The three settled by the campfire, sang songs, and finally fell asleep. Of course, the man stayed on watch – he didn’t fall asleep. It would be unpleasant if they were surrounded by monsters in the middle of the night. The lands might be peaceful, but the monsters themselves had long shown that words weren’t always to be trusted. Fate gives what you least expect. Especially for this couple, and even more so for the demoness.
Sefi slept inside a sack, tied up. Even the stump was tightly pressed to her body, and the intact arm – bound in several knots, tight and firm. They hadn’t spared the rope. But at least it was warm – and that was good. Pleasant. Her sleeping bag had become a real treasure. There was so much down in it, or was it just fur? So soft.
Frau slept in the tent. No double standards here, just a simple safety measure: a demon would not sleep in the same tent with a pregnant woman, even if the latter really wanted it. Sefi herself also shook her head at that and stayed lying down, staring at the stars. She shook her head so much that it made her dizzy. The air was pleasant: the smell of the fire and the crackling of the wood created a sense of peace and calm. Some stars shone brighter, others – dimmer. She knew absolutely nothing about stars, had heard something about… what was it called, the North Star? Something like that… from whom, though? Someone close, but she couldn’t remember who said it. Anyway, there were plenty of bright stars here, she counted twenty of them, although no, she didn’t even know what the real North Star looked like; those brighter ones automatically became “the North” for her.
The man carefully scanned everything around: right, left, back, and forward, sometimes, like Sefi, lifting his gaze upward – though briefly. He tossed wood into the fire and spun the axe in his hand. Rarely did he allow himself a break: he’d sit on a fallen tree, catch his breath, then stand up again and circle the camp. He looked at the tent, stood still, and listened to the breathing inside, after which he, too, exhaled with relief.
Quite some time passed. Maybe a lot – Sefi didn’t count, just enjoyed the night sky. The woman’s sleep was heavy, no, she didn’t kick or sleepwalk, she just fell asleep reluctantly. Too cheerful for someone who had just gone through horror. Her husband was adding gray hairs over it. Still, their love was sweet… very comfortable. Each ready to do anything for the other.
— You know... — Mari suddenly spoke, not looking at her. His gaze was somewhere far away, his body didn’t turn. His voice sounded muffled, but not harsh. — I don’t know if you understand or feel anything... but thank you for saving us.
He finally turned and sat down. Even so, his huge figure blocked half of the demoness’s view. The man pressed his lips into a line and sighed, looking her over:
— Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just... I was on edge back then. Not something that happens every day.
Seraphima nodded. The man reached out and patted her head, ruffling her hair. Despite his calloused hands, his palm was warm, soft – even pleasant. That was a hand that had seen work.
— I don’t know what to do. No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about the bad things, — he exhaled heavily, freezing, leaning on his knee. It seemed as if an invisible weight pressed on his shoulders with a force Sefi couldn’t imagine. — I don’t know if that village will take us in. I don’t know if I can provide us with everything we need... So much to do. I’m not sure I’ll have the strength. Soon there’ll be a new addition to the family... that’s wonderful, but I’m afraid. Afraid...
Sefi wanted to say a lot, definitely more than usual, but she didn’t have such a privilege – nor a tongue. Instead, the demoness just slightly moved her head, pressing more firmly against his palm. Rubbed against it – maybe he’d understand the meaning. Or maybe not. The man was surprised, then laughed:
— I see... I don’t know what you meant, but I’ll take it as comfort, — he said, standing up more cheerfully now. — Maybe it’s a mistake, but I needed to talk. And... again, thank you.
***
Maybe because of the lack of horses, their journey took longer than planned. No, Mari was a strong man, but even a monster like him gets tired, especially when he’s pulling a wagon full of all sorts of things alone. There was a lot: books, boxes, sacks. Plenty of small stuff too: a lamp, a candle stand, cutlery, and the like.
They set up camp again for the night, but now the couple’s level of trust had grown. Sefi understood this because they freed her only working arm, though her legs remained tied. And even so, this partial freedom meant very little: only her hand was free, as if she were an adult with a child’s arm – very short range. And overall, Mari watched her closely, ready to act if necessary.
At first, Sefi took a stick and began writing on the ground. As usual, the lady was touched. Mari gripped his weapon tighter but kept watching.
— Her first words! Look! Waaaa! — she shook her husband, who didn’t move and froze like a statue. The lady didn’t have much strength. He only squinted.
