Francis stepped out of the carriage with Katalina and Hye-Sung in tow. They had accompanied him to the scene. The large, grassy fields of the region spread out before their eyes. The carriage had dropped them off in the middle of town, right in front of a boring looking building.

“Oh! You must be Lady Rayleigh! It's a pleasure to meet you.”

A scrawny man at least 4 decades his senior waddled up to them. Wrinkles covered his face, so much so that he resembled a thumb that soaked in water for an hour. He was the governor of the area. The one in charge that reported to the lord that owned these fair lands.

“Yes. And you are Governor Tagraylia, I presume?” Francis reached out for a handshake.

“Yes, yes. His Majesty’s people have already briefed me on the situation. I am to leave you to try and fix the situation.”

“Correct. Leave.”

“O-oh, yes, Lady Rayleigh.” His voice cracked as he spoke.

That man sulked away. The saviours, the ones sent to fix this region, waltzed right into the governing headquarters. Charts, maps, and piles of papers were strewn all about.

“U-um. Good morning, Lady Rayleigh. M-may the grace of the gods b-be with you on this warm and beautiful day,” she approached him with caution, hiding her mouth with papers.

“Good morning to you too. And you are?”

“L-lady Rayleigh. I-it is an h-honour to meet you. I-i am Niki, a-assistant to the governor. I-i am supposed to help you with anything y-you might need.”

“Alright. First order of business, what’s happening with the crops? Drought?”

“N-no. A-actually... W-we don’t know the cause. S-some people say that it’s a c-curse.”

“A curse... Yeah right.”

Francis turned heel and walked out of the building. The fresh summer wind hit him right in the face. Though he was a fair distance away from the coast, he could imagine the crashing of the waves against the beach.

“We’re going to find out what’s wrong with it. You stay here.” Francis pointed a finger at the assistant. “Update me if anything happens.”

They travelled a short distance away. Away from the town centre, towards the outskirts. People greeted them as they passed by, and ‘good morning’s were exchanged. No one seemed to know who he was. In the sleepy town, disconnected from the buzz of politics and war, the citizens lived quiet lives. Nothing like the capital. There, gossip and rumours about the ruling class reigned supreme. Here, one would be lucky to catch the latest news of a stolen chicken.

Katalina had offered to get a carriage, but Francis had denied it. Besides, it was a nice break. After all that had happened, it was time to unwind. Meeting gods and catching a murderer, it was far too eventful to be comprehend quickly.

Soon, they reached farmland. Large fields of plowed soil, and empty farms were spread out. These farmers, they commuted in and out of town everyday just to work in the fields. Francis called over to one of them, and the tired old man turned his head up. Walking over to the thin wooden fence, he placed his elbows and greeted the visitors.

“Mornin’ ladies. ‘ow may I ‘elp you today?”

“Your crops. What are you growing?”

“You know, ‘tatoes and the such. Why?”

“Potatoes? Anything else?”

“Nah. Not wort’ it you see. These ‘tatoes here sell for the most.”

“That’s stupid. What about everyone else? What else do they grow?”

“Same as me. Why?”

“Because you haven’t been harvesting any, am I right?”

“Nah nah. All of ‘em, they keep dying!”

“Stupid. Easy case, easy solution. I’m going back to the governor’s building. Ms Kim, are you familiar with Ireland?”

“Wha- Ah...”

Francis walked away. Back towards the town centre, past the insignificant forgettable buildings. Situated on flatland, there was no difficulty in walking save for the distance. Katalina and Hye-Sung followed close behind. They murmured and chatted.

“How’d you solve it so quickly?” Hye-Sung asked.

“Crop variety. Since there’s no drought, that’s not the issue.”

“That’s insanely fast. What about curses?”

“Simple. I wonder if I get extra points for swiftness. Gods, I would love to chill at the beach. Anyway, who the hell would want to curse this place? The hottest news here is about who said what about who.”

“Makes sense. Let’s hope you’re right.”

“Most likely I am. You know how to use magic right? Would it be possible to determine the level of skill to cast a curse of this scale?”

