episode_0021

The sound of rain hitting the ground and trees, and the steady drip of water accumulating at the edge of the cave, were rhythmically audible. The rain, which had started at some unknown time, showed no sign of stopping, and a monotonous, idle time stretched on. In this tranquility, which felt like a terrifying nightmare from the events of yesterday, Asher pondered how he should live from now on. He had once wished to leave the village and travel, but now that he was out of the village, he didn’t know what to do.

With an anxious heart, he reflected on whether there was anything else he needed to prepare. The exhaustion from that day and the image of the frenzied festival flashed before his eyes. Even so, it was the village where he had grown up, since he was small. It was the place he lived with people who were like family, and where he met Belka. It was impossible not to feel even a little bit of affection for it. Still, he didn’t want to return to that unsettling village anymore, but even if he were to return, a monster that looked like something between a grasshopper and a locust had appeared there.

He didn’t know how many more there were, but if the village was attacked by such creatures, it would certainly not be safe. Feeling a lost and aimless sense of being adrift, without a place to return to or a place to go, he was trembling, feeling a cold he hadn’t realized until now. Then, a gentle hand drew him in. Guided by a faint but irresistible urge, he found himself resting his head on a young woman’s lap.

“Belka?”

With a curious heart, as he lay on the young woman’s lap, facing her, the sound of the rain, which had stopped a moment before, returned to his ears.

“Sometimes, it’s better not to think at all.”

“But…”

“The more you think, the more anxious you become, and you start worrying about things you don’t need to worry about.”

Under the young woman’s golden light, stroking him, his confused and muddled thoughts calmed down.

“So, it’s okay not to worry about anything right now.”

In the cave, which had regained its tranquility, only the sound of the rain echoed. It was inconvenient that the sun was hidden by dark clouds, making it impossible to tell how much time had passed, but it wasn’t boring just watching the rain fall. The pouring rain seemed to want to soak everything under the sky, beating down on the soil, trees, and rocks indiscriminately, each responding with their own sound to the rain. Sounds he usually wouldn’t hear or feel properly; the distorted forest lashed by the heavy rain, viewed from inside the cave where the rain couldn’t reach, watching time flow with the rain.

“I think it should be edible now.”

Asher discovered that the bread had absorbed enough rainwater to swell and brought it over, sensing the wolf’s dubious gaze. He had no response to the look that seemed to question whether this was really something to eat. After all, even to him, the bread, swollen and puffed up from absorbing water, didn’t look very appetizing.

“Ugh, it’s tasteless.”

And it really was tasteless. The bread’s surface was soggy and mushy from the water, and chewing it felt like chewing several sheets of thick paper soaked in water. There seemed to be a little salt in it, but he couldn’t taste any saltiness at all. If it had been warm, it might have been palatable, but it was cold from being soaked in rainwater. The fact that the berries he had eaten earlier today were so delicious made the blandness of the bread feel even more pronounced. The wolf beside him, chewing on a piece of bread, spat out the soggy bread with a “ptui.” He then saw the young woman calmly eating the bread despite its poor taste.

“How about you, Belka?”

“So this is what you call tasteless.”

When even she set the bread down belatedly, Asher awkwardly laughed. Belka mentioned the need for long-lasting food for her travels, and this bread, which he procured from Kate auntie after receiving a dubious look despite asking for it earnestly, elicited a unanimous verdict of “inedible.” He was speechless about the bread’s flavor; Kate Auntie, did warn him of its tastlessness beforehand, but he never expected it to be *this* bad. When everyone was speechless over the bread’s awful taste, a voice cut through the rain outside the cave.

“Did you perhaps run short of food?”

It was the voice of the old wolf he had met yesterday. At that voice, the gray wolf with them was startled, rising to its feet and bowing its head.

“If so, you should have asked us; we would have brought some. I never would have imagined you were eating something like this soggy lump of paper.”

The old wolf, having pushed through the curtain of rain, entered the cave and, seeing the bread that the gray wolf had chewed and spat out, along with the bread they had been eating, called it a piece of paper. Asher couldn’t argue because it tasted exactly that way. If however there was anything he could use as an excuse, it would be:

“But the adults said that it’s impossible to make preserved food taste good.”

When the old wolf turned and looked at him, Asher averted his gaze in a panic. The wolf he had been with until now hadn’t been like this, but he found it difficult to meet the gaze of this old wolf.

“So Eras was actually using this as preserved food?”

The old wolf, shaking his wet fur violently, as if irritated by the dampness, smelled the bread left on the ground and frowned. Then, with a single word:

“Belizye.”

At the sound of the name, another wolf appeared, parting the curtain of rain. Larger than the other wolves, with unusually shimmering silver fur; this was the silver wolf had guided them last night.