Technically, these weren’t her first words, but for them – yes. What would she write? What would her first words be? There were not only words but also numbers:
[Mari and Frau]
Trust: 40% → 50.5%
It would’ve been fairer to lower the husband’s trust rating, otherwise it would be unfair toward Frau. However, they acted as a single unit… probably. Yesterday the strongman opened up to her himself, but apparently hid it from his wife. Embarrassed, maybe? We’ll see later.
She took 40 as the most neutral starting point. After Frieren words, she thought a lot about the trust system. She came up with entire rules for it – what would happen when a certain level was reached. Though, for the most part, it was intuitive: if some real bastard raised his trust level to 100, she still wouldn’t do what he wanted, simply because that would be illogical. It happens: someone helps her out every day, gives her bread, and then asks to kill the one who gave her bread. Unthinkable. The system was still raw, but she hadn’t found a better way to record real interactions.
For good actions, she added a “+”, and the size of the increase depended on the act itself: for minor ones – a little, for major ones – more. For example, giving food +0.5, but saving her – already +10. The latter was divided into categories: saving from theft, same +10; from death, a whole +20.
She decreased the score for negative behavior: lying, deceit, attempted robbery, and the like. For example, for deceit – minus five, to teach the offender a lesson, and she took away quite a lot, so they wouldn’t get too full of themselves. There were also lifetime penalties: for attempted murder – minus one hundred and the impossibility of building positive trust. The penalty couldn’t be removed… well, unless you tried. Probably. She hadn’t figured that out yet. Complicated.
— Hm… how cuuuute! — the wife grabbed her cheeks and shook her head in delight. Then she looked closer at the numbers. — But why so little? Well, 50 isn’t little, but still…
Don’t trust me completely, I’ll act the same. We met recently, and having much trust right away is illogical.
— How clever!
— Very reasonable.
Two comments. The first from Frau, the second from Mari. Quite generous of the man. Frau nodded, approving of the system, and began asking about its structure. Sefi wrote a lot, describing everything – not from start to finish, but briefly, to the point. The woman nodded seriously, raised her fingers when she heard something new, then placed her hand under her chin and started thinking. Very deeply.
The man simply listened and drew his own conclusions. Then he spoke:
— Well then, I’ll give you 50 percent trust as well, — he said.
His wife gasped and turned to him with a face fit for a melodramatic play.
— Darling, why not more?
— First, she’s a demon. Second, as she herself said, we met recently, — he stated firmly, putting his arm around his wife. She huffed and nodded. Very emotional. Well then.
Trust must be earned
She wrote and noticed a slight shock on the warrior’s face. However, it didn’t last long: within a second, it was gone, and he laughed.
— You’re right about that, demon.
***
So they set off again. The scenery didn't change: unlike the city bustle she remembered, the forest thickets were quiet – save for the sound of wheels hitting small stones and the shifting of boxes inside the wagon. Birds sometimes flew overhead, whispered, and flew off into the distance. There were also crows that cawed loudly. If one looked closely at the forest, one could notice a rabbit running past or a small animal that watched the wagon and then went about its business.
Sefi watched all this and tried to occupy herself: she counted animals, listened to Frau's endless chatter, who was now speculating about what dishes she would cook as soon as she could move properly. Mari sometimes added his comments on the topic. And yes, she was tied up again. Excellent. A worm once more.
Everything was calm, even good. Except at one point, Frau froze: her eyes narrowed, her face filled with pain, her mouth compressed into a thin line. The woman stroked her stomach, and her voice became weak:
— Mari... stop...
The warrior stopped abruptly, climbed into the wagon, and quickly knelt beside his wife.
— Frau, everything will be fine, — he said, gently grabbing her hand. His eyes anxiously scanned her face.
Sefi didn't understand at first, but then she guessed. The child was stirring in her belly – it was something like the beginning of labor, but... not at a time like this. The demoness couldn't get closer because she was tied up. However, she could...
Sefi began to sway, moving back and forth, and thus fell onto the floor of the wagon
She rolled, bumped into Mari's leg, but still raised her gaze to Frau, who was looking at her in surprise. Then, moving like a fish on land, she crawled closer and got on her knees. Took deep breaths. Several times – hoping she would understand.
— Huh? What? — Frau looked at her uncomprehendingly.
Sefi shook her head, took another deep breath, and began shaking her head in her direction
— Breathe?
A nod. Many nods.
Frau gave a short laugh and repeated her gesture, but the pain didn't go away. On the contrary – it seemed there was only more of it. Sefi didn't know what to do. Neither did Mari.
