Indu looked at his receding figure with melancholy. I'll miss him. Even if it was only for a short while, she couldn't forget the time spent with him.
"Now…how do I get into the town?" Indu looked down at her attire – a thick white robe and a blanket slung over her shoulder – and sighed. Nothing she had taken, not even her knife, had returned with her. They were her secret stash, and procuring new ones without her dad's knowledge was easier said than done.
"Did Maxi already inform the guard?" Indu muttered as she bit her dirt-encrusted fingernails.
"Lucky for you, I didn't."
Indu jumped in fright as she turned around. There stood Maxi, her silver chest plate glowing slightly under the rising sun. She wore a short sleeve tunic beneath it, so her slim, muscular build could clearly be seen. She had removed her helmet, so her shoulder-length, grass-green hair fluttered in the breeze. Her arms were folded across her chest.
Maxi took a deep, audible breath, her hands visibly trembling. Even under the dim light, Indu could see the rage growing in her eyes.
"…umm, I can explain…?" Indu hunched a little as her gaze lowered, unable to look Maxi in the eye.
"Explain what!" Maxi lost her patience and screamed at Indu, who flinched. "Do you know what fucking time it is? 6. 6! A! M!"
"When did you leave? 10 p.m. How long did you say you'd be out? Only a few hours. Despite the threat of mountain lions and bears, I trusted you because I thought you were a responsible woman. Instead, you return at this ungodly hour in completely different clothing and act like you can get away with it." Maxi took a deep breath before continuing.
"Do you know how worried I was? When thirty minutes passed from when you promised to return, I felt my stomach sink. I thought the worst had happened." Maxi clutched her chest in relief. Tears had worked themselves in her eyes. "Thank goodness you came back."
"I'm sorry…" Tears welled up in Indu's eyes. I never realized Maxi cared for me as deeply as father and Anya.
"You better explain everything." Maxi pulled Indu into a hug.
"I will." Indu hugged her back.
"You don't understand how scared I was, Indu." Maxi pulled her head back to look at Indu. "I wondered how I could inform the town lord of your death. It gnawed on my mind like a zombie. I lost you, and it was my fault I did. Oh, thank goodness you're safe and sound." Maxi's tears flowed again, and she buried herself into Indu's shoulder again.
Indu had too much emotional empathy, so when she saw her best friend break down in front of her, worrying about her safety, she couldn't help but cry. She also buried herself into Maxi's shoulder, and the two of them cried their hearts out.
Even the others don't like me, at least I have you three…and maybe…just maybe…Axer as well.
Eventually, Indu was the first to pull back. She could still feel Maxi trembling from a mixture of fright and relief, but it was a lot better than before.
"Crouch behind those bushes." Maxi reluctantly pulled away and pointed to an area filled with chest-high bushes. "I'll bring you something suitable to wear."
They were far from the town's entrance, so they didn't have to worry about being discovered. Even so, it never hurt to be cautious. Maxi took one last look at Indu before leaving, her expression clouded in mistrust.
Does she really think I'll run away?
While Indu waited, she played with the wild bush she was crouched next to. It had long, flexible tentacles spilling across the ground like her hair when she woke up from her bed every morning. Each was covered in small leaves that together made the bush very soft to the touch. These tentacles extended from a central ball of bark – almost like a tree. Because they looked like tentacles growing from a head, Indu aptly named them tentacle heads (a very creative name)
What was their real name again…ah, aevleed bushes.
Maxi returned with a giant brown cloak and boots a few minutes later. Though she had nothing to wear directly, the cloak did more than enough to cover Indu. She quickly threw it on, holding the blanket beneath it.
"I had no choice but to tell the gatekeepers about you, so don't worry about keeping yourself a secret. I only brought this so others won't find out."
Indu thanked Maxi, and together they set off. A few minutes of walking later, they reached the road entering the town. They passed a short line of people awaiting verification to enter the city, and they made a commotion when they saw Indu entering the town with Maxi.
"Hey, why does she get to skip past us and enter?"
"We have already verified her identity. A slight mishap occurred, so a guard had to retrieve her personally." The right gatekeeper spoke in a commanding tone. Indu heard the man grumble something under his breath, but the two had already walked too far to hear the rest.
Few people were on the streets this early. Street vendors had only begun setting up shop, far from opening up. Citizens carried boxes of trash that couldn't be repurposed to the blacksmiths to be burned. Some walked about, exercising their stiff muscles. Rarely, one or two would pass by in a hurry to make it on time for work – how they could work this early in the day, only heaven knew the answer.
"Erm…Maxi…where are you taking me?" Indu only just realized she had been mindlessly following Maxi without questioning where she was taking her.
"To my house, of course. Did you think you could go back home looking like that?" Maxi stopped and looked at Indu with a raised eyebrow.
Well…she isn't wrong.
Her father was probably back home. He would surely question what she was doing if she returned like this. She couldn't possibly tell him she had abandoned her little sister to explore the mountains, could she?