“Bring Eras edible food and preserved rations.”

At the old wolf’s command, the silver wolf disappeared as quickly as it had entered the cave.

“And Hillis, step outside for a moment.”

At his words, the wolf that had been with them also went outside. The cave then fell into a solemn atmosphere that made one question whether this was the same place they had been in before. Since nobody spoke, when Asher hesitated, Belka was the first to speak.

“What’s going on?”

Then the old wolf sighed and said,

“It seems you haven’t even properly listened to Hillis’ explanation.”

“I didn’t need to. I just didn’t listen.”

Asher couldn’t understand their ensuing conversation properly.

“Well, whatever we say, it would just be meaningless to you.”

“…”

The young woman’s silence was an acknowledgement of his words. He didn’t know what the wolves had said while he wasn’t paying attention, but persuading Belka would not be easy. She was not generally stubborn. No, she was rather too placid for her own good, yet she had a certain unyielding side about her.

“However, I believe that I must do this for you.”

“It’s needless interference.”

Belka remained expressionless, her feelings impossible to read; however.

“Let us test this Eras.”

Belka seemed to glare at the old wolf. Even though the gaze wasn’t directed at him, the intensity felt chilling, sending a shiver down his spine. Regardless, the old wolf continued.

“I know that your mind won’t change, no matter what the results of the trial are.”

“Why make such a request when you already know it’s pointless?”

The young woman replied brusquely.

“It might make me feel a bit more at ease about letting you go.”

“That’s exactly why it’s meaningless. Your actions are nothing more than busybody interference. No matter what excuses you make, you have no right to interfere.”

After the old wolf mentioned the trial, Belka treated him coldly. Caught between the wolf and the young woman, Asher accidentally made eye contact with the old wolf. In the old wolf’s eyes, looking at Belka, there was a mixture of complex emotions: worry for a granddaughter, pity, sorrow, and regret. He couldn’t tell what exactly concerned him, but he could understand his concern for Belka.

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask Eras about it directly?”

“Ugh!”

The wolf’s eyes were now on Asher, who had been making eye contact with him. The young woman, looking resentful, bit her lip slightly and opened her mouth to speak, but the old wolf spoke first.

“At the time when the sun sets completely… hm, well, it’s hidden by dark clouds now. If you’re planning to take the test, then when night falls. Tell either Hillis or Belizye, young Eras.”

With those words, the old wolf left the cave. An uncomfortable silence filled the cave he left behind. It was so uncomfortable that even after the old wolf left, the gray wolf, who had returned shortly after, and the silver wolf, who had brought food, kept casting furtive glances their way. Of course, at the center of this discomfort sat Belka; While she wasn’t showing any signs of displeasure or being annoyed, the wolves seemed to know what the old wolf had told them.

The silence was broken by a rumbling sound, coming from his stomach, loud enough to echo through the cave. Aside from the berries, the bread was inedible, hence his hunger. Whether it had been a while since he ate, its volume certainly indicated his empty stomach. Belka opened her eyes, having heard the rumbling.

“I’m sorry for making you wait while you were hungry.”

“No, it’s okay.”

The silver wolf approached, carrying what seemed like large bundles in its mouth. Unwrapping one bundle, revealed several dried, dark-red items and a yellowish-white powder, whose grains were slightly smaller than wheat kernels.

“This… we should save this for later use.”

The smell was fragrant and slightly sweet, stimulating his appetite, but he couldn’t stop the young woman as she tied up the bundles again, wanting to save them. The food to be eaten, however, was clearly the one the gray wolf brought; a large bundle wrapped in large leaves. The size was proportionately larger, compared to the wolf’s size. He opened it.

“Fish?”

Silver-scaled fish, thin but fairly plump, were revealed. Was there a river nearby, then? The fish were still alive, their mouths and gills opening and closing as they searched for water. Although it wouldn’t fill him up like oatmeal or bread, their sheer size and number—four in total—made it seem enough for two to share.

“Are we really supposed to eat them raw?”

But he couldn’t find anything to make a fire, so he looked at the silver wolf, who stared back blankly, as if asking what the issue was.

“Humans cannot eat fish like these unless they are properly cooked.”

Fortunately, the gray wolf, having heard the young woman, brought in some dry branches from inside the cave, and thus solved his concerns. Using a few branches as skewers, after stacking the rest, the setup was fairly complete. He lit a fire using flint, the branches crackling and catching fire steadily. There was a lack of dry straw, which made taking the fire a tad longer, yet, as he watched the fish he skewered slowly cooking, his mouth watered, in anticipation. Upon finishing, he happily ate the fish, noticing the young woman hadn’t touched hers.

“Aren’t you eating, Belka?”