The demoness... just didn't know. Nothing. She had to think logically. Comfort is there, breathing is there... um... food? Not now. Or maybe... warmth? Yes. Warmth.
She lowered herself to the floor again, carefully crawled to Frau's side, trying not to let her horns get in the way, and pressed her body against her.
— Hah... hah, thank you, — the woman whispered.
Mari watched this, and then decided to repeat it. He approached from the other side and hugged her, placing a trembling hand on her stomach. The warrior is strong as steel, but gentle as silk... well, maybe cotton. Who knows. Only towards his wife, apparently.
— How tender you've become, Mari, — Frau exhaled.
It was sweet, sweet – she was being hugged, but it still hurt. The child is so restless. Kicking inside the belly, impatient to see the outside world. Hah, how sweet. Yeah... it's okay, she'll endure it...
This is a mother's duty after all
***
The group still hadn't reached the village, even though it seemed like it was already on the horizon. They said it was a two-day journey, but it had already been more – three. Though, Mari is not a horse, that also needs to be considered. Pulling the wagon is hard, so they made more stops, albeit infrequently. Plus, they didn't move at night at all, going into a deep defense, if one could say so.
At first, Mari always tried to keep watch, but his maximum was two days… although no, if you count the previous ones – then probably four? Hmm… five days? She got confused. Strange, that usually didn't happen. Had she really started just perceiving the days? Sefi always counted, for the most part... but now she hadn't paid attention to such an interval. Absurd, she must correct herself, this won't do.
Sefi took the place of the watch. She wasn't freed… alright, she was freed. Hmph. How much Mari didn't want that was visible in his eyes and trembling hands when he untied the rope.
At first, the guy wanted to do it like this:
— If you see danger – start shouting.
It's just that the demoness had no tongue for that purpose. A shame. And yet, barely keeping his eyes open, he explained and almost said "please" before collapsing onto the sleeping bag. Many days without sleep, working almost to the point of exhaustion. He pulled, cooked, chopped wood, and carried her... Sefi isn't heavy, but still.
Enduring like an ox. A monster in the flesh.
Sefi nodded, helped carefully lay him down, even moved him into the tent – not under the open sky, though still in the bag. His wife was happy and hugged her husband. He unconsciously did the same. So the new sentry began her duties.
— "Firewood…" — she thought, looking at the fire. It wasn't dying out, but it clearly lacked fuel. Usually, Frau's husband handled all that, but today he didn't even have time to chop wood. He moved slowly, sometimes almost falling from exhaustion. He held up quite well, but at his wife's words: "Dear, please sleep," he almost fell asleep on the spot.
Instead of firewood, she used her mana to fuel the fire. Hours passed, all the branches burned out, but the flame remained. It burned brightly, very brightly. Mana was spent slowly, she was used to doing it that way. A basic level. By the way, here...
Sefi generally didn't understand – err, well yes, she was tied up… but…
She could use magic, though
Or did these people not know she could do that? Possibly. Though, unlikely. It seems Mari was confident in his abilities… after all, for the most part, he stayed near her. And the chatty Frau always looked at her as if assessing. Was she looking at the mana? Hmm… doesn't matter. It's just that the first theory falls apart because of some small details.
Even though Mari was nearby, when he was pulling the wagon, he couldn't be near her all the time. Could he really not have considered that? Maybe he did… ahh, doesn't matter. Not her concern. The main thing is to justify the trust and properly finish the sentry shift.
She scanned everything several times. All because she lacked one eye – this created a blind spot, so Sefi checked everything several times, making sure nothing slipped past her view. The tongues of flame were large, not blazing as usual, which made everything easier – like a flashlight. Only they shone not like a line, but like an area. Hm...
— "Hm…" — Sefi held a stick in her hands. They didn't trust her with the axe. And they didn't give her anything at all – she found the stick herself.
She wasn't bored: a demoness doesn't feel that. Though instead of boredom, her head was occupied with thoughts. Thoughts – not the most ordinary ones.
— "And when will Frau give birth?" — a simple question, but an important one. Giving birth on the road is a nightmare. No healers, no one… just her and Mari. What a horror. Without medical help, it could end badly. And neither of these two knows how to practice… mmm… obstetrics! Simply absurd. We must speed up the pace. Otherwise, it will be bad. We must help Mari tomorrow. And for that, trust is needed. And to earn trust – one must honestly do this job and meet expectations. How complicated everything is.
