What could Anabella's research have uncovered that would cause such a strong reaction from Dalia? Geral couldn't help but wonder if she'll try to silence Anabella in some way to keep her from speaking out. She might even use a scold's bridle to silence her.

Did she not say they were living in a medieval society? Given the medieval practices that were common in those times, anything was possible.

Hundreds of worried thoughts raced through Geral's mind as he waited anxiously for Dalia's return. He observed the market and heard the boisterous comments of the approximately one hundred people who had gathered there.

He had not realized that the city was growing that fast!

He scanned the crowd, trying to determine if they were sympathetic to Anabella and her cause. However, it was difficult to gauge their feelings. He couldn't count on a popular revolt to free Anabella as most of the people looked at her with aggression and anger, though he did catch a few sympathetic glances from time to time.

Why would anybody feel angry for her for having freed a slave?

He sighed, turned back his sight to Anabella, and gave her a weak smile. What could he do further to help her?

To his surprise, Dalia came back after some twenty minutes.

“Your request has been granted.” - she said - “In exchange for information, you may spend your last hours with Geral. You'll be my responsibility until tomorrow. If I deem the information that you have unimportant, or if you try any foul tricks, you'll be immediately brought back. Guards, by order of our lord Grackak, unbind her!”

As Geral observed the guards freeing Anabella from the pillory, he pondered what secrets she could have uncovered. He was clueless about any research she may have conducted or her findings and felt a nagging feeling of shame because of that. As her husband, he should have known more.

But he pushed aside his self-doubt and focused on the present situation. Why would Grackak and his gang go to such lengths to interrogate her?

He supported Anabella as she struggled to walk, her body weakened from her time in the pillory. Geral hoped he could convince Dalia to remove the magic-absorbing cuffs from her or at least provide her with a healing potion.

As Geral and Anabella walked along the paved streets toward Dalia's house, they noticed a small group of people trailing behind their guard escort. Geral gasped in surprise, realizing that they were low-level NPCs, perhaps former slaves or even current ones. These were likely the people that Anabella had been helping, and Geral felt a flicker of hope that he wasn't alone in his quest to help her.

Once they arrived at Dalia's house, the guards positioned themselves around the building while Geral, Anabella, and Dalia went inside.

“Let's sit at the table, I'll have my slaves bring us some food, and we can talk.” - Dalia said

Geral couldn't help but feel wary, wondering what Dalia's true intentions were.

“May I use the toilet and wash before?” - Anabella asked, looking tiredly at her dejected appearance.

Dalia nodded.

“Before you do so, you'll have to put this chain to your neck. I'll remove the cuffs after that." - she raised her hand, retrieving a long and thin chain with a collar at its end from her inventory – “It has been magically enhanced and would restrain your movements."

Anabella reluctantly agreed, and Dalia fastened the collar to her neck, warning her of the consequences of trying to escape. The collar clicked shut, and Dalia attached the other end of the chain to a pillar in the room before removing Anabella's handcuffs.

"The chain will allow you free movement in the house, but you'll have to leave the doors open.”

Anabella nodded and left the room. Two slave girls entered, and Dalia turned towards one of them.

“Dothera, go and help Anabella to clean herself. Xithera, we need something to eat. It will be the three of us. I want to eat undisturbed; I will call if I need anything. Except for you, nobody should come to this room. Understood?”

“Yes, master!” - Xithera nodded. The other slave bowed and ran towards the bathroom.

As the slaves left the room, Geral sat down at the table with Dalia. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about the presence of slaves in the house. "You have slaves?" he asked cautiously.

Dalia simply nodded and took a seat on the opposite side of the table. "Yes, it's practical," she replied nonchalantly.

After a few moments, Xithera came back in, bringing a fresh tablecloth and starting to cover the table for dinner. The table arrangement looked worthy of a feudal lord. Geral watched, wondering about Xithera's efficient and silent work. It was as if she had exercised on and on these movements. Maybe she had acquired a skill?

