Chapter 39 – Chapter 3: Cabin in the Storm – 2
When I open my eyes again.
I realized that I couldn’t lift a finger.
“… Ugh.”
It seemed like I had a cold.
It’s a mistake.
I didn’t know my body would be this weak.
I was so thirsty.
When I looked around, there was a water bag nearby.
I barely reached out and snatched it.
Fortunately, there was cool water inside.
I immediately drank it all down and took a deep breath.
“Ah…”
My voice doesn’t come out well.
It hurts so much that I feel dizzy.
It was daytime.
They say there comes calm after the storm. It’s really nice weather.
As if it were a lie that it had rained so much until yesterday, the dazzlingly bright sunlight shines even inside the hut.
Crack. Tak.
The fire in the furnace was still alive.
It seemed like the man had brought in more firewood and put it in while he was asleep.
I stared blankly at the warm flame.
“…”
To create a spark in that situation.
I thought it was impossible.
I was very fortunate to be able to spend a warm night.
Rustling-.
“Uhm… ?”
Now that I think about it, there was something like a blanket covered over my body.
Were there blankets in the cabin?
I was so distracted yesterday that I don’t even remember if I slept with this on.
Anyway, I liked that the blanket was very warm.
I pulled it all the way up and covered it up to my neck.
By the way.
“… !”
It smelled.
The smell of boiled mushrooms.
I immediately checked what was covered.
This… It was not a blanket, but Uncle Posao’s coat.
His head hurt again.
That guy, he just arbitrarily covered me while I was sleeping.
I had the urge to throw this coat away.
I didn’t have the strength to do that anyway.
I felt like my body would get better if I just covered this up for now.
I’m quietly closing my eyes and resting in front of the furnace.
Slowly, my stomach started to ache.
Growling.
Pathetic.
I quenched my thirst, but now I’m complaining that I’m hungry.
It was worth it.
I haven’t eaten anything until now.
When I swallowed, I could feel my stomach empty.
Of course that wouldn’t happen, but I looked behind me to see if there was anything to eat in this hut.
“… Huh?”
But it really was there.
And right in front of you.
Berries of various colors are placed on a bowl of overlapping leaves.
There were also Rubus grassroots, mushrooms, and roasted chestnuts.
It was just the raw material that I got in a hurry.
It was enough food to eat.
Could it be that he brought this?
Uncle Posao was nowhere to be seen.
Looking at the large clothes hanging from the ceiling, it looks like they went somewhere for a moment.
“…”
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like these foods were left there for me to eat.
When I think about it, the water bag and the coat over my body are the same.
It felt like everything was prepared by him.
“… “Hmph.”
I left the food aside and turned around and lay down.
If you thought that I would just accept this and forgive you for what happened then, you were greatly mistaken.
Such a useless thing.
Because I can do something on my own without any pretense of favor.
Right now I just feel a little sick.
I thought so…
My stomach feels tight.
Growling.
This feeling of my hair drying out.
It’s dangerous.
I looked back again.
Why?
Why do these common fruits that I have never even looked at look so delicious?
Even compared to a nobleman’s dinner, it whets my appetite to the point where I wouldn’t envy it.
Let’s just take a bite.
When I came to my senses, I was already holding a handful of blueberries and eating them.
It was extremely sour and sweet.
I hurriedly put it in without even having time to taste it.
“Ha-I think I’ll buy it.”
I ate everything, including the mushrooms and roasted chestnuts.
Even though I didn’t eat properly, I felt very good after putting something in my stomach.
Now I finally have time to look around.
“That…”
Uncle Posao’s bag was placed in the corner of the floor.
It’s thick. It looks like there’s something full inside.
The man always carried that bag carefully.
I wasn’t really curious at the time, but now I feel the urge to open it.
What did you hear?
He treasured it as if it were a treasure…
Maybe there’s more to eat.
I opened it with that thought in mind.
“… Huh?”
It’s real.
The bag contained a gold ring, an ivory cup, and a sapphire brooch.
If I had seen these treasures on an ordinary day, I would have been shocked.
I didn’t feel anything right now.
Rather, I just felt a deep sense of desperation and disappointment.
It would have been better if it was something to eat.
In the current situation, this was no different from a useless piece of luggage.
That pig… I knew that I was so greedy that I would tremble at even spending a penny.
Are you going to carry that heavy treasure all the way to the end?
My head was pounding, so I put my bag back.
“Ha. What happened…”
As I lay down and put my arm on my forehead, Madame and her sisters suddenly came to mind.
Did you escape safely from those bandits?
No, it might be difficult.
Is Robrt okay?
There must have been time to escape on horseback.
But somehow it didn’t seem like that.
Robert was an honorable ‘knight.’
He would have rather fought against the bandits and not chosen to abandon his contribution and run away.
The last image comes to mind.
Fire was burning in tents and carts, and people’s screams were echoing horribly.
If you had shouted loudly at that time.
If Uncle Po Sao hadn’t covered his mouth.
Couldn’t some people have been safe?
Then. If you really said that, you would have had the courage to do so…
… No.
It can’t be done.
No matter how many times you go back to that time, the choice is the same.
‘Ritz… We have to save Ritz… !’
Just like Uncle Posao said.
Because we have to save Ritz.
So I had no choice but to remain silent.
