Chapter 277 - 277. The Unending Flow of Seasons, and Okita Village That Day
Okita Village was a small dog-eared race settlement nestled deep in the mountains. The village, blessed by nature, housed about forty families within its wooden-fenced borders. The residents engaged in various livelihoods such as logging, wheat cultivation, animal husbandry, and gathering, primarily living a self-sufficient life though not isolated. Exchanges with neighboring dog-eared villages were also frequent. I heard that the next village was also named Okita Village. In fact, all the villages scattered throughout the region were called Okita Village. The dog-eared race could distinguish between them by subtle differences in pronunciation, but outsiders couldn’t detect those nuances. Therefore, the villagers simply referred to their settlements as "The Village" to other races, apparently without any intention of adopting different names. They took pride in the name of their village.
It was Fam’s first return in a year.
Ten days had passed since we left the lakeside fortress. We encountered deeper mountains than I had imagined, and our journey consisted of relentless ascents and descents. The beech forest had turned yellow, and the temperature gradually dropped in harmony with the autumn hues. Fam occasionally misled us, but once we entered the mountains, she never got lost. Meanwhile, though Marmie often grew tired from walking, her steps became steadier with each passing day. As I watched her from behind, she suddenly turned, noticing my gaze.
"You've gotten quite used to walking."
Unlike me, who was slightly out of breath from the climb, she didn't seem exhausted.
"...Because I'm young. If Mash is tired, I can slow down for him."
She said this with an inexplicable smugness.
"Is that so?"
I wanted to retort with something clever, but nothing came to mind. I took a deep breath to steady myself. Maira noticed me doing this.
"What's wrong? Should we take a break soon?"
"Oh! I'm not an old woman!"
She puffed up her cheeks and turned away. We had to take breaks at the first sign of fatigue and proceed carefully, as there was a risk of encountering monsters. But seeing her, I thought we could make it to the pass a little further ahead. "Tired," Maira murmured. "Honestly, you push yourself too hard…" "Muu, I'm still young! Aren't you the most tired, Mash?" Maira nudged me with her shoulder. As we approached the pass, I was about to call for a break when Fam suddenly stopped and hesitated as if she had spotted something. Her ears drooped, and then she started walking briskly. "Fam?"
We, the ones left behind, exchanged glances. Beyond the pass was a gentle downhill slope, a continuation of the mountain path. As if being pushed by the descent, she began to run. We chased after her, following her back. "Fam!" We tried to stop her, but she didn't. Before long, the beech forest thinned, and we emerged into a sunlit area. It was an open field of waist-high grass. The babbling of a nearby brook started to become audible. The path seemed to end, but the rustling sound of Fam pushing through the grass followed. We followed the sound, and the grass grew to about knee-height. She was already gone. Ahead, I could see the wooden fence marking the edge of the village.
"Is this Fam's village?"
There was no sign of people or animals. Several sections of the fence were broken, with burn marks suggesting they had been set on fire. But there was no smell. It must have been left in this state for a year. The fragments of logs that had been the village gate lay scattered. I stopped and surveyed the surroundings again. The fence was not sturdy; it was likely intended to mark the village boundary or prevent livestock from escaping. There had been no anticipation of a bandit attack. Beyond the fence, I could see several wooden buildings. On closer inspection, some of these buildings had also been burned or had collapsed roofs, with broken doors left unrepaired. The ruins were half-buried in grass, indicating that they had been abandoned for some time. I couldn't sense any people. However, a strong sense of the life that had once thrived here lingered, as if rejecting any intruders who weren’t villagers. As I hesitated whether to enter, Mizuki tapped me on the shoulder.
"Mash, we need to find Fam."
"Is it okay to enter…? Will Fam be angry…?"
"What are you saying? You're the only one who knows Fam!"
"Oh, r-right…"
Mizuki nudged me forward, and I stepped over the fence. As I did, I stepped on a fallen wooden plank, which made a surprisingly loud sound.
Weeds overran the fields. Weeds even sprouted from the hardened dirt path.
"It's been about a year, hasn't it…"
No one responded to Maira’s murmur. The sun blazed down, a refreshing breeze rustled through the trees, and the only sound was the gentle babbling of the brook. Chichi from Heilong and Marianne from Migul’s city were gathering the villagers here to try and rebuild. What could they accomplish if Samiembre, Fam, and they returned to this place? In just a short time without people, the village was already decaying and returning to its natural state. I walked, lost in somber thoughts, when a cluster of yellow daisies caught my eye.
"Are those Siberian chrysanthemums? Do they even bloom in a place like this…?"
