ONE PAIR OR HEART STRAIGHT FLUSH
“…Wow… This is so pretty…”
A black-haired girl stood on a shore on the outskirts of Clive, one of the fifty-two states of Elven Gard. Void of any emotion, she stared at a small seashell that rested in her palm.
The girl was Chlammy Zell, eighteen years old. She worked for the house of Nirvalen, a prestigious Elf family—more precisely, she was their slave.
That day, she was sent on an errand to pick up a parcel from a merchant associate of the Nirvalen family in the neighboring port town. On her way home, she caught sight of something glimmering along the shore. Chlammy went over and picked up what turned out to be a shell about the size of her palm. She patted the sand off it and held it up to the sun—beads of light bounced off its surface in all colors of the rainbow.
Without really thinking about it, Chlammy held the seashell close to her heart and looked around. The Ten Covenants forbade any and all forms of theft. In other words, even something as seemingly insignificant as a pebble on the side of the road could be the object of theft should it have an owner. She kept the shell close and backed away slowly.
Nothing happened. The Covenants didn’t intervene. That meant this shell didn’t belong to anyone—at least, that’s what it should’ve meant…
“This’d be mine if I were anyone else…”
Slaves had one additional requirement in order for them to own something.
Chlammy chuckled in self-pity, still clutching the shell when she left the shore.
…………
“ Master, I found a seashell.”
Chlammy bowed before an Elf woman with long, cream-colored hair—her master, Fiel Nirvalen, surrounded by several ladies-in-waiting. Fiel looked at Chlammy with her usual sunny smile.
“How many times must I tell you? I don’t want to hear about every little piece of trash you pick uuup.”
Fiel eyed Chlammy as if she herself were trash, then departed the room with her legion of ladies-in-waiting close behind.
That was Chlammy’s signal to keep the shell for herself—that one additional requirement.
Such was the reality of being a slave in Elven Gard. Slaves didn’t have the right to own anything—in fact, they didn’t have rights at all. They were the property of the family who owned them, and everything they owned belonged to their masters. These terms were bound by their covenant, making them absolute.
There was one little difference between Chlammy and the other slaves, though.
Her master shot her a brief look as she left the room. Chlammy knew what the look meant:
Why, what a pretty shell. Take good care of it.
Chlammy was no “ordinary” slave. She was, in fact, friends with Fiel Nirvalen, her master. Fiel considered herself best friends with a mere slave like Chlammy. This was particularly unusual, considering Chlammy’s lineage had served the Nirvalen family starting with her great-grandfather.
Typically, being called best friend by your master would probably make you hate them more.
…Unless Fiel was the master.
Fiel always found a way to help and support Chlammy when she was sad or struggling. Even if she had to be sneaky about it, Fiel was there to lend Chlammy a hand. And as heiress of the distinguished Nirvalen family, she worked as an acting member of Elven Gard’s Upper House now that her parents had kicked the bucket. She couldn’t be seen tending to a lowly servant’s needs. If an Elf of her stature was seen engaging in conversation with an Immanity—or talking monkey, as they were called in Elven Gard—it would cause a scandal. That was why the most she could do for Chlammy was look sorry and help her in a roundabout way. Chlammy knew this, though. It was for the best.
Chlammy’s family had been enslaved for several generations. Her relationship with Fiel was beyond anything she could ever hope for. She had an ally, a friend. And friendship is still friendship…even if it needs to be kept secret.
Later that night, Fiel visited Chlammy’s room tucked away in a corner of the Nirvalen estate.
“Chlaaammyyy! I thought you might be feeling down about earlier, so your beloved Fi came to sleep with you—”
“Ah, w-wait, Fi, let me just—”
Chlammy quickly wiped her eyes and acted as if everything was all right. Fiel surveyed the sparse, bare-bones room. There were no decorations or items of note; just two sets of clothes: dirty slave garments and one presentable outfit for when Chlammy left the manor. The pile of hay on the floor was where Chlammy slept, though it looked more like a bird’s nest than an actual bed. It didn’t take Fiel long before she realized something was missing.
“ Why, where’s the seashell from earlier?”
“…I-it’s…in the trash…”
“They took it from you—they threw it away…didn’t theyyy?”
Slaves couldn’t lie to their masters, so Chlammy, shoulders trembling, had answered Fiel truthfully. Her visible anguish spoke volumes. Chlammy needed her master’s permission to own anything. Fiel couldn’t say yes to her wish because it would look like she was favoring a slave over her ladies-in-waiting, and then they would treat Chlammy even worse. So Fiel had specifically called the seashell a piece of trash.
The Elf clenched her jaw. If the master calls it trash, then the item doesn’t belong to anyone—it becomes trash, and nothing more. Fiel knew her ladies-in-waiting had taken the seashell away because she’d designated it as trash. She could picture it: They’d probably even smashed it before Chlammy’s eyes, which were clearly bloodshot from crying. Her ladies-in-waiting refused to let Chlammy have anything, not even a single seashell—Chlammy’s barren room practically screamed this at Fiel. She wasn’t going to stand for it anymore.
“I will get rid of them allll.”
Fiel was still smiling, but her tone was much more sinister. She stood up, and Chlammy clung to her and shouted, “Wait—! Fi, you’ve got it all wrong!!”
“No, I know exactly what’s happening heeere. Why, I’m the head of the Nirvalen household. There’s no reason I should put up with my servants picking on my dearest frieeend.”
Fiel wanted to ruin these ladies’ lives—even if that meant literally ending them—but she was going to let them off with just losing their jobs.
They should be grateful, Fiel thought, half-serious.
“That’ll only come back to bite you, Fi! I don’t want that to happen to you!” Chlammy insisted. All of Fiel’s ladies-in-waiting were from respectable families, albeit none as prestigious as the Nirvalens. Fiel wouldn’t be able to fire them for merely pestering a slave without any blowback.
“Listen, Fi. I’m begging you… I’m fine being a slave as long as I have you by my side, but—”
Chlammy’s eyes were filled with tears.
