Eleanor:

  The Misfits spent the day in a series of meetings with Eleanor and Lena, Jane, Aragon, Esther and Evereena.

  This is a bloody lot of information to deal with in one go.

  In the end, Eleanor made a summary:

  "We need to have a meeting soon to discuss all of our newly acquired abilities specifically. And, need I add, we must keep these as secret as possible?"

  The Misfits knew an order when they heard one.

  "Yes, Eleanor."

  "Also, it has become blindly obvious that Manifestoria and I need a lot of extra help. I will send out encrypted messages via the semaphore system, asking representatives from every country within reach to visit us. I will try to get as many high-ranking visitors as possible, so if you can hold some ability points in reserve, We can use them as bribes."

  The Misfits nodded their heads.

  "At least accommodation for all of your freed slaves is no problem. Not only is the old boarding school that you used to use available, but most of the remaining nobles are packing their bags and making a run for it. They are nobly letting me use their vacated homes in the interim. Some tried to ask for a rental fee, but the treasurer gently convinced them to give it to us for free."

  "That's - very kind of the nobles." said Cassy, "Definitely a noble action."

  Eleanor snorted.

  Ha! Lena has given me a very disapproving look.

  Snorting is not a regal reaction, but we will probably all be dead soon, so who cares?

  Eleanor raised her eyebrows at Lena, then continued with the meeting.

  "Now, according to Jane and Aragon, you lot, even with your very high stats, are still not as proficient at the sword as you could be..."

  "Ah, yes, we can't deny that," said Bronsen.

  Eleanor caught Jane's eye.

  "In that case, how about we have a training session every afternoon, just Aragon and me and a few of my best sword fighters?" said Jane.

  Four Misfits nodded their heads. They looked serious as if realising that they may be in for a lot of pain.

  "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll moderate our training to your limits," said Jane.

  She gave the appearance of looking forward to it. The Misfits, not so much.

  "Finally, the slaver emperor will be getting information about many things shortly. We don't know what he will do, so I suggest we take it as it comes," said Eleanor.

  On that note, the Misfits retired to their rooms to wait for the evening meal.

  Have those kids become even more sex-crazed than before?

  Katress:

  Katress, who was about the same age as Evereena and the only child of one of the highest-ranked noble families currently left in Manifestoria, was receiving her marching orders.

  "This is it. We are leaving tomorrow. Your parents will get the servants to pack all the stuff needed for travel, but you need to help the maid pack a suitcase of your clothes and belongings. It will be doubtful that we will return." said her father.

  "Yes, Dad. So we are running away with our tails tucked behind us while Eleanor and all the others deal with the slaver emperor?"

  "I don't want any of that talk here, young girl!"

  "But, Queen Eleanor is being brave. She has pledged herself to stand here against the whole slaver nation! While we just run away like cowards!"

  "Katress! You do not know what you are talking about. There is nothing to be done; moving out is the only sensible option!"

  "Yeah. We are abandoning everything we have here. And, if by chance Eleanor succeeds, we come back and reclaim our property and carry on as if nothing had happened? While they risked their lives?"

  "I do not want to have any more of this discussion. You are just a young teenager; what could you do?"

  "Well, Evereena is the same age as me, and she is staying!"

  "Evereena is a slave! She has no status or importance! Furthermore, she has some power to injure or something. What fighting abilities do you have?"

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Well, I could volunteer to, I dunno, help with the cooking or something..."

  "You are a noble. We do not do such menial jobs! You will get moving now and show the maid what stuff you want to take. We will be leaving tomorrow in the carriage, and you will be on it!"

  "And, I guess the maid won't be coming with us?"

  "Of course not! She can look after herself. Now get moving!"

  Mumbling under her breath, she went to her room to start packing.

  Kepler, the Slaver Emperor:

  By the evening of this day, his slaves that tracked the semaphore messages had managed to amass some extremely interesting information.

  The more he read the report, the more horrified he became.

  "They can remove slave collars without killing the slave?"

  "They use the points gained and give them to anybody they choose?"

  "I need to kill them immediately!'

  "I'll send a million slaves to Manifestoria. Blanket the country. Enslave everyone and kill the Misfits! I need to start as soon as possible..."

  He thought about the logistics involved.

  "Damn! It will take a week to get everyone organised. Another week or more to get the slaves moving onto Manifestoria. Meanwhile, the vermin can see me from the other side of the ring and will warn them."

  "And, shit, this would disrupt all of my other invasion plans. I would need to retreat and reform the front lines across half a dozen countries."

  The emperor had no choice but to think about alternatives.

