Dalia wiped the sweat on her brow as she checked the parchment in her hand while standing in the middle of the village of Eastcliff.
As one of the most scenic villages in all of the Black Raven Kingdom, it looked out over a vast plain which was mostly untouched by human hands.
Of course, it was part of the Alliance, now, but for the people of such a place which had been closed off for so long…it made no difference.
Odd looks were directed towards her as she stood there, going over the checklist she had been given, as she was different in almost every way from those around her.
She was wearing a casual dress made of a gleaming material that seemed to be shining brilliantly no matter from which direction it was looked at, and the unique shade it was dyed in was something that had never been seen by anyone around her.
It was a mix between purple and crimson, giving people the impression of both the playfulness of the former and the royalty of the latter.
After going through all of the items, she looked up, and throwing back her braid of brown hair, she said, "Come here, little girl!"
It should have been funny to hear her say this, as she was a 'little girl' herself, by all accounts, but somehow, the way in which she carried herself made it so that it wasn't so.
She was looking in the direction of a hut nearby behind which a girl dressed in bleached clothes was hiding when she said these words, as she had just seen that girl run over there when she had looked up from the parchment.
Fearfully, the little girl peeked out, eyes filled with caution, but seeing Dalia's kind expression, her face softened, as she could tell that this was someone who was close to her in age.
"Don't be afraid! You were looking at my dress, weren't you? Can you tell me which color it is? Give me the right answer, and I'll give you one exactly like mine! What do you say?"
The little girl's eyes widened as she heard this, as she had indeed been enthralled by the fairy-like appearance of this person who had appeared out of nowhere.
In her mind, it was obvious that desire was battling with the caution that must have been instilled by her parents which was telling her not to talk to strangers, but finally, the sincerity in Dalia's eyes won her over.
Hesitantly, she approached, after first checking whether there was anyone nearby who could drag her away to her house by her ears.
After confirming that the place was mostly empty except for a few people who were minding their own business, she crept forward, almost like a cat, before speaking in a hushed voice.
"It's…red. Or purple. I see both, so…"
Before she could continue, Dalia clapped her hands with a delighted expression on her face and said, "Correct answer, young miss! It's both! A custom shade created by H&D, limited in stock and waiting for only the worthy to obtain it! I think you're worthy! Now, just let me get some measurements…"
The charismatic advertisement which was already famous throughout the continent captivated the little girl, along with the joy that she might actually be able to change the clothes which she had been wearing practically since she had been born.
When she outgrew them, her mother would just stitch them again with a few scraps they had laying around to fit her again, and because the rest of the kids also wore the same thing, she had never asked, even though she had always wished that she could be dressed like those mages and beautiful maidens whom the bards sang about in the village center.
When Dalia reached forward with a measuring tape made of layers of parchment compressed together, she flinched, at first, but calmed herself when she saw that what was happening was similar to what her mother did whenever it was time for the annual restitching.
She expected to be told that it would take a few hours, but her jaw dropped when a large swathe of the same cloth was taken out of a hidden pocket, followed by a pair of scissors and needles that flew in the air.
"M-magic!", she stuttered, even though this wasn't the first time she was seeing it.
Dalia was concentrating, so she only smiled in response, and not even a few seconds later, a pretty dress just like hers was in her hands.
She made it float over into the little girl's hands, who touched it with awe while her mouth was in the shape of an 'O', almost as if what she held was not a simple dress, but a treasure of incredible value.
She even clasped it tenderly as if this really was the case, which made Dalia smile with happiness and walk over before saying, "Put it on. Let me see if my stitching skills have gotten better."
A few seconds later, the little girl's eyes were shining with tears as she looked at herself in the mirror conjured by Dalia.
She kept turning round and round, making sure that she could check all the angles, and the more she saw, the broader the smile on her face grew.
However…that smile was instantly wiped away when a loud voice interrupted the scene.
