Part 9

The door creaked open and revealed a dark room. It was a common room where food and drink would be served. The tables and stools should be filled with weary travellers, but dust covered every surface because no one was present.

“Err, looks deserted. Let’s go to one in the middle of town.” Knight said, using the empty room as an excuse for a more lavish inn.

Despite the Inn seemingly being deserted for long, the running tap suggested otherwise. With the running water pointed out by Iroha, Knight dropped his complaints and collapsed in a chair, raising clouds of dust.

Iroha creaked along the wooden floor, following footprints and eyeing a feint glow emitting through the gaps of a door behind the dusty counter.

Suddenly, the running water stopped with Iroha inches from the door’s simple handle.

A creak came beyond the door, followed by high-pitched maniacal laughter. What was it that lurked beyond the wooden door?

Iroha carefully placed her hand upon the grimy handle, slowly pushing the door open.

The more the door opened, the quieter the laughter got until it could be heard no more. Iroha glanced back to Knight and the girl, both idly chatting. Was it only Iroha who heard the laugh?

It was a simple room. The rusty tap that had been running was placed next to big lumps of meat strewn across the wooden counter. Big lumps of meat, riddled with teeth marks.

The room was empty. Whoever or whatever was feasting had gone. A suspicious Iroha muttered as she stepped through the door’s grimy frame. “Where are you?”

What greeted her upon entry wasn't the answer, but an ice-cold weight crashing down upon and over her body, soaking her clothes and leaving her dripping-wet from head to toe.

“REEQ!” she yelped.

The maniacal laughter returned as a tiny black figure danced upon Iroha’s soaked hair.

Iroha immediately slapped at it, only to evoke more screeching laughter as the demonic prankster dodged and flew away.

Suddenly, the back door flew open with a high-pitch scream. “REEQ! You better not be pranking the customers…again.”

“Hi, Meimi.” Iroha greeted the fluffy brown animal with a wave.

“By the Great Wolf… DESPOND!?” Meimi exclaimed. The ball of fluff, draped in a frilly apron ran towards Iroha and squeezed her bandaged legs.

Iroha laughed and stroked Meimi furry head before saying, “It’s Iroha now, not Despond.”

“Oh, right,” Meimi released her grasp. “I think it’s meooowch better.”

“Hehe, thanks. I can’t stay long but could you give us some food and drink?” Iroha asked. “Oh, and some cursed water.”

“Ah, okay. Did you see Meowlemi?”

“…Yeah, could you give him a talking to for me?”

“What has he done meow?”

“Well, I was telling him that I couldn’t stay and chat. He asked me why and I lied. He didn’t buy it so I told him I’ll tell him when I next see him,” Iroha explained.

“Ahh, so he went on a rant because the last time you saw each other was over a year ago?”

“Yeah,” Iroha confirmed. “I’d honestly love to stay and chat but… Things are complicated.”

“Ah, I won’t pry then. Go and join your fwends. I’ll give you the food and drink soon and then I will give a talking to Meowlemi,” Meimi said, shooing her out of the room.

“Thanks”

“Ah, Tell your fwends about Reeq. He can be a handful.” Meimi shouted before closing the door.

 

* * *

 

Being alone with the girl since they met Iroha, Knight thought it might be the best time to get some answers as well as finally knowing her name.

“How are you holding up since you were, err, frozen?” He asked as the small child sat opposite him.

“Um, fine. I can remove the p-pain and after-effects by manipulating the mana in my b-blood flow.” She said, shyly drawing shapes on the dust-covered table.

“Wait? Why didn’t you heal my arm then!?”

“I’m sorry, m-master. I can o-only overwrite p-pain and heal some things…” she explained, her eyes flickering to and from Knight,.“I couldn’t really p-put your arm back in place because…”

“Because?”

“Um, you d-don’t have any mana absorbed from the a-atmosphere…or from f-food…or inherent mana in your b-blood flow…” The girl slowly let Knight’s dream of being powerful come crashing down.

“…Huh?” Knight’s kind expression drooped. It really wouldn’t be as easy as ‘slaying beasts’ to become the world’s hero. He thought he might be able to save everyone without risk to his life but… if he couldn’t use magic then how would he be able to fight against people like the stuck-up ice mage?