My eyes became red.
“Sorry…”
I wanted to apologize to everyone I met at the donation booth.
It’s an apology that can’t be reached anyway, but I sincerely hope that this voice will be heard.
Blaming myself for being such a coward.
“Well… Ugh…”
Tears flowed drop by drop.
It’s miserable.
She promised herself that she would definitely bring the Dean booth to Ritz.
She was the one who bravely told Teacher Bin that she would come back unscathed.
The woman in the past who promised to protect her sisters while holding her sword is laughing at herself.
When she started her journey… I thought it would work.
That’s what I thought.
Now I am lying helpless in a mountain whose name I do not know, in a hut whose home I do not know.
Why did it become like this?
There is no place to blame.
It’s all my fault that this happened.
If only I hadn’t dragged Ritsu to that forest.
If only…
“Ritz… I miss you…”
My vision became blurred.
I closed my eyes.
I thought of Ritsu’s bright face and rolled her body up in her coat.
* * *
Grumble-.
Grrrrva!
“… Umm.”
Grrrr
Grrrrva!
“… Hot.”
I opened my eyes.
Was that the sound of an animal?
I thought, Oops.
Did you close the cabin door? Maybe not.
This house had been neglected for so long that the door was tattered.
Even if it is properly closed, it may be pushed back open by the wind.
The embers in the furnace were also extinguished.
There is no light and there is a human smell, so the animal must have been confused.
Grrrr
Moreover, this is not a sound that a human can make.
A low vibrating tremor.
Judging from the large sound box, it was a large animal.
A wolf? Bear?
I quietly grabbed the rose saber that was leaning right in front of me.
It’s deep at night and I don’t know where the beast is.
However, when I heard the sound, it was clear that it had entered the room.
I gently got up from my seat and picked up my sword.
Purruk… ! Grrrrva!
I left the kitchen, muttering my footsteps.
I held my sword tightly and followed the sound into the room.
Grrrr
“…”
There was nothing inside.
There were no wild animals like wolves or bears.
However, there was just another ‘beast’ lying on the floor, with its huge belly exposed, swelling and shrinking repeatedly, and it was embarrassing to even call it a human being.
“Grrrr. … “Grrrrmitmitancy-!”
My ears are deafening.
My head also feels a bit pounding.
It was really loud snoring.
It was so loud that it seemed like the entire hut was shaking.
It feels like entering a cave where a bear is sleeping.
“Ha.”
I touched my forehead.
I didn’t have the confidence to endure this noise.
I’m already very sensitive at night because I’m already very sensitive when I sleep, but it’s impossible to sleep while listening to this kind of noise.
I dragged my tired body and went indoors.
“… Ugh.”
The closer you get, the more ugly it gets.
This annoying man was sleeping naked, with only underwear underneath him.
The day Aunt Olivia gave birth to her baby, the roasting pig she brought home from downstairs looked exactly like this.
There were a lot of blood scabs on my arms and legs, as if I had cut them with a knife.
Really… In another sense, he is a person who reminds me of the old days.
I decided to wake him up first.
“Mister. Wake up.”
“…”
“Uncle Posao?”
“Grrrr’!”
It doesn’t even make sense!
Isn’t this a real animal?
Phew. In the end, should I shake it to wake it up?
He didn’t want to use his hand, so he tapped his thigh with his foot.
“Grrrrsh-! Crunch… “Krrrry-!!”
I thought it would get quiet for a moment, but then it started snoring again.
I don’t know.
I just kicked with all my might.
Poop-!
“Kruk! “Wow!”
Uncle Posao opened his eyes.
He jumped up from his seat and looked around him with a stupid expression.
“… Tia?”
“I can’t sleep because of the sound of snoring.”
“Yeah, really? Nhihihi- I’m sorry…”
“I’m going out.”
“… Huh?”
Pointed outside.
“Go out and sleep. Because it’s noisy.”
“Ah… Okay.”
The man scratched his head and yawned.
He slowly stood up and asked with his eyes closed.
“… T, Tia.”
“Why?”
“How are you feeling?” ?”
“… “I don’t know.”
“Boo, the light went out… Should I turn it back on?”
“That’s Okay. I guess I’ll leave quickly.”
“Yes…”
Uncle Posao went outside.
She walked to the back of the cabin and leaned against her pillar.
Damn.
The cabin shakes slightly.
… It’s really a terribly heavy lump of flesh.
“Grunt-.”
After a while, the sound of snoring was heard again.
Still, it was much better than loudly ringing indoors.
With her coat covering all the way to her ears, she could barely hear anything.
Phew. Now that it’s quiet, let’s go back to sleep.
I relaxed my body and lay down comfortably.
“…”
For some reason I couldn’t sleep.
I’m tired though.
Something… It feels like it’s uncomfortable and keeps bothering me.
Wasn’t the night air a little cold earlier?
And, although I haven’t seen it yet, there may be plenty of wild beasts on such a big mountain.
Also, bandits might come after hearing that loud sound.
“…”
But why am I worried like this?
What happens to that kid is none of my business.
I decided to just turn off my mind and close my eyes.
“…”
Toss and turn a bit.
“…”
My arm was itchy, so I was scratching it.
“… Ah-really!”
I opened my eyes again.
I was so anxious that I couldn’t sleep.
