189 (11) The pride of each

And it is night.

At the end of the meat dumpling dinner, I talked to Ai-Fa.

"It's finally getting tricky. What the hell happens to Zulo-Sung?

"At this stage, Donda-Lou and the others can't decide the way either. Let's start with the truth."

That was, indeed, what Ai-Fa said.

The moment of twitching and settlement is supposed to be approaching, but there are only numerous mysteries, questions and speculations at our disposal. This could not have set the way forward.

"The first thing we need to do is protect ourselves, and wait for Camua-Josh to return. That's all we can do."

"No, there's only one more thing, right? It's about convincing Zida to take her side."

"And then there's nothing else to wait to see from the other side. One way to hunt is to keep waiting until the prey shows up."

"Yeah, that's a hunter-like idea"

Speaking of which, that Donda-Lou often unexpectedly shows a passive attitude as well. Is it the way that that brave man fights to dive in and wait for a good chance rather than move in the murmur?

Under the blurry light of the candlestick, I stare at the side of Ai-Fa.

It's just a little close. We were brought to the wall side by side, talking in a small voice.

The distance between your shoulders touching or not touching it.

"When they shoot an arrow through the window, they won't be able to protect you without you by their side, though?" And Ai-Fa has held this position ever since supper.

When I slept, I tried to put a cloth on the window.

But today, I like the wind at night.

Until I fell asleep, let's keep it this way - it wasn't like either one of us was ever going to say anything, but we were talking quietly about it at this distance where even your body temperature was going to be felt.

"... you want your peaceful routine back soon. At least I don't have to worry about being able to shoot an arrow through the window."

"Hmm? What's the matter all of a sudden? That's just how your feelings are shriveling?

"No. It's hard to come to mind, so much so that if you're not careful, you're going to be struggling.... I just thought it would be a really happy day if I only got a good life if I was worried about Ai-Fa coming home safely and the end of business"

Ey-fa leaves his mouth as a letter to, with his eyes facing the window.

When I say things like this from my side, I usually shut up like this.

I think that place is really catty, even though it rubs me off without question when I feel anxious.

Well, there's nothing at all I don't like about that.

"But it's tough to go back in a tough direction and just wait for them to move. I don't know what I'd do if someone close to me started another strange disaster, but I'm worried about you the most."

"Uh-huh. And I'm not sure whose hand it is."

"Oh. But if you really think all of this is the work of Cycleus - maybe it's a plan that's trying to bring history back"

"History? Pull back?"

Ey-fa leans his neck like a jerk.

On that clap, my long hair tickled under my neck.

"Doesn't that sound like it? Pulling Zulo-Sung back to the chief, planting suspicions about the people by the woods on the townspeople, and interfering with the stall business so they can't continue either - I guess that's how you're trying to bring everything back to its previous state, Cycleus."

"If that imagination is true -" a quiet force can be put into the voice of Ai-Fa.

"A man named Cycleus is an enemy of a forest folk."

"Oh. If it's as clear an enemy as that, it's worth taking down."

Seriously, if you respond that way with half a joke, I = fa would love to see your mouth down -

Then, he exploded the hunter's gaze in both eyes.

"... are you here," the hand grabs the knife pattern.

Chasing Ey-Fa's gaze in surprise, he had yellow eyes blinking outside the window.

Drink the sawdust and saliva.

It was as if I had come across a hungry beast in the dark at night.

"You call yourself Zida, don't you? You were willing to exchange words with us?

"... come out on the table. Both of you."

The yellow fire swells away.

Ai-Fa stood up, holding the knife.

And you stick a hunter's eye out at me with your hips up the same way.

"Asta. Never leave me, do you? If all of a sudden you get attacked, I'll pop you inside the house, so keep that in mind."

"Okay."

We cautiously turned our feet out of the house.

Zida stood outside the house, about five meters from the doorboard on the front door, as a ghost.

The blue and white moonlight demonizes its standing.

"If it's harmless, let's welcome it. I'm the head of Fa's house, Ai-Fa, this is my family Asta."

…………

"As I told you the other day, we don't feel hostile to you. I want you to hear our words first before you hit the forest folks with feelings of hatred"

I didn't know the look on Zida's face because she was deeply wearing the hood.

Only those yellow eyes are burning like beasts at hand.

But - would it be the addition or subtraction of the moon's light, its body seemed so much smaller than it had seen before?

Originally, his back length was about smaller than that of Rud-Lew, and he has a slender physique.

I can't feel any anger or force that was dissipating from that little body today.

Without yellow burning eyes, it was enough to feel like he was just a little kid wrapped around a fur cloak.

"I just want to ask you one thing before that, how did you figure out our house? Asta and the others are traveling in their luggage, so it shouldn't have been possible to follow them."

"... I've been following that luggage truck. It's much easier than following in the footsteps of a beast"

Out of the shadow of the hood, Zida replied as such.

The voice, too, used to be a rage when it was a cracked thunder - for the sake of talking quietly like that, it just seemed like a slightly husky boy voice in the process of changing his voice.

"The Big Sinner - Is It Really All Dead?

After a lot of silence, Zida asks in an even lower voice.

"There was talk of two major criminals being executed in Accommodation Town. However, there are times when there are two criminals by the woods who have killed dozens of merchants.... What happened to the rest of the sinners?

