The radiant woman's blue eyes flicked in my direction, but briefly enough for me to assume that her gaze was aimlessly wandering around the table.
"I am pleased to finally meet you, Mr. Loman."
"... Melanargia, huh?" Larg barely even looked at her as he spoke. "What business would a noble like you have with a lowly peasant like me?"
The woman known as 'Mel' began to respond with a short smile.
"I caught wind of an experienced Collector, or should I say an 'information broker', who usually hangs around this station nearly drinking himself to death."
"Death!? HA! They really think this shitty ale can take me down!?" Larg looked around the room glaring at the others who were present. "Who told you this!? Point me to 'em!"
"... So I'm guessing it's true," Mel continued. "You're the man I've been looking for." She failed to hide her disillusioned expression as she spoke.
"What sort of business do you have with him?" Snapper interjected.
His hand remained inside of his coat, which the princess seemed to take note of.
"There's no need to act cautious around me. I simply desire information. That is all." Her words–formal and well-spoken–seemed to disarm Snapper, albeit slightly.
"Of course, I am also willing to pay handsomely for your troubles."
"OHHH!" Larg's mood seemed to elevate once the conversation shifted toward monetary discussion. "How handsome are we talking here?!"
Snapper aimed a frown in his direction, and Amber, who was sitting beside him, kept her hunter eyes glued to Mel with a harsh look.
Amber seems angry for some reason, I deduced. Is it because of Mel?
The princess reached into her pocket, and from it, she obtained a small brown sack, which she tossed onto the table space in front of Larg.
"I think that should be handsome enough," she said, as Larg quickly opened it.
"Hehehe!" He cackled. "And I think I might be the most handsome man alive." Larg was practically drooling as he gazed inside the sack as though it were illuminating before him.
"Slow down, buddy, you're kinda pushin' it with that one," Snapper interrupted.
"... You know what I meant." Larg stuffed the sack inside his pocket before turning to Mel. "You got yourself a deal, princess."
He then paused for a moment.
"I would shake your hand, but I'm sure an incredibly hygienic noble like yourself wouldn't want to dirty those polished gauntlets with the filthy palms of a lowly commoner."
"... Indeed you are correct, Mister Loman." Mel temporarily unfastened the gauntlet covering her bare right hand before reaching it out toward Larg. "The gauntlets would only be getting in the way, right?"
Hesitating for a moment, he looked up at her smiling face before accepting the hand that was gracefully presented before him.
As they shook hands, the breathy sounds of whispers began to erupt from all sides of the room, and soon the volume of the station gradually returned to normal.
"So, Princess Mel… Whaddya wanna know?"
"As much as you can tell me about Collectors," she replied.
I watched Snapper relax as he moved his arm out of his coat, but Amber continued silently staring at Mel.
"I see." Larg began scanning our table, noticing that all the seats around it had been occupied by the four of us. "Well, I better go grab a chair from somewhere," he said, attempting to search for a spare seat to borrow.
"No need." Mel held a hand out toward Larg, signaling him to stop.
Suddenly, she revealed a card that began to orbit her as she called out…
"Material Manifestation."
Mel hit the base of her armored foot against the wooden floor before moving back slightly.
Just in front of the area she stomped, a wooden throne began to emerge until it had completely surfaced.
"Woah!" Larg cried.
Others in the room also began to watch her in awe, as though she were performing for a crowd.
"What a convenient ability you have there... Mind telling us how it works?" Snapper asked cunningly.
"Although I am not yet in possession of a Collector's license, I'm still well aware of the disadvantages of explaining one's abilities to a potential rival."
"So, you wanna be a Collector too, huh?" Snapper began to gaze at her doubtfully. "Could you–instead–explain to us why a noble princess like you would wanna trouble yourself with such a demanding profession? Or is that too difficult to share with a "potential rival"?" he mocked.
Mel sunk her body into her wooden throne, crossing her legs and arms before starting her reply.
"I don't mind sharing my motives with you all." She then placed a hand over the handle of her sheathed blade. "But first, I would like to know why that one has been staring at me so intently the moment I arrived here."
Following her line of sight, we all shifted our focus to Amber, who withdrew her gaze the moment she was confronted.
"I apologize… princess," she said, reluctantly.
"I did not ask you for an apology," Mel sternly elaborated. "I want to know what it is you seek from me."
I was under the impression that Amber had been acting quite strange ever since we reached the Eastern Contra, so I was able to relate with Mel's curiosity.
"You…" Amber gritted her teeth as though she herself was not prepared to answer. "You don't remember me, do you?"
"I'm not sure I understand. Are you perhaps trying to suggest that we have been previously acquainted?"
"It was about ten years ago, here in East Contra. It was the same day of the Servant Exchange Ceremony, where noble families from each region would visit their respective Contras after retiring their old serfs, and exchange them for healthier workers."
It was a system that I hadn't heard of until now, where those who were physically unable to serve the noble families would be stripped of their duties and replaced by younger and more energetic workers that lived in the city.
"I am aware of such traditions," Mel said, impatiently, "please get to the point."
Amber continued her story, disclosing an event of her past that she seemed reluctant to share.
"... My mother and I were living here at the time, barely making ends meet with agricultural work. Sometimes I'd see that it was just too much for her, even when she would always deny it."
Amber's mother made a living by growing plants in her home to sell at the market. She grew all sorts of things like flowers for decorations, and different vegetables too. But that kind of work as well as having to look after a child was difficult for a single mother to manage all by herself.
Even when Amber did everything she could to help ease her mother's burden, she was still only a child at the end of the day, describing herself as "weak" and "pitiful".