“Magic works based on visualisation. It uses mana, which there is a limited amount of. To cast something on this scale, probably a really good mage. Far more experience than me. Probably not one you’d find in the middle of nowhere like this.”

“That’s that.”

They returned to the governor’s building. The assistant waited, and so did the governor. With curious and excited eyes, they watched as the three stepped in through the door.

“So? Did you figure it out, Lady Rayleigh?”

“Yes. It’s entirely simple. Grow a variety of crops, there’s a plague infecting potatoes going around. Plant wheat, corn, barley, rice, whatever. Just make sure that it's not just one single crop.”

“Was it really that simple?”

“Yes. Now get out. I have something I want to discuss with my two associates.”

“Oh, sorry My Lady.”

Francis took a seat and crossed his arms. The two women did the same. Whatever expression he was making, Hye-Sung seemed to find it rather amusing. The two rushed out, and closed the door behind them.

“So what’s the problem?”

“I want to know if this is native to this world or if someone brought it here.”

“The blight?”

“Yes. Someone could have brought it here.”

“Certainly possible. But you don’t understand. You and I, our entrances here were entirely unplanned. No one would have blight in their pockets and still retain their clothes at the same time right?”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about. What I’m worried about are diseases. You’re still in your original body right?”

“That’s correct. Oh. Oh...” It dawned on Hye-Sung what he was scared of.

“If someone bought something like the black death here.... We’re fucked.”

“But there’s no way to know!”

“There isn’t. That’s the concerning bit. Even if someone brought SARS to this world, we’d be none the wiser.”

“Enough with that. C’mon. Let’s return to the palace.”

“No. Not yet. After all, Her Highness gave us two months to find the solution to it and fix it. And she said she was looking for quality, not speed. There is a fine line between fast, and careless.”

“So then what do you want to do, My Lord?”

“There’s a beach, right? Any of you hate beaches?”

“I’ve actually never been to one, My Lord.”

“And you?”

“I’m alright. Oh but I don’t wanna swim or anything though. Maybe a game of beach volleyball.”

“Perfect! Then let’s keep that for the future. We’ll still need to get supplies. Like swimsuits...”

“Is that a problem, My Lord?”

“Not exactly. I just... Don’t know what to do about that. Hm.”

Katalina could only raise her eyebrows. At the knight’s confusion, Hye-Sung stifled a laugh.

***

She sipped her hot, black tea. It burnt her tongue slightly, but she endured the heat. Her sister paced around the terrace, seeming like she was preparing a speech.

“So what do you want?” Elise asked.

The sunlight hit her sister’s hair just right. It glinted as if it was just polished, and her skin was perfect. Certainly, if she was a lesbian and unrelated by blood, her heart would have been stolen by the model walking in front of her. She sipped her tea.

“Why did you send her to die?”

“Who?”

“That blondie!”

“Her? She was a threat. And yet you let her live. Why?”

“Threat to what?” Estelle shouted out.

“To our dear little brother. She had the eyes of a killer, a hunter chasing down her prey.”

“Then why didn’t you kill her yourself then?”

“Because it would have been more beneficial to you. Kill her at the Castinate’s mansion, and frame them. Gets rid of two opponents with one murder.”

“She turned out to get along really well with him, for your information.”

“So we’re supposed to let everyone go then? See who’s best?”

“What are you even talking about?”

“What he needs is not friends. He needs safety. And friends cannot give him that! In fact! They only make it worse!”

“And what gives you the right to speak of it on his behalf?”

Elise clicked her tongue. Crossing her arms, she looked out. Into the forest, into the greenery. Birds took flight.

She retreated back into her room. Without an answer, Estelle followed the younger sister. She stood and watched as the woman picked up her bow and a quiver full of arrows.

“See that bird? Right there?” Elise asked.

“Yeap.”

“A bird is safest, when it's in a cage.”

She cocked an arrow and pulled back the string. Within moments, it took flight. Soaring through the air, and finding its mark in the pigeon’s body. They collapsed onto the ground, for some lucky predator or vulture to find. Easy pickings.

“I will not let you put him in a cage.” Estelle growled.

“Do you remember Elliot?”

