The cold wind blew past Amelia, her hair aflutter in the dark of the night. She leaned her back on the gunwale and observed the sailors from the rear deck. Her lone presence made the sailors’ movements somewhat stiff. However, the dusts of snow falling from the sky made the night seem calm.

On the same night Amelia told Darwin to submit, the three of them, Amelia, Darwin, and Evelyn, had a meeting. That was when Amelia said, “Set sail for Libet.”

Her casual tone struck Darwin and Evelyn like a bolt and delivered silence.

“I guess there are no objections. Then, this meeting is dismissed.” And just like that, the meeting that had just started abruptly ended.

“Wait!” Darwin shouted.

Amelia ignored Darwin and left the cabin.

“That girl…” Darwin ground his teeth.

Meanwhile, Evelyn remained silent. Her mind which was tensed to its limits could not comprehend Amelia’s words. She simply slumped on her seat and said, “More problems, I guess.”

This girl has it bad, Darwin thought. If that’s the case, why is she following that girl?

The more Darwin thought, the more mysteries he could not solve was added.

“Guess we’ll just have to this again in the morning.” Darwin sighed. He believed that Amelia was simply exhausted and had dismissed the meeting due to the built-up stress.

However, when morning came, the sailors came knocking on his cabin with distress painted all over their face. “Captain, our food!”

Darwin rushed to the galley and checked the storage next to it.

“What?!” The storage which was supposed to be half-full was close to empty. In his estimates, the food will only last them two days even if they minimized their food intake. “What happened here?!”

“We don’t know!” Said the ship’s chef. “When I opened it this morning, it was already like that!”

Darwin clicked his tongue. “Get those two girls into my cabin!”

Then a continuation of last night’s meeting was held.

“Let me guess this straight.” Darwin slammed the palm of his hands onto the table. “Did any of you had to do with the situation this morning?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Evelyn knitted her brows.

On the other hand, shifted her crossed feet and said, “Yes.”

Just then, Amelia earned Darwin’s glare. “Where did you take the food?”

“If you want the food, you can go dive into the sea and fetch it. Though I believe the creatures of the sea had already made themselves a feast out of it.”

“You…!” Darwin balled his hands into a fist. He raised his right arm into the air and stopped midway swing. After heaving three breaths to calm himself, Darwin sat and probed Amelia’s intentions.

“Why did you do that?” Darwin’s tone was calm, yet it hinted anger.

“I did say last night to set sail for Libet. However, none of your sailors had moved the ship.” Then a smile crept up Amelia’s face. “So, I made it so that there’s no other choice but to sail for Libet.”

Darwin bit his lip. With the supplies brought down to a critical degree, there was no other choice but to return to the nearest port to resupply. Although there was the option of landing on Surtur, the situation around Laurel made the option invalid.

If we couldn’t make it, maybe we should get some supplies from the nearest ship. Though I doubt that this Princess would stay put if we did. If we did get back to the port… we could get her arrested. No doubt that the Lord of the port would rejoice in capturing the Princess of an enemy state. However…

“I believe there’s no point in arguing. If you don’t move the ship now, your sailors will be left starving.”

“The same thing will happen to you, Princess.”

“Oh. But I had already taken my own fill for an entire day. However, you and your sailors will have to start theirs nearly empty. Among us, I wonder who would succumb to hunger first?”

Water was no issue. Magic will be able to supply what water their body needed. However, between moving the ship as fast as they could and producing water, their mana capacity fell short. Not to mention the possibility of an attack from a beast, which needs an ample amount of mana as well.

There was the matter of fishing, but fishing during the cold season would not suffice for the number of people on the ship. Therefore, Darwin and his men had little choice but to obey.

“Fine. We’ll sail towards the north.”

“Haa…” A faint mist escaped Amelia’s lips. “I guess winter has arrived.”

Again, Amelia simply gazed around. The surroundings were somewhat foggy, but the thickness was no obstacle to the experienced sailors. Still, the ship’s pace was rather cautious.

“Sometimes, I really feel like a villain or something,” Amelia muttered. However, no one she knew was around to give her a witty or opposing reply.

Acting the part was by no means foreign to Amelia. Imposing a decision was nothing new. As a Royal, acting and moving towards a goal required mental strength.

Still, it’s a surprise Evelyn hasn’t retaliated yet. I wonder if, by chance, she and Darwin had thought the same thing—to capture me right at or near the port. If they did, I guess I achieved what I ought to achieve first.

Amelia smiled.

Overthinking is a weakness. Though I’m sure Erina will tell me ‘Are you one to talk?’. Anyway, it’ll be peaceful for the meantime. After all, there isn’t much choice. My life is too precious for Libet for them to get rid of me… Unless they did not care about the political situation. Still, if I’m found dead, it’ll most likely spark a war. I can even imagine Kanna being in forefront of it.

Amelia chuckled.

Ahh… such dark thoughts. Now is not the time for it. Better find a way out of this mess.

Amelia had to admit. The situation has turned into a mess. And, just like in Darwin’s situation, Amelia had limited options left. Everyone around her was enemies. She could not relax her guard. She could not relax her mind.

Somehow… I kind of regret doing this.

Evelyn, which was supposed to be a foundation for Amelia’s plan, became somewhat different from what she expected. Her recent observations told her that Evelyn was unstable. Evelyn was unsure. Evelyn was… bothered.

