Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 167: The Lost Children

Hekate and Doephluev follow Kabaz through the forest. It has been around an hour so far, and Kabaz is alert and attentive to the sounds of the forest, easily avoiding encounters with the odd animal and the lurking monsters prowling the area.

Of course, the two young women have yet another competition going with Doephluev's ever-increasing authority on the line against Hekate's permanent role as the Empress going unchallenged in the future. The terms of the competition are to slay the most monsters or bring home the most usable animals for food without letting Kabaz get hurt.

As they walk, Kabaz asks, "Um... Archa-plyrma?"

"Yes, Kabaz?" replies the archoneldwyn sweetly. She and Hekate are using the false names Archa and Fellia respectively just in case it turns out to be a trap, though Kabaz doesn't seem to have the disposition to betray someone.

"W-Will you really help us?"

"It depends on whether or not we can help," replies the former assassin diplomatically. "We are still a fledgeling group, so we don't have the resources for continuous charity."

"I-I understand..." murmurs the young boy. His disappointment is palpable, and the two young women share a glance.

Kabaz leads through a small, particularly overgrown thicket that has what seems like a small tunnel through the underbrush as he crawls deftly through.

"Mind your tail," replies Doephluev softly in the eastern language, following the boy first. Hekate understands, glancing at her own bushy black tail. Once upon a time, it was a stringy, ratty mess. Since then, the black fur of her tail glistens, and it has a silky smoothness to it, soiled only lightly by the recent battle because she rushed back without bathing.

Huh... My tail is kinda pretty, isn't it? I should be careful not to get tangled and mess it all up.

Hekate starts crawling, following the two. A few branches and weeds poke and rake against the feldrok girl's hair, skin, and tail, but her modestly armored combat dress, which combines cuteness with functional protection, does its job to minimize any meaningful snags or damage, leaving only her ears, hair, and tail to worry about.

The ravenette struggles a little to keep up, since she has so many more potential tangles to avoid. But, soon enough, they're free of the mess, and it's only a few more minutes before they reach a somewhat pitiful sight.

At a glance, it would be easy to miss, since it looks like little more than a decaying tree. It's too big to be one of the other species of trees, but far from the titanic size of the glonvokauts dominating the forest skyline. Senn called them 'behemoth maples' for Daniel, and he seemed to like this name for being easier to remember.

As for the dattakorien boy she and Doephluev are following, he crawls under a large piece of bark draped against the fallen tree, the combination of which has formed an alcove under the trunk. Again, Doephluev and Hekate share a glance, and the archoneldwyn teases in Eastern trade, "Do you think you'll be able to fit, Hekate?"

"What!?" snaps the ravenette.

"I just mean, you have been eating well these days, so you're not as small as you-..."

"Did Geira tell you that!?" shrieks the feldrok girl, gripping Doephluev's dress front.

"Huuuh? So you're saying it's true?"

"Hrk! Why you..."

"{I-Is everything alright?}" asks Kabaz in the dattakorien language. Doephluev switches seamlessly, as if she was speaking it all along, which upsets Hekate a little. Even Daniel fumbles his own native English when he suddenly switches to it to blurt out things, and put on the spot, he is even worse.