I put out my arm, calling for a halt. "Hold on, you guys." The others stopped at my request and shot furtive glances in my direction. Activating my Farsight skill, I took a closer look at the object Komekko was pointing toward.
The visage of a young-looking girl with shoulder-length, light green hair was sitting on a boulder placed on the side of the road, swinging her legs freely over one side.
"Satou, is that her?" Aqua pestered. "Is that Leaf Green Martha?"
No travelers should be on this road at this time. The girl matched the description from the guild's monster guide, and she didn't look lost or scared. It had to be the Tranquility Girl we were looking for.
"I think so," I said, smacking away Aqua's hands which were pulling on my sleeve. "Okay, Alice. Now!"
"Got it!" Alice slipped off her pack and opened it. "Komekko, here! I brought extra snacks for you today!"
"Hoh?" Komekko spontaneously drooled, then snapped herself out of it. "Wait a minute! Satou, what is this? This timing is too odd. What is going on here?" She looked back and forth between me and the food Alice was removing from her bag.
"Isn't it obvious?" I responded. "Alice is distracting you with snacks while Aqua and I go deal with the Tranquility Girl. It would be a hassle if you tried to eat her or something, so I told Alice to do this beforehand."
"Eh?! He straightforwardly said it without even trying to lie!"
It was true. While everyone was packing their things, I had taken Alice aside and asked her if she could bring a little extra food today. This was my plan to keep Komekko under control. Hopefully, we could finish dealing with the Tranquility Girl while Komekko was busy eating.
"H-hold on a second! Just what sort of person do you think I am? Even I wouldn't try to eat her that quickly!" Komekko objected, but quickly noticed the doubtful looks in all of our eyes. "Why are you giving me those looks? I have more self-control than that!"
"Oh? Show us your self-control, then. Alice, you can put those away," I said.
"Wait, Alice, don―"
Komekko slapped her hands over her mouth when she realized I had called her bluff. Alice just smiled and held up a bonbon with colorful wrappings. "Your mouth is saying 'no,' but your body is being more honest, Komekko."
"Alice, please don't say lines like that, it'll ruin my mental image of you," I said before taking a step forward. "C'mon, Aqua."
"Eh? Did I say something strange?" Alice asked in the background, grappling at my words with a look of confusion.
"Wait, I want some snacks too." Aqua tried to move in Alice's direction.
I grabbed Aqua firmly by the upper arm before she could go anywhere. "Focus! Do you want to protect that monster or not? This quest was your idea, wasn't it?"
"Oh yeah…"
Meanwhile, Komekko was giving me a hurt look while at the same time rapidly tearing off the wrapper for the bonbon Alice had given her. "I don't like being manipulated like this! And Alice, you're complicit to Satou's little underhanded scheme? I am shocked you agreed to this!"
"And yet you are eating the snacks all the same~" Alice teased. "Besides, this is for your own good, Komekko. Satou was concerned about you eating the Tranquility Girl's berries, and I readily agree. This is for the best."
"Good job, Alice! Oh, and don't give her the snacks all at once. Take your time handing them over one by one," I said, giving her the thumbs up.
"Leave it to me!" She gave me a thumbs up in return.
"Eh?!" panicked Komekko.
"C'mon, Aqua, let's go. If you want to save that Tranquility Girl, you better do it before Komekko eats everything Alice brought."
"Right. Good thinking, Satou." Aqua finally started moving after hearing my suggestion. "But I totally want some snacks too afterwards."
"You're just leaving me?! Although I don't dislike having all these extra snacks, I'm still a member of this party too, you know!" Komekko frantically shouted as we left her behind. "I have a right to be involved in―nom! Mmm! A'ish, gib me mo' o' dose!"
Despite her words, Komekko fell for my carefully laid out plans and began stuffing her face with the goodies Alice was laying out.
"No faiw! Nom! Shtupi' Shatou! Awll ge' 'im back fo' dis, nom!"
