II
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Arc II Chapter 6
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Aurora cuddled her doll, playing the meek girl with near perfection. Her cover was impeccable.
Her timid eyes scanned the crowd of strangers. Six people in total. Four armed, two unarmed. Four men, two women.
They were unlikely to present a major threat. That was quite obvious. A single glance told her as much.
Their posture, their behaviour, their voices, their expressions betrayed them. They wore their hearts up their sleeves, but she saw no reason to complain.
Two people stood in front of her, close-by. The man carried a sword, sheathed. He smiled weakly.
The woman caught her interest. She wielded a staff, a wooden staff decorated by a dark reddish crystal and a variety of ornate symbols unknown to her.
The jewel harboured the subtle touch of mana. The mana presence was weak, but traces were noticeable to the trained eye.
The staff was not just a simple stick. It was a catalyst. Supposedly for magic.
Interesting.
Two men guarded the rear, watching the surrounding area. One man was armed with a spear, the other with a sword. They didn't mind her much.
A man and a woman drove the cart. They proved to be enigmatic figures, difficult to discern. Illusive in nature like spectres.
Clad in white coats, thick hoods covered their faces. Except for them being tall, she couldn't gauge them at all. They resisted her prying gaze.
Aurora clicked her tongue. Annoying, but it didn't matter. They were only two out of six.
The rest of the group showed no hostile intentions. Quite the contrary, surprise was written all over their faces. Surprise accompanied by glimmers of what could be called sympathy.
Aurora hid her smirk. How lucky. Sympathy was exactly what she needed. The man called Lambert seemed promising in particular.
Not only was he the apparent leader of these so-called adventurers, but he also exhibited feelings of empathy. Genuine concern clouded his eyes. This was her chance.
Aurora flinched, shying away. “Are you mean people?“
Lambert scratched his head. He laughed, defending himself against such baseless accusations. He wasn't mean. He was just greedy.
“I am used to being called many things, but mean? That's new.“
“Rest assured, we are nice people. You can trust us.“ Lambert smiled.
Unconvinced, Aurora crossed her arms. “That's what all meanies say.“
“What?“ Lambert blinked in disbelief. The girl was ... strange, and he wasn't the only one who thought so, right?
Aurora pouted. “Meanies lie, and I don't believe you.“
Lambert looked dumbfounded. This was ridiculous. She made them look as they were the bad guys.
“As said, you can trust us. We don't mean you harm.“ Lambert tried his best to placate her, but he failed.
Aurora puffed her cheeks. “And why should I believe you?“
Lambert sighed in exasperation. Girls these days. Why did they have so complicated?
“Iris, we are nice people, aren't we? The friendliest adventurers you can find in the entirety of Freyburg and its vicinity, guaranteed.“ Lambert turned to Iris for her help, giving her an earnest look.
The meaning was clear. You are a woman. Convince her!
Iris fidgeted. She wasn't good with this kind of things. She was just a simple elementalist, a humble pyromancer. The entire people communication thingy was not her strength. That was usually Lambert's job.
“Lambert is right, I guess. We are nice adventurers.“ Iris offered a weak smile. Did she do well? Didn't she mess up?
Lambert agreed, “See, are you now convinced?“
Aurora and Aurora doll remained sceptical. “Not much, but you look like decent people.“
“I will trust you for the time being, but my doll and I will keep an eye on you. We will observe you. You are still suspicious.“
Lambert blinked. Did she say we?
Was it just him, or wasn't the girl a little bit strange? Her behaviour was ... unusual. The girl cared way too much about her doll. Maybe too much. the girl even talked to her doll as if she was alive, as if she was her friend.
Didn't she suffer from a trauma? It would explain a few things. It would explain why they found her here in the middle of the forest. It would explain her disorientation, her confusion. It would explain her appearance.
Lambert mustered his brightest smile, worried about the girl's psychological state.
“That's fine. Being cautious is a useful skill. Especially, among adventurers. You can never be sure enough in this day and age, but I am glad we found some common ground.“
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Lambert leaned down. “What's your name, girl? I am sure you have a beautiful one, don't you?
...
...
...
“My name?“ Aurora tilted her head, startled by his request.
...
...
...
Aurora was thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking. Her headsie was thinking really, really hard. Promised.
Aurora lowered her head. “I ... don't know.“
Lambert nearly fell over. “What?“
“What?“
“What?“
“What?“
“What?“
“What?“ A chorus agreed with him.
Lambert took time to process. “So you are telling me you don't know your name?“
Aurora shook her head. Her eyes downcast. “I ... don't remember. My headsie feels dizzy when I try ...“
Nelaeryn snorted. “Come on, amnesia? That's the oldest trick in existence since my grandmother. Can't you get a bit more creative ...“
“Ouch.“ Arwing hit him.
Nelaeryn grumbled, “What was this for?“
Arwing showed her irritation. “You know exactly what for. What did I say about improving relationships?“
Lambert ignored them and their differences, as usual. Arwing and Nelaeryn, a strange duo. No idea how they found each other.
Lambert sighed. “I see, you don't remember your name.“ This was problematic in so many ways.
“Do you know how you landed here? Any ideas? Any memories?“ Lambert hoped, but his hopes were crushed brutally. Of course, she didn't.
“Not really.“ Aurora hugged her doll, not hiding her depression. “Everything in my mind feels so fuzzy.“
“I only remember waking up here and meeting you.“
“What are we going to do with her, Lambert?“ Iris cut in.
“We can't leave her just like this. The forest is dangerous! The girl needs our help.“
Lambert agreed, “True, she does. I guess we can take her in. Our supplies are plenty, and I doubt she will impact the mission.“
“The question is whether you will allow her to stay, Arwing? What's your opinion?“
All eyes were directed at Arwing, even a pair of radiant puppy eyes. The girl was ... adorable.
Arwing felt uncomfortable with this much attention. She was just a simple scholar. “I think ... taking her in should be fine ... One human child more or less doesn't matter ...“
Lambert nodded, satisfied. “Good decision. Then it's decided, she will stay with us ...“
“Wait ... Where is she?“ Lambert looked around. He lost sight of the girl. She disappeared.
Aurora sneaked past Lambert and climbed up the cart to take her new seat. Aurora chose Arwing's lap, to everyone's surprise.
Aurora flashed a bright smile, dangling her feetsies in the air. “I am going to stay here with big sister Arwing ⁓. I like her ⁓.“
...
...
...
Lambert blinked, petrified as the rest of his party.
Arwing panicked. Her face blushed, redder than red. A human girl was sitting on her lap. What was she supposed to do? Her studies didn't prepare her for this eventuality. Help!
Aurora beamed, mischievous as she was. Her infiltration succeeded and they were none the wiser.
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