episode_0024

Evening.

As I was soothing my body, tired from half a day of serving the villagers, with a warm bonfire and herbal tea, Rai returned, having finished his hunting and searching in the Lime Forest.

“Killua. What on earth did you do in the village?”

He returned holding a bowl of thick soup, fuller of ingredients than usual as if scraped from the bottom of a pot, and a plate with a few small pieces of smoked meat.

Placing our allocated dinner on the table, he gazed at Killua with wide, surprised eyes and asked his question.

“Huh? Was something going on in the square?”

Killua, confidently popping a piece of smoked meat from the dinner Rai brought into her mouth, asked nonchalantly as if she knew nothing.

“No… Your praises are just overflowing… They say you’re an incredibly kind and diligent lady?”

She let out a bright chuckle.

At the fact that her half-day’s efforts had been recognized, Killua smiled brightly with the smoked meat still in her mouth.

“I guess rumors spread quickly because it’s a small village.”

Killua had only shown kindness to 24 people, but due to the nature of a small community of only about 80 residents, her good deeds were bound to spread very quickly.

When the 24 people who had received her kindness praised her and echoed their support, the remaining 56 people also began to view Killua favorably, influenced by their overwhelmingly positive evaluations.

“And the construction of the water purification facility you planned. They say to start it tomorrow right away?”

“Huh? Don’t we need to get everyone’s consent for that?”

However, the news Rai brought wasn’t just about Killua’s praises.

He suddenly brought up the construction of the water purification facility, for which they hadn’t yet received everyone’s consent.

“During dinner, while your praises were spreading, the Chief brought it up at the perfect time. Everyone agreed on the spot, and they want to start demolishing the building tomorrow?”

“Things are working out this well?”

It was surprising that the Chief, who had been passive when we directly met him, had personally stepped forward and obtained the villagers’ consent.

It was clear that the Chief, too, secretly desired the village’s change, development, and improvement.

“See? When you’re recognized as a person, things work out this well.”

But Killua, as if she had expected all of this, poked my side with her elbow, an arrogant expression on her face, as if to say, ‘How about that?’

“They say to start working from dawn tomorrow? The villagers are also showing active approval.”

“Did you hear that, Jazel? It looks like there will be a lot to do from dawn tomorrow!”

Killua, apparently extremely satisfied with the villagers’ active approval and cooperation, threw another piece of smoked meat into her mouth.

“Let’s go to bed early today for tomorrow!”

Killua, as if anticipating the small but significant change that would begin tomorrow, began to spoon up the thick soup, which a villager had not only scraped from the bottom of the pot but also filled with favor.

————————————————-

The next day, at dawn.

Killua and I woke up earlier than usual, thinking about the demolition work that would start at dawn.

Killua, changed into simple outdoor clothes prepared by Rai, looked down at Eton Village, breathing in the colder-than-usual dawn air.

“They’re already getting ready over there too.”

In the village, where the sun had not yet risen, people could be seen gathering in the village square, holding torches to provide light.

Their footsteps, as they gathered in the village square, carrying axes and hammers for building demolition, showed an unfamiliar vigor.

“It seems everyone is looking forward to the village’s changes.”

“That’s right. No one would want to keep enduring such a terrible life. They just didn’t know the method or path to change.”

Horrible meals, drinking water filled with a fishy smell, and a forest teeming with the threat of slimes.

Eton Village boasted such poor conditions that it was difficult to live there unless one possessed a pure love for the village itself.

In fact, most of the village members were people of middle age or older.

All the young people must have left for more comfortable villages or cities with cozy environments.

The only young people remaining were Rai, who lived solely with the conviction to maintain the peace of Eton Village, and the self-proclaimed hero, a herbalist living in the forest.

“Shall we depart as well?”

Watching the villagers gather in the square, we also tried to leave without delay.

However, Killua raised her arm, blocking my way.

“I’m sorry, but… do you remember the pot we worked on?”

“Ah… the pot mixed with sawdust and slime fluid?”

The pot made with Killua, mixed with sawdust, slime fluid, and the juice of an unidentified fruit, then pressed down with a pressing stone, came to mind.

“It’ll be heavy, but could you bring that to the square?”

“Ah… come to think of it, it’s already tomorrow.”

Indeed, tomorrow was the day the merchants were supposed to visit the village.

If the liquid in the pot Killua made wasn’t valuable enough to win the merchants’ favor, she would have to entertain them tomorrow.

“Understood.”

Recalling the unsettling promise I had temporarily forgotten, I answered her request in a heavy voice.

“Why are you so serious? Everything will be fine, so don’t worry.”

But Killua lightly patted my shoulder with her arm, as if telling me not to worry.

I didn’t know what she had made, but I couldn’t grasp what value an object made from slime fluid, which was no different from slime excrement, sawdust with almost zero market value, and the juice of a common-looking fruit could possibly have.

“Then I’ll go ahead.”

“Understood. I’ll load the pot onto the cart and follow you right away.”

“Come carefully!”

Killua waved her hand at me a couple of times. Then, gripping the hem of her cloak tightly to ward off the cold dawn air, she ran towards the village square.

