Chapter 324 - 324. [Special Chapter] The Vow of the Muu Tribe 2 (The Return of the Muu Tribe)
From this point on, we will present a special chapter series over several installments.
This story branches off from "315. The Chairman's Request and the One Who Made It."
Will friends remain friends forever? The Elf girl, Marimi Mume Mo Starunion, pondered such thoughts as she matched her stride to the others. They continued their journey together, meeting face-to-face every day. Although the daily life they shared appeared stagnant at first glance, the scenery was changing just as the seasons were turning from summer to winter. Much like the silver hair flowing down her back had become longer, tangling more deeply in her fingertips than before.
Beside her walked Fam, a Dog-Eared girl who stared unhappily at the ground. Ever since meeting her, the resolution of the world had sharpened, and the speed of change had become dizzying. Yet, when Marimi compared the contents of her heart from yesterday to today, she found nothing had changed.
She had once made Fam angry, and Fam was likely still angry about it. Still, Marimi believed they were friends. But where did the boundary line surrounding the word "friend" lie? In what form and at what time would it begin to mutate? Marimi could not yet see the answer.
Currently, Fam's consciousness was occupied by the other Dog-Eared girl walking beside them, Samueim. Fam had resolved to sever the bond between Samueim and Mash by any means necessary. She likely did not want Samueim to tread the precarious path that Marimi and Fam had traveled.
Though she was reluctant, if her friend wished it, she had no choice but to lend a hand. As if it were the only method to remain within the ambiguous outline of friendship, Marimi clenched her fist tightly.
They advanced toward the Royal Castle through the streets of Heilong. The afternoon sunlight warmed their coats pleasantly, but the wind blowing through the gaps between the stone buildings was cold enough to evoke the scent of winter. Perhaps due to this temperature difference, the street stalls were sparse, and the footsteps of the passersby seemed hurried. Marimi and her companions huddled their shoulders together, choosing the sunny spots to walk through as if to dodge the cold wind.
At that moment, a man appeared walking cheerfully toward them, looking up at the sky.
"Master!"
When Fam called out, Mash stopped as if he had been struck, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open in a blank stare. Then, looking awkward, he scratched his head and averted his gaze.
"Aren't Nefy and Lini with you?"
At Mash's question, Fam shook her head slowly.
"No. They said they were going for a walk by the riverbank."
"Is that so?"
Mash cast his gaze toward them again as if to observe them once more. Usually, he would close the distance without hesitation, but this time he did not break his position, having stepped back one pace. At that slight distance, Marimi felt an indescribable sense of unease.
Just as Marimi was about to probe the true nature of that unease, Fam opened her mouth.
"As for you, Master..."
As she began to speak, Fam's nose twitched, and her eyebrows shot up with a sharp jerk. Mash's face visibly stiffened.
"I-it's a misunderstanding! I asked Avea to do this so that she can continue to be Fam's teacher from now on...!"
A nonsensical defense flew out of Mash's mouth. Avea. She was the muscular female swordsman who served as a guard for the Mateo Trading Company. Marimi did not understand, but Fam must have detected a faint scent of a woman on him.
For Marimi, Mash's panic and Fam's reaction were sufficient. Mash should have been spending the night with Mizuki and the others. Yet, to hint at the shadow of another woman the very next day was far too lacking in self-restraint.
"You don't need to make such a request, Master. Avea will watch the practice. Unlike you!"
Fam's words stole even the warmth of the sun. Then, she puffed out her cheeks to an extreme degree.
"W-well, this is a good coincidence. I was planning to go to the Chairman's place. Won't you come with me?"
Mash's proposal, made while he was fidgeting, appeared to Marimi as a lifeline. If they accepted this, they could cancel or postpone Fam's plan, which could be called a rampage. However, Fam calmly lowered her dog ears.
"I'm sorry. I have somewhere I need to go..."
"Is it to Chicchi's place?"
At Mash's guess, Fam shook her head silently.
"Actually, Mo said she would introduce Sam to a marriage partner who is a perfect match."
Fam sent a glance toward Marimi as if seeking confirmation. Marimi sighed inwardly. This was not her true intention. The night before, after leading Samueim out of Mash's room, Fam had become furious, claiming that Mash was trying to make a move on Sam. Fam's intuition never failed when it came to Mash, so Marimi had no choice but to agree.
