Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, Princesses are very common in fairy-tales. But, don’t you think that Princesses suffer much too often; I’d like it if they end up happily ever after though.”

“Oh, you have come to? How are you feeling?” I ask gently, feeling slightly relieved that the girl hadn’t fallen into shell-shock, or other things that can be caused by extreme shock.

However, the girl leaps away, distancing herself from me.

Well, she tried to, but she seems to be weakened--her feet got tangled in the blanket and she tumbled over; I moved quickly and caught her head before it slammed into the ground.

“--Where is Mize?”

That was the name of the Ratman who wore the red helmet, according to the Heads-Up-Display.

“That is the Ratman with the red helmet?” I asked anyway.

“Yes.”

“After entrusting you to us, we went off to fight the Monsters,” I pause, considering if it would be better not to tell her this--but it would be better to tell her than to lie, “He--died.”

“It can’t be--” Her face went pale, she must have been upset by the news.

“I am Tek, a traveler, may I ask your name?” This time, it is slightly inaccurate--I actually plan on selling a little merchandise when I arrive at Labyrinth City.

“--Mia.” She pauses for a few seconds before answering.

“The Princess has woken up?” Arisa comes around the wagon, speaking before looking.

“Yeah. It seems her name is Mia.”

“Eh, I’m Arisa. Nice to meet you, Mia.” Arisa introduces herself, then becomes dumbfounded after seeing Mia’s face.

“What is the meaning of this?” Arisa asks as she walked over to me.

Doesn’t she use Status Check?

“What do you mean?” I ask innocently--though I’m pretty sure I know what she is asking.

Arisa takes a deep breath, “Why, is she an Elf?”, she points at Mia’s long pointed ear.

I don’t know why she is reacting this much--alright, maybe I do--I mean the Ratman called Mia a ‘Princess’, so anyone who heard that would think Mia is a Ratman Princess; not an Elf.

“Isn’t she the Ratmen’s Princess?”

“Well, that’s what he called her--it’s your fault that you didn’t properly check.”

Certainly, I thought that I was mistake when I received her--although, that’s one of the reasons I took the Elven Language in the first place. I had also been conversing with Mia in Elven too, didn’t Arisa hear it?

“Aww, even though I made her a special cheese platter--” Arisa spoke with a small frown.

I thought that the saying that rats like cheese is just a myth--the fault of cartoons. Though, I do know that rats seem to love peanut butter, put it on a trap and the chances of catching rats is quite a bit higher.

“Oh well. More importantly, let’s eat!” Arisa quickly gets over her disappointment and pulls on Mia’s hand, forcibly making her stand up, “If you're hungry, you'll just end up getting even more depressed, let's eat a lot and cry a lot! That's the best memorial service for the departed.”

Arisa’s words seem to make sense, I wonder if she was quoting it from somewhere?

Mia is overwhelmed by Arisa’s personality, and she follows the older-looking girl, sitting at her side for the meal.

***

After talking for a bit I have learned that while, it seems that Mia doesn’t speak the Shiga language, she can understand it.

Thanks to that, I could finish my meal without having to act as an interpreter.

According to the Heads-Up-Display, Mia’s stats are:

 

Name: Misanalia Bornean (Mia)

Age: 130

Level: 7 (Menu Note: Elves level much slower than other races)

Job: None

Skills: Water Magic, Bow, Spirit Seer

Titles: Maze’s Master, Little Child of Bornean Forest

 

Huh?

That's the first time I have seen something called a--Menu Note?

Maze, huh--is that different from a labyrinth?

From her appearance, she looks like she is around fourteen--but strangely, her chest is slightly larger than the others at a C-cup or so.

Her hair is a light turquoise, almost blue, rather than green--however, her pupils are a beautiful emerald green that seems to almost glow from within. Her skin is pale white, and other than her breasts, hips, thighs and butt--the more feminine features--her body seems strangely thin. It doesn’t look like she is unhealthy though.

Mia seems to only be eating the vegetables, while avoiding the meat--the meat she isn’t eating is being taken by Tama, who sits next to her, and moves quickly. From the opposite side, Pochi is putting her vegetables onto Mia’s plate.