I waved back at her retreating figure, then pulled the small cart prepared in a corner of the open space and moved towards the workshop.

“This was it, right?”

Entering the workshop, I pulled out the large pot stored in the shade.

It was quite heavy, but fortunately, it was a weight I could handle alone.

Hugging the pot tightly, I carefully lowered it onto the cart I had brought.

And although it was a short distance, to prepare for any eventuality, I took the rope hanging in a corner of the workshop and firmly secured the pot to the cart.

“Whew…”

Having firmly secured the pot to the cart by tying the end of the rope, I lightly sighed and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

“Huh? That’s…”

As I finished the work and tidied up the area where the pot had been, another small pot caught my eye.

Unlike the other pots, this one had a pressing stone placed on its lid.

“I don’t remember working on this pot?”

I lightly picked up the pot, pressed down by the stone.

It felt quite heavy, as if something was completely filling it.

“Ah… was that the pot where the hero stored the slime fluid he brought?”

Come to think of it, there was slime fluid that the hero had gone deep into the forest alone to collect as an apology.

Killua had clearly told me to put it in a pot and store it aside, saying she would deal with it later.

But seeing that it had already been pressed down with a stone, it seemed Killua had finished the work and preparations herself without my knowing.

“She could have just asked me to do something like this…”

Although it was smaller than the large pot I had worked on, imagining Killua struggling alone with her one arm brought forth only a sense of pity.

I decided to take this small pot with me too, placing it on one side of the cart and winding the rope around it tightly twice more to secure it firmly.

“Alright. Shall we depart?”

Before departing, to prepare for any eventuality, I vigorously shook the cart from side to side.

Fortunately, despite such shaking, the pots, which had been firmly secured by wrapping the rope around them multiple times, remained firmly stuck to the cart.

Unless someone overturned the cart with superhuman strength, the pots would definitely not fall off and break.

“Hoo!”

The cart, loaded with two pots, boasted a considerable weight.

Fortunately, thanks to the cart’s well-maintained axle, it showed enough stability for me to manage it alone.

“Are you leaving?”

Just as I was pulling the cart out of the workshop, Rai was also walking out of his house, ready to depart for hunting and searching in the forest.

“Yeah. It seems like it’s going to be quite a busy day today.”

I answered his morning greeting, gesturing towards the village square, bustling with many residents gathered from dawn, unlike usual.

While I was preparing the cart, Killua, who had arrived at the square first, was getting ready to start the building demolition work with the gathered residents.

“I’ll also scout the forest briefly this morning and then come help with the work in the afternoon.”

Rai, too, seemed pleased to see the village beginning to change, smiling as he watched Killua, bustling among the residents, busily giving them instructions.

“Couldn’t you skip searching for just today?”

Rai also seemed eager to participate in this movement of change.

At my suggestion to skip hunting and searching for a day, he gave an awkward smile and scratched his cheek.

“If you join, Killua will like it too.”

“Ahahaha…”

At my mention of Killua, he merely let out a troubled laugh without answering.

Then, as if he couldn’t abandon his daily routine, he slowly and regretfully moved to sling the bow he was holding over his shoulder.

Watching Rai silently, I deliberately pretended to stumble, holding the cart firmly so it wouldn’t slip.

“Whoa… Whoa?!”

Though the cart was of a weight I could easily manage, I exaggeratedly cried out and shook the cart from side to side to make it seem unstable.

“D-dangerous!!”

At that, Rai hurriedly tossed aside the bow he was about to sling over his shoulder and rushed to me, firmly grabbing the back of the swaying cart.

“Oh, thanks. It’s heavier than I thought.”

As if the cart’s swaying had stopped thanks to Rai’s help, I sighed in relief and thanked him for his assistance.

“Be careful! You know how important this pot is!”

At that, Rai sharply narrowed his eyes, as if rebuking my carelessness, and reiterated the pot’s importance to me.

Looking at Rai, who was scolding me, I smiled meaningfully and offered him a new suggestion.

“I think it might be dangerous to move this to the square alone… Could you help me?”

“Ugh… Hmm…”

At my request, Rai looked back and forth with a flustered expression, from the cart loaded with two pots to the bow he had hastily thrown aside.

“Alright. If the pot breaks, it’ll literally be a disaster… I’ll just help you move it to the square.”

After deliberating, Rai finally chose to postpone the start of his morning routine and help me.

As Rai moved just as I had expected, I pulled up the corners of my mouth from an angle he couldn’t see, and tightened my grip on the cart’s handle.

“Then hold it well from behind. It would be a real disaster if the pot fell off and broke on the way to the square.”

“Alright. There’s a slope, so don’t walk too fast.”

Rai firmly gripped both sides of the cart, securing it so it wouldn’t shake too much even on the rough stone path.

With his help, I slowly began to pull the cart and walk along the path towards the village.

“The path is a bit boring, can I ask you a question?”

It took about 10 minutes to walk leisurely along the path to the square.

During that time, bored of just pulling the cart, I spoke to Rai, who was holding the cart behind me.

