Eve stood.
“I’ve never seen you smile like that before, Too-ka,” she said, putting a hand on Seras’s back. “I guess you’re an interesting high elf now after all, eh?”
Seras looked down, so embarrassed that there might as well have been steam rising from her face. “Th-that wasn’t what I was trying to…”
She looked around.
I guess it’s about time I said something.
I put my Lord of the Flies mask back on and went to leave, then stopped.
“Come on, Seras.” I turned and looked back at her over my shoulder. “We’re off to beat that foul Goddess.”
She froze with her mouth open for a second, then did a happy little jog toward me to catch up.
“Understood!”
I went with Seras and the others to the carriages that had been prepared for our departure. Eve noticed two others who were waiting for us there.
“Hmph?”
“Ah! They’re here, meow!”
“They are indeed.”
Nyaki waved her hand back and forth over her head, while Munin gave us a little wave. I raised my hand a bit to greet them.
The two members of the Lord of the Flies Brigade that we picked up after leaving Erika’s domain. Late additions, you might say. I guess the Takao sisters are the latest…hires? I suppose Lise is a member too, isn’t she…
I introduced Eve to the two of them.
“This is Nyaki, and that’s Munin. I told you about them earlier.”
“Nyaki, that’s me-ow!”
“I’m Eve Speed.”
Munin bowed to her. “I am Munin of the Forbidden Words Clan—chief of the Kurosaga.”
Eve introduced herself to Munin in turn.
This is the first opportunity these two have had to talk to Eve.
“I have heard much about the two of you. Can I call you Munin?”
“Of course. I too have heard many stories about you from Too-ka, Eve.”
“Hmph? What has he been saying about me?” Eve raised an eyebrow at me.
“Nothing weird. Just that you’re a really good person,” I explained, protesting my innocence.
“I also heard that Too-ka and his Scrolls of Forbidden Magic only managed to make it to the Kurosaga because of your assistance.” Munin went to shake Eve’s hand, and Eve accepted.
“But it would all have been for nothing if you hadn’t agreed to help Too-ka. It was his tenacity that brought you together, I think.”
“I am fighting in this war as a user of Forbidden Magic. I have heard that you are a powerful warrior, Eve…and that you have brought us a secret weapon that might be useful against Vicius. Thank you so much for lending us your strength in this battle.”
“I fight because I want to. And because I owe so much to Too-ka and the others here.”
“You’ve repaid me several times over,” I said, and Eve shot me a glance.
“That’s the kind of man he is. And that’s why I want to help him.”
“Heh heh, I think I know how you feel.”
“Still…you aren’t quite how I pictured you,” said Eve.
Munin looked confused, tilting her head to the side.
“Based on what Too-ka told me, I was expecting someone a little more…mischievous,” said Eve.
“Oh my…” Munin put her hands to her cheeks, blushing red. “Wh-what exactly has he said about me? Oh dear…”
She puffed out her cheeks, pouting and looking in my direction with a little reproach in her eyes.
Hmm… There’s not much motherliness on show when she’s acting like this. She looks nothing like she did earlier with Fugi.
“And you’re Nyaki, then, are you?”
“Y-yes meow! Nyaki’s so honored to meet you Eve! You’re Nyaki’s senior in the Lord of the Flies Brigade!”
“It sounds like you’ve had a rough road. I’m glad you’ve reunited with your older sister.”
Nyantan—the older sister in question—was off looking after their other little sisters.
“That’s all thanks to Too-ka and the others, meow!” Nyaki lowered her eyebrows and poked the tips of her fingers together, smiling uncomfortably. “Nyaki wants to pay back Too-ka and the others for everything they’ve done. That’s why Nyaki’s here! But maybe Nyaki’s not being very useful… Myah hah hah.”
“You’ve been rushing around delivering messages, haven’t you? That sure helped me out, at the very least,” I reminded her.
“M-Mr. Too-ka…”
Eve gave a low-pitched laugh at our back and forth.
“…I get it now. You’re a big part of the reason that Too-ka is fighting.”
“Meow?”
Eve grinned at Nyaki.
“I’m saying that you’re more than useful to Too-ka.”
Eve saw the way I acted around Lis. I bet she feels there’s something similar about those two. She knows I’m watching out for Nyaki.
Seras seemed to understand what Eve was saying too.
“Really?” asked Nyaki, looking up at me quizzically. “Nyaki is… Nyaki’s useful, Mr. Too-ka?”
“Yeah, it sure looks that way.”
Nyaki heaved a great sigh of relief at that. “Nyaki doesn’t really know why, but that’s a relief… Nyaki’s going to keep working hard~!” She did a little pose to pump herself up.
“I’ll be counting on you when this battle is over too, Nyaki,” I said, looking at the crow that was perched on Eve’s shoulder—Lis’s familiar. The familiar looked a little sheepish. I had Nyaki and Lis meet while we were on the road just the once—though as Lis was talking through her familiar’s letter board, the encounter was only a short one. Nyaki’s eyes glimmered as she looked at the crow.
“Ah—so she’s in here right now?!”
I imagine she’s asking if Lis’s consciousness is in the bird.
The crow nodded, and Eve brought the familiar down onto her arm.
“Ah-ahem…” Nyaki began to talk to the familiar with upturned eyes. “Lis… Meow-ow~… L-Lis!”
Lis cawed at her, as an embarrassed Nyaki tried to say her name.
“When we meet in person, Nyaki…” she opened her eyes wide, determined to get the words out. “N-Nyaki wants to be your friend…!”
“Caaaw!”
Lis gave a loud squawk, then put one of her wings forward as if she were going in for a handshake. Nyaki gently took the tip of the familiar’s wing with two of her fingers.
“Meow… Meow-ow~…”