"The God-blooded Nakes?

　I nodded to the village chief who asked back.

''I don't know much about it either. But I heard that it's an extremist group that aims to eradicate the demon blood.
..........
..........

　At those words, both the village chief and Ortima-san frowned and fell silent.

　The first time I saw Frederica-san and the other Arun Knights fighting.

　Then I remembered.

　At that time, when Illtimina-san saw their masks and black robes, she had reacted strongly and was fiercely hostile to them.

(.........no way.)

　I am horrified by the conclusions that can be drawn from this.

　And the current situation, which is calculated backwards

Are they looking for this Ludvik village?

　So Ortima muttered.

　Indeed, that's the most likely possibility.

　I don't know how they do it, but they seem to be able to control demons. And it seemed like they were searching this entire region with those emissaries' demons.

　In other words, it's 'mountain hunting'.

　Ortima-san and the rest of the Lud village sometimes peddle to nearby towns to survive.

　Maybe that's where the information leaked out.

　I don't think they have the exact location of the village, but they must have found out that the Devil's Blood People live in the mountains and forests near here.

　Nevertheless, the Restin region is large.

(So, using demons...?)

　He released a demon in a suspicious vicinity and tried to kill all the people there.

　If they did that, the people who were hunters who weren't 'Demon Blood People' might also be victimized. But if they were fanatics, they would be able to call it a noble sacrifice.

　Two to three months after the demon was sighted.

　Over that long period of time, the range was gradually crushed, and then, finally, their crazy blades might have begun to reach the throat of the Lud village.

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

　In silence, we stared at the white mask on the table.

　Eventually, the village chief let out a breath.

'I see. Such people...

　The expression on her face as she muttered that looked terribly tired.

　There seemed to be a glimpse of the history of demonic blood persecution that she had suffered so many times before.

　Ortima-san, sitting next to her, is biting her lip tightly, as if to stifle something.

　I ask.

'What are we going to do?'
There's nothing wrong with that. I'll just hide and wait for the storm to pass, like I always do.

　The village chief replied.

　Then he told Mr. Ortima.

Tell them no one but you two to stay in the village for a while.
Yes, sir.
'And don't let it cause you unnecessary anxiety. We're still going to have to keep it quiet to the people in the village. --even Marlborough.

　The gaze that looked at me was sharp, like a person responsible for protecting the village.

　I nodded, of course.

　And the village chief's expression softened a bit.

Well you've come to the wrong place at the wrong time, Merle-boy.

　He chuckled.

　I replied.

'Good and bad things always come out of nowhere. So I don't mind.'

　It's been that way all this time.

　The village chief nodded at my words.

It's not a good idea to leave the village without a plan. I'd like to see you in the village for a while.
Yes, thank you.

　I said thank you.

What an old man trying to use Marlborough's sword skills in a pinch.

　He laughed mischievously.

　I couldn't help but laugh too.

　Suddenly, Ortima-san got up from her seat and headed for the exit of the room.

'I'll go tell everyone in the village,'

　pattern

　The door closes, leaving us stunned.

　The village chief sighs.

Oh dear, as a male parent of a cute little girl, I'm sure you have other concerns.
?

　She gives me a meaningful look, but I'm not sure.

　I nodded my head, and she laughed again and re-brewed me a cup of tea that had gone cold.

　After drinking it down, I left the village chief's house.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　In the evening of that day, at the suggestion of the village chief, the 'Demon Bear Meat' was to be served to all the villagers in the village.

　All the people in Ludvu village were overjoyed to hear that it was the first big thing in a long time.

　All the villagers took it apart and cooked it.

　Apart from the ones to be smoked for preservation, the others can be boiled, grilled, or eaten in any way they like.　

　A bunch of smoke rises in the red-burning sky, accompanied by the delicious smell.

(Smells good.)

　You'll be drooling.

　There are about five bonfires set up in the meadow in the center of the village.

　It seems that the women of the village are mainly in charge of cooking there, including the girl, Iltimina, and her mother, Forn, who is also in charge of cooking.

　I'm sitting on a log couch laid out on the grassy field with the little girl, waiting.

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

　During that time, he felt the eyes of the other villagers.

　Maybe it was because of the fact that I had saved my sisters twice, and that I had contributed to the village by defeating a demon bear, but it wasn't as alarming a look as when I first came to the village.

　But I still don't feel like we've broken the ice.

(Well, it can't be helped.)

　Many of them would have been discriminated against.

　Even from me, there is a part of me that doesn't know how to treat them, so I'll just wait for the food to be cooked.

　Juju........

(...but it smells really good.)

　I waited impatiently to see if it could be done soon.

