A Merfolk's Tale

Chapter Nineteen

The hut wasn't as bad as it looked like on the outside-- a tiny fireplace sat across the main door with a few tattered couches facing it, next to the living room was a dinner table for two people and a wooden wall dividing the kitchen. It wasn't much but it was cozy enough for Shoto to call it home.

"Eiji-kun, Shoto-kun, Tenya-kun!" Ochako caught their attention as she ran up to them, giving them a hug as relief painted her whole face. "I'm glad you made it here safely,"

"O-Ochako..." Tenya said, "You're here too,"

Katsuki was about to reply sarcastically when a blonde-haired woman poked her head out of the kitchen and followed Ochako, throwing confused glances at Katsuki and his sister.

"This is... my mother," Katsuki introduced them.

"N-Nice to meet you... ma'am!" Eiji said as he bowed down furiously at Mitsuki to which older female just returned the bow and smiled at him, informed that the two teens with red hair were royalty.

"She's... mute," Katsuki said when Eiji looked at him in confusion as to why Mitsuki only smiled at him.

"Oh," Eiji said.

"Mitsuki-san and the others have been staying here for a while, except for Katsuki and Ochako who just arrived a few hours before you," Touya said as he took his cloak off. "Yagi found both of them by the secluded part of the forest where a small untouched beach was located,"

"Yagi?" Tenya asked, "The village witch?"

"I'd prefer village sorcerer," A voice said from behind them, making everyone turn to see a thin man with blonde hair, sullen eyes, hollow cheeks, and wearing clothes two sizes too big for him; next to him was a black-haired man with long hair tied in a messy bun and a scar under his eye, a lazy cat-like expression on his face. The blonde saw Eiji and Shoto then bowed towards them while the black-haired man walked past by them. "It's an honor to have two royalties inside my home, I am Yagi,"

"N-no, I think we should be the one thanking you for keeping us here," Eiji said but Shoto was looking at him and Yagi couldn't help but break eye contact-- especially since his eyes... both of them were both painfully familiar to the Yagi.

"You... have I... have I seen you before?" Shoto asked.

"No," Yagi answered, "I could never have met his highness randomly,"

Shoto saw Touya roll his eyes before heading to the kitchen to get some drink. Momo saw this and immediately apprehended the olden teen.

"Just tell him already Yagi," Touya said, "He's been kept in the dark for so long. The more he knows the more he'll understand why that greenhead boy did what he did..."

"The more he'll feel guilty about it too," Katsuki mumbled.

Shoto and Eiji looked at Katsuki in surprise. "You know Izuku?" Shoto asked.

"If you know him then you must be a traitor to Yuei as well," Tenya said as he prepared to fight but Touya had got in the way and stopped them.

"You watch your tongue, captain," Touya said, "You still don't know the truth behind all of this so don't go running your mouth around as if you knew the reason why the kid did what he did,"

Katsuki looked away angrily.

"He's my brother," Katsuki mumbled his answer and Shoto vaguely remembered Ochako telling him that Katsuki and her had been caught by the slavers when they tried to find and follow Katsuki's mother and brother who were captured as well.

"B-but..." Eiji said in confusion. "That doesn't make sense, the pirate... Shigaraki said Izuku's mother is dead, King Enji..."

The redhead's voice trailed off when he realized what he was going to say and threw and cautious glance at Shoto and Touya.