"Now now, Komekko! It isn't good manners to talk with your mouth full. Take it slowly and savor each bite, 'kay?"
"Gulp! Yeah, right! I'll just eat everything super fast so I don't miss out on anything! Nom!"
"Inhaling your food is also unladylike, Komekko. Slow down or I will not give you any of these macarons I was saving for you!"
"Gurk! (Swallow, cough cough!) I'm sorry, I will enjoy each snack properly…"
"Ah, this might be a problem, Satou. I didn't bring a pot big enough to transplant her. I was expecting her to be smaller…"
By the time we were out of earshot of Komekko and Alice's bantering, the Tranquility Girl had noticed Aqua and me approaching. Now that I saw her up close, her appearance was roughly equivalent to a middle school girl, and as if to reinforce that image, she was even wearing a sailor outfit.
What is a girl's school uniform doing in this world? Did she eat a reincarnate and steal her clothes or something?
Without moving from her rock, she looked up and greeted us with a pleasant smile. "How do you do? You must be adventurers, right? Thanks for coming to visit little old me!"
I had my guard up, considering we were dealing with a monster who uses humans like us for nutrients. So what was with the carefree attitude? I was not expecting this at all!
"You okay, big brother?" asked the Tranquility Girl. "Sorry if I startled you! If you are adventurers, I'm sure that the reason you are here is to kill me. I am a monster, after all. But don't worry! I won't hurt you, promise! If you must kill me, I won't resist."
Huh?
She is a monster, right?
But all she is doing is sitting on her rock, smiling away at the two of us.
Aqua stepped forward. "We aren't going to kill you! My name is Aqua. Indeed, I am the Goddess of Water, Aqua!"
The smile on the Tranquility Girl's face faded. "Did you say the Goddess of Water? That would make you the one worshiped by the Axis cult!"
Did I detect a hint of terror? I think I have heard of the Axis cult once or twice, but if they worship this goddess-in-name-only, maybe I should make it a point to avoid running into them.
Aqua puffed out her chest. "So you know of my precious followers! Hm-hmm, I had a feeling you were no ordinary monster! That's a Tranquility Girl for you! My instincts tell me you aren't a bad monster at all, are you?"
"Hehe!" The Tranquility Girl rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. The brief flash of fear I thought I saw was gone without a trace. "Well, it is true that I try to live my life in balance with nature, so I think that makes me good. Yeah?"
This easygoing girl is not what I was expecting at all from a monster.
"By the way, the one with the scary eyes is Satou," Aqua said offhandedly while indicating to me. "He has the same name as the Demon King, so it's easy to remember!"
"Hey, whose eyes are you calling scary?" I hastily retorted.
"Nice to meet you, big sister Aqua and big brother Satou. I would give you my name, but sadly, I don't have one. It doesn't bother me though! Just call me anything you like!" she said without breaking her smile.
This girl isn't dangerous at all! She may be a bit garrulous, but I feel totally at ease right now. I doubt she would hurt me or that she even wanted to at this point.
Wait! I told myself. That's just how they get you!
But then again, it's not like I'm under some spell or anything. I could leave whenever I wanted to.
Yeah. We haven't even been here for two minutes. We are in zero danger of dying of starvation and being turned into compost. It wouldn't hurt to talk to her a little longer.
"I have already decided that I'll call you Leaf Green Martha!" declared Aqua, who was suddenly kneeling down like she was getting ready to have a friendly chat together.
"That's a funny name―I love it!" Leaf Green Martha grinned and stretched out her legs. "Leaf Green Martha―just like my green hair! Haha. Just like how big sister Aqua's hair is blue! It's so pretty, I'm jealous!"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I hardly have to do any work to keep it soft and shiny like this! I am the Goddess of Water, after all!"
Just like that, the two of them were fully engrossed in girl talk, effectively shutting me out of the conversation.
"So you really don't use any special shampoo or anything?"
"Nope! Just regular cheap shampoo!"