"Oliva! What are you doing? And what's that you're wea-"
It looked like the one who had spoken had only seen what was happening from far away, as after they approached, they stopped in their tracks and stared, transfixed, at the transformed little girl who looked as pretty as a princess.
The smile had changed into an expression of panic on her face, as she stammered, "I'm s-sorry, I'll take it off, it was just so pretty…"
This made the one who had arrived sigh, before saying, "Leave it. Girl, you're persistent. Follow me."
These words made Dalia raise her eyebrows grin, but remembering what her mother had said, she changed the grin into a stately smile.
Following the old man, and the little girl who still didn't know, for sure, whether she had done something to be punished for, Dalia soon reached a house at the edge of the village, from the roof of which a tall tree rose.
On the way, the people who saw the trio started to gossip, but a single look from the old man would silence them.
The house was incredibly scenic, with the backdrop of the plain, and the tree whose shade was perfect to sit in and admire the beauty of nature. She instantly began to think about how profitable it would be if this place could be converted into a tourist destination, but controlling the business side of her, she entered the house to see that it was simple.
The little girl ran to her mother, who was equally shocked, before hearing the old man say, "Take her inside…and don't scold her. Kids should not be punished for wanting a bit of color in their lives."
The woman sighed as she heard this, but then smiled when she saw the ecstatic expression on her daughter's face.
Dalia felt happy, too, as she had seen that this was a village where the children were raised very strictly.
Soon, they were sitting below the hole in the floor through which the tree had traveled from its roots that were under the central area of the house, and after gazing at the calm leaves for a few seconds, the old man said, "Tell me why you're here. The only reason I'm making an exception is that you are famous- at least, to those who listen to the Network. Yes, I have a trinket, too."
Dalia had gotten a surprised expression as she heard the man, but after seeing him admit that he wasn't as isolated as he had seemed to be, she nodded and began to talk about her purpose behind coming here.
"I have been sent by King Daneel to speak to the villages which are generally not under the rule of any force. Over 10% of Angaria's total population is present in settlements like these, so my task is to speak to the leaders of these places and ask a few questions. That's all. I'll ask, and I'll be gone- I promise."
The old man frowned as he heard this, but hearing her promise, he nodded and said, "Very well. Go on."
Dalia promptly continued, as what she had read in the parchment was still fresh on her mind.
"As you are on the Network, you must know that Angaria is at war. And you must also know that it is a war that will result in all Angarians dying if we lose. We are seeing people sign up actively all over the continent…but in these locations, there is almost no one. Why? I know that all the leaders of settlements like these are in touch with each other…and that you are one of the most respected among them all. If you speak, they listen. So please tell me why this is the case."
She made sure that she was being polite, but the answer was given in an extremely harsh tone.
Getting up, the old man shouted, "BECAUSE WE ARE SICK OF WARS! All they do is devastate our land, kill our sons and daughters and bring us to ruin! Why do you think we even chose to be as far away as possible from most forces, even if it means that we have to live in poverty? Even if it means that our children grow up with nothing? It's because we believe that it is more important that they at least do grow up with their parents, without fearing that their lives might be lost at any second! Get out! Leave! And never come back! GO!"
The old man looked like he would jump forward with anger to clasp his hands around Dalia's neck at any moment, which made her forget that she was actually wearing enough barrier trinkets to stop even a Hero from killing her instantly.
In a state of panic, she teleported away, and seeing this, Daneel, who had been looking on from the clouds above the village, sighed.
Kellor, who was beside him, said, "Our reports are accurate, my King. Most of these people grew up in a time when all the Kingdoms were constantly fighting against each other. They used to live in places where skirmishes repeatedly happened, with their young ones repeatedly being conscripted for some battle or the other. They were common villagers, so they seldom returned. So, for us…it is perfect."
Daneel's response was given in an anticipation-filled tone, as he gazed at the village which would soon see many, many changes.
"Perfect, indeed. After all, what better a place to test the effects of what we are trying to accomplish all over the continent than one which is disconnected, and has also lost hope in the command of rulers? Let us begin the first steps. This…should definitely be interesting."