We were to stay at the house of the village chief, Naruda, that day, and we were treated to dinner.

'Nothing much, sorry about that.

　She apologized for that.

　It wasn't humility.

　Half a bowl of porridge in a chipped ceramic bowl. Even the stir-fried vegetables smelled a bit sore, though the thick seasoning was deceiving. The taste...yes, it's not bad, but the amount was a little short for me and the big-eating girl who was growing up.

　Of course, I'm not complaining.

(Rather, I'm sorry.)

　The presence of the four of us in a village that seems to be food insecure is a sudden extra food source.

　We helped to protect the food from thieves, and if we had been deprived of food, we might not have been able to eat it either, but that didn't change the fact that we were diminishing the food that Naruda and the others had risked their lives to protect.

　I thought about refusing.

　But I think Naruda-san also wants to show off in front of his old friends after 15 years.

(Samurai don't eat, but a toothpick...)

　Still, I wanted to keep that in mind.

　So neither Mr. Illtimina nor Solstice said a word, and I eat normally.
　We're not satisfied with the taste or the quantity of food.

　But I'm sure we're eating Naruda's spirit as well.
　That's the only thing that made me feel satisfied.

　Kirto-san is also talking and laughing with Naruda-san throughout the meal.

(What fun!)

　She was the oldest of us and always seemed to be a protective quilt.

　But now she was reuniting with her old friends, talking without reservation, joking around. She was like a teenage girl.

　Good.

　It was kind of nice to see her smile.

　The house was very bright and lively now, the only one in the dull village.

　Soon the meal was over.

Forgive me for the small space.

　Naruda showed us to our guest room.

　There was no bed, just a large sheet of fur on a lot of dead grass. We slept in it. It looks uncomfortable, but it's kind of fun to sleep together.

　'I'm sorry,' says Kilt to Naruda.

I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble.
What are you talking about?

　Mr. Naruda laughed and fluttered his red hand.
　Looking at the three of us.

I've got two little ones. I want you to get some rest.

　She had a very kind face.
　A caring sister, I felt like she must have always been that way.

　I bow my head.

'Thank you, Ms. Naruda.'
Thank you.
Hi....

　The sisters also thanked her, and Mr. Naruda's smile deepened.
　To Mr. Kilt, she says.

'Really, they're good kids.'
Right?　For the straws were bad boys. Sometimes it was so dazzling that I couldn't stand it.
Ha-ha, of course.

　They laughed happily at each other.

　And suddenly, Naruda-san's expression changed slightly.

(.........hmm?)

　The sun is clear and blue, and the sun feels like it's suddenly covered in clouds.
　If you're not careful, you won't notice it.

'You know what, Kilt?'
Hmm?
'We can talk later, but I need to have a word with you. May I?

　Mr. Kilt was faintly surprised.
　The golden eyes stared at Mr. Naruda's face for a few seconds.

'No problem.'

　I nodded, as usual.
　Naruda-san seemed somewhat relieved.

'Thank you,'
Well, I'll ask him before bedtime.

　As if casually, Mr. Kilt stands up.

　He looks at us, panting his ass off, looking at us.

You will be sleeping first.

　After smiling at that, she and Naruda-san accompanied the two of them out of the guest room.

　............
　The rest of us were silent for a while.

　I look at the other faces as if I'm peering into them.

''Shall we rest as you said?
Yes.
Yeah, sure.

　We nodded vaguely at Illtimina's words.

　Outside the window, the two-colored moon, red and white, shone beautifully in the starry night sky.
　It was already late in the evening.

　I felt bad for Naruda for using too much fuel for the candelabra.

　I put out the fire and we lay down on the furs.

(It's softer than I thought it would be.)

　There was a lot of dead grass, and the fur looked nice and comfortable to sleep on. Yeah, it passed the Marl assessment!

..........

　It was their first night in a foreign land.

　Solstice lies back to back with her sister, but firmly on her back.

　Iltimina's white hand invites me with a gentle, mesmerizing smile, to use my body as a hug, 'Come on, come on,' she says.
　I was no longer used to this, and I was ready to obey her honestly.

　But.

(...oh, I forgot...)