　Soon, the cooking is complete.

　The women who cooked the food personally distribute the food to the waiting villagers.

　They come to us, too.

"Hey, here you go, Merle, Sol.

　The girl, Illtimina, came over with three vessels.

'Yay~!'

　The young girl Solstice was also cheering along with the others.

　Ortima-san also received a bowl from Forn-san.

(Ooh, looks delicious........!)

　gulp

　I swallowed my spit.

　In the bowl was a series of grilled meats full of sauce. The slightly burnt and fragrant smell was unbearable.

　Illtimina-san sits down next to the little girl.

''Hmph, enjoy your meal.''

　She laughed as our eyes sparkled.

'Itadakimasu!'
Ta-ki-mah-to.

　Me and the little girl told her at the same time, and with a wooden fork, I raked it into my mouth, impatiently.

　Gulp, gulp, munch.

(Ugh, yum!)

　I can't find any other words for it.

　I was hiding in the 'Great Labyrinth' until just a few days ago, and all I had been doing during that time was tasteless portable food.

　Even after the ruins and after we left the site, we were concerned about our damaged bodies, so we only ate soft porridge.

　I hadn't had meat in a really long time.

　Overflowing gravy.

　The chewy texture.

　The fragrant sauce brings out the flavor of the meat more.



　The moment it entered my stomach, it was like the nourishment of the flesh spread throughout my entire body.

　I had forgotten all about it, like it was demon meat or something.
　It was as if I didn't care.

　--Tasty is justice!

　This is one of the truths of the world, I thought.

'Uma, ummah!'

　messy

　The little girl next to me, cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's, with a blissful expression on her face, must have felt the same way.

　We empty the bowl in a flash.

　The little girl, Illtimina-san, was taken aback.

''Another one!''
Owwww!

　Two empty vessels, presented together.

　She chuckles.

Yeah, I'll be there in a minute.

　I take it and head back to the kitchen to get the food that's still there.

　Perrot.

　I lick the sauce from my fingers.

　And - that's when I noticed.

　The villagers around me were staring at me, piqued.

(.........eh?　A)

　That's when I realized how shallow I was.

　And it's a food-poor village.

　In fact, I probably shouldn't have eaten another bite. When I looked closely, I realized that Ortima-san hadn't even taken a bite of her food yet.

　She turned bright red and shrugged her shoulders.

''I'm sorry.''

　I couldn't help but apologize.

　Immediately, the villagers all laughed out loud as if they were bursting with laughter.

(.........what?)

　This time, when we're in a daze.

What is it, Boz?　You're that hungry?
'Don't be shy. It was originally a demon bear that you defeated.
Yeah, yeah.

　He laughs and tells me so, and pats me on the shoulder and back.
　And.

All right. I'm gonna share the hoard with you!

　One of the villagers brought me something from home.

　It was cheese.

"Oh, you're a fat kid, aren't you?
That's what I'm talking about.

　The people around us cheered.

　The cheese is made from goat-like livestock milk and is said to be a very precious commodity in this village.

Oh Merle, I'm so happy for you!

　The returning girl takes it from the villagers, who lightly roast it and twist the melted cheese around the meat.

(Ugh....)

　The smell alone was enough to get me completely f*cked.

　The drool no longer dripped from the corners of the young girl's mouth to the ground in long drips.

'Yes, Mr. Merle,'
..........

　I receive the vessel.

　Then I looked at the people in the village.
　They all nodded at me.

'Yes, I'll take it!'

　I ate a slice of meat with cheese on it.

　..........

　I didn't need any feedback.

　I just kept eating in silence.

　Everyone was watching me like that with gentle eyes.

"..........

　Not only was my stomach full, but my heart was full as well.

　I felt like I was going to cry.

'Maal~?'

　The little girl who was eating with me next to me suddenly looked up at me and tilted her head happily.

''Yummy~ hey, Maal~''

　I laughed and patted its head.

　And then I eat again.

　Gulping, munching, munching.

.....

　The beautiful girl who is illuminated by the setting sun smiles at my figure, and holds her hair, which is blowing in the wind, with one hand.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　The people of Rudo village were very kind.

　They were friendly and generous, and even though I didn't have "demon blood," they treated me normally.

　It's hard to believe that they are people who have suffered persecution and have broken hearts.

　

　Thanks to various people bringing 'specials' from home, it was a sumptuous dinner.

(But I can't eat anymore...)

　My belly is flat.

　Solstice seems to be satisfied, but this little girl ate the same amount as me. She's a horrible little girl, isn't she?

　Everyone laughed at us.

　I laughed too.

