kscans

Chapter 153 - The End of One Journey and the Third Summer Bird

The swimming showdown ended with Mizuki's team winning, as I had no chance of catching up to the leading Mizuki. Afterwards, the spectator children, who were not satisfied with Mizuki's team's victory, rallied together and, along with our team, launched a water fight against Mizuki's team. In contrast to the children who could keep making a racket indefinitely, I, exhausted, was loafing around like a commander when a faction that had hoisted Reeni onto their shoulders staged a coup.

Famu stood before the children like the legendary monk Benkei, withstanding their fierce assault, but in the end, I was lifted up along with her and thrown into the river. While all this was happening, the sun set, the sky turned a dark blue, and stars began to twinkle.

We ended up having dinner with the families of the parents and children we had completely befriended, on the open deck of an inn lining the shore of Heilon Beach. The place was almost exclusively occupied by us, so I gave the staff a gold coin and made drinks my treat for all the customers. Here, the style was to get meat that the staff was grilling at a stall-like place and eat it as is or in a sandwich. You also got your drinks there.

"Mash, go get my portion,"

Aira commanded me with a haughty attitude.

"Guh, you just caused trouble for everyone and had nothing to do with the outcome of the match..."

"What? Are you planning to talk back to me, a mere servant?"

"...I will prepare your food and drink, Aira-sama."

The losers were only supposed to use '-sama,' there was no agreement about becoming servants. If only she had stayed in her swimsuit, I could have forgiven everything, but she had already changed.

"Work hard, Mash. My portion too!"

Beers added insult to injury.

"Yes, Beers-sama."

I went to get food for the two of them. When I got to the stall, Famu, Myra, Cecily, and even Reeni were there. We exchanged silent glances. We vowed to make them kneel before us soon.

Finally, I got a seat and could eat. The meat was seasoned with spices and was delicious, but it was tough, and I couldn't tell what kind of meat it was. I longed for soft, marbled beef. Had a man like Shusuke Maeda not been transferred to this world?

"Even lean meat is tender if it's young,"

Famu replied as I was explaining about Tsuruushi cattle. In that case, was the meat here from animals that had been used for other purposes and then repurposed for meat in their old age? Imagining their forms before they became meat made me lose my appetite, so I stopped thinking about it. She had been staring at my beer for a while now. It seemed she hadn't gotten her own drink.

"You go get an ale, quick."

I pretended not to notice her usual intention and drank my beer. If she took a big gulp far from the inn, it would be a pain to carry her back. After all, even if she got drunk and couldn't move, for some reason, no one would help me. I glanced at Mizuki and saw her tilting a wooden mug.

"This is ale. It hardly has any alcohol in it!"

She had foam on her lips. What she was drinking was definitely beer.

"What?"

"It's nothing, Mizuki-sama."

I wiped her mouth. I turned my gaze back to Famu.

"Mmmmmm..."

She was looking at me with a resentful expression. I was about to reluctantly hand her the beer when I saw a group of five men enter the open deck. When a staff member went to tell them they were full, the man at the front stopped him and started walking towards me.

He was a man I recognized. It was the Chairman, the boss of Longhorn Street. The two bodyguards I had seen at his mansion were also there. Behind them was a white-furred dog-eared man I recognized. I didn't recognize the remaining slender man. He was a long-haired, swordsman-like man. Shizuka noticed the Chairman and walked up to him.

"Ciao ciao, Chairman-chan. Isn't it rare to see you in a place like this? What's up?"

she asked with her usual casualness. I didn't understand how she could talk so casually to such an intimidating man.

"Ah, I heard the ones making a racket on the beach were acquaintances of mine. You seem to be doing well."

The Chairman's gaze shifted to Reeni, who was munching on meat next to Claire.

"Not well at all! Mash has been keeping me on a leash, and I'm about to explode from the drought! Don't you miss me, Chairman-chan?"

Shizuka pressed her chest against the Chairman. I had only taken her in yesterday. As I was thinking that couldn't be possible, I noticed Famu was acting strangely. She was trembling as she looked at the dog-eared man. The dog-eared man also widened his eyes in surprise.

"What, you know each other..."

"Famu..."

Just as I was about to ask Famu, the man called her name.

"Chitchi... really... Chitchi!"