　I raised my upper body up.
　With a bit of shame, I tell Ms. Illtimina, who is surprised.

I'm sorry," I tell her, feeling a little ashamed. I have to go to the bathroom before I fall asleep.
Oh, yes.

　I also left the guest room, leaving my sisters lying down.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　As I finished my business and left the private room, I suddenly heard them talking.

(Outside....)

　Is it because the walls are so thin?

　I sneakily approach the window.

　Through the cracks and grime in the glass, I see two women talking near a tree in the yard. Somehow, I hold my breath and kill the signs.

'Not as much as Mumpa, but Gyud did his best, too.

　It was Naruda's voice.

　At their feet, at the base of the tree, there were two large stones at the base of the tree.
　One was slightly smaller than the other.

''He accepted me even though I'm a 'Demon Blood People'.
..........
'So?　After returning to the village, Gyudos invited a number of people he met to join him so that the other demon blood people could live a normal life. Thanks to that, most of the people in this village are now demon blood people.

　A stunned, gentle smile.　

　It was so fragile and beautiful in the moonlight.

　Mr. Kilt nodded.

'Because he was the kindest man in the group.
Yeah.

　Mr. Naruda laughed.
　It looked to me as if she was crying.



　He crouched on the ground and stroked a large stone, lovingly.

　Suddenly I realized.

(That's a grave...)

　Probably Mr. Naruda's husband, Mr. Guido.
　Then the other one is...?

　The fingertips caressing the simple tombstone are filled with a strong force. The blood stopped and the fingertips discolored. Mr. Naruda stayed like that for a while.
　Eventually, she said pensively.

'The tax rate has changed.
..........
''To Arun, the 'Demon Blood People' are vermin. Publicly, they claim to be equal, but the reality is different. The lord of this place is such a shit. Because of us, the taxes in this village have increased by 20%. You will get 80% of our harvest. 80% of our crops from this miserable patch of land?　It's practically like being told to die.

　She almost raised her voice and Naruda exhaled heavily, perhaps to calm herself down.
　She continued in a trembling voice.

'Still, we tried our best, Attaches. Desperately trying to cultivate, so that we could all live.'
..........
But it was a dead end.

　Naruda closes her eyes.
　One tear spilled out.

'He was overworked and Gyud fell ill.
..........
'It's been a few years since the Demon King's Order was disbanded, and all around us, the wildlings and slavers have returned. A few revenues are being taken away again. The shitty lords are turning a blind eye. They won't help us.

　Mr. Kilt doesn't say anything.
　He just listens in silence, listening to his old friend.

　Mr. Naruda's words continue.

'They died of hunger, from those who weren't the frail 'demon blood people' in their bodies.
..........
There was conflict in the village. Some people ran away. But this is our village. This is our home. Güd was the village chief, and he was desperate. If no one would help us, we would have to defend ourselves. And to stand up to the attackers, and not run away, even though they were sick and weak from the attackers, and...

　My hand, most of all, strained to touch the tombstone.

Guido is dead.

　Mr. Kilt closed his eyes.
　He looked up at the jet-blackened night sky, as if to endure something.

'He was murdered. .... by the burglars, by the disease, by the village, by many things and most of all by my demon blood.
It's a--

　No, Mr. Kilt tried to keep it that way.

　But he couldn't.

　Ms. Naruda looked at her former fellow leader with tear-stained eyes.

'My daughter died the month after Gyud was killed.
..........
Just a newborn baby. But I couldn't milk my parched body. I even made him drink blood in desperation.　But it was no use. It was as if he died after Gyud.

　Two headstones.
　A small tombstone next to Mr. Güd's.

　Under the beautiful light of the moonlight, Mr. Naruda was crying voicelessly. Her silver hair shone in the night breeze, swaying and glistening on Mr. Kilt's back.

'I'm not good enough to be a wife or a mother.
No, it's not.
Because of me, Gyud was unhappy.
No! You were the reason Gyudo was so happy.

　Mr. Kilt placed his right hand on Mr. Naruda's shoulder.
　His tone was strong and quiet.

That's the kind of man he was. It is impossible to overestimate that man, Naruda.
Haha.....

　With his head down, he touches the hand placed on his shoulder.
　Then Naruda says.　

