Our job this time was merely to buy time until Shamash-san arrived. Now that she had shown up and gone into the mine to seal it, there wasn't much left for us to do.

As for the damage, a few local warriors had suffered light injuries from goblins, nothing more.

Considering this was a sudden mass spawn, you could say it ended with minimal damage. Well, this is a world where monsters appearing are part of daily life—everyone here maintains at least a basic level of danger awareness, and that likely helped.

Marco's sister might have been in serious trouble if we hadn't made it in time—especially with that rock-throwing Orc showing up—but the end result was that she was saved.

So, the next thing on the agenda was...

“Alright, let's begin the first-ever Artemis Knight Order debriefing session! Clap clap clap!”

And that's how it went.

I wanted to take our reflections on today and apply them to the future.

Currently, we were waiting for Shamash-san to finish sealing the tunnel. Everyone was gathered near the entrance: myself, Diana, Marina, Rebecca-san, Elepipi, Etowa, Oyakata, Oyakata's son, and Ion-san.

"Goshujin-sama! More importantly! Who was that woman acting all familiar with you just now nodesu?!"

"She is a Demon-san, de-arimasu. A superior version of me, de-arimasu!"

"Jirou, what's going on?"

Diana, Marina, and Rebecca-san all press in on me.

It seemed the impact of Shamash-san's appearance far outweighed any interest in a debriefing.

Looks like I'm going to have to explain myself! I'm not at fault here!

"Uh, well, where should I even start..."

I should probably begin with the relationship between Shamash-san and Ion-san, but considering the content, I'm not sure.

Ion-san being a former imperial princess, and formerly third in line to the throne—it doesn't feel right to casually blurt that out. Still, I think everyone here can be trusted. None of them seem like they'd leak this information.

Either way... if we're going to shelter Ion-san, we'll need to share information eventually.

"Oyakata, did you... explain anything about Ion-san to them while we were inside the mine?"

I asked, just in case. They might have gotten a summary while waiting with Diana and Etowa.

"I did not. That story is more than I can handle; I'll leave it to you."

"Yeah, figures..."

I guess it's up to me.

Ion-san sat there with her hood pulled low over her eyes, rubbing her hands together uncomfortably. You could see glimpses of her Prison Crests, but none of my group pointed them out. They're clearly aware of it, but no one speaks up, and an awkward tension hangs in the air.

Since it would be bad if others overheard, we all moved to a more secluded spot. Oyakata was thoughtful enough to leave his son (the current master of the smith) as a lookout at the mine entrance. The fewer people who knew the details, the better—not that I didn't trust the current Master.

The fewer people who know, the better. It's not that I don't trust him, but still...

Now then... Where do I even begin?

...No, details can wait. I'll just be direct.

"Ion-san, could you take off your hood for a moment? Just enough to show them."

The core of this story was Ion-san's Prison Crests. I couldn't explain anything without showing them.

Ion-san hesitated for a second at my request, but she slowly lowered her hood and revealed her face.

"H—!"

Someone gasped.

Ion-san's translucent light-blue hair and the mottled, writhing Prison Crests were revealed. Her crimson eyes were cast down, her lips pressed thin, and she hugged her arms as if trying to shrink away.

I mean, I get it.

To her, we were a group of strangers she wasn't sure she could trust, and her lifeline, Shamash-san, wasn't here. In her mind, the possibility of us saying, "Ugh, Prison Crests! Get away!" and ganging up on her was probably very real. She might trust me and Oyakata, but at the end of the day, we were people she'd only met an hour ago.

"Ion-san, you don't need to be so nervous. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

I placed a hand on her trembling shoulder.

Oops—maybe that was too familiar, considering she's an actual princess?

Still, while she was bold when Shamash-san was around, right now she was like a lost kitten... A classic case of being brave only at home.

"Okay, so to put it simply: Ion-san here, who has a prison crest, and that demonkin woman from earlier have been living together. In exchange for me providing five spirit stones to cleanse Ion-san's prison crest, that demonkin woman agreed to become my slave. And due to various circumstances, Ion-san herself might also end up staying with us after the crest is removed! That's all!"

Alright, I said it!

"""........."""

Everyone fell silent, their expressions a complex mix of emotions.

Yeah... I know. We were only supposed to go get a sword fixed by a Demon, and somehow it turned into this. Life is strange.

But honestly, I had no intention of backing out now. I had already committed emotionally because of my sympathy for her, but more importantly, Shamash-san's combat potential was the real deal.

I felt bad for Marina, who worked so hard to guard me, but with Shamash-san around, we could take much bigger risks and business would clearly become easier. Up until now, I'd been playing it incredibly safe.

"...Goshujin-sama. May I ask one thing?"

Diana is the first to speak.

"Yes, go ahead."

"That demonkin who arrived riding the bird—you're saying she'll become your slave, correct? That means... she'll be living together with us at the mansion? And this Ion-san as well?"

I knew that would be the sticking point. Becoming a slave meant, essentially, becoming part of the household.

"...I cannot live together with a demonkin nodesu. I am, after all, an elf."

That was a fairly blunt rejection. I guess the racial compatibility really is that bad.