***
Morning came. Sefi, as planned, hadn't closed her eyes. She vigilantly watched all directions, had surrounded the area with protruding stones, like a wall. For reliability, of course. Supplemented them with trenches. Her magic abilities were very good. They would praise her for this. Definitely. After all...
— A-a-a! Ow! — a scream came from the tent. Frau was screaming. What happened there? Horror!
Sefi quickly ran to the tent and opened it. Inside – a frightened Mari and Frau, who was breathing heavily and holding her stomach. Her face was pale, covered in sweat... could it be...
— Mari... inside... too...
— Frau... damn! There's no one around here... I don't know... I don't know! — the panic on the husband's face looked alien. It seemed as if he had been replaced, because Sefi had never seen such terror on him before. — My God... what to do!?
His gaze shifted to her
— Do you know what to do!? You're a woman too! Help! Do something!
Sefi, instead of acting, froze. Couldn't move, looking at Frau with something resembling horror. Or not... she couldn't feel horror, after all. It was more of an error. She didn't know what to do and froze – like a deer in headlights.
Her head frantically went through options. What did she know about the body in general? She hadn't given birth, didn't get along with children. What to do? Alright. Need to think logically. No equipment. Maybe...
— What are you doing? — Mari asked when her body lit up.
In the Middle Ages, the high mortality rate during childbirth for women was caused by a lack of hygiene – people didn't know about germs. So the first thing Sefi did was cast "Cleansing" on herself as a precaution, even several times. Then she knelt down, approached Frau, and showed her how to breathe. Like last time.
The woman nodded and began to repeat. The demoness couldn't speak, but she tried her best to help.
Her mind, apparently, was working very fast – she managed to overcome the barrier. Instead of words, she created glowing letters made of mana right in front of her face, like a projection, to convey instructions.
Support her
Mari nodded. With trembling hands, he squeezed his wife's palm, held her as if afraid that if he let go – she would disappear. Frau moaned, breathed unevenly, her forehead gleaming with sweat. Contractions came one after another, like waves, giving no respite. The tent smelled of sweat, damp fabric, and the smoke from the fire seeping through the flap.
Sefi stood nearby, assessing. Her heart – or what replaced it in the demoness's chest – beat steadily, but inside there was a feeling of wrongness, an anxiety she couldn't quell.
Frau was gasping for air. Her fingers dug into her husband's hand, leaving white marks on his skin.
Sefi raised her palm – the air shuddered, and a soft bluish light ran over her body. "Purification". Then a second time. Again. The tent began to smell of the fire and something clean, like fresh air after a storm. She repeated the spell again... Why? Damn, she didn't know... didn't know what to do!
She crawled closer. Brought up new letters, ordering Mari to support his wife's head, and slowly lowered her hand. A second flash – a weak glow, magic of warmth, more of light than fire. She couldn't fully relieve the pain, but she could soften it, ease the spasms, allow the body to work without breaking from the pain. Warmth – that's what she gave.
Frau cried out, arched her back, her breathing faltered.
— Breathe... calmly, — Mari exhaled in a trembling voice. The demoness repeated the same, using gestures to show the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. The woman picked it up, began to breathe more frequently and evenly.
A little more time passed. Then it began. Sefi used magic again – this time, magic of blood. She applied it to Frau, accelerating her metabolism, helping the body work. How she did it, Sefi didn't understand. Just instinct. The main thing now was to help.
The contractions grew stronger. Frau screamed, then breathed heavily, then screamed again.
The tent became stuffy, hot. Sefi realized – it was time.
— Come on... — Mari whispered, not noticing that he himself was speaking, as if his voice could keep his wife in this world.
And then – a short, high cry. Another. A new one.
Small. Sharp. Stubborn.
Sefi raised her head. In her hands – a tiny body, warm, slippery, alive. The child's cry tore through all the tension. The woman cried, Mari covered his face with his hands and laughed – with relief. There were tears from both... just not from her. Wrong. And yes... the child has that... cord... the umbilical cord is usually cut, but what to do now? She didn't know. Definitely not a dirty knife... argh... she'd think about it later.
The demoness, still glowing with a soft blue light, carefully handed the child to the mother. Frau hugged the baby, pressed it to her chest. Her lips trembled, but there was a smile.
— Alive... alive, Mari...
Sefi silently nodded. Then activated magic again – "Purification". The bleeding was... and not that small, but they would manage.
Outside, it was beginning to get light. Gray morning rays pierced through the tent fabric. The world seemed to exhale with them.
Mari, sitting nearby, whispered quietly, not looking at anyone:
— Thank you, demon.