190 ① That morning

The fifth day of the white moon.

Even that morning, we didn't feel any signs of anomaly.

Four days ago - one night on the white moon, Dora's father was attacked by a burglar.

The day after that, Milan-Math's daughter was about to be identified by an unreliable man during the day, and an intruder snuck into the Zaza family at night.

Furthermore, the night after that, he was to face Zida, son of Red Beard Gollum, at Fa's house.

It was only three days into the white moon, and this was all that happened.

We're going to spend our days tightening our minds.

But the fourth day of the White Moon passed without a thing as if to mock the movement of those minds, and that's how we had this fifth morning with a lot of shoulder watermarks.

"It's never a distraction, it's Asta. Human feelings are the easiest thing to loosen up at times like this."

When I complete my morning work and loading work, I - Fa - have said so with a tough face.

Today was the day that Ai-Fa stayed home.

"Copy that," I nod as usual.

"You should be more careful with the i-fa. I guess the number of givahs is growing in this neighborhood again, huh?

"Mm-hmm. Even after the moon changes, the number of gibberishes increases. Yesterday, there was a man in Lan, and he seems to have taken a heavy toll."

"Was it? I'm worried about him."

I liked the morning sun and breeze, it was a peaceful morning.

It is a slaughtered topic that does not deserve such a peaceful morning.

"Hey, in Fa's house or Run's house or something, there's no such thing as a period of rest from hunter's work as in Lew's house?

I was stroking Gill's neck when I-Fa said, "Hmm?" He looks back at me like a jerk.

"As I have explained before, Gibba has the habit of moving the twist regularly in search of abundant grace. They devour fruits, tree roots, small animals, and move from north to south, from south to north, frequently through the woods."

"Yeah. We could go down to people in the process, and then we'd eat up the fields in Genos, right? I remember you very well."

"Uhm. Within repeating it, a period occurs when grace is fruitless for some time in the badly devoured places in the woods. The hunters who live nearby put the time to rest because Gibba won't be able to lean on the place for a while. … just because such a time comes about three times a year, it is not always stipulated which house should rest in which month"

"Oh, so every house has a rest period about three times a year."

"That's the thing. … grace is so badly ravaged just around here right now that if it stays this way there will be a period of rest within a month"

"Right. You did it."

When I accidentally spilled a smile, Ai-Fa tilted her little nipple a lot.

"What did you do? Even Fou and Run, close to Fa's house, won't be able to hunt Giva, so meat will be difficult to secure in the meantime, right?

"I don't think we'll have a problem with that because Lew should be letting us get back to work by then. I might be able to buy meat from Sautti in a while....... so if you skip that kind of talk, you'd be happy because even ii-fa can rest his body?

"Periods of rest encourage training. Of course, it's nothing compared to hunting, but I'm happy, but I'm not happy."

Ai-fa, it just doesn't go away.

"Besides, we don't always have to clear up our problems with Castle Genos by the time the rest period comes. Then even if you can rest your body, you can't rest until you feel."

"Oh well...... but even cleaning up that problem would slow down the i-fa too. If you think about it, I'm glad to hear it."

At least, it was a pleasant story for me that I-Fa could take half a month off a dangerous hunter's job.

but for some reason, ai-fa makes her lips squeeze in dissatisfaction.

"Best of all if I get a life that doesn't require escorts or anything, but if it does, it will, and there will be no more reason for me to go down to Inn Town"

"Yeah? Is that a problem?

"... staying home alone is boring"

I was heartily surprised.

I didn't think such a dialogue would pop out of Ey-Fa's mouth.

"Oh, no, but - you can't take half a month off from work in Inn Town until I do, can you?

"Of course," he said, getting his head around him.

If you try Ey-Fa, it seems this is only the lower compatibility of the act of kicking your leg.

"I was just angry at you for what you said and did, which is pleasing to me all by myself, irreversibly my mood. You lack compassion for your parents."

"Yeah, but even I take a break once every ten days. If the rest period lasts only half a month, the rest may overlap once or twice. We will try not to bore you on those days."

Guru, and Ai-Fa's head stop the movement.

And Ai-Fa has been kicking my face from that close range.

"Speaking of which, the first day off from that business was already approaching, Asta."

"Oh, yeah. The 7th and 8th of the White Moon, so the day after tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

"Then I think I'll go into the woods every other day. Yesterday, we were going to hunt two givahs, and we're getting a little tired."

"Right. You should rest."

"Then the 8th of the White Moon will leave both me and Asta from work"

"Oh, don't"

"... I finally know what it means to say you're happy"

and - close enough to breathe, Ai-Fa smiled with a grin.

