Chapter 153 - 153. The End of One Journey and the Third Summer Bird
I couldn't keep up with Mizuki, and the swimming match ended with Mizuki’s team's victory. Afterwards, a group of children upset with Mizuki's team's win gathered, and together with our team, they launched a water balloon fight against Mizuki's team. As I had exhausted myself and was lazily preening as the leader, a coup d'état was staged by a group carrying Leanne. Fam stood before the children like Benkei's stubborn stance at Ataka, enduring the fierce attack, but in the end, I was carried along with her and thrown into the river. While all this was happening, the sun had set, and the sky turned dark blue, with stars beginning to twinkle. We ended up eating dinner on the open deck of an inn lining the shore of Heilong Beach with a family of close friends. The inn was practically booked out with us, so I gave the owner some gold coins so the guests could drink on my tab.
Here, the style is to go get meat grilled at a stall-like area, eat it as is, or put it between slices of bread—eat it however you like. Drinks are also received there.
"Mash, go get my serving."
Aira ordered imperiously.
"Ugh, you just caused trouble for everyone and didn't even participate in the match..."
"What? A lowly servant like you intends to complain?"
"...I will prepare food and drink, Lady Aira."
She didn't make any promise to become my servant; she only had to address me with honorifics. At least, if she was still wearing her swimsuit, I could forgive everything, but she had already changed.
"Make sure you work hard. Mash, get my share too!"
Bierce piled on.
"Hmph, Lord Bierce-same."
I went to get food for both of them. At the stall were Fam, Maira, Cecily, and even Leanne. We exchanged glances wordlessly. We would soon have them kneeling before us. That's what we swore.
Finally able to sit down and start eating, the meat, seasoned with spices, was delicious, but it was tough and impossible to tell what kind of meat it was. I miss the tender, thinly sliced Wagyu beef. Could a man like Hishida Tokichi ever be summoned to this world?
"Red meat is tenderer when it's younger," Fam answered as I explained "tsuruushi" to her. Then, it occurred to me that the meat here might have been from animals used for other purposes that were repurposed as livestock after growing old. Imagining their pre-meat form was making it hard to eat, so I stopped dwelling on it. She had been eyeing my beer since earlier. She didn't prepare a drink for herself.
"Just go get your ale," I said, pretending not to notice her intentions and drinking my beer. If she had too much, it would be a pain to carry her back from a place away from the inn, as no one would help, even if she became completely drunk for some reason. As I glanced at Mizuki, she was drinking from a wooden mug.
"It's ale. There's almost no alcohol in it," she said with foam on her lips. What she was drinking was definitely alcohol.
"What?"
"Nothing. Mizuki-sama."
I wiped her lips. I returned my gaze to Fam.
"Grumble, grumble, grumble..."
She was glaring at me resentfully. Reluctantly, I tried to pass her my beer, but I saw a group of five men enter the open deck. The owner was telling them it was full, but the leader restrained him and started walking towards me. It was a familiar man. It was the Chairman of Longhorn Street. The two bodyguards I saw at his mansion were also with him. Behind them was a familiar white-haired dog-eared man. I didn't recognize the other well-dressed man with long hair who looked like a swordsman. Shizuka noticed the Chairman and approached him.
"Hey hey, Chairman-chan. It's rare for you to be here, isn't it? What's up?"
She spoke casually, which I didn't understand why she was so approachable to such a troublesome man.
"Ah, I heard that someone I recognized was making a fuss on the beach. You seem to be doing well."
The Chairman glanced at L throwError eating meat next to Claire.
"Not well! I've been stuck in a dry spell by Mash! Chairman-chan, are you here because you missed me?"
Shizuka pressed her chest against the Chairman. I couldn't understand why this was happening so soon after she had boarded with us yesterday. I was just thinking this when I noticed Fam acting strange. She was trembling as she looked at the dog-eared man. The dog-eared man also had his eyes wide open in surprise.
"What is it, do you know each other...?"
"Fam..."
As I was about to ask Fam, the man called out her name.
"Chicchi... it's really... Chicchi!"
She stood up, knocking over her chair, and rushed to the man she called Chicchi.
"Village matters are heard,"
That one sentence caused her to stop and start trembling again.
"Chicchi... I... I... Chicchi, I'm the only one, I'm sorry!"