“What about him?”

“Where do you think he is?”

“What kind of question is that? He’s abroad.”

“And he sent a letter. He got attacked. But he fought them off. And our brother, the younger one. Did he get attacked? And could he fight them off?”

“You got me there.”

“Those too weak to protect themselves should be hidden away. What you don’t want to lose, and those you can’t afford to lose, should be kept away in a safe.”

“But do you think birds should be kept in cages?”

“For their own safety.”

“And what about freedom?”

“Freedom to get killed.”

Estelle sat down. Her cup of tea was untouched. She couldn’t quite hide her scowl. A column of steam rose up from the black liquid. Estelle pinched the golden spoon and stirred her drink, creating a dark whirlpool that swirled within the porcelain cup.

“Well...”

“What?” Elise prompted.

The sister tucked her hair behind her ear. She looked like she struggled to say something. The tight fitting shirt clung onto her skin, and it showed how her body moved as she thought.

“Okay. I am honestly worried for our future. Who will be the heir? Like I know it's me, but I’m worried that father will walk in and change it up.”

“I know I definitely won’t be it, good luck though. Not smart enough for that. Though, the way you say it... Do you not want our brothers to take up the mantle?”

“Them? They’re unreliable.”

“Well, I can agree to that. And besides, you’ll... Support him in becoming emperor, right?”

“In getting that princess, definitely. Having a member of the royal family under submission would be great.”

Estelle chuckled. The sun cast a long shadow on the terrace floor. With the background ambience of birds chirping, they sat in complete silence.

“If I can be honest,” Estelle began.

“Hm?”

“I’m worried for him. Like, what if he has to come out?” Estelle drank her tea once she stopped.

“Ah. Well, let him go at his own pace. Or her, if that’s what we’re going with.”

“But what if no one accepts them?”

“If we have another sister, that’s fine with you, right?” Elise asked.

“Even better than fine. We can share the same bath, and we can finally go to the beach together.”

“Oh right. Didn’t that blonde bitch say that she was gonna go to Selenros Beach?”

“Mhm. Wait, wasn’t his assignment nearby?”

“That’s right.”

Her sister blinked. Placing the porcelain teacup down onto the pure white coaster, she stood up. A minor gust of wind blew. The leaves below rustled, and their hair got pulled along with the air. She placed her elbows on the railings, and cast her gaze downward. Elise meanwhile, stayed where she sat.

“Do you think I made a mistake?” Estelle asked.

She didn’t even bother to turn her head. Instead, her attention was focused elsewhere. Where in particular, Elise didn’t know. Just that it wasn’t her.

“For not killing her? I don’t know. You spent more time with her. What do you think?”

“I- I don’t know what I think.”

“That’s rare. So all your smarts were all for nothing?”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say that. She, Iris, she said that she would kill him.”

“Then you made a mistake.”

“But she also won’t.”

“You’re contradicting yourself. Will she, or will she not? It's a simple question.”

“And there’s a complicated answer. Either way, it's best if he wasn’t with her. Fate is a cruel mistress.”

“Or maybe we should just put him in a cage. He can’t get hurt if he’s with us forever.” Elise pointed out in a matter of fact way.

“A cage.” Estelle stopped, as if she was pondering on that suggestion. “That’s not the point. Anyway, I think it's best for one of us to go with him.”

“Would he even appreciate our presence?”

“Good question.”

She placed a finger on her temple. Was she thinking? Well, thinking was what she was good at. Always the smarter of the two, Estelle handled everything that was vaguely complex. Elise could never handle the intricate problem of diplomacy, or resource allocation.

“I think he’ll like it. Actually no, he will like it. But who? You or me?” Estelle turned around to face her.

“With an educated guess like that, I suppose it's your call. I can stay here if you want.”

“No. It has to be you. I’ve neglected my work for far too long. And besides, I want to spend some time with our guest downstairs.”

“Ah. Him. So you finally decided? He’s been sitting there for ages. Initially I wanted to torture him, but I wasn’t sure if he would want to do it himself.”

“To be honest, I think he would. But I’m just gonna get some information from him. You go to Velois.”