Mizuki muttered and glanced at my expression. When I remained silent, unable to answer her, she pointed to a stone monument in the center. Maira squinted, trying to read the inscribed text.
"Is this writing? If so, what does it say?"
Mizuki and I tilted our heads. Mizuki read aloud, "It's written in Japanese: 'Unless you move, the darkness will separate the flower and the water.'"
"Um, what does that mean?"
Maira asked Mizuki.
"Erm… In our world, there was a samurai... a swordsman named Okita Souji. It was the death poem he supposedly composed as he lay dying. A loose translation would be, 'I lie ill, hovering between life and death, unable to move, but I'm thinking of my comrades.'"
"Is that so… Does that mean this person was the legendary Okita Souji?"
"That's not how it works. The Okita Souji we know died in our world… The Okita Souji here probably knew about our Okita Souji, like us, and tried to emulate him."
I patted Mizuki on the shoulder.
"Mizuki… neither of us understands what you're talking about!"
"Hmph, then you explain it, Mash!"
She glared at me, being cheeky. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her.
"Ngh, moo, moo!"
Mizuki struggled and pushed me away, then wiped her mouth.
"Geez, don't suddenly do something unrelated!"
She glared at me again, and I thought she wanted more, so I got closer, but Maira suddenly stepped in, raised her arm, and pushed us apart.
"From what you've said, I understand about your world. So why is this inscribed stone here?"
"Logically, this should be Okita Souji’s grave, and he sleeps here. However, because he's become a legendary figure, we can’t say for sure if it’s genuinely his grave…"
It all remains speculation. I looked at the chrysanthemums swaying in the breeze, looking beautiful. "Is Fam's guardian deity perhaps Okita Souji?"
"Would a man who saved the dog-eared race curse them…? Besides, do summoned individuals even have that kind of power?"
The Special Skills of Okita Souji were probably Ama no Murakumo, Yata no Kagami, and Yasakani no Magatama. These three special skills combined to create the sword. Perhaps those special skills could contain such an ability.
While pondering, Marmie peered at me.
"What's wrong?"
Was she jealous that I kissed Mizuki earlier?
"...Fam is gone. We need to find her first."
Her words snapped me back to reality. Nefee, watching my reaction, shrugged.
"You're really not showing any sense of urgency."
We searched for Fam's figure as we walked through the village. The buildings were decaying, and the village was rapidly reverting to nature. Nothing suggested there had been a conflict. People had simply vanished from this village. That was the feeling I got.
There were houses with broken windows and missing doors, like small log cabins. The door of one house lay at its threshold, as if kicked down. It had begun to rot and was stained. Dog paw prints were drawn on the door, like a seal stamp made of ink. It was faded and chipped from exposure. It felt odd for a dog-eared race to keep dogs, but they probably kept a large dog in this house. As I stared at the paw prints, I heard a thud from inside. We looked at each other and peered into the house.
"Fam?"
She seemed to be cleaning the room. Thinking she hadn't noticed me, I tried to enter, but the sound of the wooden floor creaking was louder than expected. Her dog ears twitched, and she turned.
"This is my house! Don't just barge in!"
Her strong reaction startled me, and I stepped back.
"S-sorry. We'll stay outside since we were outside. Please call us when you need us…"
As I said this and tried to leave, she grabbed my wrist.
"Where are you going? The Master is over here."
"Eh? Ah…"
Confused by her reaction, Maira raised an index finger and pointed outside. Then, she led Mizuki, Marmie, and Nefee outside. She must have been trying to make sure we were alone with Fam. But I didn’t know what to say to her.
"Today, I wanted the Master to meet my mom and dad so that they knew that I had someone precious like they do."
She said this and smiled softly.
"But it seems they went out somewhere. The house is usually cleaner than this. They must have been in a great hurry for something urgent."
"Fam…"
I could find no words to say, and simply uttered her name.
"Don't just stand there, sit down."
She must have put the table and chairs back. They were arranged neatly. She tried to stand up a fallen chair, but the leg was broken, and it fell over with a thud. The sound echoed loudly in the house.
"I wanted to offer you something to drink, but there’s no milk. The dishes are dirty, so I’ll wash them. Master, can you create water with water magic?"
"Fam…"
At my words, she gave a faint smile. Her fist was clenched tightly, as if desperately forcing that smile to stay.
"I thought I'd be able to eat Mom's fluffy omelet for the first time in a long time, but today I'll try my best to serve the Master. Please relax."
"Fam…"
My words made her shoulders flinch. And yet, she forced a smile.
"Master, please understand. I understand. But please indulge me today? I want to spend time with you in this house. This house is too big for just me."
I couldn't answer her words, and I sat down.
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