"Aww, you're so lucky! My hair is actually made of plant fibers, so I can't really do much with it. Must be nice!"
"Yeah, but that just shows you how super amazing I am! See, check out my adventurer's card and look at how high all my stats are!"
"Wow, you must be a really well-known adventurer! I bet tons of people come to you asking for healing magic!"
"Yep, all the time! They come in droves!"
I was just standing there, like a boat with no anchor drifting at sea.
That was when Leaf Green Martha turned to me and said, "Well don't be a stranger, big brother Satou! Tell me about yourself! Where are you from?"
"Um…" Hey, wait a second! There was something I was supposed to be doing here! "Actually, what are you doing? Why are you acting so friendly?"
"But it's no act?" Leaf Green Martha said, cocking her head. "It doesn't hurt anyone to be kind, does it?"
…Huh.
No, it doesn't!
She totally gets it!
Aqua was right! This child isn't dangerous, and she certainly isn't a monster!
"Do you… not want to be friends, big brother Satou?"
For the first time, Leaf Green Martha's smile wavered, and she looked at me with uncertainty. Aqua was staring at me as well.
"...I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I think I said something I shouldn't have. It's just that I, well, kinda expected you to be more, I dunno―"
"Like a monster?" Leaf Green Martha finished my sentence for me. I looked away from guilt. "It's okay. There's no helping it. I am a monster, after all. Natural laws pitted us as enemies from the moment we were born." Leaf Green Martha put her dopey grin back on. "It's not fair, is it? I have no choice but to live out my days in solitude like this. It's actually a really lonely way to live. I wish I could make friends. Unfortunately, humans can't trust me, and I can't blame them."
Her smile was different this time, though. It was a hollow, sad smile.
"Gosh! That's terrible!" Aqua said.
Leaf Green Martha nodded. "Truly, my only wish is that we could just stay like this, talking with each other, forever and ever. That's all I really want."
I was touched. My heart was completely moved by this poor girl's dream, to the point I was about to cry manly tears. "Aqua, I have to confess, I was planning to kill Leaf Green Martha if she showed the faintest sign of being evil, but I can see now that you were right. She is innocent. We can't kill her."
Aqua smugly pounded her chest. "I told you, didn't I, Satou! See? A goddess' intuition is never to be underestimated!"
"Don't push your luck." I squared my shoulders toward Leaf Green Martha and bowed at the waist. "I'm sorry for doubting you at first, Leaf Green Martha."
"No, that's okay! I'm not upset or anything!" Leaf Green Martha waved it off. "So please raise your head! If anything, I am the one who should be thanking you for sparing me!"
I did as she said and raised my head to see her beaming at me.
Aqua reached out and took her by the hand. "You don't have to feel lonely anymore, Leaf Green Martha! From now on, we will be your friends! Right, Satou?"
Feeling put on the spot, I couldn't think of a reason to disagree. "Um, if you really just want to make friends, I will also be your friend, if you will have me." I let myself get sucked into the mood and began saying things you would normally find in manga or light novels.
Leaf Green Martha nodded. "I would like that! Then Aqua and Satou, that makes you my first friends! Let's do our best to get along!"
"Okay!" Aqua and I said.
Then it went quiet. What do you say after agreeing to be friends? Usually the scene ends at this point. I could feel an awkward silence approaching.
"What about those two? It looked like you were all together when I saw you coming, are they your party members?"
Leaf Green Martha pointed up the road to where we had left Komekko and Alice, averting the awkward silence.
"Ah, crap."
I almost forgot about those two. Alice had a good heart, but I was definitely worried about what the devilish Komekko would do if she met Leaf Green Martha.
"Leaf Green Martha," I quickly said, getting to the point, "since killing you isn't an option, let's move you somewhere else in the forest. Your presence on this road is disrupting travel, and the adventurer's guild has already issued a kill quest on your behalf. Aqua and I can take you somewhere safe, somewhere that people won't find you."