"Well, racial compatibility is a thing. I wasn't planning on forcing everyone to live under one roof anyway. You aren't against Shamash-san becoming my slave in principle, are you?"

"That's not really something I can object to nodesu..."

Diana trails off, mumbling. Honestly, she probably does want to object.

She did call Shamash-san ‘that overly familiar woman' earlier, after all.

"Are you not angry, Goshujin-sama?"

She asked, looking up at me.

She might have thought she was overstepping, but I'm not a tyrant. The people I've been with this whole time are more important to me.

"Of course I'm not angry, Diana. I thought you'd be much more against it."

"Against it...? But..."

Her voice dropped an octave. She whispered into my ear so Ion-san couldn't hear.

"...Is it truly alright, Goshujin-sama? Prison Crests are the mark of a criminal nodesu. Are they something that should be dispelled so easily?"

Without knowing the backstory, that was a natural reaction. Looking at it objectively, a girl with Prison Crest paired with a Demon is a pretty intense visual.

"...We'll talk about those circumstances later."

"I understand."

For now, it seemed Diana was okay with it. In any case, Shamash-san probably wouldn't be able to live in our mansion anyway, given how dense the spirit power is there.

...Besides, rather than living together, maybe having her live in a house nearby and visiting would make it easier to do... adult things without being watched? No, wait, I'm not thinking such lewd thoughts, okay? Ahem... definitely not.

"Marina, anything from you?"

Marina had been closing her eyes, deep in thought. When I prompted her, she snapped them open.

"Aruji-dono! Marina shall be the one to educate the newcomer, de arimasu!"

"Eh?"

"Marina is the senior slave. I am the senior in the Knight Order as well. I must show her the standards, de-arimasu!"

I wondered what she was thinking so hard about, and that was it?

"I don't mind, but... what 'standards'?"

"The newcomer must not do various things before the senior does de-arimasu. 'Various things' de-arimasu."

"Various things like?"

"Various things, de arimasu! Various... various... like, 'firsts' and such..."

I have no idea what she's talking about.

It's probably some hierarchy thing like in a middle school sports club. Marina's probably going to say things like, "First-years pick up the balls! No carbon rackets allowed, use wood!" or "You're a hundred years too early for Nike sneakers; first-years wear canvas shoes."... Maybe not.

Still, since people might be intimidated by her being a Demon, establishing some rules isn't a bad idea. Depending on Shamash-san's personality, a power imbalance could easily collapse the order of the group. In terms of raw combat power, Shamash-san could probably beat all of us combined.

"...Uh, okay. Rebecca-san, do you have anything?"

Rebecca-san wasn't my slave, so technically it didn't concern her, but I wanted her advice. She had been staring suspiciously at Ion-san ever since the hood came off, making Ion-san look very uncomfortable.

"Eh? Me? Well, let's see... would it be alright if I had a word with this girl?"

"I don't mind. Ion-san, is that okay with you?"

"Eh? Yes..."

Rebecca-san stood directly in front of Ion-san and flashed a smile.

"...It has been a long time. I never imagined we would reunite like this. I had assumed you were long dead."

"H-Have we met before...?"

"You don't remember? Well, I wasn't in a position to be granted a direct audience, so I suppose it can't be helped."

Her tone was completely different from her usual casual speech—it was the manner of someone addressing a superior.

Does Rebecca-san know Ion-san's true identity...?

"I am Rebecca Roth of the former ‘Scarlet Wedge.' You likely remember Vice-Commander Shello Roth? I am his daughter... And I—"

Her voice went cold as she continued.

"—I have not forgiven you. Even now. Princess Lucreion."

She said it with a dry, artificial smile.

"...Shello Roth's daughter? Was that gentleman old enough to have a daughter like you...?"

Ion-san let out a breath, looking genuinely bewildered.

She probably never imagined she'd encounter someone who knew her here of all places—far from the Imperial Capital, in a slum like this.

Rebecca-san replied, her face still wearing that fixed, unreadable smile.

"My father has used over ten stones to rejuvenate himself. More importantly... you don't seem surprised."

"At this point... you might not believe me even if I say it, but I've done things for which it's only natural that you would never forgive me... Nor do I wish to be forgiven... No, the ones who should judge me are those connected to the Scarlet Wedge. It's only right that you cannot forgive me. This too... must be fate. Heh... To think that even someone like me, who has lost her blessing, would still be entangled in so many twists of destiny."

Ion-san's tone was reckless and self-deprecating. It was hard to associate this desperate figure with someone who must have been raised as a pampered princess. She seemed so mentally shattered that it made sense why Shamash-san wanted to entrust her to a complete stranger like me.

"Judge you? I—"

Rebecca-san choked on her words. It was likely due to the gap between the Princess Lucreion in her memories and the person standing before her.

They didn't seem to be direct acquaintances, but they were clearly bound by a powerful, bitter history. Still, I certainly didn't expect this kind of development.

"Rebecca-san, what exactly is going on here...? No—maybe we should start by introducing Ion properly. I think everyone's completely lost."