“—I don’t want anything to happen to you, especially if I’m at fault—that would be the worst, so please—”
“Chlammy…”
“You don’t have to worry about me—I’m used to it. In this country, Immanity are worth less than—”
Fiel wrapped Chlammy in a firm embrace, effectively silencing her. She smiled and petted her friend’s hair to console her. But inside Fiel was a rage that was about to boil over like magma in a volcano on the brink of eruption. She stared off into the distance, still grinning, and a bleak thought surfaced in her mind:
This country is rotten to the core.
The Elves belittled the other races while they sat undeservedly atop the thrones they were born into. The attendants who clung to the Nirvalens like pathetic parasites, too—they were just as rotten.
Chlammy had meant to say that as far as Elves were concerned, Immanity were worth less than dogs. That was certainly true in Elven Gard, at least.
Slaves? Oh, no, no.
To call them as such was an insult to slavery. In Elven Gard, slaves were more like cattle. Maybe even worse. A master could tell their slave to rip out their own fingernails one by one, and they’d have to do it. The Ten Covenants forbade doing harm unto others, except in this case. It made no sense, and yet, this madness was tolerated.
And we call ourselves a democracy, Fiel thought. What a joke.
The Upper and Lower Houses’ elections were all a farce—putrid like a rotten corpse. Fiel knew this from the moment her father, a high-ranking member of the Upper House, passed away, and she inherited his position. It took three things to become a legislator in this country: heritage, money, and the right connections. That was it. The so-called elected officials were nothing more than rings decorating the decrepit fingers of the Senate—a group of representatives from houses of even higher prestige; a bunch of geezers who had aged into their positions.
And the Agent Plenipotentiary Advisory Council was even more influential than the Senate. The agent plenipotentiary, from Fiel’s perspective, was a piece of work. He was regarded by the Elven public as the strongest of all agents plenipotentiary, and this popularity was what allowed him to push back against the Senate. His term, however, would be coming to an end in a little over three years. It wasn’t hard to picture what the Senate and the legislative assembly would do once the Agent Plenipotentiary Advisory Council was no longer in the picture.
The country was a cesspit, rotten from the inside out. Fiel believed it needed to be destroyed. But if that wasn’t in the cards
“Chlammy.” Fiel slowly let Chlammy out of her embrace. “I forfeit ownership of your rights.”
“ Huh?”
That was all it took—Chlammy Zell was no longer a slave. She had been born into the shackles of slavery; it was the only life she knew. And just like that, it had ended.
“W-wait—”
Chlammy was now free, but the first thing she did was turn white as a sheet and burst into tears.
“Fi…are you throwing me away…?!”
There wasn’t an inkling of joy in her expression. She looked sad, almost like she was in despair. Fiel knew why—Chlammy didn’t know what it meant to be free. She didn’t know where to go or what to do. Why would she? She had never been permitted to do anything of her own free will.
Who would ever wish this upon another living being? Fiel bit her lip—muffling her anger at her race—and with her usual sunny smile, she began to speak.
“Chlammy, I just want you to be happy, and for that—why, I’ll do anythiiing.” Fiel grabbed Chlammy’s quivering hand. “So tell me… Now that there are no chains holding you back—what do you want to do with your freedom?”
Chlammy didn’t seem to follow. Fiel closed her eyes and began a sort of confessional.
Hidden away deep within her heart were the two things she had resolved to accomplish.
“When I think of what my family did to yours… I know I don’t deserve your friendship, no matter how much I want iiit… So please consider—”
“Fi…”
Fiel was going to ask Chlammy to consider taking her freedom, but Chlammy cut her off. “Don’t say something like that… My answer would be the same even if I wasn’t bound by this covenant.”
There was only one thing in the world important to Chlammy.
“I’m happy as long as we’re together. But I need you to be happy, too. You’re the only thing that matters to me in this world.”
…………
“…Why, a-are you…being honest? Do you swear on it?”
“I swear—so please, make me your slave again.”
Fiel averted her eyes, which showed her hesitation. “But… Chlammy…”
“Those shackles you spoke of—that’s what binds us together! I’m just a slave… I may not own anything, but nobody—not even the Elves—can take those shackles away from me…!”
Chlammy’s faint voice cracked as tears spilled from her eyes.
“So please…I don’t care about a stupid seashell. If I were to lose my bond with you—I…”
…wouldn’t be able to go on.
Fiel knew what Chlammy was going to say, but she kept her gaze averted. She knew whose fault it was that Chlammy had become this way. Elves had enslaved Immanity since Chlammy’s great-grandfather’s generation. Fiel knew it would be disrespectful to even try and imagine how daunting a slave’s life was. Fiel wanted to know how Chlammy truly felt without the influence of her slave covenant, so she set her free from her shackles.
But was this truly how Chlammy felt?
Was she free to try and cling to that which had stolen her freedom in the first place?
Fiel continued to hide her tear-filled eyes. She’d wanted reassurance, but all she got instead was doubt. Everything felt so wrong, so aberrant. Fiel didn’t even know what was right anymore. But in spite of all that…
“I feel the same way, Chlammy—so please…”
Fiel defied the tears falling down her cheeks and announced the first of her two resolutions: Give Chlammy her freedom, but only should she want it—should it make her happy.
Fiel was willing to sacrifice her own happiness as long as she had Chlammy—but if Chlammy didn’t want that, either, then Fiel was left with her second resolution.
In order to bring Chlammy happiness, Fiel needed to attain her own happiness. But that wasn’t possible here in Elven Gard. This country was rotten to the core; it ought to be destroyed. And if that wasn’t possible
“Chlammy—we’re going to take over Elkia, the last surviving Immanity nation.”
Fiel went on to explain her plan.
She was currently an acting member of the Upper House, a position she would maintain only until the next election. Although Fiel’s peers scorned her as incompetent, the Nirvalen name remained one of the most highly revered in all of Elven Gard. She was going to use her position and heritage to coerce the other Upper House members into allowing her to infiltrate Elkia and claim the Immanity race for the Elves.
Elkia was in the middle of a big shift in power. The crown was up for grabs after its last king recently passed away, and his dying wish was for the next ruler to be decided via a gambling tournament. This was the perfect chance for the Elves to set up a puppet ruler. Fiel would have her slave, Chlammy, infiltrate the tournament as an Elf spy and win.
