Asha of the Border — Chapter 3

I FOUND

THE WH-WHISTLE.

HAA...

UNBELIEVABLE.

THANKS. THIS NECKLACE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

I'M EDEN DEAN.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

UH...

YOU DO HAVE A NAME, DON'T YOU?

IF I TELL HIM MY NAME, HE'LL KNOW WHO I AM IMMEDIATELY.

?

WOW...

YOUR STOMACH'S REALLY ROARING.

??

HUH? M-MINE?

YOU MUST BE STARVING.

TH-THAT WASN'T...

LET'S GET SOME FOOD FIRST.

OH, RIGHT. THE VILLAGE BELOW THE MOUNTAIN...

...IS HAVING A FESTIVAL TODAY.

THIS IS PERFECT. WE'LL BLEND RIGHT IN.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE.

HEY.

PERFECT.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EAT FIRST?

A-ANYTHING'S FINE.

I'M... NOT REALLY F-FAMILIAR WITH PLACES LIKE THIS...

I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET SOME FOOD IN YOU.

YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO A FUN PLACE LIKE THIS BEFORE?

THEN TAKE A LOOK AROUND.

FOR NOW,

THE BEST THING TO DO IS LEAVE THIS KID WITH THE VILLAGERS.

want some?

IT'S HUGE.

DON'T TELL ME THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME TRYING ONE OF THESE.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO?

SO THAT'S IT.

LET'S GO.

WITH THE KING HAVING PASSED AWAY SO RECENTLY,

I DIDN'T THINK THEY'D HOLD THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR.

BY THE WAY, DID YOU SEE THE PEOPLE FROM THE PALACE?

I HEAR THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE PRINCESS.

THE PRINCESS?

APPARENTLY SHE CAME HERE ON HER OWN TO GET AWAY AND THEN DISAPPEARED.

SHE CAME ALL THIS WAY BY HERSELF?

MUST BE THE SHOCK OF HER FATHER'S DEATH.

I WONDER HOW SUCH A YOUNG PRINCESS MANAGED TO VANISH WITHOUT A TRACE.

YOU DON'T THINK THOSE MOUNTAIN FOLK HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT?

THEY BLAME US FOR EVERYTHING THAT GOES WRONG.

YOU THERE. A MOMENT.

WE NEED TO SEE THE CHILD.

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION BY THE ROYAL PALACE.

WELL, I'M HARDLY OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE A KID.

I'VE GOT URGENT BUSINESS, SO I'LL BE ON MY WAY.

THIS IS OFFICIAL BUSINESS.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT MATTER, SO YOU WILL COOPERATE QUIETLY WITH—

I TOLD YOU, THIS ISN'T MY KID.

SO KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF.

YOU...

YOU LITTLE PUNK. YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST-!

THAT ORNAMENT...

!!

IT'S THE PRINCESS!

PRINCESS...?

DID YOU KIDNAP HER?

THIS MAN IS NOW A SUSPECT. SEIZE HIM.

DAMN, JUST MY LUCK.

NO.

NOT AGAIN. SOMEONE ELSE IS GOING TO GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME...

H—

HE HAS N-NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!

I-I-I'M THE ONE WHO ASKED FOR H-HELP.

I... I JUST D-DIDN'T WANT TO G-GO BACK...

I'M S-S-SO SORRY.

I-I-I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TROUBLE.

P-PLEASE LET THIS M-MAN GO.

H-HE'S A STRANGER...

ESCORT HER.

THIS WAY, YOUR HIGHNESS.

HEY.

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO GO?

YOU THERE!

LET GO, OR WE'LL CONSIDER YOU A THREAT!

THEN GO.

BUT IF THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT,

CLOSE YOUR EYES.