"Uuuhhh…"
The white-haired little girl clutching her head, crying pitifully.
"Umm, are you okay?"
Misha called the girl carefully afraid she might scare her.
"…Ah…"
The little girl looked at Misha timidly. She seemed younger than Misha, her appearance was little dirty, but under the dirt, she looks delicate like porcelain.
"Are you okay?"
This time, Arc called the little girl.
"U-Uuhh…"
"O-Oh, wait, calm down, calm down."
Once the little girl saw Arc, her tears started to leak, terrified by his appearance. Arc panickily try soothe the little girl, awkwardly waving his hand in front of her, but the little girl just getting more teared.
"Hey, Arc! What are you doing to her?"
"I'm not doing anything! Isn't because you crashed her, Misha?"
"Wrong, she teared when you carelessly approach her."
"That's True, still that too much to point me, however!"
"No, you're guiltier!"
Misha judge Arc misdeed.
"Uh, uhh?"
Baffled, the little girl stopped crying hearing the silly banter of master and servant before her.
Looking the little girl was calmed down, Misha taking the advantage to approach the little girl. Misha pulled the little girl into her embrace, covering her from Arc, as if mother shielding her child from criminal.
"There~ there~ you safe from mean people in my hand."
"Uh...? Y-Yeah…"
Misha gently caressing the little girl, attempting to appease her. Misha realized the girl's body greatly trembling, as if she scared of something. And that's definitely not them.
"Care you tell who is the mean people?"
Wrinkles appearing on Arc brow, little offended by Misha remark.
"Shush~ Of course it's you, please distance yourself for moment."
"Ugh…"
Even Arc knew Misha just joking to soothing the little girl, her word somehow felt uncomfortable. Arc threw his shoulder down, expressing his depression.
"*Stare*…"
Raina coolly watching Misha soothing the little girl, and downhearted Arc from behind. She quietly strode toward Arc, then, wordlessly offering her head to him.
"Raina, what is it…? Oh, no, I'm understand… Thank you."
Arc slightly puzzled by Raina action until he saw a tiny jealous and longing in her eyes. Although Raina mostly expressionless, her clear black eye could express her feeling just with gazes. Chuckled, Arc give gentle pat on Raina head.
Raina closes her eyes, enjoying the sensation of Arc hand brushing through her hair. Arc touch felt very comfortable that Raina completely relaxed her stance.
Arc thought Raina looked like a kitten in her current appearance.
Arc feel like healed by Raina.
"There~ There~"
"…"
The little girl haves been calmed down considerably in Misha embrace. Misha felt She no longer trembling like a new fawn, and could be talked by now.
"How is it? Have you been calmed down?"
The white-haired little girl nodded weakly at Misha question.
"Are you feel safe now?"
Then, after Misha asked, the little girl snap eyes widely.
"Hmm~!"
"Hey? What happened?"
Misha wondering as the little girl suddenly budging restlessly in her arm.
"…Please…hurry, release me…I must go now…"
The little girl voice quiet and meek, Misha almost couldn't hear her if Misha doesn't focus. The little girl plead Misha release her.
"…If I not go now…no…you must go…don't get involved with me…or they would kidnap you…"
Misha's head cocked, before she could ask what the little girl mean, Arc lightly patted her shoulder with.
"Arc, what?" Misha confused when seeing Arc tense face.
"There several of people come toward our direction. From their looks, they don't have good intention."
"Huh?"
"...!" The little girl trembling again. "They are here…!" She nervously voiced out her agitation.
"*Glare*…" Raina eyes went cold toward the newcomers.
From the direction the little girl came, group of people running to their place. That people appearance dirty and shambles like bandits.
Arc and others tensing their stance as the bandit-looking people exuding evil air around them.
"That's her!"
"We caught you at last! You little shit!"
"You truly give us problem, bitch!"
"Just give up and obediently became our slave, you little bitch!"
Seems the incoming group isn't bandit-looking people, but genuinely bandit group.
"Hieee!!"
The little girl frightenedly burying herself in Misha embrace when she heard their cursing.
"Hey! You people frightening her!"
Misha yelling the people indignantly.
""…""
Arc and Raina stay silent, observing the approaching group.
However, Misha yell seems went through them, as their face grew ecstasy upon spotted Misha and others, then said some disgusting things.
"Wahahaha! What is this? The number of preys has increase!"
"Wow, you right! Just look at them. They have fine figure like that shitting white-haired girl. We'll rich if we sell them!"
"Lucky! Heaven have drop fortune at our foot!"
"Yeah, they'll became high-class slaves since they have fine appearance! We must seize them!"
Misha's face pulled out of disgust heard their talk. She instantly knew who're them, judging from their conservation.
"...You people are slave hunters."
"Oh… seems the little miss knew about us."
"Of course, I knew. You people quite infamous for your evil deeds."
"Hahaha, this little miss truly knowledge."
Heard Misha word, the man with scary face that seems the leader of the group chuckling amusedly.
Slave hunters were a group criminal people that kidnap people to sell them as slave illegally. Myrdiana Kingdom have a slave system, but that's limited to war and criminal slave. The country prohibited any activity which's related slave hunting. If there someone break the law, they will be given the death penalty.
