Shaula and the women continue walking down the streets of Linis. They notice the conditions of the streets get worse and worse the longer they walk. There is a scent in the air, blood and garbage, rotten grains, cooked and spoiled meat… Tori continues walking with Lanov in hand.

Adelhyde has her guard raised as if she were a cat who could see the souls of the dead in this darkness; Shaula wonders if cats are the animal that comprise half the physical characteristics of the beastkin race.

Plenty doesn’t recognize this place. It’s not where the girls she knew were living before. From what Shaula had told her so far tonight, she’s heading to where she lives with Claris, Hila, and the others…

They all, including Plenty, used to live with a man, a man she… how did she feel about him again? How does she remember feeling about him? That part of her life feels like it was centuries ago. That’s how long it felt to Plenty in the hell of the last few weeks.

Shaula pauses in front of one of the houses. She has been holding Milinu’s hand to keep her calm. Shaula normally wouldn’t do something like this but Milinu’s heartbeat was racing as the group wandered into this area.

Milinu’s heart continued to race after holding Shaula’s hand though… but Milinu didn’t wish to let go, so… 

In front of this house, Shaula pauses with the girls. She considers something. Tori wonders about this woman in front of her. Shaula. Such an interesting woman, isn’t she?

Tori’s saviour. The one who saved all of them. All of them. 

“Sigh… Where are you all going to sleep tonight, I wonder…”

“Shaula?”

Tori doesn’t really mind where she’ll sleep, after where she was sleeping earlier, anywhere would be fine, wouldn’t it? She’s sure the others feel the same way as well.

“This place is pretty cramped, you know… It seems like five of you will have to share my room. Is that ok, guys? I’d prefer it if Lanov had my bed though or at least shared it with one of you. Is that alright?”

“Shaula, you don’t really have to worry about it do you? But…”

“Hm?”

“I don’t think any of us would feel right about forcing our benefactor to give up her own bed for us? You’re going to make us feel bad, Shaula…”

Shaula looks at the others beside Tori as well. Plenty has a somewhat embarrassed look; she’s avoiding eye contact with Shaula, it feels too awkward to say anything to her. Adelhyde, Milinu and Lanov don’t have very happy expressions on their faces right now.

None of them would dare to be so rude to Shaula.

Shaula smiles.

“Don’t you worry. Neither Ajax or I would mind, we just use the room to store some stuff, we don’t sleep there.”

“...You don’t sleep in your room? Then, where do you sleep?”

Adelhyde asks this question of Shaula. Her gaze is suspicious of Shaula. Shaula doesn’t blame her though, trust is earned after all; that’s simply the way of the world, whether it’s this one or her own world. Adelhyde still doesn’t know about Shaula’s intentions.

It may be rude to doubt your benefactor but Adelhyde has reason to doubt those who try to help her. Before she came to that place, someone had tried to say they were her saviour. They had spoken the same sweet words and treated her as a slave nonetheless.

“Ajax and I don’t sleep. I’ll move some of the valuable stuff to another room, so you don’t have to worry. You can check out my shell too!”

“Your shell?”

Lanov makes this query.

“Yeah, it’s my Orda shell, you wanna see?”

“Orda!? Y-Yeah, can I see?”

“Sure!”

Shaula knocks on the door to her home. The women and Lanov hear footsteps approaching the door. The door opens wide and a woman pulls the door wide open, revealing the light coming from inside the house. Tori holds Lanov behind her at the sudden motion.

“Ah! You’re alright, Shaula!”

Shaula is grabbed and picked up off the ground by the woman who opens the door. It’s a person with beautiful blue hair. The women immediately notice the sharp claws and boisterous personality of this woman.

Tori knows immediately what this person is. A draconid.

“...Jelli, you’re embarrassing me! W-What’d you think would happen to me of all people, anyways…”

“Alright, fine, I really just wanted an excuse to hug you, Shaula, was that so bad? Was that so wrong, cutie?”

“Sigh… Sometimes I can see where Ajax is coming from…”

A green-haired beastkin woman steps past the draconid woman, Jelli, who holds Shaula in a bear hug, and notices the new guests. The woman notices Plenty as well. Plenty looks at her face and shows her surprise.

Plenty doesn’t know who the draconid is but she knows this woman.

It’s Grenwiliu. 

Grenwiliu glances at Plenty but Plenty avoids Grenwiliu’s gaze. Plenty feels humiliated having to return like this. She had betrayed Claris, and as a result Grenwiliu who, even though she was a quiet and reasonable person in most other respects, loved Claris a lot.