The first question the other Upper House members would hit her with was—why? After all, neither the Immanity nor their small chunk of land were of any worth to the Elves. Nevertheless, Fiel had full confidence that her proposal would go through. She had the perfect reason:
Elkia was the key to beating the Eastern Union.
The Eastern Union had defeated Elven Gard four times in the past. They were a rising superpower and the only country the Elves couldn’t figure out how to defeat. This was due to the nature of the Eastern Union’s game—opponents must forget all memories of the game once it was over.
Having a puppet monarch controlling Elkia would give Elven Gard a way to challenge the Eastern Union as the late king of Elkia had. But they wouldn’t pit just any old Immanity against the Eastern Union—they would be using an Elf’s Immanity slave.
That slave’s rights belonged to Fiel, thus acting as a potential work-around for the memory loss that followed playing against the Eastern Union.
That being said, this was hardly a foolproof plan. Especially since it didn’t include a strategy for how they would discover the contents of the Eastern Union’s game—but this lack of coherency was key.
A plan that sounded nice but was full of oversights—exactly the kind an incompetent Elf like Fiel would think up.
That was precisely what the Elf legislation needed to believe for them to let her go through with the plan—they would pass it in hopes that it would miserably fail and thereby cause the Nirvalen family to lose its last semblance of prestige.
On the off chance that the plan succeeded, it would make the Upper House members who passed it look good before the Senate. Should it fail, well, it would be a good opportunity for them to get rid of the pesky Nirvalens once and for all. Either way, the Upper House only stood to gain something. They would never realize the true nature of this plan, though
After Fiel established Chlammy as the puppet queen of Elkia, she had no intentions of going after the Eastern Union. No—Fiel was going to use Elkia against…
…Elven Gard.
This was why Fiel needed her peers to underestimate her, to think she was useless. Fiel knew she wanted to destroy this damned country from the core. It was the sole reason she’d pretended to be a useless ditz for fifty whole years: That was her trump card
Fiel explained this plan to Chlammy in her room, which was undetectable even to the trained mage eye. Fiel had preemptively set up a sound blocking spell, then a second spell to hide this spell, and a third to erase any traces of spirit responses. All her life, Fiel was ridiculed by those around her for bringing shame to the Nirvalen family. Little did they know, she was a hexcaster—one of the most capable mages of her generation.
“What do you think, Chlammy? Why, what could possibly go wrooong? ”
“……………………”
Chlammy looked at Fiel’s smile and gulped. She knew her smile was a mask that hid her devilish cunning.
“I won’t be able to stay in power past the next election. The other members want me out. So before thaaat happens, we need to take Elkia and steal all of Elven Gard’s land from under their noses little by liiittle. We’ll fix a game against the Eastern Union under the guise of putting pressure on them, then I’ll have you declare warrr against the Union, which would temporarily put us one step ahead of the fools in the Senate. Why, once we steal the land we need, we’ll cut Elven Gard off from all traaade…effectively preventing them from challenging us. ”
Fiel’s smile was as bright as the sun.
In other words, she would betray her race. Chlammy would certainly have an easier time in an Immanity nation. However…
“B-but what about you?! This will only make you miserable!”
Chlammy looked at her friend, who was trying to give up everything she owned to help her. Fiel responded with an even bigger grin.
“If you’re happy, I’m happy. You promised, righhht?”
“ What……?”
Fiel had tricked Chlammy! Even when they were trying to work together, Fiel always had her wrapped around her finger.
“Not to worry. Why, pretending to be an Immanity will be a cinch for meee. We may have some trouble against the Werebeasts, buuut once we reclaim the rest of Immanity territory, I’ll be able to make my own little homestead. ”
…………
“…Fi… Tell me… Why are you doing all this…for a slave…?”
“You don’t want me to do thiiis?”
“That’s not what I mean ! I just…don’t want you to lose everything for—”
Fiel cut her off with her usual grin. “Why, things would be far simpler if fame or fortune could buy your happiness.”
Chlammy hung her head low. She understood Fiel’s plan as well as why Fiel was beating around the bush about her trump card she’d had in the works for the past fifty years—the card she would use to destroy her own country. She was going to use it for Chlammy’s sake alone and lose everything in return.
“…………”
Chlammy knew she’d be lying if she said the proposal didn’t make her happy. The fact that Fiel was willing to go so far just for her own sake brought tears to her eyes.
But why? What about me makes her go this far ?
“Now, let’s exchange our slave covenant agaaain.”
Fiel interrupted Chlammy’s train of thought. The Immanity girl’s puffy eyes scrunched up in a smirk.
“You’ll have to reread the entire slavery code. That’s why you shouldn’t have broken the covenant in the first place ”
A formal slave covenant wasn’t something one could produce off the top of their head. A slapdash covenant would forbid a slave from eating, going to the bathroom, or sleeping without their master’s permission. It would make them too difficult to use. The opposite was true as well—too many permissions could create room for a slave to betray their master’s wishes.
There was an array of finer details that needed to be addressed when creating the ideal slave. These extensive intricacies were compiled into a massive tome which the master then had to read from before challenging and defeating their slave in a game by the Covenants. It was like anything else in Elven Gard: a ruthless system thought out to the very finest detail.
Fiel beamed. “Why, we don’t need a shitty contract. ”
“What…?”
Chlammy’s eyes widened as Fiel continued. “I, Fiel Nirvalen, challenge Chlammy Zell to a gaaame. Should I lose, I pledge to spend the rest of my life together with her, until death do us paaart. ”
“W-wait, Fi! That’s not slavery! It sounds more like m-m-marriage!!”
“Oh? Why, are they not essentially one and the same? You say potato, I say potaaato.”
“That’s not how it works at all! They’re two very different things!!”
That’s not even a legitimate pledge. There’s nothing binding about it!
Chlammy tried to convince Fiel of as much, but she responded with the same smile.
“We want to be bound niiice and tight by a covenant no one can take from us. What difference does it make if we’re slave and master, friend and friend, or wife and wiiife? ”
“ I think that makes a pretty big difference!!”