I was going to do my best for Gyuddo and for his village as a survivor. But it was no use.......I'm not even good enough to be the village chief.
What do you say?　There's still a village, isn't there?
Yes.

　Mr. Naruda laughed happily for some reason.

'But that's only until tonight,'
What?
...Where do you think the food you brought back to this village today came from?

　She looked at Mr. Kilt as if testing him.

'Did it look like the daytime burglars just accidentally attacked us?
You're not going to...

　Mr. Kilt looked at his old friend with his golden eyes wide open.

　Mr. Naruda looked up at the moon in the night sky and laughed, as if in desperation.

'I was at my limit,'
..........
This year, the weather was bad and the crops were not as productive. This year, the weather was bad and our crops were poor, so there were fewer animals to hunt. We don't have enough to last the winter. And yet, the lord has raised the tax rate in the village where the Demonbloods are living, as an emergency measure to distribute to the other lords. --What should we do?

　Mr. Kilt didn't answer.

　I just shudder at the conversation I see through the window between the two of them.

　Mr. Naruda tells me with a smile.

"I had planned to finish this while most of the thieves were out making money. But they're back sooner than we thought, aren't they?
..........
Ha ha ha.... as Naruda the Red Devil wastes away.

　He looked at his scrawny wrists and spilled them self-deprecatingly.
　Mr. Kilt asked.

'Did you find out?'
Oh. They've seen our faces. Those who escaped, they'll be coming back to our village to take revenge.

　Powerless voice.
　Mr. Naruda sat on the ground as if he were tired.

　Staring at the two tombstones.

I'm sorry, Gyud, Aylin. I didn't even save the village.

　It was a very gentle look and voice.

　Mr. Kilt stared at his friend's profile, his cheeks wet, and his lips were drawn together.

　Mr. Naruda murmured.

'Maybe it was Gyud that brought me to meet Kilt today, maybe it was Gyud that brought me together so that I could see him one last time?
Maybe.

　Mr. Kilt nodded.
　Then he said.

'The warriors are on a very important mission. We leave the village in the morning.
Oh, yeah? That's more like it.

　Ms. Naruda nodded, wiping away her tears.
　Mr. Kilt looked into the distance.

'We'll have to get that done first.
What?

　In the same tone of voice as usual, Shumuria's pride and joy, the Golden Mark witch hunter said.

''Where is the burglar's lair?

　Just one word.

　Both me and Ms. Naruda realized what it meant.
　She warns us as if in a panic.

'What are you talking about?　There are over 200 of them!　I don't care how many quilts--

　pitter-patter

　The movement of his lips was stopped by the touch of Mr. Kilt's fingers.　
　Then he laughed.

'The strawberries are many times stronger now than they were then.
..........
And did you ever think that a woman would hear of such a friend's plight and do nothing about it?
It's...

　Naruda-san has a puzzled look on her face.

(.........Seriously, I'm surprised at myself.

　She herself looked bewildered as to why she hadn't noticed it, considering the nature of Mr. Kilt's character. Had she been so caught up and unconsciously put her trust in her old, dependable friend?

　Mr. Kilt's smile was kind.

'Or perhaps Gyud has asked for your help by borrowing your mouth.
..........
That's because he was a really nice guy.

　He stared at the tombstone in front of Mr. Naruda, his golden eyes narrowed.

　Then, Kirto-san closed his eyes once.

　When he opened them again, it was already his face as the Golden Mark Demon Hunter Kirto Amandes. The face of the current demon princess Kirto Amandes, who had carried the lives of many people on her back and continued to fight demons, which even Naruda-san didn't know.

　Naruda-san gulped.
　Then, unintentionally, as if it had spilled out, she mentioned the location of the burglar.

''Hmm, there.''

　It seemed to be an existing place for the demon princess who used to hunt wildlife in this area.
　She nodded.

First, let me get you a sword.

　And with that, he returns to the house.

'Quilt.........'

　Naruda called out to her back, as if she were lost.

　She wanted to squirm, but she didn't want to get involved, her mind was in a state of disarray, as if she was going to be torn to shreds.

　But that's why Mr. Kilt raised one hand lightly without turning around. It was a gesture as if to say 'I'm just going to go for a short walk'. So Naruda-san couldn't say anything else either.