"Chicchi..." The man called her name as Fam began to cry.
"Chicchi..." Chicchi embraced her.
"You're not at fault."
"A man wanted me to bring you,"
The Chairman was right next to me before I knew it.
"Ah, yes..."
My consciousness had been absorbed by the events unfolding before me, but I somehow managed to reply. The situation was happening so suddenly that my thoughts couldn't keep up.
"Are you Mash? I'm Vasily, the leader of 'Lightning Flash'. I heard a dog-eared girl was walking around Longhorn Street,"
A hand was offered to me. I dazedly shook it. The name "Lightning Flash" seemed familiar, reminding me of a certain incident.
"What's going on? Why are you so flustered?"
Cecily frowned and asked me.
"Ah, this is the Chairman of Longhorn Street. And that dog-eared man is the one I saw at Longhorn Street the other day..."
"Hmm... So why are you hugging Fam?"
Vasily glared suspiciously at the Chairman and his cronies.
"He called me over because I have an acquaintance,"
"Is that so?"
A likely story.
"I have things I need to talk to you about. Were you at Okita Village when it was attacked by bandits?"
"Attack?"
Fam's village was attacked?
"Last early winter. The village was attacked during winter preparations,"
"So you were among the ones who resisted, like my mother and father. Did Nick and Sam... Did they survive?"
"They were captured and sold as slaves. But I alone was saved by our master and have become happy. Only I..."
Chicchi interrupted Fam's words.
"Fam... you're fine. It's not your fault."
"But..."
She still looked down and sobbed. Chicchi patted her shoulder comfortingly. That scene made me bristle. Fam wasn't sitting next to me, which was another thing I didn't like. No one was sitting in her assigned seat, and it was empty. Then Bierce carelessly sat down there.
"That dog-eared man was the one who caused trouble at Longhorn Street the other night, right? He might be worried about being asked for compensation by the victims,"
Bierce whispered to me. I felt a little saved by his cheerfulness. Mizuki and the others' gazes were still sharp, as they didn't understand the situation yet.
"Yes. It's hard to talk when you're antagonistic..."
Vasily shrugged.
"Actually, how come? Why is Fam crying?"
"We obtained information that a man carrying a dog-eared slave appeared at Longhorn Street. He was said to be an acquaintance of the Chairman, so he reconnected me,"
Vasily directed his question to Chicchi.
"That's right. From here, I will speak. She is from the same village. Her name is Famumu Okita."
"What?"
I was surprised, as was the rest of Levante's members.
"Why are you surprised, Mash!"
I was scolded by Mizuki, but I didn't know. Fam looked at me as she debated.
"It's a lie. I'm a fake. I'm just pretending to serve my master. I'm just pretending that my feelings are gone. I'm hiding my feelings. I love my master so much. I can't go back to my village, but my heart is here with my master,"
So that's why she wanted to wear that light blue outfit. More samurai-like than a samurai. More servant-like than a servant. As if she was living exactly like Okita Souji.
"That's why I can't go back to my village. I can't show my face to the people of my village..."
Fam stood up and ran out of the restaurant, toward the beach.
I chased after Fam onto the beach. The zelkova trees lining the street had lanterns hanging from them, providing light. However, the closer I got to the ocean, the darker it became, and the boundary between sea and shore blurred into the darkness. She kept running on that boundary.
"Stop, Fam!"
"I won't stop!"
Fam accelerated when she heard my voice. After swimming so much during the day, it was unbelievable she had so much stamina. There was no way I could catch up to her. My feet slipped.
"Whoa!"
I plunged into the shallow waters and got completely soaked. Sand got into my mouth, and I spat it out.
"Master!"
She worriedly turned back around and stopped. So, I jumped and hugged her.
"L-let go! Even you can't be by Master's side anymore!"
"Cut the crap. Where are you going on your own? Without you, I can't be an adventurer!"
She squirmed, so I held her tightly so she wouldn't break free. Then, the two of us fell into the shallow water. I mounted her and held her down.
"Cut the crap! You, cut the crap! What if I drop Racshell and shower those towns with arrows!? What if I wreck this world!?"
I wanted to convey heartfelt words. I wanted to calm her down. But I could only pour out my emotions and shout.