Samueim's pure white, drooping ears twitched. She possessed a more feminine figure than Fam and had a loveliness that stirred one's desire to protect.
Marimi did not think Mash would do anything to her, who had suffered deep wounds, right now. Besides, they would be parting ways in this city. Fam's resolve could be postponed.
However, Fam had made a firm decision not to let Mash's poisonous fangs touch Samueim.
Since she was from a village deep in the mountains, she had no acquaintances in this city. Therefore, Marimi had no choice but to introduce her to a noble connection.
Defeated by the pressure of Fam's gaze, Marimi nodded slightly, reluctantly.
"Samueim is the same age as Fam, right? Isn't it too early?"
Mash stared intently at Samueim. His gaze, which seemed to be sizing her up, appeared to confirm Fam's fears. Fam stepped forward one pace as if to shield Samueim.
"That is not the case. Both Sam and I are at an age where it would not be strange to get married."
Fam gave Marimi a glance, and Marimi nodded again with a slight jerk of her head. Mash frowned in puzzlement. This time, Mash sent a gaze toward Marimi as if seeking help.
Marimi, intending to teach him the common sense of this world, placed her hands on her hips and emphasized the slight swell of her chest.
"...I can do it too."
"Is that so? From what age can one do it?"
"...For the Elf Race, it is twelve years old. For other races, it is not fixed."
Mash, knowing that Elves reached adulthood at twelve, nodded as if strangely convinced.
"I see... So, who is this 'perfect' match?"
"...It's a secret."
"It's not a secret! I have no intention of forcing it, but Samueim is, after all, my slave. Besides..."
At that point, Mash's words became vague. He did not openly criticize it, but he seemed to dislike the social system of slavery. The current situation, where Samueim held that status as a punishment, was not his true wish. With a difficult expression, he fell silent.
The person Marimi was introducing was the younger brother of the King who ruled this city. Although he was known for an extreme hatred of women, for some reason, three months ago, Marimi had been granted an audience without difficulty. Relying on that strange connection, she had arranged to connect Samueim with the best possible backing. Though she was not enthusiastic, since she was doing it, she needed to introduce a proper match.
As if giving up, Mash patted Marimi's head gently.
"Make sure to listen to Samueim's will, okay?"
"...That is fine. We are of the Muu Tribe."
Marimi raised both hands to show the greeting of the Muu Tribe. Seeing this, Fam raised her hand slightly reluctantly, yet dutifully. Samueim blushed and turned her face away, but she waved her hands slightly at her chest and muttered in a voice so faint it seemed to vanish.
"Muu..."
After walking for a while separated from Mash, a magnificent stone Royal Castle appeared before the group. The castle guards stationed at the gate cast suspicious glances at the approaching party, but upon recognizing Marimi's long ears, they immediately stood at attention. The young lady of House Starunion, one of the Four Great Houses governing the city of Migul, had appeared without prior notice.
When Marimi requested an audience with the Prince in a quiet voice, the guard's face stiffened, and he announced his understanding in a strained voice before running into the castle.
"Mo, are you introducing Sam to a match with the Prince of Heilong?"
Fam lowered her ears anxiously and peered into Marimi's face.
"...No. I am introducing the Prince to Sam."
"There is no way that could happen! He is of the Human Race, is he not?"
"...King Heilong already has an heir. Those around him do not wish for the Prince to become a successor by producing a child of the Human Race, fearing he might harbor unnecessary ambition. Therefore, Sam, being of a different race, is convenient."
"A-actually, I..."
Facing the massive doors of the castle, Samueim had completely shrunk in on herself.
"It is fine. I am with you."
Fam clasped her hand as if to envelop it. Seeing this, Marimi made a small sound through her nose.
"...That is why you are worried, is it not?"
Fam stopped her feet abruptly and turned silently to face Marimi.
"D-do you mean that I am trying to do something that is not for Sam's benefit?"
"...No. Fam is just trying to keep Sam away from Mash. Besides..."
Marimi shifted her gaze to Samueim, who was still looking down.
"Sam is not in a situation where she can consider such things right now."
