Chapter 18 - Mochi vs the Villagers

Milly nervously fiddled with the crown emblem that hung around her neck. She had been practicing magic exhaustively while they walked, and could now use fire and wind elemental magic. She had the idea to combine the two to create an offensive fire attack, casting a fire spell first, and then using wind to push it rapidly at a target. Even Zen was amazed at her ability.

Magic wasn’t typically used in such ways to prevent personal fights and misuse of power, and only mages registered in the royal army were taught the spells for attack magic, so Milly needed to get creative. At first her wind put out the fire, but our clever princess used the spell that kept bugs away to create a protective barrier around the flames before blasting it forward.

Her fire was purple and blue, which seemed to compliment her ghostly form, but Milly soon discovered it was likely due to the dark magic coming from her. The fire was much more powerful than it had been when she practiced in secret at the castle, and knowing she was using dark magic made her hesitant.

As they walked, Nao kept encouraging Milly and suggested that since the dark magic was stronger, she might have an easier time with the reversal spell, but Milly had already tried it a few times while the others slept, and nothing had happened so far.

After a few days of seemingly endless walking through the woods, the group finally hit a path leading towards a small village in the distance. Normally for adventurers, this would be a sight for sore eyes, but there had been a growing unease the farther east they walked.

The sun wasn’t rising as high in the sky anymore, and nightfall was happening sooner with each passing day. The village itself, even though it was still a half day away, seemed to have a darkness to it, like somehow it held nightfall even though it was midday.

The twins went on their guard just in case, Zen brandishing his sword, and Nao taking some sewing needles from her pocket. Even Mochi could sense something and grit her teeth, while she also kind of hid behind Nao for safety.

Hours passed and the village came closer into view. It somehow was unmistakably darker than the area they had just come from. Large shadows were cast even though the sun was still out, no streetlamps were lit, and the air was tense and melancholy.

Everyone stayed huddled together as they entered the village, with Milly taking her hiding position under Nao’s skirt, and the twins whispered about what they thought was happening. None of them expected what they would see next.

Villagers started to appear. Going about their business as you would think. But each and every one of them looked inexplicably sad. Morose. Like the life had been drained from them, or they had been given the worst news of their life.

“Look Evuli, you fit right in here.”

“S-shut up Zen!”

As much as it shamed her, Milly couldn’t help but silently agree in her mind. Every person they saw was a mirror of how Milly felt for most of her life. She knew she was negative but seeing it for herself in others put things into perspective.

Nao attempted to approach a villager to ask for directions to a place to stay or purchase food. The villager stared at her for an uncomfortable amount of time before sighing.

“What would be the point? We’re all going to die anyway.”

“Pardon?”

She hoped for more of an answer but the villager slowly turned away and returned to their work. She tried to ask someone else.

“I try not to think about food, I’m already so fat.”

And another.

“I haven’t slept in days. I can’t do anything right, not even sleep.”

No matter who she tried speaking with, all they had to say was something negative or depressing. Zen started to get irritated and used his cold demeanor to try and intimidate someone into giving him an answer, but was met with an uncomfortably casual plea for death.

The twins began to argue about whether they should stay in the creepy village, or move on and camp out somewhere further along the road. Zen wasn’t willing to risk whatever was happening in the village happening to them, but Nao felt they should try to rest in towns as often as they could before the towns became more scarce, and for the sake of Mochi who still got tired after only a few hours of walking.

Unable to choose, they turned to Milly.

“I… I don’t think I want to st-”

“My feet hurt! I’m hungry! I want meat!”

And so Milly and Zen were immediately overruled, and the crew headed off in search of a place to rest and eat. As is traditional of villages and smaller towns, at the very least they could count on there being a bar. After asking a few more dour folks, they came upon an equally dour tavern. Unsurprisingly, nearly half the village was inside drinking away their woes.

Given that Zen was fed up with the villagers' attitudes, he commanded some of them to clear a table and left ordering to Nao. No one put up a fight, clearing their seats right away, and Zen plopped down hard on one of the wooden chairs, crossing his arms and scowling at the other patrons.

Once again, as if sensing Zen’s poor mood, Mochi pranced over and sat directly on his lap. He became flustered again and in his confusion shot his hands up straight to the sky, as if to proclaim that he wasn’t touching, nor going to touch, the girl sitting on him completely of her own volition. At least that’s what Milly thought as she peeked out not-so-discreetly from Nao’s dress. A villager definitely saw her little nose poke through the fabric, but they were so listless they couldn’t be bothered to care anyways.

While Mochi happily kicked her legs and hummed a happy song, Zen turned from bright pink to white and foamed at the mouth with his arms still up, and Nao asked the barkeep for a menu. The person she assumed was the barkeep was sprawled out across the counter, and remained unmoving.

She tried to poke him, and asked again for something to eat.

“Just… Go in the back and take whatever. My business is going to fail anyways. I might as well just give everything away.”

“Don’t say that sir, I’m sure things will turn around!”

Nao placed a small bag of gold in front of his face.

“Please accept this donation on behalf of the royal family, and as compensation for the food we will eat.”

The broken man blinked a few times, but stayed still. Nao frowned that her positivity wasn’t as contagious as she had thought, and made her way around the counter to get some food.

After returning with spoils from the kitchen, and freeing Zen from his prison of being the ‘chosen lap’, the twins and Mochi ate heartily but fast, reconsidering the idea of staying overnight.

Milly continued to peek out through the dress at the faces of the villagers, and stayed quiet and pensive.

Clearing their plates, Nao thanked the barkeep again and they hurriedly ran out of the village, with Nao carrying Mochi on her back.

“Hehehe! Wheee!”

Mochi: 1

The villagers: 0