"Somewhere that people won't find me?" She suddenly wore a disconcerted look. "No, that won't do. I want to make friends with lots of humans, after all."
Oh, that's right. I can't believe I disregarded her dream so readily. "Shoot! Sorry, you just told us your dream was to make friends and I already forgot about it. What's the matter with me?" I smacked myself in the forehead.
"But if we leave you here, another party of adventurers will surely accept the quest and come looking to kill you," Aqua pleaded.
"It's okay, Aqua. Satou." Leaf Green Martha locked eyes with each of us in turn. "If I want to make lots more friends with humans, then I will have to risk meeting them face to face eventually. In fact, I was only just transplanted to this spot a couple of days ago because I hoped I would eventually meet people here. So thank you for looking out for me, but I must refuse." She flashed another huge grin. "Besides, adventurers coming out here to kill me will make a good test for my ability to make friends, right? Have a little faith in me! I was able to become friends with you, after all! And if it comes down to it, I know the two of you will stand up to them for me, now that we are friends."
Seeing her say those words, this adorable creature made me clench my teeth in determination to protect her. Yes, if it came to that, I would definitely stay by her side and protect her from anyone or anything.
"Hey! Satou! Aqua!"
"Ah, no! Komekko, wait! I'm sorry, Satou, I held her up for as long as I could!"
Speaking of which.
Komekko was running down the road toward us at full tilt, with Alice chasing after her.
I blocked the way between Komekko and Leaf Green Martha while holding my arms out. "You can't eat her, Komekko!"
Komekko skidded to a stop in front of me, balling her fists. "I wasn't going to! Honestly! Satou, you can be such a pain in the neck sometimes!"
A moment later, the rhythmic clanging of Alice's armor accompanied her as she fell into step beside Komekko. "So this is the Tranquility Girl, huh?" Alice said as she bent down and looked her over.
"M-m-m-m-my n-n-name i-i-i-is L-L-L-Leaf G-G-Green M-M-Martha. N-n-n-nice t-t-to m-m-meet y-y-y-you." Hearing the sound of chattering teeth coming from Leaf Green Martha as she stuttered tremendously, I checked over my shoulder to see Leaf Green Martha was clutching tightly to Aqua like a frightened little girl.
"Alice! It's your monster-repelling aura! You're scaring her!" I heard Aqua breathe out behind my back.
"Oh, um, sorry." Alice lowered her eyes, occasionally stealing glances at me.
"It's okay, she won't hurt you," Aqua soothingly told Leaf Green Martha while gently patting her head.
"That onee-san is really scary," she muttered with watery, wavering eyes. Alice slumped further in dejection. I shifted my weight a little so that I was blocking the space from both of them.
"This will make you feel better! Pain, pain, go away!" Behind my back, I heard Aqua whisper the chant for the same gore and fear resistance buff that she had used earlier on me.
Komekko clapped once to get everyone's attention. "Now then! I was just planning what I would do to get back at Satou for tricking me with food like that, but one look is enough to tell me this situation is more pressing. What vexing little lies did that monster tell the two of you to make you want to protect her like that?" She placed her hands on her hips and stared at Aqua and me.
"Huh? Lies?! She's not doing anything so dishonest!" Aqua spat back. "Leaf Green Martha told us that she loves humans! She wants to become friends with us!"
"Oh really?" Komekko crossed her arms. "Yeah, it's probably true that she loves humans: as a vital food source!"
"Komekko, that simply is not true!" I interrupted. "She promised me she doesn't want to harm anyone!"
"She won't directly harm you if you just waste away into nothing by her side," retorted Komekko. "You will die a painless death, and then become her dinner!"
"That's not―" I looked to Alice for support. "You believe us, right?"
"Well," Alice grimaced, "Komekko does have a point. Tranquility Girls have a particular ecological niche. They take advantage of their appearance and high intelligence to manipulate people just like she is describing."
I was beginning to feel more than a little angry. "I don't believe this! Leaf Green Martha even said all she wants is to be able to talk to us, forever and ever! Are you really going to insist that she just meant that as talking with our decaying corpses?"
