Chapter 9: The Old Mistress' Past

Lili’s eyes lit up as the old mistress pulled her out of the dark, moist dungeon. The oak wood door separating the outside and the dark prison creaked open. The peeking light forced her to cover her eyes, forcing her to shut her eyes. After a few seconds, her golden pupils opened, adjusting herself to the light.

The young lady blinked around, watching the wide sprawling halls with spiky orbs lighting the path. Her teacher told her of those expensive lights. Those orbs were called magicites; magical spheres crafted from monster cores by rune magus. The orbs filled the expansive halls every four or five meters, illuminating the entire halls.

There was also the long crimson-hued carpet extending throughout the floor. And then there were the guards. Lili gulped and almost ran away.

“Ignore them. They won’t do anything,” The old mistress said. “Just continue walking. We’re already near.”

Lili’s senses tingled as a few guards wearing full-plate armor scrutinized the two of them. Some guards even strode in their direction, planning to block them. Her eyes narrowed. And her heart hammered within her. She wondered if they’ll be caught and brought back into that lonely dungeon.

However, as soon as the guards glimpsed the dark snake tattoo slithering on the old mistress’ arm, all of them retreated. With a quick bow, they returned to their previous positions as if nothing had happened.

“Where are we, old mistress?” Lili asked. “Why did they retreat?”

“The tattoo on my arm shows that I’m a direct subordinate of the noble magus.” The old lady said. “They won’t touch me unless the magus wills it. As for where, we’re already in the noble’s territory. The city of Trent.”

Lili expected they had held her in a prison cell in the countryside. But after seeing the sprawling halls and fully equipped guards, she changed her mind. The magicites hanging on the halls were not something any ordinary merchant could buy. An exclusive product for the magus bloodlines and the nobility.

“I told you about the true noble, right?” The old mistress halted her steps and turned to Lili. A long-suffering sigh leaked out of her lips. “We are inside his auction house. Everything inside this place is his.”

She paused for a moment, clasping Lili’s hands tighter. “Including us. Me, you, Marco, and all the guards you’ve seen. Let’s go. I already arrange where you are going to stay until you have to meet the master of this place. I’ll explain everything to you later.”

Lili took a deep breath and obediently followed the old mistress. Soon, they arrived at a wooden door. She tried touching it, but an electrifying current coursed through her hands, forcing her to retreat. She glanced at the old mistress, an awry smile drifted into her lips.

“This is something special. You won’t be able to open it like that.” The old mistress watched the door, reminiscing about the past years. “It’s one the first gifts I have received when I was still actively serving Lord Magus. I never thought I’ll use it again after retiring.”

“But don’t you hate the true noble,” Lili whispered, tilting her head while a frown slid between her eyebrows.

“Indeed, but that was a long time ago.” The old mistress lifted her thumb and bit it. A fresh-rose-tinted liquid trickled out, flowing into her palms. After the blood had covered her palms, she reached out to the door. A creaking sound echoed, and slowly the magical door opened. Then the old mistress invited Lili inside. “We will talk about the rest inside.” 

As soon as Lili entered the room, her mouth fell open, gaping at the sight. A bluish carpet of the rarest kind filled the entire room. A stack of fine linen, some even sparkling, stunned her on her feet. Intricate gowns and dresses hung on the corner, and Lili had an inkling that it was a collection worth great treasure. There were also boxes of costly tea leaves laying beside an old furnished table. She could catch the aroma of the familiar scent. It was the thing the old mistress gave to the children from time to time.

The room alone had twice the size of the entire orphanage. There was a kitchen, a bath, and a grand living room. It had the luxury that not even a rich merchant’s daughter could buy.

“It’s been fifteen years,” said the old mistress as she combed through the sparkling gowns she had once worn. “The power of Lord Magus is indeed magical to behold.”

Then the old mistress caught sight of the slithering black tattoo on her arms. “Too powerful indeed.” A tired, fleeting smile lined on the old mistress's lips. And in a blink of an eye, it vanished. She shifted her gaze back to Lili, her eyes sharpened.

“I won’t be able to help you too much, Lili,” said the old mistress. “But what I can do is to teach you what I know to the utmost of my abilities. I know you have a lot of questions and I’ll answer them one by one. Unfortunately, the magus’ butler only allowed me to stay here for three days. So, let’s make use of our time wisely.”

Lili gulped, realizing the heaviness of her current plight. “P-Please teach me, old mistress.”

“You already know a few things. Thankfully, I already taught you a lot when you were still in the orphanage.” The old mistress said, “From now on, you mustn’t go outside of this door until the auction day comes. There is a lot of infighting happening as of late. So this is for your safety, please bear with it. ”

“I will,” Lili said, straightening her posture. Her luscious dark hair swung around her waist. She bowed towards the old lady using the Antacasian etiquette the old lady had taught her. Mirth sliding on her pale lips.

“Is this good enough?” Lili humored the old lady whom she had treated as her mother.

“It’s excellent, but for now…” The old mistress waltzed towards Lili. With no word, she embraced the golden-eyed lady tightly, her arms shaking as she closed her eyes.

Lili staggered a little but soon recovered her steps. The warmth coming from the old lady’s body had overwhelmed her. She hugged her back gently in fear that she might hurt the old lady.

Unbeknownst to Lili, a few tears had already drizzled from her eyes.

“Thank you.” With her voice trembling, she said. “Thank you for coming, Mom.”

The hug lasted for a few minutes before a few words flew out from the old mistress. She stared at Lili, wiping the tears forming on the lass’ eyes. “I-I’m glad you’re safe. And you stink, take a bath first.”

***

The old mistress soon answered the questions that bothered Lili one by one. They spent the night filling Lili with the information she wanted to know.

The first was about the true noble. The old mistresses explained about the noble’s businesses. The lord was an old powerful magus who controlled the dark side of Antacast. No, rather than control, his task was to manage the underworld. The old mistress was one of the first servants of the old magus. She handled a few things for him, especially the slave training. And even though the old mistress didn’t wish to do it, she had to because of the death oath the magus had forced her into. Or else, death.

The mage noble gifted the magical room to the old mistress during her early days in the organization. The magus noble had once assigned her to handle the trivial matters of negotiation with the clients and procurement of goods. From the basic necessities such as food and getting new slaves for the auction house.

At first, the old mistress ran the business as normal. That was until she heard the news of the few slaves she auctioned off dead on some dark streets or died in the murky mines.

The old mistress sugarcoated nothing and told Lili everything. Her frustration and regrets. And that every time she stared at her hands, she would see running blood, especially of the children. And for the same reason, she pushed a change into the organization. Teaching the kids how to write and read would help them survive, making them more valuable to kill and throw in the mines. Thus, she became the old mistress of the orphanage, retiring from her previous position.

As for the other fifteen-year-olds, many of them were already traveling the world as assistants to merchants or even nobles. It’s difficult to find excellent assistants capable of reading and writing. Not to mention accounting and management that are taught in the orphanage. So those who are well-learned are most sought by the powerful to assist them in managing their fiefs or businesses. She kept them away from the mines and the red light businesses.

And the reason the orphanage wasn't receiving any letters was that the contract stops them so. It's part of the magical contract, after all. The organization wanted to avoid any stupid thoughts to brew in the children's minds.

The crown of light receded back into the depths of the mountains to take its rest. Three moons of violet, crimson, and blue began its reign. The moonbeam fell on the open window, lighting its rays on the two shadows on the bed. And before they knew it, the first day had already ended.