Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, do you ever feel like you are dancing on someone’s palm? That palm may be that of fate--the only way to tell is by learning to identify flags.”

I only read for a short time before Lulu looks at me with a slightly nervous look, since Arisa isn’t there to smooth things over, I think it’s best to not push her--so I smile reassuringly to her, before leaving the room and going back to the barn.

Looking at the map, I can see that the girls have finished buying clothing and seem to be wandering around some food stalls.

Sighing, I sit against the barn wall and continue reading; well I try to, before my mind starts to get sucked back into the dark vortex of doubt and worry--why am I fine after killing so many living things, is this world actually real, why am I here, do I want to go back home?

Okay, that last one is an obvious and very emphatic ‘No!’

“What’s the matter? Master--you have been holding that book open on the same page while staring aimlessly into the sky for a while.” Arisa’s worried voice pulled me back to reality and out of the darkness in my head.

I focus my eyes and look over, seeing that she is standing a short distance from me and holding some bags.

 

“Does your head hurt?”

“Master, hurts?”

I feel two weights pressing on my chest, soft and warm. When I look down, I see that Tama and Pochi are embracing me, resting their bodies and heads against me, looking up with worry in their large, innocent eyes.

Liza stands calmly near Arisa, but I can feel her worry; her eyes and tail are more expressive than her face.

“I’m okay, I was just tired after being so busy for the past two days,” I speak reassuringly and gently stroke Tama and Pochi’s hair--to which they close their eyes with pleased expressions, their tails moving slightly, their worries disappearing.

“I need to talk to you tonight, Arisa.” I glance up from the two adorable girls.

“Anything for you, master!” She answers with enthusiasm, raising her free hand in the air in a strange pose.

For some reason, Liza nodded enthusiastically from beside Arisa.

Still stroking Pochi and Tama, I ask Arisa and Liza about their results of the shopping Arisa looks animated. But before she could start rambling, Liza apologizes for spending too much--but I tell her that it’s necessary expenses and that there’s nothing to worry about.

Even with the current pace we are spending money, counting only the Shiga Kingdom’s currency that I have in my storage, It’ll take two or three years before we run out; so there’s nothing to worry about.

Pochi and Tama open their eyes, still not moving, enjoying getting their hair stroked; they then take turns describing the fun they had on their first shopping trip, glee in their tones from beginning to end, saying multiple times how fun it was--neither girl usually use long sentences, but they do in this case, along with hand and tail wagging.

I suggested to Arisa that I could carry the second bag she is holding, but she, and Liza, gently refuse; they say that it’s a slave’s job, while speaking almost in unison.

As I get up and start to walk back towards the inn, Arisa following along happily, I see Martha and a little girl carrying some firewood; Martha goes towards the kitchen with one bundle, and the little girls goes towards the barn with the other. The little girl is one of the helpers at the inn, she is Martha’s apprentice and an orphan, around nine or ten years old, her name is Yuni.

“I’ll go ahead, Master,” Arisa says, taking the new luggage and following Martha through the door into the inn; I say thanks, before turning to observe Yuni--saying it like that may sound creepy--but I want to see her care for the horses, which is where she seems to be heading, because I will need to know how to do that when traveling.

She is standing on top of a stool, doing her best to reach the horses with her short arms--she is brushing them from along their backs, to down their sides, before brushing their legs. She then goes to each leg, one by one, carefully picking it up, and digging a small pick-like device into the hooves. When I look closer, it seems that she is digging out rocks and dirt.

After hiding their luggage under the straw, Tama and Pochi come back, they walk over to Yuni and start helping her with her work.

Liza, who is now standing three paces behind me, and slightly to my right, without me even noticing her approach, explains that Pochi and Tama helped Yuni last night, and in the morning as well.

Arisa soon comes back and stands next to me, watching the girls.

“Liza, I’m going to the temporary military post to get your spear back, as well as the money from the Magic Cores, do you want to come along?”

“Yes, I will accompany master.” Liza speaks quietly, but looking at her, I can see some happiness in her eyes, and her tail is switching.

“Me too, I’m going too!” Arisa says from besides me, speaking quickly, making sure I don’t forget her since she has been so quiet--well that’s what it seems like.

Pochi and Tama suddenly stop what they’re doing with the horse, and run over here.

 

“You’re going somewhere?”

“Journey?”

 

Since we would probably an annoyance if all of us go, and the girls seem to really enjoy helping clean the horses, I explain where we are going and tell them to go back to helping.

 

“Aye!”

“Yes!”

 

They reply happily and go back to work, helping Yuni with getting food for the horses.

***

“How’s Lulu doing?” I ask Arisa.

