"Should we help them?" Brendu's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I was flying while looking at the sky. Even though it makes me dizzy every time I do it, I can't stop. It's something stupid.
I lower my gaze and see three merchant carriages being attacked by mostly grade 2 monsters, with a few grade 3s among them. It seems strange to me because there usually aren't any grade 3 monsters in these areas. Perhaps they wandered away from their original territory since they all belong to the same species.
"If you want to." I reply calmly. I'm sure the guards can solve this situation without us descending. They're doing well, and there's a particularly strong Sapphire-rank among them.
I know why she wants to help. I've seen two children younger than ten hugging each other and trembling with fear. Brendu has a strong weakness for children; she always wants to protect as many of them from danger as possible.
We approach as quickly as we can. Our mere presence causes everyone to stop. The monsters become cautious, especially the leader of the pack. They're all some kind of giant dog monster.
I know this type of monster. They almost never attack humans at all. They're quite intelligent and usually avoid fights they might lose. There are cases where, if they're raised from a young age, they can be domesticated as guardian monsters.
What happened here? I raise my hand to stop Brendu. She was about to launch several wood-and-acid spells at them. These monsters usually "help" humans by reducing the number of monsters that pose a greater threat to them.
I expand my Imra toward all of them. Their defenses are made of paper, and I slip through them with ease. They don't have the slightest chance of blocking my Imra.
The first thing I feel is fear—not only fear of Brendu and me, but some kind of fear that existed before our arrival. The second thing is hunger. That must be the reason they attacked humans. Let's see how intelligent they really are.
"You're the leader, aren't you?" I land in front of the largest and strongest grade 3 monster. I can feel fear throughout its entire being, but at the same time, the unique courage of a leader. It slowly moves its body in front of the rest of its pack.
I let out a sigh. This monster won't understand words. I let my Imra transmit my emotions. I only want to help it and have it leave. I know it's stupid to forgive monsters, but these are special. They don't usually harm humans very much, and they remind me a lot of my pet from my previous life. They all look like giant Dobermans.
I take several kilograms of meat and some cores out of my storage. I leave everything in front of the monsters. I can't help but smile slightly when I see all their eyes instantly shift toward the food.
I transmit my intentions through my Imra. I don't want to hurt them. I just want them to take everything I'm offering and leave. If these monsters had killed a human in front of my eyes, I wouldn't have forgiven them. They were simply very lucky.
The pack leader looks at me with doubt. Its Imra is torn between believing me or not. Several seconds pass, and finally it makes a move. It slowly approaches everything I've offered and takes a piece of meat.
I don't react at all. I simply keep looking at it. The monster calls all its companions with a howl. They approach with some hesitation, take all the meat and cores, and turn around to leave. The leader never stopped looking at me. Before it disappeared into the forest, I felt great gratitude from it. Imra doesn't lie.
"You keep finding more and more ways to make me fall in love with you." Brendu whispers into my ear as she hugs me from behind.
"You were about to turn them into cheese covered in acid." I tease her a little. One of her attacks would have been enough to annihilate them before they even realized what happened.
"You also keep finding more and more ways to make me angry." She doesn't hit me because she knows there are too many people watching.
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We slowly turn toward the people from the carriages. They're all stunned. They haven't moved from their positions; they're simply staring at us with wide eyes.
"Sorry for interrupting you. We were passing by and just wanted to help." I don't know what to say in this situation either. Brendu could probably handle it better, but she doesn't seem to have any intention of speaking.
A few seconds later, the man who appears to be the head of the guards finally approaches. "You don't need to apologize. You saved us from a difficult situation. Thank you for your help." The man bows. Did he realize we're nobles or something? Well, we're both wearing expensive clothes, and our beauty standards are far above average.
"I let them go because Dongos help maintain the balance of the area." My words come out firmly, although I'm still unsure whether it was the right decision.