　The girl, Illtimina-san, also laughed.

　The village chief and Forn-san also laughed, and only Ortima-san had a pouting face, but it was funny because it was just like him.

　It was a very enjoyable time.

　Soon, the sun was setting.

　A village on the grasslands surrounded by rocks on three sides, with only one side open to a cliff.

　Overhead is tinted purple, and on the cliff side of the open sky we can see the sun setting over the distant mountains.

　The black shadows of the villagers stretch long across the meadow.

　They were all beginning to clean up after themselves.

　A peaceful landscape.

　A gentle landscape.

　The village that that man once said 'I loved it' that night in the town of Medis was in front of me now.

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

　I don't want to lose it - or so I thought.

　Tragedy is coming soon.

　But I don't want these people to die.
　I want to protect them.

　I did.

　But I...

(...really, is that what you want?)

　Ask yourself.

　If this is the world as it was seven years ago, then this is an act that will change history.

　If I changed history, the world as I knew it would disappear, and I was worried about that possibility.

(Maybe even me?)

　If the village is saved, Illtimina will become an adult in this village.

　And we will never see each other again in the Great Forest.

　I will be left alone in the forest to die.

The world that has lost the Godgu might be one step closer to ruin.

　I'm not sure if my soul will ever be mixed with the Godgu Arcuin if the world shifts off in the first place.

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

　A world where I couldn't see that man.

　It was so horrible for me.

　I look up with a trembling heart and look at the village once more.

　For a moment.

　Ziziji.........

!

　The world I could see changed as a sandstorm mixed in with my vision.

　A bright red color.

　Flames filled the village.

　Burning houses.

　The fleeing villagers.

　Countless demons chasing after them, a large dragon, and people in black robes.

　People as black as a shadow puppet.

　The villagers are attacked one by one, and those who were once kind to them fall to the ground.

　Rattle and rattle and houses collapse.

　A terrifying amount of black smoke rises into the sky.

''-- Stop!

　I screamed.

　As I screamed, I tried to pull out my "fairy sword" - but there was no sword in my waistband that should be there.

　Still, I run to save the villagers.

　But I can't move forward.

　The landscape doesn't move.

　With a heart ravaged by impatience and fear, I called out.

　I saw Ortima-san and Forn-san covered in blood.

　They were attacked by a demon and fell to the ground.

　And yet, the men in black robes held their swords and spears at the ready and stabbed them mercilessly at the two fallen men.

　I screamed out.

　Instantly, the black-robed people in the village all looked back at me in unison.

　White masks.

　The countless number of inorganic faces.

　I almost screamed at the horror of it all.

Merle?

　A voice suddenly called me back to life.

　Huh?

　I saw the worried look on that girl's face right beside me.

　Before I knew it, the world had returned to normal.

　The village was shrouded in darkness, but the scenery was peaceful.

　The cleanup seemed to be over, and the villagers were nowhere to be found.

What's wrong, Marle?　Are you okay?

　The voice of the girl who worried about my motionless body.

　My hand was drenched in sweat.

　My heart was beating fast and my mind was strong.

　But with her voice, it was slowly starting to recover.

　She let out a big breath.

Yeah. I ate so much I had a little trouble with it.

　I laughed at her.

　That fooled her and she laughed dismissively.

'Oh my God, Merle.'
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

　I stood up.

　I looked and saw the little girl Solstice being held by Mr. Forn in the distance. The little girl with a full stomach seemed to be sleeping, and Ortima-san, who was next to my wife, had a very kind look in her eyes.

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

　They're both alive and well.

　After confirming that, I started walking with the girl, Illtimina, to her house.　

　The stars are beginning to shine in the sky.

　The two red and white moons were also beginning to slowly increase in their light.

　As they walked, the girl suddenly said.

'It's amazing being an adventurer.'
Hmm?

　I look at the girl.
　She laughs too, looking at me.

"Because I'm going to slay a monster that big. Merle, you were so cool.
Yeah?
Yeah. Could I be an adventurer too?

　Looking up at the newborn night sky, the girl muttered.

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

　The woman who had once taught me so much about adventurers, but now, looking at me, she was longing to be an adventurer.
　How strange.

　I nodded.

'You can be, Illtimina.'
Really?
Yeah. You'll be a great adventurer.

　I laughed with conviction.

　Seven years ago, she giggled happily.

　Cuk.

　Casually, the girl's left hand grips my right hand.

　I also put a little pressure on the fingers that hold it.

"..........
..........

　We turned a little red and laughed as the stars in the night sky watched over us, and we walked home peacefully through the village of Ludo, holding each other's hands - a peaceful walk.