The third daughter of the Reign Family, Stephany Reign.
Month 5, day 11, A.T 882. Noon.
Within the common luxury carriage.

The carriage furnished with silver as its frame and flowery designs made of gold, it was arranged by the Grand Duke, Alusu Reign, and was heading towards silver wood town as per the request of his daughter. Although she wanted to go on an incognito, and a carriage used by merchants is a must, being the Grand Duke as they were. The standards of ordinary were different from others, thus, not reaching the request of her daughter.

Naturally, Stephany didn’t want to stray out from her original goal because of the carriage, so she suggested that she has no choice but to walk all the way to the town. The people all around, including the Grand Duke and the cardinal had made their mind gone blank by her suggestion, but they convinced her otherwise. 

In exchange for not being able to abide by her request, Stephany could make one wish from the Grand Duke, and naturally, he cannot refuse from any of her demands. However, that wish of hers is already within the Grand Duke’s promise, so it didn’t make any other changes nor downsides. Though it made Stephany a mere fool, nonetheless, the Grand Duke showed that he was truly a merchant in every possible way.

Henceforth, Stephany didn’t have other choice but to go along with said lowest quality amongst the carriage that they have. Naturally, the driver tasked with the position looked very hesitant at first, but it’s not like he could refuse any request from the duke.

Within the carriage, a neatly dressed lady glared at the servant in front of her. White-long sleeves behind the long tailed coat, along with black hem in the skirt. It was a usual wear for all female mages, and for male mages, the formal tuxedo attire was also the norm. It felt weird and ironic to Stephany when she hated the mage society too much, but not the clothing. 

After all, she doesn’t know what the people of Lietterra, the nobles of the Demiurge Empire would wear, nor does she even have a taste in fashion in the first place. So she decided to stick to what she was used to. Aside from those reasons, the nobles who saw this type of clothing, will make fun of Stephany, or is what they usually do.

Looking back at the reaction of the servants, it would seem like this type of clothing looked very natural to Stephany, so it was hard to make fun of it. Just looking at how her clothing compliments her body and face. For those who haven’t seen the previous appearance of Stephany, it was slightly hard to believe that she was the titled freak within the house of Reigns, when she has her unique unrest beauty than the rest of the Grand Duke’s family.

Aside from her appearance, facing Rachael was Stephany, avoiding her master’s gaze as she lay her head low. Despite Stephany’s unchanging face, there was a slight discomfort within Rachael’s body. She does not know the source of this feeling, but as though it was natural or something similar to a connection of feeling. Rachael knew that her master was feeling angry. 

“So? Here I thought you are my loyal dog, yet here you are sniffing on someone’s asshole?” Stephany said, crossing her arms and legs, yet her voice remained unchanging.

‘Did this lady call his father, the duke, an asshole?’ Rachael thought ‘wait, first of all, where did the lady learn that word? Wait a moment, why did I even assume that she was talking about the Grand Duke??!’ 

“Should I perhaps just end this? Forget everything that happened, move on in our lives?” Stephany stated literally, not in a way of playing with words.

Though, Rachael really has no idea what she was thinking about. For a child thinking in that way, the master and servant relationship, to a master who is no less than 13 year old, and a servant whose age is around 20. 

For an outsider’s perspective, these things are considered as a scandal, furthermore, the servant is a pedophile who can be imprisoned for 30 years by the law. Rachael had already thought of that, but it doesn’t mean that her master also thinks in that way, or she assumes so.

Because Stephany had lived in this world for 13 years old, and has no prior knowledge regarding politics and such. Rachael could safely assume that Stephany does not know of any sexual activities, because of the fact that Stephany doesn’t interact with people nor going outside of her comfort zone. One could assume that ‘incident’ was just an act from a mischievous child, or is what Rachael thinks. Naturally, it was Rachael’s fault for being moved by her desires on that ‘incident’.

“My lady, please pardon my rudeness, but just what are you talking about?” Rachael inquired, she felt like they were not talking on the same page. 

Irritated, Stephany answered “Huh? I’m talking about that disgusting lust of yours, even taking a child for a partner just so you can be satisfied by pain. I wonder what will happen to you if the duke and the princess Lesly hears about this side of yours. I do wonder what will happen to you if this scandal gets out.”

A blackmail.

