After a couple more minutes, Maua regained her composure.
Seemingly realizing that she had been rambling, a blush made its way across her face, betraying the rest of her stoic expression.
She pushed herself away from my embrace, looking at the rest of the room.
“I apologize for my rambling,” she said, fighting the redness flushed on her cheeks.
“So cute.” Mama and Mayari whispered in unison.
‘That’s undeniable. She’s cute. But I thought that we connected more, why is she backtracking into this shell? It’s okay for her to express herself more. Maybe it’s because the others are here? I’ll find out later.’
“Anyways, Master,” the little doll continued.” I’m pretty sure I know, but I’ll ask anyway. Why’s that waitress here?”
“Oh, right. She’s here because…”
My pupil nodded her head in understanding as I finished my quick explanation of the events that had transpired.
“I see, then what are you going to do with her Master? I assume you have all rights to execute her for attempting to assassinate a noble, correct?”
‘She came to that conclusion too, huh? I never bought the ‘friend who taught her things while she was in hell' narrative…and a couple things she’s said are interesting. Especially the ‘die again’ comment. I’m about ninety-eight percent sure this girl has memories of a past life. And a lot of them at that...’
Pushing aside my thoughts, I answered.
“Well, yeah. I definitely could do that, but she didn’t really do anything to harm me. Granted she did try and that’s more than enough, but it’s pretty inconsequential to me. On the other hand, she almost killed you. So I figured, I’d leave the punishment up to you.”
‘Plus, I can see how see deals with situations like this…as my one and only pupil, this probably won’t be the only time she has to deal with this.’
“Oh?” she asked, then her eyes narrowed. “For some reason, I feel like I’m being tested.”
“No? Well, maybe…but there’s no right or wrong answer. You can handle it anyway you want, and I’ll get whatever you need for it.”
“Well in that case,” she whispered, as she pulled me into a corner of the room, her left eye lighting up with flames. “Can I ask a couple of questions about that poison?”
‘I thought as much before but…her eyes catch fire like me and my family.’
“Huh? Um, sure? What do you want to know?” I responded, shaking away the thought.
“Well, I assume there’s a reason why it only worked on me and had no effect on the three of you, right?”
I nodded in affirmation.
“And I would have died, had you all had not saved me?”
I shook my head again.
“So would it work on the little waitress over there?”
I was surprised, but I took a second to seriously contemplate the question.
“Well yeah, it probably could.”
“And what about that creep…what was his name? John? Mark?”
“It’s Joe. And yes, it would probably work on him too.”
“Great!” she exclaimed. “Now is it possible to water down the effects, so that someone might have a chance of surviving?”
“It should be,” I replied.
“Would it be possible for you to bring that guy here?”
“Hm. He should be unconscious at the ward at the Guild. Should be too much of an issue. And you probably already figured, but its fine to use him as well. He’s actually awaiting trial for several crimes punishable by death.”
“So wouldn’t it be bad to possibly kill him here?”
“Nah, its fine, he’s pretty much as good as dead anyways.”
“Mhm, understood. Now can I ask you to get the poison as well as the water down version?”
‘I have a idea, but I’m interested to see where she’s going with this…’
“Sure, just give me a second,” I responded, moving towards the rest of the group.
With help from Aunt Moni, we found a couple other vials of the poison in Denice’s home. Kna’Ve went to the guild to pick up Joe. After that, Mama begrudgingly lowered the potency of the substance, demanding a hug from her ‘new favorite cutie’ as compensation.
Maua obliged the old hag and had all the materials she had asked for.
We moved back to the room, and I wrapped Denice in a chair with some rope I asked Kna’Ve to get while she was at the Guild.
With the stage set, I moved back and allowed my little student to work.
Maua strode in front of the waitress, looking her squarely in the face.
‘Pfft. She’s the same height as Denice sitting down.’
As I tried to contain my laughter, I saw the others doing the same.
If Maua noticed us, she didn’t seem to mind.
“Do you have anything you’d to say to me, Ms.…. Denice was it?”
‘Even though her voice is absolutely angelic, and she’s super short and cute, she actually sounds pretty intimidating right now.’
“I’m sor-” Denice shouted.