She knocked over her chair as she stood up and ran to the man she called Chitchi.

"Famu, I've heard about the village."

At that one sentence, she stopped and began to tremble again.

"Chitchi... I... I'm... Chitchi, I'm the only one, I'm so sorry!"

Famu started to cry. Chitchi embraced her.

"It's not your fault."

"There was a man who wanted me to introduce you, so I brought him."

The Chairman had come to my side before I knew it.

"Ah, yeah..."

My attention was stolen by the event in front of me, but I managed to reply.

My thoughts couldn't keep up with the suddenness of it all.

"Are you Mash? I'm Vassili, the leader of 'Lightning.' I heard an adventurer with a dog-eared girl was frequenting Longhorn Street."

A hand was offered to me. I shook it absentmindedly. I recognized the name 'Lightning' and remembered the incident from that one night.

"Hey, what's going on? Why are you so flustered?"

Cecily asked me, her brows furrowed.

"Ah, this is the Chairman, the boss of Longhorn Street. And that dog-eared man is the one we saw on Longhorn Street the other day..."

"Hmm... and why is he hugging Famu?"

She sent a suspicious glance at the Chairman and Vassili.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"I just brought him because he asked me to introduce you. My business is done, so I'll be heading back."

The Chairman and the two bodyguards left the establishment. Vassili bowed to their retreating backs.

Around a small table sat the members of Levante, plus Vassili and Chitchi. It annoyed me that Chitchi was holding the still-crying Famu's shoulder as if to comfort her. It also annoyed me that Famu wasn't sitting next to me. The seat that was her designated spot was empty. Beers, reading the room poorly, sat there.

"That dog-eared guy is the one who started a fight on Longhorn Street the other night, right? Is he in trouble with the victim demanding compensation?"

Beers whispered to me. I felt a little saved by his cheerfulness. The gazes of Mizuki and the others, who didn't understand the situation at all, were still sharp.

"It's hard to talk when you're all so on guard..."

Vassili shrugged.

"Don't mind these two old guys. More importantly, what's going on? Why is Famu crying?"

"We received information that a man with a dog-eared slave had appeared on Longhorn Street. He said he was an acquaintance of the Chairman, so we had him introduce us. Is that the girl?"

Vassili directed Cecily's question to Chitchi.

"That's right. I'll take it from here. She's from the same village as me. Her name is Famiim Okita."

"What did you say?"

Besides me, all the members of Levante were surprised.

"Why are you surprised too, Mash?!"

Mizuki scolded me, but I couldn't help it if I didn't know. When Famu and I started adventuring, I looked at her character sheet. It should have just said 'Famu.' She was just a normal girl with no profession. My eyes met Myra's. She also shook her head with a look of disbelief. But on second thought, my character sheet's name was just 'Mash.' It was probably possible to fake it if some kind of power was at work. Did the surname 'Okita' mean she was a descendant of Okita Soji? No, she could use a special skill that only transfer students and their descendants could use. So that must be it. But why was it hidden, and why did she try to hide it?

Did being from the same village mean he was also in the village during the attack?

"Don't worry about the surname Okita. The village we lived in was called Okita Village, and everyone who lived there had the surname Okita,"

Chitchi said, as if sensing my question.

"It was early winter last year. The village was preparing for winter when it was attacked by bandits. I had already become an adventurer and left the village."

"...The people who resisted, like my father and mother... Nick tried to save Sam... The survivors were captured. And sold as slaves. But I was the only one saved by Master... I became happy, I was the only one..."

Famu continued Chitchi's words.

"Famu... It's okay. It's not your fault."

"B-but..."

She remained gloomy, letting out sobs. Chitchi patted her back. The sight made my skin crawl.

"I found out about this last month. We were based in this city, but for the past year, we've been on an expedition to a dungeon in a southern city. That's why I'm asking Vassili to help me track down the whereabouts of the villagers we got separated from."

Famu must have passed through this city as a slave. She and Chitchi must have just missed each other.

"So that girl is one of them?"

Chitchi nodded at Vassili's words.

"Is Sam... is Sam okay?"

"We haven't found her. But I heard from someone we rescued that she wasn't with them when they arrived in this city,"

Chitchi answered Famu's question.

"A long time ago, my village was attacked too. Are the dog-eared people you saved also from there?"