Though, it was not possible for her aged, or is what Rachael really wants to assume. But Stephany openly talked about the most dangerous topic and pointed out the disadvantage for Rachael. She couldn’t help but to shiver, the thought of the new intellectual prodigy of the family is before her.

In the past, the lady prodigy Merry around the age of 13 year old, she was a child like any other, but she always tries to put a strong front like how adults do. She was renowned as a prodigy when she entered the academy at 15 years old, it was because she was the first one to achieve a score of an average grade of 97 to all subjects. 

But what if, aside from her appearance, Stephany has the ability of casting frozen magic at ease and has an abundant amount of knowledge. It is no doubt that Stephany can rise through the position, and even equal par to Merry, but because she has no influence, there was a huge gap between them.

Because of those facts, Rachael lowered her head even further.

“Please forgive me milady” Rachael apologizes. “This one was unable to comprehend your unparalleled thought, because of that, this one didn’t give a proper response to the lady”

Closing her eyes, Rachael acted what was suitable in this situation and to clear things between them, since Rachael noticed how much of a thinker her lady is. But Rachael didn’t grasp what Lady Stephany’s intentions were. 

Stephany opened her mouth and let out a small sigh as she closed her eyes, “fuu~”

“I had never anticipated that your brain is no less big than a fish, in which you could only rely on your instinct and such to survive.” Stephany insulted Rachael and whispered to herself “I’m sick of this, let’s do this the mages way then.” 

When she said that, she raised her arm and flicked her fingers, a loud dry sound was produced to the point the glass window beside them trembled. The one who quickly turned her gaze on the window to check if it would suddenly break and injure them was Rachael, but she noticed that the driver didn’t stop, and rather continued as if he ignored that loud noise. 

Usually, when windows show slight movement, the driver would stop and check the safety of the window. Otherwise, accidents tend to happen afterwards. 

Although Rachael was just insulted just now, she couldn’t help but not overlook the movement in the windows. Rachael shifted her gaze to the lady to ask to stop the carriage, but to her surprise, her sight was greeted by Stephany holding out a paper and a quill with ink.

Mixing emotions between confused and surprised, Rachael couldn’t breathe out the words she wanted to tell, she wanted to know why her lady was holding a paper and quill and where it came from. Stephany hands over the paper and the quill which Rachael grabbed without questioning why. 

After all, her thoughts were occupied by how the quill which was oozing with ink suddenly appeared out of nowhere, not only that, the safety of her lady. Furthermore, the thought of testing how much Stephany is thinking about the incident. Before those thoughts cramming inside her head could process, Stephany continued without minding Rachael’s reaction.

“Write your name atop the line below, your signature over it, and a drop of your blood” Stephany said, crossing her legs and arms.

‘What is this? Some sort of shady black magic contract?’ Rachael thought ‘Just what did the books think of you, my lady?’

Rachael couldn’t help but to smile wryly. Maybe she had overestimated her lady and was blinded by what her impression had given her. Looking back at her lady whose acting was that of a creepy child, cursing and looking down on everyone. The worries before suddenly disperse on thin air, to the point, she even forgot to question where the paper and quill came from.

Rachael obeyed her lady’s order as if it was no different from babysitting. She wrote her name and signed over it, but before she cast a sharp matter embodied in the color of the night, she asked the lady for permission.

“I request for permission to cast [darkness] to continue this contract?”  

Stephany didn’t say a word and simply nodded. With that out of the way, Rachael raised a finger, and was instantly cladded with darkness, shadow rose within her cuffs to cycle around her hand. The vicinity around them, particularly inside the carriage, slightly grew darker as if a light cloud was hovering above them.

Rachael brought her other hand, and slightly poke on her index finger. Although this power is very harmful to the other party, it is different from the user, since they too, will have immunity. Rachael didn’t show any pained expression when she inflicted pain to herself, rather maintain her straight face. 

Stephany observed Rachael’s reaction, to which she concluded that weight magic contracts were not still not introduced in this world’s magic. In the society of mages, weight magic contract is a common magic which employs other mages under their master’s name. 

It was typically used for the mages who make disputes every day, or someone that doesn’t nor can’t follow the master properly, or even in combat arenas, whereas losers will become a servant for how long or much they had bet. Naturally, the servants were treated worse than human orphans, it was because they have magic to survive harsh orders from the master. 

There was also a law that contradicts permanent servant and loyalty, and even at least guaranteed survivability. If a mage were to cross the illegal doings, especially this law, unimaginable punishment were held. After all, the lives of mages are in the hands of the other, and the elders, tower masters, title bearers must make the lower rank mages at ease, so the ignition of rebels will be lessened.

