Liberation of The Slaves

Chapter 88 – When Finding Her Meant Losing Me

— Celestia’s POV —

“Here’s the payment, Celestia.”

“Thank you.”

I offered a polite nod as I accepted the pouch from the receptionist, her fingers brushing mine before she leaned back with a weary stretch.

The Hopeshire Fort Guild Hall buzzed behind her—voices echoing against old stone, boots clacking across wooden floors soaked from melted frost. Situated along the Zieghart’s northwest border and pressed against the edge of the Amazon Forest, this place never truly slept. Monsters didn’t rest. Neither did adventurers.

I slipped the pouch into my belt—a faint weight, lighter than the lives I’d taken today.

Following my return from the Empire’s mine and Freed’s death, something inside me had broken—and in that brokenness, something awakened. A second element. Mist and water now obeyed my will, intertwining with my magic and turning the battlefield into a ghostly grave for any B-Rank or lower monster foolish enough to approach.

Thanks to that, my rank had been promoted to B-Rank.

The receptionist tilted her head, eyes searching my face. “By the way… you’re heading back home tomorrow, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

She sighed, her elbows dropping onto the counter, propping up her chin. “Too bad. Female adventurers are a rarity here. This border town’s too dangerous, so most don’t stick around. You were a breath of fresh air.”

I gave a light chuckle. “Sorry to disappoint. But tomorrow’s the first anniversary with my boyfriend. I don’t want to miss it.”

“Aww, lucky.” She pouted, eyes flicking to a group of broad-shouldered men shouting over drinks in the corner. “All I ever see here are sweaty meatheads. Not one decent face among them.”

“Then I wish you luck,” I said, offering her a wry smile. “May the next handsome idiot survive the forest long enough to reach this counter.”

We both laughed.

“Bye-bye!”

“Bye!”

I turned toward the door, the cold wind of night beckoning—

“Celestia, wait!”

I paused, glancing back. Another receptionist—this one younger, with sleeves rolled up and a clipboard clutched tight—rushed toward me.

“Yes?”

“The Guildmaster wants to see you. Right now.”

I raised an eyebrow. “The Guildmaster? Why?”

She shook her head quickly. “He didn’t say. Just told me to come find you. Said it was urgent.”

Urgent? At this hour?

Suppressing a sigh, I pivoted and headed for the second floor. Hopefully, this wasn’t some last-minute escort request or a monster report. Ronan would be waiting. And I didn’t want to return home late, especially not tomorrow.

The Guildmaster’s door loomed ahead. Carved oak, slightly warped from humidity. I knocked twice.

*Knock* *Knock*

“It’s Celestia.”

“Enter.”

The door creaked open, revealing the office within.

He sat behind his cluttered desk, the weight of sleepless nights carved into the deep lines around his eyes. Candlelight flickered, casting long shadows over the scrolls, ink pots, and half-filled mugs of bitter tea. Guildmaster Dorien—a man of discipline and exhaustion, fifty if not older, his gray-streaked beard barely hiding the fatigue in his eyes. Unlike Karin, who barely lifted a pen during her shift, this man seemed fused to his desk by sheer responsibility.

He looked up briefly, then waved his hand without ceremony.

“Sit.”

I stepped forward and took the seat across from him. He muttered something under his breath as he shifted aside a precarious tower of paperwork.

“You look... busier than usual,” I offered.

“Hah,” he huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s because I am. But apparently, even a damn Guildmaster isn’t too important to be turned into a glorified delivery boy.”

I tilted my head, blinking. “What?”

He sighed—long and bitter. “I called you here to deliver a message.”

“…A message?”

“Yeah. From Earl Xavier Senian.”

That caught me off-guard.

“The Earl? That’s… rare.”

“Rare?” He leaned forward, scowling. “It’s unheard of. One moment I’m drowning in requests and damage reports, and the next, poof—teleportation magic lights up my office like it’s a damn summoning ritual and I’m suddenly his personal errand runner. I didn’t sign up for this noble nonsense when I took this job.”

I couldn't help the twitch of a smile.

He waved dismissively. “His messenger said it was top-secret. He wanted you to hear it from him personally. Gave no room for negotiation. Just a lot of pompous wording and a warning not to share this with anyone.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So… what’s the message?”

He snorted. “I just told you it’s top-secret, didn’t I? He didn’t even tell me what it was. Just handed me instructions and vanished like he was allergic to commoners.”

“…So you’re delivering a message you weren’t allowed to know?”

