The next day, the girl, Ms. Illtimina, is still trying to carve the demon's wood.

　Kak Kak.

　I apply a small knife to the wood chips, holding them between my knees.

　The wood chips scatter to the grass and clothes at his feet.

　But it's a different form of digging than I'm used to, and it's not the way I'm used to digging, so it's a struggle. A few failed attempts are also lined up with the wood shavings underfoot.

''Hmm........''

　Every once in a while, she would stop and change her angle to check the quality of her work.

　I would sit next to her and watch her while I waited.

Marle, what's going on with this leg?
Like this.

　silky smooth

　I paint with a brush on a piece of wood where I'm asked.

　Sometimes I'm asked to describe the structure in detail, like this.

(You're so particular.)

　I thought so.

　What she was making was a wooden carving of the 'Red Fang Dragon'.

　The reason being that it was a dragon after all, and compared to other demons, it would be more popular. Her carvings were not for fun, and if there was no one to buy them, there was no way to talk about them.

(.........I hope they sell.)

　I'm working so hard.

　That's me, I hope.

　After a while, she stopped her hand.

Ha~ I'm going to take a break.

　The hand that was holding the knife is a little red from all the effort he put into it. I rubbed it.

　I smiled.

'Good job.'
Yes.

　The girl is also smiling.

　I noticed a group of villagers walking by, smiling and laughing at us as we sat side by side.

　With hoes and plows in hand, the villagers walked toward the field.

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

　We were both somewhat embarrassed by their gaze.

　The other villagers were tending to their goat-like livestock and harvesting vegetables from their fields, and there was an idyllic landscape around them.
　Everyone was working hard.

　I thought it was a nice village.

　The population of Rudo Village is about 130 people.

　They are all 'demon blood people'.

　They face discrimination and persecution, but in reality, they are all really nice and kind people.

　I really don't know why they are discriminated against, and I can't forgive them.

(...but...)

　I only had one question.

'There aren't many kids in this village, are there?'

　I muttered.

　Actually, there are only three teenagers, even if you include Illtimina-san, there are only three girls; when they reach their early teens, there is only one Illtimina-san.

　Furthermore, when it comes to children under the age of 10, there is only one Solstice already.

　On top of that, they're already in their mid to late twenties.

　At my words, the girl laughed sadly.
　It was a bit difficult to say.

'....Yeah. Because all the young people left the village two years ago.

　He told me.

(What?　(What do you mean?)

　That's how I found out.

　In fact, the young people have been living in this Lud village since they were born.

　They have no knowledge of the outside world.

　Even if they are told about discrimination and persecution by word of mouth, few of them have experienced it firsthand. And life in the village, closed off from nature and hidden from the public eye, was not a rich one.

　In other words, they were dissatisfied with village life.

　Even the admonitions and rebukes of the adults did not reach them.

　Finally, the dissatisfaction piled up until one day the young people all decided to leave the village.　

'Then, in fact, I was invited to join them.

　The girl says sadly.

　It's not that there wasn't something that appealed to her.

　But she had a sister who was dear to her.
　She didn't want to leave the village without Solstice.

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

　Then they left the village, overcoming the adult restraints.

　There were about a dozen young people who left the village.
　They were mostly in their teens and early twenties.

　And now, the only young people left in the village are all those who didn't leave the village for one reason or another.

(I didn't know that happened...)

　I don't know how I feel about it.

　I know the cruelty of the outside world, and that's why I thought this Lud village was a good village.

　That's probably why adults are able to endure so much.

　Illtimina had experienced something like the scar on her forehead when she was a child, and that may have been one of the reasons why she wanted to stay in the village.

　I asked.

'Who are those people now?'
I don't know.

　She looked up at the blue sky.

'You said you were going to send money back to the village when you could earn it, but that's never happened.
Okay.

　A distant look.

　It made me feel somewhat mixed emotions, as if I was nostalgic for someone I knew in the past, and as if I was still struggling with decisions from the past.

　I look at the landscape of the village of Ludo.

(A village with no young people left...?)

　Little by little.

　Little by little, this village may be getting lonely.

　The calm and gentle landscape looks somehow sad in my blue eyes.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


That's all for today. Thank you, Merle.