"I hear that all the rest of them have died in the last decade. People in the Sung family dyed their hands of sin, and for some reason many young people lost their lives."

Zida teases her eyes that she is "lying" to the words of Ey-Fa, who responds calmly.

"Is it so convenient that all sinners die? Are you sheltering the rest of the sinners...?

"That's not true. A very small number of people were originally involved in the incident ten years ago. They attacked the Chamber of Commerce with a gibberish. By doing so, it was possible to defeat as many as thirty human beings alone."

"So who attacked the farm two days ago? Were you still a bunch of outlaws without one left?

"No, it's not. It's some kind of ruse to impersonate the people by the woods. I believe that there is no longer a single human being who defiles the hunter's pride."

Ai-Fa said so strongly and quietly.

What a tough, what a clean voice and expression I was supposed to take my breath instead.

It's like an eye-fa who doesn't really try to show the rest of us the inside, exposing all the strength and sobriety in it - such a strange feeling is creeping my heart out.

Zida shuts her mouth tightly and stares back at Ai-Fa.

After a lot of silence, when the mouth was finally about to open - a pleasant breeze swept our hair and paid Zida's worn hood back.

"I... have brushed my arms so far to avenge the people of the woods..."

Red fluffy hair, like fire, flickers without sound in the dark.

"And yet, if all the great sinners had died... to whom should I wave my sword down...?

Zida's face is also revealing.

The face that was once pulled and distorted by anger was now pulled and distorted by sorrow.

What a sad face.

Besides - is this really the same person as that scared raider who's been mad at us for turning his sword on us?

My eyes, they're big. Slightly hoisted, big almond-shaped eyes.

His nose and mouth are smaller, and he's creeping around his jaw, a face that even looks younger than his age of 13 or 4.

I can't imagine how this face can transform into a shaped shape of a leopard with his fangs removed.

It's just - only those yellowish eyes were burning like fire, even if they were sinking into grief.

"... what are you trying to avenge for, Gida?

Ai-Fa asks quietly.

Zida let the fierce fire soften in her eyes.

"Don't ask me what I missed. It is decided to restore the pride of my father Gollum, executed under the cover of unspoken sin"

"Right. We, the people of the woods, are also in the process of reclaiming the pride of the clan that our former chiefs defiled."

…………

"Asta would also have told you yesterday. Even if it was the Sung family who actually sinned, there might be a human being behind it who guided it. We are still fighting to see if it is true"

…………

"To you, maybe we're one crack in the hatred. But wouldn't it be hard to hold hands together to expose the truth to the sun? We want that path"

Zida leaves nothing unanswered and wears the hood back with her right hand.

At that time, his left shoulder, wrapped around him with a gray cloth, fell back only slightly from his cloak.

"... I take revenge my way"

Eventually Zida said so in an emotionally indeterminate voice.

"If that's what you don't care about, take me here now. Your power would make that easier. I'm a handyman."

"There's no reason to slay you, and I'm glad I didn't have to slay you even then three days ago"

Zida returned the silence.

Behind that back, I call in haste.

"Wait. You haven't heard anything from your mother? Actually, our people are looking for your mother right now. With that testimony, you may expose the sinners' sins -"

"... my mother wouldn't allow me to live in revenge. So I'm off edge already a year ago.... that woman had fangs with her father's death."

"A year ago - have you lived separately since then?"

"I lived in the mountains of Masala. I went down to the people to sell the birds I captured... and that's where I found out you existed, Asta"

Keeping her back to us, Zida said that in an unchallenged voice.

"When the people of the woods were doing business in the lodging town of Genos... the great sinners were judged and the people of the woods were forgiven... I heard the pedestrians talking like that. That's why I couldn't think of anything with my anger... and that's how I got to Genos."

"Right. But I guess the people by the woods aren't allowed yet. That's why we're squeezing our strength so we can get the right edge off the people in town."

Zida answered nothing.

That little hindsight keeps me away from the darkness.

When I accidentally stepped out of my foot - he refused to "come" in a low voice.

That's how Zida disappeared before us.

"Hey Ai-Fa...... are you glad I let you go silently?

"There is only one. He is on the right path. No one can disturb it."

That's what Ai-Fa said, sending a strong gaze in Zida's disappeared direction.

"Besides, that one has the same soul as us. We can believe that we will no longer stand up as enemies. … then we'll have to wait until the road naturally overlaps"

"Right. Maybe he is."

At least I could feel that stopping Zida by force was the biggest stupidity.

On top of that, if Ai-Fa believes in Zida, I'll believe it too.

At last, the contours of the enemy have become blurred.

No matter what hand Cycleus hits, he will never give in.

If Cycleus is really plotting to bring the history of the woodland back to its previous state - if he admits that he did the right thing - it will also lead to the total denial of my own existence, which has intervened in the raw life of a heterogeneous but woodland people.

There is no way to prove that what I do is right.

I guess that's why I have to face Cycleus with all my spirit.

A large number of people, including I-Fa, recognized my existence as a drug - even to avoid wasting that thought.

"I stayed up late.... I'm going to sleep, Asta."

"Oh."

That's how we decided to say goodbye to the windy woodland night and get some sleep for tomorrow.