Basically, what the group before Misha doing is crime.
The slave hunter leader pointing his sword to Misha. His underling encircling Misha's party, cut their way escape.
"Since you knew us, little miss. Listen us obediently or you might suffer."
Once the man said that, Arc and Raina fearlessly step forward, covering Misha and the little girl on their back.
The slave hunters grew interest or indignant, upon saw their appearance doesn't intimidating the children before them.
"Boss, quit talk with them and seize them immediately!"
"Wait~ Wait~ Just don't ruin the good show yet."
The man brushing his underling indignation frivolously.
"Boss!"
"Hahaha… I say, who is the boss, you or me?" He threw a cold glance at the underling.
"No, that isn't… Sorry, I'm wrong, Boss." The underling quivered, take a step back.
"That's more like it." The man said, patted the underling shaking shoulder.
The slave hunter leader returned his attention to Misha.
"Sorry for annoyance just now, little miss. So, how you told your friends don't fight and follow us obediently. I promise we won't treat you wrongly."
"You…"
Misha body trembling at the sight of slave hunter leader. It was clear he wanted take them as slaves, yet he still acting like gentleman.
Slave Hunter Leader giggling amusedly as he was bathed by Misha glare. Misha swears that man smile felt so ugly and disgusting. Slave hunter underlings also let same ugly smile, adding the disgust level.
*Sigh*
A resignation sigh resounding in the space, distinctly, could be heard coming from little boy in Misha side.
Arc showing a face as if he has given up.
"Wahahaha! What is this? Look over here, Little Miss. Your male friend here seems already give up. He truly gutless. Look, A weak man like him will reveal his true nature once they're in danger!"
"Hey, don't insult, Arc!"
"Oh, his name is Arc, is he your boyfriend? Well, not like I care since you might separate after became slave, hahaha!"
Slave hunter leader laughing loudly, as he humiliating his prey. That man seemed felt ecstasy watching his prey being helpless in his arm.
"Hmm~"
Arc staring the man.
Even when he was insulted, Arc doesn't respond back. He just wordlessly staring at the man, seemed seriously pondering about something.
"Hey, mister."
"Oh, you finally say something sissy boy. I thought you have petrified by fear since you silent."
"Can I you something?"
Slave Hunter Leader slightly stunned by Arc unexpected respond, but his demeanor restored in an instant.
"You want to ask? Go on then. Since I good mood now, I'll answer your question as long it something I could answer, sissy boy."
"Really? I'll ask then."
Then, Arc next word truly threw their balance.
"Mister, are you by chance a perverted man called lolicon?"
Misha, Slave Hunter Leader, and Slave hunter underlings frozen in the place, clearly never expecting someone asking a silly question with serious face in this situation. The only ones that don't show reaction were Raina and the frightened little girl.
Slave Hunter Leader was suspecting Arc just playing around with him.
"Sorry, Sissy Boy. I am not a perverted man called lolicon."
"Is that so?"
Arc cocked his head.
"Arc, why you asking that in this situation?"
Misha rebuking Arc thoughtless. She wondering just what Arc thinking in this situation.
"Sorry, I couldn't help since his appearance so similar with lolicon you had told me before, Misha."
"Lolicon? What is the lolicon you talking about boy? Why you said it similar with me?"
Slave Hunter Leader felt oddly uncomfortable since he's called by the term he never heard.
"Oh? Are you serious?... Well, thought you right Arc. He somewhat quite alike with lolicon."
Misha nods as she noticed something after observing the man for a bit.
The man felt irritated by their somewhat carefree attitude.
Arc assumed a teacher posture.
"Well, in short, Mister. Lolicon is perverted, defiant, depraved human that have sexual obsession toward little girl. I thought you might one, Mister, since you enjoying chasing after and glared by little girl. Looks, your smile so perverted when Misha glared at you. It's so ugly I felt shiver when I watched. It's better you never show that smile to girls or you will be alone for your lifetime, Mister."
Arc explain his knowledge detailly. His tone was friendly and polite, but the content was insult to Slave Hunter Leader.
Misha feels like laugh, no, she laughing out loud her lung. Her tear leaking for a different reason than little girl in her embrace. Her laugh greatly echoing in the chill turned space.
Slave Hunter Leader stunned hearing Arc unceasingly explanation. His face red burned by shame when he realized the boy in front of him was messing with his dignity.
His gentleman smile swept from face, replaced with cold murderous smile.
"You quite courageous…"
"That's nothing, I have been told by many people."
Arc replied with fearless smile.
"Hoh, Boy… Is that your last word?"
"No, of course that isn't my last word. By the way, why are you angry? You aren't a lolicon isn't it?" Arc feigned innocent.
Slave Hunter Leader let cold laugh. Casting murderous intent to him even his opponent was a child.
"Seems I was mistake to heard your question. Man, capture them!"
"""Yeaahh!"""
Having impatiently waiting from the side, Slave Hunter Underlings rejoice after their boss issued the order.
"As for that sissy boy, he isn't needed. Just kill him brutally in front of his companion. Show them what would happen if they oppose us!"