“Why, I don’t think that’s true at allll. Now, let’s get this covenant ready…”
A bond that no one could take from them—that was what she wanted to create with Chlammy. So Fiel Nirvalen was going to bundle the two of them together. She wiped the smile off her face and said with conviction:
“I’ll create a world where you can laugh and be happy, Chlammy. Just you wait.”
Am I really worth that much?
Chlammy nodded even though the question still nagged at her.
All of this happened a mere month ago. Chlammy still couldn’t believe it was real.
……
…………
Chlammy had persevered through a series of relentless games, including existence Othello and the play for dominion to decide Elkia’s next ruler. She had just returned to Elven Gard following the struggle between Elkia and the Eastern Union. It was her the first time back in her slave quarters in a long while. She grimaced as she played with a coin in her hand and stared at the ceiling. Looking at the coin shifting between her fingers, she remembered a certain man. He’d gazed into her eyes—and therefore Fiel’s eyes as well—and made a declaration.
“……‘Don’t—underestimate humans like that,’ he said……”
The words had shocked Chlammy to her core. This man who couldn’t even use magic himself was addressing not just Chlammy, but all of Elfkind and every other race. He was telling the higher races, even the gods, that he was going to beat them all.
He doesn’t expect me to buy that, does he? Any normal person with a lick of common sense knew it wasn’t possible, particularly Chlammy, who had seen the immovable power of magic firsthand with Fiel. The Elves had to be all-powerful; why else would they have slaves spanning several generations? So of course Chlammy couldn’t help but doubt the man. She even questioned whether another race was involved.
But now that she had his memories, Chlammy realized she should have questioned something else.
“I should’ve questioned my sanity. That man…him and his sister…they’re out of their minds.”
Chlammy was speaking to herself aloud, unable to completely stifle her laughter.
Sora had shared his memories with Chlammy before they challenged the Eastern Union. He had so many memories; it was like a nightmare. She could feel his memories eating away at her own. And yet, there was one memory that shone bright enough to eclipse the nightmare. Chlammy laughed again, but this time, she wasn’t grimacing. She had a brazen smile on her face as she clenched the coin she had been fiddling with.
There’s so much I need to do.
Fiel was off sharing every detail of the Eastern Union’s game with the Senate’s board of geezers.
But those details were false; they were based on memories Sora had altered using the Covenants.
Chlammy left her room to attend to matters while she still could.
“Where were you all this time, you pitiful slave?”
“Why are you still in your social outfit? Hurry up and get into your filthy rags, slave.”
As always, Fiel’s ladies-in-waiting met Chlammy with harassment. A few months ago, Chlammy would’ve tensed up if they even looked her way, but she wasn’t the same Chlammy anymore. She had Sora’s memories now—the man who’d outmaneuvered Fiel to the fullest extent. These Elves before her…they had this stupid look to their faces. It was almost cute. She could hardly believe she used to find these women scary.
“ Hey, what’s that coin you’ve got there?”
One of the poor idiots saw that Chlammy was holding a golden coin.
Sora’s memories contained a seemingly limitless number of ways to cheat and swindle others. Chlammy had access to them thanks to Fiel—not that she could explain this to the women. Chlammy pondered how best to answer them, and then she remembered:
There’s so much I need to do. I’ll just have to start with what I can do on my own. Something befitting a slave—perhaps a little spring cleaning?
“My apologies. Master wanted me to hold these for her.”
Chlammy stifled the smile trying to form on her face as she showed the women five coins. She was lying. There was no disputing that she was just holding them, though. If the ladies-in-waiting tried to take these away from her, it would mean they were taking them away from Fiel. The women flinched at Chlammy’s retort, but the leader of their petty group broke the silence with a snicker.
“ Goodness, that woman continues to be a blight upon the Nirvalen name. Not only did she fail to take over the puny little Immanity kingdom, she’s also having her slave carry her money for her—who knows what goes on in that woman’s mind?”
“Nothing much, I daresay. All the nutrition she needed to grow a brain went to her chest.”
“Hee-hee, you’re probably right!”
The ladies-in-waiting chattered away, but Chlammy kept a straight face and poured oil on the fire.
“ I beg your pardon, but Master was able to utilize her defeat to discover the secret of the Eastern Union’s game. I believe that means she may have found a way for the Elves to take over the world’s third-strongest superpower… Correct?”
This, of course, was also a lie. The report that Fiel was sharing with the Senate was based off false memories.
“We have Lord Wale to thank for that,” one lady-in-waiting retorted. “He’s the one who found a use for such an incompetent Elf.”
“She spoke out of line during a legislative meeting. It was quite deplorable,” another added.
So that was how the public had received Fiel’s plan. It explained why these women were snickering and making fun of her behind her back. Chlammy just watched silently as they ridiculed Fiel, making note of every word.
That’s enough fuel for this fire, she thought with a grin.
“Don’t you imbeciles-in-waiting think it’s time you fell in line?”
.
Chlammy’s sudden change of attitude shocked the Elves.
“ I beg your pardon?” one of them said.
“Cut the act… I know you heard me.” Chlammy snickered.
The Elf shook with rage and sneered. “Have you forgotten your place…? I say you need a refresher course in proper manners—”
“My place? …Ah yes, I have forgotten. So sorry. Maybe you ladies could remind me of my place when you’ve remembered yours?” Chlammy held her hand to her chin, doing her best to look deep in thought. “Now that her parents are gone, Master has far too many of you ladies waiting on her. And you’re a bunch of dimwits who’d be sent home to your lesser noble families—ah, excuse me—your plebeian families should you lose your present jobs…correct?”
The Elves were shocked at what they were hearing, but Chlammy didn’t stop there. “I wonder where you ladies would end up after being fired from the Nirvalen household—oh, I guess you wouldn’t be able to find work elsewhere.”
The group froze. One of the ladies-in-waiting was about to yell at Chlammy, who cut her off:
“Ah! Now I remember! I’m a slave! A slave who needs to tell her master who is talking behind her back when she asks me! Silly me, I can’t believe I would ever forget such a thing!”
