"What?" the girls exclaimed. "You're going too?"

"If Niko won't concern himself with Onua-san's safety, I will. I'm going to go, if only to see for myself that she doesn't get hurt." He glared challengingly at Niko, daring him to stop him.

Niko's eyes flashed dangerously, but he said only, "Very well. I won't stop you from going, but I don't have a spare horse, so if you both go, you'll have to walk."

"Fine. We'll walk."

"We'll go too! There's safety in numbers, right?" said Yuushi, determined to support Onua's safety.

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"You are my employees, and while I have no jurisdiction over Gaga, since he's an adult, you are still children."

"We're eighteen! We're not children!"

"Eighteen you may be, but you have the bodies of fourteen-year-olds, and I will treat you as such. You may not go."

"But, but…"

"Oh, let it go, Yuushi." said Grenda. "It's not worth arguing, he's just going to be stubborn. Oh, and Gaga?"

"Yes, Princess?" Gaga was still seething about Niko's callous behavior, but he wouldn't be rude to the princess.

"You'd better come back, and if you let Onua-san get hurt, you'll be in trouble."

"Of course, Princess, that's why I'm going along."

"Hmph."

"Well," said Niobe. "If you're going, you should start right away, instead of just standing around. Here." She held out two knapsacks. "These have enough food and water for three days, as well as some basic necessities and supplies. Onua's has an extra large-size canteen for the water from the Mére as well."

As they took the knapsacks, she said, "Now shoo! The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll get back!" They left, heading northwest, to where they could see the mountain, about two hours walk away.

Once they were gone, Niko sat down on a bench with a groan. He put his head in his hands and began rubbing his temples. He hated having to argue with Gaga, but the way things had turned out, he'd had to. Niobe took all of the girls besides Grenda and left.

Grenda looked down her nose at him. "You're a terrible actor."

"Better than you."

"I'm surprised they didn't figure out that we wanted him to go."

"Onua probably did, but I doubt she'll tell him."

"You could have just asked him to go, you know."

"I refuse to request something that dangerous from him."

"So you trick him into getting mad enough to go, making him hate you in the process. That's really smart."

"He doesn't hate me. I'm sure he'll understand when I explain it to him."

"I suppose so. This was the only way for him to go all the way there without second thoughts. You're very sneaky, you know that? I'm starting to like you more and more." She smiled grudging approval.

He smiled back. "And I you, oh clever maiden, and I you."

Notes: The last scene with Niko and Grenda is very similar to a scene from The Halfblood Chronicles. In that scene, a middle-aged-to-old man and a young woman use reverse psychology to get their opponent to do what they want him to. The last line is a direct quote.