It was noon. I overslept rather well since last night was, and this was an understatement, pretty hectic. It took a long time just to explain what happened.

I moved my hands and was surprised to touch the thin shoulder of a child. Then I remembered why that was. It was Risa. Or rather, her real name, Shakna.

Merry’s going to get angry when she sees this.

As I looked at the fragile little girl, I recalled what happened before and after I brought her home.

*

“It’s so good to be out!” A childish voice came out of the child. Well, that was to be expected. She stretched her slim hands up in the air. As she turned around, her long pink hair slightly fluttered. As she saw me, her brown eyes protruded then glared at me. “Ah, a filthy human!” Her face was the embodiment of anger.

I was baffled. That came out of my mouth? What the heck was inside of Nimog’s heart?

I was surprised why but then she seemed to contemplate something. “Wait, you’re Terrin, right?” The little girl pointed at me. It seemed she could speak properly.

She is a human, right? I’ll probably regret asking this.

“What are you, little missy? And how do you know me?” Seeing her made me remember Ania from the orphan, so I went to pat her head unintentionally.

She swatted my hands away and said, “Shakna’s not a little missy! It’s me, Shakna!”

“Wait, did you say, ‘Shakna?’”

“Yeah, Shakna did!”

“But Shakna isn’t a child, right?”

“Shakna is now!”

“…That makes no sense.”

“You literally ate a heart, vomited a cocoon-shape thing, which a human came out of, and now you’re uttering about sense?”

“That makes sense.” Even I had no idea why I said that. “But why are you a child?”

She put her hand on her chin and said, “Hmmm, it seems Nimog’s power didn’t suffice.”

“Huh? You mean his heart?”

“Yup. Shakna commanded him to sacrifice himself for Shakna by giving Shakna his heart. It wasn’t enough, so now I’m a child.” She sighed then continued, “If only Gibra was present…Shakna wouldn’t be in this state!”

So she commanded him, huh…

“So, me eating his heart gave you your powers back?”

“More or less. It concerned not the likes of you.”

“Well, all right. But I’m glad you’re fine. I have been wondering where you are and all this time you were in my head, though I don’t know if it’s literally or figuratively.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I’ve been wondering where you are.”

“No, before that.”

“…I said I’m glad you’re fine…”

“Huh…”

“What’s wrong?” she had a surprised looked on her face.

“N-Nothing…Anyway, you’re my underling but why aren’t you bowing before me!”

It was hard to bow before a child but since it was Shakna, my pride didn’t really matter.

“Good! Shakna missed this! Bwahahaha!” she laughed as if she had heard a really good joke. She then said with a deep and intense voice, “Now, Shakna knows you have an abundant amount of questions gathering at your mouth but that has to be delay.”

What the hell is going to happen?

“W-Why is that?”

“I’m famished.” As if to prove her case, her stomach growled.

Well, understandable.

*

We had a hard time deciding what we should do because Shakna refused to go to a town full of humans. She said she didn’t want to be near any humans and if one ever came near her, she would burn them slowly. I didn’t know if she could do that but she was smiling when she was saying that.

“The only thing that’s in here is the food that Nimog cooked. You sure you want that?”

“Bleh. What was Nimog thinking?”

“I have no idea.” Seriously though, what was that kasak thinking?

“Well then, you just have to hunt me some meat.”

“That is possible. But I don’t know how to cook, let alone skin some animal.”

“You’re uncertainty is not needed. Shakna’s got this.” she said with a proud smile.

“Okay, if you say so.”

It took a while but I managed to get me a small rabbit.

This is a rabbit right? It looked like one.

“What took you so long!?”

“It was not that easy.”

“Just give it to Shakna!” I gave her the rabbit.

“How are you going to cook it?”

“Give me your dagger.” She thrusted it into the rabbit and used it as a skewer. I’m going to grill it. They didn’t call me a witch for nothing, you know.”

You didn’t even skin it…

After a while, she said “It’s done!”

“It’s done, all right…”

It was overcooked. It looked more like a charcoal at this point. She took a bite and as expected, she didn’t like it.

She threw it away. “What is Shakna suppose to eat…” she said dejectedly.

“I know someone who cooks great food but sadly, she’s in a human city. Oh, If only someone would agree.”

“I know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.” But as if rebelling, her stomach growled louder. “Very well, I concede. You happy now?”

“That was fast. But of course. Now you can eat some good stuff.”

“Just hurry up.”

But before that, we had to make a background story on who she was. I just couldn’t bring a random child home. Takana would probably mock me by being a lolicon and Merry would get angry because she might interpret it as abduction or something. I was bringing my weapons, after all.

“Okay, in the world of humans, who are you?”

“I’m Risa.”

“And what am I to you?”

“You’re cousin.”

“Why are you with me?”

“Because my “father” was sick and he asked you to bring me to my “mother”.

“Now, there’s a good girl.”

“Hey, don’t just pat my head!” Sorry, I couldn’t help it. “Why is this procedure necessary, anyway? It’s not like we are going to stay with them anymore. We’re leaving and going straight to my sister.”

“Uhmmm…”

“This is interesting.” she grinned. “Is Shakna experiencing disobedience at this moment?”

“I would never disobey you.” I said with a serious expression. And what I said wasn’t a lie, I really wouldn’t. “Think about it. There are too many risks. I’m assuming you don’t have your magic back because if you have it back, you wouldn’t need me. Right now, you’re just a little girl and I’m a powerless man.”

