Chapter 114 - <3>
As Lef led them on, they began to see the bright red glow of a fire through the trees.
"Whoa… it's so bright."
Anna squinted. The light was dazzling after walking through the forest after sunset. It seemed her eyes had grown accustomed to the dim darkness of a single lamp, and even the flickering flames visible between the trees were more than bright enough.
"Yeah, it is."
Ritz, walking beside her while leading the horse, nodded with a grim look on his face. Whenever Ritz was required to act, he usually seemed to be having some sort of fun, but this time, not a single shred of that cheerful amusement was present. It worried Anna.
When Ritz had accepted this role, Anna had been so sure he would just scratch his head and laugh, saying his usual, "Man, can't be helped."
Since she had practically forced the role on him for the sake of Lef and the villagers, his dejection made her feel a little responsible. The 'corrupt private soldier of Saradio' or the 'hired bodyguard in Faldina' he had played—while Franz called him a swindler—had been very well done in Anna's eyes, and he had looked like he was having fun.
He had even perfectly played the role of a 'Minister' that convinced all the citizens of the Royal Capital. From Anna's perspective, while he had seemed busy, she thought he had enjoyed it to some extent.
And yet, despite the short duration of just their time in Lef's village, he seemed incredibly reluctant to play a spirit user. Anna had no way of knowing what made this so different.
Still, Anna absolutely did not want to sadden Lef, who was in trouble, or the villagers, who were looking forward to it. If there was something they could do, she wanted to help. That said, she couldn't come up with any brilliant ideas like Ritz or Edward could.
What's more, she couldn't take Ritz's place in this matter. To be as tall as Lef with black hair, she'd have to grow more than forty centimeters and dye her hair. Hair color aside, there was no faking her height, and changing her gender was completely impossible.
So for now, Anna decided to stay by Ritz's side, take responsibility as the one who suggested it, and do her best to support him.
"What a mess…"
As Ritz sighed and scratched his head, Anna found herself grabbing the hem of his clothes. She turned to look at Franz and Edward, who were right behind them, wondering if they had any idea why Ritz was so dejected. But like her, neither of them seemed to know why he was so resistant to playing a spirit user, and they just gave her a small shake of their heads.
Maybe Edward is just pretending not to know. Maybe he knows something. Anna sighed quietly at the thought.
She had only recently realized that there was an invisible line drawn between the two older members, Edward and Ritz, and the two younger ones, Anna and Franz. Any conversation that crossed that line was never shared with them.
It was subtly frustrating, and a little lonely.
For now, she had no idea what to do for the downcast Ritz, so she walked in silence, staring straight ahead at the village lights that were gradually drawing closer.
Suddenly, a hand was placed gently on her head with a soft pat.
"What?"
Ritz was the only one who would do something like that, so she looked up at his face, far above her own. He was smiling wryly.
"You're furrowing your brow."
"Huh?"
She reflexively touched her forehead and, sure enough, her eyebrows were knitted together. It seemed her thoughts had been written all over her face.
"Oh, no. I didn't realize."
As she rubbed her forehead, Ritz let out a small laugh and tapped her head lightly in a teasing manner.
"You look so young, but if you keep making faces like that, you'll start looking your real age."
"I don't mind. Then I'll look older than you, Ritz."
Ritz only looked to be in his mid-twenties. Anna's real age was thirty-one, so she wasn't wrong.
"You, older than me? The thought alone sends shivers down my spine."
"Ehehehe. Once I'm older, I'll act like a proper big sister to you."
"Imagining that makes me feel a little sympathy for Franz."
Ritz glanced back at Franz with exaggerated theatricality, and Franz shot him a sharp glare in return. Ritz shrugged dramatically. Seeing Ritz back to his usual self made Anna happy, and she puffed out her chest, getting carried away.
"If you play the part of the spirit user well, your big sister will pat you on the head and tell you what a good boy you are."
"Ugh… I don't even want to imagine a scene like that."
"Really?"
Wondering if he really disliked the idea, she looked up to find him grinning like a mischievous child.
"Well, if it's not just your face but all your other parts that have matured, it'd be a tempting offer."
"Hey! You're still treating me like a kid!"
