Our group is one of the last to leave the labyrinth. Satou leads the way holding Tama's and Pochi's hands as we climb the spiralling staircase towards the exit. Liza, Bunny and I are just behind him. The only ones still in the labyrinth are a few soldiers standing guard at the door, waiting to see if any more people would turn up.
"Once we get outside, we should find something good to eat. Is there any food you want in particular?"
"Meat?"
"Meat, please, sir! We saw some huge meat on a carriage earlier, sir!"
Satou is asking about food. Well, I am hungry myself, but my first thought after fighting a life and death battle wasn't about where to get something to eat. I simply watch Tama and Pochi excitedly jump up and down at Satou's side. Maybe I misjudged him.
"Pochi, Tama. Meat certainly is a wonderful thing. But for slaves to demand it like that is reaching far beyond our means."
"Our...means?"
"Liza uses hard words, sir."
"Meat is a luxury."
Liza steps past me, scolding the young girls despite looking like she was drolling when she heard the word meat herself. But I am surprised that people would starve their slaves. From what I have seen, food isn't that expensive in this town. My meals usually only cost me a few copper coins at most.
"Well, we should celebrate getting out of the labyrinth alive. Why don't we get some meat?"
"Yaaay!"
"Thanks, sir!"
"If that is your will, master. I'll be sure to savour every last bite!"
The trio looks happy. Pochi and Tama jump up and down with smiles on their faces, and even Liza smiles despite her best efforts to keep a straight face. But why does Liza also appear to be making some kind of vow? With her fists clenched, it seems, and a serious look on her face, it appears as if she is making a sacred promise. She doesn't have to be so serious.
"What about you two?" Satou asks, looking back at Bunny and me. "It's my treat, so don't worry about anything."
"I am fine with anything," I certainly won't say no to a free meal.
"Same here," Bunny nods her head after glancing at me.
Before we can continue our conversation, we step outside for the first time in days. The sunlight is blinding at first and hurts my eyes, but I quickly adjust. When we emerged, we were met by the anxious faces and loud clamouring of the people who'd come out before us. Looking around, the reason became pretty evident.
The exit led into an empty space where the plaza once stood and has been surrounded by a makeshift wooden fence supported by sandbags. This fence must have been built in a hurry because I can see overturned wagons making up part of the wall. But the most concerning thing is the soldiers aiming crossbows and cannons at us. I hope they are pointed this way because the labyrinth's exit is right behind and not because we are here. Pochi, Tama, and even Liza and Bunny look nervous at the soldiers as Satou asks someone what is happening.
"Well, they're telling us we have to stay here until they figure out if any of us are monsters disguised as humans or infected with a disease from demons or anything like that," Satou says once he has retrieved the relative information.
I don't think anyone has any of the mentioned problems. Still, I guess after what happened in the plaza, the count and his army won't be taking any chances. We have to wait for an hour before some people arrive to assess us. Tama and Pochi must have been bored because they started using Satou as a climbing frame while we rested, with Bunny and Liza remaining on guard.
