“Hmm... Well, we’ve decided to go to Ganudos, but what justification can we use to enter? That’s the hardest part to figure out...”
That night, Mia had changed into her nightclothes, tucked into bed, and began to think. The king’s assassination was shockingly close.
“We need to leave as soon as possible considering the travel time.”
Well, in the absolute worst-case scenario, she could march in with Orania right after the king died and quell the chaos.
“I’d like to avoid the assassination if possible, for Orania’s sake. And if we arrive after the pandemonium has started, people will give me the credit for restoring the peace! They could build that thing, and I really do want to avoid that if I can...”
Thus, Mia set their goal at preventing the assassination and squashing whatever had been the cause.
Mia turned over in her sheets and once again began to mutter. “But that means I can’t mobilize the Princess Guard either. Marching an army into a nation at peace would stir up trouble. But I do have a man (Dion) who could withstand a hundred on his own. He’ll likely be able to protect us and stop the assassin, but I’ll need a reasonable excuse to mobilize him and Ludwig... What could serve as that excuse? Hmm...”
As Mia muttered away, she slowly drifted toward dreamland. But just as she was about to enter its embrace, there was a sudden knock at her door. She shot out of bed, and once Anne had opened the door, standing in the dark hallway was none other than...
“Orania! What is it?”
Yes, it was Orania Perla Ganudos, and her expression was awfully troubled.
“Master Mia, I apologize for visiting you so late at night...” said Orania, turning her dimly lit, serious expression toward Mia. “There’s something I want to discuss with you...”
“Well, in that case...” Mia glanced at the others in her room and groaned. Patty and Bel had already gotten ready for bed, and while it was still a bit too early to sleep, children (and Mia) needed early bedtimes.
“I’m sorry, Bel, but could you sleep in Rina’s room tonight? And could you head to Yanna’s room, Patty?”
Once Mia had quickly driven the others away, she welcomed in Orania.
“What did you wish to discuss?”
After plopping herself in a chair, Orania began to speak. “You told me earlier today that I needed to pay attention to the problems Ganudos is facing...”
Huh? Did I? Mia was about to tilt her head...but she held her ground! “Yes...that’s right. I told you that if there’s a problem, you must give your all in solving it, and to do so, you’ll need to do what you can to discover those problems.”
Orania closed her eyes as if mulling over those words. “There’s a grave problem that’s befallen Ganudos... One that must be corrected...” She shook her head. “No, it doesn’t need to be corrected... I want to correct it myself,” she declared.
Seeing the strong resolve in her eyes, Mia couldn’t help but gulp.
“But it’s not a problem I can solve on my own... I don’t know what to do, so I decided to ask you...”
“I see. And what exactly is this problem?”
While Mia gulped in anticipation, Orania used the opportunity to take a deep breath. “The problem...is the Visalian Ghetto.”
Mia gave her a blank stare.
“As you know, Visalians are persecuted in Ganudos... Others try to avoid them.”
“Yes, I’ve heard.” Mia just barely knew this information, but she was so proud, she couldn’t help but give a smug nod.
“The Visalians have been rounded up in a separate district of Ganudos, where they are forced into labor... Slave labor...”
“Slave labor? I wasn’t aware such systems still existed.”
Tearmoon once had serfs, slaves that were forced into farm labor. But that system had been abolished two generations before Mia. In other words, they disappeared during Patty’s time. I hadn’t realized that before.
Ever since, “slave” had merely been nothing but a word. When referring to all classes, the phrase “everyone from the emperor to the slaves” had survived, but that was the only place you could still find slaves in Tearmoon.
“Slavery still exists in Ganudos?”
“They don’t use that word, of course...but that’s what it effectively is. Those forced into the ghetto are made to work for publicly owned shipbuilding companies... They’re superficially promised food, clothing, and shelter, but they receive no wages, and they’re not allowed to leave...”
Mia pondered this, her expression grave. That really does sound like slavery. But...
“I used to think it made sense to lock them away, since they were pirates. No one in Ganudos questions this system, but...” she averted her eyes. “Yanna and Kiryl are Visalians too...”
“Ah, I see.” Mia understood where she was coming from. Being aware of someone by name and actually getting the chance to have fun with them were two completely different things. Orania had now fished, bathed, and shared meals with Visalians. She could no longer turn a blind eye to their enslavement. It was simply human nature.
“If the two of them hadn’t come to Saint-Noel Academy, they could have been forced into the ghetto... And there could be children just like them there now...”
“I understand exactly how you feel. But...they’re a persecuted, detested minority forced to live separately from others, right?” Mia folded her arms and groaned. “We...could use this.”
“Did you say something, Master Mia...?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, shaking her head. We might have a chance.
Mia knew this situation would work—it was the same logic that had been used to excuse an attack on Tearmoon in the previous timeline. The royal family had failed to accomplish the duty granted to them by the Holy Deity to govern and keep their people safe.
That excuse applies to all nations. It’s perfect! With this, Dion and Ludwig will have to act, which means...
Mia slowly raised her head, looking into Orania’s eyes. “Our path into Ganudos has been paved,” she proclaimed with utter confidence.