CH 77

In the meantime, Maki and Chiharu were surrounded by happy merfolk.

“I’m sorry that I forgot to introduce myself last time. I am Saia.”

“I’m Maki.”

“I’m Chiharu.”

“Maki and Chiharu. There are none among us who do not know those names.”

Saia smiled gently. But he quickly turned serious.

“Our chief has not yet returned.”

He said.

“Didn’t he say something about having something to do?”

“Yes. He did not like to miss the chance to meet with the beloved children, but there was something that had been bothering him. And so he left with a few others. And they have not returned.”

“Where did they go?”

“To the mirror lake.”

Maki and Chiharu gulped.

“So far…”

“Oh, you are wrong. It is not the dwarf lands.”

“Huh?”

“I am talking about the inland mirror lake.”

“So, there is one here too.”

“I have been there before. It is every bit as beautiful as the lake in the dwarf lands.”

Maki and Chiharu thought back on it. While it was beautiful, a lot had happened there.

“Did you send anyone?”

“We did, but the inlanders have so many boats out, it is hard to search through the lake. But our kind is hardly ever injured or delayed due to water, so I don’t think anything happened to the chief.”

Indeed, it was hard to think that anything could have gotten in Amia’s way. But the chief was gone. That was all Saia had said. But it was obvious that he wanted help.

He wanted them to go and take a look. However, what could Maki and Chiharu even do? And so Maki said,

“Well then, if you don’t mind me being honest, why don’t you ask Arthur or the king of this country for help?”

Saia shook his head.

“We are people of the water. We are sometimes lumped in with the beastkin, but we are not part of the three territories, especially not with the humans. No one is our ally and no one protects us. That balance will be ruined if we ask for help. It will mean trouble eventually. And so we can not let others become involved…”

Saia looked towards the shore.

“Amia just followed the water path to see what was bothering him. He didn’t get involved in anything. And so he is not to blame. If something did happen, it is the other people’s fault. However, blaming them will mean fighting. And so…”

Saia looked at Maki and Chiharu.

“As people who belong to no country, we came to ask for your help, beloved children.”

Maki folded her arms and sighed.

“You do know that the inlanders hate us?”

“I have heard rumors.”

“If we went to most countries in disguise, the royals would be notified, and we might get scolded a little, but that’s all. But what about inland? Those people said it would be fine if we disappeared because a new Saintess would just be summoned.”

She unfolded her arms.

“In spite of calling us beloved children, I feel like you’re asking us to do something really dangerous.”

Maki said to Saia with a severe expression. For Maki personally, she did not feel particularly close to Amia. She just thought of him as the somewhat silly guy who adored Chiharu.

However, why had he gone inland? It must be to investigate the miasma and monsters. In other words, he must have done it while thinking about Maki and Chiharu as well.

Still, there was Chiharu. Maki didn’t mind walking into danger, but she didn’t want to allow Chiharu to get involved in that. Chiharu was much smaller than her and not as athletic.

“I’m sorry…”

“Maki-chan.”

Just as Maki was going to say no, Chiharu interrupted her.

“Let’s go.”

“No, Chiharu. This isn’t a fun field trip where we can play dress-up. If the inland royals find us, they might even kill us.”

“But still…”

Chiharu continued.

“I won’t forget the time he saved me at the mirror lake. And I think Amia might know a secret about the monsters and magic stones. If that’s what he’s investigating, should we really be going to the elf lands?”

“Chiharu…”

Her once shy friend was starting to become a lot cooler recently. It was true. They had only just recently declared that they would work to do research on the magic stones.

“Besides, he really did help me when I was drowning. I don’t see how I can abandon my rescuer when he’s in trouble.”

“You’re probably right. We won’t have much fun in the elf lands anyway if we are worrying about him. But still…”

Maki folded her arms.

“There is no point in going if you are useless. Will we really be able to do anything?”

“Of course, we will.”

Chiharu insisted.

“Maki. Were you thinking about going without telling anyone?”

“Uh.”

She had thought that would be the only way. 

“We decided not to act secretly anymore, because it made people worry. So, even if I can’t be useful, surely the people that come with us will be.”

“Uh, we can’t just leave everything to others, Chiharu.”

“But, I really don’t think I can do much. Though, I do have really thick skin.”

“I’m not sure that has anything to do with it.”

Maki pointed out.

“Besides, were you listening to Saia? We’re not allowed to get the other territories involved.”

“Yes. The merfolk can’t.”

“Merfolk…”

“People who guard or care for the Saintesses and just happened to come along and do something…and just happened to gain information… I don’t think it is related to the other territories.”

“That is some trickery…”

Was it alright? Maybe it was.

“Beloved children. We are able to leave the water, but we draw so much attention. And there are many people near the mirror lake, so we cannot go up onto dry land. I won’t ask you to help the chief if he is in trouble. We just want information. We want to know what has happened.”

Saia pleaded with them.

“Information, huh? We might be able to do that.”

“Maki-chan!”

“That might be all we can do. You’re fine with that? Also, if it looks like it will get dangerous for Chiharu, we’re going to turn back immediately.”

“I don’t mind. The chief would be furious that we even asked such a thing of you.”

Saia shrugged his shoulders as if to say it could not be helped.

“The chief is very important. As for contacting us, you should be able to find one us in any large lake or river.”

Saia said. Then he hugged Maki and Chiharu before returning to the sea with the others.

Maki and Chiharu watched them leave.

“What did you think of that?”

“I enjoyed it. You don’t see many guys as handsome as Saia.”

That wasn’t the problem. They had just accepted a very dangerous mission. But they were both as easygoing as ever.