply told her:

“I saw something in Chlammy that the other Elves didn’t…and now I’m convinced.”

She replied with a sunny smile, one that—even in the middle of the night—lit up the bedroom with joy.

“—? What do you mean…?”

Responding to Chlammy’s question, but still only with a smile, Fiel continued.

“I made a happy place for Chlammy… I was so self-conscious, I ran away like a scared little girl, and I didn’t really believe in Chlammy or myself—that’s who I am…so—”

“…Don’t apologize, Fi.”

Chlammy interrupts Fiel, who continues to apologize—or rather, lament.

“I…didn’t deserve to be believed.”

“…Eh?”

Chlammy giggles as she recounts the memory she found out by sharing it with Sora.

“The new king of Elkia, Sora, told me he figured I wouldn’t mind letting him handle it.”

Fiel was taken aback by the abruptness of the change in conversation, but Chlammy continued with a wry smile.

“You’re not gonna believe this but, he really, really thought that being the king was a ‘pain in the ass’ from the bottom of his heart—and the reason he gave us a fight is hilarious, isn’t it?”

“‘Because I don’t see eye to eye with you’—”

“……”

“The strategy I described was Fi’s strategy—not my own.”

Chlammy recalled with a hint of self-mockery.

“Immanity can’t win against other species. I can’t leave Immanity in the hands of such a gutless…—anyway, he did appreciate Fi’s strategy. At that time, if it was up to us to formulate the strategy—maybe he would’ve just forfeited the game then and there. Besides—the two of them are gamers, not politicians.”

Yes—that’s why the political duties went to Stephanie Dola. They understand. They understand that they can play games, but they don’t have the tools to guide people…

“But—we’re different.”

Chlammy’s eyes stared up at the ceiling as she spilled her words. She no longer had the blank look in her eyes that Fiel knew Chlammy to have. They were eyes that could saw something—seeking something, aiming for something.

“I promise that I won’t rely on Fi anymore or take on the burden of trying to escape because I’ll get in trouble with Fi. So, Fi, for the first time—I’m going to ask a favor of you.”

I’m not running anymore. I’m not running—from anything.

“…Fi, can you help me, please?”

“Absolutelyyyy~ We’ll be together for the rest of our liiiives~”

—Her answer was immediate. Her answer to this question almost brought tears to Chlammy’s eyes, but…

“The two of us will work together as one, hand in hand, hip in hip.”

—The words that followed stuck with me.

——No, Chlammy admits. It’s been bothering me from the beginning.

“…H-Hey Fi, you know…I like Fi, right?”

“Yeeep♥ I love you a loooot too, don’t I~?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m glad to hear that…but I just want to make sure we’re—”

“Yeeees? We’re partners♪”

“Ah, yeah. More than just my master—but what kind of ‘partner’—”

—It reminds me of the vague “slave pact” we signed. What did Fi exactly mean by “partner” though? I don’t know how serious the pact we made back then was—

But as Chlammy ponders this, Fiel’s anxious eyes stare her down.

“Chlammy…do you still care about…the race barrier?”

“N-Not at all! Now and then, the only person I can trust is Fi—”

At these words, Fiel smiles and clasps her hands together.

“Thennnn…~ I think you should be less concerned about gender barriers~♥”

“No, wait! A little—no, a lot! Can’t you see that you’re talking too fast!?”

“You know, I love Chlammy a lot…Chlammy…?”

The anxious look on Fiel’s face confused Chlammy for a moment. This is because “I love you” in Elf is a little from “I love you” in the human tongue. In Elf, love of family, love of friendship, and much more are lumped together as “I love you.” But in the human tongue, “I love you,” when said to someone, has a strong romantic meaning.

As expected, we’re talking in the human tongue. So, in that case, what does Fiel mean by—

“…I love you—d-do you not?”

Fiel shakily stuttered, looking as if she were about to cry. Seeing this, Chlammy quickly replied to her in a bewildered tone.

“Aaah, I love you, I love youuu! Don’t give me that looookkkk!!”

Then, as if she had taken off a mask, she turned and smiled.

“Yay♥ I’ve got your word, mutual consent, no problem♪”

Fiel quickly put her hands on Chlammy’s outfit, to which Chlammy couldn’t help but yell at her.

“Don’t try and take it off me! I-I don’t know how to do that stuff yet, so…!”

“Great. You’ve lost your edge again, so…~ I’ll have to be patientttt♪”

—Fiel was clearly teasing her and soon backed down. However, Chlammy asked fearfully:

“…H-Hey, Fi…where was that joke going?”

“Hmm~? What do you mean by ‘joke’?”

“—I-I’m going back to my room! That’s how it should be!”

“Ehhh~ It’s okaaayyy, I won’t bite~♪”

“Are you seriously trying to claim it was just your imagination that you were about to violate me!?”

