The Traveling Hero Won’t Let the Innkeeper’s Son Escape

Going through the busy square in preparation for the festival and around the back of the butcher shop, there was a customer there.

"Fritz, Colt"

Hey, Ruth.

"What, you were called too?

It was Daniel and the good couple who were there. They used to be the kind of people who would hate to talk with Daniel, but after the incident a few months ago, they officially became friends and normally had a lot of conversations. These three of us even go hunting these days. The hunt for the Guardian Trio is quite enjoyable.

Did they call you "too”?

"Oh, to search for Grandpa Iban. Is Ruth different?

"I wasn't called, but it seems my neighbor, Mr. Chester, hasn't been home since morning, and I was wondering if I could come and look for him with me. Looks like it was just the right time. I'll help you find Grandpa Iban, too, so I was wondering if Mr. Chester could join me in the search?

"I don't think we mind..."

"We have no reason to disagree. Not a single one or two of them will change that much. It's just that if he hadn't called you... How to react."

I say it like Fritz was shuddered as he pressed up his glasses. And when I turned my gaze to the door at the butcher's back door, the door just opened.

"Ah, Daniel, it's been a long time!

There was Daniel, the butcher's son, who hadn't faced each other in a while. For the first time in a long time, Ruth raised one hand and tried to pull over nearby.

"Ru, Ruth!?

"Eh, hey!?

But Daniel, who came out slowly, when Ruth and I got our gaze on him, went back to the door where he came in without hesitation. Ruth gets in trouble for the whereabouts of the hands he raises.

"I knew it………"

"Out of my mind."

The two behind her reacted “as expected," but Ruth sighed a little about Daniel's return.

(Not yet, can't you?)

From around the corner after Alec traveled again, Daniel became reluctant to face Ruth. He doesn't respond by inviting me to the hunt, and even if I go to see him when he's in the store, he escapes to the back. The quote Fritz said, "Can you leave me alone for a month?" As I was told, I haven't been close to Daniel for a while, but after more than a month, things haven't changed.

(I guess I did something, but I don't know... then I knew it was me)

At first I didn't know why Daniel would run away from Ruth, but I got to one possibility as I thought about it step by step.

The difference between Ruth before Alec disappeared and now is, "We're socializing like we're talking about getting married with Alec." I mean, I guess Daniel escapes Ruth because “it” is physiologically unacceptable.

"... I guess I don't feel right, about me and Alec"

Ruth also understands that even though a free country with no gender ties to marry how much, it is unacceptable for everyone. According to Wonok, there appear to be places in other countries where it has been decided that men and women must be the same as in previous life countries, and only a couple of men and women exist in Hashi village in the first place. Then you won't have a choice if you reject a relationship you've never even seen.

Until then, however, I thought that we had been close to each other, so I was shocked when I came to the idea. I don't want you to accept what you don't like, but I didn't expect you to hate me so much.

"Ru, Ruth, never mind."

"No, I don't think I had enough consideration. I'm sorry about both of you. It's disgusting from the two of us…………."

"Calm down, he said, and no one thinks it's disgusting. You're more than welcome to come from me! Because Marianne finally gave up Alec."

Colt slaps him on the back to encourage Ruth. From the colt I liked Marianne would certainly welcome Ruth keeping Alec away. It saves me a little by words that I know I feel honest about.

However, I understood that no matter how many villagers ostensibly accepted me, I should not sit idly on it. Even if it's no problem as a country, it doesn't turn into a minority. You may not have more to hide than you need to, but you should be careful what you say. Otherwise we feel bad for each other.

"Oh, oh, don't bother me! Hey, heartbreaker. How long have you been doing this? Give me the stomach. Give it up. If you can't do it, say it and shatter it."

Fritz, who was listening to Ruth and Colt talk, starts knocking on the door that Daniel closed. I thought it was Daniel who had gone straight back, but he seemed to be right around the corner, knocking back at the door.

"Can you do something!

"But, hey, I don't think this is a good idea forever. There's no way we're not going to meet each other more than we have events in the village. And because Daniel has a bad attitude, Ruth is dented."

"Huh...!