"Yes!" Komekko flippantly resounded. "That is exactly what I am saying! I thought your intelligence was decent, Satou! I was expecting resistance like this from Aqua, but not from you!"
I about-faced so that I was looking at Leaf Green Martha. "Alright, tell them what you just told us! Your dream is to become friends with humans, right?"
Leaf Green Martha placed her palms together and interlocked her fingers, as if she were in prayer. "Please believe my friends, big sister Komekko! I truly, truly mean you no harm! Wait, let me put it another way! The truth is, I do not think of any of you as food! I desire for my friends Aqua and Satou, as well as for big sister Komekko and the scary onee-san, to all live long and happy lives! I swear, that is what I truly think!"
I stuck my finger in the air and dramatically lowered it to point at Komekko. "There you have it! Straight from the horse's mouth! Try twisting that one around into some hidden, darker meaning! Can you? Huh? Or are you just going to claim she is lying?"
Komekko just stared back at me while rubbing her chin. It was great to see her rendered so speechless. I rounded on Alice. "Don't you see, Alice? Komekko has had it out for Leaf Green Martha from the start! She just wants us to let her eat her!"
"I get it, so calm down already, Satou," Alice softly said.
"I am calm! Why wouldn't I be calm? I'm the calmest person here!" I calmly, ever so calmly reacted with my characteristically calm self.
"Hmm, I think I get what is happening," Komekko finally muttered. "Satou's weakest stats are his initiative and magical resistance, right? Yes, that would make him the perfect target." She narrowed her eyes at Leaf Green Martha. "You must have successfully Charmed him, correct?"
"What?" I must have misheard. "What do you mean, 'Charmed' me? I'm not into little girl types like that. Plus, she isn't even human!"
Komekko ignored me and turned to appraise Aqua's status. "And―nope, I don't sense any magic effects overshadowing Aqua; guess she's just as dumb as ever."
"Hah?" Aqua's expression turned sour at that, but Komekko ignored her as well.
"Oh, I see," Alice pontificated, tilting her head and also cupping her chin. "That explains why Satou is acting so strangely."
"I'm not acting strangely!"
"You're shouting at Alice. Is that how you should treat your crush, Satou?" Komekko snidely slid up to my side and nudged my side with her elbow.
"SHE'S NOT MY CRUSH! AND I'M NOT―oh, wait…" Somehow, my decibel level had gotten pretty high without me noticing. "Was I actually yelling just now?"
"You're getting worked up to protect her because she used Charm to bring you to her side," explained Komekko.
"Leaf Green Martha?" I turned to face the Tranquility Girl. She looked just as innocent and carefree as ever. "No, that can't be true. Komekko must be wrong. Leaf Green Martha wouldn't do something like that…"
Aqua suddenly stood up, staring at my face from uncomfortably close. "No, I can feel it too! Komekko isn't wrong! Satou, when did you go and get a minor curse like Charm placed on you? Here: Break Spell!"
At Aqua's words, I felt something like cold water being splashed on me. "Huh?" I inspected my hands, feeling as if a sort of mental fog was lifting. Then, I realized. "Leaf Green Martha!" I turned to face her. "I don't know when or why I mysteriously stopped feeling suspicious of you, but you are definitely not as innocent as you claim! Now fess up and tell us the truth!"
The sloppy grin on Leaf Green Martha's face was on display as usual. "Whoops, you guys noticed that, huh? Sorry, sorry! I was just having a little fun is all! I didn't mean you any harm, though! That little Charm was just a failsafe, you see? Just in case our friendship didn't hit it off at first."
"I haven't heard of a Tranquility Girl who had the Charm skill," Alice pondered, tilting her head.
"The Charm skill?"
Now that my brainfog was starting to clear up, I was getting my bearings back. Charm. That explained how I suddenly felt so comfortable and accepting of little Leaf Green Martha here. Although... "We have only been chatting with Leaf Green Martha for a few minutes. When did she hit me with a blast of her Charm spell?"
