After the delegation left Alex took the initiative in cleaning up. He made extra sure to feather dust anything that the barbarians touched. They smelled and were dirty. It was also hopefully a good way to raise a cleaning skill and not a developing OCD problem.

"Refresh my memory Fufi please. Is there any reason the dungeon should be an underwater one now?" Alex asked his familiar.

"No, I was with you the whole time when we got captured. There wasn't any time for us to do anything." Fufi answered.

"And Merumeru met us at the meeting spot. I'm guessing she snuck out and stopped her plumbing project when she noticed trouble." Alex considered the options.

Fufi nodded. "I guess she didn't get a chance to finish her pipes."

Alex shook his head. "I feel like Handverk is giving us credit for something that we didn't do."

Fufi shrugged. "None of us knows any water magic or trap magic. Maybe there was a passing nereid that took pity on us but that doesn't seem likely."

Ki gave Alex and Fufi a reproachful look like they were being silly. "Just from listening, shouldn't it be obvious? Merumeru was making pipes to the guild. And what were these pipes filled with?"

Fufi wing-palmed. "With water. . . they are pipes filled with water from the dam. Oh that makes sense."

"No wonder they couldn't figure out the magic. There isn't any magic, just gravity." Alex added.

"See, that wasn't so hard to guess." Ki said with a smug smile.

"Oh" Alex and Fufi said in unison.

"Well, should we head back and let Martha Bob and Merumeru know that we are all alright?" Alex asked now that everything was cleaned and packed up.

"I'll fly back and let them know. It will be quicker." Fufi said.

"Ah, it must be nice to fly." Alex abesently said.

"Many magical girls can fly Alex. Don't stop dreaming. Even in your world people who were not magical girls flew every day." Fufi said as she took to the skies.

The first leg of the journey was mostly flat. Everyone rode on or in the carriage as it ticked along the countryside. Alex was sitting on a bench across from Ki while Kaide sat on top in the driving bench.

"May I ask what your story is Ki? How did you meet Sakura?" Alex asked the nymph.

"It was a long time ago but we met her when we fled the city. Anyone who didn't have a combat class went into the hills to escape the demon soldiers." Ki started, a far away look on her face.

"That must have been tough." Alex sympathized.

"Yes, getting my memories back. . . I'm not sure it was a blessing in my case. I remember my father said he got a notification that the king swore to become a vassal to the demon queen. He was given the option to become a vassal as well or declare independence. He of course wouldn't bend the knee to the demon queen. As a baron, he wasn't a very high ranked noble but he still had his pride and was upset when word came that the army marched into the capitol south of here and took it with no organized resistance." Ki wistfully stated.

"Perhaps the king was charmed." Alex guessed.

Ki nodded. "Most likely the demon queen's agents had plans in place for a long time. It is a weakness of having a monarch after all. Anyway, here we are at the edges of the kingdom so it wasn't until later that the armies came to clean up the dissenters . I don't know all of what happened because at the time we were fleeing but some of the soldiers who escaped after the fight said they had to fight demons and the kingdom's men. They were more like thralls than people."

"Oh, hopefully a lot of your people escaped to the mountains." Alex wanted her to continue the story.

"At first it was several thousand. A lot of refugees gathered with us fleeing the army. The town held out long enough to buy us some time to get further away. However, it was obvious that most of the people fled so we couldn't outrun them. I knew my father had died because I inherited the title of Baroness. When the fighting started that is how I met Sakura. She was able to defeat them easily with her magical girl powers. However, the fact that a magical girl was found here triggered an extreme response from the demons. Much stronger demons attacked and laid waste to the forest seeking out the magical girl that had been spotted. Sakura fought them and defeated many powerful demons but they came in waves. Her domain was vast but she had not been as strong of a magical girl back then. Many people were captured, killed, or surrendered as they scoured the mountains." Ki continued her story.

Alex shivered. "It sounds dreadful."

"It was, we didn't stand a chance. The people who survived only did so by fleeing further and further. The people who were caught were forced to lead the demon generals to Sakura's grove. She fought bravely and killed some of them but there were just too many. She was cut down and they felled all the trees. I wasn't there but that is what Sakura told us." Ki said.

"But she survived? How could she surive when they cut down all the trees?" Alex questioned.

"Well, you see, aspen trees are different from most trees. There are many trees connected with the same root system. Even with all the big trees gone there were sprouts that could grow. It took years for her to recover. The lesson that she learned was not to trust anyone and to close off her heart to people who might betray her. The handful of people who were left she collected as her nymphs."

"That is terrible." Alex said with a shaky voice.

"The most terrible part was how the people became when things were at their worst. Many blamed Sakura for the second army. They said hurtful things like 'if only Sakura was gone we'd be safe right now.' When she started regrowing her grove and reestablishing her domain she didn't want to have anything to do with humans. Any that were susceptible to transformations she took."

"So, Kyle was susceptible but Martha and Bob were not?" Alex asked.

Ki nodded, "Yes, they tend to work best on younger people."

