Maki and Chiharu were tasting freedom again. Or more accurately,
“Oh, there are human boys.”
The stares seemed to say. But they were used to it, and so they did not care. They didn’t know if the position was still open, and so they needed to hurry.
Chiharu talked to Maki as they jogged towards the castle.
“Hey, Maki-chan. What is freedom anyway?”
“I think I was free in Japan.”
“Work five days a week and be lazy for the other two days. But even in those two days, I would spend a lot of it stocking up on groceries and cleaning my room. I didn’t have that much time to myself.”
“Still, I could buy the books I wanted and watch funny videos.”
“I could eat what I want and make my own decisions in life.”
“Like going on dates.”
“Or being dumped.”
“Right, oh, that’s right.”
“I…don’t care about it anymore, though.”
Okay, it still hurt. Just a little.
“An overly anxious elf.”
“A worrywart king.”
“An easygoing beastkin.”
“Birdfolk. Merpeople.”
They looked up into the sky and waved. Surely, they were watching over them.
“A kind dwarf.”
“And a prince.”
“Those two.”
“Yes.”
They laughed. Still, they hurried towards the castle.
“It’s the people of this world that I keep thinking about.”
“That’s true.”
“Hey, Maki-chan.”
“What?”
“What we are doing right now. Maybe it is something that we decided on ourselves?”
“…It is something we decided.”
“Right!”
“Oh, we’re free then.”
“We are.”
They weren’t running away. They were moving forward. Somehow. Just thinking of it like that allowed them to breathe much more easily.
“Then let’s choose our own path and move forward.”
“Yes!”
Now, to the castle!
“That’s unusual. Children of the human tribes.”
“We’re trying to reach some relatives. And we heard that we could go to Gromble while working.”
“Indeed. I think the position is still open too. Just go in straight through here and you will see a large barracks. Go ask the people there.”
“Okay, thank you!”
The dwarf castle was really flat. The building had two stories, with the left side echoing with the sounds from the smithy. The right side seemed to be for living quarters. The castle was filled with not only dwarves, but humans who were preparing for tomorrow’s journey, and so it was very lively.
And the barracks was close by.
“Um, we’re here for the catering position!”
“Ah. Well, go tell that old man over there!”
It was evening now, and preparations for dinner had started. And so they headed towards the middle-aged, slightly balding man that had been pointed at.
“Um, we’re here for the catering!”
They shouted.
“What? Who are you two?”
“We heard that you were hiring people to help during the trip to Gromble.”
The man stared at them.
“Show me your hands.”
They showed him their palms. They were smooth.
“Hmph. Interesting. So, you wish to go to Gromble?”
He put a hand to his chin and considered it.
“Alright, I’m going to test whether or not you will be useful. Peel those potatoes.”
There was a basket full of potatoes there.
“You can wash them over there. Here are the knives. Put the peeled potatoes in here. Let me know when you are finished.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
It was very sudden, but they had to do it. First, Maki washed the potatoes, and Chiharu peeled them. When Maki was finished, she helped peel them as well. They were careful but also quick. When they were done, Chiharu gathered up the peels while Chiharu washed the potatoes again.
“We’re finished.”
“That was slow.”
Their shoulders slumped.
“But you are good with your hands. Better than nothing I suppose. 5,000 gil a day. You will be free when you’re not preparing food and cleaning up. However, most of the time will be spent traveling. You will have three meals a day and sleep in a tent. At least until Gromble. How’s that?”
“Thank you so much!”
“Thank you so much!”
“My name’s Paulo. What’s yours?”
“I’m Kenneth. This is Ryan. My younger brother.”
“Brothers, huh? You look alike. But you’re so skinny. You better eat as much as you can while you’re with us.”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
“Do you want to start tonight?”
“No, there is someone who is helping us, so we would like to come tomorrow.”
“We leave in the morning. So you better be here very early.”
“I understand.”
We’re hired!
“We got hired!”
“Good for you!”
“Yes!”
They reported it to the gatekeeper. Something about how their hands slightly ached over doing something that they hadn’t done in a while made them very happy. And like that, they returned to Edmond’s mansion.
That night.
“Prince Kaider, are you leaving tonight as well?”
“I am.”
“By the way, I heard that the cook hired some helpers.”
“I see.”
“They were human children. Quite rare.”
“Human children!”
Kaider jumped on the gatekeeper who was talking to him. It was not impossible that they would come to him.
“What did they look like? Uh, they were brothers who looked poor and had light brown hair. Ah, they were also quite cheerful.”
“They didn’t have blonde hair?”
“It was brown.”
“Was one an arrogant kid?”
“They were very pleasant.”
“Was there a girl who always looked down?”
“Both were boys.”