Alice and Komekko shared concerned looks. "Satou," Alice explained, "you and Aqua had been talking with her for over an hour before Komekko and I stopped waiting."
"No way?!" We all looked down at Leaf Green Martha with eyes afresh. She stuck her tongue out sideways and gave herself a noogie.
"You lied to me? But I thought we were friends!" The devastated Aqua looked like she was taking the betrayal especially hard.
"You caught me! I'm impressed, that was pretty quick! Guess I should have waited until the whole party was here before I casted my spell, whoopsie!" Leaf Green Martha laughed the whole thing off like it was nothing.
I gripped my bow nervously, considering whether the time to use it had come. Alice likewise gripped her sword. I even saw Aqua start charging her fist with her holy energy.
Leaf Green Martha held up her hands. "Hey now, let's not do anything rash here! I'll come clean! I did use Charm on Satou and tried to use it on Aqua also, and I know how it looks, but I can explain!"
"Satou, can I eat her now? If you give her time to explain, she'll likely just Charm you again!"
Asked Komekko.
"Alright, go ahead."
"Yes!" Komekko's fists pumped victoriously into the air.
"Eep! Wait! Hold on! Please, won't you at least listen to me for just a second?!"
As soon as she saw Komekko drooling, Leaf Green Martha began showing her first signs of panicking.
"Like I was trying to say earlier, I have no intention of eating any of you! I really do want to just be friends! I admit using Charm wasn't the best way to go about it, but I didn't want to mess up my chance to make my very first friends! Please, you have to believe me!"
All traces of her dopey grin were gone now as she frantically spilled out her words, practically on the verge of tears. Even with Aqua's fear resistance, she must really be feeling the pressure.
"Hmm." I had an idea. "Alice, hit her again with the full force of your intimidating aura. And Aqua, can you cancel out your fear resistance?"
"I'm on it!"
"Understood." Alice unsheathed her sword and stood over Leaf Green Martha, leering down upon her with all the bearing of a dragon. The plant monster started quaking and trembling violently.
"Now, Leaf Green Martha, are you one hundred percent telling the truth that you have no ulterior motives about turning us into mulch?" I asked.
"Mumumumumumm―" Leaf Green Martha was turning blue in fear. She could barely whimper. "I-I-I s-s-s-s-swear―I-I-I-I d-d-d-didn't p-p-p-plan t-t-to e-e-e-eat y-y-you!"
I set my hand on Alice's shoulder, and she backed off a little. Leaf Green Martha crumpled like a sheet of paper. I could virtually see her spirit escaping through her mouth. "Owawawawawa…"
I thought over her answer. "I really don't want to trust her, but I honestly don't think she is lying," I softly posited to the others.
"She's definitely lying," Komekko expressed through narrowed eyelids.
"I don't think she was lying, but I don't think she is telling us everything, either," Alice affirmed.
"Oi, don't even think you can get away with lying to us," Aqua menacingly seethed as she grabbed Leaf Green Martha by the collar of her sailor uniform. "I can cast Resurrection, and I won't hesitate to let you die of fright, bring you back, and let you die of fright again if that's what it takes to make you spill your guts."
Woah, that line sent shivers down my spine. I can only imagine how terrified Leaf Green Martha is. I guess Aqua is seriously pissed off about being betrayed like that.
Tears were streaming down Leaf Green Martha's cheeks now. Lifting herself off the boulder, she prostrated herself on the ground before us, revealing the hidden root system connecting her to the pseudo-rock she had been sitting on this whole time that I now realized was actually a part of her body.
"Please, I beg of you, believe me. I won't lie to you again, and I promise I don't want to use any of you as food. I can get by using photosynthesis alone, so I honestly planned to make friends with humans without stealing their lives by ensnaring and feeding on them." Her voice was soft and quiet now.
