Prisoners' Den

"Wasn't Bryan Minwoo's left-hand man? Why wasn't he informed of the shift?" asked Baldwin.

It appears that even Baldwin was unaware of the fact Bryan was not told beforehand Mavislin had led the Five Kings. From what I've read, Baldwin was the one who founded and led the Five Kings. Until a few months before the Umbra Mission, a month before Mavislin 'ran away.'

I wonder if that sequence of events happened in this Universe as well.

"I was Minwoo's assistant, but I can guarantee that I was not informed about the shift. And neither did Vernice since she told me she was scared to ask any of you guys for help. Minwoo was quite a secret keeper. So now then, with that cleared up, shall we discuss more the Dollhouse Mission?"

Z folded his arms and let out a huff while Clement quietly finished his meal and bolted back to the kitchen side. I'd nearly forgotten that we've got one more dish to try. I'll probably skip dinner for tonight with the way things are going. Maybe I'll bring dessert instead.

"First things first, what Mavislin, Lady Elizabeth, and I have spoken about was how impossible it was for the Duchess to know about the missing childrens' incident. That district should be off-limits for her... So what and why was she walking around there?" asked Z, tilting his head.

"If the previous Duchess were to hear about this Mission and find out her only daughter was running around those areas, that mother is going to scream at all of us. Because now, Vernice is part of the Five Kings arranged by the Arks, we are all roped into this matter," explained Z.

Tomoe looked very confused at Z's explanation.

"What do you mean? I've been in Briton for the past month after my training with Bryan had ended. And I can safely say that the Duchess wasn't walking around in public. Also, there aren't any missing children around the Prisoners' Den. But if I recall correctly..."

"Prisoners' Den should not have any kids. There's a reason why Prisoners' Den is called that name. I allied with the ancestor of the Midford Family to create that place to hold those who are deemed criminals. But, I've got a soft spot for kids, so I won't allow any children under fifteen to go there."

"And before you say that humans love to procreate, I've made sure female criminals are either exiled from the Domain or forced to work for the Midford Family as their maids. Thus, that place should only have male criminals. Slayer Verna, are you sure you've gotten the right information?"

"Because I am dead sure of this fact since I was in the Briton Domain for a week before I went for my rest period. Before the Mission in Albion," explained the High Queen sternly.

Man, that lovely face of the High Queen should not look that formidable and stern. It was like looking at a dove turn into a hawk. It was horrifying but astounding at the same time to see the family of Mages talk about work and the different perspectives they had.

Bryan froze up as he was given those pieces of information. The Slayer looked at me for confirmation, hoping that I would somehow back him up. But instead, I quickly scanned through the images Vania gave to me while analyzing the letters.

The images had children in them! But then again, I've heard of cases of malnutrition for adults. An 18 years old man could look like a child if the teenager were dying from starvation. Bryan was still waiting for my addition to the conversation. Finally, I cleared my throat and spoke my mind.

"I can confirm that Bryan is telling the truth about those letters being from the Duchess since the letters had the Midford Family Seal on all of the envelopes. However, there's something I want to check regarding the people in that district," I answered, turning to look Ysabeau.

"What would you like to know about the Prisoners' Den, dear child?" asked Ysabeau, shocked that I would be asking her something.

"Are the people of that place poorly fed? If so, everything would make sense from the standpoint that I am suggesting."

"Yes, we threw them there for them to rot away and die. They were a menace to the peace of Briton, and we didn't expect them to survive for long in that place. The conditions are harsh since there aren't many crops that can grow under winter conditions."

"When we tossed them away to die, the criminals ganged up and tried to make a living in that area. I would like to hear your standpoint of this matter since I've answered your question with positive feedback," explained Ysabeau.