It is a perfectly unintentional smile.

"You've been out of business since the Parents' Council, Asta."

"Ugh, yeah, I think he did."

"At the Parents' Conference, I kept my behavior apart until sundown, and on the holidays before and after that, you seemed busy at the mercy. Besides, they were both in the settlement of Lou."

It strikes me how much I remember those old days.

"Then it's been more than a day at Fa's house - no, I used to go into the woods every day before that, so I guess spending time at Fa's house from morning to night since the day I made my tears outside the house"

"You have a really amazing memory! That was over two months ago, wasn't it?

"Mm-hmm. I picked you up in the woods for the tenth day or so. What time was it?... so back then, I don't think I thought you were as irreplaceable as you are now"

With a smile on his face, this time he put his head on his head.

"Speaking of which, even when my father and I were dawning into hunter's work, it was something that nurtured our love in peace during the period of rest. I forgot how you felt..."

"Heh. Oh, really?"

"I have a job to do, both for me and for you. But - because it is, it would also be such a pleasure to see that such a day of rest exists"

"Ugh, yeah......"

"I'm in the middle of dealing with an inexperienced opponent named Cycleus right now, but I'd like to be at peace that day, if I may."

That's how Ai-Fa let herself go of me and said to those eyes a bright, age-appropriate girlish glow with a powerful voice, with a deer-clawed look on its face as a parent.

"Then it will be time for Rudd-Lou and the others to come along. Never get distracted and encourage work, Asta."

"Oh, thank you, Ai-Fa"

Shit or so disturbing, I could have answered that too.

And so we began to follow each other's ways that morning.

Believing that we will see each other again in a few hours, and with determination in our hearts that we will squeeze all our strength to do so.

◇

Then when we went down to Inn Town, a happy reunion was waiting for us.

I rented a stall at Kimmus's Tail Pavilion and stopped by a painting in the outdoor area to buy vegetables as usual, and there I was, with my father, who felt a little fat, and a little, sneaky young girl.

"Dad! Is the body okay now?!?

"Hey, you got me worried, Asta. Everyone else is out of time."

Dora's father is grinning.

I just saw that unchanging smile and I almost burst into tears.

"Whoa, what a face you have. You didn't get hurt enough to worry about that, did you? You heard from my son, didn't you?

"Yes, but... I'm so glad you're feeling better. Tara hasn't hit it either."

"Yeah!" said Tara, grinning all over her little face too.

"You look fine over there, above all. How many vegetables are there with you?

"Yes, please"

Dora's father pulled out a packed bag of vegetables laughing at her as she hung on.

He's my old father.

But its right shoulder still has a gray cloth wrapped around it.

It's probably the kind of herbs that linger in the green. I can feel a slight stink of irritation. It smells of the same pedigree as the medicine Vina-Lou used when he was hurting his ankle.

"Um, I really don't know what to say this time...... honestly, I can't find the words"

"So you're not talking about Asta turning her mind around like that, are you? The rich towns are packed with filthy people. For us, bandits have always been as troublesome as Gibbs."

"But that's not how a bandit dressed as a forest folk shows up, is it? In the meantime, I'm relieved to see you're safe."

And, Rudd-Lou also interrupts with a serious face.

Dad laughed softly at you too.

"Whatever you're dressed for, a burglar is a burglar. It's the guards' job to catch them, so we don't have to get sick."

"Oh, but..."

At that time, I was in a strange mood.

Occasionally Rud-Lew wakes himself up and turns back towards the street.

What is this about shadows if you make rumors?

Several guards armed with leather armor and long spears were approaching us.

"People by the woods, who's Asta in Fa's house, you mean? I need to talk to you, so I hope you'll accompany me to the jar."

That's what the guards who were in the lead have told me.

Much smaller and poorer in stature, but the helmet has a hint of splendid decoration. The number of guards who withheld behind the little man was five.

"What exactly is it for you? I'm about to get ready for work."

"I won't let you take the time. I just have a few things to check."

His attitude is magnificent, but he didn't seem to be that good of a liver to sit on. Rudd-Lou and the others. The light of fright has been lit up quite clearly in the eyes of the hunters by the woods.

"Hey, what business do you have with Asta? If you're talking about a burglar from a few days ago, you must have heard a good story from my son.

and Dora's father advances in front of the guards with an angry face.

The guard captain, the little man, frowned as he looked at you.

"What are you? Maybe he's one of those vegetable sellers who said he was attacked by a burglar? Then the story is irrelevant. Don't scratch your mouth."

"If the story of the robbers is irrelevant, you don't know what it means to pull the Astas extra? If you're going to pull it into a jar, isn't that the first thing you need to be clear about why?

