Death March — Fixed

POV: Lulu

Hello, Lulu here.

What should I do?

Liza has been acting very strange since a while ago.

“Call the village chief!” Liza speaks impatiently.

“Who are ya? I ain’t getting ordered around by a Beastkin.”

Liza strikes the ground with the hilt of her spear, which is still wrapped in cloth.

Even when she was driving the wagon to this village, it was much rougher than usual--I think that she really wanted to go with Master, like Arisa and Pochi did.

The villager with a big body is trying his best to oppose Liza, but it seems only his words seem courageous; his body is trembling slightly, his legs seemed tense, like he wants to run away.

Thankfully, there is a boy leading a gentle-looking man here, both are running.

“Well then, what exactly is your demand? As you can see, ours is a poor village, we lack food, let alone treasures.” The village chief is braver than the loud man.

It’s exactly as the chief said, the children, and the man earlier, all look famished.

“We don’t need treasures or food. My great lord desires stones that look like this. Prepare 100 of them, immediately.”

Jeez, Liza--that’s not on the level of negotiation.

Nana too, please don’t only look on from the side, and do something about her.

When I desperately try to convey my plea with my eyes, it doesn’t reach Nana. She looks over her and tilts her head. Jeez! It’s unfair to be that cute, on top of being so beautiful.

I turn and look back at Tama and Mia, who are my remaining source of hope, but--

Mia! Please don’t play around with Tama! Moreover, isn’t that string that you are using to play, the same one that Master bought? Ahh, Tama’s claws, ahh, Jeez!

While I’m still agonizing over the unjust destruction of Master’s cloth, the negotiation has concluded. The village chief is directing the children and young people to carry baskets towards the river.

To think that they’re still doing the collecting after that, what kind of Magic did Liza use?

 

POV: Tama

Ooo. Liza is tingling, meow.

That sentence ending Arisa taught has become a habit. What to do? If I say it out loud, master would worry.

Seems she’s worried for master, who has gone to the place of that Monster called a ‘noble’ or something.

Liza and Arisa are such worrywarts.

Even though it’s alright, since master is the strongest of the strong. No matter what kind of Monster appears, swoosh, he’d move, kaboom, he’d beat it.

Flop, I lie down, and Mia hangs a string in front of my eyes.

How rude. I’m not the same Tama who’s always, always lured.

I must endure. I’m the Sister. I must endure here.

Hah, I’ve been entangled in the string before I noticed.

Mia’s string technique must be the secret art of fairies, no doubt.

 

POV: Lulu

“Okay. No. No. Okay--” Tama is in front of me, selecting stones.

The villagers have gathered more than 100 stones in around an hour, but they’re not only bringing the correct ones; but a few unrelated, beautiful red stones mixed in with them.

They’ve only gathered around 30-40% of the intended stones.

“Achoo!”

I turn towards the sound of sneezing, and see a girl who’s lips are turning pale, her whole body trembles. When I look closer, I can see the hem of clothing and her feet are wet.

Everyone looks thin and don’t seem to have any stamina, I’m worried that they might catch colds, suffer from pneumonia and die.

That’s right!

Let’s treat them to some of the meat that we have left over, a nice warm meal will be good for warming them, and filling them up.

Master has said that we’re free to use the ingredients in the wagon, so there’s no problem with the idea.

“Na-Ma’am, Liza. I’d like to treat everyone in the village with some cooked meat, is it fine?”

I almost said ‘Nana’ like usual, out of habit. I’d like to be called ‘ma’am’ too someday. Of course, the husband will be--

“Lulu? We can’t use the food without permission from master--no, we’ve been given permission haven’t we. However, if the ones eating are us, it’s fine. But aren’t you interpreting his permission too broadly by treating other people.” Liza looked at me--she has a scary look in her eyes.

“No, I think there’s no problem if we treat the people who are cooperating with collecting the stones.”

“I understand. Na, no, ma’am, how about it?”

“Execution is permitted.”

Looks like Liza almost called her Nana too.

It’s easy to be mistaken with that.

Nana is the same as always.

With Liza’s help, we made a stove by lining up some stones, and put the pan on top of the fire.

At first, the villagers are watching us with suspicion, but they start they start to surround us, while watching from a distance, once they start smell cooking meat.

I put bits of meat into the bowls that Nana had asked the village chief to prepare.

I pass the bowls to the children who bring the stones, they look shocked.

“Do you dislike meat?”

“I rarely eat it--”

“Eat carefully, since it’s hot.”

When I said that, the child repeatedly look between the bowl, my face, and then finally the village chief to ask for his decision.

“Even if you give us such a luxurious thing--”

“There is no problem.”

“It’s thanks for these red stones.” Nana quickly answered the village chief’s question.

After getting the village chief’s approval, the children begin to eat the chunks of cooked meat.

 

"Hot, delicious."

"It's warming me up."

"I don't get to eat this even during festivals."

"Uuu, delicious."

 

The children are eating vigorously.

The children give back their bowls, which they have licked clean, while saying thank you, and begin to run toward the river.

I’m worried that we won’t be able gather all the stones that master wants.