She puffed out her cheeks and glared up at him again, only to find his eyes had turned gentle, a complete change from moments before. They were so kind that Anna's own expression softened. With that same gentle look, Ritz stroked her head, paused for a moment, and then spoke quietly.
"I'm fine."
He must have realized that Anna, as the one who had brought it up, was feeling responsible for forcing it on him.
"But you don't really want to do it, do you?"
The words she had found so hard to say came out smoothly.
"Yeah. Pretty much."
Though his words said as much, his tone was significantly lighter than before.
"I knew it."
"But this isn't something you need to feel responsible for. Sure, you brought it up, but I'm the one who made the final decision."
"I know, but…"
Still, the guilt of having pushed it on him wouldn't disappear.
"I'm a proper adult, you know. I take responsibility for the things I agree to. Besides…"
Ritz cut himself off. When she looked up at him, he was smiling his usual bright smile and gave her a wink.
"I've always wanted to try being a spirit user at least once. I mean, I'm part of the spirit clan, after all."
Anna had no idea if his cheerful smile was genuine or an act. But she decided to believe his words were true.
"Okay, then do your best to be a convincing spirit user!"
"You got it. Leave it to me."
When Ritz laughed and replied in his usual tone, Anna finally felt the tension leave her shoulders and let out a sigh of relief. With that relief came a bit of lighthearted teasing.
"If you do a good job, should I really give you a 'good boy' pat?"
"You…"
Ritz's tone was somewhere between being made fun of and being exasperated. Then, as if he'd just realized something, he thought for a few seconds before a playful smirk spread across his face.
"Alright, you better not forget you said that."
"Huh? What?"
"Alright, guess I'll give it my all."
"Ritz?"
She called out to his back as he walked ahead cheerfully, asking if he was joking or serious, but he didn't answer. Was this his revenge for her getting carried away? She couldn't imagine Ritz being happy about getting his head patted for real.
Confused, she glanced at him again. Ritz had taken his greatsword from his shoulder, hidden it deep within his luggage, and pulled out a large piece of cloth. He arranged it over his shoulders like a scarf, adjusting it with his hands to cover the lower half of the back of his head.
"This should do it."
Ritz said, satisfied. At a glance, he looked like a clergyman with a stole over his shoulders.
Maybe this is part of his preparation for playing a spirit user. If so, it was the perfect way to wrap a single piece of cloth to look the part. Perhaps Ritz knew more about spirit users than she thought.
Forgetting her earlier question completely, she pondered this until the group arrived at the clearing where Lef's clan was waiting.
"Father, I've brought our guests!"
Lef, who had been walking at the front, waved and headed into a clearing where the fire they had seen flickering between the trees was now burning as a massive bonfire. The rest of them followed in a line.
"Everyone, this is my home, the Red Village of Red Valley."
Lef turned back, beaming with joy. He gestured ahead to a wall of giant people, all of them smiling.
"Whoa…"
A gasp of amazement escaped her lips. She had thought Lef was large due to some personal characteristic, just like Ritz, but that was clearly not the case. The beastfolk who greeted them were all even taller than Ritz. That meant they were all over two meters tall.
It wasn't just the men; the women were tall, too. Even the smallest woman was taller than Edward.
From Anna's short perspective, it was an incredible, overwhelming feeling, like a wall was standing before her. To her surprise, when surrounded by them, Ritz looked to be of normal height, and even Edward seemed small.
She felt as though she and Franz had suddenly shrunk. If she had to describe the feeling in one word, it was as if she'd wandered into a wonderland and been instantly shrunken down.
She glanced back to see Franz looking just as stunned as she felt. His expression was as blank as ever, but after their long time together, Anna could tell.
But contrary to the overwhelming presence, the faces of the dozens of people were bright, and every single one of them was waiting with a warm, welcoming smile. Their expressions were as gentle as the good-natured Lef's, if not more so.
She had heard that the beastfolk were an inherently gentle and simple people. That much was clear just from looking at their faces.
She had been a little nervous about visiting the village of a non-human race for the first time, but to be welcomed with such smiles by people she'd never met was wonderful. They had a warmth that couldn't be found in a bustling city like the Royal Capital, and it reminded her of her hometown, Vishnu, which was a little soothing.
After a moment, the gazes of the gentle-looking people swept over their group and settled on a single person. Naturally, that person was the one whom the beastfolk respected above all else: a member of the spirit clan.
