Meanwhile...

At the same time Chump was preparing for that fateful night, Sharlindra had already received all the essential information about the new world, Mantrea. Betanya stood behind her, ensuring that she understood everything correctly.

To a degree that annoyed her, given her condition, she wanted to scream and resist, but she knew that one wrong move would result in excruciating pain. To make matters worse, they had been blindfolded for the entire journey.

"Can we please remove the blindfold, Miss Sergeant?" Betanya finally mustered the courage to speak.

A third feminine voice sighed nearby as it removed the bandages from their heads. The voice clarified, "Only Miss Sharlindra has been invited to our installations. I hope you have a good excuse for being here, Miss Betanya, for your own sake."

Sharlindra blinked a few times as she looked out the window. Despite her frustration with how they were treating her due to her new status as a slave, she was left speechless by what she saw.

They were on a wooden-looking transport, similar to a carriage, decorated with intricate sculptures and details. However, this carriage lacked wheels or a platform. Instead, its bottom resembled that of a wooden ship, complete with a bow and stern.

What propelled the carriage were ordinary-looking horses, with one tiny, insignificant detail – they were made of water.

From top to bottom, their bodies, including their hair and hooves, were composed entirely of water, ranging in shades of sea blue with hints of green, resembling emerald blue. The carriage was being transported on a massive river toward an island in the middle of an enormous lake. The island wasn't larger than half a city in size.

Most of the island's vegetation resembled Earth, but with Remenant lines running from the ground to the trees or vibrant Remenant energy inside the tree bark, noticeable in the faint glow of the leaves, flowers, and fruits in dim light.

What was particularly intriguing was the sight of thousands of people standing in the lake, apart from the main island. These individuals exhibited water-related physical traits, such as fangs, water hair, scales, gills, fins, and more.

They wore uniforms and carried armaments, although not everyone had the same weapons. Their uniform consisted of a stretchy black bodysuit adorned with exo-plates made of a combination of silver and platinum on various parts of their bodies.

The joints and boots featured a more flexible material with an emerald appearance, the composition of which remained unknown.

They were engaged in military training exercises, focusing on improving their physical fitness.

On one side, they lined up, strengthening their bodies through exercises like abs and push-ups using lances for support or manipulating water to create the necessary training structures.

On the other side, they formed trios, with two members engaging in combat while the third, apparently younger, served as their instructor.

These groups were overseen by commanders of higher rank, evident from their well-worn armor or slightly more decorated attire adorned with shell-shaped medals.

The third companion accompanying Sharlindra and Betanya appeared to be a regular foot soldier, her uniform lacking any medals or distinguishing features. It seemed that some things didn't change much from one planet to another.

It was also worth noting that the aquatic fauna below the water's surface didn't seem disturbed by the people standing on top of it, as if they didn't exist. The details about the underwater fauna could wait for another day, as the immediate focus was on what lay above the water.

On the shores of the beaches, there appeared to be some villages and bases, but they were too far away to discern any specifics. In the center of the island, a mansion dominated the main hill, comprising most of it except for the initial slope.

Once they arrived on the main island, the horses' handlers closed the interior curtains. Sharlindra raised her brow, and the soldier nodded before proceeding with an explanation.

"Miss Sharlindra, you have been personally invited by Lady Ladice to her quarters. However, we need to maintain as much privacy and security as possible. As you may know, being the first reincarnated human comes with great responsibility."

Sharlindra was about to make a different gesture, but the companion raised her hand and continued.

"Your slave collar is currently activated. Any deliberate harm or actions intended to hurt you, directly or indirectly, will result in your death. Now that you are controlled directly through your soul, you can speak."

Sharlindra only glanced at Betanya with an unfriendly expression, and Betanya nodded in response. Sharlindra took a deep breath and trembled slightly as she uttered her first words.

"What do you—" She paused, fearing any reaction from the collar or the bracelets, but nothing happened. Betanya stifled a giggle but received a kick on her leg from the third companion in response. Sharlindra continued slowly, "What do you mean by 'a lot of responsibility'?"