I must get the soldiers back, at least…

Amelia bit her lip. Now, the soldiers she was retrieved from Evelyn was kept inside an empty room within the ship. However, those bodies she wanted to bury, will rot in due time. By then, the disease was sure to follow.

Spreading an epidemic huh. It’s probable if I let it rot as is… but yeah, I can’t do that. I won’t do that. Even if they are dead, they are still my people.

While Amelia was deep in thought, footfalls approached. It was none other than Evelyn.

“Hey.” Evelyn stopped at about a meter away with a hand on her head.

“What is it?”

“Do you have medicine?”

“… What? Medicine?” Amelia knit her brows. “You’re… hurting?”

“Kind of.” Evelyn frowned in pain. “No, not ‘kind of’. It hurts.”

“I apologize then. There is no cure those other than rest.”

“You know healing magic, right? Can’t you use that?”

“It doesn’t work on this kind of cases.”

Evelyn was visibly irritated. “Magic can heal and close up wounds, but it can’t treat a simple headache.”

“Maybe there is a magic that could, but heal and cure could not aid you in this situation. You better rest.”

“I’m asking you for the cure since you’re the source of this headache.”

“I… see?” Amelia tilted her head to the side. Is her head all right? It’s… very uncharacteristic of her. “Are you ok?”

“Of course, no. The rocking of the ship just makes it worse.”

“Ah. Yes. I can see that.” Amelia expressed a wry smile. “Other than that, is there anything you need from me?”

“Right.” Evelyn flinched from the pain. “I’ve thought things over, and I’ve come up with this question. What are you?”

“Uuurgh! Agh!” Evelyn rolled from side to side on her bed. The pain from her head was accompanied by the rocking ship. “Umph! Haah… Haah…”

“I feel like… dying… Uurgh!” Evelyn lashed around and threw a cup she grabbed on the table beside her bed. “What is wrong… with me?!”

Evelyn did not recall herself being plagued by seasickness. She had traveled numerous times by sea, both calm and stormy. She even recalled an event once in a game she played where they had to survive an incoming typhoon while at the middle of the sea.

“Medicine… magic…!” In preparation for cases where she was wounded, Evelyn made it a point to at least learn cure. However, the pain emanating from her head did not allow her to recite the incantation properly. “Why…?!”

Evelyn recalled the previous night. She remembered Amelia healing the wounds of the sailors she incapacitated. She thought she’d be able to help her from her suffering. And so, while tumbling along the way, Evelyn went up the deck and found Amelia.

As Evelyn approached Amelia, the pain subsided, albeit only enough to speak properly. Then and there Evelyn asked to be healed, to which Amelia answered that headaches could not be cured by the magic she knew.

After a sharp pain struck, Evelyn’s eyes were drawn towards Amelia’s head. There she saw a faint outline of an antler-like horn. As she looked at it, her heartbeat sounded like a gong. It was if something within her was screaming.

“I’ve thought things over, and I’ve come up with this question. What are you?”

Gradually, the pain subsided.

“You are no hu—!”

Just before Evelyn could finish her sentence, Amelia clamped the palm of her hand onto Evelyn’s mouth. She then received a questioning glare.

Amelia thought nothing of Evelyn looking over her head. She believed the illusion she conjured, which she tested as she walked around Tercel, did not fall short. In fact, Amelia had yet to meet a person, capable of seeing through her illusion aside from Celestia.

“What did you see?” Amelia whispered as she relaxed her hold Evelyn.

“…” Silence was Evelyn’s answer. Despite that, her mind was in full throttle. She herself could not comprehend how she could see Amelia with a horn. Although she thought it was not out of place if she based on the abilities she had recently shown.

A doppelganger? A mimic? A creature I have never heard of?

“Where is the real Princess?” Evelyn could hear imaginary sirens. It warned her not to pursue the topic. However, curiosity urged the cat.

Amelia’s eyes widened. Then, in a moment, Amelia swiped Evelyn’s feet, caught her arm and pushed her against the gunwale. “What did you see?”

“Gh!” Evelyn was pinned from top to bottom. Her legs were locked between Amelia’s feet. Her hands were pushed against her back. And a hand was firmly placed at the back of her neck.

“I can’t believe I have to pin you while you’re weakened by a simple headache. But if you won’t talk, I’ll have to end you here.”

“Someone wi—!”

Amelia’s hand tightened its grasp around her neck.

“Believe me. No one will notice. Even if you die here and fall into the sea as a corpse, no one will notice.”

Evelyn grinned. “As if… you could…! And even if you did. I could still revive…!”

A noticeable frown was etched on Amelia’s face. She had no means of verifying the truth in Evelyn’s words. The Blessing was complex and diverse. Even Celestia could not classify the extent of every Blessing given to every Hero. However, Amelia knew that it would not be a pleasant idea to let Evelyn report to the church what she saw.

My identity as Divine has yet to be known to others. If any Angel heard of this peculiarity of mine… forget about a month. Everything will be over at that moment…

Silenced ensued.

Still, how? I was sure no one noticed. Not even the sailors took notice. So why? Was it because of the Blessing? Did the fragment inside Evelyn recognize its presence? Ahh… I can’t handle this haphazardly… It’s one problem after the other. What should I do…

“I don’t mind trying.” Amelia dug her nails on Evelyn’s neck. “Even if you could miraculously revive, I’ll make your death a slow and painful one. I will make you remember every single bit of pain you will receive.”