On the way back to Hiiro, Mia decided to test her range of mobility while carrying the deer, the effects from [Packer] made the weight less apparent. While it was still heavy, if she had to compare it to anything it would be how she handled the axe like it wasn’t even there, but with the deer it was like she had the normal weight of the axe on her back.

…or at least that is how it felt.

Just felt like a lot of weight was not even there. This was even bolstered by her increased strength stat, it was almost like she wasn’t even carrying anything at all!

So with that she ran through the forest without a problem nor care in the world, surely confusing anyone who happened upon the sight of a small child effortlessly carrying a deer on her back.

She hopped on top of a large rock, looking around at her surroundings “Hm…” she was sure he would be around here somewhere, she found him easily enough last time but she had been gone a lot longer “Maybe deeper in?”

She hopped off the rock, losing balance a bit when all that weight on her back pushed down on her legs, reminding her of its existence. She stood up, shuffled the deer on her back and continued. Noting she had to be a bit more careful.

She continued deeper into the forest for half an hour, stopping every now and then to take in her surroundings, looking for any sign of Hiiro. Finding none she started to get worried and quickened her pace. Another half hour later, and there was still no sign of Hiiro.

“Captured?” it was a possibility, they were being pursued, she debated loading back to before killing the deer, but figured she would be in the same situation. She’d save that for a last resort, or at least till she found out what happened to him.

Now came the task of finding out exactly that “Couldn’t have gone this far… maybe…” she turned around to back track, if she wasn’t lost he should have been heading south, so if she was heading south from where they left then he should be around here somewhere…right?

She looked up into the sky, seeing it was midday “…” she snapped her vision ahead of her, possible problems for later. She started back tracking, which was incredibly easy due to the trail of blood she had left behind her…

“Blood?”

She inspected the ground, yup, blood. Still wet and fresh, in a trail from the direction she came from “where did…?”

As she was trying to figure out where the blood came from, she felt a shiver run down her spine and ducked, an arrow whizzing by where her head would have been. “?!” she ducked behind a tree, trying to figure out where it came from she heard voices in the distance.

“what would you have done if that hit!”

“It didn’t, it was just a warning shot.”

“some warning shot!”

Two voices coming from the direction of the trail she had left. She waited for their next move, forming her standard dagger while she had the chance with the two arguing. She heard two sets of thuds, as two figures dropped down from the tree line.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

“Come out slave! We won’t hurt you we just want the hero!”

“Jeez, making her carry that thing, maybe the hero wasn’t so kind hearted after all.” The figure laughed.

Two figures, both men and from what Mia could tell, human, wearing brown cloaks and seeming to be very relaxed… as per usual, they only saw her as a stray beast. She stashed her dagger away in her clothes as she carefully placed the deer on the ground.

“Right? Hey! We see you there, come on out!”

Mia heard the distinct sound of a blade being drawn out of its sheathe and sighed, though she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t looking forward to this, it was a good chance to see where she stood and potentially get some levels and as an added bonus it sounded like they didn’t know where Hiiro was, meaning he should still be save.

She stepped out from behind the tree, getting a better look at the men who towered over her, one holding a sword, the other a dagger.

“See? Nice and easy.”

“now then, where is everyone’s favorite hero, he ditch you with the luggage?”

“Brat didn’t even drain the blood, dear Gaia it has soaked down her backside!”

‘Hrm?’ Mia crooked her head to the side, then tried to look behind her and as they had said, her back was coated in a thick layer of blood both wet and dry “Ah, it has.”

“It has my ass!” one of the two yelled, approaching her “How the fuck do you not notice that! By Gaia the smell.” He stopped halfway, covering his nose.

“It isn’t that bad” The other said stepping past him “a smell fitting a beast. Now little beast where is the hero?” he asked, stopping before her.

“Don’t know.”

“Eh? Don’t know? What? Did he seriously abandon you here?” The man motioned with his blade around him “In this forest? What? He decided you were more trouble than you are worth?”

“No, lost him.” Mia answered bluntly.

“Tch” the man clicked his tongue “great, hey! We are going to have to keep sea-gua?!!” The man turned around to address his partner, and when he did Mia leaped up and sunk her dagger into his throat, leaping back as the man stumbled forward, icy blade still piercing his flesh.

“What the hell!?” The other man snapped out of his surprise, rushing forward past his partner who was reaching out for him, gurgling something incomprehensible as he fell to the ground “cheating beast!” the man slashed forward with his daggers.

Mia leaped back away from him “Made fair.” She nodded, the man’s movements being easy to dodge, was it just another scout? Or did her stats overwhelm him that much, either way the man kept up his assault, slashing and trying to grab her but due to her small size and high agility she easily kept dodging him, she even had enough leeway to make another ice dagger while she dodged.

“Fucking…fucking stand still!” the man, growing frustrated, lunged at her.

She took advantage of it, going under him and stabbing him directly in the underside of his jaw. The man screamed in pain, which quickly turned into more of a sickening gurgle as he dropped his dagger, gripping at the icy dagger stuck in his jaw.

“…ew” that apparently wasn’t enough to kill him, as he staggered a few steps and then looked back towards her, anger in his eyes he raised an open palm, fire gathering in it.

“fudsb busdis” The man gurgled, launching the fist sized flame at her, it not finding purchase in its target as Mia simply stepped to the side, launching her own icy projectile that embedded itself into the man’s skull.

With that, the man fell back with a large thud, dead.

Mia stood there among the two corpses feeling a bit accomplished, it was nice to win a fight without having to try her heart out, but on the flip side to it, one glance to her status and she frowned “no level.” All she could do was sigh and accept it.

She started to head back to the deer corpse to continue her search for Hiiro, when she heard clapping.

“My my~ so our dear Hiiro was not so insane to rebel over nothing…”

Mia froze in place, carefully she looked over to the source of the voice, seeing a woman in a white gold trimmed robe, a hood covering her face.

“Interesting, very interesting. Indeed, we will have to question that local slave dealer later on this little golden egg now won’t we?”