kscans

Chapter 277 - The Season Flows By, and Okita Village on That Day

Okita Village was a small settlement of the dog-eared race nestled in the mountains. The village was blessed with a rich natural environment, and within its wooden fence lived about forty families. They engaged in various activities necessary for life, such as logging, wheat cultivation, animal husbandry, and gathering. While their lifestyle was fundamentally self-sufficient, they were not isolated. They had active exchanges with neighboring dog-eared villages.

From what I heard, the next village over was also named Okita Village. In fact, all the villages scattered throughout the region were called Okita Village. Apparently, the dog-eared race could distinguish between them by subtle differences in pronunciation, but other races could not. For this reason, the villagers simply referred to their homes as 'the settlement' to outsiders. They seemed to have no intention of choosing a different name; the villagers were proud of the one they had.

This was Famu's first time home in a year.

Ten days had passed since we left the fortress by the lake. The mountains were deeper than I had imagined, and we spent days climbing up and down. The beech forest had turned yellow, and as if in sync with the changing colors, the temperature gradually dropped. Famu had gotten lost a few times, but once we were deep in the mountains, she no longer lost her way. And Marmi, who had often been so exhausted from walking that she was already worn out by the time a battle started, was now walking with an increasingly steady gait.

As I walked while watching her from behind, she must have sensed my gaze, as she suddenly turned around.

"You've gotten quite used to walking."

Unlike me, who was slightly out of breath from the continuous ascent, she seemed fine.

"...I'm young. If you're tired, Mash, I can slow down for you." She said this with a strangely triumphant smile.

"Oh, really?" I wanted to say something clever in return, but nothing came to mind. I took a deep breath to regulate my own.

I noticed Myra watching me.

"What's wrong? Should we take a break soon?"

"I-I'm not old!" She puffed out her cheeks and turned her face away.

Since there was a chance of encountering monsters, we had to take breaks before fatigue became visible on our faces and proceed with caution. But seeing her, I figured we could make it to the pass just ahead and started walking again.

"I'm tired," Myra muttered.

"Honestly, this is what happens when you push yourself..."

"Hmph, I'm still young! You're the one who's most tired, aren't you, Mash?" Myra nudged me with her shoulder.

We reached the pass, and I was about to call for a break. Just then, Famu stopped dead in her tracks, as if she had spotted something. Her dog ears drooped. Then, she started walking quickly.

"Famu?" Left behind, the rest of us exchanged glances. The path ahead of the pass was a gentle downhill slope, the scenery no different from the mountain roads we had been on. As if pushed by the incline, she started to run. We chased after her, trying to keep up.

"Famu!" I tried to call out to her, but she didn't stop. Soon, the beech forest ended, and a place bathed in sunlight opened up before us. It was a field of tall grass that reached our waists. Nearby, the sound of a babbling brook began to reach our ears.

The path seemed to disappear, but the rustling sound of Famu pushing through the grass echoed. We followed the sound, and as we ventured further in, the grass became knee-high. Her figure was no longer there. Ahead, we could see a wooden fence that marked the boundary of a village.

"Is this Famu's settlement?"

There was no sign of people or animals. The fence was broken in several places and bore scorch marks, as if it had been burned. There was no smell. It had been left in this state for a year. The fragments of what must have been the village gate lay scattered on the ground. I stopped there and looked around again. The fence wasn't sturdy; it was merely a boundary marker, perhaps to keep livestock from wandering off. It clearly wasn't built to withstand an attack from bandits.

Beyond the fence, I could see several wooden buildings. Looking closer, I saw that some of them had been burned, their roofs had collapsed, or their doors had been smashed in. None of it had been repaired. The fact that the debris was being swallowed by weeds showed how long it had been neglected.

I couldn't sense any people. But the strong presence of the lives that had once been lived here remained, and it almost felt like it was rejecting any outsiders. I hesitated, wondering if we should enter, when Mizuki tapped my shoulder.

"Mash, we have to find Famu."

"Is it okay to go in...? Won't Famu be angry...?"

"What are you talking about? No one understands Famu better than you do, right?"

"Y-You think so...?" Pushed by Mizuki, I stepped over the village fence. As I did, I stepped on a wooden plank, and it made a startlingly loud noise.

Weeds grew wild in the fields that stretched out before us. They even sprouted from the packed-earth paths.

"It's only been about a year..." Myra murmured. No one answered. The sun shone down, a refreshing breeze blew, and only the sound of water striking stones in the brook could be heard.

In the city of Heilon, there was Ticci, and in Miglutt, Maryanne was trying to gather the people of this village to rebuild it. And Famu and Sameim... what could they possibly do if they returned to this place? Just a short period of being uninhabited, and the village was already weathering away, beginning its return to nature.

As I walked with a desolate feeling, I saw a spot where yellow chrysanthemums were growing in a cluster.