So it wasn’t them. If Maki and Chiharu had heard this exchange, they would have been exasperated, annoyed and then laughed. They had no choice but to act like that because of Kaider. However, just as Kaider was about to leave the castle, someone came to stop him.
“Prince Kaider, you are supposed to dine with the Midland people tonight!”
“Tsk. Tell my brothers to do that.”
“But you are the representative of the dwarf team!”
And so Kaider and Nyran solemnly returned to the castle. Ah, Norfe, Chouze, I hope that you are doing well.
During that time, Maki and Chiharu were cheerfully enjoying their dinner.
“To think that you two were the Saintesses…”
Kreis seemed just a little disappointed. He was honored to be able to meet them. However, there was now no possibility of love.
Dwarves, beastkin, and elves all lived to be 300 years old. On the other hand, humans could barely live to be 100. Unlike the other races who stayed young for many years, humans aged rapidly. So while romance between them may occur, marriage between different races was not very common. Because it was too hard when one died.
And yet Maki and Chiharu had been appealing enough to make him ignore that. But Saintesses have never married before. But they at least wanted to enjoy this night.
“So Anne and Mary are…”
“I’m sorry. I’m Maki.”
“And I’m Chiharu.”
“Maki and Chihaaru.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
They smiled. It was nice to be called by your real name. They talked about fashion with Edmond’s kind and calm wife. Or talk about their travels with Kaider and Nyran.
“Now, Maki and Chiharu.”
When they were finished eating, Edmond smiled and said,
“You will be children again starting tomorrow. But today, you are grown-ups. Kreis.”
And then Kreis brought over a steel plate and some ham.
“Now this is the man’s job.”
He said as he began to slice the ham into thin sheets, which Kreis would cook on the steel plate. When it started to sizzle, Emma put the slices onto some bread.
“Now, try it.”
Both of them took a bite. The ham was hot and the juices and oil spread in their mouths as the bread softy enveloped it.
“Take a sip of this as well.”
It was the apple wine from last night. It washed away the slight oily taste from their mouths. Only the soft smell of apples remained in their mouths.
“It’s delicious!”
“It’s delicious!”
“This is actually a winter dish. People make it at home, so it’s not served in restaurants very often. I wanted you to have some. Now, eat some pickles too.”
They had already eaten a lot for dinner, but somehow, they could eat even more when wine was involved. Emma was just like a mother to them. Was Sera alright? They wondered.
And so Maki and Chiharu were able to once again experience the warmth of the dwarves during their last day in the capital.
Maki and Chiharu were tasting freedom again. Or more accurately,
“Oh, there are human boys.”
The stares seemed to say. But they were used to it, and so they did not care. They didn’t know if the position was still open, and so they needed to hurry.
Chiharu talked to Maki as they jogged towards the castle.
“Hey, Maki-chan. What is freedom anyway?”
“I think I was free in Japan.”
“Work five days a week and be lazy for the other two days. But even in those two days, I would spend a lot of it stocking up on groceries and cleaning my room. I didn’t have that much time to myself.”
“Still, I could buy the books I wanted and watch funny videos.”
“I could eat what I want and make my own decisions in life.”
“Like going on dates.”
“Or being dumped.”
“Right, oh, that’s right.”
“I…don’t care about it anymore, though.”
Okay, it still hurt. Just a little.
“An overly anxious elf.”
“A worrywart king.”
“An easygoing beastkin.”
“Birdfolk. Merpeople.”
They looked up into the sky and waved. Surely, they were watching over them.
“A kind dwarf.”
“And a prince.”
“Those two.”
“Yes.”
They laughed. Still, they hurried towards the castle.
“It’s the people of this world that I keep thinking about.”
“That’s true.”
“Hey, Maki-chan.”
“What?”
“What we are doing right now. Maybe it is something that we decided on ourselves?”
“…It is something we decided.”
“Right!”
“Oh, we’re free then.”
“We are.”
They weren’t running away. They were moving forward. Somehow. Just thinking of it like that allowed them to breathe much more easily.
“Then let’s choose our own path and move forward.”
“Yes!”
Now, to the castle!
“That’s unusual. Children of the human tribes.”
“We’re trying to reach some relatives. And we heard that we could go to Gromble while working.”
“Indeed. I think the position is still open too. Just go in straight through here and you will see a large barracks. Go ask the people there.”
“Okay, thank you!”
The dwarf castle was really flat. The building had two stories, with the left side echoing with the sounds from the smithy. The right side seemed to be for living quarters. The castle was filled with not only dwarves, but humans who were preparing for tomorrow’s journey, and so it was very lively.
And the barracks was close by.
“Um, we’re here for the catering position!”
“Ah. Well, go tell that old man over there!”
It was evening now, and preparations for dinner had started. And so they headed towards the middle-aged, slightly balding man that had been pointed at.
“Um, we’re here for the catering!”
They shouted.
“What? Who are you two?”