However, the one I’m a little worried about is Liza, she is chewing on the wild boar’s leg meat with a look on her face which looks very similar to some of the faces Arisa pulled on the first night--I think I’ll leave her alone--

Lulu is busy acting as the waitress, since Arisa is paying attention, even while Lulu is busy--Arisa is feeding her; it’s rare to see Arisa act like a mother, she really loves her sister.

“Boar meat is delicious.” Tama lets out a purr as she speaks.

“Meat stuck on bones is good.” Pochi nods enthusiastically in agreement.

“Mia too, eat without restraint.” Liza stops chewing long enough to mutter.

‘Meat, I dislike.’

I have to interpret her words, “She says she dislikes meat.”

“Huh, how very elf-like.” Arisa looks strangely impressed.

‘I am an Elf.’ Mia mutters while looking at her plate.

“Lulu, don’t give her only vegetables, please cut some fruit for her as well.”

‘I like pears.’

“She likes pears, she said.”

Mia’s replies were short, but she seems to be doing what she can to establish communication with the others.

***

After finishing our meal, we do separate things.

Liza and Lulu start cleaning up, Pochi and Tama are enjoying an after-meal nap on the sheet. I drink some tea while watching over the girls and bring up the travel journal, searching for ‘Bornean Forest’; it’s located south of here, adjacent to the Shiga Kingdom Duke’s territory, slightly off our route to Labyrinth City, but not too far off--we could go there if needed.

I’ll be fine with escorting her there, but it’s probably a good idea to check why the Flying Ants were chasing her. I definitely don’t think that it was a chance encounter--especially because of the sheer number.

I ask her in the Elven language, being careful to make sure that it doesn’t sound like I’m interrogating her.

“Mia, I have a few things to ask you about, is it fine?”

“Ask what?”

“How come those large swarms of Flying Ants were chasing you?”

“--They came to capture.”

“To capture you?”

“Yes.”

Arisa is sitting, leaning against me and watching quietly.

“Why did the Flying Ants want to catch you?”

“Because it’s necessary.”

Well, yeah--of course.

If I’m not more careful with my questions, I won’t really get useful answers.

“Who is it that needs you?”

“--A Mage.”

It’s good to know that she isn’t being chased by a Demon.

“Do you know why they need you?”

“For the Maze.”

Still, Mazes, huh--this world has a lot of interesting things; I always thought labyrinths and mazes were the same, but the words they use are different and so is the feeling they give off--it’s difficult to put into words, kind of like a feeling.

“Where is the Maze located?”

“--Mountain.”

“Is it near here?”

“Probably.”

Ahh, that makes a little more sense--the Flying Ants didn’t just appear out of nowhere from a normal mountain, they’re probably from the Maze.

Although, I don’t intend to go there.

“What is that Mage doing in the Maze?”

“Making things like Ants or Puppets.”

So, the Flying Ants were made there, they’re probably a subspecies of the different Ant species I saw in the labyrinth.

But puppets, aren’t they moving dolls?

Nevertheless, even though I don’t know the reason the Mage is gathering forces, it’s probably not for a good reason--from this position he could attack Seryuu City if he wanted to.

“Do you know why the Mage is making them?”

“--Don’t know.” Mia’s face went pale, it looks like she knows but doesn’t want to remember, or tell.

“Do you think that Mage will come after you?”

“Surely coming.”

Is that so?

Well, that means I can’t push her off to the manager of the Worker Guild--not that I had any reason to, but it cut that option off.

If war breaks out, I don’t think that the Seryuu City armed forces would lose, but the flying Monsters might indiscriminately attack the people I know there--and Zena is a soldier, she would be on the front lines.

But I don’t know what he is planning.

Should I go to the Maze and talk to him?

If he says that he wants a war, I may need to persuade or force the Mage to give up on it.

Well, let’s ask the person herself what she wants.

“Mia, Mize asked me to take you either to your home, or to people from the same race. There is an Elf in the nearby Seryuu City. Which one do you wish?”

“--I want to go home.”

“I understand.” I look at Liza and Lulu, who have finished eating, then to Arisa who has her eyes shut while leaning her head onto my shoulder, “Everyone, we will be taking a small detour--to take Mia home along the way to Labyrinth City, is everyone fine with that?”

“Whatever master wants.” Liza says.

Arisa and Lulu nod to her words.

Well, since no one seemed against it, it seems that the plan has been decided.