A little lie

"The soldier asked Maki, 'What are two kids doing in the east?' Maki thought quickly, trying to come up with a believable lie. So she decided to play dumb and act like she didn't know what the soldier was talking about. 'I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about,' Maki said, trying to keep her voice steady. 'We were just lost collecting flowers.' The soldier looked at Maki skeptically, but she tried her best to maintain a blank expression. She knew that if she let on that she was lying, they would be in even more trouble. 'Very well,' he said, 'but be careful. It's not safe for children to be wandering around these parts, especially with all the monsters in the east. Where are your parents?' Maki hesitated for a moment before answering. She lied, 'They...they're back at Waldweg village. We got separated while we were out collecting flowers. We've been trying to find our way back home, but we got lost.' The soldier nodded slowly, his expression softening slightly. 'I see. Well, I can't let you wander around alone, it's too dangerous. But I can escort you to the Waldweg village and make sure you get home safely. Will that suffice?' Maki let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, thank you. We would really appreciate that." The soldier nodded and gestured for them to follow him. Maki and her companion fell into step behind him, grateful to be out of danger. The soldier woke Rina, then he said, 'Follow me. I will escort you to the nearest village. "So we decided to follow him." As Maki and Rina followed the soldier through the field, they couldn't help but be curious about him. They asked him questions about his life as a soldier and what it was like to defend their country from monsters. The soldier, whose name was Ryo, told them about his training and the different missions he had been on. He also told them about the importance of protecting their country and its people from harm. As they walked, Ryo noticed that Maki and Rina seemed to be in good spirits despite their situation. He smiled to himself, glad that he could help them in some small way. Eventually, they reached the village of Waldweg and Ryo made sure that Maki and her companion were reunited with their families. Maki and Rina ran up to a random woman and said, "We are lying, can you act like you were our parent?" Maki and Rina smiled at Ryo and said goodbye. Then, the woman asked why they were lying. Maki was hesitant at first, but then she told the woman, "If you can keep this a secret, we will tell you." After Maki and Rina told the woman Maki was a witch, the woman was surprised but agreed to keep it a secret. She welcomed them into her home and introduced herself as  Adelaide and  lived alone in a little cottage on the edge of the village, and she was happy to have some company.