“I’m not very hungry.”

The young woman didn’t touch any of the fish until he had devoured every single one. Perhaps the time it took to start the fire was too long, or whatever. Dark clouds hid the sun, making twilight much earlier than expected. Without the fire he’d used, the cave’s interior would’ve been plunged into darkness just as outside.

“It’s time, for the promise.”

His mumbling made the young woman flinch, her reaction noticed by the wolves. The wolves previously relaxing, now raised their heads, looking at him. There was no one in this place who did not understand the meaning of “promise” within this context. In the ensuing silence, Belka’s voice was finally heard.

“You’re going.”

“Yeah.”

It was as calm as always, but it sounded like her voice was shaking; could it be because of the cave? Though Asher thought so, he also knew it wasn’t true.

“It might be dangerous.”

“But I want to.”

Although Belka said so, she seemed certain. This was likely why she had gotten so angry when the old wolf brought it up. He felt pleased about that.

“It’s a test that doesn’t need to be taken. There won’t be any problems if you don’t take it.”

“I don’t think so.”

But Asher, for the first time, denied her words. From the wolves’ gazes — at Belka, and then himself — he sensed something, a feeling that he had to take the wolf’s test. He couldn’t understand why; but he knew, if he didn’t take that test, maybe he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“So I’ll go.”

“…Yeah.”

Belka nodded weakly. Despite her eyes filled with obvious worry, she could only manage a simple affirmation; the image of Belka was becoming more endearing. He feared that he might whine or become capricious, therefore, he told the wolves:

“Guide me.”

The wolves looked at each other before nodding at him. The rain, which had seemed like it would continue to pour, had already stopped.

—*Splash Splash*—

Although the rain had stopped, the ground was still flooded, so each step resulted in the sound of water splashing against his feet. The rain had been so heavy that in some places, despite the ground being clearly visible, even a step would result in the water coming up to his calves, along with a significant splash noise. It was a dark night with the moonlight hidden by dark clouds; he was incapable of seeing his surroundings and had to rely on the wolves’ guidance.

“Oops?!”

However, that wasn’t enough. He nearly tripped as though to fall.

“Uh, uh?”

Soft fur saved him. Sensing a warm temperature beneath him, Asher realized that it was the gray wolf that had been guiding him. The silver wolf was too large to support him; the gray wolf was the only one whose kneeling would be capable of supporting him. What’s more, he noticed that the gray wolf had carried him on its back, completely disregarding the wetting of its fur.

“Thank you.”

Regardless, Asher didn’t forget his thanks.

“It’s nothing.”

“Who’s there?!”

He never expected a reply, so he was startled. Thinking there might be someone else there, he looked around, but it was too dark to see anything. His question was made fun of a voice down below.

“If you witnessed the Chief’s speech, you’d think it’s perfectly reasonable for us to talk too. Is that not so?”

The voice was not like that of a wolf; rather, it was the soft voice from a mature woman. The clouds parted slightly and let the moonlight through; had he not had this bit of light, he would not have believed that it was a wolf.

“Is it really so surprising for me to speak?”

Asher, startled by the previous event, almost stumbled into peril. The gray wolf, maintaining its balance after that, asked:

“It’s common sense that animals can’t speak.”

He trailed off, still responding to her words. While people took it for granted, those wolves now speaking made him question his assumptions.

“You mustn’t forget that your Eras is also an animal.”

“That’s true, but…”

He was speechless again after the following statement. Someone more knowledgeable would have argued, and against that common sense, but for Asher, who was still struggling to keep up with what Belka taught him, it wasn’t easy to respond properly.

“Until just now, you weren’t saying anything at all.”

But, except the old wolf, all the other wolves until now had only made sounds, similar to other animal cries, which made it understandable that he assumed it was special to the old wolf, to actually speak.

“That’s because of our rules.”

“Rules?”

“Yes, rules.”

Just when he thought he had escaped the stifling rules of the village, he discovered wolves also had rules? He felt annoyed, but he also wondered what rules prevented the wolves from speaking. The source of his curiosity was the Gray wolf speaking now.

“Then why are you talking now…”

“I think it’s best to stop this idle chatter.”

Before he could question, another voice interrupted; unlike the Gray wolf’s voice from below, this one came from above, and it wasn’t a woman’s, but a man’s voice, and it made him tense slightly. He soon realized that was the Silver wolf’s voice.

“You are the master of the forest, Eras, but for yourself as well, you should pass this test quickly.”

Unlike the gray wolf’s gentle and soft voice, which resonated with gentleness and warmth, the silver wolf’s voice was heavy and low. Rebuking them, the strength in his scolding voice, similar to the old wolf’s, caused Asher to shut his mouth.