  "Even if they can remove collars, there's only four of them and 60 million of us. And if the slaves are fighting, they can't remove collars at any speed. So, maybe there isn't too much need to rush into it."

  "I wonder, can I vow to fight Eleanor and the Misfits without using enormous numbers of slaves?"

  "That could be an idea. Have a mutual vow with that vermin to duel with just the two of us?"

  "Hmm, she might be a female, but I don't think even she would be that stupid. How about a small number?"

  He closed his eyes and considered his options.

  "This could be very dangerous. It definitely could endanger my life. But, if I take the correct precautions to safeguard the handover of the gold collar, then my absolute orders to protect the slaver society should be satisfied."

  "And, really, I'm beginning to hate my life."

  This was the first time he had openly admitted to himself such a thing.

  "Just like my grandfather did before handing over the gold collar to me. It's such a pointless way to live. And I cannot change it."

  He reflected that he didn't know how to change things to improve anybody’s life, even if he was allowed to.

  "How do those vermin keep living empty lives and say they enjoy them?"

  The emperor shook his head in frustration. Then, he decided to put these matters aside and continue with other duties.

  The Misfits:

  Also, that evening, the Misfits talked about their day at their regular committee meeting/social gathering.

  "Hey, everyone, I've been practising observing the social interactions between other people, and it's great!" said Drayden.

  "I agree," said Bronsen, "Did anybody else note all the times that Eleanor and Lena were, every so coincidentally, meeting each other's gazes?"

  "I did!" said Drayden, "Especially when Eleanor gave that very unladylike snort when Cassy said something about nobles being very noble."

  "That's right!" said Cassy, "And Aragon and Esther were also in synchronisation on many occasions."

  "Say, do you suppose that also applies to us?" said Alice.

  Contemplative gap in the conversation.

  "Well, I suppose so. It's just that we are in the middle of it, so we don't notice," said Bronsen.

  Alice clapped her hands. "Ok, time for Cassy and I to decide something..."

  Eleanor and Lena:

  They were currently lying on the double bed in Lena's room. Over the past few months, they had slightly changed the sleeping arrangements, so they slept on one bed, and the two children slept on another double bed on the opposite side of the room.

  Right now, the kids were sound asleep, so therefore they could talk.

  "Have you noticed how they are much more mature than before?" said Lena.

  "Yes. Dying and then becoming responsible for a hundred formerly enslaved people must do wonders for raising one's maturity levels."

  "Yeah. And I don't know how it is possible, but they seem to have become even more sex mad. I mean, they were sharing glances and ever so coincidental touches across all four possible boy-girl combinations. And maybe even across the two same-sex combinations." said Lena.

  "I've noticed that. Personally, I'm quite satisfied with our once-a-week sex date. Bloody hell, they must be frantically at it every night. It makes me exhausted just thinking about it."

  Lena snickered. "Sure you wouldn't want it more often? If my queen orders me, I can only obey."

  Eleanor snorted. "Watch it, peasant! Otherwise, I'll smother you with your pillow!"

  "And there's another of those very so unladylike snorts. Are you sure you are queen material?"

  They spent the next five minutes having a pillow fight.

  Then they looked over at the two children, who were still sound asleep.

  "We had better get to sleep. There are going to be a lot more meetings, and I have to attend every single one of them," said Eleanor.

  Esther and Aragon:

  They had just made love.

  "My dear, I think you are getting the idea about this romantic sex thing," said Aragon.

  "Ooh yeah, I am. It is ever so much different from, you know, before..."

  "And, now, you don't have that horrible slave collar," said Aragon.

  "I still haven't gotten used to that. But the Misfits have my everlasting gratitude."

  "They have mine, too." said Aragon, "Even though none of us will have lives long enough to express that gratitude."

  A sigh from Esther. "Thankfully, at least Evereena seems much more lively now that Cassy is back."

  "But not for long."

  And on that note, they closed their eyes and went to sleep.

  Evereena:

  It's so wonderful that Cassy is back. And the other Misfits, of course.

  But it's only going to be for a short period.

  Damn the Slaver emperor!

  Why can't he leave us alone?

  And, all of these adults and older teenagers, they're all having sex.

  Just as well I decided not to worry about such things, so it doesn't worry me at all.

  Definitely doesn't.

  At least Jane appears to be single.

  Jane:

  Jane lay in her single bed in her residence.

  All she was worried about was her daughter and her grandchildren.

  The nobles are running away like rats from a fire. Unfortunately, we don't have enough money or resources to allow my daughter's family to do that. Walking out on foot won't get them far, and they won’t be able to buy food or accommodation along the way.

  My daughter had to help that Katress girl to pack for their escape, but her parents didn't give a rat's arse for the maid's family.

  This is the shits.