Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, it’s said that the ability to read the atmosphere is indispensable--on Earth at least--because in a fantasy world, people born into power just behave however they want.”

When Nana takes her hood off, her blond hair flows out, line a silky waterfall.

Toruma gets dazzled by her, and Hayuna elbows him.

Nana got permission from Hayuna and is holding the baby in her arms; she looks completely content, almost like a holy mother--if she didn’t talk, “She’s so fluffy, and soft. Master, I want to have a young organism too.”

“Let’s talk about that much later.” I watch her with a feeling of affection, and I do think she might make a good mother--she seems the sort that won’t mistreat and abuse her kids--since she seems to want to protect the ‘young organisms’, I wonder how she would be when they grow up.

“Why does she call you Master?” Toruma looked at me.

“All of the rest of the girls do, she goes along with it.”

Nana glanced over at me with a slightly confused look in her eyes, too subtle for the other two to notice--and she was rapidly drawn back into staring at the baby with adoration, before she could say anything.

They asked me a little about her life, to which I told them that she had lived a sheltered life, and that she only drank water instead of eating, because her body was weak.

The two seem to think that Nana and I are a married couple--and I don’t really see any harm in the misunderstanding, so I have no reason to deny it.

“This food is delicious,” Hayuna remarks with a small smile, Toruma nodded in agreement. I agree wholeheartedly, our cute chefs did very well, like usual.

I glance over at the other group, and notice that Pochi and Tama seem to be very quiet today; they usually quickly ask, “Another please.”

But they’re eating slowly while chewing thoroughly, and they’ve only eaten about half of their meals.

Huh?

After they finish half, they stand up and come over here.

Was it no good?

 

“Meal sharing?”

“I’m giving half.”

 

The two of them offer their plates to Hayuna--I wonder why they’re presenting it while having very earnest, if not sad, faces.

“Oi oi, no matter how delicious--we won’t eat scraps from Demi-Human slaves, you know?” Toruma speaks up, but the timing is quite bad, making so that everyone can hear it.

Hearing his words, Pochi’s and Tama’s ears fall flat against their hair.

I cannot let Toruma’s jeer toward the two’s good-will pass.

“Toruma!” Hayuna speaks up first.

“Hmph.” He snorts in response, looking away.

I turn to the two upset girls, “What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s for the sake of the breast milk, for the baby.”

“If she doesn’t eat a lot, the baby will die?”

 

I’m not sure where they got this idea, but this explains why they have looked so gloomy since some time ago, they worry that the baby will die.

“Master, there was a Leopard-kin woman with a baby who was enslaved at our previous owner’s place. The mother couldn’t produce enough milk because we rarely got enough food, so the baby died of starvation--during that time, the Demi-Human slaves all cooperated, sharing half their food--these two still remember it.” Liza walks up and explains, her tail flicking in irritation as she glances at Toruma.

 

“I see, Pochi and Tama are kind. There’s no need to worry, we have more than enough food, so feel free to eat as much as you want, like usual. You can ask for another serve like always.” I smile at the two girls, “Thanks for the explanation Liza,”

Liza nods at my words, before going back to watching Toruma with a guarded expression.

After hearing my words, Pochi and Tama quickly look at each other, before shouting, “Yay!”, happily.

Hayuna looks at the two with an affectionate smile, “Thank you for worrying about me.”

Their ears perked up, their tails swayed at her words--before they scampered off to Lulu and Liza to get more food.

“Then, I will help myself with another serving too.” Toruma said.

Not only Liza, but even Lulu ignore him--he wanders around a bit, unsure what to do, before dejectedly sitting back down.

It’s pitiful, but fully deserved, that even Hayuna didn’t back him up.

***

After the meal, I go into the wagon with Nana for a few reasons. The first of which is that Hayuna is going to breastfeed the baby; Nana wanted to watch, out of curiousity--but I decided to replenish Nana’s Magic Power--which managed to distract her--she enjoys it a lot.

“Master.”

“Yeah?” I look at her face.

“I also want to give breast milk to the young organism.” She reaches up and touches her left breast, poking at it.

“It won’t come out, right?”

