Preconceived Notions of Gender Roles

“So… what are we going to do?”

Excellent question, Piper.

We didn’t want to shatter the rare morale boost the kids had earned earlier. So it was just the grown-ups—plus Piper, Daisy, Uriel, and me—crammed into the tiny nun’s office.

Mother Martha folded her hands. “It will have to be me,” she said at last.

Laura’s jaw dropped. “Mother, you can’t! Think of what they’ll do to you!”

“I interfered with the Crown’s business,” Martha replied. “If that means a public flogging, then so be it. I will… I will have to respond tonight. No doubt the king’s goons will be already halfway to the palace to tell them about it. It will look even worse for us if they had to send a letter the following day. At least turning myself in early will prevent much consequence coming to the orphanage. ”

A thick silence fell.

“That’s not happening.” The worlds just tumbled out of me. I don’t know if it is from a previous lifetime of volunteering myself to take on more work, but I didn’t take them back. I raised a hand anyway. “I’ll go.”

Martha turned to me. “Cotter, listen. You know how people here treat Crystal Elves. Now imagine walking into the same palace that toppled your kind. They’d string you up before you finish introducing your name.”

“And what—so we just let it happen?” Piper cried. “Even if the work is fundamentally and unequivocally immoral?! Are you hearing yourself?”

Martha’s expression didn’t change. “Morals do not have a place in this world, Piper. If they did… this orphanage wouldn’t exist.”

I stared at her. That was rich, coming from the same woman who bled in winter just to keep us warm.

“You really believe that?” I asked quietly. “After everything?”

“Cotter. Stop,” Laura cut in. “That’s a command.”

“Little Diamond…” Martha added, softer now. “It’s okay. I’ve already made peace with it.”

I clenched my fists.

Martha was already on the hook for having to take an unfiltered blast of mana in the face, courtesy of yours truly; if she was injured yet again…

“Come, Martha,” Laura finally said, standing. “Let’s… get you ready. We’ll make you look presentable.”

Martha rose without a word.

But I saw the tremble in her hands.

“Fear seeps into every chamber of her heart…” Daisy muttered, just loud enough that neither of the nuns could catch it properly. “Any more, and the chambers will burst.”

Daisy stood up, and for a moment, her eyes lit like embers.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking, Cotter.” Daisy’s lip curled in that dry, crooked smile. “You’d better get on with it. I’m in no shape to tag along. Volatile, unpredictable… pick your poison. But you can rest assured: nothing’s going to happen to the orphanage while I’m here. That’s my guarantee.”

I really should stop being surprised when Daisy reads me like an open book.

“Thanks, Daisy,” I said, giving her a nod.

\\

“How long do we have left?”

“Basically today,” Uriel muttered, checking our room window like it held divine insight. “Give or take three hours. If we don’t prep now, it’s FUBAR.”

I clapped my hands together, tightening my sash and fixing my hair. “Then let’s get moving!”

“Getting ready for the riskiest plan of all time, anyway,” she added dryly. “If the royals we’re meeting take this the wrong way...”

Drawers clattered open around us as everyone scrambled.

I ignored the sass and turned; only to freeze.

“Uriel… where did you get this?”

She held up my outfit like it was no big deal. But this was swanky. I’m talking court-level embroidery, brooch-and-sash combo, rich fabric… definitely not something the orphanage could afford without selling every Moonbox we had.

Again, not one to stare a gift horse in the mouth, but still...

“Politicians from Sunlight love these garments,” she said.

“Okay, but how do you know this?”

“I don’t see how that is relevant right now.”

Of course. I wasn’t getting that story today either.

I sighed and reached for the outfit. “Well… it’s now or never.”

Behind me, the sound of frantic shuffling and muffled swearing filled the air. Someone’s fabrics were clearly losing the battle against someone’s scales.

“And Piper… you ready too?”

“Other than the indignity of being back-up again,” Piper huffed, “then yes. I suppose.”

Sorry, Martha—but you’re not taking another bullet for us.

Not this time.

\\

I felt a little bit of working class rebellion when we passed through the neighbourhoods needed to get to the palace.

Polished streets and sculpted hedges. Manicured magic flowing through fountains. It really put into perspective how unapproachable this all seemed for the people in the orphanage… and therefore our mindsets…

Finally, after ducking past guards and looping through servant alleys like criminals, we finally reached the outer fences of the palace.

This right here was trespassing. And if they were being tight-arses about it… punishable by death.

But did we really have any other choice? If we didn’t set the record straight and those goons got to tell their version of the story, the orphanage was finished anyway.

This was a Hail Mary.

“Lift me, quick!”

Piper scoffed. “For someone as light as you? No problem. Just make sure you’re only seen by a noble!”

“Right. No biggie.”

A quick lift later, I landed quietly in the outer courtyard. For such a huge area, it felt almost too quiet. For a palace, it was suspiciously light on guards. Maybe they couldn’t afford security? Or maybe they were just that confident.

