Chapter 73.

Adrian waited for nearly a kilometre up in the sky for Mirellia to finish speaking to her daughter. He had expected that she would care for the girl, as an heir to her House if not as her daughter, but the intellectual expectation was one thing, watching the woman almost crying as she hugged her daughter was something else.

The guilt was uncomfortable.

He knew that this was necessary. Mirellia had lied to him too many times during their short conversation. There was a new threat in the form of this Prince and he couldn't be certain that Malty was alone in her ability to interfere with the Legendary Weapons. If it was some sort of familial ability or something that Aultcray helped them learn then Melty and Mirellia might have been capable of deceiving his skills...including the slave seal he had placed on them. He couldn't trust a word Mirellia had said and even in his most favourable mindset he could see that the woman would do anything for her House. Capturing Melty and using the Queen's heiress as a method of control and verification was the best he could do. It was a temporary measure but he only needed Mirellia to maintain order for a couple of days while he set up a rescue party for Isis and Naofumi. After that, he could spend some time securing Melromarc properly.

It didn't change the fact that he was going to kidnap and enslave a child for no reason other than his fears. Fears that had the potential to be non-existent.

Adrian observed Mirellia touch Melty gently with the sword, barely piercing the skin, and activated the Curse Seal. He was careful to ensure that the pain was negligible.

It was the least he could do.

Within moments the princess was bound and an instant later he had her added to his party.

Melty Melromarc Level 16

He waited for another moment. Melty had started to cry a bit and Mirellia was calming her down. One minute became two and two turned into three. Adrian simply took slow breaths and studied the numerous swords that he had unlocked due to the Wave. Once Melty was calm he triggered the teleportation and moved them to the first Hourglass Fitoria had led him to. He needed to ask Melty some questions, make sure that the girl wasn't a trap of some kind and check on Motoyasu and Itsuki.

The world shifted within a fraction of a second and soon Melty was standing amid the ruins while he floated high above her. A quick check ensured that she couldn't see the house that Itsuki was inhabiting.

Melty looked around frantically. Her eyes darted around taking in the wooden buildings, his prototypes, and the eerie ruins. She didn't look up. Adrian felt the stirrings of shame as he witnessed her fear.

He hesitated. Adrian had planned to simply speak to her, verify what Mirellia had instructed her to do and then imprison her like he had all the others.

It was hard to even consider doing that when he could see that she was just a kid. A terrified girl had been kidnapped by the man who had killed members of her family and then taken her away from the last of said family.

Adrian took in the cold air and cut away his thoughts. No matter his shame or pity Melty Melromarc was still a cause for concern. He couldn't allow emotion to sway him.

First, he Dashed toward her and then triggered a Dimension Step, one of his new skills, that teleported him right in front of her.

"Princess," he said and waited for her to recompose herself. The girl had flinched.

"S-sword Hero," she said with a bow, "I apologize for not seeing you."

He raised an eyebrow at her needless apology but ignored it otherwise, "Take a seat," he said, commanding some of the plants near them to create a small table and chair set, he made sure to make it comfortable and lit the place up with some bioluminescent leaves, "we have a couple of things to talk about."

Melty looked around with a strange hybrid of fear and wonder and sat down gingerly. An entirely rational thing to do given that the chair could poison, melt or cripple her within seconds if need be and with her stats she had no chance of actually fighting the plants.

He waited until she had mustered her courage, feeling impressed and sad, "What did you wish to speak about Sword Hero?" she asked, falling into a polite cadence that he suspected she used in difficult situations.

Melty was desperately tried to show her pseudo-maturity. Her every action was stiff and formal in a painfully familiar way.

"Primarily about your mother's instructions to you about our current situation," he said, then clarified, "Tell me exactly what she asked you to do."

Melty nodded, relaxing a little. Mirellia had coached her well during the hour they he had given them.

"Mother asked me to ensure that you had no further reason to act against Melromarc and to stay safe." she said then paused, and licked her lips, "She...she also said not to anger you and to endure no matter what."

Adrian sighed. Truth. Unlike Mirellia it was the complete truth despite her hesitance. His senses, skills, intuition and the seal all confirmed it.

Melty was shockingly easy to read. He wondered what Mirellia thought he would do to her daughter that her instructions wanted her to endure. Was this a sign of her giving up or did the Queen deem Melty as expendable?

He nodded and saw her relax a little, "What is your opinion on the summoning of all four heroes by Melromarc? Do you believe that your mother has any relation to the event?"

Any calm she had gained vanished the moment he started speaking. Melty looked from side to side before staring at the table and answering, "I think it was wrong and foolish," she said, her fists were clenched at her sides, "Mother was angry and scared when she found out and she got sick a lot. The others sent assassins after her. I know that she didn't do it."

