She stared at it in silence, wide-eyed, expression blank. Like her mind couldn’t quite accept what her eyes already knew.
Belamus watched her, unsure what to say. Even with all the years he’d lived in his past life, there were still moments like this where words failed him. He searched for something that might offer comfort, but nothing felt right.
Then Mimi spoke.
“I remember now,” she whispered. Her voice was quiet, but steady. She didn’t look up; she just stared into the gem as she spoke. “We were being chased. Kuusha got hurt protecting me… it was bad. Really bad. I was screaming and crying, and she tried to calm me down. She made me eat something. I think it was… Remst dust. That’s why I fell asleep.”
She spoke slowly, almost to herself, piecing the memory together one thread at a time.
Belamus felt a quiet breath escape him. If she remembered all that, if she understood what had happened, then maybe she wouldn’t blame them. Maybe she wouldn’t see them as enemies.
As Belamus listened to Mimi speak, it became increasingly clear that she was older than her childlike voice suggested. Still a child, perhaps, but not so young that she couldn’t reason or speak clearly. Her words carried awareness, composure, and intelligence.
“Who are you?” she finally asked warily. “You’re not one of them, that’s for sure, but you’re not one of us either.”
“I’m Belamus,” he replied evenly. “A human.”
Mimi’s expression sharpened, and she reeled back slightly. “A human?! You mean the monsters who kill dwarves and turn them into gemstones for profit?!”
Her accusation rang with venom. Belamus let out a dry, almost resigned chuckle. In his past life, humans—numerous, greedy, and ambitious—had earned the distrust of many races. It seemed that reputation had endured across time. Nothing had changed.
“Some humans are like that,” he admitted calmly. “But I’m not one of them. I promise.”
Mimi didn’t seem convinced. Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face, searching for a lie. For several long seconds, she said nothing. Then, slowly, her suspicion began to fade.
“If you were after my magicite, I’d already be dead. And from the way things look, it’s pretty clear you’re the one who helped me.”
She was assessing the situation logically and calmly. Belamus nodded to himself. Sharp kid.
He decided to explain more. He told her that, in her final moments, Kuusha had begged him to protect Mimi. The girl’s gaze dropped to the crimson gem in her hands.
“She said that?” Mimi whispered. Her voice trembled. She stared down at the gemstone cradled in her palms, eyes shining. A few silent tears slid down her cheeks before she wiped them away with her sleeve.
Then she took a deep, steady breath, and her eyes hardened with quiet resolve. She clenched the gem tightly in her fist.
“If Kuusha gave her life to protect me, then I owe it to her to live. I won’t waste her sacrifice.”
Belamus watched her in silence, quietly impressed. To stand up after such loss, to look forward and not back, took strength. More than most adults could muster.
“Belamus, right?” Mimi asked, her voice steady again. “Can you tell me where we are?”
He nodded and gave her a simple rundown of their location.
“This is Beresdral,” he said. “A town built right here in the Great Frazes Forest. It’s home to all kinds of monsters. But don’t worry, they’re friendly.”
“In the Great Frazes Forest…?” Mimi’s brows knit. “A town? Full of monsters, living together?”
“Exactly,” Belamus said with a faint smile. “Want to see it for yourself?”
Mimi nodded slightly. Together, they stepped outside.
Mimi’s eyes widened at the sight that met her. She looked around, stunned, and murmured under her breath, “This is… an actual town. In the middle of a forest like this? I had no idea something like this existed.”
The streets were clean, and the buildings were solidly built. It didn’t feel like a monster settlement; it felt like a living, breathing community.
They began to walk through Beresdral together, and before long, they passed a group of goblins. Mimi slowed, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
“Those people… they’re not human, are they?” Mimi asked cautiously, her eyes following the goblins with a mix of wariness and wonder.
“They’re goblins,” Belamus said. “First time seeing one?”
“Well, yes and no,” Mimi replied, tilting her head. “I’ve seen goblins before, but these look completely different from the ones I remember.”
“You probably saw unevolved goblins,” Belamus explained. “Every goblin in this village has gone through at least one evolution.”
“Goblins can evolve?” Mimi asked, her voice tinged with genuine surprise. “Huh, that actually explains a lot.”
Just as she seemed to settle into thought, a high-pitched voice rang out behind them.
“Oh! She’s awake!” Delarosa called.
Mimi turned just in time to see Delarosa, Medello, and Navasha bounding toward them, their expressions bright with curiosity and excitement. The three goblin girls wasted no time—they crowded around Mimi, gently patting her head and pinching her cheeks, clearly enchanted by her childlike appearance.
Mimi flinched slightly, overwhelmed. “A-Are they goblins too? I… I don’t understand what they’re saying.”
“They don’t mean any harm,” Belamus assured her. “They just like you.”
“I can tell they’re not hostile,” Mimi muttered, still trying to process the attention. “But… hey, Belamus? How come you can speak Dwarvish? I thought humans had their own language.”
“I do,” Belamus said simply. “But I also speak Goblin, the Halfl—I mean, Dwarvish, and a few others.”
Mimi blinked at him. “That’s… that’s incredible.” Her voice was small, but full of awe.
Belamus continued the walk through Beresdral with Mimi at his side. As they moved through the town, she gradually took in the diverse faces around her: goblins, yes, but also orcs, Imps, Alraune, and other monsters she had only heard of in cautionary tales.
She didn’t react with fear. On the contrary, she looked genuinely impressed.
“Monsters of all kinds, living together, peacefully,” she murmured, eyes drifting from group to group. “They don’t look like bad people at all. I mean, it’s hard to believe this is the same Great Frazes Forest people say is so dangerous. For a place that’s supposed to be terrifying, this town feels… safe.”
Then, closing her eyes for a moment, she added in a softer tone, “After everything that happened, maybe ending up here wasn’t such a misfortune after all.”
Belamus exhaled, relieved. She was adjusting more quickly than he’d expected, and more importantly, she was starting to trust him. That meant he could finally ask the question that had been pressing on him since the moment she’d arrived.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” he said gently. “And if you’re comfortable, could you tell me more about what happened? Why was Kuusha so badly wounded? What led you both here? Just whatever you remember.”
Mimi didn’t answer right away. She looked at Belamus for a long moment, as if weighing something in her mind. Then she gave a quiet nod.
“I still don’t really know what kind of person you are, Belamus,” she said slowly, “but I can tell you’re not bad. You saved my life. That much is clear.”
Her fingers tightened slightly around the gemstone she still carried.
“If you really want to know, then I’ll tell you everything,” Mimi said quietly.
Then, though a flicker of hesitation still lingered in her eyes, Mimi began to speak, opening up about everything that had led her to this moment.