Well, that is only for the weight magic contact on combat arenas. The mages that were willingly become a servant under a proper master or professor, they didn’t have any downsides nor have their freedom and will be taken away. They were just on the contract to understand the concepts and knowledge of magic.

Then, Rachael took her bleeding finger over her printed name, to which she noticed the letters above the signature lane were unreadable. Scribble lanes which no one in this world could understand, she slightly felt unease from thinking of her lady’s future. She tried to inspect the words further if there were some words that were readable, but Stephany forcefully took the paper without notice.

Once again, Rachael was confused by Stephany’s sudden movements. Why was she hasty, why was she acting like this when she was so smart earlier? Was it just a coincidental thought? All questions cycled inside her head for how mysterious and different her lady is. She couldn’t help it but just watch at the lady and treat her like a child. 

 Stephany checked the contents with hand on her chin, her pupils seemed to move along with the unknown words she wrote and sometimes nodded as if she understood it. Because of that, Rachael smiled wryly and thought ‘why do you look so serious at this joke?’

“Hmm, this should be enough,” Stephany muttered.

The hand holding her chin moves to her mouth, and bit off some skin on her fingertips. The tear on her finger was big, to the point the raw flesh of a human was seen. However, Stephany’s face remained unfazed. Unable to comprehend and respond quickly, Rachael sat dazed for a few seconds. 

As if blood suddenly came on her mind to supply more nutrients to process, Rachael panics over the thought that the lady’s hand was injured, she rose up from her chair and immediately came close to Stephany, still treating her as a child.

“AHH!! MY LADY! What are you doing? You need not to take that seriously” 

However, before she could get close, Stephany took her bleeding finger and scraped it on the paper. Without warning, Rachael’s heart felt it was crushed by an unknown force, her nerves stopped functioning as the mild pain lingered all around, as if rusty needles were pierced in ‘every’ part of her body. The burning sensation coming below her feet slowly crawls to her head and weights her as if pulling her down to the depths of hell.

Violet colored veins appeared on her joints and where most structures of muscles exist, making some of her skin turn violet as if it was lacking blood. Rachael trembles not from the unbearable pain, but forcing herself to move, yet, despite all her cries in her mind. Her body did not listen, instead turning violet.

Although she was struck in frame, her mind was still occupied by the process of the pain, the panic, the question, and how to escape from it. However, before those could even finish, yet another phase of the weight contract magic has moved, not allowing Rachael’s mind to rest.

“Gehk!” Rachael uttered a weird voice, still resisting from the magic made from Stephany.

‘What is it really real? That contract?’ Rachael questioned but did not escape from her mouth.

From her unmoving sight, she could see deep violet chains moving on their own as if attaining will, the chains creeping around her waist, arms, legs, neck, and head as if ensuring to not make her unable to move. The cold brought by the chains invades her body, coldness which she couldn’t put into words. The ruthless war she joined couldn’t compare how cold these chains were.

 From there, Rachael grew despair, no longer had the will to resist and stayed obedient. 

After all, even without those chains, it was almost impossible to move in the first place. Having more restraint was similar to adding more eternal fuel to the undying flame. So she gave up, she couldn’t even manifest her [darkness] to release her from this sudden attack, which gave a result of a lesser aching pain from the previous to a point which it was bearable to some people. 

Rachael wanted to think of something now that she is able too compared to the former, but with enticing heat made it impossible. As if becoming cooler material, her body was burning hot, reaching to degrees unimaginable to the human body. While Rachael was struggling to live, Stephany opened her mouth and ordered.

“Sit”

Delivering a word, Rachael followed obediently as if a puppet whose life is nothing but a string. Naturally, Rachael was confused, she would follow the order regardless, but it seemed off, rather than her mind allowing actions, it felt so forceful but remained natural as ever. Just the thought of the mysterious binding powers made goosebumps all over her.

“Still resisting huh?” Stephany whispered, but enough to reach Rachael’s ears. “As I thought, that weight contract magic is slightly weaker compared to normal humans, but still, normal humans would have fainted before long.” 

As though a magic word, Rachael reacted, making a glare towards her master. She wanted to say something but her closed mouth won’t allow it, instead she made weird moaning and aggravating sounds.