"I know. I've been traveling this route for many years, and I've never been attacked by Dongos. They usually avoid humans as much as possible. It seemed very strange to me." The head of the guards looks thoughtful. "By the way, I'm Manuel, owner and leader of this small transport company called Hopel. Thank you again for helping us." The white-haired man, with his serious gaze, black eyes, and sturdy build, bows again.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Manuel... I can't tell you our names for now. I hope you understand." I don't want to complicate things. They'll eventually figure out who we are if they think about it a little or ask around in one of the towns.
"I understand. I don't have any problem with that. Would you like to join us? We're less than two hours away from reaching Mancor. I can offer you good seats and food for the journey." His offer is sincere; I can feel it. Perhaps he's also looking for extra protection in case more monsters attack later on, although I doubt that will happen.
I look at Brendu. She shrugs. "Thank you. We'd be happy to accompany you." I answer for both of us. They give us the middle carriage, together with a young girl and the two children. The seats certainly aren't bad, and by far it's the most comfortable carriage.
"You're quieter than usual." I use my mana so that only Brendu can hear my voice.
"Am I?" She replies without looking at me. Her gaze remains fixed on the children. She hasn't taken her eyes off them since we arrived. The children can't be older than eight, and judging by their resemblance, I assume they're siblings.
The little girl is staring at Brendu. Her eyes shine as if she were looking at her greatest idol. It's like watching a fan meet their favorite celebrity.
"Miss... thank you for helping us." The little girl slowly approaches to thank her. I can see her trying to look more noble in the way she stands and speaks, which only makes her look even cuter. Her black hair tied into two neat pigtails, her bright brown eyes, and her little white dress make her look even younger.
"I'm happy we were able to help you. I'm also glad that nothing happened to you." Brendu smiles radiantly when she makes eye contact with the little girl. The girl becomes a little nervous and lowers her gaze for a moment.
"Miss... your husband is very strong, isn't he? He controlled those monsters so easily despite being so young." Her brother, who seems to be older because he's a few centimeters taller, joins the conversation.
"My husband?" Brendu asks curiously. She looks at me for a second and smiles. "Yes, my husband is very strong. He can be a little foolish sometimes, but he's someone I can trust with my life." The princess's words soften my heart.
We spent the entire journey talking with the children. They were very excited to have met two people capable of flying and being so strong. The little girl gave several compliments about Brendu's beauty. I also received a few nice comments, especially about the color of my eyes.
"We've reached the entrance. Prepare to identify yourselves." Manuel shouts from outside.
We all get out quickly when we hear him speak. "Miss... forgive my manners. I didn't tell you my name. I'm Alyssa. What's your name?" The little girl is still trying her hardest to appear as noble as possible. It's obvious she's had etiquette and manners lessons.
Just as Brendu is hesitating about what to answer, several guards approach. At first, everything seems normal, but everything changes in an instant when their eyes focus on us. All three immediately kneel in front of us. The scene leaves everyone present confused. Even people from other carriages and caravans are staring at us.
"Lord Maki, I didn't know you were traveling in this carriage. Please forgive us for delaying you." The one who seems to be the captain speaks. "Princess Brendu, forgive us for not recognizing you sooner. You may pass whenever you wish." The guard failed to read the atmosphere. He announced our names in front of everyone. I can see all the people wearing shocked expressions and staring with their mouths wide open.
"It seems we failed to remain incognito." I joke with Brendu. "Stand up. Thank you for the welcome. Keep up the good work as always." I speak in an authoritative voice, but I avoid sounding bossy.
"There's your answer, little Alyssa. This very handsome young man beside me is the greatest talent in the Empire and the son of a governor. I am the princess of the Kingdom of Juka. It's a pleasure to meet you." Brendu gives a greeting worthy of her position. "Let's go." She whispers beside me.
"Take care, kids. I hope to see you again soon. Thank you for your efforts." Brendu and I slowly rise into the air and fly away toward where my brother Ritmo should be.
"A princess..." I can still hear little Alyssa's voice as we leave. The excitement in her words makes both of us let out a small laugh.