Fang, who had been standing and listening to our conversation, asked, and Chitchi nodded.

"How much did you buy Famu for?"

Chitchi asked me.

"Huh?"

"I want to buy her back. She is a necessary person for the village."

"Please wait. It is true that I was bought by Master. However, Mizuki, who is here, has a strong aversion to such hierarchical relationships. Master is the same. That way of speaking is a grave insult to Master."

Were the others besides me and Mizuki different? I thought Famu, Cecily, and Aira's way of thinking would have changed since they had been slaves once.

"So you say, but you're hiding the Slave Mark with that arm cover, aren't you? Of all things, with that light blue color."

"I asked him to buy this color for me."

After replying to Chitchi, she slid off her arm cover.

"...I see. Famu was an Arbiter."

"An Arbiter?"

"He saw through your quality. She has the ability to discern what is right. In the village, when there was a dispute, it was the Arbiter's job to discern the problem and guide it to the right path. She was given that role by the village elder. And she was to become an elder herself one day."

Chitchi answered my question. Was an Arbiter something like a judge? Still, what kind of village would push such a big role on a child like Famu? She certainly had a sharp insight that could make me tremble. She didn't seem to be capable of any subterfuge, but given her well-bred personality, I could see her being a candidate for an elder.

"Then, I would like to ask again. Could you return her to us? I want you to release her."

He bowed his head. I didn't know what to say and just stared at him.

"Chitchi, I'm a coward and a cheat. Just like I was, the people of the village are still suffering. But being by Master's side was so fun, so warm, so bright, and so comfortable. So I pretended not to know. I should have gone to look for everyone when Master freed me. But you found me, Chitchi. I, I..."

Famu's shoulders began to tremble again.

"That's, Famu. You found it too. I understand. It's the instinct of a city dog. No one can go against that impulse. But I want you to become a symbol to gather the villagers back to the village again,"

Chitchi replied. Mizuki elbowed me. She was telling me to say something. But before I could speak, Famu opened her mouth.

"That's not it. I'm selfish. I was just pretending to serve Master. I fell in love with Master. I was just deceiving myself about that feeling. ...I'm a fake."

Is that why she wanted to wear the light blue outfit? More samurai than a samurai. More of a follower than a follower. It was as if it was the way of life of Okita Soji himself.

"That's why I can't do it for the sake of the village. I can't face the people of the village!"

Famu stood up, ran out of the establishment, and dashed towards the beach.

I chased after Famu, running along the sandy beach. The trees lining the street had lanterns hanging from them, so it wasn't that dark. However, the closer I got to the water's edge, the dimmer it became, and the boundary between the water and the shore melted into the darkness. She continued to run along that boundary.

"Stop, Famu!"

"I won't stop!"

Hearing my voice, Famu accelerated. After all that swimming during the day, her stamina was unbelievable. I couldn't catch up.

My foot got caught in the water. In that moment, I tumbled.

"Wap!"

I plunged into the shallows and got soaked. Sand got into my mouth, and I spat it out.

"Master!"

She dutifully came back, worried, so I lunged and hugged her.

"L-let go of me! I can't be by your side anymore!"

"Don't be ridiculous! Where do you think you're going, leaving me behind?"

She struggled, so I hugged her tighter so she wouldn't break free. In that moment, we both fell into the shallows. I got on top of her and held her down.

"Don't be ridiculous! You! Don't be ridiculous! If you're gone, you think I can keep adventuring?! If this is a world where you can't be happy, I'll summon Laciel over and over and rain down arrows on every city around here! I'll destroy this world!"

I should have said something witty. I should have calmed her down. But I could only shout, throwing my emotions at her.

"M-Master... I won't run anymore. It hurts."

"...Sorry..."

I loosened my hands holding her down.

We sat down at the water's edge. The night breeze felt cold on our wet clothes and skin. Across the river, I could see the city walls of Heilon. Above the walls was a faint city light. The fortress was visible as if floating in that light. Just the other day, I had dinner with Marmi. I wished her best friend, Famu, was here. But she had already left for Miglutt.

"My days with you were so precious that I had to lie to myself. But when I thought about the people of the village, what I was doing was wrong. When I thought about my father and mother, I shouldn't have been the only one to be happy."

She was aimlessly digging in the sand. I wonder if there were any edible shells.

