TL/Editor: Butter Cat
Status: 4/week mon-thurs
Illustrations: none
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〈 Chapter 38 〉 Chapter 38. Friend.
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**
Darkness descends upon the forest, faster than you might expect.
Especially in autumn, as the sun's arc across the sky grows lower and lower.
After parting ways with Sia, I returned to the cabin Elli had built in the forest and recounted the day's events.
Elli listened to my every word attentively.
A model listener.
The small cabin, which seed cramped, yet was more than enough for the two of us, was quickly filled with my childish chatter.
When I first saw her building this house, I was quite surprised.
Starting with a black-furred wolf, deer, bears, crows, and even feline predators I didn’t recognize appeared one after another and helped her build the house.
It was jaw-dropping to see them felling trees, piling stones on the ground, hamring and sawing as if they possessed intelligence.
As I watched them build the house, I patted a cat that approached .
Before I knew it, a house stood where there had been an empty lot, and I realized once again that Elli was an extraordinary being.
You're amazing, Big Sis.
"—And so, Big Sis Elli, I made this with Sis Sia, just for you!!"
"Thank you, Alice. Did you have fun today?"
"Yes!!"
I fumbled with my hands, clumsily placing the flower crown I had brought on her head.
Oops, I missed.
Heehee, I'll try again.
—Well, even though I said "hands," one of them was just a blunt lump of flesh.
It took a while because my aim was off, but after many attempts, I finally succeeded.
"Wow!! Big Sis Elli, you look just like a princess!!"
".....That's, kind of you to say."
Big Sis Elli looks the prettiest when she smiles like this.
Her face, as she smiled after receiving my gift, was a mixture of joy and regret, affection and sorrow.
Her eyes, darting back and forth, were focused on my left arm, even I could see it.
A mangled, uneven surface, as if it had been bitten off by a beast.
It was the mark left by her, right in front of .
Munch, crunch, like that.
Devoured, so deliciously.
"Heehee."
Is she feeling sorry?
Is she thinking she's guilty?
But Big Sis, guilt is sothing that,
Even if you go to prison, even if you suffer the sa pain, even if you pay for your sins, even if you try to escape through death.
It can never, ever be repaid.
There's no way such a thing is possible, right?
Just like my scar, which will remain forever, you might be able to turn away from it, but it will never disappear.
So, Big Sis.
Don't, dwell on my wound.
It's just sothing that can't be repaid, sothing that can't be undone.
Just, admit your mistake and make a firm resolution to never do it again, that's enough.
You don't have to worry about it so much.
Just let it go, as if it was just sothing that happened?
"Heehee! I wish I could always be with Big Sis Elli like this."
"....I, feel the sa way."
"Really!?"
I climbed onto her lap as she sat on a chair and swung my legs back and forth.
Creak, the wooden chair groaned in response to my movents.
tattak, tattak, the sound blended with the crackling of firewood in the fireplace, creating a lody that filled our small cabin.
Elli, hugged tightly.
So I wouldn't fall off the chair.
So I wouldn't leave her lap.
"I will protect you, Alice."
I hear her firm words, filled with a resolute promise, reaching my ears.
Hearing that, I smiled softly.
Oh, Big Sis Elli.
"Yes, I trust you, Big Sis Elli."
If I don't trust her, who else could I trust?
**
In the long-standing cathedral of Syria Village.
Small sobs, sighs, and voices filled with fear echoed endlessly.
"Ah.... Aaah...."
"The, the holy relic…!!"
In the center of the cathedral.
There was a holy relic bestowed by the Holy See.
Or rather, there *had been* one.
"How could… sothing like this…"
"F-Father—!!"
An ancient crucifix, personally brought back by the old priest after an arduous journey to the Holy See in the capital, a requirent that every cathedral possess at least one holy relic.
It had been carefully encased in glass, protected from any touch.
And now, it lay there, covered in blemishes, crumbled to white dust.
The holy crucifix, as if struck by so disease, had crumbled from its core, slowly disintegrating before their very eyes.
Many people watched the spectacle, their hands clasped in prayer.
An incomprehensible phenonon.
Was it a curse from God?
Had soone committed an act that incurred God's wrath?
The cathedral was filled with commotion.
The place, which had once accommodated many people, was now a stage for debate.
"A, a witch..."
One of them, whispered softly.
At those words, everyone fell silent.
Plop.
It was like a single drop of water falling onto a still surface.
Small ripples, began to spread outwards.
Voices of agreent, slowly grew louder.
"That's right... A witch!! It must be!"
"—Co to think of it, the sudden downpour the other day... and the frozen ground!?"
"Yes... There's no way the holy relic would crumble like this for no reason!!"
Madness is a gift from God.
It transcends customs and traditions, infecting the minds of n.
No ordinary person can resist a phenonon created by God.
It was just a string of bad luck.
It was just the winter arriving, it was just an unfortunate bout of unusual weather.
Their weak bodies had easily succumbed to illness because they hadn't been eating properly, disease spread throughout the village, and the tin had crumbled due to the cold snap, unable to fulfill its purpose. (TL Note: Probably referring to tin pest, fun fact tin was a material that was regularly used in the Middle Ages.)
But because people couldn't understand it.
Because there was soone right in front of them to bla.
