Chapter 232 - Fam, Samaim, Marmie, and a Morning in Richelle
Sunlight streamed through the window, reaching deep into the room. The lattice shutters, which should have been closed, were open. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Fam and Samaim, who should have been beside me, were gone. I scanned the room for them.
On the chairs placed by the desk that had been pushed into the corner, the two of them were sitting. They sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning in to gaze intently at a single book on the desk. It was "How to Walk the World," the book from Racshell. The quiet air between them seemed to gently mingle with the light from outside.
Marmie was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hands on her knees, watching them from a slight distance.
"Morning."
"...Morning."
Marmie hadn't noticed I was awake, and she turned her face slowly, looking a little surprised. The light reflected in her eyes seemed somewhat dark and melancholic. I placed my hand on her head and stroked her silver hair. It was fine and silky, sparkling as it caught the sunlight.
"Where's Mizuki?"
"...I think she went to wash her face."
"And what are you doing, Marmie?"
"...Nothing."
She pouted and looked down.
"You want to join them, don't you?" I whispered, leaning close to her ear.
"...That's not it. Besides, I'm a new friend..."
"Don't be an idiot. A friend is a friend. There's no such thing as new or old."
"...Do you have people like that, Mash?"
"N-never mind about me!"
I pushed her by the waist and made her stand up from the bed. I got off the bed as well.
"Go on. If they leave you out, I'll kick their butts for you."
"What are you going to do, Mash?"
"I'll look for Mizuki. I'm hungry, so I'm going to eat first. You guys come down when you're ready."
Marmie nodded and then trotted over to Fam and the others. She glanced back at me for a moment, then looked at Fam and the girls again. She took a small, deep breath, her hands clenched tightly.
Breakfast was a soup of stewed beans and bread. This taste was nostalgic, too. I still didn't know what kind of beans they were, but they were cooked so soft you could crush them with your tongue. That said, there was a subtle difference in texture, which made me think there were several types of beans in it. Or maybe it was just cooked unevenly.
"Mizuki, do you know what kind of beans these are?"
She tilted her head, just as clueless.
As we were eating, Maira appeared.
"Good morning."
She gave a small bow and sat down next to me, then scooted her butt closer. The three of us sitting in a row at the long table felt strange. Maira was pressing so close that I poked her chest with my elbow.
"Hyawaa!"
She clutched her chest and put some distance between us. I wondered what kind of sense it was that made her butt okay but her chest off-limits.
"So, what's the situation with Samaim?"
In response to Maira's question, I just shook my head. There were a mountain of things I wanted to ask, but like Marmie, I felt there was an unapproachable air between Fam and Samaim this morning.
Just as I was wondering if Marmie had managed to fit in with them, the three of them came downstairs. They sat down across from us, with Fam in the middle, flanked by Samaim and Marmie. Fam started eating her breakfast with a prim expression, and Marmie and Samaim followed suit. How should I put it? It was like a girls' world, and I felt an atmosphere that still kept everyone at a distance. Not just Samaim, but Fam and Marmie too felt distant.
As I sat there frozen, Maira cleared her throat and closed the gap between us again. I understood that she, at least, was trying to hurry me along.
"S-Samaim, can I ask you something?"
She looked up and nodded.
"Um... well... are you a virgin?"
At my question, Mizuki, sitting next to me, spat out a mouthful of bean soup. It hit Marmie right in the face. Marmie frowned with an annoyed look but didn't bother to wipe it off, just sitting there motionlessly.
Mizuki frantically grabbed something to wipe with and cleaned the soup off Marmie's face.
"...It's fine. I'll wash it later with laundry magic."
Marmie turned her face away as if even that act was a nuisance. She didn't take care of her personal things. Patricia must have been helping her until now. Her attitude stemmed from that. I understood that. But right now, even that attitude seemed like they were putting up a wall against me.
"Are you an idiot? Ask a proper question!" Mizuki protested.
"Kuh, I can't do it. Sorry, Mizuki, I'm counting on you."
Fam's glare was painful. I tried my best, but this was my limit.
"Huh?!"
"You want to know about Yuuki too, don't you?"
She handed the cloth to Marmie and returned to her seat. Mizuki looked troubled, tapping her chin with her index finger, then nodded as if she'd made up her mind.
"Samaim, are you still planning to fight us?"
Samaim shook her head at Mizuki's words.
"Can you tell us how you met Senpai... Yuuki-senpai and Clovis?"
"..."
Samaim fell silent and lowered her gaze.
"Mizuki, Samaim can't speak," Fam said.
"She can't?" and "Is it congenital?" Mizuki and I asked at almost the same time.
"She could speak normally when she was in the village."
After hearing Fam's reply, Mizuki and I both looked at Maira.
"Don't tell me you failed? Was it the good-for-nothing priest's fault?"
"No, the magic cast on her should be completely dispelled."
Maira placed a hand on Samaim's neck.