Though he must have known he was being watched, Ritz kept his expression perfectly still and stared at the fire, the cloth on his head casting a mysterious shadow over his face.
Eventually, a man with a dignified physique, his face from ear to jaw covered in rich brown fur, stepped out from behind Lef and approached Ritz. Without hesitation, he knelt before him.
"We bid you welcome. We are the Clan of the Earth, who receive the protection of the soil. To welcome you, a member of the Clan of Light, who are closest to the Goddess, is a joy beyond our wildest dreams."
His deferential attitude, as if he were having an audience with a king, made Anna freeze. Perhaps playing the part of a spirit user from the spirit clan was a bigger deal than she had thought.
But what surprised her even more was Ritz's reaction. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened them. His eyes held a terrifyingly serene atmosphere, making him seem completely different from the usual Ritz. But there was no dark shadow like the one from the assassination attempt incident; they were simply clear.
As she stared blankly—despite having forced this on him—Ritz spun his words in a calm, refined tone, completely different from his usual careless way of speaking.
"Please, raise your head, Chief of the Red Clan. I am but a liaison between Ciedena and the outside world. I am not of such a noble station."
"But…"
The chief stood up slowly, looking troubled. Ritz placed a hand on his chest and gave a smiling nod.
"It is fine. I have been away from the forest for so long now that I sometimes feel I might forget that I am of the Clan of Light."
Until now, she had thought of Ritz as a fast-talking con man, so this completely different attitude was quite a shock. But this performance, unlike his others, was so natural that despite being so out of character, it created the illusion that this was Ritz's original personality.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she instinctively glanced behind her and caught sight of Franz's rare, slack-jawed expression. Edward, however, was acting as usual, so perhaps he had seen this side of Ritz before.
That wasn't all that surprised her. She felt like she'd heard Ritz speak like this somewhere before. She was sure someone had spoken this way somewhere, but she couldn't quite remember who it was or when.
"I understand. Then allow me to welcome you once more to our Red Village. I am the chief, Adlif. Lef's father."
"I am Ritz Alster of Ciedena. I serve as a negotiator. And this is…"
Ritz turned around with an expression she had never seen before, smiling brightly as he beckoned Edward forward. Edward made a face of extreme reluctance for a moment, but he couldn't escape Ritz's eerily calm smile and reluctantly stood beside him.
"This is the former king of Yuresla, Edward. I am merely accompanying him on his inspection tour."
With that, Ritz smoothly made Edward the main character of this journey. Anna thought it was probably the most natural way to explain their situation, given their respective positions.
"Is that so! My apologies, Your Majesty!"
To the shocked and trembling Adlif, Edward's reluctant face transformed, creating the perfect, dignified smile of a king. Both Ritz and Edward were so good at this sort of thing that Anna, who couldn't act to save her life, was always impressed.
"Do not trouble yourself. Though I call it an inspection, this journey is little more than sightseeing."
"Even so, to be able to welcome the former king of a neighboring country is a joy beyond our dreams."
"However, Edward does not wish to be treated with such formality."
Ritz informed Adlif with a straight face. Adlif bowed his head to Ritz, looking humbled.
"Understood."
Only Anna and Franz, watching from behind, saw Edward pinch Ritz's arm as he stood next to him. And they saw Ritz try to bat his hand away. It looked like they were fighting, but it was comical how their expressions remained perfectly that of a member of the spirit clan and a king.
Despite this battle happening beneath the surface, Ritz continued to speak without breaking his smile.
"And this is my apprentice, Franz, and Edward's attendant, Anna."
It seemed Anna's role was not that of a spirit user. She looked at Franz next to her and saw him staring at Ritz with an expression of deep dissatisfaction. He'd been given a seemingly useful role, yet he was making a face like that. She unconsciously wondered why, then tilted her head at the emotion that sometimes surfaced within her.
What good would it do to be jealous of Franz?
"Welcome, you have come a long way."
Once the introductions were over, Lef's father, Adlif, smiled pleasantly.
"There is much I would like to ask, but my son tells me you are very tired. We will hold a welcoming feast tomorrow, so please rest for today."
Adlif beckoned Lef over and gave him a calm order.
"Show them to their lodgings for the night. The meal is ready as well, so see that you are not impolite."
"Yes, Father."
