How does ‘One’ Runaway pt. 1

It is day 3 now and I’m traveling with a bunch of mercenaries as of right now in broad day light. We came to terms on letting me travel with them ‘with some force on my end’ until we get to the mountain side as long as I can protect their goods until we part ways.

“So Lele,” the leader Tank says, “Are you on the run or running away?”

I look back at him and stare him straight in the face with a serious look and then say, “I’m running away.”

“Hahahahaa,” as he breaks eye contact, “A lady like you, running away,” and then he catches his breath and looks forward as we keep walking, “Most ladies would be thrilled to be married rich unless he was fat, old, and/or ugly.”

“Heehee\~,” catching my breath, “You’re not wrong there Tank but my circumstances are a little different.”

“Is it because you can use magic?”

“You can say that.”

“Lele,” I turn my head towards Tank, “What kind of life do you wish to lead,” he says staring forward with a stern face.

My eyes start to wander to my feet with my head down.

[A normal life? What is normal..?]

“What would you consider a ‘normal life’ Tank..?”

I can feel Tank’s gaze on me, “Normal?”

“Did she just as what a normal life is?” I look behind me and see Louis lighting his cigar, “What do you think normal is Little Lele?”

I turn my head look forward again and then, I answer, “Getting to make your own choices and to live freely the way you want... that what I think normal is.”

“That’s a very book answer there Lele,” Tank replies kindly but his tone changes into a stern voice, “But most people don’t really get to choose to be free. I don’t know much about where you came from

but out here- outside you lands where the kingdoms rule, monsters lurk, and poor are easy prey for the rich... being free is just a wish that can never be achieved unless you have power and money.”

My mind goes blank from Tank’s words.

[It’s not like I don’t understand what he said but I never knew that there was so much trouble and pain in this world. It’s almost like my past life... even the poor don’t get to choose how they die most times.]

Suddenly, a big hand is placed on top of my head, “It’s not your fault for not knowing how people live out here,” Louis says in a calm voice, “but if there are nice nobels like you, maybe you could help make a difference,” then our eyes meet for a moment, “Even just a little.”

He lifts his hand off the top of my head gently and walks forward. As I keep pace with the group, I bring my right hand to my chest, clenching it into a fiat grabbing my clothes.

[...I want to help...! Even if it’s a little.]

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Night falls and we set up camp.

I help Roy, one of the younger mercenaries, clean up the pot and plates we used to eat dinner tonight with. I just recall all my past memories of being a civil person who does these chores and help out the best I can since this is my first tile in this body.

“Could you make water for us in this bucket so I can wash out the pot,” Roy says walking over with an empty bucket.

“Yes I can!”

I point my index and middle finger towards the pot and kindly speak, “Water please.”

Water is slowly filling the pot and Roy tells me kindly, “We only need it three quarters of the way.”

“Okay\~!!”

The water reaches it mark and I point my fingers to stop the water.

“Thank you Lele,” Roy says walking away towards the fire.

I smile and wave, “No problem. Glad to help.”

I turn around o continue washing the dishes. I sat on the log they had set up for me and then, I noticed Louis walking towards me with a smile.

“Did you need something Louis?”

“Would you like some help,” he says coming slower.

I laugh, “No, no, no. I’m alright here.”

I hear Louis chuckle and his walking comes to a halt, “Is that so?”

I open my eyes after my laughter comes to a finish and see Louis staring at me, “What’s wrong?”

“.....,” then he sighs, “this is harder than I thought.”

[Huh..? What is?]

“Is something wrong?”

He squats down and his head is looking downwards.

[Did something happen?]

“Lele,” in a husky-low voice since his head was down, “um... do you,” raising his head, “Do you want to go home again... or even later in life?”

“Honestly, no.”

Then behind me, someone says, “Then how about coming with us all the way to our village in the mountain?”

I lift my head looking upward and see Tank staring down at me.

I stare back, confused, “Village... in the mountain? Like your homes?”

“Yep,” Tank replies back confidently, “Lapis Village. We live mid-high so we come down once every 3 weeks to gather supplies for our village.”

I awe in amazement and turn my body around to face Tank, “Really?!”

Tank grins, “We spend about a week wandering in caution in a small group like this and gather materials we need. Food isn’t a problem but wood and clothes are. So we come down and gather them in our cart. We try to keep a low profile which is why we have some of the young fellas come with us.”

“AHHH\~! To make it seem like a family outing or family teaching.”

Tank laughs, “Yep. We try to make it seem like we are just fathers, teaching our sons about work.”

“But,” I look at the cart full of wood and bags of clothes, “how do you get all of this up to your village on the mountain?”

“It takes us half a day to come up of down from the village so by day 6, when we return to the mountain, other males from our village will be ready to help us carry all this upwards.”

I clap my hands together joyfully, “That’s great!!”

Tank smiles back and the asks me, “So how about it? Want to come back with us?”

[Oh... he was serious?]

As Tank stares at me, I turn my face to avoid eye contact and think of what I really want.

[It’s not bad but what if my family comes for me? I don’t want to cause them any more trouble. I already threatened them to take me ‘away’ from my family’s land.]

Sighing, I take a deep breath in and look back up at Tank, “Thank you for the kind gesture but I’m going to have decline.”

“Why?!!”

I turn around and see Louis hurt from my answer and so I say, “I really enjoyed my time with you all and it was been wonderful getting to know you guys but I cannot bear the thought of bringing my troubles to your village.”

“Reasonable,” Tanks responds, “But know, this offer does still stands when you have cleared up all your matters and want to live a ‘normal’ life.”

I giggle in amusement and nod in response to Tank’s kind gesture.

[Maybe when everything is cleared up, I could just go live up in the mountains.]

But little did I know, my plans of escape was going to change tonight....

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