Chapter 133 – Gifts
It was a season of short days. The sky above the plaza, where we arrived past lunchtime, is gradually turning red. An ambiguous time that is neither day nor night. The outline of everything in the world was blurring on such a boundary line.
The number of people who used to be crowded has decreased, and they turn their steps one by one. The central plaza, where the hot spring area was colored by the glow of the sunset, was slowly getting ready to end the day.
Stores are closing one by one. Whether it is a poorly made street vendor or a shop that is barely maintaining its shape to avoid being attacked by bugs, each of them is diligently moving to return to their original place.
Everyone has a tired face. No one is left out, only sad faces embracing their own sadness.
Karen looked at him intently.
Disasters are rampant in this world. Because of the war, people cannot live their lives, and most of them are forced to live the next day.
The king is right The republic is right. After a long revolutionary period without finding any answers, they are now desperately fighting bugs. It was such a long period of time that the children, who were just babies, went to school without knowing anything about peace.
Even for Karen right now, her childhood was nothing but memories of war. She, too, no longer remembered what it was like to be at peace.
Maybe this fight won’t end until the children become adults. Maybe those kids will continue to fight bugs this generation on.
As she battles the bugs on the front lines, Karen often feels.
I can’t see the end of this fight. It feels like everything in the world is immersed in darkness. Should I say it feels like walking alone towards a place where you don’t know where your destination is?
According to the story handed down, there have been all sorts of calamities in this world.
Demons, gods, devils, witches, dragons.
So far, countless beings have threatened the world and people have fought against them. And such oral traditions have become the proud history and mythology of numerous kingdoms that exist across the continent.
So what about this time?
A bug is a new calamity that has never appeared before.
Will he be able to fight back and win again?
She sat on her bench in the plaza, and Karen, lost in thought, brushed her book on her lap.
After all, what she bought today in her market was an untitled children’s book. It is not a story that contains the myths or legends of any country, but a story that someone created purely from scratch.
No, more precisely, in a way, I should say that it is a story that I hope the future will be like this. Interestingly, it was a child who wrote the book. She was curious to see a child selling books at a street vendor, so she bought them without thinking.
“… Whoops.”
When you open the book, it is filled with crooked children’s handwriting. However, Karen read each and every letter slowly as if it were precious.
When I read it, it wasn’t too bad. And she was new.
Originally, fairy tales contained only stories about knights and wizards. It was because it contained the story of the era when there was no sexual cavalry.
However, in the child’s newly written fairy tale, only the sex cavalry appeared. The story of a brave man and woman riding a sexual cavalry, fighting bugs, and defending people and cities.
Perhaps···. In the distant future, after dozens or hundreds of years, the stories of Karen’s present age may become fairy tales and legends and be handed down to people.
Even though bugs are a disaster in the present era, they will eventually become just a historical event.
“Karen. You seem to like it quite a bit?”
Ran, who was sitting on the same bench with her legs bobbing next to her, suddenly said that. Karen nodded her head, and Ran thought about her past for a moment before continuing.
“…When I see you, you always buy only children’s books. Last year, when you returned to the unit, you bought a children’s book.”
Unit 393 did not always stay in Area 39. Under the commander’s judgment, whenever he could afford it, he would cut down two or three people and send them to the city to give them a light break. It is a kind of vacation.
“The last thing I bought was… It was probably a children’s book containing the story of Charlgius, right?”
“Ah···. That’s right. I remember that well.”
The book Karen bought the other day was the founding myth of the kingdom of Phrangia, and at the same time a common heroic myth. A story about a handsome warrior who defeats the demon king with his comrades.
Stories containing such heroic narratives are so common that every country has one or two.
And all common things had a reason.
It was the law people wished for whenever they were having a hard time. As the world gets tougher, a hero who will save them.
There is no distinction between adults and children in such desires.
It was the same with the new children’s book Karen bought today.
The backbone of the story written by a child who was only about fifteen years old could be said to be a heroic hymn with the unique innocence of a child.
…But will such a being really appear?
In an era where everyone is at risk, a charming existence that will lead everyone like a story written by a child…
“…Is this secretly funny?”
Was waiting boring? Suddenly, Ran, who had borrowed a children’s book from Karen and was reading it, murmured.
But then Ran gave her a bitter smile and added her words.
“But these are just stories like a dream.”
“It can’t be helped. Because it was written by a child.”
“Ummm… What, is that so?”
Tak- Ran closed the book.
The Wind Blows. In the midst of gradually disappearing liveliness in the square.
“Karen. Can this mission be completed safely? What if the situation in Elflandia is worse than we thought?”
Ran wondered if she was tired of waiting for Rin, who didn’t know when she would come.
Karen stroked Ran’s head as she was bending over.
“···Why. Are you worried?”
“I can’t help but worry. The bugs from Elflandia this time were weird. In addition, a death worm suddenly appeared. It’s a relief that Netoru stopped that. It was a really big deal.”
“Hmm···. That’s right.”
