871 Prologue - First Morning

That morning I was supposed to wake up in a sweet scent.

Something is so sweet and seductive that it seems to melt your soul.

When I opened my eyelids with clarity, I quickly ascertained who they were.

Right at the tip of my nose, my eye-fa's golden brown hair was looming.

Ai-Fa had his head around my left shoulder and was sleeping in peace.

In a horizontal position, that fingertip grips around the chest of my t-shirt. It's like sleeping like a toddler clinging to his mother.

It was a very hissing thing for Ai-Fa to look like this. That will probably be since I was asleep developing Ameshorn's Breath.

We vowed to live in moderation while we were merciful of your existence. Therefore, it was forbidden, as a general rule, to fall asleep together like this.

Besides, lately, Tia has always been on the sidelines. That's why it didn't take much longer to get close to each other like this.

(But... Tia's not here anymore)

Such a real feeling twitches from the depths of my chest.

I'm sure Ai-Fa got caught up in the same feeling and decided to cling to me. Otherwise, I didn't think Ai-Fa would give himself to me.

Today, the thirteenth day of the Silver Moon - it was yesterday morning that I broke up with Tia.

The wondrous and crying figure of Tia and the warmth of her little body are still firmly engraved in my heart.

Still, Tia was laughing, crying.

We may one day be able to meet again - even if that is not possible, the day may come when the people of the sanctuary and the people of the outside world will be compatriots - and we were allowed to live with such hope in our hearts.

So I was able to hold out as much hope as I did instead of losing my body like it had been ripped off.

(More than ever, let's live with all our strength. That way...... I'm sure the road will be cleared)

With that thought in my chest, I put my hands gently on Ai-Fa's head.

Ai-Fa gives a cute voice, "Yeah," and rubs her cheeks against my chest.

"Morning, Ai-Fa. Looks like it's time for sunrise."

When I called it that way, my eye-fa stripping shoulder shivered tingly.

My head, wrapped in golden brown hair, moves in place, and Ai-Fa's face looks up at me. I felt like those blue eyes were lit with a little sweet light, and I was thrilled.

"Hmm... before I knew it, I seemed to have turned myself over to you"

"Yeah. It was the first night I broke up with Tia, so there's no other way."

"Right...... but as a parent I find it impudent"

Saying it that way, Ai-Fa didn't quite try to let herself go.

Ai-Fa smiles softly, sliding her cheeks down to my chest again.

"... Asta, your chest sounds a lot louder"

"Oh, don't measure my heartbeat."

"Uhm... I'm so comfortable with the sound of this"

Instead of letting himself go, Ai-Fa has kept his body even tighter.

How confused I am to perceive the unparalleled sense of compression around my flank.

"Oh, hey, you okay, Ai-Fa?

"I'm fine. As long as you're here."

I laid back as I crawled over me, Ey-Fa, ravaging my cheeks with his head at the end before finally waking himself up.

"Mm-hmm. Thanks to you, I got a healthy wake"

"Well, that was more than anything. It was an arrangement to stop touching each other."

"... have I offended you?

Ai-fa happened to have a worrying look on her face and looked at me, still asleep.

Naturally draped golden brown hair tickles down my cheek and throat. I managed to suppress my feelings of indulgence and let him answer, "That's not true."

"I know I-Fa is serious, but I'm so uncomfortable that I'm in trouble."

"I don't know what the trouble is, but I'm feeling Tia's absence more bitterly than I thought myself. So, just for a little while...... can't you just allow one of these morning moments to touch you?

"Ai-fa, you're serious all the time"

I spilled a smile because I-Fa was such a serious face.

"Even I wouldn't behave like this if Ai-Fa hadn't been there for me.... that's how important Tia was to us."

"Uhm. But we were allowed to live hope in our hearts"

Slowly awakened, Ey-Fa lifted her long hair with a worrying breath.

"I guess I should thank Fermes for telling me that such hope exists. Anyway, he just laughs."