By the time she was done Melty was glaring at him. She looked back at her feet moments later, having realized who she was glaring at.

It was an adorable image. And she believed her statements were true. Adrian found himself believing her. Mirellia was not the sort to let someone as foolish as Aultcray summon the Heroes in her absence. If she truly sought to gamble by summoning all Four Heroes she would have ensured her attendance.

The thought of Mirellia being the one who had summoned them was genuinely scary. She would have put a leash on Itsuki, Motoyasu and Naofumi without them even realizing it. Adrian was fairly certain that he would be dead or bound to serve her if she had managed to influence them from the start. It was odd to realize that Melty and Aultcray were by far the safer option and that he had been lucky to have to deal with them rather than someone competent and careful.

"I see," he said, carefully showing no hint of his thoughts, "What do you know about Prince Takt?"

Melty frowned and spoke almost immediately, "He is one of the likeliest candidates for Faubrey's throne. Sister bragged about seducing him and said that he was an idiot," she said and then jerked her head upwards and met his eyes, relaxing slightly only once he did nothing, "The Prince wanted Sister to join his harem and he let Mother leave only after she promised to send Malty to him."

Adrian wondered at her focus. Not one mention of his absurd level or that he was the Whip Hero. Then, he winced internally, feeling a surge of guilt. Melty was not at her best. It was reasonable for her to be a little scatterbrained at this moment. Though her lack of emotion when it came to her sister was interesting.

"Anything about his magical, political or combative skill?" he asked.

"He's level 200," she said and then hesitated, "and he's called a genius…"

"But you're not certain about anything else." he said and she nodded, "Any other information? No matter how minor?"

Melty frowned, forgetting her fear for a moment and said, "Prince Takt's sister was very annoying. She hated me and always tried to get her friends to bother me."

"Tried?" he asked.

Melty smiled, "Her friends weren't like her." she said, "they only pretended to help her..."

Adrian felt a great deal of pity for the poor brats caught between two powerful princesses. He glanced at Melty who seemed to have remembered that she was speaking to the man who had killed her father and tried to maintain an emotionless veneer.

It went without saying that she failed.

Then, he asked the question that mattered the most, "Tell me what you think of me and what your intentions are regarding any of my allies or me."

Melty swallowed visibly. She had given up on hiding her emotions.

"I won't do anything to you or your allies," She said, her voice growing increasingly uneasy, "Mother told me what Father and sister did but…I don't know what to think about you."

He didn't need the seal to know that she was lying about the last part. The girl was lucky he had disabled the pain system.

"Tell me the truth," he said, his voice calm, gentle against his will as he saw the girl struggle to maintain her composure, "I will not hurt you no matter your thoughts."

"You'll hurt Mother," she shot back, before snapping her mouth shut.

"I don't intend to hurt her unless she does something foolish," he said, certain that he'd have to kill or imprison Mirellia soon, "And your words here will have no bearing on what happens to your mother. Please speak honestly."

She didn't believe him but spoke after a minute nonetheless, "I...I don't like you." she said in a rush, getting the words out before her fear entered her again, "you could have worked with mother properly even if you hate Father. You don't have to scare her and force her to do what you want!"

Her eyes were wide and she slammed her hands over her mouth after her outburst.

"Sorry," she said, not meeting his eyes, "I didn't mean to…"

"Your answer was honest don't apologize for it," said Adrian, interrupting her, deciding abruptly not to imprison this ridiculously earnest child. It wasn't wise, not when it was entirely likely that he would have to kill her mother. Especially not so when Prince Takt would likely see her removed from power even if he did nothing after it became obvious that she could not deliver on her promises. Melty had plenty of reason to hate him and would likely receive more in the future but he couldn't deny the fact that sealing this kid away would be wrong. No, it felt wrong. He could admit to himself that he was doing it mainly due to sentiment.

She made him remember Isis.

Adrian shook his head and stood up. Melty followed his lead but he glanced and said, "Stay seated Melty. I need to check on some things. We'll go to my base after that."

He Dashed away towards Motoyasu and his two remaining harem members without warning. He needed to reach equilibrium and remember that Melty despite being a child was still potentially dangerous. He'd need to consider her cunning, regularly interrogate her and make sure that he had plans to keep her safe and remove her as the need arose.

It took him five minutes to reach Motoyasu and the time just made him realize how much safer it was to keep Melty imprisoned like Motoyasu and his harem. It wasn't fair or just. Hell, it was just an impulsive bit of stupidity.

A look with Blindsight at Motoyasu, which was deep underground, was enough. A moment later and he was heading back.

He'd just need to be careful about Melty. There was no other choice he was willing to live with.

Plus, he could always imprison her later if she proved to be inconvenient.

Adrian couldn't shake the feeling that he was being stupid.

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