A year ago, the village where Fam and Samueim lived had been attacked by the "Crimson Brigade." After plunder and slaughter, the two had been sold as prisoners to the slave market. Through her encounter and journey with Mash, Fam was gradually trying to heal her heart's wounds. However, Samueim had only been freed from that curse a few days ago. Furthermore, according to Fam, she had a childhood friend in the village with whom she was deeply attached. The fact that that boy was no longer in this world cast a deep shadow on her heart.
"...If you intend to heal her heart's wounds, surely you know best that being by Mash's side is the best option?"
Just as Fam, receiving those words, tried to pierce Marimi with a sharp gaze, the heavy castle doors opened with a sound. Without a word, they stepped into the castle, following the leading guard.
The interior of the castle was a sturdy stone fortress, no different from its exterior. The joints of the stones were precisely aligned, giving a sense of newness. Ten years ago, when the Demon Kingdom destroyed the Old Empire, this Heilong had become the frontline city against the Demon Kingdom. The excessive sturdiness of this castle was the result of renovations that began at that time.
"Do you not dislike it, Mo? That Master will... become involved with another woman?"
Fam spoke in a small voice.
As if to hide her voice within the footsteps echoing off the high ceiling, Fam asked in a whisper.
"...Of course I dislike it."
Marimi answered immediately.
"Then why, Mo, do you... Patricia..."
"...I think Mash is the best. I cannot consider any other man. Therefore, it is better for my precious person to be with my number one person. That way, we can be together forever."
"That is absurd!"
Fam's shout echoed violently through the quiet corridor. The startled guard turned around, and she hurriedly shrank back, bowing her head deeply.
"...The ones who created such an absurd rule were Fam and Mash. If you had clearly rejected it from the start by saying 'I don't want other women,' things would not have become so distorted."
"I don't want it. But even if I say that, Master won't listen..."
"...It is too late to say it now. But if you had said it strongly from the very beginning, it would have been different."
At Marimi's remark, Fam let out a weak sigh.
"I thought he was my Master, just for me. But if I bind Master to me like that, would he really be my Master...?"
Seeing Fam drop her shoulders, Marimi could not add any more words. It was precisely because Fam tacitly accepted the strange harem situation forming around Mash that Marimi, too, could find a place to belong here. She was also freed from a political marriage ordered by her house. The comfort of the Levant (East Wind) was by no means bad. Even the possessiveness and obsession directed at Mash were pleasant to Marimi at this moment.
Soon, the guard stopped before a door adorned with particularly luxurious carvings. On both sides of the door, heavily armored soldiers, their bodies encased in armor, stood motionless like statues.
"This is the room of the Prince, Julius-sama."
After announcing this, the guard stiffened his expression and leaned close to Marimi's ear.
"Please be careful. Julius-sama has a somewhat violent temper, and he is currently in a particularly bad mood..."
"...I know. But when I met him before, he was normal."
When Marimi replied calmly, the guard lowered his eyebrows as if utterly perplexed.
"Last night, a dinner party was held with Julius-sama's fiancée... At that gathering, Julius-sama suddenly flew into a rage, and without even finishing his greetings, he smashed a proposal to break off the engagement onto the other party."
"...Was there some problem with the woman on the other side?"
The guard shook his head weakly.
"No, she is a flawless young lady whose families had been arranged since childhood. She is very beautiful..." The guard stopped speaking and cleared his throat. "A-anyway, Julius-sama sent her away before she could even open her mouth."
Marimi secretly frowned. If that was true, it was a scandal that could develop into a diplomatic issue. Normally, an audience should not be permitted in such a situation, but the fact that she was allowed through meant they did not wish to sever ties with House Starunion. Without the cooperative relationship between the city of Migul and the city of Heilong, it would be impossible to oppose the Demon Kingdom.
The soldier standing before the door took out a heavy bunch of keys from his waist. The key was inserted into the keyhole, and the sound of metal scraping echoed through the corridor. Julius seemed to be in a state of de facto house arrest.
"Is it really okay?"
The conversation with the guard must have been heard by Fam as well. Overlapping with the ominous sound of the lock turning, kachari, she muttered anxiously.
"...On the contrary, it is convenient. The more unsettled the heart, the more openings there are to enter."
As Marimi quietly announced this, the heavy door slowly opened inward.
Thank you for reading. Those who liked, bookmarked, and rated this work have been a great encouragement. Thank you for reporting typos. I am grateful.