The ladies-in-waiting froze up again.
“But wait… What’s this? I seem to recall that every single one of you has insulted the master behind her back… My, how curious.”
Chlammy put on a twisted smile—the kind usually on Fiel’s face—and showed the women the gold coins in her hand once more.
“How about we make a little bet on who will get fired first—? Ah, my apologies. This isn’t my money. After all, I’m just a poor slave who’s merely been asked to hold on to it.”
The women exchanged panicked looks as Chlammy weaved her way past them. She could hear them making excuses for themselves behind her as she left.
“I got them, Fi. Hook, line, and sinker,” she whispered to herself as she strutted away, leaving the group of Elves in her dust.
Later that night in the Nirvalen family living room:
The five ladies-in-waiting appeared before Fiel. They had an inkling as to why they’d been summoned. The group watched as Fiel examined them, then waited nervously for what she was going to say next.
But Fiel’s next words caught them completely off guard.
“I’ll be frank with you laaadies. My slave tells me that one of you stole the money I had left with her.”
The ladies-in-waiting stiffened at the unexpected accusation. They had thought of excuses for talking behind their employer’s back, but not for theft. Stealing was a one-shot way to get fired; they might never be able to find work again.
“M-my pardons! W-we’re not quite sure what you mean, ma’am !”
The first to respond to Fiel was the leader figure. The other four ladies behind her nodded their agreement, but things weren’t looking good.
“Why, is that sooo? Very well, then… Please show me what you have in your pockets.”
They followed Fiel’s orders and began emptying out their apron pockets, but they each had something they weren’t supposed to.
They all tensed up, one by one, the moment their fingers brushed against a coin.
Fiel, who was waiting for them to empty their pockets, turned to Chlammy.
“Slave? You swear on your covenant that the coins were stolen from youuu…?”
“Yes, Master… However, I’m afraid I cannot recall how or when it happened…”
The ladies-in-waiting looked at Chlammy, who was hanging her head apologetically, and began to panic—they tried their best to make sense of what was going on.
Slaves were literally incapable of lying to their masters. Furthermore, the Ten Covenants prevented the women from stealing any money Fiel had left with Chlammy, her slave. The only logical explanation was that one of the ladies-in-waiting had won the coins from Chlammy in a game, but that would mean they indirectly stole the money from Fiel Nirvalen. None of the women would ever do such a thing, lest they end up losing their jobs like Chlammy said they would. But the fact of the matter was that there were coins in each of their pockets. They all wracked their brains until Chlammy’s words came to mind:
Too many attendants…all of whom talk behind Fiel’s back… Who will get fired first ?!
The ladies-in-waiting reached the same conclusion: One of them had taken the coins from Chlammy in a game so that they could keep their job.
A lone actor is trying to frame us all for something far worse than gossip to avoid getting fired. Not only that—whoever it is stole four of the five coins to do this…!!
The women exchanged suspicious looks as Chlammy, her head still down, laughed to herself.
But of course this would happen. Of course all five women would blame one another.
(After all—there’s no way they would know that I can lie to Fiel, and that those coins are mine, right?)
Chlammy was determined to prove that she could think of clever tricks on her own.
She had accessed some of Sora’s more sadistic memories.
The Ten Covenants forbade theft of any kind, but they didn’t say anything about giving gifts. You know, the kind of gift you give someone by dropping it in their pocket when you walk by them. What happens after they receive the gift? Well, you just have to wait and see.
Chlammy recalled one of Sora’s memories where he’d tested this theory by putting his underwear in Stephanie Dola’s pocket. She sneered as she remembered Steph’s reaction.
Chlammy looked up at the women—it was about time for them to start playing the blame game.
“I’m innocent! Behold—my pockets are empty!”
First to speak was their leader—the one Chlammy didn’t give a coin to. How would the others react to this?
“Sh-she’s lying! She’s the one who stole the coins! She always talks about how Lady Fiel brought shame to the Nirvalen family!” shouted another lady-in-waiting.
Of course the rest of them thought their leader was the thief—then things got more interesting.
“Wha—?! You’re one to talk! I know you tell your little boyfriend, Lord Noel’s butler, everything that goes on in this house!”
Yes, yes, that’s it! Why, there’s more than enough blame to go around! Look at them go! It’s pandemonium! The sunniest of smiles appeared on Fiel’s face as the women continued bickering.
“I see what’s going on here. Why, it looks like everyone in the Nirvalens’ employ is utter gaaarbage. ”
Now Fiel had a legitimate reason to fire the lot of them. They’d stolen from their employer, and that would be on their records, too.
It doesn’t matter how much the other noble houses detest Fi. Who would even consider hiring someone with a reputation as a thief?
Chlammy had a slight grin. She met eyes with a smiling Fiel, who led the ladies-in-waiting to another room.
“I’ll listen to each of your excuses, one by ooone. ”
Chlammy watched Fiel leave with the women, and a phrase popped up in her mind. It was one she’d never heard before—meaning it was from Sora’s memories.
“All difficult things are made of simple things. Even the smallest ant hole can breach the largest dam.”
(I’m guessing this describes how all big incidents start with small things. That a stone wall can collapse because of an ant hole in the wrong place.)
But apparently, that wasn’t how Sora interpreted it. Chlammy couldn’t help but chuckle to herself when she recalled his own personal take.
“‘Everything’s simple. You can destroy an entire kingdom with a tiny hole.’ …That’s so like Sora.”
And it was just like how Chlammy used four coins to bring down a group of Elves. She smiled as she twiddled the fifth coin in her fingers.
Chlammy sat in the Nirvalen manor’s front garden, sipping a cup of tea at a wooden table. Those ladies-in-waiting had picked on her for her entire life. She watched as each of them, one by one, left the estate with a suitcase full of their belongings.
“…I guess this is…a sort of revenge,” Chlammy muttered, but strangely enough, she didn’t feel anything deep down. She struggled to believe that Elves this pitiful once made her tremble with fear. This didn’t feel like an accomplishment; it simply felt ridiculous. Chlammy got up to leave when she caught sight of the leader—or rather, ex-leader.