“You can keep the apologies and all the rest of that junk.” Maua said curtly as she cut the clownfish girl off.
She tilted her head to the side as she continued.
“A sorry wouldn’t do me much good if I was dead, now would it?”
“But-” the waitress started again.
“I’d like to hear the reason why you decide to attempt to murder me and the rest of my group, in your own words.” my little student stated.
“I- I did it because I thought that Lady Ama- Amare was abusing Joe.”
“So would it be a reach to say you decided that your love for that man was more important that the lives of the four of us?”
“Y-yes.” the clownfish girl agreed shakily.
“Alright then!” Maua clapped. “I know that Master said that it was my decision to determine your fate…but thanks to you, I learned a few things today. So to thank you, I’ll leave the choice up to you.”
“What?!” Denice shouted.
Maua ignored the clown fish’s outburst and turned back to Mayari, who had been silently holding onto two vials for the little doll.
“Master, could you bring him in?”
I hurried out the door, quickly returning with a still unconscious Joe. I tossed his limp body on the bed.
“Joe? JOE!” Denice screamed, struggling against her restraints.
“Hey!” Maua waved. “Eyes on me, we haven’t got that far yet.”
Denice calmed down and focused her eyes back on my pupil.
“This here,” Maua continued, shaking the vial in her left hand. “Is the same poison that you put inside our food.”
She shook the substance in her other hand.
“And this is a water-down version of the same thing. I’m told that you’d have about a fifty-fifty percent chance of surviving it.”
“Now, Ms. Denice,” Maua said, her eye igniting with flames again.
“You were willing to kill for that man,” she pointed at Joe. “Are you willing to die for him?”
“I-I... I…I,” the clownfish waitress stammered.
“As I said before, the choice is yours.” my pupil said, moving right in front of Denice. “You can take your chances and kill your beloved, or you can die and hope that he survives.”
Maua pulled back away from the other girl and walked towards the door. Me and the rest of the group, except Aunt Moni, followed behind her.
“Remember Ms. Denice, the choice is in your hands.”
"NOOOOO!"
The door shut dampening the anguish screams of the former waitress.
After a couple more minutes, Maua regained her composure.
Seemingly realizing that she had been rambling, a blush made its way across her face, betraying the rest of her stoic expression.
She pushed herself away from my embrace, looking at the rest of the room.
“I apologize for my rambling,” she said, fighting the redness flushed on her cheeks.
“So cute.” Mama and Mayari whispered in unison.
‘That’s undeniable. She’s cute. But I thought that we connected more, why is she backtracking into this shell? It’s okay for her to express herself more. Maybe it’s because the others are here? I’ll find out later.’
“Anyways, Master,” the little doll continued.” I’m pretty sure I know, but I’ll ask anyway. Why’s that waitress here?”
“Oh, right. She’s here because…”
My pupil nodded her head in understanding as I finished my quick explanation of the events that had transpired.
“I see, then what are you going to do with her Master? I assume you have all rights to execute her for attempting to assassinate a noble, correct?”
‘She came to that conclusion too, huh? I never bought the ‘friend who taught her things while she was in hell' narrative…and a couple things she’s said are interesting. Especially the ‘die again’ comment. I’m about ninety-eight percent sure this girl has memories of a past life. And a lot of them at that...’
Pushing aside my thoughts, I answered.
“Well, yeah. I definitely could do that, but she didn’t really do anything to harm me. Granted she did try and that’s more than enough, but it’s pretty inconsequential to me. On the other hand, she almost killed you. So I figured, I’d leave the punishment up to you.”
‘Plus, I can see how see deals with situations like this…as my one and only pupil, this probably won’t be the only time she has to deal with this.’
“Oh?” she asked, then her eyes narrowed. “For some reason, I feel like I’m being tested.”
“No? Well, maybe…but there’s no right or wrong answer. You can handle it anyway you want, and I’ll get whatever you need for it.”
“Well in that case,” she whispered, as she pulled me into a corner of the room, her left eye lighting up with flames. “Can I ask a couple of questions about that poison?”
‘I thought as much before but…her eyes catch fire like me and my family.’
“Huh? Um, sure? What do you want to know?” I responded, shaking away the thought.
