Magical Girl? I’m not sure about this.

Hundreds of miles north of Alex, who was piloting an airboat back from the bog, Merumeru the slime girl was babysitting nobles on a sky island. The weather was cloudy, and the island featured a cabin, a barely started castle and a workshop. Yvne and her two children showed little respect for Merumeru. Seraphina adapted to their family's sudden change in status better than her older brother, Cassius. Ynve, the family matriarch, quickly succumbed to depression due to the weight of guilt and loss. Meanwhile, Magical Girl Cosmos might have overdone her unique style of otherworldly shopping, which involved acquiring items through portals and leaving high-value meteors in their place. Currently she was absent.

Cassius, having refused to dress as a maid after Cosmos left, sat on a couch in the now-cleaned cabin with his family. “When are you two going to take off those silly maid outfits? They are unbefitting of your station.”

“For mundane clothcraft these garments are quite well done. There is complete uniformity in the weave.” Seraphina poured some tea for her brother, mother and the little slime girl in the small living room of the cabin. “You’d do well to not ignore your punishment brother. Someone who could insult King Jass, and kidnap three people without a scratch to show for it shouldn’t be treated lightly.”

Cassius thanked his sister and took the teacup. “I think that things are not quite as dire as they seem.” Cassius gestured to Yvne, “Mother said that a demon attacked a flamingo in her barnony but she demanded satisfaction from the king? I think that the demon in question should be the one to carry the punishment for the lawlessness. By the letter of the accords I don’t see why any of us would be accountable.”

“The location of an offense has been casus belli for war in many history books.” Seraphina frowned. “Have you not been paying attention in class?”

“Dearest sister, why am I the only member of this family trying to make the most of an unfortunate situation?” Cassius set the teacup down. “We’ve been here weeks and after that magical girl left, presumably to account for her transgressions, the only company we’ve found is this small slime.” He turned his gaze to Merumeru who held a smaller teacup in both of her tiny hands, listening.

“You better behave.” Seraphina warned. “The last time you tried to boss her around she jumped on your head.”

Cassius rubbed the goose egg on the top of his head. “I know, I wasn’t expecting her to attack one of her betters.” He gave the slime girl a dirty look. “In the kingdom attacking the gentry carries a death sentence.”

“We are no longer Jass nobility.” Seraphine chided her brother. “The sooner you get that through your thick head the better.”

“All I am saying is that we need to have a plan.” Cassius sipped some tea. “If Cosmos doesn’t come back does that mean we are going to live in this strange place forever? As far as I can tell this island is completely made of floating stone. To airship builders these rocks would be worth a king’s ransom. All these strange contraptions are very valuable in the right hands as well.”

“Ah yes, and all of this has one thing in common.” The young noblewoman gestured in a circle around her. “They are not ours. We have nothing other than the clothing we came with and unlanded nobility classes.”

“And we will remain non-landed nobility without having a kingdom to swear to.” Cassius said with frusteration. “No kingdom will accept us as peers unless we can grease the wheels with money.”

Yvne finally spoke up. “My dear son, you can’t possibly be saying you want to go back to your old life?”

“Things were better than nothing. We could actually had prospects.” Cassius made sure to talk softly to his mother. “Living like prisoners or refugees is no life worth living.”

Yvne gave him a stern look. “You don’t get it. The life you envision doesn’t exist.”

“Would you abandon your people?” Cassius challenged his mother. “Without your skills the crops would fail and they would starve.”

Yvne shook her head. “Cassius, you are young and full of ideals. The reality is that the demons are not our allies. They never were. Think a little bit, what classes on magic were offered at the academy?”

“All students are expected to learn demonology.” Cassius quickly answered. “Why does that matter?”

“Demonic ritual magic is the only choice.” Yvne looked Cassius straight in the eyes. “Ever wonder why that is? If our place in the kingdom is to be the breadbasket for humanity wouldn’t there be better schools of magic to study?”

“I’m not sure what the problem is. The magic academy has been that way for as long as I can remember.” Cassius looked confused.

“No landed noble actually has any agency.” Yvne smiled sadly. “I didn’t understand why my husband, your father stopped loving me when he inherited the barony. It wasn’t until I was put into the same position after he was killed that I understood what it really is like, being demon possessed. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not even the worst criminal in the kingdom.”

“I understand mother. But what are our options?” Cassius looked to his mother for a plan but she had none. “Can we swear to the gnomes? The dwarves? Adventurers say that the elven cities are abandoned and filled with all manner of deadly defenses. You don’t suggest we give up or try to get you a queen class?” He looked around. “While there are many strange things on this island I don’t see any shrines to pray for a new class. To be the first ruler of a new country a god has to bless that leader with the initial class.”

“I wish you would put more thought into questioning what you were taugh,t my son.” Yvne shook her head. “What we did in our mansion is unforgivable. Our barony has a sinister secret. Though in hindsight, I don’t think the right circles saw it as a secret at all.”