“ ”
Chlammy found herself grinning and realized that Sora’s memories had tainted her mind. It didn’t take long for the Elf woman to see her grin. Furious, she shouted at Chlammy.
“…Wh-why, you…! It was you, wasn’t it—?”
Chlammy, meanwhile, calmly responded, “You’re better off not knowing. Not only did you get fired from the Nirvalen estate—”
Her ear-to-ear grin looked like the grim reaper’s scythe.
“—but heaven forbid word gets out that you were tricked by a worthless monkey. Am I right?”
But if you’re okay with the world knowing that, go for it. Tell all of Elven Gard that you were tricked by a worthless Immanity.
It was the first time Chlammy had ever seen an Elf turn pale with despair.
Aha—not too shabby.
From the Elves’ high-and-mighty perspective, Immanity slaves were worth less than cattle. That was likely why this woman didn’t regard Chlammy with anger or disgust—but shock and fear.
“Mm-hmm… I see the fun in this. I’m a little glad I got to witness your departure.”
“Oh…oh…”
Chlammy looked at the dumbfounded attendant and remembered a certain phrase. She didn’t want to steal Sora’s words directly; she wanted to add her own twist to things, but—nah, never mind. She couldn’t come up with anything better for this situation. She remembered what Sora told her that day. She wanted to try saying the phrase herself for once.
“ Don’t underestimate humans like that, okay? ”
Chlammy wondered what her face looked like when she said this. She had no way of knowing, but whatever it was, it made the Elf woman cower in fear.
Now I’m satisfied.
“Fare thee well, Little Miss Worthless Ex-Lady-in-Waiting. I pray you find happiness…in the hell that awaits you.”
The Elf scurried away as Chlammy waved good-bye with a smile on her face.
Everything in this world is run by games, and those games are over before they even start.
Just like how the coin toss Sora used to bring the Eastern Union over to his side was already decided before he even tossed the coin. If that’s the way this world works, then how about this? If games are over before they start, is there even a reason to participate in them? Just let the fools play a game among themselves, and watch them destroy one another. Sounds like a good idea, right?
“ I bet Sora would say something like, There’s no beauty in a win by default. Sorry, Sora, but I’m going to use every card at my disposal until I get to your level, and oof!”
“Chlaaaaammyyyyy! ”
Chlammy, who was trying to finish her monologue with grace, was interrupted by Fiel, who came flying out of nowhere and latched on to her. As in, she literally flew from the second floor using magic and landed on Chlammy, practically suffocating her with a hug.
“Hee-hee-hee, now it’s just youuu and me in this house big ol’ house. ”
Come again?
“H-hold on, Fi, don’t tell me you fired everyone who works here and not just those five?!”
Chlammy had planned on a little spring cleaning for the manor, but Fiel had just cleaned summer, winter, and fall as well. Fiel stared at Chlammy in confusion.
“Why, I thought that’s what you wanted me to dooo? You made them doubt each other, so I took them in for questioning. They ratted out everyone, even those who weren’t related to thiiis incident.”
Another phrase Chlammy didn’t recognize popped into her mind:
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
So that was why Fiel insisted on asking each of her ladies-in-waiting individually.
“If only they had stood up for one another, no one would have been fired. All you have to do is put them under a liiittle stress, and they all betray each other. Now they’ve all lost their jobs and brought shame to their familiiies. Why, they even told me juicy secrets about one another’s families. Heh-heh-heh. ”
Chlammy wasn’t surprised, though. She knew Fi was going to love this, but as always, she was one step ahead of her. Honestly, “love this” was an understatement—Fiel simply lived for this kind of carnage. Nothing surprising about that—but there was one problem.
“And with that, Chlammy, it’s just you. And. Me. Two little lovebirds with the nest allll to ourselves. ”
Maybe I’m the one being sent to hell…?
Fiel had knocked Chlammy onto the grass and was slowly getting closer and closer, when—
“Fi, Fiiiii! C-calm down, will you?! There’s a chance someone might still be here, you know—!”
“Why, you may have a point there… Looks like we had better take this to the bedroooom. ”
“That’s not what I’m trying to—wait, where’d she gooooooo?!”
Chlammy clutched her head as she called out for her friend, who must have teleported using magic. Then she had a thought:
Sora was going to beat all the races, whether they be Elves or gods. Chlammy knew this by the look in his eyes. So she wondered: Was she herself even capable of pulling one over on Fiel—?
“Get ahold of yourself, Chlammy Zell!! What, are you going to just give up? She’s the perfect opponent!”
…Indeed she was. A little…over the top, for sure, but Fiel was, by all means, the perfect opponent…
Later on at the Nirvalen residence, a knock came to Fiel’s bedroom door in the middle of the night.
“Oh, Chlammy! What took you so looong? Why, I was about to get started without you!!”
Fiel seemed somewhat upset. Without asking what she was going to start, Chlammy began to speak.
“Um… Fiel… I don’t know how to break this to you, but since you fired all the attendants, I have to do all the chores around here… That includes laundering the pillow you’re holding.”
Chlammy sulked as she took the pillow away from Fiel, who responded, “Who cares about this houuuse? It’s not like we’ll be living here much longer anywaaay. Why, all you have to worry about is keeping this room clean. I can do that with magic if need be.”
True, Sora planned on destroying Elven Gard from within. They wouldn’t be spending much time at the manor anymore once all was said and done; that was why Fiel needed to get rid of her attendants. If all went as planned—she and Chlammy would have to leave this house fairly soon. Nonetheless…
Chlammy eyed Fiel suspiciously. “…Mind letting me in on what you plan on doing for tomorrow’s breakfast?”
“Ah… Hee…hee-hee-heeee. Why, I was just thinking about how much I’m looking forward to your home cooking. ”
Chlammy didn’t know if she should be relieved or concerned that even Fiel had oversights. Regardless, Chlammy heaved a sigh and entered the bedroom.
But then…
“Hmm, Chlammy… Those clothes really don’t suit the mood very wellll…”
“The m-mood? What are you talking about…? Besides, I only own two sets of clothes ”
“Well, that won’t dooo. After all, it’s our first night together all alone in this mansion. You should wear the appropriate attiiire.”
