Chapter 1 - Episode 3: The Target

---

Scene: A cliffside road.

Okuto
Oh, dear...? I guess the power was a little miscalibrated. The carriage was sent flying, wasn't it?

Makoto
"Sent flying, wasn't it?" Quit missing with me! There were also people on that carriage who had nothing to do with this, don't you realize!?

Okuto
No, no, you can't say that they had nothing to do with this.

Okuto
From listening in on their conversation with magic, didn't it seem like "Muimi" knew the other people on that carriage?

Okuto
That girl was planning to use that carriage to escape, so there was a chance that they were allies who were cooperating with her. Doesn't it save effort to disable them all at once?

Makoto
There was only a "chance"! No matter how you look at it, the other people didn't seem to know "Muimi" at all!

Makoto
If you're talking about chances, then the chance that they were innocent bystanders was even higher!

Makoto
I'm fed up with your arrogance, Okuto! If I'd known this was how it was going to be, then I wouldn't have helped you with this at all! I feel disgusted!

Makoto
Listen here! I'm not a murderer, you hear...!?

Okuto
Calm down. Don't act so proud, puppy girl.

Okuto
Besides... It looks like those guys managed to narrowly avoid the explosion. This is the real thing, now, so shall we concentrate on the job?

Makoto
I... I'm out! I can't put up with you any longer!

Okuto
Ah, I've heard that plenty of times... I suppose I'm just not the type of person who can have friends. I wonder why? Even though I always mean to be civil?

Makoto
Reflect a little on your personality, damn it! Kaon ^[1] should be arriving on scene soon! I'm going down to help any survivors from the wreckage of that exploded carriage!

Okuto
Wait, wait, can I come along, too?

Okuto
Honestly, I don't care if Muimi lives or dies. She just needs to return the "treasure" that she stole.

Scene: By the carriage.

Suzume
Cough, cough! I thought that I was going to die!

Kokkoro
I felt the same. We escaped by only a hair... Master, are you uninjured?

Yuuki
1. "I'm all right."
2. "Are you unhurt as well?"

Option 1.

Kokkoro
That's fortunate. If you are unharmed, Master, then I am relieved.

Option 2.

Kokkoro
Yes. Fortunately, I have nothing worse than a few scratches.

Kokkoro
Ha ha. To think that you would be concerned about me so. Master, you truly are a kind person.

End of branches.

Kokkoro
However... We could very well have been killed in that carriage. What could have produced such a large explosion?

Suzume
I-I don't know! But if anyone is injured, I can help them! My mistress was worried, so she made me bring along some healing supplies!

Suzume
Um, the healing charms are...? Ahh, these are shocking lightning charms!

Suzume
It would be faster for me to use my own healing magic! Umm, what were the magic words...?

Kokkoro
Shhh... Keep quiet, Suzume. We are still in the middle of a dangerous situation, are we not?

Suzume
Eh, eh? Ahhh, there are a lot of silhouettes of people all around!

Suzume
R-Robbers? Were they aiming to raid the carriage and take all the valuables?

Suzume
Those are... beasts, aren't they? Which means, they're from the "beast guild"?

Suzume
What do we do? The parent organization of my guild, the "Princess Knights", have a bad relationship with them!

Suzume
Is the beast guild going to war with us? Doesn't that make this even more of an emergency than being attacked by robbers!?

Kokkoro
Um, Miss Suzume. I don't know if that's the case. But might I ask you to treat this person?

Muimi
......

Suzume
Wahh, she's badly wounded!?

Kokkoro
Yes. As she was pulling us from the carriage to avert the emergency, she shielded us from the shockwave of the explosion.

Kokkoro
In doing so, she neglected to protect herself.

Suzume
S-She saved our lives, then! How tragic! She was only a little girl!

Suzume
You can't die! Become healthy! Hahh, healing magic!

Muimi
Ugh... You guys... Run away, now!

Muimi
I'm sorry you got caught up in this... The one they're aiming for is me, and you all have nothing to do with it. If you try to heal me or help me, won't they mistake you for being my ally?

Muimi
I'm okay with being... alone. It's fine, I've gotten used to it.

Suzume
D-Don't talk! Hahhh, healing magic! Ooh... Let me succeed just this once, without screwing up!

Yuuki
1. "Do your best."

Suzume
Y-You're cheering for me? Thank you very much!

Suzume
Now that you're rooting for me, somehow, I feel like I'm overflowing with power!

Okuto
Hold on, aren't you doing too much? It was such a lucky thing... that only Muimi, the target, was the one who was disabled, wasn't it?

Okuto
Don't make me expend more effort than I have to. Don't move now... You guys are surrounded.

Muimi
Okuto...!

Okuto
Don't say my name so casually -- people will think that we're close. I come from a family of high class, you know, and it would be trouble if people thought I was friends with thieves.

Okuto
Hey, you guys over there! I don't know who you are, but won't you hand over this girl?

Okuto
No point in tiring yourselves out over nothing. Let's take care of this simply.

Okuto
This girl, Muimi... has stolen a treasure from my estate. Look, you see that crown-shaped broach?

Okuto
If I don't get that back, my father will be upset. It's a very important thing to me as well. My only memento of my beloved mother.

Muimi
Is that true, Okuto...?

Muimi
You never told me about that at all. Why did you give me such an important thing?

Okuto
Ehhh? What do you mean, "give"? Don't you mean that you "stole" it?

Okuto
You were loitering around the perimeter of my home for quite a while, weren't you? I thought that it was suspicious -- you really are a thief after all, aren't you?

Muimi
I didn't steal it, you gave it to me! Even though you don't remember it.

Muimi
I was an orphan who didn't know her own birthday... I was jealous of the other children who were receiving birthday wishes, so you told me, "Let's make today your birthday."

Muimi
"You're a girl, so you like these kinds of things, right?" So, then, why did you give this? Such an important memento of someone you loved so much?

Okuto
Ah... A fantasy story? Isn't that interesting?

Okuto
I would never give you a present. You're the type of person I would hate!

Muimi
Okuto, have you really forgotten everything...?