If she was a normal Human, or Humanoid, the milk should be created when she has a child--I’m not sure if a Homunculus like Nana can even conceive.

“What should I do?” She asks with an innocent expression--and since we have finished the feeding, I have, reluctantly, let go.

“Hmm, what are you doing?” Arisa pops up behind Nana, and looks at me--since I have obviously finished recharging Nana, but she still hasn’t put her shirt on--and I also have a slight blush, I can feel the heat in my cheeks.

“Serious conversation?” Mia asks from beside Arisa.

“Well, I was recharging Nana, when she asked a question that I’m unsure how to answer.”

“Oh, what was the question?” Both girls look curious.

“I was requesting Master to make me produce breast milk. Or to help me have a young organism of my own.”

Arisa broke out in laughter, she couldn’t speak through her giggles.

Mia blushed--the first time I saw her face show that much expression; though there was some excitement or anticipation in her eyes as well, but I shall pretend I didn’t see it--for now.

Nana looked confused, looking between the three of us.

While Arisa was recovering from her amusement, I had Nana put her shirt back on.

Arisa finally finished with her giggling fit, “Nana, I will explain it to you later.”

***

Leaving Arisa and Mia together with a confused, and curious, Nana; I leave the wagon. Arisa had told me that Hayuna had finished feeding the baby, so it was safe to come out.

Lulu brought tea for the three of us.

Hayuna and I both say thanks to Lulu when we receive the tea, but Toruma asks, “What’s this, it’s not Alcohol? Is there no wine? Ale is fine too,” instead of saying a simple thanks.

He is starting to annoy me, but I want the scrolls for returning him alive--and I can leave him by the road to walk back--but I can’t leave Hayuna, or the baby.

“Still, there sure are a lot of thieves in this territory,” I say.

“You’re right, we met quite a few before we got caught by those guys--at that time, they were outnumbered, so they ran away before the fighting could start.”

So it seems that when thieves can see mercenaries with you, they run.

“Well, I was surprised how many villagers were trying to sell themselves.”

“Isn’t that normal if the harvest is bad?”

“They said that they didn’t have a bad harvest,” I explain to him that it’s because of the Baron’s daughter’s wedding.

Toruma said something unexpected, “Huh, that day dreaming Soruna is getting married? Which noble is her partner? He must be quite a man, to take one of cousin’s daughters as a bride.”

“Her partner is the hero, it seems.”

Hearing my words, Toruma bursts into laughter, almost falling off his seat.

Hayuna, who is much better at reading the atmosphere than Toruma, reminds him, “Dear, what are you finding so amusing? We can’t understand, if you just laugh.”

“Hahaha, well cousin is famous for liking heroes, but I never expected that he would have his daughter marry one. This will be a good tie with the Saga Empire.”

“So, the Baron is fond of heroes?”

“Yeah, his hobby is collecting books about heroes’ tales. There was even a rumour among the Merchants that he had a theater built in Muno City, specifically for plays about heroes.”

I see, so the Demon, or the impostor, used that obsession with heroes.

“Actually, I have an acquaintance close to royalty who has met the hero face to face--the figure and features of the hero that they described--don’t match the hero who’s currently staying with the Baron.”

“Oh? Then, are you saying that someone is deceiving my cousin?”

“I’m not exactly saying that, but I cannot think of any reason that the hero would be away from the Saga Empire beside killing the Demon Lord.” I will naturally mix in the fact that there is a Demon, “I’ve also heard rumours about a Demon with bat wings appearing near Muno City. Back when I was in Seryuu City, a senior Demon attacked there, so there is a rumour: ‘Isn’t Muno City also being targeted by a Demon as well’ floating around.”

Mix small lies in with the truth, if you want your story to be believable.

“So, there is a rumour like that, huh? That explains why we haven’t passed any Merchants’ carriage since we entered this territory.” Toruma looks convinced--but I think that it is mainly because of the terrible public order.

People who don’t have urgent business in the Dukedom, are probably going to avoid passing through this territory.

I wonder if this talk will reach anyone with influence, even if it’s purely in the form of rumours--of course, I can’t expect anything from Toruma; but since Hayuna was listening to us, and she seems to actually be reliable, so it is possible.