Amber's body seemed to tense as she continued to speak.
"My mother eventually fell ill, and during the ceremony, all workers were obligated to appear in the city center and introduce themselves to the nobles."
She explained that if a registered worker was unable to make an appearance under any circumstance, they would be harshly penalized unless the next of kin appeared in their stead.
Naturally, Amber was contacted by the event host's messenger, who practically threatened her and her mother.
This caused her to make a tough decision: leaving her ill mother at home while she travelled to the city center with the messenger.
On the way there, he assured Amber that her presence was the only thing required, and that someone so young was less likely to be chosen by the nobles.
But because her two elder brothers were not present for the ceremony, the Melanargia family passed the decision onto their youngest daughter, who was around the same age as Amber at the time.
Naturally, she chose Amber, perhaps considering her as a future playmate of some sort.
"When that happened, I became desperate. I wasn't just gonna leave my mother behind, so what do you think I did?"
Amber directed this question toward Mel, who sat firmly upon her throne.
"I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea."
Amber winced at her response. "I burnt your servant's hand and made a circle of flames around me."
She objected to the selection, of course, throwing a tantrum the way kids usually do. Amber did anything she could to change the young girl's mind, but all she did was smile in amusement as though her protest only entertained her.
The moment one of the noble family's servants tried to grab hold of Amber, she awakened and unconsciously summoned her birth card.
No one dared to approach her, even as she fell to the ground, begging for her mother.
But as though she were summoned by her tears, Amber's mother then emerged from the flames, scorching her clothes just so she was able to wrap her arms around her child a final time.
In her ill condition, she travelled from their home to the city center and captured the lustful gazes of all the men who were present, including the noble family's father.
"Ignoring the little princess's refusal, the noble king accepted my mother's voluntary tribute right before she was taken away from me. That was the last time I ever saw her."
There was a deep silence that hung in the air for a few seconds after Amber's story was concluded.
"Sorry… I can't say that I remember any of that," Mel coldly responded.
At that very moment, Amber stood up and slammed her palm against the table before her Birthcard suddenly appeared.
"Maybe this will jog your memory!" she tearfully cried, pointing her inflamed fingers toward Mel, who remained seated.
"Ahh, now I recognize you." She spoke with a sadistic smile growing across her face. "It appears you've learned to control that amusing ability of yours, otherwise I would already be burning to death."
"My mother… How is she?" Amber dared to ask, ignoring her taunts.
"She passed away a few years ago." Mel spoke very bluntly, indifferent to how Amber must have felt.
"What…" Amber's face paled as though the shock of this news sapped the color right out of her cheeks.
"I was surprised she lasted as long as she did with that awful condition of hers," Mel continued. "She must have thought that if she held out long enough, she would eventually be able to see her daughter one last time."
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!"
A sinister expression took over Amber, as though she were possessed by a strong killing intent.
"Well, that's no way to talk to a noble princess."
As swiftly as she equipped her dagger, Amber propelled her body from the wall beside her, flinging herself in Mel's direction.
Before anyone even had time to react, she then swung her arm upward, slashing Mel's cheek before bringing the same arm back down to cross her second attack with the first.
A hideous wound in the shape of an 'X' was plastered on the side of what used to be the princess's flawless visage.
We all worriedly jumped out of our seats, and strangers from other tables did the same, seemingly waiting for a fight to break out.
However, I watched as Amber's expression completely deteriorated into pure shock, as Mel remained seated against her throne. She held a firm gaze in Amber's direction as the blood from her new wound began to trickle down her face.
"Satisfied?" she probed, while immobilized in her chair.
Amber clicked her tongue and made her way toward the exit.
"Amber!" I yelled at her, just as she began to walk away, but she ignored me and kept moving.
"Hey, Amber, where the hell are you going?!" Snapper's attempt produced the same result.
"Leave her. She has a lot on her mind right now."
"Yeah, no thanks to you," Snapper hissed at Mel. "Someone's gotta make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
Snapper then turned to me.
"Wolf, you stay here with these two until I get back. Larg, make sure to teach them everything they need to know, then send the princess on her damn way."
Both Larg and I nodded our heads in response before Snapper left the room to catch up with Amber.
Mel then retrieved a small napkin from her pocket, which she elegantly dabbed against her face as it soaked up the blood from her fresh wound.
I found myself eyeing her questioningly, wondering how she was unable to flinch at Amber's sudden attack.
"Your name is Wolf, correct?" She seemed to have caught me staring, so I nodded to her in response. "The way you look at me is quite strange. I have caused your friend an irreparable amount of emotional damage, yet I can tell you harbor no ill will towards me. Why is that?"
I wasn't too sure how I was supposed to answer that.
"Princess—"
"Just Mel is fine."
"Mel… You never got to tell us your reason for wanting to become a Collector." I tried to change the topic.
"Ah, right. Of course, I'll answer you. But first.." She continued to press her napkin against her face before turning to the crowd.
"There is no need to panic or make a scene," she assured. "You may all resume your conversations."
Those within the bar area, who were previously ready to intervene, obediently returned to their seats and continued their prior discussions.
"Mister Loman, would you also like to hear what I have to say?" She turned to Larg, who kept his head down while unable to look the Princess directly in the eye.
"I wouldn't say I have much of a choice."
"That's fine." She slowly stood up, as her throne sunk back into the ground. She then moved opposite me, claiming Amber's old seat for herself.
Ten minutes, I thought to myself after counting in my mind. That's how long her card ability was able to last.
Earlier, while assessing Mel's card ability and trying to understand its functions for myself, I was finally able to put my own abilities to the test.
She sat down and sighed as she began to speak.