"Then please, make yourselves comfortable."
With that, all the villagers bowed their heads. Being revered like this by people so much larger than her felt incredibly ticklish.
Feeling the villagers' eyes on her back, she followed Lef to a large, conical house made of a wooden frame and white hides. Judging by its construction, it was more of a hut than a house. But it was a very large hut.
Set slightly into the sloping wall was a wooden door perpendicular to the ground, which they pushed to enter. The inside was spacious, with enough room for all five of them and more.
Runners woven carefully from something like grass were laid on the floor. There was no table; instead, a large, round wooden plank was placed in the center.
Around it were several thick, roundly woven mats. Apparently, they served as chairs. In a corner of the hut lay what looked like rolled-up animal hides; since there was nothing else, they were likely bedding.
After the group entered the house, Lef looked around one last time before coming inside. He carefully closed the door and turned to face them.
"It's alright. No one is here anymore."
At those words, everyone sighed and sat down. Ritz, who had flawlessly played the part of a spirit clan member, fell sideways on the spot, still wearing the cloth over his shoulders.
"You mean I have to talk and act like that as long as I'm in this village?"
Despite it only being a few minutes, Ritz was completely drained. Franz spoke coolly.
"Your food and lodging depend on it, don't they?"
"Well, yeah…"
"It's what you told me, so you should be able to do it."
Realizing Franz was throwing his own words back at him, Ritz let out a huge sigh, lay on his back, and dramatically flung out his arms and legs. It was amazing that there was enough space for the large Ritz to do that and still leave plenty of room for everyone else to relax.
Then again, all the beastfolk were large, so it was only natural. The construction was on the crude side, but it looked sturdy, and Anna was genuinely impressed that they could maintain such a large space.
Edward, who had been inspecting the building's interior, returned and glared at Ritz, who was still lying on the floor grumbling.
"By the way, why did you have to reveal my identity?"
"Heh, like I'd let you have it easy."
"I see. So you dragged me into this for that reason alone."
"You were planning to just relax and sightsee as some retired sightseer, weren't you?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"I wasn't about to let that happen. Besides, what's the big idea, pinching my arm while I'm trying my best to act?"
"It was the most suitable way to convey my reluctance without words, was it not?"
Sensing the two were about to start a half-serious fight, Anna subtly stepped between them.
"Anyway, Ritz, you were amazing! I was so surprised. You really seemed like someone from the spirit clan."
She had intended to be subtle, but it seemed the two of them saw right through her, as they both turned to her with similar smiles. Edward shrugged, and Ritz, who had been lying down, sat up to answer her.
"…I really am from the spirit clan, you know."
Ritz said with a wry smile as he sat down heavily on the floor. Right, that was true. To Anna, the spirit clan were fairy-like beings she'd heard about from the village elder and her adoptive father, and the pictures in books showed them with a divine, sparkling light shining from behind.
That had been her image of them until now, so she just couldn't connect the Ritz she knew with the spirit clan, and she completely forgot about it sometimes.
"Oh, right. I always forget."
"If Ritz is of the spirit clan, their reputation takes a nosedive. It's wiser to forget."
Before Ritz could snap back at Edward for twisting Anna's embarrassed attempt to cover up, she posed another question.
"Question! Why am I Ed-san's attendant?"
"That's obvious. If I get asked to do something troublesome, I want you and Ed to gently support me from the outside."
"Oh, I see."
She didn't fully understand, but she nodded. Franz, looking dissatisfied, cut in.
"So that means you're going to drag me into those troublesome things, right, Ritz?"
"Of course. I'm playing a spirit user. What good would that be if I can't see spirits?"
"You're planning something else, too, aren't you?"
Franz asked with heavy, tired eyes and an exhausted tone. Ritz answered without a hint of remorse.
"Naturally. If they ask for spirit magic, as a master, I'd want to give my apprentice plenty of experience, wouldn't I?"
"…If you were a real master, maybe."
"So this is my way of thoughtfully letting you gain lots of experience."
"An unwelcome favor."
Not understanding the meaning behind Franz's weary reply and annoyed demeanor, she tilted her head. Edward explained on their behalf.
"In other words, if someone asks Ritz to show them spirit magic, he plans to grandly tell Franz, 'Show them, for the sake of your training.'"