Because small complaints had been piling up.
Because soone had been seen acting strangely and going to suspicious places lately.
People's suspicions and fears beca a raging fire, slowly spreading through the madness.
Misfortune.
It was just a bit of misfortune.
**
Two months.
A long ti, yet a short ti.
Alice and I continued our small etings.
Thanks to that, our bond grew stronger than anyone else's, but conversely, the atmosphere in the village noticeably darkened.
The villagers locked their doors nervously even for ordinary outings, and easily lost their temper over the smallest things.
It was inevitable—
"—There's… no work today."
"What!? Th-That can’t be…"
"Things have gotten bad. Even you, who's useless, must have heard sothing, right?"
Drought, hailstorms, crop failures, famine, unusual weather.
And recently, a flu-like illness had started spreading.
Various disasters had struck our village.
In fact, the signs had been there all along.
The temperature had dropped significantly, several degrees lower than in previous years.
As a result, the harvest had gradually dwindled.
To prepare for this, the villagers had been stockpiling and storing grains.
But there was no sign of the situation improving even as ti passed.
To make matters worse, just a few days ago, despite it being winter, an untily downpour had struck the fields where the autumn wheat, sown in late autumn and harvested in early sumr, had been planted.
If only it had ended there.
A cold snap followed, freezing the ground solid, a truly unprecedented event.
The small sprouts that had erged were probably all dead now.
And with the illness spreading on top of that, I could understand their feelings.
It seed like they could sohow manage to endure this year…
But now, even the storage were starting to run empty?
"Anyway, because of that there's no work for you."
"Uuu... Yes, I understand."
Slam. The front door of the house closed with an unnecessarily loud bang.
Click, I heard the sound of the door being locked.
Faced with their cold rejection, as if saying there was no chance, I lowered my tail and left the house empty-handed.
I had so money in my pocket, enough for a few als, but it was a pittance compared to the long winter that lay ahead.
"Seriously... What kind of hardship is this…"
Trudging along, I wandered aimlessly through the village.
It wasn't exactly bustling before, but the village, which had at least held so vibrancy, was now like a desolate ghost town.
And through the small windows, I saw eyes filled with disgust.
They were watching , from every window.
Eyes.
Eyes eyes eyes.
Eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes eyes.
What?
"......"
What is this?
Gulp, I heard the sound of saliva going down my throat, my body tense with anxiety.
Hostile gazes, filled with animosity.
You could say it was the usual, but my intuition was warning .
Sothing, was different.
It was dangerous.
"...Let's just, check it out."
The atmosphere in the village had changed drastically.
Sensing the unease, I walked onto the main road and discreetly observed the people passing by.
The few people I saw were gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves as if sharing a secret.
"—Is… ㅡㅡ,ㅡ."
"…ㅡㅡㅡ,ㅡㅡ?"
"ㅡㅡ!?"
What, are they talking about?
Curious, I approached them, hoping to hear the conversation more clearly.
But one of the people in the group spotted and quickly turned and ran.
Running away.
He was so fast that he disappeared from sight within seconds.
…Huh?
"ㅡ ,ㅡㅡㅡ !!"
"—It's her!!"
Seeing his reaction, everyone else in the group turned to look at .
Realizing that I was approaching, they started scattering.
In a flurry.
Leaving all alone.
Far away.
Soon, the alley where people had been gathered was empty, except for .
A sight, that reminded of bullying.
And it seed, I was the target.
"....What's going on?"
Seriously, what is this?
Unable to hide my bewildernt, I stood there for a long ti, in the spot where they had been.
Looking around, I saw other people on the street whispering as they saw .
As if they had seen sothing frightening.
As if they had encountered sothing filthy.
Everyone I encountered quickly avoided or ran away.
"What… is going on?"
Outcast.
It would be a lie to say it hadn't happened before.
Well, being abandoned by my parents and having to beg for scraps of food in exchange for labor could be considered bullying too.
But they at least had a tiny bit of conscience, treating like a human being, just enough for to survive.
Minimal human decency.
Giving work and paying a small amount of money or feeding in return.
If it weren't for that, I would have starved to death.
But it had never been like this.
They might have ignored , but they had never treated like a monster, openly avoiding or expressing fear like this.
They still had so pride, after all.
But it seed like that was over.
This place, where I had lived for over ten years, now felt unfamiliar, like an unknown land, just like when I had first arrived in the village.
The faces I passed by on the street felt like complete strangers.
The familiar air of the village, now felt incredibly suffocating.
"Is this… dangerous?"
My head was already full of worries about Alice's arm, and now this was happening too.
—This hand… um, I did sothing wrong. So Big Sis [punished] , and it beca like this.
—…..!!!!
—I… I was a bad girl… Yeah, but I was forgiven, so it’s okay! Ah, and this is a secret, okay?
What Alice had told before, about how her arm had beco like that.
A small detail that I desperately wished was a lie, or that I had misunderstood.
Having tasted that horrifying glimpse of truth, I wanted to focus on resolving it, but...
"Ugh… This is driving crazy."
My short walk was over.
For now, I decided to return to the barn, which served as both my bed and my ho.
Let's sleep on it and think about it later.
With a relaxed mindset.
I have no idea what's going to happen next.
And so, I went back.
**
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