As far back as she could remember, Sheryl had lived in a slave camp. She had no surname, no history, no inheritance, only the blood of rabbit beastfolk. Their tribe was not known for strength or magic. Small stature, soft features, a pretty appearance, that was all they had to offer. Nothing more, nothing less.
Sheryl's mother was one of the maids who worked under Harmon. How she had ended up in slavery, who had sold her, who she had been before, the girl did not know.
The only thing her mother ever told her about her origin was that her father had been one of the camp overseers. He had been drawn to her looks, and from their brief connection a girl was born with light brown hair and rabbit ears.
To say her father cared for her would be an exaggeration, but he had not been completely indifferent either. His "contribution" to Sheryl's life was limited to the fact that the other guards allowed them a little more than the rest of the slaves. Too little to be called a family, but enough that they were not considered the lowest in the hierarchy.
Before Sheryl even turned one, he died just as obscurely as he had lived.
Out of respect for their former comrade, the other guards left Sheryl and her mother alone. No one intended to save them or buy them out. They simply did not nitpick over small things or create extra trouble. That was enough.
And so seven years passed.
Sheryl grew up following a strict routine. The only people she knew were slaves and overseers. The girl never thought her life was bad. You could even say she was content, because she knew nothing else.
Everything changed the day her mother, while out getting supplies, met an "important person." He took such an interest in her that he wanted to buy her from Harmon.
Sheryl did not know the details, but somehow, with the help of Lily's mother, her mother soon ended up under the protection of "Venus's Embrace." When they parted, she promised she would buy Sheryl's freedom and would not let her grow up in that cursed place.
Sheryl did not know why it was cursed, but she believed her.
Three years passed in waiting.
The guards did not touch her, her mother came once a month, and the world seemed bearable, because ahead of her was the long-awaited reunion.
But that world shattered when Sheryl saw with her own eyes what Monica did. Sheryl was a smart girl and understood what colleagues meant. Did that mean her dear mother earned her living the same way?
That realization changed Sheryl's entire view of the world. She was confused and did not know what to do.
How should she feel about a mother who sold her body to win back a freedom she herself had never really desired? What should she think about the people around her? Could she change anything at all?
Everything felt like a blur. She did not even remember how she made it back together with Lily and Grey.
The very nature of rabbit beastfolk made them gentle and timid. They were completely harmless, and in this world, that could be considered a sin. Sheryl herself did not understand how she had agreed to take part in such a bold escape plan, proposed by her cellmate and best friend.
Grey laid everything out plainly.
He told them about the plan. About the conversation between Mr. Harmon and an adept of the Cult of the Merciful Flame. About the sacrifice. About the angels.
He did not hold back any information. All to convince them. They had to understand clearly that their time was running out. Hesitation and delay would only bring their deaths closer.
Lily listened calmly, almost indifferently. As a demon, she understood far too well what rituals and sacrifices meant. She had never taken part in them herself, but her mother's stories had been explicit enough that nothing Grey said came as a shock.
Meanwhile, Sheryl was already trembling with fear halfway through the story. Even in her worst nightmares, she could not have imagined such cruelty.
Her reaction caught Grey off guard.
He had to choose his words carefully, trying to explain the situation without pushing the rabbit girl into hysteria or a faint.
A minute of silence hung in the air.
"I'm ready to join you," Lily said. Her violet eyes glinted with resolve. "I don't think our mothers will be able to buy us out before the solstice. But..."
She paused.
"We need to know how you're going to disable the 'mana suppression,' how you'll hide the hole in the floor, where you'll put the excess dirt from digging, and all the other details. We can't take risks without guarantees, right?"
Hearing the stream of endless questions, Grey froze, staring at the succubus.
Lily looked straight into his eyes, attentive, focused, far too sharp to be satisfied with vague answers.
Her questions touched on exactly what he least wanted to discuss.
Explaining the runes would not be difficult. He was sure that beginners like them would quickly get lost in technical terms. But the last point concerned his greatest trump card, the bottomless pocket, a storage of valuable resources left to him by the villagers for a worst-case scenario.
Catherine had repeated more than once that the existence of the bottomless pocket must remain an absolute secret.
"Don't flaunt wealth you can't protect," her strict voice echoed in his mind.
Grey felt he had been silent for too long. A little more, and the girls would start to suspect something was off. He took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts.
He had to answer, but not reveal too much.
"Well," he began, choosing his words carefully, "disabling the 'mana suppression' is a matter of knowledge and precision."
He paused, watching their reactions. His gaze moved across their faces, both waiting for him to continue. He understood he had to explain it in a way they would grasp the essence without drowning them in overly complex details.