　It has been two hours since then.

　She had been carving for a long time, and when she finished the one red fang dragon, she let out a breath and said so.

　After this, she said that she would finish the coloring and other details, and then it would finally be for sale.

(Just like a real craftsman...)

　I thought so.

'Good work, Illtimina.'

　When I called out to her, she balked, putting away her small knife and brushing the wood chips from her skin and clothes.

　Poof!

　I gently brush away the wood shavings from her clean hair with my fingers.

　The girl looked a little embarrassed.

'I'm sorry?　Keep me company for a long time.
Nope.

　I shake my head.

　I was happy if I could help her keep up the good work.

"..........

　At my answer, she narrows her crimson eyes and gazes at me with her crimson eyes.
　And.

I have a lot of debt to pay you back, Merle.

　I said.

(Huh?)

　I blink my blue eyes.

　I don't know why she's so happy.

'You've helped me and Sol out twice, haven't you?　Plus, he gave me some ideas for wood carving and explained to me some of the finer shapes.
..........

　Oh, you mean that?

　I said honestly.

"You can forget about it.

　All of those things were not meant to be gratuitous.
　But.

No.

　She refused, unequivocally.

'You will be rewarded for your kindness. --"You will be rewarded for what you owe me, Father. So I will always repay you, Merle.
..........

　His refusal to give in made me nostalgic.

(...I see.)

　The reason why Iltimina-san, the adult who saved my life in the Great Forest of Aldoria, tried so desperately to repay me is because of this father's teachings, which were taught to me at a very young age.

　I couldn't help but smile when I realized that fact.

''?　What?
Nope.

　I swallowed a gushing smile.

All right. See you soon.
Yes.

　The girl, Illtimina, nodded broadly to me.

　And so we were both cleaning up after the wood carving work.

　Ky.....

(Hmm?)

　I heard a small noise.

　I looked back and saw Ortima-san standing there, having opened the door and walked out of the house.

　On his back, he was carrying a bow and an arrow case.

''Father,''
..........

　His hand lifted the wooden carved 'Red Fang Dragon' that his daughter had just made.　

　The girl laughs.

'That, Marle, was taught by you. How do you like it?'
Not bad.

　A short answer.
　Then he looked at me.

'Have you ever fought a dragon like this one, too?
Nope.

　I shake my head.

"But I've been attacked before.
..........
It was the adventurers who helped me with that. That's why I became an adventurer too.

　He replied and touched the hilt of his sword.

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

　I'll never forget the three of them, or Illtimina-san, at that time.

　I will surely never forget them.

　Ortima-san's red eyes stared at me for a while.
　After a while.

Okay.

　He nodded, as if he was convinced of something.

　It looked a bit gentler than usual. ........Is it just my imagination?

(Well, okay.)

'Anyway, Mr. Ortima, you're going on patrol in the forest again, aren't you?　I'll go with you.
Yeah.

　He answers curtly and starts to walk away.

　I look back at the girl.

"I'm out.
Yeah. .... be careful, okay?

　She looks worried, and I try to smile at her to reassure her.

　Noticing this, she smiles too.

'Go ahead, Marle.
Yes.

　I nodded and started running after Ortima.

(What a nice touch.)

　Even though I was young, I was embarrassed but happy to see the people I love walking me off to work, I felt like a newlywed couple.

(.........Wouldn't it be bad to live in this village like this?

　What a thought.

　And then I suddenly felt like the top of my head had clouded over.

(Hmm?)

　When I looked up, I saw a small black shadow in the blue sky.

　It was another flying dragon (wyvern).

　The girl, Illtimina, had said that it was 'unusual', but this was the second day in a row after yesterday. That shadow must have blocked out the sun for a moment.

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

　A strange sensation arose in my chest.

　But what it was, I couldn't quite figure out, even for myself.

'Merle, I'm leaving you?

　And Ortima, who was going ahead of me, stopped and called me over.

'Oh, I'm sorry,'　

　I hurriedly apologized and chased after him.

　Then, he looked up at the sky once more.

　But by that time, the flying dragon was already nowhere to be seen in the blue sky - the figure of the flying dragon was nowhere to be seen.