“Stop calling it our first night, will ?”
Spirits filled the air, cutting off Chlammy before she could finish her sentence. For a brief moment, Chlammy saw something shocking in the reflection of Fiel’s eyes.
“What are you—?!” she shouted as she tried to cover various parts of her body—she had been stripped of all her clothes—but Fiel beat her to it. The Elf looked at Chlammy with a big grin.
“Aaand, there we go!”
“Ugh… Magic is so cheap…”
Chlammy found herself wrapped in a silky negligee that was soft to the touch. Fiel smiled as her friend took a moment to admire the garment. The outfit was nothing more than an illusion Fiel had produced with her magic. The Chlammy Fiel saw was still completely naked, and the spell would wear off when she went to sleep, but she wasn’t going to tell Chlammy this.
“Oh, Chlammyyy! Come on over heeere.”
She patted a spot on the bed next to her.
“ I have a bad feeling about this, but…fine.”
When the ladies-in-waiting used to live together with them, the only way they could sleep together was for Fiel to go to Chlammy’s room. This was the first time they could sleep together in Fiel’s bed—an actual bed.
And boy, was it comfortable. Chlammy couldn’t believe Fiel had forgone sleeping in a bed this luxurious just to join Chlammy on her bed made of hay. She was feeling kind of bad about it when Fiel spoke up.
“Chlammy… I want you to forgive me.”
“ Huh? For what?”
Chlammy was caught off guard by the remark, but Fiel went on to make her apology.
“Why, I’m sure you must have realized by now, but if all I really desired was to make you happy, we should have escaped Elven Gard together a long time ago and lived on the roooad.”
“…………”
Chlammy had played with the idea before, but…
“But I was scared… After all, you’re an Immanity, which means…you will die long before…me. I was afraid that once I lost you, I wouldn’t be able to go on alone in the world… And since we’re different races, we can’t have children together, either…”
“ Sorry to interrupt you when you’re serious, but there is more than just race keeping us from wait.”
Elves lived for over a thousand years. The most Fiel could do with her magic was extend Chlammy’s life span to just under two hundred.
So what would happen when she was gone? Fiel didn’t know—so she pretended never to realize this, but
“Hey… Fi… Why do you do so much for me?”
Chlammy remembered that day. She remembered the doubt she had when Fiel told her about taking over Elkia. She liked Fiel, and she was obviously happy the feeling was mutual, but she didn’t know why Fiel was willing to go so far for an Immanity girl like herself.
“Why, you possess something that I as an Elf don’t… Can we just leave it at that for now?”
It was dark in the room, but there was a brightness to Fiel’s smile.
“ ? What do you…?”
Chlammy didn’t quite follow, but Fiel kept the same smile on her face and went on.
“I was so eager to create a place where you can be happy… But that was merely a means of escape for me. The truth is, I didn’t believe we’d be able to pull it off—this is just the way I am… So ”
“Don’t apologize for that, Fi…”
Chlammy stopped her from making her apology, which was beginning to sound more like a confessional.
“You had no reason to believe in me back then.”
“…Pardon?”
Chlammy chuckled uncomfortably and shared something she’d learned from Sora’s memories.
“Sora said during the tournament to determine the new monarch of Elkia that he was fine with letting me have the title.”
Fiel was surprised at the sudden turn the conversation had taken, but Chlammy continued with the same awkward smile on her face.
“Sounds crazy, right? But that guy really believes in his heart of hearts that ruling a country is a huge pain in the ass… And, get this, his reason for challenging me to a game in the first place:
“‘I don’t like the way you think.’”
“…………”
“The plans I told him about were your plans, not mine.”
She recalled that day with a touch of self-loathing.
“He knew that the fate of an entire race couldn’t be left in the hands of a person with a slave mentality—someone like me, who believed Immanity couldn’t win against Elf. You know, Sora actually liked your plan. If I’d been the one to come up with it…then he would’ve let me win. At the end of the day, those two—they’re gamers, not politicians.”
That was why they needed Stephanie Dola to run Elkia for them. They knew that being good at games didn’t make them good leaders.
“But I’m—different now.”
Chlammy looked up at the ceiling. Her eyes weren’t empty like they once had been—like how Fiel knew them. They were full of purpose, gazing far off into the distance—they saw something.
“I promise I’ll rely on you more and stop shouldering everything on my own all because I don’t want to cause you trouble. So, Fi—there’s just one thing I want to ask you.”
I won’t run away anymore, no matter what—so please…
“Fi…could you help me?”
“Why, you don’t have to ask me twiiice. We’ll be together forever.”
Fiel answered without hesitation.
Tears began to spontaneously erupt from Chlammy’s eyes.
“We are a team, you and I. We’ll do everything hand in haaand, step by step, shoulder to shoulder.”
Something about that threw Chlammy off.
No, Chlammy realized. That’s been on my mind since the very beginning.
“Hey…Fi… I, uh…really like you, y’know…?”
“Yuuup. I really like you, toooo!”
“R-right. That’s great to hear… But I just want to check: Are you and I ?”
“Hmm? Why, we’re partners. ”
“Yeah, about that. That’s better than slave and master, but by partners, you mean ”
Chlammy was thinking about the covenant that bound them together as slave and master, and how vague it was. What did Fiel actually mean by “partner”? How much of that covenant was genuine on her part? Fiel’s eyes were full of concern as she watched Chlammy ponder over this question.
“Chlammy… Does it bother you that…we’re different races?”
“N-no, not at all! You’ve always been the one person I can truly trust; that hasn’t chang—”
Fiel’s expression brightened the moment she heard this. “Why, in that case, I suppose it really doesn’t matter that we’re both womeeen. ”
“Wait, what?! That’s—so sudden! And an entirely different topic!”
“I love you, Chlammy… How do you feel about meee…?”
Chlammy noticed Fiel looked terribly uneasy asking the question, and took a moment to think about her answer. “Love” in Elven was a little different from “love” in the Immanity tongue. The former was a more general term used to describe affection between family and friends, for example. For humans, however, telling someone “I love you” meant something a little more…serious. But right now, Fiel and Chlammy were speaking in the Immanity tongue. And in that case, the meaning Fiel was referring to was
“Is it that…you don’t—love me?” Fiel asked on the verge of tears, voice quavering.
