And, is that friend of yours male or female?
Although I was indeed a little curious about the answer, it felt like the nature of the matter would change if I asked, so I swallowed the question.
Mazao seemed stumped by my question and only after a while did she reply, "...She is an exception."
"What kind of exception?" I pressed.
"She's just a ten-year-old girl. In such a dangerous environment, if no one is there to protect her, she'll only die sooner," she explained. "Although my presence might also bring her danger, it's still better than letting her fend for herself."
"A ten-year-old girl..." I nodded. "Then, do you remember her name? Since you were with her until the very end, you shouldn't have forgotten her name. We can look up the information on soul loss patients later to see if her name turns up."
She seemed to consider the idea but then sighed and denied, "I don't know her real name; she had forgotten it herself."