"Yeah. When Fermes gets better, you just want to treat him to some neat fish dishes."

That's how I fell asleep and, um, put my arms up.

"Well, then it's time to get to work in the morning -"

And when I tried to wake up my body, I was supposed to freeze "ugly" along the way.

Ey-fa looks down at me like he's looking down at me.

"What's the matter with you? Different on the neck muscle?

"No, it's not my neck, my hips... no, it's not just my hips, my back and legs..."

The moment I tried to wake up my body, from my back to my back, a frightening pain ran through me.

And the same pain is wrapped around every corner of both legs. Yesterday and yesterday, the price of an unscrupulous climb came down to me with further momentum.

"Hmm. Wasn't all those hands healed in one night"

Ai-Fa slipped a thin blanket that was hanging from my belly down, looking difficult.

I manage to lift only my neck and circle my gaze to my lower body. My legs were wrapped around in a bandage last night after a careful massage was applied to the eye-fa to soothe muscle fatigue.

"Asta, do you ever move your legs?

"No, I don't know... when I try to lift my leg, it stings around my hip"

Ai-Fa nodded one, inserting his fingertips into the back of my right leg and calf.

That hand slowly lifts my right leg.

"Does this hurt?

"No, it feels a little painful, but it's not as painful"

"I'll move your knees and ankles, too.... What do you say?

"Yeah. It doesn't seem that painful for people to move it at their hands. My legs and calves feel a little pulled."

"Right. There is no appearance of fever or other abnormalities in the muscles or bones."

After completing further checks on his left leg, Ai-Fa stared at me in disgust.

"In a few days, the pain will be taken. I'm glad the stall business was closed today."

"Yeah, but I'd like to join you at work for tomorrow. Yesterday and yesterday, Yun-Sudra and the others left it to me."

"But if you can't, let's delay recovery as much as possible. … First, see if you can walk on your own."

"Yeah, roger that."

Once I knocked my body down to the side, I let my arm lift me up.

Fortunately, bending your back does not cause severe pain. Again, muscle fatigue must be enormous. When you try to pull yourself together, the pain runs to your back and glutes.

By that time, Sachi, who was rounded under his pillow, finally woke up and gave a yawning voice, "Nah".

Say "good morning," and then I'll put the twisted body back in the front. but from there on out, I couldn't find any help.

"Um... sorry, can you give me a hand to stand?

"... you can't even stand on your own, but can you walk?

"I think I can handle it if I reach the wall, but I'm a little stuck."

When I sighed deeply, I-Fa turned around behind me for some reason.

That's how you put your hands on both sides of me, and you lift my body without any makeup. I had a puffy, trembling leg that made me step on the floor.

"Oh, that's hunter's arm power. Well, then, let's walk a little."

…………

"What's up? You can let go of my hand now."

Ey-Fa's arms were hugging me from both sides, cuddling my torso.

On one side of the back, the warmth of the Ai-Fa is delivered.

"Uh, what the hell's going on?

"... you're too powerless to be pitiful. So this is your responsibility."

Now around the right shoulder blade, Ai-Fa's cheeks are sliced.

"Aren't you like a toddler or something?... don't worry me too much"

"Sorry! But my legs don't hurt any more than I thought! I'm sure you'll be able to walk."

…………

"So, I'd like to practice walking..."

"I know," he replied, adding even stronger force.

"But I also have work ahead of me as a hunter. Before I do, I'd like to build up a little more power with your warmth."

"Well," I laughed.

I knew Ai-Fa was so emotional. I would have taken a tight attitude toward Tia and been careful not to turn my mind - but still, this was all I was supposed to get hit with.

"... I wonder if Tia is also biting off the joy of having a morning with her important family by now"

I let him say so, laying his own hand over the back of Ey-Fa's hand, which was turned to his torso.

"Good luck today and let's do your job. You can't beat Tia."

It was as if Ey-Fa's voice, answering "um," were going to stick from shoulder to heart.

That's how we got through our first morning without Tia.