This story was originally written in Indonesian. I used AI to help translate it into English, so I apologize in advance for any translation errors or awkward phrasing that may appear.
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After trying to dig for information and sharing a few jokes, Pandora decided to take Alfina to the throne room.
As they walked through the hallway, Alfina glanced out the window, catching sight of the half-ruined part of the city.
"Is that from the explosion I saw a few months ago?" she wondered.
Alfina continued to look around, noticing the eerie lack of guards.
"Now that I think about it, I've only seen the Redfang Valkyrie and this kid since yesterday. What's going on?" she thought, a hint of anxiety creeping into her mind.
For a brief moment, Alfina considered escaping. The security seemed lax, and even Vivian didn't appear particularly cautious of her.
However, she quickly dismissed the idea. Trying to escape from a massive, unfamiliar castle alone would be reckless, especially when she couldn't sense any other magic signatures besides herself, Pandora, Wulan, and Vivian.
"Hmm...?" Pandora glanced back over her shoulder.
Pandora and Vivian had already noticed Alfina's nervous behavior.
"Master, I don't think she understands the current situation here," Pandora whispered.
"It seems that way, but better to stay on guard," Vivian whispered back.
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They finally reached the massive throne room doors.
Pandora pushed against them, struggling a bit with the weight.
The creak of the ancient doors echoed through the empty hall as dust swirled in the air.
Vivian quickly covered Wulan with a cloth to shield her from the dust.
"Cough! Cough!"
They all coughed as they stepped inside.
"Why is there so much dust? Isn't this the throne room?" Alfina said, waving her hand in front of her face.
"What do you expect? There's no one around to clean this place," Vivian replied.
Meanwhile, Pandora strode confidently up the steps toward the throne.
"Haha, I feel like a true ruler sitting up here," Pandora said with a small, playful laugh as she sat down.
Alfina froze at the sight, her eyes widening.
"E-Eh?! Don't tell me..." she stammered, her trembling finger pointing at Pandora.
"That's right, she's the ruler here," Vivian chimed in with a sly grin, glancing at Alfina with a teasing look.
"Pfft!"
Pandora burst into laughter, unable to hold it back.
"Just a temporary ruler," she said, trying to calm her giggles.
Alfina's legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, her face pale with shock.
Meanwhile, Pandora and Vivian continued to laugh at her reaction.
"I-I thought you were Queen Persephone," Alfina managed to say, still shaking.
"Even as the temporary ruler, there's not much I can do in this empty castle," Pandora replied, brushing it off.
"Oi! Why did you tell her that?" Vivian scolded, smacking her forehead.
"Oh, come on, she would've figured it out eventually. This place is clearly abandoned," Pandora replied, grinning.
Vivian let out a deep sigh.
"Haaah... At least try to be a bit more cautious," she muttered, shaking her head.
Pandora just smiled, confident that Alfina wouldn't dare try anything after seeing her casual demeanor.
After a moment of silence, Pandora suddenly made a surprising offer.
"Alfina, why don't you work for me for a while?" she said with a grin.
"EH?!"
Both Alfina and Vivian were caught off guard by the sudden proposal.
"I-I would never! What makes you think I'd agree to that?" Alfina shouted, her refusal immediate and fierce.
"Alright then, you're free to go," Pandora said casually.
The room fell into stunned silence.
"Eh?!"
Once again, Alfina and Vivian were left speechless by Pandora's unexpected words.
"Oi, oi, are you really going to just let her walk out?" Vivian whispered, her tone a mix of disbelief and concern.
Alfina blinked in confusion, struggling to process what she had just heard.
"It's fine. Go ahead, but just know you can accept my offer anytime," Pandora said with a wink and a playful smile.
Alfina hesitated, her mind racing as she tried to figure out Pandora's intentions. She searched Pandora's eyes for any hint of deceit but found none.
Slowly, Alfina turned away, making her way out without a word.
"Oh, by the way, feel free to take one of the horses from the stable," Pandora called out, waving her hand dismissively.
Alfina didn't hesitate. She quickly made her way down the hall, reinforcing her body with magic before sprinting out to the stables.
Moments later, Pandora and Vivian watched as Alfina rode off into the distance.
"You're too soft. What if she turns out to be an enemy?" Vivian said, crossing her arms.
Pandora let out a long sigh.
"I'm tired of being stuck here with just the two of us. It's been ages since we had a good laugh like that. Besides, what can she really do?" Pandora replied with a confident smirk.
"Then why let her go? Now we don't have anyone left to tease," Vivian shot back, her tone flat.
Pandora's smile only grew wider.
"She'll come back. I'm sure of it. She's probably sick of camping in the woods for the past five months, stuck inside that barrier. Even an elf princess like her would prefer a warm bed over a damp forest floor."
Vivian chuckled, her fangs peeking out.
"You can be pretty ruthless when you want to be. I like that."
TOS!
They exchanged a high five, their laughter echoing through the empty throne room.