“Hee?” Stephany muttered, “So you’re already familiar with weight contract magic, that explains how you are able to resist it while not passing out, that’s great then. To cut things short, tell me where you know this weight contract magic and everything you know about Artermia”

Stephany being wise and smart as she is, she already deducted the possibilities and theories. She was confident that Rachael was trained as a professional spy, seeing how she fits perfectly as a maid while also being combat ready. Furthermore, if she is serving Princess Lesly who is close to Artermia, Rachael would have had contact with Artermia numerous times. Thus, it would be too weird if Rachael does have a slither of information regarding Artermia.

However, that was also something that Stephany misunderstood, Rachael didn’t train to be a professional spy but rather a veteran soldier coming from war. 

At last, the restraint on Rachael’s mouth has voided, the frozen in frame mouth was now able to move, and to speak freely without holding back. Because of that, something sparked a flame inside Rachael that she spoke very furiously in a hurried manner. However, it felt weird that the muscle around her mouth was the only thing moving.

“WHAT WAS THAT!? WEIGHT CONTRACT MAGIC CAN ONLY BE USED BY THE EMPRESS ART----!!!!”

Before Rachael could speak any further, Stephany slowly moved her index finger to her lip and slid it to the other end. Rachael’s mouth began closing as if it was a zipper, silencing her in the process. Her lip felt very sticky to the point it was almost impossible to open her mouth, not only which, her pinkish lips hid behind her mouth. 

With Stephany’s other hand, she snapped her fingers. 

“What I want is information regarding how you knew weight contract magic and Artermia” Stephany stated strongly “You do know what happens when you don’t obey your master during the beginning of the weight contract magic”

Rachael’s eyes opened wide as if she knew what Stephany was referring to. However, going with Stephany’s way will make her know that Rachael knew it well, doing the latter will probably save her life. Stephany was cunning, it was Rachael who was swayed by the child’s appearance and failed to realize it.

‘Why? Why does she have similar power to the empress Artermia? No, perhaps is this her second magic? Like the empress Artermia’s weight contract magic? Out of all things?!’ Rachael thought frustrated ‘If that was the case, then how could Stephany know it when Grey didn’t find such phenomena? How could she use it nonchalant as if she knows about it? Don’t tell me, is the empress Artermia the one who taught her? No, that’s impossible! She doesn’t even know who the empress of the Demiurge Empire is!”

During the beginning of the weight contract magic, any resistance to the servant will add more restraint and give more power to the owner. To simply put, the servant will be forced to obey and they will be taken by the owner. All mages knew that principle, hence why, there was no resistance when they were taken as servants.

“Spill it.” Stephany declared, though it was monotone as ever, but it made Rachael to shiver.

As though there was nothing restraining her mouth in the beginning, Rachael’s lips were plunging out and the traces of her teeth were visible. Rachael’s mouth bob open and closed, hesitating to do her unguided actions.

“I,I knew the weight contract magic from the Empress Artermia” Rachael spoke, her eyes swimming all over the space “The Empress Artermia is, the empress of the Demiurge Empire, the wife of the emperor…”

Rachael didn’t have any options available to her, so she decided to spill it, while hoping to prolong their conversation with uncertain replies so that they could arrive in the town before important details about the empress could spill out. If she had chosen to resist, then it would still be spilled forcefully later. 

It was then, Rachael had a terrifying thought…

‘Did… The Hero Grand Duke also changed because of Stephany’s Weight contract magic? THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!”

However, Stephany is smart as she is. She didn’t allow Rachael to lead their conversation. Thus forth, she interrupts Rachael’s words.

“Tell me about the details about Artermia’s power and when she mentioned mages, including the mage herself. Oh, before that, what is your relationship with Artermia?” 

Rachael’s face turned pale, she expected that Stephany would cut things short and go direct with it. But it was different from hoping and expecting, she wanted to not hear those words, she wanted to fake it out. But facing someone whose power level is unknown, and even a powerful bind was restraining her.

A word flash in Rachael’s mind.

• Mage, Stephany is mage like Artermia.

Rachael deducted the recent events, why was Stephany so fixated to mage, and to Artermia. To how she easily casted her magic at ease in her second day, and how she knew Weight contract magic. She just realized it now, but it turned into a question.