It made sense. Bob and Martha once said they had neighbors who had children that went missing as well. Also, the demon army wasn't really after the refugees so much as they were after Sakura. They were spared by being isolated and away from where the fighting was.

"Are there other nymphs from the group of refugees?" Alex asked Ki.

"Yes, though they stay as far away from the ruins as possible." Ki explained.

"Even with their memories gone?" Alex wondered.

Ki nodded. "Even though they don't remember, that doesn't make the places that have a connection to an unpleasant past give them a feeling of unease. Most of those nymphs stay up near the timberline Sakura doesn't force them to come down. However, she does allow them to visit if they wish."

"Do they visit much?" Alex asked.

"Sometimes, but usually not for long. Maybe with their memories returned they might come down from the mountains seeking answers." Ki smiled.

"Was it because you were a baroness that you were confident in setting up a meeting with the stone ax tribe?" Alex thought Ki seemed fairly savy in dealing with people.

"You have to remember I never went to the temple to get a class from the gods. My parents hired a governess that educated me to become a lady. I got the title but never the class. Most people would go to town to get a class but the demons killed all the priests after they captured the town. There were a few shrines that the farmers would use to ask for classes deep in the woods but Sakura destroyed them. If they were gods that could give humans classes she didn't want them in her domain. Humans can be turned into thralls by a succubus. Many of the nymphs still have classes that used to be humans though depending on the class they can't do much with it." Ki answered the question.

"I wonder if Luna would give you a class. Would you like to get a class?" Alex pondered.

"I'd like one but I've never seen a shrine or temple to Luna. For whatever reason she never had a following in this area." Ki ran a hand through her green hair.

"We could make one? Though it would have to be really cute. I'm not sure what else would be needed for it to count as a shrine where someone could ask Luna for a class." Alex pictured many things from a little roadside shrine to a giant cathedral like notre dame.

Eventually the group had to turn the carriage back into a card and walk the rest of the way back to the farm. Alexed passed the time by talking to the other nymphs. The group that went with them had all been nymphs for many years. Kaide was the youngest of them. The others were from tribes that were sent too deep into the woods. Not only the stone ax tribe traveled this area. It brought some light about some of the questions Alex was asked when he was captured and tied up. If there was a bigger tribe nearby then the stone ax men could be in trouble for messing with them.

Night blanketed the area in darkness by the time the group made it back.

Merumeru had spent the day working on the plumbing for the kitchen sink. When Fufi got back she found the slime girl working with the beavers to make the dam. Dirt and logs blocked the stream and a stone pipe brought water from the dam to the kitchen sink. A second pipe was attached to a drain that went back to the stream. A single valve could be turned on the metal pipe and water would pour out into the stone basin. Merumeru had to stand on a stool to show Martha how to work it but everyone was impressed.

Alex wanted to see what the slime girl knew about a certain water trap but she was fast asleep from a busy day.

All the nymph escorts went their own way when they go back. Kaide stuck around but went to go get some rest in the farmhouse. Alex, not being a nymph anymore was hungry so he brought out the carriage and grilled some dinner for Fufi and himself using the brazeer to light the area.

"Merumeru's been really helpful." Fufi commented.

"Yeah, I don't think we could have got that sink in without her help. Anything plumbing she is amazing with." Alex smiled. "Also, what do you think about Ki's request? Do you think Luna would give her a class?"

Fufi hummed. "Maybe? It might not be a class she wants though. Luna is the goddess of cuteness. So any class she gives would be related to that."

"How would that work? If she got a baroness class she would be the kind of ruler that makes things cuter in her land?" Alex smiled. That would be an interesting power.

"I guess. She'd probably just use it to make the people cuter. Maybe she'd have a spell that would make the people cuter." Fufi said.

"Or maybe the other way around. Not cute things could not be affected as well. Wouldn't that be weird?" Alex said.

"I suppose. I mean, if you're a person that isn't cuter than the people around you, wouldn't that make them feel bad?" Fufi asked.

"I guess so. Do you think she could become a magical girl?" Alex asked.

"No, Ki becoming a magical girl has the same problem as Sakura being a magical girl. Nature spirits are more connected to the land than people. Being champions of love and justice is not in their nature. It is the same reason why magical girl princesses are really rare. Though if Ki wants to ask Luna for a class I don't see a problem with it. Shrines to Luna exist. The main thing is that it has to be cute enough to meet her approval." Fufi explained.

"I bet I could make a doll that looks like Luna and dress her up. We could make a doll house that has lots of cute stuff in it." Alex brainstormed.

"That sounds like a lot of fun. I don't know if we have the materials though." Fufi said.

"Yeah, it would have to be the cutest materials." Alex agreed. "I wish we could get back into the dungeon. I could use some of these pearls and sea shells to make a doll outfit but she'd look more like a water goddess."

"Well, if Handverk can get the stone ax tribe to plant those trees it should be safe to go back. I really hope their chieftain is capable of some common decency." Fufi complained.

"Me too." Alex sighed and munched on some grilled veggies.

Fufi and Alex chatted about recent events a bit more over dinner and went to bed after they had finished eating. Hopefully things will be looking up soon. It had been a rough couple of days.