“Well, I assume there’s a reason why it only worked on me and had no effect on the three of you, right?”
I nodded in affirmation.
“And I would have died, had you all had not saved me?”
I shook my head again.
“So would it work on the little waitress over there?”
I was surprised, but I took a second to seriously contemplate the question.
“Well yeah, it probably could.”
“And what about that creep…what was his name? John? Mark?”
“It’s Joe. And yes, it would probably work on him too.”
“Great!” she exclaimed. “Now is it possible to water down the effects, so that someone might have a chance of surviving?”
“It should be,” I replied.
“Would it be possible for you to bring that guy here?”
“Hm. He should be unconscious at the ward at the Guild. Should be too much of an issue. And you probably already figured, but its fine to use him as well. He’s actually awaiting trial for several crimes punishable by death.”
“So wouldn’t it be bad to possibly kill him here?”
“Nah, its fine, he’s pretty much as good as dead anyways.”
“Mhm, understood. Now can I ask you to get the poison as well as the water down version?”
‘I have a idea, but I’m interested to see where she’s going with this…’
“Sure, just give me a second,” I responded, moving towards the rest of the group.
With help from Aunt Moni, we found a couple other vials of the poison in Denice’s home. Kna’Ve went to the guild to pick up Joe. After that, Mama begrudgingly lowered the potency of the substance, demanding a hug from her ‘new favorite cutie’ as compensation.
Maua obliged the old hag and had all the materials she had asked for.
We moved back to the room, and I wrapped Denice in a chair with some rope I asked Kna’Ve to get while she was at the Guild.
With the stage set, I moved back and allowed my little student to work.
Maua strode in front of the waitress, looking her squarely in the face.
‘Pfft. She’s the same height as Denice sitting down.’
As I tried to contain my laughter, I saw the others doing the same.
If Maua noticed us, she didn’t seem to mind.
“Do you have anything you’d to say to me, Ms.…. Denice was it?”
‘Even though her voice is absolutely angelic, and she’s super short and cute, she actually sounds pretty intimidating right now.’
“I’m sor-” Denice shouted.
“You can keep the apologies and all the rest of that junk.” Maua said curtly as she cut the clownfish girl off.
She tilted her head to the side as she continued.
“A sorry wouldn’t do me much good if I was dead, now would it?”
“But-” the waitress started again.
“I’d like to hear the reason why you decide to attempt to murder me and the rest of my group, in your own words.” my little student stated.
“I- I did it because I thought that Lady Ama- Amare was abusing Joe.”
“So would it be a reach to say you decided that your love for that man was more important that the lives of the four of us?”
“Y-yes.” the clownfish girl agreed shakily.
“Alright then!” Maua clapped. “I know that Master said that it was my decision to determine your fate…but thanks to you, I learned a few things today. So to thank you, I’ll leave the choice up to you.”
“What?!” Denice shouted.
Maua ignored the clown fish’s outburst and turned back to Mayari, who had been silently holding onto two vials for the little doll.
“Master, could you bring him in?”
I hurried out the door, quickly returning with a still unconscious Joe. I tossed his limp body on the bed.
“Joe? JOE!” Denice screamed, struggling against her restraints.
“Hey!” Maua waved. “Eyes on me, we haven’t got that far yet.”
Denice calmed down and focused her eyes back on my pupil.
“This here,” Maua continued, shaking the vial in her left hand. “Is the same poison that you put inside our food.”
She shook the substance in her other hand.
“And this is a water-down version of the same thing. I’m told that you’d have about a fifty-fifty percent chance of surviving it.”
“Now, Ms. Denice,” Maua said, her eye igniting with flames again.
“You were willing to kill for that man,” she pointed at Joe. “Are you willing to die for him?”
“I-I... I…I,” the clownfish waitress stammered.
“As I said before, the choice is yours.” my pupil said, moving right in front of Denice. “You can take your chances and kill your beloved, or you can die and hope that he survives.”
Maua pulled back away from the other girl and walked towards the door. Me and the rest of the group, except Aunt Moni, followed behind her.
“Remember Ms. Denice, the choice is in your hands.”
"NOOOOO!"
The door shut dampening the anguish screams of the former waitress.