‘Why did Stephany hide herself in this place? Why must she go through the hardships and suffer from the consequences of her actions when she has that power? And why? A mage is here? Born from the two heroes from another world, and instead summoned by the emperor? Why did she act now? Maybe I should had heed the empress words’

She recalled the year’s recent events where she encountered the empress Artermia, when she heard ominous words sprouted from Artermia’s mouth. Rachael gave up, knowing that Stephany didn’t even bother using other magic to forcefully spill out information, and rather did a nonchalant trap towards her. She expected that Stephany still has hidden cards behind her emotionless face. 

“I am… not a mage,” Rachael said, lowering her head and tears starting to drip from her cheeks, knowing that she might die after this conversation. 

How come she expected to die after this conversation? A lingering thought of the disappearance of the maid’s incident, perhaps Stephany was the one who has been stirring the incident, engraving passive fear to the other maids and the one who is controlling rumors in the house. 

What’s worse is that she recalled the empress Artermia’s ominous words when she praised her.

 

• ‘Me? Powerful? No way, there are so many mages that have the same power or higher than me. Speaking of which, if you encounter a mage or someone self-proclaiming that title, whether it’s weak or not, run away from it. If you’re captured, then you want to at least get away with your life.’

 

“Empress Artermia trained me to protect your family, and her granddaughter, Princess Lesly in the war.” Rachael confessed, the grips of the chain lessened, but it was still hurting her either way. “The empress Artermia claimed the title of a mage, mage of Astrology Craft.”

Stephany nodded at her words, her emotion remained unchanged. As if she knew it already, Rachael shuddered at that thought. Thus concluded that Stephany is a mage without a doubt.

“Then, has Artermia encountered another mage? And behave weird afterwards? Any plans when encountering a mage” Stephany questioned, putting her hand on her chin.

“No, I haven’t seen such thing occurred.” Rachael answered with a puzzled and pale face, it seems like color hasn’t returned. “But for the plans, the Empress Artermia always reminds me that I will have to run away with my life if I encountered a mage, like you, or save the important people she had ordered.”

For a split moment, Stephany’s eyes closed. She had a thought of using hostages when she does encounter Artermia in the future, in other words, her parents or Princess Lesly. Although it is quite wrong to use someone outside the mess of the society of mages, Stephany cannot hesitate to use anything for her advantage. After all, she might be fighting over thousands or millions of mages.

She might capture the major rulers in the world and hold them as hostages, because if things get worse and have gone south, at the very least, she wants to fight for her freedom. If her runaway failed, if she was captured by chance, she wants to at least make an agreement to the society. 

“I see,” Stephany muttered, opening her eyes slowly and directed her gaze to Rachael “Then is the emperor a mage?” 

Rachael shook her head sideways, and said reluctantly “The emperor is immortal in the beginning of his existence, he was given a gift from the Holy Spirit Queen, a power to summon a being”

As if washed away from the worries, Stephany’s chest lightened a bit. She was worried that the emperor would resist because he was a mage, it seems that capturing them was not much to worry about.

Stephany crosses her hands together, “That would be all, however from the power of the weight contract magic, I order you to not allow any word from our conversation to be leaked out in any means, and if it does, you are to run berserk and kill everyone who knows it. Then afterwards, kill yourself.”

Like applying a curse, the chains tightened and moved along the rims of her body, slowly creeping to her mouth and forcefully entered. Rachael’s body writhe and twitch from the pain of being overstretched, her eyes swollen from the tears and unexplainable expression she had on her face. 

She could feel the cold chain entering her throat as she tried to catch her breath, she could hear her teeth being grinded by the chains. She wanted to take out the chains entering her mouth, but the other chain was also restraining her arms, making her immobile. The saliva drips down from her saliva as she struggles relentlessly.

‘Isn’t that a bit too harsh?’ 

A familiar voice that Stephany heard today, it was from Secrea who suddenly appeared out of nowhere around Stephany’s neck. However, Stephany didn’t look surprised nor questioned her ability, instead she replied telepathically just like Secrea did.

Stephany looked outside the window as she ignored the painful sounds that Rachael was making. ‘This is just a level of child, rather, can’t you see that servant is having fun?’

With heterochromatic eyes, Secrea’s gaze turned to Rachael who had somewhat an ecstatic expression yet troubled on her face. Thus, Secrea was slightly disturbed by the girl who was supposed to feel pain, rather than ecstasy.

‘Just ignore her’ Stephany rubbed Secrea’s chin, as if her hand was feeling lonely ‘it will be done just as we arrive in town’