“Is there something you’re curious about?”

“Plenty. A whole lot.”

I moved my feet even more slowly, wary of the gentle downhill path leading to the village.

Clearly feeling the soft sensation of the ground on the soles of my feet, I smacked my lips a couple of times, then carefully pushed out the question that had been lingering in my throat.

“What do you think of Killua?”

“Huh? Wasn’t that a question I answered last time?”

Rai, hearing my question, asked back in a voice full of doubt, as if he was experiencing déjà vu.

But the thoughts I wanted to hear from him weren’t about Killua’s first impression, which he had already shared.

“As a woman, I mean.”

“Ah… that’s what you mean.”

Only then did Rai let out a small exclamation, as if he finally understood my question.

And after a few seconds of thought… he also quietly smacked his lips before giving an answer to my question.

“She’s a charming woman. Energetic and wise… even intelligent.”

Listening to his answer, I lifted my gaze from the ground I was treading on and looked at Killua, who was leading the residents in the middle of the square.

She was skillfully leading the residents with a bright smile and cheerful calls, enough to invigorate those around her.

Although she was the White Mage who had lost all her power, the leadership itself that had guided countless followers in those days had not vanished.

“But she’s too good for me. As you know, Killua doesn’t suit a small village like this, does she?”

Rai, who clearly believed Killua was a high-ranking noble, seemed to judge that this small village might suffer harm due to potential conflicts among nobles.

He seemed to have firmly given up on Killua, as his voice clearly conveyed a strong sense of resignation.

“……”

Killua clearly had more than just affection—a strong liking—for Rai, who had helped and even healed her.

However, Rai, even knowing Killua’s feelings, was firmly closing his heart due to her secretive status.

As long as Rai didn’t open his heart, it was clear that their relationship would run parallel until it twisted in a bad direction at some point.

“Haa…”

I briefly looked at the sky and exhaled a suffocating sigh, heavy in my chest, towards the clouds.

Then, after filling my lungs with a generous breath of fresh morning air, I uttered a single truth towards Rai.

“Killua wants to settle in this village, you know.”

“Huh?”

Rai, hearing my words, only responded with a small exclamation, as if disbelieving his ears.

“She wants to abandon everything and live in this small village. Very quietly. So as not to be noticed by the outside world.”

He let out a forced, hollow laugh. “Don’t lie. Both the villagers and you. Are you trying too hard to link Killua and me?”

Had the villagers also subtly laid the groundwork to link Killua and Rai?

He merely let out a hollow laugh, as if he had heard such things too many times.

“It’s not a lie. I’m serious.”

At his hollow laugh, I lowered my voice and emphasized the truth of my words in a serious tone.

Then, Rai’s hollow laughter from behind me slowly faded.

“No… Realistically, that can’t be possible. Killua is a high-ranking noble. You can’t just easily sever the spiderweb-like relationships between nobles, can you?”

Indeed, noble society was a cutthroat one, where all sorts of schemes and battles were waged in the shadows due to large and small secrets.

Even runaway nobles had no way to escape the surveillance of other nobles, due to the secret and fatal hidden truths they carried.

However, Rai’s belief that Killua was a high-ranking noble was clearly mistaken.

Killua is not a noble.

The White Mage.

And not just any White Mage, but the one who had disappeared five years ago, whose whereabouts or even existence had been unknown.

“It’s fine. If she just changes her hair color, no one will recognize Killua.”

The most potent clue connecting Killua and the White Mage was her silvery-white hair alone.

If only that hair were hidden with another color, it was clear that no one would even imagine she was the White Mage.

“No… Why would someone like Killua try to settle in such an insignificant, small Eton Village?”

He still asked with a voice tinged with doubt, as if he couldn’t trust my words.

At his question, I slightly turned my head, trying to check Rai’s facial expression or gaze.

However, due to the large pot on the cart I was pulling, I couldn’t see Rai’s expression as he held onto the back of the cart.

“Because you are here.”

Unable to confirm Rai’s expression, I finally blurted out the answer to his question, looking at Killua, who was energetically giving instructions among the residents.

“Ah… Ugh…”

At my answer, Rai was ultimately speechless.

But still feeling his hands firmly holding the cart to keep it from shaking, I entered the path leading to the square.

“You’re here, Jazel! You’ve worked hard!”

Killua, who had been leading the residents around, standing on a small platform with a simply drawn blueprint, recognized me pulling the cart at a glance and slightly raised her arm to greet me.

To respond to her greeting, I slightly raised my right arm.

“Oh? Rai came too?! Rai!!”

Just then, Killua belatedly noticed Rai, who had been hidden behind the pot on the cart I was pulling.

She called out his name in an even more energetic and lively voice than when she called mine, raising the arm she had lifted towards me high into the sky and vigorously waving it from side to side.

“You’ve been through a lot, Killua.”

To Killua’s vibrant greeting, Rai responded with a faint smile.

While the two exchanged lively greetings, I merely lowered my right arm, which I had slightly raised to respond to her greeting but was now meaningless, with an awkward smile.