After our talk was over, we decided to go into the forest to gather food.

　It's a peaceful, sunny, green world.

　We strolled through the trees.

(We only need enough food for 2 people for 3 days...)

I wish I could have brought a lot of "healing spirit water" with me, but I heard that Illtimina's leather-bagged water bottle only holds about 2 liters.

　But I drink about 10 cups at a time.

(.........It's not very enough.

　It looked like I was going to have to drink it simply as drinking water, saving money.

　With that in mind.

Merle. You can eat those berries, you know?

　Suddenly, Illtimina-san next to me told me that.

'What?　Which one?
That's a short tree. See the red berries?

　At the end of the white finger point, there was indeed a tree about the height of my stomach.

　There were a number of small yellow and red berries growing on it.

(Can you eat these?)

　I think I've seen it a few times before.

　I didn't know if I could eat it, and I didn't eat it because it was so small, but I should have - I reach out my young hands.

'Only the red one?　No yellow.
What?
The yellow ones aren't quite ripe yet and still have some toxins in them. You can only eat the red ones from the chico.
Oh, really?

　I was about to collect both, and I hurriedly collected only the red one.

　I rolled the collected Chico's fruit into the right pouch of Illtimina-san's waist belt.

　She narrowed her eyes and nodded with satisfaction.

''And then we can eat the wildflowers growing at the base of that tree over there, too.
Huh?

　It's an oddly shaped leaf with a bulge at the tip.

'It's fojac grass. Don't look at the fruit, it's a fojak plant. The berries are poisonous.
Too much poison?
That's true. Plants do a lot of things to preserve their offspring.

　That makes sense.

I'm learning a lot.

　Admiringly, I pull out the fojak grass.

　And that too, as I tried to put it in Mr. Illtimina's waist pouch.

?

　Her gaze was looking into the distance.

(What is it?)

　As she was thinking this, the demon hunter suddenly held a small assembled bow in her hand.
　Eh?

　pshaw

"Piegeeee.

　A small scream went up in the distance.

　About twenty yards away, lying in the shadow of the grass, was

Keh, furball rabbit...!

　It was a round, brown, pretty little thing.

　Iltimina-san put away her bow and took out a single-edged dagger instead, and approached the toktok and bleeding furball rabbit.

　I guess she's trying to make a counterattack.

　As I was approaching, he noticed me stiffening.

'You shouldn't look at it yet, Marle. Please stay away.
Uh-huh.

　We know exactly what we're doing.

　To live is to take another life and eat it.

　The meat and fish sold in the supermarket are both lives that had life and feelings, the same way. I just didn't feel that fact until now, but I've been taking other lives and living them all this time.

　And I'm just now strongly aware of that fact.

　But ... even though I knew it, I was still in shock.

(.........I'm sorry, furball rabbit. I'll take your life and live it properly.)　

　I'll never leave food on the table again - I was a miserable me, swearing that now.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　And so we walk through the forest.

　I'm in charge of collecting edible plants, and Illtimina is in charge of hunting. In her hand, there were two furball rabbits with ears tied with ropes, dangling from her hand.

(Hmm........what's that, what is this place?)

　After walking for a while, I suddenly realized that I was walking.

　My feet suddenly headed towards the bushes.

'Merle?　What's going on?
Yeah, it's just that... uh...

　I knew it.
　Beyond the bushes, there were stone pedestals with magic circles painted on them.

''What is this...?''

　Illtimina looks surprised as she follows me.

　I'm the only one safe, approaching the stone pedestal.

We talked about this before.　This is where I woke up.

　I stroked the rough surface.

　Even though it was only a few days ago, the feel of it was oddly nostalgic and endearing.

　-- this is where it all began, in my current incarnation.

　Illtimina-san approaches us, looking at the broken pedestals scattered around her.

　After giving up her place, she began to look at the stone pedestal and the magic circle carved into it with great interest.

''I see, the Thanatos script is used. It looks like it's a relic of the ancient Thanatos magic dynasty, after all.''
I knew it?
''Yes. I'm too young to know how effective it is, but it seems to be a very unusual magic circle. I'm sure the guild's 'magicians' and my sister would be overjoyed if they saw it.

(Hmmm, really?)

　I nodded and asked her to do one thing for me.

'Hey, Miss Illtimina?　Can I borrow a piece of paper and a brush?
Oh, yes. I don't mind.
Thanks.

　Accepting the paper, brushes and ink bottles from my left hip pouch, I sit down on the grass.

(Hmmm...here, here, here, in this shape, with these letters...)

　I sketch the magic circle.

　Illtimina-san was looking at my hand as if she were peering in from above.

　Sara.........

Okay, you're done.

　Yeah, not bad!　And I'm proud of myself.

　As Mr. Illtimina was impressed.

Merle's a good painter, isn't he?
Ha-ha, would you like me to draw you a portrait of Miss Illtimina?
'Phew, yes. I'll see you when I have time.

(Oh, yeah.)

　We came to the forest to get food. I didn't have time to paint.

　I stand up in a hurry after being told offhandedly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Let's find some food.
Yes, sir.

　She smiles softly and starts walking ahead of me, standing.

　I follow her back - looking back at the stone pedestals carved into the magic circle just one more time.

'...........'

　A cool breeze moves through the forest.

(If we left tomorrow, we might not be able to come back here again.)

　For a few seconds, the landscape of the beginning is imprinted on my mind.

　Then I followed Mr. Illtimina without looking back anymore.