“She seems to be alright. I’ve given her a change of clothes and underwear, so if you hurry back to the room, you could get to see some good scenes.” Arisa says with a giggle and wink--is she really Lulu’s half-sister?

“Let’s quickly stop here for a bit.” I say, ignoring the second half of Arisa’s words, and go into the Worker’s Guild.

“Welcome, Tek. I saw you together with a cute girl today.” Nadi greets me from the other side of the counter as we entered the building.

“Hello, Nadi.”

After exchanging greetings, I ask Nadi about making a request for the delivery of the mementos that I had collected. Rather than a suspicious-looking guy like me, a person originally from this town like Nadi would probably be better deliver them.

By the way, I had tried asking the female officer yesterday, but she flat-out refused, with a strange expression.

Because I told Nadi the name and a rough description of the deceased, she should be able to contact their families.

“Do you also want me to collect the remuneration on your behalf?”

“What remuneration?”

It seems that she wanted to know if she was also to act as the agent on my behalf for collecting the rewards for delivering the mementos.

I’m just being a busybody, so I don’t really need rewards--

“I see, then how about only receiving the reward if the family is rich? People like that will get suspicious if you deliver the mementos without asking for rewards, they will think you are aiming for something, or trying to get them to owe you a favour.” Nadi explained to me after I told her my thoughts.

She also rolled her eyes at me when I said I didn’t want rewards.

Understanding how they would think, I nodded to her suggestion--it was decided that the Worker’s Guild the ability to decide how much to ask for.

“Nadi, I have another matter to ask about.”

Since I intend to rent a house, until it’s time for me to start sightseeing--which may be a little longer, depending on what happens with Zena--I ask about the market price.

In the end, I changed my mind, and not because I couldn’t afford it.

Nadi says, “There are a lot of people who dislike living in the same neighbourhood as Demi-Humans, of course this applies to near the inner wall--but even in the West District, I don’t think anyone would sell you a house. You could possibly find one in the East Street if you look hard enough, but public order is bad--if a rich person like you were to live there, then you would be attacked by thieves on the very next day, without a doubt.”

With a quick goodbye, and a word of thanks, I leave the Worker’s Guild.

***

“Please sign this document of transaction. The expenses for appraising the spear has already been deducted from the payment for the Magic Cores. The spear’s safety has been verified, so you can bring it into town--but please, take care to not give it to a Demi-Human.”

While listening to her, I sign the document presented to me by the same female officer as last afternoon, and then receive the spear. I wrap it in the cloth that I bought with me.

I got seventeen silver coins for the Magic Cores, originally--the appraisal fee is two silver coins, which I wonder is the normal amount; honestly, I think that it’s possible to make a living just by being an appraiser.

Just by going to the labyrinth with the four of us, in a day we earned six Arisas--wait, that is a strange way of measuring--though from what I know of Arisa, she might not mind me using her as a unit of measurement--

“Eh, a labyrinth is quite profitable.”

“You’re risking your life though.” Arisa, who had been quiet while we were inside the outpost, begins to speak cheerfully as soon as we leave.

Her eyes are shining with a strange excitement, “Hey, Master, do you really want to settle down in this town?”

“Not really--well, definitely not permanently.”

Since it would be obstructing people if we stayed standing near the entrance to the tent, I start walking, Liza and Arisa followed me.

“But, weren’t you going to buy a house just a while ago?” Arisa asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t want to keep Liza and the girls stay in the barn, so I was thinking of buying one, but it seems to be impossible.”

Liza was going to say something, but Arisa was too excited and spoke faster, “The girl you spent the morning with, is she your lover?”

“Well, not at the moment--but I’m not averse to the idea--” I feel heat in my cheeks as I answer her.

Arisa giggles at my response, muttering, “So, cute--ahem! Well, she seems to be in the military--they can’t take lovers until either leaving, or having spent a minimum of ten years in it.”

Well, that’s a little disappointing, but I should have been expecting it--the military on Earth, during a similar time period, had similar laws.

“Well, you should talk to Zena--but I really, really, want to go to the Labyrinth City!” Arisa speaks quickly and excitedly, leaning forward and appealing to me with upturned eyes.

“Labyrinth City? That means there’s a labyrinth there, right?” Even I feel a little silly asking such an obvious-seeming question, “Don’t you feel repulsed by it?”

“Uhh, well, yeah--unpleasant memories feel like they will surface, but more importantly! I want to raise my level!”

“What do you want to do after you level up?”

“Weeell--it’s going to be Demon Lord season soon, so I need to level up in order to survive! While I’m at it, I want to raise a Magic Skill which can be used to solve the Geass too.”

Demon Season?

Are they cabbages?

While it seems like a ridiculous phrase, I feel the urge to ignore it as a joke--but this is another world--who knows.