Chapter 114

The slaves who were exchanging glances, buzzing with each other, lost their words for a moment.

"Collapsed?"

"All three days?"

"But you came to see us as soon as you woke up?"

In that moment, some of them remembered Aria losing her consciousness and being held in Vincent's arms.

The girl sang the song. And because of that song, she hasn't been able to wake up until now.

"Are, are you okay?"

Ted asked, startled.

Leo, who was in his arms and looking at Aria with twinkling eyes, suddenly burst into tears.

"Then, because of us…"

Aria was startled, wiping the child's tears away.

"Don't cry. I just made a choice I won't regret, and it's no one's fault."

The slaves who heard her were more agitated.

'I wield my emotions however I want....'

Aria muttered a little.

She'd be lying if she said she didn't recall the past nightmares when they said those words.

In an instant, Veronica's voice echoed in her head.

["All those who are addicted to your songs have gone crazy!"]

Now she knows it's a fake accusation. However, even now when she was sure that it was a conspiracy, the wounds she received at that time were still engraved deep in her heart.

Aria couldn't help but be agitated.

'Still... I believe.'

Just like the words written on the card she left for Gabriel, who lost his consciousness and collapsed by the vagrants one day.

No matter how many accusations he hears, he should not doubt the path he walks.

Her agitation was only momentary.

Her eyes soon hardened. Her confident eyes did not falter, and immediately burned like flames with a bright light.

"When you listen to my song, what did you see?"

"Well, that's…"

At those words, Vibrio stumbled.

As he listened to the song, his emotions intensified and assimilated, but he did not see anything. Because he did not understand deeply the feelings of the slaves.

Then Aria answered instead.

"Have you seen the world you longed for?"

All the slaves, except for Vibrio, nodded slowly.

Light, salvation, hope, courage, freedom. All of that drove them to move.

"But, who lifted the anchor and moved the boat?"

"..."

"Freedom is what you win. No one can deny it."

Aria added, looking back at the man who had suddenly lost his words.

"Vibrio, you too."

At that moment, Vibrio trembled and avoided Aria's gaze. It was because her eyes seemed to pierce his innermost thoughts.

"The chains of slavery have already been broken. You have broken them."

Aria didn't want anything in return. She didn't even boast that she saved them.

It was the first time the slaves, as well as those who were unfairly dragged into slavery, had heard of it, and it was the first kind of treatment they had ever received. They had never even heard of it in their dreams.

"The introduction is late."

Aria looked around the crowd, strengthening her voice.

"My name is Ariadne Valentine."

Even without her magical powers, the siren's unique, mysterious and powerful voice reverberated throughout the room.

"Valentine's Grand Princess."

Grand Princess! They didn't know she would be the real Grand Princess.

'Shoot, it's so different from the rumors!'

Vibrio had a pale, flustered face.

'Aren't Valentine's brides sold as sacrifices and living like corpses?'

Aria, who identified herself as a 'publicly known devil's bride', rolled her eyes and smiled like an angel.

Because she's happier and more proud than ever to be able to call herself Valentine.

"I have seen your will to never be a slave again."

A slave who was holding their pounding heart at Aria's smile asked cautiously. They had the courage to speak up.

"Grand Princess. So what will happen to us now?"

It wasn't intentional, but they were kept in suspense for three days, so now they must know for sure.

Aria brought out the words that she had been thinking to herself while she was here.

"It's dangerous, so you better stay here until you escape the slave traders' pursuit."

"You, you mean here?"

"I will do my best to help you become independent. But if your heart doesn't allow it, you can leave anytime after safety is secured."

Those who had resigned, thinking 'You're going to make us a slave, too.', doubted their ears.

Can she help them become independent? Was it okay to leave at any time?

"There are no slaves in Valentine's Castle, so work and get paid."

It was also shocking that there were no slaves on Valentine, which was called the devil's lair.

Besides, Aria said she would give them the right to own private property. She was really going to free her from slavery.

"…are you really saying you don't want anything?"

"Huh? What can I ask of you?"

"No, I mean… what did you gain to save us?"

Gain? Aria looked at her memory when she sang the Song of Dawn.

Of course, at that moment, Lloyd's condition seemed dire, and Ted's family was aboard the ship....

"Because you are on the road that I was heading to."

She helped them because they were there.

It was a simple and clear reason. And, it was also the most incomprehensible reason for them.

"You're an angel as expected…"

Someone could not stand it and raised a voice.

No matter how capable they were, there were very few people in the world who would help others by hurting themselves.

Rarely, such people were commonly referred to as heroes.

But Lloyd did. Aria did too.

The slaves were more ashamed.

Vibrio was the one who instigated and framed them as a devil, and monster, but it was the slaves who were scared and shaken.

"The feeling we first felt was right. We knew the answer right from the start…"

"Even when we saw it, we couldn't believe it."