Geral frowned and glanced at Dalia. It was surprising to see how fast did Dalia adapt to having slaves and be served.

“How many slaves do you have?” - he wondered.

“Three house slaves to cook, keep the house clean and functional. It is a big house, after all. Xithera is my best; she coordinates the house slaves. Then I have the slaves working in various areas, two at the guild and four at the library.”

“And they listen to you and do not try to flee?”

She chuckled.

“Flee? Most of them are happy with their lives here. On the other hand, the beasts around the city would make a short process and happily feast on any fugitives. We currently have over one hundred city guards and expanding, but they are here mostly to guard against the beasts.”

“How many players are there in the city?”

Dalia shook her head and spoke harshly:

“Don't talk about certain things in front of slaves, Geral; you need to learn the rules and conform. Once Anabella comes, I'll set up a privacy field around us.”

Geral noted the change in tone and nodded, deciding to keep silent until Anabella was back.

Once Anabella entered the dining room dressed only in a fluffy bathrobe, Geral asked himself what was going on, but Dalia clarified.

“Come, take a seat at the table. I've asked Dothera to have your dress washed.”

“Oh!” - both Geral and Anabella exclaimed, surprised.

Anabella sighed and turned toward Dalia.

"Well, what do you want to hear? Where should I start?"

Dalia laughed.

"Directly to the subject, eh?" - she gestured towards the table - "We'll serve ourselves to better keep privacy, so please serve yourself!" - then answered - "Let's start with Cala. What did you find about her?"

"Cala, huh?" - Anabella answered while putting soup into her soup plate - "Well, Cala is the only registered player that was refused resurrection..."

"Nonsense!" - Dalia cut her short with a derisively gesture - "I know of a lot of people who were refused resurrection as they did not have the money requested."

"You did not let me finish," - countered Anabella with a smile. Geral was happy to see that she was looking much better now. He had to concede to himself that she looked ravishing. How could he even have looked at other women when he had her near him?

"She was the only player that was refused the resurrection plan by Quetzal, the silver angel." - she said.

Dalia was stunned while Geral tried to grasp what that meant; his eyes and mind only focused on Anabella.

"Refused by Quetzal himself? But... but... Is this even possible?"

Anabella smiled, seeing Dalia's surprise, and swallowed the soup from her spoon.

"The soup is very good!" - she nodded appreciatively.

"But why would Quetzal refuse her?" - Dalia wondered

"Interesting question, isn't it? Unfortunately, there is no explanation, but the priest who had made that annotation in the temple's resurrection registry has put a note with a question mark."

Dalia raised her brows as she tested the soup and nodded appreciatively.

"A note with a question mark? What was in the note?" - she wondered.

Anabella ate, letting the tension rise, then spoke. "She is suspected of having destroyed Nohektas' main temple and..."

Dalia furrowed her brows and shook her head.

"Why would the silver angel have anything to do with that? Nohekta is a different goddess. That's only NPC nonsense, dear Anabella, but an interesting story. Is this all that is about Cala?"

Anabella laughed, not angry about being interrupted, and called an NPC.

"Well, you tend to come to conclusions a little too fast, lady Dalia!" - she countered with a grin - "The temple could be destroyed because somebody had killed Isera, the green angel. It was killed by an assassin, and Cala was seen there the day it was killed. She also knew the temple very well."

"Wait! Isera, the angel? Killed? Is this true? How can one even kill an angel? One can see an angel only when one is resurrected, so how could one even kill it? But even then, it is a stretch to conclude that Cala killed it.""

"Yes, but the high priestess of Nohekta, Awala, had directly accused Cala before she herself was killed. It seems Awala had felt betrayed; she herself has introduced Cala to the temple as a trusted friend."

"Uh. Oh. OK, we can say that she is the main suspect. OK? The fact that the angel refused to accept her resurrection plan is another clue that would indict her, but it is not evidence. I wonder why would Cala do that?”