155 Part 3

There was a tragic look about the chief’s face. It seemed to be a reflection of the harsh situation that they were in.

“Did something bad happen?”

“No.”

That was all the chief had to say.

“So they just hate you for having different ears? What a harsh world…”

“Not only are our ears are different from theirs, we also tend to be physically stronger than humans. And the difference between our magical power is way too big as well.”

“So why don’t you just get rid of the humans? Since you’re much stronger than them…”

The chief was surprised by Maria’s words. She didn’t seem to be siding with humans. The two little girls’ eyes fired up as well.

“We can’t do that. We’re no match for human wisdom and their large numbers. There’s not much we can do but to do our best to live hidden away in caves.”

“Hmm.”

The chief seemed disappointed to see Maria’s usual uninterested reaction.

It seemed as if Maria had nothing on her mind, but she actually did. The two girls unconsciously imitated her pose as she placed her thumb on her chin. Now Maria seemed to have two little clones of herself in the world of monsters.

“I see. Well, here’s what we’ll do.”

Maria took 30 seconds to say what she was thinking about.

“I can’t split my soup with you, but I will certainly repay the favor. Even if I look like this, I’m actually a princess. I have such an immense influence that no one in Kudan can oppose me.”

“I-Is that true?”

The chief’s eyes were full of doubt.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have anything with me that can prove that I’m part of the royalty, but you’ll know if you go there. I’ll write a letter explaining your situation. If I do that, they should give you somewhere to live there.”

“I-Is that true?”

The chief’s doubt wasn’t getting any weaker.

“Ah, but Papa is a bit stubborn about this stuff. And I don’t think that my little brother Arc is going to be brave enough… I wonder if a letter will be enough? My other little brother, Rahsa, may follow through with it, but he doesn’t have as much influence as I’d like for this…”

“I know about the country of Kudan, but not so much about its details. If what you say is true, then it’s truly impressive…”

“How obstinate. It’s true!”

She placed her hand on the shoulder of the still doubtful chief. As he turned around, he saw the two little girls, whose eyes were still glittering with excitement. They had completely turned into Maria’s fans after learning that she was a princess.

“That’s Lady Maria for you.”

With that remark, the chief decided to believe in Maria’s words and asked her to continue to say what she had in her mind.

“Oh, I think I’ve come up with a good idea. A new autonomous territory has recently been established in our country. Its lord is a very nice man, so I’m sure he’ll take you in with open arms. Let’s do that. Let’s go to the autonomous territory of Helan. You’ll be able to start your life anew there.”

“Will they really let monsters like us live there?”

The worried chief asked Maria.

“I said I’d write a letter, didn’t I? Don’t you worry.”

And so, a new path was opened for the monsters by that lady brought to them by the spirits.

Maria lived with them in the cave for some time. Her overwhelming charisma and proactiveness could be seen every day. More and more monsters began being thankful to the spirits and to Maria as well. Her influence with the monsters kept on growing day after day, and more and more of them started to see her as a heroine. The most noticeable cases were, of course, the two little girls.

Eventually, the monster’s days in that northern region were finally reaching their end, and their preparations for migration were almost finished. That’s when Maria disappeared.

She was still the same unrestrained woman, even when she lived together with the monsters.

She was a free spirit, who would go anywhere that caught her eye. The monsters continued to think about Maria, but she was always headed for the next unknown, looking towards the future. She might not remember them ever again. That’s just how Maria was.

The hopelessness of the monsters, who had been expecting her to go with them on their migration, was truly deep.

However, she had sent the letter to the Kudan country as promised.

『To Rahsa. It’s your sister, Maria. These people are in trouble, so make sure to set some land aside for them. I ask this of both you and your close friend, Kururi. This is an order from your sister!』

After reading the letter, the monsters’ hopelessness became even worse.

Their days in the north were reaching their limit and they had no choice but to leave.

They had little hope, and were burdened by a profound despair. The road ahead would be harsh. But they quickly realized that the future that lay ahead for them could not be so bad. After all, the spirits were on their side.

Maria would appear anywhere. But no one truly knew where Maria actually was.

Proofread by Flawfinder.