"You're going to keep me busy again! You've been reflecting on this for a while! You repeat, you heck!

"Uuch! It's not a heck of a thing, Fritz! ………………………!

Danielle seemed a little relieved when she jumped out of anger. I used to have a more vitally hectic vibe, but it looks like it's getting smaller too.

When Daniel put Ruth in his sight, he tried to take a step back, but managed to stay.

But it was the leg that stopped Daniel, but he doesn't try to see Ruth. I guess I still feel so bad that I don't want Ruth in my sight.

"Daniel, I'm sorry. Me and Alec are disgusting………."

"No! I don't... I don't... I just..."

"Don't push me. Because physiological disgust is irrelevant. I'm really sorry."

"Ruth... oh, I am"

"But hey, that's all I'm saying. - Because I like Alec, but I only see Daniel with friends!

Ruth doesn't like men. I prefer women. I'm not having any emotions other than friendship with the Daniels who think they're friends, just because the person I like is Alec and that was the guy.

(Really, I need to tell you there!

If you want to keep your friendship going, keep it clear, I'm sure they'll find it hard to deal with Ruth, too. But if he looked disgusted, he wasn't brave enough to look into his eyes and talk.

"I really like Alec, and I'm willing to marry him.... but that's because I'm Alec, and I don't like guys! I only think of Daniels and the others as friends. I've never had anything but friendship! Never again! That's why I want you to stay my friend! I know it's selfish, but I'm close to Daniel.................. is that it, Daniel?

…………

When Ruth opened his eyes, Daniel, who had stood up until earlier, lay down on his face with his knees and hands on the ground. For some reason, it emits dark air around the area and is still so jimmy that mold is likely to grow.

"Wow, cruelty…………………."

"I don't know...... that sounds like Ruth's way of stabbing Todome. Can you get up, this?

"I guess it's unrepeatable."

"Are we going searching alone today?

"Oh, hey, Daniel, what's wrong?

Ruth tried to speak by the side, watching the two of them not caring for Daniel, who was on his knees. But as soon as he tried to put his hand on Daniel's shoulder, he stood up first.

"……… Ruth"

"What?"

"I made up my mind."

"What?

"I'll be your best friend!

That being said, Daniel's eyes raised as he grabbed Ruth's shoulder were serious. I saw an unprecedented flame in its eyes. Apparently, he's not making a joke.

"And, best friend?

"Yes, I'll get to the seat of“ best friend ”that bastard let go! I will be in a position to go hunting with you, drinking with you, and making the progression of events between you and the village! If you're my best friend, you deserve it! Ha ha, how about that! This would be superior to that bastard in some cases! Zamamiro! Isn't that good, Ruth!?

"Ah, oh."

"Okay!"

Things were a little strange, but Daniel looked as sunny as something blew out. I didn't even know what I was talking about, but I could see that the hegemony that was getting smaller around Daniel earlier was returning.

"Daniel, you're back."

"Right. I feel shitty right now, so tension will be strange for a while, but I will be back soon"

"…… something, are you okay?

"Probably"

Ruth laughed bitterly at the two words, but I was glad that Daniel had been able to speak as he had.

He apparently doesn't even feel bad about the relationship between Ruth and the others, but rather he says he wants to be his best friend. Nothing could be better. I'm glad I never lost a good friend.

By the way, the slightly strange tension told Fritz to leave me alone for a while.

The four of us then headed to the mountain to find Iban and Chester as originally intended.

This day was sunny in the morning and my vision wasn't bad. However, the mountains of Zenobia are very cold and warm, so everyone goes out with a lot of gear. It was important not to force it, as in other seasons.

And the trouble is, a few hours after I started my search, when I was taking a late lunch in the shade of a tree, the sky was cloudy and the temperature dropped, and the fog appeared.

"Oh no, you can't go down like this. Do you still want to continue?"

"Do we have no choice but to cut the search? Everybody gather your gear."

I packed up the luggage I had placed in Daniel's voice and began to support the descent. I hadn't grabbed the two of them yet, and I had no idea, but Daniel would be right to make the decision because it would lead to a secondary disaster as it is. I'm sorry about Chester's wife Beverly, but I'll have to come back tomorrow to find her.

