“Welcome to our village. Don’t get too comfortable or you won’t be able to leave” the elder boy, who had been introduced as Kuro, spoke up. He gestured to the pair to enter first before he took up the rear end.

Kuro was also carrying Yuuki, but his eyes never strayed away from the pair in front of him. Maria was not surprised to see the hostility aimed at her. Her partner had tried to kill Yuuki.

“We’re going as fast as we can kid. Do not try and rush us in. You are such an unfriendly child” Venus complained. However, she did not have her bitching attitude aimed at the kid.

Instead, she was calm and collected.

“You say that but you have not made any effort to know me. What if I am a sweet child but act like this to piss you off?” the kid taunted back. Kuro was sharper than Maria had given him credit for.

The kid knew how to push Venus’s buttons and piss her off. And every time he did that, the female flew off the rail in a pit full of rage. It was amusing to see.

“Kuro likes her just fine. He just doesn’t know how to express himself. I have been looking after him for a long time so I can tell” Yuuki commented. Maria could tell that he was in pain but hiding it.

Maria wanted to comment on that but she also knew it was not going to solve anything.

“I would like more information, please. Jamaica feels like it is dying. This cannot be its natural state” Maria felt sorry for the plant and everyone living in it.

The lack of resources was precise because of the node’s situation. She had seen what a failing node could do on Imu, but Jamaica was in a league of its own.

Even the plants were wilting without their energy source. And Maria could tell that the real source of Node was no longer in the continent. Things would not have been half as bad if that was the case.

“Our node had always been weak. But Albest managed to rip its power source off. They managed to force the node open without the key and took the magic source. Jamaica is done for” Yuuki commented.

The teen had a harsh gaze as he spoke of the past. But he did not sound regretful.

“And? You have a plan for dealing with this, don’t you?” Maria asked. As much as the creature sounded defeated, he did not sound out of hope. That gave Maria the impression that he had a plan.

“It’s not a plan but a mere idea. Since Jamaica will not last long before the war hit, we will need to scatter the people on different continents. Hopefully, the node will rejuvenate after the war” the beast sounded confident in his claim.

Somehow, Maria got the feeling that this was not the first time they had to take this route.historical

“And what about you? Is your consciousness because of the loss of node as well? None of the other beasts display your level of intellect” Maria asked as their companions finally calmed down.

“It is not that they lack it, but they repressed it to conserve magic. I have to fulfill the old princess. I managed to regain mine when it was all sealed up. The beasts are not our enemies” Yuuki’s longing gaze aimed at Kuro hinted at a story.

A story she did not want to poke into right now. She already had her foot in two boats, she did not want to step into a third one.

“I see. It was Albest again? Somehow, it feels like they have their hand in everything going wrong. In Gerna, In Imu, and even here” Maria replied bitterly. She did not care much for politics, but this level of interference felt like a little too much.

However, she just got a lazy node from the beast at her side.

“It does feel like that, right. But they are desperate as well. They are the ones who are the shortest in time before the divine retribution hit them. They are desperate to wake their ‘master’ up” the beast commented.

If Maria expected to hear anything else from him, she did not. The beast had no intention to overshare his thoughts.

“Kuro, we need to hurry. Otherwise, your guardian would start to worry” those words sobered Kuro. they even stopped Venus, who only looked back with suspicion-filled eyes.

“Guardian? Do you mean your father? Did the old princess run away and marry?” Venus asked. Her words finally made it all click for Maria.

They knew how they were all connected and why Maria got a feeling that Venus knew Kuro. he was the old queen’s son.

“My father? He died a long time ago. The people around the village say that he left this continent as soon as I was born to look for his ‘master’s’ soul but I don’t believe them.” Kuro replied.

He didn’t sound bitter so Maria took it that he did not care about this topic. But Yuuki looked pained at the admission. Maria had a feeling that he knew what happened to the kid’s father and it was not pretty.

“Well, I don’t care. That hag is no longer the princess and I won’t hand over my position to anyone else” Venus was back to her classic ‘I am better than you’ sense and Maria just signed.

There were things you cannot change, no matter how hard you tried. And Venus's attitude was just one of those things.

“Why you-? Take that back. Don’t insult my mother and all the work she did for Jamaica. She was at least a hundred times better than you and your lecherous ways” Kuro replied.

His words hit Venus’s weak point and Maria could see the red crawling up the princess’s face. Venus was about to hit her lasting point very soon.

“I am not lecherous in any way. Those people have a choice to make and they chose to stay with me. They get benefits in return as well. Isn’t that right, Maria?” Venus turned toward her for support.

But she should have known better than that. Maria did not accept her habits of slavery anyway.

“SEE. Even your partner doesn’t support you. I bet you are still a virgin and pretending to make a harem to appear as if you are not” Kuro continued and Maria was afraid for his life.

Venus was about to explode and Maria knew she had to interfere now. She could not allow Maria to kill their only present source of information.

“I am thankful for all your help. Can we ask you to host for tonight? I have a feeling that we should not spend tonight outside” Maria was not sure why, but she felt a little under the weather.

Her muscles were protesting and the magic was in a disarray inside her. Something big was about to happen soon.

It won’t happen in Jamaica, that much she was sure. Jamaica already had its fair share of problems.

“I don’t mind but the decision is not in my hands. I live with Kuro and his guardian, so you’ll have to ask him” Yuuki deflected. Maria turned toward the other kid who seemed shy all of a sudden.

Maria could see the desire in his eyes to connect with Maria and Venus. The kid had magic and he was strong as well. It was likely that he had not met anyone else like him.

Maria and Venus might be the first persons he felt like he could talk with and that might work in their favor.

“I might consider it if the hag here asked for my forgiveness. Otherwise, you can forget to stay the night” those words caused Venus to begin cursing.

“- No way. I will not apologize. The princess of Jamaica lowers her head for no one, you shitty piece of fucked up -” and they were just wasting time. Maria had no patience to listen to Venus’s cursing.

There was a time and place for everything and Maria knew this was not the time to be standing ideal.

“Venus. Shut up and apologize. Right now. Please” Maria was not sure if it was her voice or command that made Venus comply with her request. But the princess did turn toward the teen and bowed her head.

Maria could not hear what she said to the kid. Venus was too soft-worded in her apology but even Maria was smart enough to understand that it was not a full apology.

“Y-Y-YOU-” Kuro seemed lost for words, his face twisted between fascination and anger.

“Kuro, you can forgive her now. We should start heading back. I can feel a storm coming. Even the spirits feel restless today” Yuuki sounded serious. Maybe it was not just Maria that was feeling on edge tonight.

The sky looked clear tonight but it would not stay that way for long. Aurora could feel the magic start building up in the sky. It was not any ordinary magic, but a build-up from the node.

It should not be possible to do this in Jamaica. The place had already lost its node but the magic was still building up. And Maria knew she would have a vision that night.