"No, Dad, we're the ones you're calling for -"

I panicked and tried to push my father.

Then now some voice came up from across.

"Yes, it's like being a sinner to pull into a jar. And you said you worked for something bad, soldier?

I looked back at you in surprise, but I couldn't find the face I saw there.

Five or ten strangers were beginning to surround us.

The guard chief's little man was losing his complexion just because of it.

"Hey, what are you guys? It's not such a noisy story! Though I'm telling you I just want to make sure!

The five guards who would refrain behind it were also reclaiming their spears with confused faces.

Disturbing air is starting to fill the streets.

"So what's the matter with you?

"I don't suppose we've even got proof that those bandits are forest folk yet?

"Shut the fuck up. Tell me exactly why."

Maybe some of them are people who have seen each other in the street. Half of them were people of the south, and the other half were people of the west.

However, the people of the south were similar in appearance and clothing, and the people of the west didn't seem to know enough to call them regular.

And - long men hiding their faces in the hood of leather cloaks were also starting to twitch together so as to fill the gaps between those people with swordswallowing faces.

Needless to say, the people of the east.

"Ugh, what kind of graffiti is that! Oh, we're on official business, right?

The captain of the guard raises his voice.

Then the young man of the guard, who left a little more calm, entered instead.

"Lord Captain, this just spreads a little noise. I'm not talking about anything laborious, so wouldn't it be better if I got it done in this place?

"No, but..."

"That would be less dangerous than lowering these people down and taking the people by the woods to the clockyard. If you'll excuse me, I'll play that role on behalf of the captain..."

"Uhm! Then I'll leave it to the Lord"

The guard chief pulls in shitty, and the young man bites his sigh to death, while advancing further.

Apparently there are different people even when it comes to guards.

"Asta of the house of Fa, a people by the woods. What we want to confirm is that the bandits attacked you on the 31st of the Blue Moon."

"- The bandit who attacked us?

My heart swelled up after an unexpected word.

"Yes," the guard's young man nods.

"A neighbor offered me a stuffing lot. On the 31st of the Blue Moon, as you roamed the residential area, a bandit with a fur coat pulled out a knife and attacked you. Is there any difference between a woman or a child, a small stature, and a burning red-haired burglar?

One of Zida's things got into the guard's ear.

If I hold my fist, I say, "... yes," and I nod.

I can't testify against Zida.

But I couldn't have made this one a sinner by saying false words.

"Why didn't you make an offer within that day? Leaving the bandits alone can also put other people at risk."

"I'm sorry. He seemed to only care about the people by the woods, so he thought it wouldn't be a danger to the others."

It's the same answer I once mentioned to Sanjula.

Therefore, the guards have said the same words as Sanjula.

"But that's not why I didn't file the charges. If we leave them alone, won't we be in danger again?

"Yes, but if you resent the people by the woods for good reason, you wanted to discuss it properly and solve it. If he's captured as a sinner before that, we won't even be able to discuss it..."

The guard became silent with a sinister face.

The people surrounding us are watching us with a look of suspicion and concern.

"- But that's for your convenience. The act of pulling a knife out of a town is a sin, and leaving such sinners uncharged is nothing more than an act of whispering the laws of Genos"

"Yes, I thought it was frivolous.... but he was originally just keeping an eye on us on the far-roll. I realized that and this one got rough for trying to chase me, otherwise I don't think I would have pulled out a knife."

"So it is the work of our militias and lawyers to weigh sins in that way. You're just a people. You're not authorized to pardon sinners."

Now it was my turn to shut up.

Once again, Dora's father tries to raise his voice, "Hey, but it's -" and makes the guards look so sinister.

"Stick, that's not why I've been out trying to punish you guys. However, such imitation will not be tolerated in the future.... because you are the people of the woods and the people of Genos, the people of the west. Remember that you also have a duty to observe the law and the right to be obeyed by the law, as the son of Selva, the Western god."

"Yes," I nod carefully.

Dora's father and the people around him seemed so surprised by this word of the guard - Rudd-Lou and the others listened carefully to the guard's words.

"So there's no difference between what a burglar looks like, as I said earlier? If you remember your face more clearly, I'll arrange for a copybook."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not so sure... I didn't really understand the prominence of the nose or anything because my blush hair was all over my face."

I was only to commit a little perjury here.

The young man of the guard had doubted my face for a while, but eventually shook his head "Fair enough".

"Whatever, red-haired western people are rare, and a small physique like a child would be enough for arrangement writing. So, he was wearing a different fur coat than Giva, right?

