Collecting the Debt

Aisha bade goodbye to Maya before leaving the tent. Leslie was still faithfully waiting for her outside. He walked over to her with a smile once he noticed her stepping out.

She didn't waste any time and asked him if Maya could stay with her. Leslie seemed deep in thought before replying, "If that's the case, then I'll try asking the Emperor for his permission. We are about to depart soon, so there shouldn't be any problem."

Aisha stared at Leslie and couldn't help but wonder what kind of relationship he had with Archibald? Compared to others who seemed to fear Archibald, Leslie seemed much more relaxed around him.

But that's none of her business, so Aisha politely thanked him before returning to her tent.

***

In the afternoon, preparation to depart was finally completed.

Aisha was standing on the coast, shocked upon seeing a huge ship docked on the shore. It was ten times, no twenty times bigger than the small ship she was supposed to use to flee from the island.

The ship was adorned with gold and made with excellent craftsmanship. The sail was huge, and the mermaid figurehead gave off an adventurous feeling, making Aisha's heart itch.

She would finally leave the land where she grew up. There was a chance she wouldn't be able to return, but Aisha couldn't say she was saddened about it.

Aisha had always had this complicated feeling regarding her homeland that she couldn't explain.

Although she cherished her homeland, she was trapped inside the shrine day by day and was expected to fulfill her duty as the Priestess without a break. She didn't have that many memories of it and sometimes felt suffocated staying in it.

For her, this place was like a cage and prison. It protected her while chaining her down at the same time.

Sometimes Aisha wondered why she was the only one who had to do things like there?

Because she had a mysterious power? Or was it a way to imprison an ominous monster like her forever from the world?

Aisha was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't notice someone approaching her.

"Are you sad now that we are leaving?"

The cold voice snapped her from her daze. She turned around to see Archibald standing behind her.

The red cape on one side of his shoulders fluttered because of the wind, and his royal garment shone under the sunlight. But even the most valuable jewel couldn't win against the luster of his golden hair.

He looked ethereal and majestic. It took Aisha's breath away.

"I'm not sad, Your Majesty."

"Your forlorn expression told me otherwise."

"Do I…look sad?" Aisha touched her face, with bewilderment flashing across her face.

Archibald stared deeply at her. "This is the last time you will see this place. I won't let you return to this place even after I die. Look at it to your heart's content, then get on the ship."

After saying those words, he turned around and left.

Aisha bit her lips before giving the mountain behind her one last look. The village and the shrine where she grew up were just behind that mountain.

It was almost surreal how she finally got a chance to look at the outside world. And the one who gave her that chance was the tyrant who invaded her land.

Suppressing the small lingering feeling she had, she followed Archibald's footsteps and stepped inside the ship that would bring her to her second prison.

***

The ship finally set sail after the preparation was complete. They opened the giant sail, and the strong wind pushed the ship smoothly into the sea.

The Roseau Empire's ship finally left after taking what it needed, and it soon became a tiny dot in the vast sea.

Following its departure came a group of men with weapons on the beach. The numerous footprints on the sand clearly showed that those people had just recently left the island.

"They are already gone! What should we do now, Chief Advisor?" A man with a weapon in hand looked back with a panicked expression on his face.

Emerging from behind the group of men was a tall young man with long, black hair. The surrounding men were much older than him, but the young man exuded an imposing aura that didn't befit his age. He wore wide-sleeved garments with intricate designs, with a sword hung on his hip.

His sharp amber eyes narrowed down when he realized what had happened. "It seems we are one step too late."

One of the men clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I know we shouldn't have let the Priestess go no matter what."

"Hey, what are you talking about? The shrine was on fire. The Priestess would have been dead if we let her stay inside."

"That's better than letting her fall into the enemy's hands. Her power is not something that should be owned by a blood-thirsty tyrant! Besides, now that she is gone, how will we survive?!"

"But still, the Priestess is a human like us. How can you easily regard a human's life as nothing?"

"A human who could communicate with a dead spirit is not normal in the first place. She is a monster that should be controlled! Otherwise, the world will fall into chaos. Did you forget what our duty is? To ensure her existence and power would never be revealed to the world. Many countries would go to war for her if they knew about her ability."

"That's right. Without her, we can't hold any channeling seance anymore. We need her power to gain necessary intelligence regarding our enemies!"

The men began to bicker against each other, making the young man frown.

"Silence, you all."

He spoke in neither a loud nor small voice, but a few words from him was enough to silence those people.

"Chief Advisor Ren, what should we do next? They got our Priestess, and even your sister too. Are we really going to let them go just like that?" asked one of the men.

Ren didn't answer immediately and only stared at the horizon with an inexplicable expression.

No one could tell what he was thinking behind his cloudy eyes, but they could vaguely tell that the young advisor was extremely pissed from the pressure in the air.

No one dared to rush him, and they stood awkwardly, waiting for him to speak.

Ren took out an old compass from his pocket. The needle moved around volatilely; one would think it was broken at first glance. There was a trace of longing in his eyes for a moment before coldness glazed over his eyes.

"Prepare the ship. It's time for us to collect the debt."

"Eh? But they are probably already way ahead of us by now."

"It's fine. There is a reason why uninvited travelers would not live to tell tales. Especially those who come out of our land." Ren smirked coldly.