“We heard that you were hiring people to help during the trip to Gromble.”
The man stared at them.
“Show me your hands.”
They showed him their palms. They were smooth.
“Hmph. Interesting. So, you wish to go to Gromble?”
He put a hand to his chin and considered it.
“Alright, I’m going to test whether or not you will be useful. Peel those potatoes.”
There was a basket full of potatoes there.
“You can wash them over there. Here are the knives. Put the peeled potatoes in here. Let me know when you are finished.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
It was very sudden, but they had to do it. First, Maki washed the potatoes, and Chiharu peeled them. When Maki was finished, she helped peel them as well. They were careful but also quick. When they were done, Chiharu gathered up the peels while Chiharu washed the potatoes again.
“We’re finished.”
“That was slow.”
Their shoulders slumped.
“But you are good with your hands. Better than nothing I suppose. 5,000 gil a day. You will be free when you’re not preparing food and cleaning up. However, most of the time will be spent traveling. You will have three meals a day and sleep in a tent. At least until Gromble. How’s that?”
“Thank you so much!”
“Thank you so much!”
“My name’s Paulo. What’s yours?”
“I’m Kenneth. This is Ryan. My younger brother.”
“Brothers, huh? You look alike. But you’re so skinny. You better eat as much as you can while you’re with us.”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
“Do you want to start tonight?”
“No, there is someone who is helping us, so we would like to come tomorrow.”
“We leave in the morning. So you better be here very early.”
“I understand.”
We’re hired!
“We got hired!”
“Good for you!”
“Yes!”
They reported it to the gatekeeper. Something about how their hands slightly ached over doing something that they hadn’t done in a while made them very happy. And like that, they returned to Edmond’s mansion.
That night.
“Prince Kaider, are you leaving tonight as well?”
“I am.”
“By the way, I heard that the cook hired some helpers.”
“I see.”
“They were human children. Quite rare.”
“Human children!”
Kaider jumped on the gatekeeper who was talking to him. It was not impossible that they would come to him.
“What did they look like? Uh, they were brothers who looked poor and had light brown hair. Ah, they were also quite cheerful.”
“They didn’t have blonde hair?”
“It was brown.”
“Was one an arrogant kid?”
“They were very pleasant.”
“Was there a girl who always looked down?”
“Both were boys.”
So it wasn’t them. If Maki and Chiharu had heard this exchange, they would have been exasperated, annoyed and then laughed. They had no choice but to act like that because of Kaider. However, just as Kaider was about to leave the castle, someone came to stop him.
“Prince Kaider, you are supposed to dine with the Midland people tonight!”
“Tsk. Tell my brothers to do that.”
“But you are the representative of the dwarf team!”
And so Kaider and Nyran solemnly returned to the castle. Ah, Norfe, Chouze, I hope that you are doing well.
During that time, Maki and Chiharu were cheerfully enjoying their dinner.
“To think that you two were the Saintesses…”
Kreis seemed just a little disappointed. He was honored to be able to meet them. However, there was now no possibility of love.
Dwarves, beastkin, and elves all lived to be 300 years old. On the other hand, humans could barely live to be 100. Unlike the other races who stayed young for many years, humans aged rapidly. So while romance between them may occur, marriage between different races was not very common. Because it was too hard when one died.
And yet Maki and Chiharu had been appealing enough to make him ignore that. But Saintesses have never married before. But they at least wanted to enjoy this night.
“So Anne and Mary are…”
“I’m sorry. I’m Maki.”
“And I’m Chiharu.”
“Maki and Chihaaru.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
They smiled. It was nice to be called by your real name. They talked about fashion with Edmond’s kind and calm wife. Or talk about their travels with Kaider and Nyran.
“Now, Maki and Chiharu.”
When they were finished eating, Edmond smiled and said,
“You will be children again starting tomorrow. But today, you are grown-ups. Kreis.”
And then Kreis brought over a steel plate and some ham.
“Now this is the man’s job.”
He said as he began to slice the ham into thin sheets, which Kreis would cook on the steel plate. When it started to sizzle, Emma put the slices onto some bread.
“Now, try it.”
Both of them took a bite. The ham was hot and the juices and oil spread in their mouths as the bread softy enveloped it.
“Take a sip of this as well.”
It was the apple wine from last night. It washed away the slight oily taste from their mouths. Only the soft smell of apples remained in their mouths.
“It’s delicious!”
“It’s delicious!”
“This is actually a winter dish. People make it at home, so it’s not served in restaurants very often. I wanted you to have some. Now, eat some pickles too.”
They had already eaten a lot for dinner, but somehow, they could eat even more when wine was involved. Emma was just like a mother to them. Was Sera alright? They wondered.
And so Maki and Chiharu were able to once again experience the warmth of the dwarves during their last day in the capital.