“What are you talking about Mother?” Cassius looked concerned. “The only thing our barony is known for is training the best maids.”

Seraphina looked like she got it. “The training. It isn’t really training at all is it?”

Yvne nodded. “Yes, I didn’t even consider that something was amiss until the demon puppeting me had to take on the responsibilities your father took care of. I was blissfully unaware that the reason anyone trained to be a maid in our manor was transformed by demonic magic curses.”

“What!?” Cassius exclaimed. “That can’t be true. We help people find employment opportunities that they never would have been able to.”

“In a way,” Yvne said solemnly, “That is right but the cost. The cost is too great. Our maids are perfect, so perfect that things like individuality get removed.”

The three nobles dramatically debated their past transgressions and the fate of their lineage. Merumeru, undeterred, headed to the microwave. She prepared a bag of popcorn, one of many Cosmos had inexplicably hoarded. With a press of the clearly marked popcorn button, she waited.

Their heated, theatrical argument persisted even when the popcorn finished. Merumeru poured it into a large bowl and settled in, munching contentedly while she enjoyed the unfolding drama.

Their contentious discussion was abruptly halted by a knock at the front door.

The slime girl, startled, bounded across the room towards the door, scattering popcorn everywhere. She glanced around innocently, catching Seraphina's disapproving gaze at the mess she'd created, the latter clad in a maid dress.

“Meru?” Merumeru reached a small hand for the doorknob.

“Is someone here? I thought no one was on this island.” Cassius got up and rushed to the door, pushing the slime girl aside and spilling more popcorn.

The knob turned and the door opened, revealing a light-blue skinned, blue-haired woman in an outfit that matched the overalls and red shirt of Merumeru.

“Hello?” The woman’s voice flowed like water. “Is Merumeru home?”

“Ruuuuu!” Merumeru threw her hands wide for a hug, tossing the half-full popcorn bowl against the wall. She launched into an attack hug at the Nereid.

“Ooof.” Aqua staggered back a step. “How are you doing sweetheart?” She looked at the three other people. “Who are these people?”

“Me me ruru ru.” Merumeru explained the situation.

“Oh, Hello Yvne, Cassius, and Seraphina, magical girl Cosmos’s prisoners. How are you?” The new woman flashed a brilliant smile.

“Huh?” Cassius spoke first. “You can understand her? But she can only say two letters.”

Aqua went pffft. “Learn to speak elemental, or do they not teach that in school anymore?”

“I uh, haven’t gotten a chance to take that class.” Cassius wasn’t technically lying but he was fairly sure infernal was the only language offering.

“They used to teach more than you know. Back before the pile of hormones on two legs was king.” She tsked. “The education system sure has taken a dump. Professor Copperpot would be disappointed.”

“Did you kill him?” Cassius had actually heard the sad news at the academy. “I heard river monsters sunk the ship he was on.”

“You know he was mind controlled right?” Aqua tilted her head. “Of course you don’t. A good starting point would be to just assume everything you think is true was just a lie from the demons to keep humans compliant. The first lie would be that professor Copperpot isn’t dead. Though when we found him he surely would have liked to be. After the realization that he had made a plague that turned humans into harpies his first reaction was to become suicidal.”

“I didn’t know.” Cassius took a step back and looked a bit deflated.

“Anyway, I’m here to see Merumeru. I even brought a house warming gift. Though it should stay outside. Kaide helped grow it to maturity.” Aqua gestured the group outside. There was a potted plant with a sunflower that had a smiling face on it.

“Meru!” Merumeru patted the happy plant with her squishy hands.

“Baroness Ki and the nymphs have been working on fortifying the county.” She pointed at the plant. “These things even grow in the wasteland and can power a bunch of anti demon plantlife. I spread some of the seeds around various places. Hopefully when spring comes around there will be some good defenses.”

“Ru ru me me ruuu.” Merumeru excitedly stated.

“Oh yeah, I saw Alex and Fufi, they helped me with this outfit. They took the airboat back to town. They’ve been evacuating people from the former barony for most of the past month.” Aqua nodded repeatedly, grinning.

Yvne couldn’t keep quiet at this. “Miss Aqua, you say that my people… well former people are alright? They didn’t get slaughtered by demons?”

Aqua eyed the maid-outfit-wearing noble. “That’s Mistress to you maid. Now clean up that mess!” She pointed at the popcorn but didn’t sound serious.

Yvne winced and looked at the spilled popcorn.

“Haw, I’m just kidding.” Aqua shook her head. “But no big group of demons have come knocking there so far. A few stragglers came in, likely stupid idiots that had been out looking for the 100 year old ginger that may or may not exist. But they got sent back downstairs.”

“Thank you.” Yvne looked relieved. “I know I’m not fit to be a leader anymore but it pains me that the actions of that day might have ended the lives of hundreds.”