“…Even I…don’t know.”

When Fiel’s voice suddenly dropped in tone, Chlammy froze.

“I’m not Chlammy’s parent…and I know that a normal Elf wouldn’t be this obsessed with an Immanity…I know that I’m crazy…”

Fiel looks like a teenage girl. But she, who has already lived for more than half a century, answers clearly. She asked Fiel why she was so obsessed with Chlammy—and the answer was, “I don’t know”—

“I saw something in Chlammy that I didn’t see in the other Elves, that is true. But…I can’t think of any words to describe the feelings I have for Chlammy.”

She looked down, and for the first time, she really meant it. Feeling bewildered, she stumbles.

“My best friend is so light. But we’re not parents, we’re not family, we’re not any of those things.”

“…Fi…”

“So…”—Fiel began, looking up at her.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I wondered if Chlammy would be comfortable kissing~♥”

“—Huh!?”

“And the answer was no… Then, we’ll be partners, partners, the closest we can be—”

“Eeeek! I’m going back to my room!”

“Hehehee Chlammy, you said, ‘please make me Master Fiel’s slave’!”

“I-I-I did say that! But that’s not—”

Fiel asks, looking up at a distraught Chlammy, “Then…what was it about? Chlammy is…no?”

“————L-Let me hold off on answering that! And don’t give me those eyes, they’re foul!”

Unable to bear the lecherous eyes staring at her, Chlammy pulled a pillow over her head and thought to herself.

I’m being teased, that’s for sure. But we’re not so shallow that we don’t realize that our true feelings are mixed in.

—I don’t know how I can trust Fi, she’s a different species for crying out loud! How can I trust her so much? After all, Fi is one or two more steps ahead of me, Chlammy admitted honestly. What is Fiel to me? Masters and slaves are not exactly the same. There are no blood ties. How can we trust each other so much to entrust our own lives to each other through mere friendship—it seems difficult. I tried to fish out Sora’s memories—but those two were a little too specific to be helpful.

…Should I follow Fi’s example? Chlammy thought. For example, can I kiss Fi—

“—Ah!! Th-That’s wrong! What does it matter if I can kiss her or not!?”

“Mmm, Chlammy knows… Seems she’s finally growing up…”

She clicks her tongue lightly, but then Fiel smiles and continues.

“But it’s too late now♪ Once a question arises, it must be answered gradually, eh~?”

“Aaaaahhhhhh, I can’t hear youuuu, I’m going to bed!!!!”

If I stay with this carnivorous Elf any longer, she’ll begin her pounce on me. Following the reason to her screaming, Chlammy close off her thoughts, forcing herself to sleep.

——……

After a rather lengthy pause, Chlammy finally fell asleep. Looking at her sleeping face, Fiel thinks.

Ahh I tried to tease Chlammy about it, but she really didn’t know. My blood as an Elf—my reason still whispers to me.

…Why is she so obsessed with a mere Immanity?

But the emotions that far outweigh the reasoning that Chlammy was buying into answered.

…I don’t care what you know, I’ll do anything for her.

As she pondered this, she suddenly thought of those two individuals—Sora and Shiro.

“I thought Chlammy, who has Sora’s memories, would understand, but…is she pretending to be Sora?”

Judging by Chlammy’s reaction, Sora apparently didn’t have the answer to this emotion either.

—I’m curious. But even if I knew the answer, it wouldn’t change anything. I’m just going to walk with Chlammy as my senses tell me to, just as I always have. That’s it—that’s all, however…

“…It’s impossible to violate someone’s rights with the Ten Covenants in place, whether they’re asleep or not…”

The thought of “what if” came into Fiel’s mind. What if she could kiss the sleeping Chlammy? In other words, if she doesn’t cancel the action, that means that Chlammy has agreed to it—and that’s the answer, isn’t it?

………

“Mnn~~~~~~~…meh! I guess it would be better to restrain myself for a little bit longer♪”

I think we both want our first kiss to be memorable. Fiel smiled and thought to herself, then continued—Besides, I think…

“If Sora and the others can really defeat the One True God, then Chlammy’s lifespan and race won’t matter, right?”

—I’ll cooperate with Sora’s plan. But we will be the ones to defeat Tet. Fiel smiles finely.

Sora, no, the siblings. They just want to play a game, and with a strong opponent. That is to say, with someone who is better than them. He’s a gamer at heart, and—a child at that. Hence, Fiel understands: if Chlammy has Sora’s memories, she’s aware of it.

You call yourselves “co-conspirators”—

There is only one reason why we did not bind ourselves to the pact.

“‘I’ll play with you again, so we can always play again,’ eh? I’m all for it~♪ As you wish, I’ll make you lose without a fight…♥”

She smiled, then closed her eyes once more. It seems that both Chlammy and Fiel are not mature enough to accept defeat so easily.