I had to admit, I was impressed by her show of sincerity. I didn't think I could trust her so soon after being in the clutches of her Charm spell, but after seeing this, I didn't think I had it in me to kill her, either.
A deep sigh escaped my mouth. "Fine. We'll replant you somewhere deep in the forest where no human will ever find you again. If you truly can get by just using photosynthesis, then that shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Leaf Green Martha snapped her eyes up to me. "What? But, my dream to make friends―"
"If you choose not to accept my conditions, then Komekko here will be having you for dinner," I declared with a gesture to Komekko.
Leaf Green Martha burst into tears again and pounded her forehead onto the ground. "I'm fine with being transplanted!"
I took a deep breath.
That settled it. Mission complete. We could go home now. Well, there was the issue of having to pay the fee for canceling the quest, but we would figure something out later.
Just then, Komekko grabbed me by the shoulders.
"Oi, what are you doing?"
"You said I could eat her," Komekko muttered. Her eyes snapped up to mine in the same way that Leaf Green Martha's had a second ago. Her glowing red eyes bore into mine. "You promised, Satou!"
"Get a grip, Komekko! That was then, and this is now." Komekko started shaking me. "Wahhh! Komekko, stop! That hurts!"
"How are you going to take responsibility and satisfy these overpowering urges you have awoken deep within my body?"
"Don't force yourself to speak in euphemisms when you can just say you're hungry!"
"At least let me have a couple bites! That'll be fine, right? I'll be satisfied with just a chomp here and there…" She bodily threw me aside with that gorilla strength of hers and rounded on Leaf Green Martha.
Hitting the ground and landing on my backside, I reached up and called out. "Alice, stop her!"
"Right!" Alice jumped in Komekko's way, and they quickly got into a grappling match. "Whoa, Komekko is surprisingly strong! However, I won't lose when it comes to a contest of strength!"
"Just let me have a bite, Alice! Just a bite!"
"Sorry, Komekko! Not this time!" Aqua jumped in and grabbed her by the waist, but that didn't slow Komekko down.
I've said this before, but seriously! No underdeveloped girl could possibly be this strong! She is resisting both Aqua and Alice! Aren't mages supposed to be on the weak side, physically?
"Big sister Komekko, stop and reconsider!" Even Leaf Green Martha was trying to back away, although that proved difficult considering she was rooted to the ground. "Please, don't eat me! Here―I'll tell you a secret about one of the Demon King's generals if you let me off! Please, Komekko!"
"Heehee! I went up a whole level! Who would have guessed that Tranquility Girls were worth so much XP?"
"Wah! To think she was working for one of the Demon King's generals the whole time! I can't believe I trusted her!"
After finally revealing her true identity, we had no choice. Letting Leaf Green Martha off easy was out of the question.
Ultimately, Komekko had been the one to do it. The rest of the three of us just didn't have the heart, but Komekko seems to have no ethical dilemmas about killing things once she sees them as food, no matter how humanlike they appear.
So as usual, Aqua cried most of the way while we picked our route home.
Oh, yeah, Leaf Green Martha's big secret was that one of the Demon King's generals had apparently left the capital and was now living near Axel. Apparently, her being recently transplanted on a major road so close to Axel was also the work of this general. That was all we were able to get out of the Tranquility Girl before Komekko made it past Alice.
"Still, I can't shake the feeling that she was telling the truth about not wanting us to die and become her fertilizer," Alice wistfully spoke. "I wish I had brought a magical lie-detector. She seemed so sincere at the end."
"I guess we'll never know now," I tiredly conjectured. "By the way, Komekko, as of this moment, you are forbidden from eating any monsters while we are on a quest unless I give you the okay."
"What?! That's not fair! That―that's outrageous!" objected Komekko.
"I seem to recall that when you first joined this party, you said you would do anything. Even carry our luggage. Well, this is my condition."
"You can't go changing the deal after we have already been party members for this long!" Komekko threw her arms around Alice, sulking. "Big sis Alice! Satou is bullying me! Please make him stop!"