"Hey, don't be stupid. It's not your fault the village was attacked. You're allowed to be happy. You're allowed to do what you want. Your parents and the people of the village aren't such narrow-minded people. They tried to protect you, praying for your happiness."

"That's a lie. How can you know the feelings of people you've never met? Don't try to coax me with empty words."

"I can tell just by looking at you. The gentleness and kindness you have don't grow unless you're loved by those around you. You say you're alone, but the people of the village are still living on inside you. Don't ever forget that!"

She leaned against me. Our cold arms touched.

"You don't understand me at all!"

"Ugh... I'm trying my best with you, Famu. But why didn't you say anything? You wanted to go look for your villagers, right?"

"I can't do that. You have a duty, Master. I didn't want you to cast it aside. Ten years is just a blink of an eye."

"Don't talk so high and mighty when you've only lived for a little over ten years. Children should act like children and ask adults for help! I might not be able to defeat the Demon Lord. But I can at least grant your wish."

"I'm not a child anymore! Weren't you the one who made me an adult, Master?! It's too late now. Besides, I wasn't the only one sold in Richel. I don't know what happened to the slave trader either. Just confirming everyone's safety would use up all the time you've been given."

I remembered the tent where she had been sold. I tried to go in but was overwhelmed by the unique atmosphere and gave up out of fear. And then, I met her, in a cage next to it. If I had gone in then, I might have been able to check on the villagers. The slave trader who came to Richel had just bought slaves from the Crimson Brigade. He wasn't guilty, but I still regret having overlooked it.

"Famu, I'm sorry. I should have been more attuned to your feelings."

She shook her head.

"That's not it. You're fine as you are, Master. I didn't want to say it. Being by your side was so comfortable, I didn't want to involve you. But with everyone in the village suffering, it was something I couldn't allow myself. But I want to be by your side, Master. I want to be with you forever."

"Famu, I will defeat the Demon Lord. And I will break the curse that says I can only live for ten years. In the cities we visit, I will also search for your villagers. It's only been a little over a month, but since I came to this world, I've been with you. I want you to be with me from now on too."

"Master..."

I touched her hand. We held on tight. Just then, I heard voices calling for me and Famu. They must have come looking for us since we hadn't returned.

"Famu, let's run away."

I took her hand and stood up.

"Why? Everyone is worried."

she said, puzzled.

"Take off your shoes. We're swimming to the other side."

"So why are we running away?"

"We're eloping."

"...If that's the case, I'll follow you."

"There's freedom on the other side of the river. I'm confident I can swim to the other side. Can't you?"

"Mmph! The crawl is impossible, but I can do the doggy paddle."

"Alright, let's swim then. I'll teach you the breaststroke."

I plunged into the water. Famu followed. It was colder than during the day. Still, I pushed on, and eventually, we reached a point where our feet couldn't touch the bottom. Both Famu and I started swimming towards the other shore.

"It's cold. You'll get cold, Master."

I ignored her words and kept swimming. It was calm and didn't have waves like the sea, but the current seemed stronger the deeper we went. We were being carried downstream. I had only briefly explained the breaststroke, but she mastered it easily.

"I like this swimming style more than the crawl. I can swim without putting my face in the water, so my ears don't get wet."

There were still some clumsy parts, but by the time we reached the other side, she seemed like she would be better at it than me. The moon was rising from the eastern sky, illuminating the water's surface. It was a bright moon, between a full and a half moon.

"Master, I think I'll go talk to Chitchi again tomorrow,"

Famu's voice had become a little brighter.

"I'll go with you."

"No, I think it's better if we talk alone. I'll tell you what we discussed later, Master."

"I won't allow you to be alone with a man!"

"I'm always the one who's jealous of you, Master, so I feel like this is a first for this kind of development."

Famu finally smiled.

"You... no way..."

"N-no! I only have you, Master!"

"You panicked a little there."

"Even when there's nothing shady going on, my heart still pounds in situations like this..."

"That's right. So, be a little kinder to me next time."

"...Yours is real, so I'm not really convinced. Please make sure there isn't a next time!"

That was a request I couldn't grant.

"Famu, I want you to be with me from now on."

"Master..."

Famu switched to treading water. I hugged her. And then, I kissed her.

"Master, I will follow you from now on."