"No, selling merchandise right out the gate doesn't net a large enough profit margin to justify the labour involved. It's more profitable to operate in a starved market where your goods acquire a premium." Even with a noble status bestowed onto the Klothide name, the second child of the House's patriarch was a through and through merchant who was unleashed as the topic shifted to trade and commerce.

 

"But a luxury good doesn't work like that, Regina. My family's wine for example is coveted by every court west of the Life Giver." The Catalinan noble brought her newly refilled cup to her nose, enjoying the aroma of the spiced drink.

 

"But you can artificially drive up the price by rotating between the different regions. I give you that this works better with middle-of-the-road goods like fabrics but it's an effective way to gain more coin out of a market dominated by you."

 

The two had seemingly found the topic which suited the table the most as even Sofia listened carefully to the two, occasionally joining in the conversation. The two nobles from inner territories still tried to strike up a conversation with Lady Siri but the most esteemed northerner stayed rather quite rarely allowing her voice to be heard and only to politely ask for more food.

Sofia counted her lucky stars for being assigned as the cryomancer's guide. If striking a conversation with the pale girl was this hard and she was in the shoes of one of the two opportunists, the most likely scenario was that she a scion of House Junker would awkwardly leave the party after a bell of silence.

 

"But what do you do with goods that have to be sold quickly?" The frontierswoman asked.

 

"It depends on your share of the local market and the necessity of it. You can still do the same thing if none of your competition learns of what you're doing. But trading in seasonal or perishable goods ties your hands unless you are willing to burn through your reputation and regional stability," Regina turned to look at the host. "If this is what your fief sells then you can enjoy a safe and dependable trade but leveraging it requires more effort than it's worth."

 

"Lady Sofia, I don't think you had said where your family demesne is."

 

"My Lord Father is the Baron of Hero's Frontier, the Lord of the border between Athedale, Anglas and the Wetlands." 

 

"Oh," Noseria leaned her body backwards resting her chin on her arm. "Have your family hired someone to prospect your lands?"

 

"She is asking you about this since a rumour had spread that huge untapped ore veins are hidden somewhere along Spikeshield since few races seemed to have looked at the northern side. I don't blame them to be honest if what I had read is true." The burgher explained upon seeing the confusion piercing Sofia's noble mask.

 

Given the thousands of years, before humans even existed, most of the easily accessible sources of materials had long been exhausted with few remains being the scraps the ancient thought too much of a hassle to bother extracting. It wasn't that uncommon to find huge craters which were once quarries randomly wandering through the wilderness of Edor. Such sights were told be be relics of a time where mithril and gold were simply laying on the ground ready to be picked up. It made sense that the hostile lands of the Wetlands were the least explored area on the entire continent meaning that huge untapped ores, the ones that dwarves spoke of in their legends could be hidden just below the soggy soil. The idea made total sense for a human that is but Sofia doubted that the all-mighty ancients to content with any demi-humans back in the times when no stain on the moon was seen.

 

"I'm unaware of any previous prospects done by my Lord Father."

 

"Well, when this war is all over I have an excellent offer for you." The daughter of a winelord offered with a dragon-like smile.

 

The discussion continued to follow along the more commerce-driven topics before flipping toward fashion. Women seemed to be naturally drawn toward this topic and Sofia knew well that her maid would find herself more at home than she currently was. In the frontier practically was far above things like fashion and for a good length of her life, she had worn clothes inherited from her brother or their children. It certainly helped that her womanly features were taking their sweet time growing making her easily fit into men's clothing. 

 

As the next bell came closer, both Regina and Noseria increased their efforts to at least make Lady Siri say something to them. Money, power, romance, fashion, horse riding or the latest gossip there was truly no topic that the two didn't touch. Outside of remaining a mute statue the Blackworm seemed to not trying to be rude, listening to what the other nobles had to say with an occasional nod given as a sign that she hadn't mastered the art of sleeping with her eyes opened. The girl apparently found no topic brought to her interesting enough to respond which was added to an already long list all three of the lesser nobles kept.

 

It was truly fascinating to see a girl, the youngest in the room radiating such a fierce and cold image of a ruler. Maybe the word ruler wasn't right given Lady Siri's silence yet she still commanded the room with her gaze, maybe the word Overseer fitted her cold persona better. The blond enchantress noticed that the girl was like a commander and whoever her eyes landed on assumed control over the conversation. Her inquisitive eyes mostly lingered on the scions of Klothide and Rosescale who led the general conversation the most. 

 

Sofia's small shoulders dropped as she realised that she was dropping the proverbial ball whenever Lady Siri's eyes wandered over to her. She didn't take over the sceptre given to her by the mage, finding the sudden quiet moment to be a perfect time to ask a question or two before retreating back to her thoughts.

 

"I think my free time is coming to an end. It was a pleasure to drink tea with you Lady Sofia." Regina suddenly stood up after a hand gesture from her maid rocking her host out her thoughts.

 

"I too wish I could stay but my next class needs me to prepare for it." The tanned noble of the south quickly followed her merchant companion.

 

Both of them gave Sofia a bow before offering it to the silent guest. She could see that at least Rosescale broke her cheery character after turning her back from Lady Siri with a disappointed expression but as soon as she turned around her pearly white teeth flashed as a bright smile appeared on her face.

The door closed with a quiet click after a lock of autumn-red hair left Sofia's sight. The sound of footsteps could still be heard for a moment before vanishing causing the snow-white mage to turn around and nestle back into her spot.