"Ah, Master... I won't run anymore. It hurts..."
"...Sorry..."
I loosened my grip on her.
We sat down at the water's edge. The cold night wind hit our wet clothes and skin. Heilong's city walls were visible across the river. There was a soft city light on the walls. The castle looked like it was floating in that light. Just the other day, I had dinner with Marmy. I wish her friend Fam could have been there. But she had already left for Migul.
"I had to lie to myself because being by Master's side was so precious. But I thought it was wrong to be happy while the people of my village were suffering. I was the only one who felt this way. My parents had to protect us."
"Idiot, don't talk nonsense. It's not your fault that the village was attacked. You're allowed to be happy. You're allowed to do what you want. Your parents and the villagers aren't so narrow-minded. They wanted you to be happy and protected you."
"Lies! How do you know what people you've never met feel? Don't try to deceive me with convenient words."
"Because I can see it in you. The peace and kindness you possess can't exist without being loved by those around you. You may be alone, but the people of your village still live inside you. Never forget that!"
She moved closer to me. Our cold arms touched.
"You don't understand me at all!"
"Ugh... I'm trying my best to understand Fam. But why didn't you tell me? You wanted to find the people of your village, didn't you?"
"That's impossible. My master has a duty. I didn't want you to throw it away. Ten years is over in a flash."
"Don't act so high and mighty when you've only lived ten years! Kids should ask adults for things! I might not be able to defeat the Demon King. But I can grant your wishes! I will summon Racshell and shower those towns with arrows until the world is broken!"
"I'm not a child anymore! It was my master who made me an adult! It's too late now. Furthermore, I'm not the only one who was being sold in the town of Richelle. We don't know where the slave trader went after. Just confirming everyone's safety will take up all the time my master gave me."
She knocked over the chair and ran out of the restaurant toward the beach.
I chased after Fam onto the beach. The zelkova trees lining the street had lanterns hanging from them, providing light. However, the closer I got to the ocean, the darker it became, and the boundary between sea and shore blurred into the darkness. She kept running on that boundary.
"Stop, Fam!"
"I won't stop!"
Fam accelerated when she heard my voice. After swimming so much during the day, it was unbelievable she had so much stamina. There was no way I could catch up to her. My feet slipped.
"Whoa!"
I plunged into the shallow waters and got completely soaked. Sand got into my mouth, and I spat it out.
"Master!"
She worriedly turned back around and stopped. So, I jumped and hugged her.
"L-let go! Even you can't be by Master's side anymore!"
"Cut the crap. Where are you going on your own? Without you, I can't be an adventurer!"
She squirmed, so I held her tightly so she wouldn't break free. Then, the two of us fell into the shallow water. I mounted her and held her down.
"Cut the crap! You, cut the crap! What if I drop Racshell and shower those towns with arrows!? What if I wreck this world!?"
I wanted to convey heartfelt words. I wanted to calm her down. But I could only pour out my emotions and shout.
"Ah, Master... I won't run anymore. It hurts..."
"...Sorry..."
I loosened my grip on her.
We sat down at the water's edge. The cold night wind hit our wet clothes and skin. Heilong's city walls were visible across the river. There was a soft city light on the walls. The castle looked like it was floating in that light. Just the other day, I had dinner with Marmy. I wish her friend Fam could have been there. But she had already left for Migul.
"I had to lie to myself because being by Master's side was so precious. But I thought it was wrong to be happy while the people of my village were suffering. I was the only one who felt this way. My parents had to protect us."
"Idiot, don't talk nonsense. It's not your fault that the village was attacked. You're allowed to be happy. You're allowed to do what you want. Your parents and the villagers aren't so narrow-minded. They wanted you to be happy and protected you."
"Lies! How do you know what people you've never met feel? Don't try to deceive me with convenient words."
"Because I can see it in you. The peace and kindness you possess can't exist without being loved by those around you. You may be alone, but the people of your village still live inside you. Never forget that!"
She moved closer to me. Our cold arms touched.
"You don't understand me at all!"
"Ugh... I'm trying my best to understand Fam. But why didn't you tell me? You wanted to find the people of your village, didn't you?"
"That's impossible. My master has a duty. I didn't want you to throw it away. Ten years is over in a flash."