Grenwiliu notices Plenty’s embarrassment. She also notices the conditions that the other new people are in right now. They’re all young ones who have bruises on their faces, hands and other visible areas along their bodies.

Their clothes are somewhat inadequate as well. They’re also all quite beautiful.

“Shaula, did… did everything go alright? Who are these new guests?”

“Ah! Right.”

Jelli releases Shaula from her grip. Shaula steps gracefully towards Grenwiliu. She then uses a flourishing hand gesture to present the new lodgers.

“Gren, may I present to you, Tori, Lanov, Adelhyde, Milinu and of course, the prodigal daughter, Plenty Hilltroe!!”

“Prodigal daughter?”

“Ah, idioms are so hard to translate, aren’t they…”

“You’re saying that confusing shit again…”

“Hey! It may be confusing but… don’t make fun of me, Jelli!”

“You still didn’t tell me what a subway is, Shaula…”

“S-Some things aren’t translatable! It can’t really be helped!”

“What does that word even mean? ‘Translatable’?”

“Oh, yeah, there’s only one language here, why would anything need to be translated…”

Shaula realizes she’s just going in circles now.

“Anyways, I was looking for Plenty and I found her in a place that… well, let’s just say that they would like to never speak about that place ever again.”

Angelidis looks over at Tori. Tori looks back at Angelidis but Angelidis looks away. What was that look? It is like Angelidis is keeping Tori in the back of her mind right now… 

Everyone moves into the house and off the porch. Lanov looks around at the somewhat shabby living arrangements with stars in his eyes. It’s a place where… where he doesn’t have to expect any… any pain…

Remembering his pain, he remains close to Tori. Tori doesn’t really mind it, rather, she hardly notices his actions; she’s more interested in the place where Shaula resides. It’s different from what she expected.

She had thought that someone as clearly powerful as Shaula must be quite the rich mercenary, but… 

The new lodgers notice some stairs leading up to another floor of the apartment.

“There are some rooms on this floor and some rooms upstairs. Our room is upstairs so--”

“Shaula? What’s going on?”

Shaula hears a familiar voice coming from upstairs. A person turns the corner of the stairs and peers down towards the new voices they were hearing. It’s Kyre. She and her sister Laun are standing and wearing night robes. 

Laun and Kyre walk downstairs and another familiar face pops out from the top of the stairs. It’s Dona. 

“Hey, Kyre. Sorry about waking you guys up…”

“No, it’s alright, I slept kind of early last night and ended up waking Laun and Dona.”

Shaula feels better that she wasn’t responsible for interrupting their sleep. She puts on a wide grin.

“Well, we have some new guests!”

Shaula introduces the girls currently living in the house to the new girls.

“Ah… so, you’re a regular heroine, aren’t you, Shaula?”

“Yeah, I guess I do have a soft spot in my burning heart, Laun. Don’t worry though, these girls won’t be stashed in your room, they’ll be in mine.”

“Oh, isn’t he a little cutie, huh?”

Kyre notices Lanov and walks over to him. Lanov is a very sweet looking boy. Lanov remains behind Tori however. Tori smiles softly and sighs. Quite an innocent kid.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Kyre, apparently he’s still kind of afraid after what he’s been through tonight.”

“It’s no problem, I-I… Plenty!?”

“Ah.”

Kyre, Laun and Dona immediately back away behind Shaula after seeing the face of Plenty. None of this group had heard of Shaula’s plans to retrieve Plenty, so this appearance by her is completely unexpected for them.

“S-Shaula, be careful, that’s Plenty! How’d… How’d she get in here?”

“Kyre… Shaula, you made my sister really scared, you know?”

Laun is quicker to understand the situation. Plenty wouldn’t be able to enter this place with Shaula right here. Shaula would have smelled intrusion a mile away. Plenty must be… a guest? Laun feels kind of odd considering this possibility but it’s the most reasonable at the moment.

“Yes, sorry for springing it so suddenly. You might not have heard but Oitra tried to sneak out last night. We caught her just in time and just to make sure that it didn't happen again, we brought Plenty to her.”

“Ah… and… you trust her, Shaula?”

“...Yeah, Laun. I saw the kind of life that she’s been living in her absence from your lives… I don’t think she’s a threat anymore. Are you, Plenty?”

Shaula quickly and gracefully walks over to Plenty and places her left arm around Plenty’s shoulder. Kyre, Laun and Dona expected a response of fear to appear on Plenty’s face. After all, if Shaula saved her, then Plenty must be aware of the depth of Shaula’s power.