"Wild chrysanthemums? I wonder if they grow naturally in a place like this..." Mizuki murmured, glancing at my expression. I couldn't answer her and remained silent. She pointed to a stone monument in the center. Myra squinted, trying to read the characters carved into the stone.

"Are these letters? If so, what do they say?" Mizuki and I tilted our heads at her question.

"Ugokaneba yami ni hedatsu ya hana to mizu," Mizuki read aloud. It was carved in Japanese.

"Um, what does that mean?" Myra asked Mizuki.

"In our world, there was a samurai... a swordsman named Okita Souji. This is the death poem he supposedly composed. A loose translation would be, 'I am confined by illness, between life and death, unable to move. But I am thinking of my comrades.'"

"Is that so... Is he the legendary Okita Soji?"

"No, that's different. The Okita Souji we know died in our world... I think the Okita Soji of this world knew about him, like Mash and I do, and tried to become like him." I patted Mizuki's shoulder.

"Mizuki... they're both Okita Soji. What are you even talking about?!"

"Hmph, well then, you explain it!" She shot me a glare. The cheeky brat. I cupped her cheek and gave her a kiss.

"Mmph, mmm, mmm!" Mizuki thrashed about and then shoved me away. She wiped her mouth.

"Jeez! Don't just do things like that out of nowhere!" She glared at me again. When I leaned in, thinking she wanted another one, Myra stepped between us, pushing me away with her arm.

"I think I understand the gist of your world. So why is there a monument with this poem here?"

"The simple explanation is that this is Okita Soji's grave, and he's buried here. But he's become a legendary figure, so we can't know for sure if this is really his grave..." It was all just speculation. I gazed at the chrysanthemums, which swayed pleasantly in the wind.

"Is the guardian deity Famu talks about Okita Soji?"

"Would the man who saved the dog-eared race curse them...? Besides, I don't think otherworlders have that kind of ability, do they?" Okita Soji's special skills were likely the Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven, the Eight-Span Mirror, and the Yasakani Jewel. He summoned a higher-tier special skill by combining those three to create his sword. It was possible one of those skills had such an ability.

As I tilted my head in thought, Marmi peered at my face.

"What's wrong?" Was she jealous that I had just kissed Mizuki?

"...Famu is gone. We need to find her first." Her words brought me back to my senses. Nephi watched this exchange and shrugged.

"You guys really have no sense of urgency."

We walked through the village, searching for Famu. Although the buildings were weathered and the village was rapidly returning to nature, there was nothing to suggest a conflict had taken place. It just felt as if the people had vanished from this village.

There was a small, log cabin-like house with a broken window and no door. The door lay at its feet, as if cast aside. It too was beginning to decay and was covered in grime. On it was a drawing of a dog's paw print. It looked like it had been stamped on with ink, and it was faded and weathered. It seemed strange for the dog-eared race to keep dogs, but perhaps a large dog had lived in this house.

As I stared at the paw print, I heard a clatter from inside the house. We exchanged glances and peeked inside.

"Famu."

It seemed she was cleaning the room. Thinking she hadn't noticed us, I tried to step inside, but the creak of the floorboards was louder than I expected. Her dog ears twitched, and she turned around.

"This is my house! Please don't come in without permission!" Overwhelmed by her fierce tone, I took a step back.

"S-Sorry. We'll be outside, so call us when you're done..." As I started to leave, she grabbed my wrist.

"Where are you going? You're staying here, Master."

"Huh? Oh..." I was bewildered by her reaction when Myra raised a finger and pointed outside. She then led Mizuki, Marmi, and Nephi out of the house. It seemed they were giving us some space. But I didn't know what to say to Famu.

"I wanted to introduce you to my mother and father today, Master. I wanted them to know that I've also found someone precious, just like they had each other." She said this with a gentle smile.

"But it looks like they've both gone out somewhere. The house is usually much cleaner. They must have been in a hurry for something very important."

"Famu..." I couldn't find the words and could only murmur her name.

"Don't just stand there, please sit down." The table and chairs must have been righted by her; they were arranged neatly. She tried to set up another chair that was still on its side, but its leg was broken, and it fell over with a clatter. The sound echoed loudly through the house.

"I'd like to offer you something to drink, but we don't have any milk. The dishes are dirty, so I'll go wash them. Master, could you make some water with your Water Magic?"

"Famu..." At my words, she offered a faint smile. Her fists were clenched tightly, and it seemed that to protect that smile, she was desperately holding something back.

"I thought I'd get to eat my mother's fluffy eggs for the first time in a while, but today, I'll do my best and treat you, Master. Please, just relax and make yourself at home."

"Famu!" At my word, her shoulders flinched. And again, she forced a smile.

"I know, Master. I know. But for today, could you please play along with my little game? I want you to spend time with me in this house. This house is too big for just me." I couldn't say anything in response to her words, so I simply sat down in a chair.