They didn't want to believe it. Because they were afraid of getting hurt when they expected it. They were only thinking of themselves until the end.

"Finally, everything is revealed!"

Ted pointed at Vibrio.

'Now I can say it!'

With a very relieved face, he thrust out his chest and shouted out loud.

"By the way, you are the most suspicious person here, aren't you?"

Then the slaves joined in. They broke the silence and raised their voices.

"That's right. From the very beginning, it was ridiculous to pretend to be our spokesperson with your personal opinion!"

Now they know, that silence puts oneself into slavery.

"The devil, the monster, and whatever, they just did good things!"

"If that's so dissatisfying, you can be sold back into slavery!"

"What would you do if the Grand Princess was deeply hurt because of you?"

"Come to think of it, you've been trying to run away with you for a long time, what's wrong with you?"

"If you ran away now, would it be any better than being dragged back into slavery?"

"That's right. Anyway, it's safe here."

"You're really suspicious…"

They have now decided to trust their judgment. They decided to believe and act.

Because they were no longer a slave.

Because they got total freedom

Aria looked at them and smiled, then looked back at Vibrio and said,

"Look. Everyone says you're suspicious. Now you're not complaining about being locked up in a dungeon, aren't you?"

A native slave trader, Vibrio failed to convince the slaves. He was angry, but he had to admit that he had been completely defeated by Aria. The option of dragging the slaves away and asking Maxim for forgiveness had already passed.

'Once I;m locked in a dungeon, can I escape?'

No, it's over. If he was searched, they would know that he could manipulate energy.

'Right now.'

Last chance to escape.

Vibrio took a break from the knight's negligent gaze, hiding his presence in an instant.

"What...."

Cloud reached out to grab him again. He definitely touched it. But Vibrio slipped out of Cloud's hand.

It felt like he was grabbing sand.

It felt like a grain of sand slipping between his fingers no matter how hard he tried.

"Loach?"

Cloud muttered in embarrassment.

A loach, look at this escape genius! Vibrio was choking up, but it wasn't the time to be concerned about that.

He had to get out of here as soon as possible.

'Eekk!'

Then Cloud drew his sword and swung it.

A blade full of energy passed through Vibrio's hair. As scary as that, he approached with his sword frantically slashing the wind.

"Damn it!"

Cloud was the Sword Master. He couldn't be a competitor to Vibrio.

Vibrio, who ran to and fro like a loach and reached the limit, caught the child near him.

"Kyaak!"

"Put down the sword! If you don't want to see the girl get hurt!"

Cloud had no choice but to stand still. Because Vibrio took a dagger from his arms and threatened to put it on the child's neck.

It was a hostage situation.

'It's ugly to the end.'

Aria frowned.

She gave Cloud a glance. As ordered, he dropped his sword obediently.

"You! Just try and open your mouth too! I'll cut this girl's throat before I get brainwashed by the song…"

It was then.

As Vibrio spoke, his eyes slowly rolled over, and he collapsed.

Behind him stood Lloyd, who was unknown whether how or when he appeared.

"You?"

Lloyd asked that, and turned Vibrio over with his feet. And put his feet on Vibrio's neck.

It's like trying to break Vibrio's neck.

The eyes, which had become something like gray, were boiling with murderous energy like lava for that moment. It was as if his cloudy eyes had properly lost its reason.

"Wait a minute."

Then Aria intervened in her middle and stopped Lloyd.

"You can't kill him. I don't think that person is a slave."

Since it was revealed that he had an ability, the probability that he was not an ordinary slave increased significantly.

Plus his ability to escape. If he had been taken as a slave, he would have been able to escaoe on his own sooner.

"...wake up."

Lloyd grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up, slamming his cheek with a merciless hand.

Vibrio had no choice but to come to his senses with his cheeks swollen with a single slap.

"I will hand him over to the inquisitor."

If Lloyd was going to hand Vibrio over to the inquisitor, there's no need to slap him on the cheek to wake him up.

Actually, Lloyd just wanted to hit him.

"Ha, why are there always bugs like this around the wife?"

Lloyd muttered. Aria said while blinking her eyes and stroking Lloyd's hair.

"I told you to wait outside the door."

"I'm sorry I'm not a guard dog."

Lloyd answered in a slightly hoarse voice.

In fact, he was quietly waiting for Aria outside from the beginning. But as soon as he sensed Cloud boosting his energy, he ran inside right away.

It was unknown how many times he had suppressed the urge to break Vibrio's neck since he made a fuss. To wait and see what his wife is doing. What kind of order was that?

"Well, if Lloyd intervened, people would have been more scared."

Aria said so and gently stroked Lloyd's head as if to soothe him.

He lowered his eyes languidly and tilted his head as he followed her hand.