"Don't act so high and mighty when you've only lived ten years! Kids should ask adults for things! I might not be able to defeat the Demon King. But I can grant your wishes! I will summon Racshell and shower those towns with arrows until the world is broken!"
"I'm not a child anymore! It was my master who made me an adult! It's too late now. Furthermore, I'm not the only one who was being sold in the town of Richelle. We don't know where the slave trader went after. Just confirming everyone's safety will take up all the time my master gave me."
She knocked over the chair and ran out of the restaurant toward the beach.
I chased after Fam onto the beach. The zelkova trees lining the street had lanterns hanging from them, providing light. However, the closer I got to the ocean, the darker it became, and the boundary between sea and shore blurred into the darkness. She kept running on that boundary.
"Stop, Fam!"
"I won't stop!"
Fam accelerated when she heard my voice. After swimming so much during the day, it was unbelievable she had so much stamina. There was no way I could catch up to her. My feet slipped.
"Whoa!"
I plunged into the shallow waters and got completely soaked. Sand got into my mouth, and I spat it out.
"Master!"
She worriedly turned back around and stopped. So, I jumped and hugged her.
"L-let go! Even you can't be by Master's side anymore!"
"Cut the crap. Where are you going on your own? Without you, I can't be an adventurer!"
She squirmed, so I held her tightly so she wouldn't break free. Then, the two of us fell into the shallow water. I mounted her and held her down.
"Cut the crap! You, cut the crap! What if I drop Racshell and shower those towns with arrows!? What if I wreck this world!?"
I wanted to convey heartfelt words. I wanted to calm her down. But I could only pour out my emotions and shout.
"Ah, Master... I won't run anymore. It hurts..."
"...Sorry..."
I loosened my grip on her.
We sat down at the water's edge. The cold night wind hit our wet clothes and skin. Heilong's city walls were visible across the river. There was a soft city light on the walls. The castle looked like it was floating in that light. Just the other day, I had dinner with Marmy. I wish her friend Fam could have been there. But she had already left for Migul.
"I had to lie to myself because being by Master's side was so precious. But I thought it was wrong to be happy while the people of my village were suffering. And that I was the only one."
"Don't, that's not true, Fam. You were also there. If you thought so much, why did you let me spend so much time with you?"
"Because I love you."
"You're selfish!"
"Am not!"
She blushed.
"Come on, run away," I said, grabbing her hand and standing up. "Why?" she asked, bewildered. "We'll escape. We're going to swim to the other side."
"Then why run?"
"It's a common law marriage."
"...Then, in that case, I'll follow you."
"There's freedom on the other bank. I'm confident I can swim there. Can you?"
"Muu! I can't do crawl, but I can dog paddle."
"Alright, let's swim. I'll teach you the crawl."
I dashed into the water. Fam followed. Unlike the daytime, it was cold. Still, I kept going and eventually reached a point where my feet couldn't touch the bottom. Both Fam and I started swimming toward the opposite shore.
"It's cold. Master's body is getting cold,"
She said, ignoring me as I kept swimming. There was no calm sea, but the stronger the current, the deeper the water seemed to become. We flowed downstream. I barely explained the crawl, but she easily mastered it.
"I like this way of swimming more than the crawl. I don't have to wet my face, so my ears don't get wet."
Although there were some awkward parts, she would be better than me by the time we reached the other side. The moon rose in the eastern sky, illuminating the water surface. It was a bright moon, somewhere between a full moon and a half-moon.
"Master, I think I'll go talk to Chicchi again tomorrow."
Fam's voice was a little brighter.
"I'll go with you."
"No, I think it would be better to talk with just the two of us. I'll tell you what we talked about later."
"I don't allow you to be alone with a man!"
"It feels like it's the first time I'm seeing this kind of exchange, even though I'm always jealous,"
Fam finally smiled.
"Are you... did you..."
"N-no! I only belong to Master!"
"You panicked a little,"
"Even if there's nothing wrong, it makes you nervous in these situations..."
"That's right. So, please be a little nicer to me from now on."
"...What Master said is true, so I can accept that. Please don't let there be a next time!"
That was a request I couldn't grant.
"Fam, I want you to stay with me from now on."
"Master..."
Fam started treading water. I hugged her.
"I will follow you from now on, Master,"
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