"To answer your questions, we need to go a bit into the history of magic. It all started with witches. They were the ones who first revealed the foundations of runic magic to the world."
Lily's eyes lit up with interest, while Sheryl's ears twitched slightly, betraying her curiosity.
"But their success," Grey continued, lowering his voice, "sparked envy among the rulers of the Magic Empire. Just imagine it, a new path of development. A whole field of knowledge waiting to be explored. Witches could brew potions, create spells, and of course, they possessed runic writing. How could anyone resist that temptation?"
"The nobles, the king, ordinary people... all of them craved their secrets. That's how the persecution began. Witches were declared evil, servants of the devil, and so on..." At this point, Grey grimaced.
"Only women can become witches. And only those who have gone through tragedy. Pain and despair are the key trigger for awakening. That's why witches aren't exactly... the most stable."
"That's how the witch hunts began. They were hunted, used, locked away in dungeons for study and experiments. And all of it went on for centuries..."
Sheryl gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, while Lily frowned.
Grey spread his hands. "Don't think I'm trying to make you feel sympathy for witches. Every empire is built on the bones of heroes and countless conspiracies. Witches are no exception. They didn't take over an entire continent for nothing."
He leaned forward. "The point is that ALL achievements of the Magic Empire in controlling mana are based on knowledge first discovered by witches. Any magical array is built on runes, following specific rules and principles."
"That's why I'm confident I know far more about runes than whoever designed our cell. I can definitely disable the 'mana suppression,' and I'll do it in a way no one will notice. That will allow you to use your powers without alerting the guards."
When Grey finished, silence settled over the room.
Sheryl and Lily processed what they had heard. Their faces showed a mix of surprise and faint admiration. As children who had grown up outside the Magic Empire, they knew little about how magical devices worked. Their lives had been filled with entirely different concerns.
Lily, however, was not about to back down so easily. Her eyes narrowed, and a faint smirk appeared on her lips.
"Alright, I'll believe the local madman this time," she said, not taking her sharp gaze off Grey, "but you still haven't told us how you're going to get rid of the excess dirt."
Grey coughed awkwardly. His attempt to divert attention had failed. This little thorn was far too observant and stubborn.
"Ahem, yes, I was just about to explain that part," he cleared his throat, trying to sound convincing. "Actually, it's simple. We need to make small pads under our clothes and discreetly get rid of the dirt during walks."
"My pants and shirt have plenty of inner pockets, so I know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, everything valuable was taken from me when I was sold, so they're empty now. At first, I planned to handle this myself, but since you asked... I suggest everyone contributes to speed things up."
Lily nodded in satisfaction.
When it came to her own safety, she was a skeptic and a paranoid, just as her mother had taught her. She did not consider herself a trusting girl. So if she was going to get involved in something this dangerous, she needed to know every detail.
"Alright, that should be enough. In truth, we have no choice but to believe you," she said, holding back a smile.
Noticing the sarcasm in her words, Grey felt irritation rise. Not wanting to look like a fool, he asked:
"Well then, since I've shared my secrets with you, it would only be fair if you told me about your abilities."
Lily clenched her teeth.
This sneaky guy already knew enough about her race. Did he really want every detail?
Still, she could not deny his point. The idea of continuing to hide her abilities after everything he had revealed felt petty even to her. And yet, she hesitated. Her face betrayed the inner struggle.
Finally, she exhaled and, casting a quick glance at Sheryl, began to speak:
"Fine, you're right. That would be fair," she paused for a moment, choosing her words. "I... have the ability to influence the emotions of those around me. It's an innate talent, not heavily dependent on mana. But without access to it, I tire quickly and can't exert strong influence, like putting someone to sleep. I need a stable environment to control the old man's state."
Grey could not hold back a triumphant smile, feeling that he had finally gained the upper hand.
Then both of them turned to Sheryl.
Noticing their focused stares, Sheryl shrank back. Her long ears pressed against her head, and confusion filled her eyes.
"Me?" she stammered, nervously fidgeting with the edge of her clothes. "What do you want from Sheryl? Sheryl has never tried to use magic. Sheryl grew up here, in the slave camp. Everything Sheryl knows, her mom told her."
"She's too cute. Too innocent," Grey and Lily thought at the same time.
Arguing with each other, they had completely forgotten to consider her perspective.
Grey smiled gently, trying to calm the rabbit girl. "We know, Sheryl. You don't have to worry. You can dig, right? That's the main ability of your kind. Everyone knows that."
Sheryl blinked, as if only now realizing the obvious.