It was starting to make sense.
"Oh. So Ritz is planning to have Franz manipulate the spirits for him instead."
"Exactly. That way, even Ritz, who can't handle spirits, can keep up the act."
"I see."
She understood. But she felt a little disappointed that the role couldn't have been hers. Her dissatisfaction must have shown on her face, because Ritz smiled at her.
"We don't know what might happen in a situation like this. Of course, I'll need your help too."
"But you told me to support you…"
"I really do appreciate the thought. But think about it. Doesn't a water spirit user seem a little unbalanced for someone with my personality?"
"Hmm. Now that you mention it, maybe."
"There you go."
As she looked up at Ritz, still not entirely convinced, Edward spoke up in place of the uncomfortable-looking Ritz.
"Ritz has his own reasons, I'm sure. Right, Ritz?"
"…Pretty much."
He said it reluctantly before turning his face away sharply. It felt like she shouldn't press the matter any further. If Ritz said so, there must be a reason. She convinced herself of that.
"Anyway, let's eat and sleep. We can worry about tomorrow tomorrow."
Ritz said as he turned away. But his gaze went past Anna to a corner of the room. His words had made her stomach suddenly growl.
Following his gaze, she saw a stove in the corner of the house with a large pot on it. Come to think of it, there had been a very nice smell for a while now. It seemed Ritz had been the first to spot the food.
There was still a bright red fire burning in the stove, so Anna picked up a lamp and walked over to the pot. Her adoptive father had taught her that unspoken things should eat first, so before satisfying her own stomach and curiosity, she moved Sara from her lamp to the stove's fire.
"You first, Sara-chan."
"Kee, An-kee!"
It was hard to tell if she was trying to say thank you or Anna. But one thing was certain: Sara was happy to be in a stable fire other than firewood for the first time in a while. After Sara disappeared, becoming one with the flames, Anna hung the lamp on the side of the stove and stared at the pot before her. It looked big and heavy.
"Food, food."
She eagerly reached for the pot's lid when she heard Edward say something to Ritz behind her. Ritz replied, still in a bad mood. She couldn't hear Edward's question, but Ritz's thoroughly grumpy reply was, "What's it to you?" so it was probably just their usual friendly bickering.
She was a little curious about what they were saying, but her stomach was very honestly telling her to "Look at the food," so she did as her stomach said and lifted the lid.
"Whoa… it looks delicious."
The moment she opened the pot, she was enveloped in a warm, fragrant aroma. That alone was enough to make her stomach rumble. Beyond the steam, the pot was filled with a warm-looking stew.
"It's stew."
She excitedly stirred it with a wooden ladle, scooping up the ingredients to see what they were. It was a brown stew, primarily meat-based, with lots of mushrooms and what looked like nuts. What was different was that there were no leafy green vegetables like the ones she had seen in the towns and villages so far.
Instead, perhaps, there were a lot of beans.
"Lef, are all these beans?"
"Yes. The village's staple foods are beans and corn."
"Oh, I see."
As Anna nodded deeply, learning this for the first time, she sensed someone's presence next to her and turned. As expected, it was Ritz, the one who had spotted the pot first. Come to think of it, Ritz had said he was interested in the village's local cuisine.
He was also the one who had snatched her cake when they first came to this country, just because he had never eaten it before.
"What's this nutty smell?"
Ritz asked, looking thoroughly intrigued. Lef smiled brightly.
"It's nuts. The kind you said you liked, Ritz."
"…I see."
A cool voice, as if completely exasperated, came from behind the two who wouldn't leave the pot.
"The gluttony combo."
But Ritz, his happy expression unchanged, replied without turning to look at Franz.
"Isn't that a compliment?"
"Your hearing must be bad, Ritz."
Even while saying such sarcastic things, she knew Franz was hungry too, so Anna turned around and smiled at him.
"I'll serve you some now, so just wait."
"…I wasn't rushing you."
Even Anna was a little tired from the harsh journey so far. They had finally arrived safely at the beastman village, and now there was food. She wanted to eat gratefully and sleep well.
Besides, she didn't know how many days they would be staying, but she was happy to think she could leisurely see a village she was learning about for the first time.
"Alright, let's eat."
Anna brought the pot to the center of the room and, with a wooden ladle in hand, smiled at everyone.