“I’ve been through all sorts of situations in the first place, but nothing like this has happened.”
Karen and Ran were girls of the same age. Thanks to that, we have done a lot together in Unit 393.
They have gotten through a number of dangerous situations where they could die together. However, the Prasion incident this time was something neither of them had ever experienced before.
“What if I go and something like a death worm appears again? Me···. To be honest, I don’t have the confidence to fight a monster that big…”
“Don’t worry too much. Netoru and I will deal with it somehow.”
“Sheesh. Do you do something… Actually, it was Ceres who fought the Death Worm last time, right?”
“Ugh… That, yes, but… Still, we can’t just entrust it to Ceres, can we? I am also his coupling partner…”
“Hmm… His coupling partner…?”
“What···. Those eyes.”
“No. Just? Nothing.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Ran still looked at Karen. In the past, I thought there was a sense of distance, but now I want to be his coupling partner. Before she knew it, it became all too natural for her to refer to herself as Netoru’s partner.
Karen or Seresna. When was the last time I hated Netoru that much… When did the two of them change like this?
It was when Ran was making a strange expression at Karen’s interesting change. Karen’s eyes widened slightly as she suddenly noticed something.
“… That guy is back now.”
When Ran also moved her gaze to where Karen was looking, she saw a familiar face walking in the distance. She was natsuo
Eventually, when Natsuo returned, Karen raised her eyes and started nagging at her.
“Natsuo. Where did she go alone? Do you know how much we’ve been looking for?”
“Haha···. Sorry. Even if you see this, bear with it.”
At Karen’s scolding, Natsuo gave out something he had been hiding behind her back, even though he had a shy expression on his face. In his hand was a small, nicely wrapped box.
Seeing this, Karen’s eyes turned to wonder.
“Huh···? What is this all of a sudden?”
“What? It’s your birthday present. It’s your birthday soon.”
“···Birthday present?”
Karen exclaimed, “Ah,” As if she hadn’t thought of such a thing, and then she giggled as if she realized something.
Karen finally understood everything that had happened today.
Why did Natsuo suddenly ask to come to the central plaza, and why did he suddenly disappear by himself? She must have wandered around alone to pick out a gift.
“What. Could it be that this is why she wandered around so alone? You asked me to come with you?”
“What···. Yes. Get it soon anyway How long will you be watching?”
“Can I open this now?”
“Of course.”
It is expected. Karen received a small box from Natsuo and immediately opened it.
No, it was the moment it opened.
A sonorous voice passed between the two.
“······ Karen!”
“Uh? It’s Lynn.”
She tried to get Karen to open her box for a moment before she stopped and turned her head away. Then I saw Rin walking from afar. But beside him, there was someone else besides Rin.
It was Netoru.
I expected it, but I wonder if Rin was with Netoru. Judging by the atmosphere between the two, it seemed that the pickpocketing had been properly resolved. It was nice to see a smile on Lin’s innocent face.
“Whoa… It was hard…”
Rin, who had been approaching her with brisk steps, hugged Karen tightly and rubbed her face. Karen smiled bitterly at her rabbit-like appearance, which seemed to be tired somewhere.
It must have been difficult for her to run around like that alone.
“…Has the pickpocket problem been resolved?”
“Of course! Who am I?”
“Yes, yes. Great job.”
Karen stroked Lynn as if complimenting her, but she glanced to the side of her. As usual, she was looking at Netoru with a calm face.
But why did she stare at her face from earlier, it seems like she has something to say. Karen, who was burdened by that, took her words out insinuatingly.
“···What. Do you have something to say to me What are you looking at?”
But it was the next moment.
Netoru suddenly took a step closer. Then she reached out and started running her hand slowly through Karen’s bangs.
Karen was taken aback by the sudden action.
“Ugh? Hey, hey… Go, what is it all of a sudden?”
“Stay still. I have something to give you.”
“Are you going to give it to me…? Oops… Hey···. What, what are you doing…”
Karen froze, her face red. This is too far away Besides, what else is she suddenly timidly sweeping her other person’s hair?
She looks around and sees Rin and Ran watching her with curious eyes. Natsuo also has a strange expression.
At this point, Karen wondered what Netoru was doing in a place where all the other kids around her could see.
“Hey···. Come on, don’t play around and get away…”
But why? She had to push this guy away or something, but her body didn’t move at all.
It wasn’t hard for Karen to realize why. It was learned helplessness. Because she felt this way every time she went to therapy. The guy was always selfish.
After a while, the four toru, who had been brushing and touching Karen’s hair as they pleased for a while, said something to her.
“It is pretty.”
“…!”
Pretty? At Netoru’s words, Karen felt her hook and her face heat up. Still, she stuttered, reaching out her hand and touching her hair.
“A hairpin?”
Karen could see that she had her hair pins in her own hair.
Tilting her head, she slowly turned her head toward the window of her shop that was around her.
Her own face reflected in her glass window.
There was a hairpin in the shape of a four-leaf clover.