“M-master!” the girl cried, leaning over the table to grab his hand. “It might not be hopeless! After all, I was still able to remove the pain. If you were totally without mana then I don’t think I could have done that.”

Knight was taken back by her sudden emotion. He knew her as a morose, wounded girl. Yet she had earnestly defended him when Iroha simply said he wasn’t “good at that sort of thing” and now even attempts to console him. Knight knew she was coming out of her shell, but what he didn’t realise was that he was the source of it.

So, despite not really buying her words, Knight put on a brave face, “Nah, it’s good. If there is a way, I’ll find it. If not then…I’ll think of something.”

The little girl smiled and released Knight’s hand, dropping back into her chair, “That’s good to hear, m-master.”

‘Is she really gonna call me master all the time…?’ Knight asked himself before he was reminded of something. “Oh yeah, we can’t be all friendly like this when I don’t know your name.”

“…” the girl’s face returned to its gloomy expression. “I su-suppose.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, okay?” Knight asked, making sure he didn’t accidentally upset her.

“Mmm, no…I will, m-master,” the girl straightened her posture, shaping her face into a determined expression. “My name is…”

Her built up composure drooped as the girl put a finger to her lips.

“What is it?” Knight asked as the girl thought deeply.

“Um, well, my name isn’t really a name…”

“Oh…”

“So, I was wondering if you c-could…maybe n-name me?” She asked, a tinge of red lighting her face.

“What? You…want me…to give you a name?” He slowly asked as he leant forward.

“Mm, if it’s okay with you, m-master.” She confirmed, shifting her gaze from Knight’s.

“Okay… but you said it isn’t really a name, meaning you have something similar. Tell me what it is at least.”

“O-Okay then.” The girl reluctantly accepted, glancing back at Knight. “E.D.E.Four…”

‘Yeah…isn’t quite a name,' Knight thought, relaxing back in the dusty wooden chair. “I’m guessing that’s something to do with being a sla-”

Just before Knight created an eruption of depression and tears, Iroha returned from her soggy adventure, interrupting the Knight and the child. “Right, Meimi will be here with food and drinks in around ten minutes. Senpai didn’t upset you, did he?”

“N-No,” the innocent-looking child shook her head.

“Hey, she wants me to name her. Got any ideas…?” Knight asked the drenched Iroha before bursting with laughter. “What the hell happened with you?”

“That isn’t very nice, S-e-n-p-a-i!” Iroha pouted, back to her playful-self. “Besides, it’s normal water so my body will turn it absorb it and turn it into curses.”

“Right...” Knight accepted her answer, still wary of the nature of the ‘curses’ Iroha spoke of.

“Well, I think you should name her yourself, Senpai.”

“Mm, I guess your right…” Knight muttered, still sceptical of her playfulness, especially after she dropped it after her squabble with Malemi.

 

* * *

 

A couple of minutes passed as Knight struggled to choose from the names of his favourite waifus, ‘Too long… Too complicated… Oooh, Eri…No, that’s 100% copyright…’

The awkward silence, for Iroha and the yet-to-be-named child at least, was broken when a high-pitched shout came from behind the counter, “I’m bringing your food and drinks, customers.”

“That’s it,” Knight cried as he shot up from his chair. “Rei… From now on you will be called Rei.”

Iroha shot Knight a dirty look. She knew where and how he came up with the name. Not to say it was a lewd train of thought that led Knight to his chosen name but…it certainly wasn’t family-friendly.

“You are a dirty boy, senpai.”

“Wh-what!?” Knight exclaimed, remembering that she could be listening to his thoughts at any time.

“What’s wrong? The freshly-named Rei asked as she cocked her head.

“Nothing!” Knight snapped, not allowing Iroha to utter a word.

“Ah, well…”

“Do…you not like the name, Rei?”

“…” Rei got up from her chair and walked over to Knight.

“I can give you another-”

“NO! I love my name,” Rei cried, unveiling a large smile.
With her smile warming Knight’s heart, he stroked her grimy, blue hair, “Nice, you still need a wash though.”

“Hmph,” Rei pouted, backing away from Knight. “Th-that isn’t nice.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He quickly apologised.

“I was joking, master,” Rei admitted, giggling profusely. It was the first time she had been so happy. Sure, she was kind of happy when Knight talked to her in the garden of the mansion. However, this was the first time she was truly having fun. Maybe her saviour wasn’t that bad after all.