Chapter 293: …none of what you said made any sense

“My name is Maribel. It’s late, but I still want to express our thanks. You really saved us.”

The person named Maribel seemed to be their group’s leader. She was a tall, beautiful woman with a toned physique.

She looked to be only 20 years old, yet she had this dignity that didn’t fit someone of her age. Coupling that with her rather masculine way of talking, she kinda reminded me of Philia-san.

At any rate, she and the others bowed their heads deeply.

“We just did the natural thing to do. More importantly, have you recuperated?”

“We have, thanks again to you. …I must say though, those were some unbelievably great beds.”

“Glad you liked it.”

It looked like that resting in the hotel has made them full of energy again.

“…by the way, may I know which one of you is the leader?”

“Oh, it’s me. I’m Luke.”

“You are?”

“Yup. More specifically, I’m the village chief.”

“Village Chief…”

This child?, the expression on her face seemed to ask.

I knew I look like a kid, but still…

“Our village is located somewhere far away. We’re just touring the desert today with this flying park.”

“…none of what you said made any sense.”

“R-right…where should I begin…”

Perhaps because I looked troubled, Millia stepped in and explained things for me.

“This plot of land that can fly quickly, as well as the ability to build things like the water wells and hotels instantly, they’re all because of Luke-sama’s Gift.”

“His Gift…?”

“Yes! As for who Luke-sama really is, he is the one sent down by the gods to save this world! All of mankind, nay, all living creatures should prostrate themselves before him! Just meeting him and being saved by him is a miracle in of itsesdfasdfdsf”

Millia began spouting nonsense, so I covered her mouth as soon as I could.

“P-please disregard those last things. She tends to say jokes like that from time to time, ahaha…by the way, where are you guys headed?”

“Mhm, actually…”

When asked for details, she revealed that that she was actually the queen of Enbala, a kingdom that ruled over this part of the desert from olden times.

“Eh? The queen?”

Then, what is she doing in a place like this, getting attacked by monsters and almost losing her life??

“…though a more accurate way of saying it would probably be that I am the former queen of Enbala. My position has been snatched away by my older brother.”

Queen Maribel said so with a frown on her face.

“He was originally the heir to the throne, but due to his ill conducts, he was removed from the line of succession and even exiled from the palace. However, one day, he returned leading some sand raiders and invaded our kingdom.”

The sand raiders she spoke of seemed to be the term used for the people who commit crimes such as robbery here in the desert. Pretty much the areas’ version of bandits and pirates.

Of course, their kingdom’s military fought back as much as they could, but the rebel force led by her brother employed one dirty tactic after the other until, finally, the royal palace was occupied and the oasis that served as the heart of their kingdom was taken over.

Queen Maribel insisted on fighting until the end, but her advisors had persuaded her otherwise. They escaped just before the other side gained control.

Despite being chased and caught by sand raiders over and over again, being attacked by monsters, and even losing her allies along the way, she continued traveling in this harsh desert while keeping the hope of one day retaking her kingdom always in the forefront of her mind.

However, when they encountered that pack of Evil Hyenas, even she was convinced that it was the end of the road for them.

Fortunately, we happened to pass by and saved them just in time.

“Not only did you save us, you also provided us with food, water, and lodgings. We can’t thank you enough. And now that we’ve recovered, we should be able to continue our journey.”

“To where?”

“To an oasis nearby. When we escaped from the palace, our forces had no choice but to split up. However, before doing so, we decided to rendezvous in the said oasis. If my companions have managed to survive, they will be going there.”

That oasis was where they would be gathering strength in hopes of retaking their homeland.

TL note: Yeah, it’s hard to translate how Maribel talks in a ‘masculine’ way. Heck, if it wasn’t mentioned, I wouldn’t have thought about it.