She put her hands on her waist and declared, “Who said I don’t have my magic?” she then raised her hands up in the air.

Wait, she has her magic all along!? Why didn’t she use that to get her food?

A few seconds had passed. Then a half minute. Nothing happened.

“Ahem, it seems I was wrong…” she said while her shoulders drooped. “Let’s just go.”

*

“You comfortable?”

“Do you have any common sense?”

“Sorry.”

She was too weak to even move, so I had to carry her on my back while trudging out of the forest. I wasn’t tired and it was the best option, too. It would have probably taken a long time if she walked and I had to match her pace.

We made it back to the former city. It was still night, so there weren’t a lot of activity going on. The kasaks were still sleeping.

When we made it here, Shakna was sleeping. Oops. I should probably start calling her Risa. I didn’t want to say her real name out loud, especially in the town.

It’s a good thing she’s sleeping.

I didn’t know how it worked but Nimog sensed her presence before. Could these kasaks do the same thing? But since there were no noises, maybe they didn’t? I really didn’t know.

When we made it back into the town, I could only see soldiers walking the street.

If someone sees me, they would probably think I’m a kidnapper or something.

When we made it to the house, I saw someone standing near the gate. She had a lamp beside her. It was also cold, so she had a blanket on her shoulders. It was Merry.

Had she been waiting for me all this time?

She, no doubt, did wait here. I guess it only made sense for her to be worried. We’d been together ever since I came here in this world. We even stayed in the same room. This was the first time we’d been separated and that must have made her worried. At least, for me, that was how it looked like.

“What are you doing out here? It’s cold, you know.” I said.

When I saw her face, it looked like she was in pain. But when she processed that it was me, it was as if I was a hot fish soup. It made her face lightened.

“I can make my own choices, right?” though it sounded cold, her face said otherwise. Though that lasted only for a moment as her eyes narrowed when she saw the fragile girl that I was carrying on my back. “Who’s that?”

“T-This is Risa. She’s the reason I had to sneak out tonight.”

“Why?”

“Let’s get inside first. Also, can you cook for this girl?”

“Okay.”

Ahh, that feels nice.

When we got inside, it was comfort. Since this place was near a mountain, it could get cold real fast. There were no people inside and the hallways were dark.

We made our way into the kitchen. Merry lighted another lamp because the other lamp’s light wasn’t enough. She got a bunch of vegetable and cut them with a knife.

“You need help?” I said as I put Shakna over the chair.

“…Yes. Heat up the fireplace.”

I got some wood that was place in the corner and light it up using stones. If I was back in my world, this would have been hard but you get used to it.

As I prepared the fireplace for cooking, Risa woke up. She blinked a few times, probably looking at the new environment she was in. She looked at me and then she looked at Merry.

“A human! Human! Human!” Risa shouted angrily. It was just like when she saw me in the cave. She was furious. Even though she couldn’t move much earlier, she stood up and went to Merry. She then hit her with her hands again and again. “Die! Die! Die!”

“What’s wrong with this child?”

I went to Shakna and stopped her from hitting Merry.

“Don’t stop Shakna, Terrin! Humans deserve to die!”

“Calm down! Remember what we’re here for.”

She stopped but her face didn’t. She was still hostile against Merry.

“So, what is she here for?” Merry said. It was a good thing she just finished cutting the vegetables before Shakna hit her.

“Her father died because of an illness. Before he died, he entrusted me to bring her daughter to her mother. Her mother and father are divorced, so her mother most likely doesn’t know that her former husband’s dead. News takes a long time to get around here, after all.”

“I understand.”

“Wait, you believe me?”

Why the hell did I say that?

“Are you sure you’re okay? Of course, I do. There’s no reason for you to lie, after all. ”

Guilt occupied my heart after Merry said that. Sorry, Merry.

“How about you, miss? Do you want to eat something? I have a delicious chicken soup here.”

“Chicken soup!? Give me!” her attitude changed the instant she heard that.

“Okay, but you have to behave properly before I can give you one.”

“Sure!” Shakna was literally a child now. Never underestimate the power of food. She sat quietly on the chair while waiting for her food.

“Hey, what happened?” I quietly said.

“What do you mean?” Shakna asked.

“What’s with the sudden change of attitude?”

She lowered her head and tightened her fist. She said, “When Shakna was hitting her, Shakna realized that, right now, Shakna is powerless. Shakna despises humans and that’s not going to diminish. But what you said was valid. Though I hate to accept it, I need a human’s support if I’m going to my sister.” she then lifted her face up and shouted “It’s definitely not because she called Shakna “miss” and is giving Shakna delicious food!”

“Whatever you say. I’m just glad your thoughts turned around.”

“Hmp. Even Shakna can handle humans if there are only two of them.”

Well…this is bad.

“Hey, hey, what’s with the noise? Are people doing it here at this hour!?”

As if they were waiting for Shakna to say that, the three supposedly sleeping party members appeared out of nowhere.

“What’s a little girl doing here? Hey, Terrin! Don’t tell me you’re a lolicon!”

“She’s so cute!”

“What are you cooking Merry?”

Suddenly, there was an increase of humans in the room. Takana accused me for being a lolicon, Fuyuki went to Shakna and hugged her, like what she usually did, and Kihana went to Merry.

I looked at Shakna and sure enough, she was in shock. Her eyes bulged and her mouth was agape.

Good luck, Shakna. It’s not that hard, really. Well, excluding Takana, that is.