No fear. It’s like the fear was washed away by… resignation. Plenty accepts the circumstances. Kyre can see this look on Plenty’s face. It’s the face of someone who has been pushed too far. She once had that look, and in a way, she understands Plenty now.

Kyre’s worry disappears. Laun simply shakes her head and sighs. Dona doesn’t display her emotions on her face, however, Shaula notices her heartbeat slowing considerably. Her fear has seemingly subsided.

Shaula gestures to Plenty to come upstairs with her; not to her room but towards the room that Oitra is sleeping in. Oitra Ephis, the fifteen year old beastkin girl, the young one who only wants her friend back.

Shaula opens the door to Oitra’s room. In her room, Oitra is sleeping soundly.

“Shaula?”

“Oh, you’re here, Claris? 

Shaula looks opposite Oitra’s bed towards Claris who is whispering towards her. Claris is sitting in a chair opposite Oitra’s bed. She wasn’t asleep. Claris, the lovely young dark-purple haired beastkin woman, softly rises from her seat and leaves the room with Shaula.

“Where’s Hila?”

“She’s asleep in the other room. How did everything--”

Claris holds her breath. It seems she regrets her choice to follow Shaula into the hallway for a brief moment. She lays her eyes on Plenty who is standing behind Shaula.

“P-Plenty… so, you… you found her then, Shaula…”

“Yeah, Claris.”

“...Sigh. Hila isn’t going to like her being here, you know?”

“Huh. And what about you?”

“Well, that depends. Can you tell me, Shaula? Can you promise me that Plenty won’t… do anything to--”

Plenty kneels before Claris directly in the hallway. Claris takes a step back. Shaula simply looks over with a whiff of surprise.

“I’m so sorry, Claris. I’m so so sorry for what I did to you. Please, give me the punishment you feel is necessary for my crime against you. Even my life is forfeit, I-I hardly have anything left anymore, I-I am only alive by Shaula’s m-mercy and…”

Claris is taken aback by Plenty’s request; she… she didn’t expect such… resignation. She doesn’t know what happened between the time Plenty fled after trying to kill her and right now but… this change was beyond her expectations.

Plenty starts tearing up. Claris notices some of her tears land on the ground.

“So. What will you do to Plenty, Claris? What do you want to do?”

“What will… No, I… I won’t take punishment. I don’t care about that. I just… I just want you to promise that you won’t try to harm anyone in this house ever again.”

“...What? After… After what I did to you? That’s it?”

“I don’t care about revenge, I care about my friends. I just want your promise, Plenty.”

Plenty rises to her feet slowly. She looks awkwardly at Claris, her streaming tears slowing down. She lowers her head.

“I promise, Claris. I will not hurt any of you ever again. Never again.”

Claris hears those words from Plenty’s mouth and looks over at Shaula.

“Shaula. Can I really trust Plenty here?”

“...What do you think?”

“...I… I can. I can trust her.”

“Yes. Plenty has paid for her actions many times over. She suffered through things that… that I would not wish on my worst enemies.”

Shaula raises her hand slowly and holds her index finger in front of Plenty’s face. Plenty dares not move. She looks to the tip of Shaula’s finger where she sees the smallest flame appear. She can still feel its heat, however small it may be.

“Plenty is smart enough to not cross me. She won’t cross anyone here.”

Claris takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes and exhales through her mouth. What more could she ask for as a guarantee… Someone who wields such power is on her side after all. She does though… Claris does trust Plenty. She does.

“Claris, I’m… I’m going to head inside to see Oitra. Is… Is that ok?”

Claris looks at Shaula. She gives her consent. Claris trusts Shaula deeply at this point. There is no reason to refuse right now. She is also quite aware of the special trust that Plenty developed with Oitra.

“I’ll keep watch over her, Claris, don’t worry.”

Plenty enters Oitra’s room; Shaula follows her and takes her seat in the chair that Claris had been sitting in. Both of them see Oitra sleeping soundly. A light snore comes from Oitra convincing Plenty that she is truly sleeping. Plenty sits next to Oitra on her bed slowly.

She gently strokes Oitra’s red hair. She’s not going to wake her right now. She’s going to let her sleep. Shaula doesn’t think to wake her either. Even she doesn’t want to have to deal with Oitra right now either. Silence is good enough. Rest is good enough.

Plenty moves her body to lie next to Oitra. She looks at Oitra as if she was her mother. Plenty stares at Oitra’s face, observing her breathing. Her eyes aren’t moving under her closed eyelids, so she must be in a deep sleep right now.

Plenty falls asleep within a few minutes as well. She falls asleep in one of the first peaceful sleeps she’s had in quite a long time.

She’s free now. She’s free.