Chapter 49 - Third Episode
Chapter 49 - Third Episode
With a rumble, the wagon swayed.
I was on top of a pile of burlap bags, looking around.
“I love horses. I’m starting to wish I had a carriage.”
A long mane, a well-groomed mane.
Long, sturdy legs.
In a previous life, I only saw them at horse races when I happened to be turning on a random channel on TV.
At the time, I just wanted to eat horse sashimi, but once I saw it in person, I found myself yearning for it.
In the next life, I might want a horse.
As I was gazing at the horse, something hit me on the back.
I turned around and saw Mea grabbing a burlap sack in both hands.
Maybe she threw the burlap sack at me.
It’s about time for James to cry.
“Those hair and eyes, you’re a Marren, aren’t you? What are you doing there?”
“Um … well, I’ve run away from home. It’s just that our customs and values don’t quite mesh.”
“Eh, you’re the same as Mea. Mea also runaway.”
“What, I thought you and James-san have been traveling together the whole time?”
I didn’t expect to make a runaway friend along the way.
Maybe there’s a runaway boom going on around here.
“No, no, it was only a week or so ago that Mea met with James-san. He happened to be in Mea’s village, so I just cried to him and asked him to take me away.”
Mea replied, shaking the burlap bag in her hand.
It’s time to get that off your hand. You’re not going to throw it at me, are you?
“I guess the village customs don’t suit you after all?”
“Hmm, how do I say this? Look, here.”
Mea lowered the burlap bag in her right hand and indicated her own forehead with her finger.
“Apparently, not having a magic crystal on Mea’s forehead, although Mea is born from the Doom tribe.”
I remember.
Doom clan, I’ve read about them in books.
Their traits are that they have two horns and a crystal on their forehead.
Their nature is extremely nasty, the books said, and they have high magic, belligerent and cruel, and do not know how to hold back.
In other words, they were curious and in good shape.
In the book, it was written that they have a bad impression, but that was probably because the Doom people were trying to invade the royal capital at the time it was written in the book.
Five hundred years ago, the Doom tribe fearlessly declared war before attempting to assault the royal capital with a small group of men, and on the way, It is believed that the guy at the top’s head was taken off and the commotion died down safely.
In short, he’s an asshole who’s on a roll. Maybe that’s the perception, I’m sure of it.
It was hard to remember what species they were, but the lack of magic crystals on their foreheads made their features match because it wasn’t there.
“So where did you put the thing that was supposed to be on your forehead?”
“My mother fell down while she was pregnant and that’s probably when it came off.”
“It can get off with just that?!”
“Rather easily. It’s as easy to remove as a pressure ulcer. It’s the pride of the Doom tribe, though, and no one voluntarily removes it. Once it’s removed, it never grows back. It’s like Mea was born with her pride stolen from her.”
I thought it was a joke, but her face is serious.
I don’t know what it is, but the crystals on the forehead of the Doom tribe seem to be like kuwai.
It’s not like it doesn’t matter because it was there, and it’s easy to remove, but it’s kind of a bad omen.
“Because of that, well, Mea has fairly received a rude treatment. It’s better if it was only from other places, but my father, mother, and brother all called me “stoneless”. I just want to tell her that you’re the one that gave birth to me!”
As she says it, Mea hits the burlap bag in her hand with her fist.
A bobbing sound can be heard.
Hey, James-san, please stop this girl.
The burlap bag will be ripped off sooner or later.
”………So you decided to roll into Jame’s wagon as he passed by and escape?”
“That’s about it. I think the timing of Mea’s birth was a little bad, and if I stays here too long, I’ll be in trouble. So I grabbed my mother’s savings and ran off with it.”
Mea fingers a sachet from under her feet. That seems to be his mother’s savings.
She’s an aloof girl for a girl who was harassed by the whole village since she was born.
“…………”
The person in question doesn’t seem to care too much about it, but after all, she’s a bit concerned about it.
What can I say in return?
At least at this point in time, “I was almost forced to marry my sister, and when I ran away from her, she destroyed my vehicle.” I don’t feel like I can say.
I’m starting to feel small.
Mea scratches her head with a plop.
”………Hmm, it’s kind of a heavy feeling. It’s all over now, it’s over. From now on, Mea has decided that she’s going to use her mother’s savings to play hard to get in the city, so it’s rather a bright story.
Mea throws the burlap bag in her hand over to me.
I can’t just avoid it, so I caught it with my hand.
”Here, here! Go ahead and throw it back at me.”
I hesitated a bit, but maybe it was Mea’s way of thinking about dispelling the heavy air.
I’ll go with her.
I threw back the burlap bag.
“Whoa, nice ball. By the way, why did Abel run away from home?”
Mea throws again.
I catched it and throws it back. This is getting a little fun.
“No, well, that’s why it’s a value proposition.”
I catched the burlap bag that was thrown at me again.
Just as I was about to throw it back, the next burlap bag flew at me again.
I hold out my hand and add my magic power, killing the momentum of the burlap bag and dropping it in front of me.
“Well, if you don’t want to say it, it can’t be helped. I’ve heard the Marren tribe can’t leave the village alone unless there’s a good reason.”
The speed of the burlap bag Mea was throwing at me gradually increased.
I manage to kill the momentum with my magic and drop it in front of me.
“What, do my people look so introverted to other people?”
”No, the Marren’s are basically thin-skinned and unadaptable, so if you leave the settlement alone. It was rumored that you’ll be homesick and the worst thing that could happen to you was that you would die.”
“What?”
Are you susceptible to colds and homesickness?
Aren’t the Marren’s a bit weak in mind and body?
“There’s a gap!”
While I was confused, Mea swung at me and threw a burlap bag at me.
”Ah! That’s not fair, wait…”
The burlap bag hit me in the face and went flying backward.
It was plainly painful.
“You did it. It’s war from here on out. You’re going to have to make me do it for real, okay?”
I take out my staff from my pocket.
I’m confident that if I use wind magic, I can hit 300 kilometers per hour with a burlap bag.
”Please, please. I hope so.”
The wagon came to a halt.
James-san was looking back at me with cold eyes.
I-, I’m sorry, I was getting a little carried away.
I’ll go get it now.