Chlammy answered her in a fluster, “Aaaah, all right! I love you! I love you! Now quit it with the sad puppy dog eyes!!”
As per usual, Fiel’s expression changed instantaneously, as if she were swapping out a mask.
“Okaaay! The feeling is mutual, then. That means you won’t have a problem with thiiis. ”
She reached out and put her hands on Chlammy’s clothes, but Chlammy cried, “Don’t try to take my clothes off! I’m n-not ready for that kind of stuff yet!”
“Yet. That sounds like a promise. Why, I suppose I’ll just have to wait a little looonger. ”
Fiel was back at it again, toying with Chlammy’s emotions, only to back down at the drop of a hat. Chlammy sheepishly asked her a question.
“Hey… Fi… How much of that was a joke?”
“Hmm? I haven’t said a single joke all niiight.”
“ I’m, uh, g-going back to my room! I’m not ready for that kind of stuff yet!”
“Eh-heh-heh… Why, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m not going to ravish youuu. ”
“So you’re saying you weren’t just actually trying to take my clothes off?!”
“…Why…I’m not sure about that myseeelf.” Fiel suddenly began mumbling, which caused Chlammy to tense up. “It’s not like I’m your parent… And I know it’s rather strange for an Elf like meee to get so attached to an Immanity like youuu…”
Fiel looked like she was still a teenager, but she had been alive for over half a century.
Even she herself didn’t know the answer to Chlammy’s question.
“I see something in you I don’t see in myself or other Elves. That’s the truth. But…I simply don’t know how to describe the feeeelings I have for you.”
Fiel looked down. This was the first time she’d ever been this open. She shared how she truly felt, despite her own bewilderment.
“I feel we are more than just close friends. But we aren’t family, and you definitely aren’t my slave.”
“……Fi……”
Fiel looked up at Chlammy.
“Sooo I was wondering whether kissing you would bother me at all. ”
“ Huh?!”
“And, why, the answer was no. So I suppooose that by ‘partners,’ we’re more like lovers, or perhaps married—”
“I-I-I’m going back to my room!”
“Huhhh? But, Chlammy, you were the one who asked to be my slaaave!”
“I-I-I know that! But this is different—!”
Chlammy lost her composure. Fiel looked up at her dejectedly and asked, “So… What do you meaaan? Chlammy…do you not like doing these kinds of things with meee?”
“ I’ll answer that another day! And stop looking at me like that!”
Chlammy couldn’t resist Fiel’s big puppy dog eyes. She covered her face with a pillow and sank into thought.
She’s obviously messing with me, but it sounds like there’s a grain of truth in there as well. I can tell because we’ve been friends for so long.
Why do I have so much faith in Fi, even though she’s another race? Why do I feel so comfortable around her?
Chlammy admitted to herself that she was always a step or two behind Fiel.
She wondered what Fiel meant to her. They certainly weren’t master and slave, and they obviously weren’t related. It was hard to imagine a friendship capable of forging a bond this strong, either. They trusted each other with their lives.
Chlammy tried rummaging through Sora’s memories: Those two have a special relationship of their own, but it doesn’t really apply to us.
…Maybe I should follow Fi’s lead. I wonder if I could kiss her
“ Whoa?! N-no, being comfortable with kissing someone has nothing to do with friendship!!”
“Drats. You saw right through me… Why, Chlammy, you’ve gotten tougher…”
Fiel briefly clicked her tongue before assuming her usual grin.
“But it’s too late for you. You won’t be able to get that question out of your heaaad!”
“Aaaaaah, I caaan’t heeear youuu! Time for bed, time for bed, time for bedddd!”
Chlammy had to cut off this Erof before she crossed a line. She obeyed the logical part of her brain and forced herself to go to bed.
…………
After a short while, Chlammy finally managed to fall asleep. Fiel lay next to her, gazing at her sleeping face. As much as she toyed with her friend, Fiel herself didn’t know why she felt this way about her. Her Elf heritage—her common sense—told her there was no reason to get so attached to an Immanity. But she had another type of logic about her—one that Chlammy thought so highly of—and it resonated even more:
Who gives a shit why I care about this girl so much? I’d do anything for her.
As she considered this, she also pictured those two siblings—Sora and Shiro.
“I thought Chlammy would understand my feelings now that she has Mr. Sora’s memories…but perhaps my expectations were too sky hiiigh.”
Evidently, not even Sora had an answer to Fiel’s feelings. She was still curious, but knowing what Chlammy thought now wouldn’t make a difference. Fiel was going to continue following her gut, moving forward hand in hand with Chlammy. That was it—except…
“…The Ten Covenants prevent you from violating another person’s rights—I suppose the same goes for when that person is asleep…”
An idea popped up in the back of Fiel’s mind. What if she could kiss Chlammy while she was asleep? That is, what if the Covenants didn’t prevent her from doing so? Would that mean Chlammy accepted her feelings—would that answer her questions?
…………
“Erm…mmm! I’d better nottt. ”
She wanted their first kiss to be a shared experience. Then Fiel giggled as she decided—
“Why, if we can beat Mr. Sora and his sister to the title of the One True God, Chlammy’s life span and race won’t matter anymooore.”
—she was going to help Sora with his plan.
However, she and Chlammy would be the ones to defeat Tet. A slight grin appeared on her face. Sora—no, both he and his sister—were only interested in playing games. And not against just anyone. They wanted to play against a strong opponent; someone stronger than them. They were gamers to the core—and mere children.
Fiel knew that Chlammy had likely picked up on a certain important detail from Sora’s memories. Although he fully intended on fighting together with Fiel and Chlammy, there was one reason why he didn’t bind them by the Covenants.
“You want a rematch—don’t youuu, Mr. Sora? …Why, consider this challenge accepted. We’ll beat you and your sister, juuust the way you want us to… ”
Fiel had a sinister smile on her face as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She and Chlammy weren’t going to take their loss lying down.
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