"I think it might be psychological..."
Was it from when her village was attacked, or something that happened after? As I pondered how to interpret this, Mizuki cleared her throat to restart the conversation.
"Samaim, do you want to go back to Messiah?"
There was a long pause. Then, she lowered her head and shook it. I couldn't tell what her true feelings were. Mizuki was frowning, looking just as confused.
"Samaim, do you... like Yuuki-senpai?"
"Hey, that's not any different from my first question!"
"How is it not?!"
While Mizuki and I were glaring at each other, Samaim gave a small shake of her head. Her gesture was so fragile that I felt like we were bullying her, and a sudden unease stirred in my chest. The women I had met in this world all possessed a certain strength of will, and most were tougher than me. The only one who seemed a little unreliable was probably Claire. But now she was the branch manager of the Mateo Trading Company in Migul. If I had to name another, it would be Maira. She sometimes approached me with somewhat childish gestures. Even now, she was playfully pressing her butt against me. But in terms of raw power, she was the strongest among us.
And come to think of it, Samaim, like Fam, had been sold as a slave, forced to fight in a strange city, and was now being interrogated by strangers. I started to wonder if it was right to keep questioning her like this.
"Um, Master, I can listen to her story later. She might regain her ability to speak eventually."
Fam spoke as if she'd read my mind. I felt saved by her words and nodded. She nodded back with a steady gaze, her hand placed firmly on Samaim's back.
"Wait. Then, just two more things. Was it Clovis who bought you from the slave trader, Samaim?"
Samaim nodded at Mizuki's question.
"Then, was it Clovis who ordered you to fight?"
She shook her head.
"...Was it Yuuki-senpai?"
She remained still for a long time, then eventually nodded. Seeing this, Mizuki bit her lip and looked down. I put my hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer.
"Let's leave the rest to Fam. And Fam, please ask Samaim what she wants to do from now on."
I took the members of Levante to Aidan's place. It was me, Mizuki, Maira, and Marmie. The city, unlike at night, was bustling with energy. I bought a skewered piece of grilled meat from a passing stall and bit into it.
We decided to leave Fam and Samaim behind. Marmie wanted to stay too, but I had business with her specifically, so I made her come along. I was worried about leaving the two of them, who were of a different race, alone in this city, but Maira said it would be fine.
"No one in this city would discriminate against a member of the dog-eared race dressed like that."
"Why's that? Fam looks normal to me. Is there something strange about her?"
"I don't think there's anyone who doesn't know she's your companion, Mash."
I had summoned Racshell in the city's arena where many people had gathered, and Fam, dressed in her light blue outfit, was there. No one would want to willingly make an enemy of a god's chosen, was Maira's reasoning.
"By the way, what about Reed from Wind Blade?"
I had asked Maira in Flucht to have him released.
"The head priest appealed to the city's influential figures, but duels also have their own city customs. It seems they can't easily release someone who broke them."
Her expression clouded over. I thought it would be fine if I, as the person involved, spoke up, but it wasn't that simple.
"And there's also the fact that he's from a noble family in the western kingdom..."
Currently, there were no signs of war between the Empire where Richelle was located and the western kingdom where Reed was from. But that didn't mean they were at peace. It seemed there was a constant power play between the two nations, and the embers of conflict were smoldering somewhere.
We entered the district where the blacksmiths gathered, and headed for Aidan's workshop amidst the sound of metal being struck. When I opened the door, it led directly into the work area, where I saw Aidan and Petra. Their short stature was likely a characteristic of the dwarf race. But their bodies were stout, and their backs still radiated reliability. Petra, on the other hand, was swinging a hammer alongside the workshop's workers, having blended in as a member of the workshop in less than a day.
Aidan's eyes widened when he saw me.
"I heard the gist of it from Petra. You really came back..."
"Yeah. Sorry to spring this on you, but I want to get back to Migul as soon as possible."
I wanted to ask him to come to Migul with us too, but I swallowed the words and gripped the hand he offered.
"I think I'm fine staying here, though."
Petra shrugged beside me. Her voice was full of energy, and she seemed lively. Was it Marianne who told me she used to swing a hammer under Aidan?
"So, I want to borrow the power of the elves, who are skilled in high-level magic and its use, and the dwarves, who are skilled in accumulating and processing magical power, to get back to Migul. And as far as I know, the greatest elf and dwarf are right here."
At my words, Marmie and Aidan exchanged glances.
"...Like I said yesterday, it's impossible," Marmie replied.
"Flight, teleportation, spatial transfer, anything is fine. Isn't there some way?"
"...You're being too vague!"
"Even a way to get to Racshell's room would be fine. It seems the destinations we can travel to from that room in this world are fixed. Can't we trace that path in reverse? If it's related to the gods, we have an expert right here."
I pushed Maira forward by the waist.
"Huh? Me?!"
Maira looked troubled. Marmie and Aidan crossed their arms, their expressions stern.
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