They walked a little more until they were in the bottom left partition, assuming the town's entrance was at the bottom of the town. Snaking between the architecture, the two stopped before a small, one-story house made primarily of wood. Bricks made up the house's base, giving it a sturdy foundation.
"Did I ever thank you for the money you sent for the bricks?" Maxi must have noticed Indu looking at the foundation, so she posed a question.
"Please, you already thanked me enough, even though something like this is nothing between friends." Indu rolled her eyes. Maxi had been financially burdened, so she had to buy this house in its worst form. With Indu's generous donation, however, Maxi was able to solidify the house's foundation and remove almost all of the old wood composing the house.
But Maxi had thanked Indu so much that her ears had nearly fallen off on top of the mountain of favors she did for her. Indu couldn't possibly accept any more physical favors from Maxi again.
When Maxi opened the door, a humble space appeared before Indu. A living room was in front of them, with a single door leading to a bedroom near the upper left corner. A small stove and oven stood in the right corner – the kitchen area. A little bit in front of that was a dinner table. In the middle, facing the door entrance, was a humble couch – seated upon it a man.
He had a clean, shaven face and healthy tan skin. Though his physique wasn't bulky, he had clearly defined muscles that showed from under the tight, white tunic he wore. His dark blue eyes were like an endless ocean – captivating yet possessing a terrifying undertone.
"Honey, I'm home!" Maxi rushed up and dove into his embrace after tossing aside her armor. The man wrapped his arm around her waist and fiercely kissed her.
Heat swept across Indu's face. If they're like this even with a guest…what are they like by themselves? Indu shuddered and hoped not to find out. Her innocent mind couldn't handle it.
"Stop." Maxi pulled herself away first, but the man looked incredibly reluctant. He kept his hand along her waist and pulled her beside him as he greeted Indu.
"How have you been, Indu?" Gremio Quince flashed a charming smile, his previous coldness nowhere to be found.
"I-I've been well, Sir Quince. How are you?" Indu couldn't help but stutter. He greeted her so naturally despite salaciously touching his wife at the same time. What happened to modesty in society?
"Never been better. But, now that I see it…" He squinted as he inspected her. "Why are you dressed in a cloak? You look extremely suspicious."
"Indu went out late last night to search for the mysterious monster said to be roaming the mountains." Maxi spilled everything without a moment's hesitation.
"You did what?!" Gremio practically yelled as his eyes widened so much Indu feared his eyeballs would fall out. "At the dead of night, venturing into the mountains, with your level of strength…."
"Thank goodness you're alive." He patted his chest and looked at Maxi. "You didn't influence her, did you?"
"Of course not! What do you think I am?" Maxi pouted.
"I don't know about you individually, but both of you are reckless women. First off, you Indu." Gremio's voice took a serious tone as he pointed at Indu. "Not to mention bandits, there're chances of monsters appearing in the mountains. Recently, I even heard of a troll appearing south of the village. What if it had caught you? Do you know how devastated your father would be? How devastated we would be?"
"Yeah, tell her, honey. She made me worry so much that I was trembling the night, wondering what happened to her."
Gremio let go of her waist and lightly flicked her forehead. Maxi pouted and rubbed her forehead.
"You're not off the hook either. You're a year older than Indu, so as an elder, it's your responsibility to ensure your juniors don't make mistakes. You are partially to blame for letting her go out."
Indu remained silent, knowing everything Gremio said was true.
"Anyway, it's good that you're safe. You're here because you need an alibi for your father, right? Don't worry, I'll cover for you. Maxi, get Indu some new clothes. We can say she tripped and stained her clothes as an excuse." Without Maxi saying anything but where Indu had been, Gremio could understand the situation and offer a remedy. He truly was a smart man. Combined with his strength, he made for a terrifying knight.
But is he as strong as Axer…? Tsk, why am I thinking of him? I won't ever see him again. Removing him from your head is better before unnecessary thoughts and emotions flow in.
Maxi left to pick out a dress of hers that would fit Indu (Maxi was a little bigger than Indu due to being a guard, so she would have to dig a little to find something suitable). Gremio invited her to sit on the couch, which Indu happily obliged while he himself entered the kitchen and began making tea.
They're such a happy couple.
Although Indu hated thinking like this, she couldn't help but cast an envious glance at Gremio. When Indu first met Maxi a year ago – when she moved into the town - she and Gremio had already been married. At first, Indu expected the usual tender displays of affection between them, but alas, that wasn't the case, and she was forced to corrupt her innocent mind. Even now, she found some of their actions too lewd to think about.
I want a romance like that, but I'll never get one. Scarred and ugly things like me never do.
Indu wasn't even sad at this point. It was simply a truth in life she had come to accept. Unless she found a miracle potion, nothing could heal her scar – nothing could let her love.
"Here, I found something." Maxi walked out of her room holding a white linen chemise with some undergarments. It was a little big, but enough for Indu to wear. It wasn't like she'd be wearing it the whole day.
"Thanks." Indu reached out to grab the chemise when Maxi pulled her arm back.
"Nope. You better explain everything that happened, from why you returned so late..." Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"...to why you're wearing male robes."