He threw his hands up. “Exactly! What am I even doing here? Guildmaster for ten years, and I still end up playing messenger for the highborn.”

He reached beneath the desk with a muttered curse and slapped a scroll down between us. “Here. He left this for you. It’ll teleport you straight to his estate in Vale City.”

My gaze narrowed. “Vale City? Not Lavender Town?”

“Vale City,” he confirmed with a tired nod. “And he insisted it must be tonight. No delays. No questions. Just poof—off you go.”

He pointed a finger at me, voice suddenly stern. “And he made it very clear. You don’t tell anyone about this. Not your friends, not your guildmates, not even your cute little boyfriend. Got it?”

My thoughts swirled. A personal, urgent, top-secret summons from the Earl? It could only mean one thing.

Could it be—?

My eyes widened.

*BAM!*

My hand hit the desk as I stood up, making his inkpot rattle and nearly knock over.

“By the Abyss, girl!” Dorien recoiled, one hand flying to his chest. “You trying to send me to an early grave? I’ve already written half my will!”

“Ah! Sorry!” I bowed quickly. “And thank you for delivering it! I’ll head out right away!”

He leaned back in his chair with a groan.

“Yeah, yeah—run off to your noble secret mission and leave the old man to drown in paperwork. Just remember who keeps this border town breathing while you're out saving the world.”

I dashed from the office, barely holding back a smile. He was gruff—but dependable.

At the inn, I gave the innkeeper a quick explanation before rushing to my room. My belongings were already packed within my magic bag—prepared for any sudden travel. I grabbed the scroll, stepped outside, and took a breath.

The magic flared to life in my hand, swirling with blue light.

My vision bent—then snapped.

In the next instant, I stood before Earl Xavier Senian’s mansion, the sky above Vale City cloaked in moonlight.

The night sky stretched over Vale City like a velvet curtain embroidered with stars, but I had no time to admire it.

The teleportation left a faint ringing in my ears, my boots clicking against well-paved stone. Before me rose an imposing iron gate, flanked by high, ivory walls laced with creeping vines. Beyond it, the silhouette of a mansion loomed—a behemoth of stone and wealth. This had to be Earl Xavier Senian’s estate.

“Who goes there?”

A knight stepped forward from the gatepost, armor clinking faintly with each breath. His hand hovered near the hilt of his sword—not hostile, but cautious.

“I’m Celestia,” I said, presenting my guild card. “I was summoned by the Earl.”

Recognition flickered in his eyes. He exchanged a quick glance with the other guard before nodding. “So you're the one. The Earl left strict instructions. Come, I’ll escort you.”

As I followed him through the gate, the atmosphere shifted. The cobbled path led into a vast front yard, its gardens trimmed with surgical precision—but I had little time to admire the hedges. Knights patrolled in twos and threes, some tending to restless horses, others standing silently with grim expressions. The tension was heavy, like a storm cloud threatening to burst.

They weren’t just guarding a noble’s home.

They were preparing for war.

Compared to the Earl’s Lavender Town estate, this mansion was a palace. Three stories tall with towering arched windows and banners hanging from carved stone balconies. Every corner whispered wealth—and purpose. Whatever this place was built for, it was more than comfort.

We reached the grand entry doors. Once inside, a butler with snow-white gloves and a pinched face took over without a word. I gave a respectful nod to the gatekeeper before following the butler deeper into the estate.

The interior was just as lavish—polished marble floors, chandeliers glittering like starlight, and rows of maids moving like silent phantoms, dusting and adjusting with robotic grace. But even here, the air was tense. The staff moved briskly, their eyes tight with nerves.

Eventually, we stopped at a double-door chamber. The butler cleared his throat with the precision of someone who'd rehearsed every motion.

“My lord, Celestia has arrived.”

“Let her enter,” came a voice from within—calm, low, unmistakably Xavier’s.

The butler opened the door and stepped aside. I entered alone.

Inside was a drawing room bathed in amber light, the hearthfire crackling quietly beneath a mantle of sculpted marble. Oil lamps flickered along the walls, casting soft shadows that danced across the velvet drapes and gold-trimmed furnishings.

Earl Xavier Senian sat upon a deep crimson sofa, regal as ever. His vibrant red hair, now tied neatly at the nape, framed a stern face marked by noble lines and a pair of piercing red eyes that held the weight of command. His posture was immaculate—spine straight, shoulders squared, both gloved hands resting atop a carved blackwood cane adorned with the Senian crest. He looked like a man who rarely spoke, but whose words always carried.