I gave a brief introduction of Ion-san based on what I knew. She was a Princess of the Empire, formerly third in the line of succession. Due to political infighting between factions—or something along those lines—she had supposedly eloped with a general or a holy knight, and had been forced into hiding as a fugitive princess—

"It was because of Princess Lucreion that Isaac died, and the Scarlet Wedge was disbanded."

Rebecca-san cut in during my explanation.

Wait... Scarlet Wedge? That was the mercenary company Shello-san and Rebecca-san belonged to, wasn't it?

"Was that how it was? Hmm? Then... the person Ion-san was said to have eloped with was..."

"...Yes."

I see. Ah. So that's how it fits together.

The story was that Ion-san eloped with an [Imperial General] or a [Holy Knight]. That was a reference to his Vocation.

In this world, a person's profession is their Vocation. I'd heard that the leader of the mercenary group Rebecca-san belonged to, a man named Isaac, was a "super-hottie" who held the rare Vocations of both [General] and [Paladin]. He was the one.

Rebecca-san had a one-sided crush on him, which meant Ion-san was essentially her romantic rival... Well, Ion-san didn't even know her, so it was more like an unrequited jealousy... But let's not mention that.

In any case, it wasn't surprising that Rebecca-san is in a state where she doesn't know whether to be angry or what. The fact that she's still using polite speech is probably the influence of her [Knight] Vocation.

"Princess Lucrieon... after Isaac's death, I investigated the truth on my own. I know why you bear that prison crest. So... I do feel some sympathy for you. But..."

Rebecca-san paused. She bit her lip and stared straight at Ion-san, as if about to say something incredibly difficult.

"You probably don't know how Isaac was killed. He was—"

What followed were memories too horrific to ignore.

Isaac had been executed for the crime of abducting a princess—despite being nothing more than a mercenary.

The method of execution was especially grotesque: he was crucified to a wall with twenty wedges, supposedly in reference to the "Scarlet Wedge". The intent was for the wedges to be soaked in Isaac's blood, staining them scarlet.

The official reason was the elopement, but the truth was likely a conspiracy by the current Emperor—Ion-san's brother—who feared Isaac for possessing a level of charisma and strength that was exceptional for a common mercenary leader.

Regardless of the truth, Ion-san was used as the pretext, and Isaac died.

The mercenary group lost its leader and disbanded.

Shello-san, too, had apparently been viewed as a potential threat, but unlike Isaac—who appeared reasonable and obedient—Shello-san was feared precisely because no one knew what he might do. In the end, he was merely kept under surveillance.

Shello-san once told me all this while drinking on Aurica's birthday:

Before I arrived, Rebecca-san had lived with her heart closed off. She had said she wanted to just rot away until she died, or otherwise become a nun.

"...I also heard rumors that Zack was killed... and that some members of the Scarlet Wedge were hunted down. You too... were probably no exception."

"...That's right."

"I am... truly sorry... I know an apology can't make up for any of it, but right now, that's all I can offer..."

Ion-san bowed her head deeply, her body trembling.

The weight of the atmosphere was unimaginable. In moments like this, I have a bad habit of wanting to say something silly just because I can't stand the tension.

Besides, I don't really get what Ion-san's "crime" was supposed to be. Weren't the people who framed her the ones in the wrong?

No matter how much she was a princess with succession rights, two years ago she would have been a high schooler at best. Isaac was also a victim... In these situations, the culprit is usually the one who gained the most—which, in this case, means Ion-san's brother.

"Um, can I butt in for a second?"

Rebecca-san looked like the blood was starting to rush to her head. I suppose it's unavoidable. Ion-san was involved in both the group's disbandment and Isaac's death; even if Rebecca-san knows intellectually that Ion-san isn't the villain, it's not something she can just flip a switch on and accept.

"I think I understand your relationship now, but for now, let's talk. ...First off, Rebecca-san, what do you want to do? Ion-san has those Prison Crest, as you can see. If you're saying you want to take her to the authorities so she can atone for her crimes, I'll consider that, but..."

"...I don't exactly mean to do that... but, still..."

Rebecca-san's eyes darted around. She kept clenching and unclenching her hands restlessly. She was likely struggling to control her own emotions.

She had come to Erische—a backwater town compared to the Imperial Capital—and lived as if severing herself from the past. Now, without any warning, the past had walked right up to her. Even if she looked calm on the outside, she was clearly shaken. She was acting nothing like her usual self.

Rebecca-san is a kind person.

I don't think she's thinking, "I'll never forgive her! I'll kill her!" She probably just wanted the chance to say what she needed to say to the person herself. I understood that feeling all too well.

It's like a ritual to organize your feelings and move forward. It's not about whether it "makes sense" or follows logic. It's about closure.

And above all, I think this is necessary for Ion-san, too. I don't believe for a second that she can become happy just by having her Prison Crest dispelled as she is now. For Ion-san, Rebecca-san is also "someone from the past." I see this as a chance for both of them to face that past. I don't know if they can do it... but if they don't, they might never be able to move forward.

"Ion-san, will you tell us? The whole story of how things ended up this way. If I'm going to dispel your Prison Crests, I need to hear the full details properly."