　''Gee.

　The front door of the house opens and Mr. Quilt walks in.

　She finds me in the dark and looks a little surprised to see me in the dark.
　I stare at her in silence.

　Ms. Kilts chuckles.

'I'll be back by morning.'

　With a crunch, her palm stroked my head once, hard.
　I nodded.

　Then, Kirt-san took the Great Sword of Thunder on her back and left the house and walked alone into the wilderness, shrouded in darkness at night.

　I watched him walk away from it outside the front door.

　Naruda-san found me and made a surprised face.

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

　But he saw the look on my face and didn't say anything.

　He just stayed next to me.

　Mr. Quilt's big, distant, little back was quickly out of sight.

　We sat on the ground, leaning against the wall of the house.

(...........)

　Naruda-san and I waited all night long, just praying for our dearest mutual friend to come back--.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　In the middle of waiting, Illtimina came to me, worried about me not coming back.

'What happened to you, sir, in a place like this?'

　She looks at us sitting outside the front door and looks terribly surprised.
　I briefly explain the situation.

　When she's done listening to everything she says.

'I see...'
..........

　I smiled and nodded, somewhat annoyed.
　Naruda-san apologized.

''I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drag you guys into this too.
No.

　Ms. Illtimina shook her head, shaking her shiny, dark green hair softly.

'The decision was a quilt,'
..........
And she is our leader. Then we can only trust and follow her.

　Saying that, she strokes my head, gently.

(.........hmm)

　I closed my eyes and nodded at the comfort of it.

　Naruda-san was looking at us with her somewhat nostalgic eyes. Maybe the old Demon King's group was also like this, trusting their leader, the Demon Princess Kilt Amandes, to fight, or maybe they spent time as friends.

　Iltimina squatted in front of the two tombstones in the garden and clasped her hands together.

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

　He comes back and sits down next to me.

　Naruda gives me a grateful glance, and Illtimina gives me a small bail.

　The red and white moon in the night sky was very beautiful.

　How much time passed, we waited for Mr. Kilt's return without a word.
　That's when.

　Over the distant mountains, a blue light dissipated.

　It was repeated several times.

　DON'T DO ON.

　After a moment's delay, a low, heavy sound like distant thunder echoed through the wood-spirit and shook the cold night air.

(Mr. Kilt.....)

　I clenched my fists.
　And I prayed.

　Illtimina and Naruda both stared at the continuous blue glow of the place.

　For half an hour, it went on.

　Eventually, it ended abruptly.

　We had to believe in silence.

　Several more hours passed.

　When the sky in the east began to gradually turn white, the silver marked demon hunter next to me stood up.
　Me and Naruda-san's eyes turned to her.

　She said.

''If you have a tub or something else, can I borrow it?''
Yeah, sure.

　Mr. Naruda answers and they walk into the house.

(????)

　I wondered, and soon returned.

　Naruda-san was holding an old tub, and in Illtimina-san's hand was a magic stone of fire and water, and a clean towel.
　Noticing my gaze, Ms. Illtimina-san laughed.

''I'm sure they'll come back dirty.
..........

　I nodded.

　Then, about twenty minutes passed.

　Beyond the horizon, where the night sky and the morning sun mixed together, I saw a small figure walking with a large sword on her back.

　Her entire body was stained red with return blood.
　Even her lush silver hair was clinging heavily to her body, sucking the blood out of it.　

　We stood up.

　We waited patiently for her to come to us.

　Ms. Quilt noticed us and looked very surprised to see the three of us.

'Welcome back,'
Welcome back, Quilt.

　Me and Mr. Naruda say.

　Ms. Illtimina used the magic stones of fire and water to create hot water in a vat.

Welcome back. --There's hot water for you.　First, wash it all off.

　He says in his usual calm voice, matter-of-factly.
　Staring at the steaming tub of water, Kilt wiped his fingers on the blood that had run down his bangs to his eyes and gave a small chuckle.

'Sorry,'
No.

　A clear answer.
　And then Mr. Kilt looked at me and Mr. Naruda.

It's late, guys. --We're late, guys.

　He smiled very cleanly, showing his white teeth.