In the distance stood a round pavilion; what was it called again? The type nobles used for tea parties.

And there, right beside it, was a cutting figure.

Blonde hair. Pale skin. Dressed in an outfit so intricate, she looked like she belonged in a glass display case.

Just one look, and you’d think there couldn’t be an ounce of bad meaning in her whole body. If anyone here was a noble—it was her.

But then again… looks could be deceiving.

There was a saying: strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. I was about to find out if that applied to nobles.

I approached. She didn’t seem to notice me at first…

WHOOOSH!!

The wind blew past me.

Suddenly, I was grabbed by the arms, and my face met the cold surface of the glass table.

“Who sent you, assassin?!”

This was bad. Really, really bad.

“Lady Sumissa! I swear—I’m not an assassin!!”

…

“I…”

She pressed harder.

“Am…”

Ow!

“Not.”

OW!

“A.”

OWOWOW!

“GIRL!!”

OUCHIEE!!!

“Sumissa’s my sister!!”

I half expected her… sorry, him, to be impressed with how much research I’d done before this interaction… but nope.

“What are you doing here?” the nobleman snapped. “What’s stopping me from sending you straight to the gallows for attempted murder?”

~SALARYMAN SKILL ACTIVATED: THINKING QUICK ON YOUR FEET!~

“If you really thought I was here to kill you,” I said, “wouldn’t you have screamed already? The guards would’ve swarmed me by now.”

He didn’t answer.

I pressed on. “Look at what I’m wearing.”

“Assassin’s clothing?”

“What—no! Something worthy of your presence, my lord. It’s appropriate, is it not?”

That gave him pause. He didn’t reply straight away.

“…Can we talk now?” I pleaded. “Please?”

“Not until I’ve searched your person.”

Thorough didn’t even begin to cover it. He checked my arms, patted down my sides, circled behind me and tapped along my back.

I didn’t flinch; mostly because I had nothing to hide.

But when he reached my waist, his hands… slowed.

Was he—?

He stepped back quickly, face stern like nothing had happened.

“Commoner,” he snapped, a very evident blush on his face, “why are you here? Any less tolerant noble would’ve had you in chains.”

“Because I’ve come to represent the orphanage.”

“That place…”

I hesitated, then reached up and removed the mask. If I wanted to be taken seriously, he had to see me—not the costume, not the assumptions.

His eyes widened. “Y-you… it was you behind it all?! You’re the Crystal!”

“…Eh?”

“The crimes, the violence! The orphanage peddling scandal! The beastkin incidents—everything!”

Okay, what the hell.

Who would go to such insane lengths to frame an orphanage just trying to survive? Because clearly, he’s been fed false information.

Still, his outrage told me one thing: he clearly didn’t order what happened. Which meant he had some kind of moral compass.

“Who told you that?” I demanded.

“I—I won’t reveal their names—”

“Collins?” I snapped. “Was it Collins? He harassed us. Pulled a blade on a child!”

His face stiffened. “What is this… libel?”

“Why else would I pull such a desperate stunt?” I said. “Do you think I wanted to sneak into the palace?”

He just stared. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

Fair enough.

Unfortunately, it was the same doubt gnawing at me, too.

This was it. My only shot. If the guards rounded the corner, it was game over.

“Listen,” I said, steadying my voice, “Mother Martha—our orphanage leader—she’s coming here. She’ll beg for forgiveness. Even though she’s done nothing wrong.”

“It’s your word against the Crown’s,” he said flatly. “It won’t be easy.”

“Then it’d have to be your word,” I shot back. “Come to the orphanage. See how we live. See who we are.”

“You expect me to just… take your word for it? Why would I willingly walk out of the one place I’m truly safe?”

My mind raced. Think! Negotiation tactics. There’s always a gap. A lever. A point of aspiration.

What does he want?

~SALARYMAN SKILL, ACTIVATE: THINKING QUICK ON YOUR FEET!~

I took a breath. “You want proof? I have nothing on me. But you—” I looked her in the eye. “You are probably more trained in magic and duelling than I will ever be. You’ve had training resources I could only have dreamed of. I won’t be able to control you even if I tried! You could kill me here and now. But you won’t. Because you strike me as the type to seize every resource available to you.”

She blinked.

“Nobody has acknowledged that before…” he muttered. But then… “Wait, I know what you’re doing—I won’t fall for your tricks, Crystal Elf!”

I had to go all in.

So I did something no noble had probably seen before. Not in person.

I dropped to my knees. A full, formal prostration.

Then I took my sword. My mask.

And laid them on the ground before him.

“This is a gesture of complete surrender and respect. I lay myself bare—not as a threat, but as someone begging to be heard.”

~Ultimate Technique: The Salaryman’s Dogeza Gambit!!~

And I prayed to every god under the sun that this worked!