Beside him, his younger sister, Madam Sheila Senian, reclined with effortless grace on the opposite end of the sofa. Her long blonde hair cascaded over one shoulder in silky waves, gleaming like molten gold under the lamplight. She wore a pale yellow dress that complemented the striking hue of her eyes—sharp and bright, like polished topaz. Her legs were crossed, her posture relaxed, but her gaze was alert and calculating. Even in stillness, she radiated poise and precision, like a hawk poised to strike.

“Celes,” Madam Sheila greeted with a gentle smile. “You came. Please, have a seat.”

She gestured to the sofa across from them.

I sat slowly, trying to match their poised demeanor. “Thank you for the invitation... though I wasn’t expecting anything like this.”

Madam Sheila leaned forward slightly, folding her hands over her lap. “Do you know why we summoned you?”

I hesitated only a moment. “I have a guess. There’s only one thing serious enough to warrant this much secrecy.” I met their eyes directly. “It’s about Daisy, isn’t it?”

Sheila's lips curved upward, faintly. “You guessed right.”

“We’ve located your sister,” Earl Xavier said, voice even and heavy.

My heart stopped. I shot forward in my seat without thinking. “R-Really!? Where is she right now!?”

Realizing my voice had risen, I sat back quickly, heat rushing to my face. “Ah—sorry…”

“Don’t be,” Sheila said with a soft chuckle. “You’re allowed to feel things here. And when it’s just the three of us, there’s no need for stiff manners. Speak freely.”

I gave a hesitant nod. “Then... where is she?”

I couldn't keep the desperation from my voice. It had been three years. Three years of unanswered prayers.

Earl Xavier answered, tone quiet but firm. “We’re going to her tonight. The knights you saw are preparing for a retrieval operation.”

I blinked. “Tonight? Already?”

“We had to act fast once we confirmed her location,” he said. “You’re already in combat gear, so I assume you’re ready to fight alongside us?”

“I am,” I said without hesitation. “I’ll go anywhere to save her. And… thank you. Truly.”

I stood slightly and bowed. Both nobles watched in silence for a breath.

“But before we depart,” Xavier said, his voice darkening just slightly, “I need to ask you something.”

“Of course. Anything. I’ll answer honestly.”

“Are you mentally prepared?”

I blinked slowly, my mind already running ahead.

“Mentally... prepared?”

He gave a slow nod. “Yes. Are you prepared not for her condition… but for your own reaction to what you’ll see?”

I didn’t respond immediately.

Because I already knew.

What happens to a young girl who’s kidnapped in a world like this? There's only one answer.

She becomes property. Bought. Sold. Broken. Forced into servitude or worse.

I’d understood that truth the moment Daisy vanished.

The moment I realized no ransom was coming. No trail left behind. No heroic rescue.

Just silence.

So I braced myself back then—not with hope, but with steel. I buried the image of the cheerful, smiling sister I used to know, and prepared to one day face a girl who might no longer remember her own name.

“I’ve prepared myself for the worst,” I said quietly, my voice steady. “She was kidnapped. I know what that usually means.”

I met his gaze, not flinching. “I’ve been bracing for it since the day she disappeared.”

“Not that.” He exhaled, expression unreadable. “This isn’t about assumptions. Listen closely.”

Sheila reached out, placing a calming hand on her brother’s arm. He gave her a nod before continuing.

“After she was kidnapped, she was sold to a noble in the Empire. But not long after... someone from our own kingdom purchased her from them.”

I stiffened. “Someone from our kingdom?”

“Yes. And not far, either. She’s been living in the next territory—technically, the next city from here.”

My breath caught.

He paused, eyes locking with mine.

“Her current master is—”

The name struck like lightning.

My vision trembled. The air thickened, suffocating. All warmth drained from the room in an instant.

No…

That name.

That voice, that face, those hands.

Memories crashed through me like a tidal wave—soft touches, quiet nights, whispered promises.

My body refused to move, frozen in the space between recognition and disbelief.

My lips parted, but no sound came.

My heart pounded a single, violent beat.

It wasn’t a stranger.

It wasn’t someone distant, or forgotten.

It was someone impossibly close.

Someone who should have never—could have never—

My fingers trembled in my lap, nails biting into flesh.

Everything I thought I knew twisted, warped, shattered.

And in that moment, I realized—

I had been sleeping beside a lie.

A silence fell over me, louder than any scream.