The soldier responded with satisfaction, "Right now, you are the first reincarnated human, and you will be making the initial impression on behalf of the entire reincarnated human race. Truth be told, this will take place in a confined space for observation."

Sharlindra's expression conveyed a mix of irritation and uncertainty as she replied, "I don't concern myself with humanity. I exist as my individual."

Betanya's expression turned terrified upon hearing the term "reincarnated being." She tried to comfort Sharlindra, saying, "Come on, it can't be that bad, can it?"

Sharlindra responded with a hateful tone in her otherwise beautiful voice, "As far as I'm concerned, humanity was a plague. They should have been eradicated long ago."

The soldier remained emotionally composed and commented, "Those are quite strong words, I must admit. Perhaps the Goddess chose you first for that very reason."

Betanya attempted to share interesting facts she found about humans, but neither the soldier nor Sharlindra paid much attention to her.

A few minutes later, the carriage came to a gradual halt, followed by a few seconds of knocks on the door from the outside. The soldier partially stood up, opened the door, and signaled for both of them to exit the transport.

Sharlindra stepped out first, surveying the scene with a sense of bewilderment. A dozen soldiers, arranged in two rows of six, stood in the path leading to the main entrance.

Meanwhile, a dozen maidens were "busying" themselves with tasks on the main facade. It was evident, however, that most of them were more curious about the newcomers than their assigned work.

At the end of the row, just in front of the main entrance, a soldier adorned in ornate armor tested the passage of time. Her arms and legs featured graceful decorations resembling tiny, deep-sea blue Remenant rivers flowing across the surface of her plates.

She was slightly taller than the others, with short blonde hair fastened by delicate chains and piercing blue sapphire eyes. She appeared to be the leader of the local military contingent.

As Sharlindra was about to offer a respectful half-bow to their new hosts, Betanya descended from their transport, her expression abruptly transforming into one of pure anger. The soldiers reacted swiftly, raising their weapons.

"An imperialist from Maelstrom!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices strangely harmonious. Every weapon was pointed in Betanya's direction, causing her to raise her hands in surrender.

"Wait, wait!" she pleaded.

From the main facade, a person conjured a massive hand made of water from the surrounding humidity. The leader of the soldiers demanded answers, her voice filled with authority.

"What brings an Empire scoundrel here? Speak soldier!"

The maidens, aside from the youngest among them, remained composed and unperturbed by the tense situation. The eldest among them gently patted the youngest's head to reassure her.

"Was her companion, Captain Julie, ma'am!" The accompanying soldier stood tall and explained. "The situation is that they've sent an 'enlightened' imperialist to study human nature in a 'normal environment,' ma'am."

The soldier swiftly presented documents and papers for inspection.

"Maintain your positions and stay alert," Captain Julie ordered. "Enrique, bring those papers here. Richard, check them for any spells or curses."

One of the soldiers carefully retrieved the papers, while another cast a spell over them. Mysterious runes from another world flowed onto and back from the paper's surface. The soldier shook his head.

"No Remenant writing on these papers, sir. They seem to be regular documents, ma'am."

The soldier on foot handed the documents to Captain Julie, who took a moment to read them.

"Stand down, everyone. These documents are legitimate and bear Clyon's signature. Clyon insists that we treat her with respect..." Julie's sigh was palpable, as she regretted what she was about to say.

The maidens began to chatter amongst themselves. The youngest maiden turned to the elder, asking, "What does it mean that Clyon himself has approved this mission, Grandma?"

"It means that Clyon himself has given his blessing to this endeavor, although it is rather unusual."

"It's not," Julie commented, her frustration evident. "He may be the greatest leader this planet has ever been, but his pacifist resolutions can be infuriating sometimes! I don't mean insubordination, but I know a spy when I see one, and this is clearly that Empire treating us as jokes. Very well, assign her a room in the basement, next to the other human."

"Guards arrest her."