"And yet, Grandpa Iban, I wonder where he's gone"

"I looked around the water, but I wasn't there."

"Grandpa went out with quite a bit of gear, if he was bad, he could have said it all the way to the back of the mountain after prey. My father and I are not as worried as we say."

"The problem is Chester Morson, you're not going out to get firewood and come home, are you?

"Yeah, Hibari-san said, right after you wake up, I don't think you're fit to walk the mountain"

"We've been in the mountains for over half a day without gear. Something must have happened…………………."

But he might be back by now.

"I hope so……"

In the present situation we can only hope that we are returning to the village on our own, as Colt said.

When I finished packing and stood up, it was already difficult to see what was happening around me. The cold is also increasing over time.

"Anybody got a lamp?

"I do. Daniel will take the lead."

"Ruth, I just rolled something out of my pocket."

"Huh?"

When Ruth gave Daniel the lamp he was wearing on his hips, he was called out by Colt. Apparently, the doll for the festival that I had packed in my pocket and forgotten about caught and fell off. But the moment Colt tried to pick it up, something strange happened.

"Hey, what the fuck is this!?"

One of Ruth's undressed dolls, a relatively better one, suddenly glowed and floated. Its sight, as if it had packed a bulb in cotton, was well noticed because of its foggy and dim surroundings.

Colt, who stopped picking it up, rushes behind Ruth and hides.

"You, did you pack something weird in there?

"I didn't do that. It's a doll for the Spirit Festival."

"A doll for the Spirit Festival? It's like that chunk of stone?

"... Shut up. It's a doll."

"Leaving aside Ruth's sewing devastating...... we're moving, that"

As Fritz put it, the light-emitting handmade doll slowly moves to the side. The move sometimes stops if you want Ruth and the others to follow you. It's like looking back and asking how things are going.

"Duh, what are you gonna do, Daniel? Looks like he's waiting for something."

"Whatever you do, you can't keep up with it because it's dangerous. It could be a monster."

"No, that's unlikely if that's a doll for Spirit Festival. However, I have heard that the festival yarns and cloths handed out in the church are manipulated to make it easier for spirits to enter. You can't use demons like that."

"Does that mean there's a chance that there's a spirit in there?

Fritz nodded with a strange look at Ruth's inquiry.

Indeed, the doll resembled the movement of light seen at the Spirit Festival last year. Besides, I didn't feel bad about the doll's light. Wonok also said 'there's quite a collection of spirits'. It was also abundantly possible that the spirits that went in there were trying to sue Ruth and the others for something because they were using the doll on purpose.

"Maybe you're trying to tell me where Grandpa Iban and Mr. Chester are?

"No way, you generally know we're looking for you two"

"But."

"Oh, we're moving."

Once again, the glowing handmade doll began to move. Invite Ruth and the others to head for the valley.

Beyond it was a large tree, with a cave that people would put in at its roots. Ruth and the others didn't use it because there were four of them this time, but Alec and I went in and took a few breaks. I have never had a client before to see how demons and animals are difficult to get into.

(Is there something over there that the Spirit is calling us?

Somehow I had a feeling about that.

"Let's go."

"Hey, Ruth.... Chi, I don't have a choice. Let's go!

When Ruth started walking, Daniels and the others followed him. Nature and Daniel take the lead, and Fritz and Colt line up behind them. Ruth also follows the luminescent doll as she lowers herself so that she can take out her weapon at any time.

"Wow……………."

"What is this..."

As Ruth had expected, the luminescent doll led everyone to the cave at the root of the tree. But I lose my words to the sight that appeared.

"Is this all spirits?

At the entrance to the root of the tree there was a massive collection of glowing spirits. It's like he's protecting something.

As Ruth approaches a little, the Spirit flies away like the cotton wool that was flown by the wind. The spirits that had guided him if he noticed, were also missing every doll.

"What was it?

"Wait... there's someone in the back. Are you okay, sir?

As Ruth peered through the cave, she saw someone lying in the back. When Ruth borrows a lamp from Daniel, he stretches his arm and shines a light on his opponent who doesn't move when he speaks.

"Children............?

It was the child lying there.