 

"Mmm mmm..." Her guest began to hum a quiet melody as she sank further onto the couch ending up almost completely lying down after eating yet another cookie.

 

The cryomancer seemed very content with the renewed silence, and her hurried frenzy to eat slowed down after picking up her cup. Making Sofia think that perhaps eating was the girl's way of dealing with uncomfortable situations or the famished mage had finally satiated her hunger an option she had discarded after half a bell of watching the skinny doll eating more and more tea treats.

 

 Lady Siri closed her eyes and began to purr like a cat. This soft continuous noise produced deep inside her slowly rose in volume oddly reminding Sofia of a wolf's howl. The northerner breathlessly continued to purr, transforming into a call of sorts as she embraced herself. Even Annette whose sense of duty made her rarely stop her maid's work stopped at the opposite end of the couch simply staring at the unusually behaving noble. Deep in the back of Sofia's mind something felt alerted as Lady Siri's hum transformed for what could be discerned as its final form and briefly the thought of the delicate-looking girl transfoming into a terrible monster entered her mind. After an undiscernible amount of time, Lady Siri ceased to purr and to Sofia's great delight she wasn't greeted by a werewolf on her couch but the same girl she pitied.

 

"Is this how the Ladyship goes to sleep?" She heard her maid whisper to herself as she opened a shelf and pulled out a fluffy blanket.

 

Before Junker's maid could get close to the napping guest, Lady Blackworm opened her eyes and lazily as if suddenly awakened from sleep scanned the room in front of her. The two gem-like eyes seemed to not enjoy what they were seeing, deflating after whatever high expectations the girl held for that moment before her face turned back to the blank slate it previously was.

 

"Lady Siri-"

 

"Annoying." The northerner finally spoke, rolling her eyes while her chin rested on the couch's armrest.

 

"I'm sorry, have I done something wrong?" Sofia made eye contact with Annette and gave back an apologetic look.

 

"No, your behaviour is appropriate to the parameters beholding your race and position." Lady Siri's tone changed slightly as her pupils shifted onto her host.

 

"Then what had taken your bright humour away from you?" Sofia asked baffled by the way the young Blackworm spoke, as if distancing herself from everyone around her.

 

"Hmmm," The Blackworm seemed to make the exact hum her odd behaviour started with for her own entertainment as its melody transformed into a noticeable rhythm. Somehow the frontier woman felt nostalgic to the melody she was certain she had never heard before. "Why must you try to replace Iris? I can't make any more of her so I have no boons to award for you. And as stated a reward can only be given only when the work or an achievement is of sufficient standard."

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"You are not sufficient // satisfactory // adequate // appropriate // suitable to replace my Iris." The northerner struggled with her Common as she began to pull multiple words from her memory, hoping one of them would be the word which translated well the word in her native tongue.

 

"Lady Siri, I'm not trying to replace your maid. I'm confused why would you think I was trying to do that."

 

"Because many of you only want to talk to me on the basis of receiving an award or special recognition," The Blackworm explained. "And you are trying to copy how Iris behaves."

 

What does Lady Siri mean by you? Does she mean you as in I'm a human, no that wouldn't make sense she is also a human? It would work with nobles but that too doesn't work well. Did the girl divide the world into her household and everyone else? The North never hid their mistrust of wizards in their territories, they were tolerated by necessity but still, if this girl ever left her House's estate and tried to show off like she did here. Nothing good could have come from that situation. 

Maybe she was too generous and the ice-cold noble divided the world into an even smaller isolated group and everyone else. Members of her household most likely viewed the young heiress as an easy way to gain status and power. Like carrions descending on top of Lady Siri fighting over her every wish in hopes of gaining even the tiniest bit of her favour.

 

"Those Gors," Sofia couldn't contain her anger at the two bootlickers who had made the Blackworm mistake her as their fellow. "Wait..."

 

Sofia sank into her chair as she realised that maybe she wasn't so quick to see the reward but in the end, she was one of those scavengers circling Lady Siri awaiting her naive generosity.

 

...Lady Siri you poor girl, stuck between a cage and a hostile world.

 

Unexpectedly Sofia found her world become blurry as if looking through crystal. She could still tell she was approaching the white and black blur which was Lady Siri and for a second time she felt like she was facing against a wild animal ready to defend itself with deadly force in response to her one wrong move.

 

"I'm sorry, I'm very sorry," She felt her body get cooler as the laying cryomancer began to suck out her heat. "I should have realised this sooner."

 

"You're not making your case look better." A surprised yet still very distant voice informed her.

 

"Why is that?"

 

"B-because, because Iris had said those words too." The delicate-as-ice girl sat up and Sofia could see the two glowing orbs staring at her wide open as if asking how she had known.

 

"I think I realise why you like Iris so much."

 

"She is my favourite." The cryomancer responded quicker than usual as if answering out of instinct before speaking again. "So you are not going to try to replace my Iris?"

 

"Not even in my dreams, but I don't think I can stop behaving a little like her."

 

"..." While hugging the surprisingly soft noble, Sofia could feel her start to breathe as a marginal force began to push against her touch. Enough of a force for the mage to wriggle around. "I think I can prefer that... Your punishment can wait a little longer.

 

Sofia felt something wet touch her eyes forcing them to close. When she opened her eyes the world appeared normal again and Lady Siri sat in front of her. 

 

"Did Iris ever tell you that you are an oddball?" 

 

"Yes..." The strange girl trailed off before a great rumble emerged from somewhere close. Looking at where the noise came from the pale girl crossed her hands over her stomach while developing a pink blush.