"Yes, it was a shade of fur I don't really see in this Genos"

"There shouldn't be any other humans besides hunters, such as fur coats - hey, vegetable sales there"

and sees Dora's father in a transverse way.

"Was it really Giva's fur that haunted the bandits who attacked you? It seems that the bandits who attacked these people were wearing lighter, more deceptively patterned furs."

"It was dark, and I don't remember it so firmly.... I'm just pretty sure he was wearing a giva necklace"

And, your father says with a look that he was unhappy with, but didn't seem to.

"But I would have explained that around, too, right? The people of the woods are supposed to do such banditry."

"I know. One way or another, you don't have to raze your voice like that."

Waving loudly, the guard raised his voice a little louder.

"It's a good opportunity, so let me tell you something on this occasion. As a matter of fact, a bunch of bandits in a woodland outfit attacked the farm warehouse again last night."

"What!" I accidentally raised my voice, too.

I thought yesterday was a peaceful day for crackling - and where we don't know, there was another such disaster breaking out?

"The number of people was three, he said, wrapped around a cloth and hid his face, still wrapped around Giva's fur. Although I still don't know who I am, I'm pretty sure it's just the same bandits who attacked the farm three days ago."

People gathered around them are also bothering.

Already there were not only the first dozen people there, but also those who stopped at the thought of making some noise, which made them quite crowded.

As those people can hear, the young men of the guards raise their voices.

"After the incident three days ago, night protection by the militia was strengthened. Even so, the innocent were attacked and deprived of their valuable harvest. This is a circumstance of levity. … not to mention the bandits who are wearing the clothes of the people by the woods."

"Hey, soldier, but he's..."

"Shut up and listen.... with the people by the woods. If you want to hide your identity, you should hide your coat and necklace first. It is all too suspicious to hide only the face without doing so. Therefore, we also reinforce the view that this is a crime of some kind disguised as the people of the forest."

The guard's young man said so in a strong tone.

The voice that impresses me is raised from amongst the people.

"Of course if we capture those bandits, we don't know the truth, but gossip doesn't confuse us. And it doesn't take as much to make noise over the treatment of the people by the woods as it once did. Without proof, we will not slander the people of the woods, and - in the name of His Excellency Silhouel, the leader of the Guardian Militia Corps - this is a word that will also be communicated to the Accommodation Town by the end of the day."

With that word, the vigilance in me was again to be vigorously stimulated.

Cycleus' brother, the leader of the Guardian Militia, made me speak clearly in front of the people to defend the people by the woods - and now I was neither good nor simple enough to appease them.

The young man of the guard, with a face that he seems a little good at, is shrugging people.

They also seem to be a little proud of the fact that they are just and generous to heretics like the people by the woods.

It may have been his own unfalse heart.

But as far as I'm concerned, I couldn't help but wonder where the leader of the militia regiment and his true intentions were.

(What the hell are you up to this time -?)

People are listening to the guards with a puzzling look.

Some of them relaxed their cheeks - some tried to tongue them a little and stay off the spot.

Well, I see the reaction of unfriendly people to the people by the woods, and a dark cloud spreads across my chest.

Maybe this was the aim of Cycleus?

Treat and defend the people by the woods and plant suspicion in the people of the lodging towns - is that the true purpose of letting the bandits who made them wear naive disguises attack the farm?

(If you say I think too much, that's fine. But...)

Now what would happen if the three hunters, acting together with the camouflage, impersonated me, as Ai-Fa previously speculated.

On top of that, what would happen if we "unjustly" defended the people by the woods?

After all, will it be possible to plant the suspicion that the people of the woodland will not be punished for any lawless work, once again, on the people of the Inn Town?

If we had as much intimacy as Dora's father, the people of the town who are now listening to the guards with a reassuring face - the people by the woods could lose the trust of these people who defended us in their righteous rage again.

But does Cycleus have a benefit by imitating that?

Until now, I didn't know where it was.

But I was supposed to exchange words with Yamil-Ray two days ago and start one hypothesis.

That is, is Cycleus trying to rebuild the Sung family as a chieftaincy muscle to bring everything back to its previous state so that it is easy to control the presence of the people by the woods - hypothesis.

If that hypothesis had come to pass - the people of the woodland would rise to poverty, without ever gaining understanding from anyone, hunting Gibba in madness just to die to live, if that is the state that Cycleus wants, tearing the edge between the woodland and the boarding town might also have great significance.

(... if this is all my fantasy, I don't mind)

If Cycleus isn't as shady as I am, then that's not a bad story. All I have to do is assume even the worst, and still be prepared not to be shrugged on my feet.

Let me also tell Zashma and Donda-Lou after this how paranoid I am.

We have to win this fight at all costs.