"What? Bullying?! That's exaggerating, and you know it!"
Komekko stuck out her tongue at my retort. "Beh!"
Alice wore a sympathetic look while she hugged Komekko. "Satou, while I do agree that Komekko should be more conscientious, I think that you are being a bit harsh on her…"
"I'm not saying I won't let her eat anything; this girl just needs to be restrained a bit whenever she is around monsters!"
Considering I have watched Komekko indiscriminately eat everything from giant toads to mushrooms to one-strike rabbits and now a Tranquility Girl, I really don't think this is too much to ask.
"That is true, I suppose." Alice cupped her chin in thought. "Komekko, do try to control yourself from now on."
"Aw…" Komekko pouted.
"And as for you, Satou!" Alice unexpectedly rounded on me. "If you are feeling pent up and frustrated and need somewhere to release it, I must ask that you unleash it on me rather than just Komekko and Aqua!"
…
…
…
"Huh?" I was genuinely confused as to what she was talking about.
Alice's face flushed a burning red. "Th-that came out wrong! What am I saying? What I meant was that you ought to treat me the same way you treat others without holding back! That I don't want to have any preferential treatment or anything! Oh, this is rather embarrassing…" She buried her face in her hands and turned her back to me.
Back at the guild, where we had stopped first thing after reaching town to both confirm our completed quest and report what we had learned from Leaf Green Martha―
"We have received a letter for you, Mr. Kazuma Satou," the receptionist onee-san who I most regularly interacted with said while handing me an envelope.
"Someone sent me a letter?" I exclaimed, receiving the parchment. "But there isn't anybody who knows me. Where did it come from?"
"The capital," the receptionist explained.
"The capital?" I gasped. "Where the Demon King lives?"
She nodded. My party members watched over my shoulders while my fingers fumbled to break the seal.
To my surprise, the script was hand-written in Japanese, rather than using the alphabet of this world.
Dear Kazuma Satou,
First, my condolences on arriving in this world. Ah, right, allow me to explain. I am just like you. I met a so-called goddess, gained a cheat power, and was sent here to defeat the Demon King, which I assume is how things went for you.
As you have no doubt learned by now, the goddess of scams does this to everyone who reincarnates to this world, talking it up big and then dumping us here to let us fend for ourselves. If you are feeling even a fraction of the frustration I know I had when I first arrived, you have my sympathies. This world is a harsh one, and nothing like Japan. So, allow me to be the first to invite you to come join the Demon King's army.
Hear me out, okay? The Demon King is nothing like what you have no doubt heard from that moronic goddess. In fact, he's from Japan as well! I bet you didn't know that, did you? He's the Demon King in name only; he's actually just another reincarnate. The goddess enlisted you to do her dirty work for her. Doesn't that just grind your gears? What I'm getting at is he isn't a bad guy at all! The war with Belzerg is pretty much over. We only keep an army stationed around to protect our city from attacks by the rebels led by the former king, Barbados Belzerg, which includes the Symphonia and other noble families he still has on his side. They're the aggressors, not us!
If that doesn't convince you, at least come visit the capital and see for yourself all the progressive ideas the Demon King has implemented. His crowning achievement, the creation of a Red Lights District, makes the trip worth it alone! Can you believe that prostitution was outlawed in this country during the rule of King Belzerg? If you're worried about still being a virgin, you won't have to be for much longer. And not only that, a new branch of the succubus cafe opened here recently, and business is booming! So stop struggling with girl problems over there in Axel (believe me, I know, we've all been there!) and let me show you around the capital. Who knows? While the eight spots for his generals have been filled already, if you impress him, the Demon King might just make you one of his captains or even a colonel! And the pay is great, too! Our ranks are filling up with cheat wielders, so hurry up and secure your position before it's too late!
I will be in Axel in one week's time to receive your response and escort you to the capital.
Sincerely, your brother,
Kenji Yoshida, a general of the Demon King