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

It was only after a while that Ruth awoke after he fell to the floor.

In a bright room with sunlight coming in from outside the window, the dim lamp lights were now the only light source.

(As a doll... I knew it.)

The hand that moved in a tight motion lightly crushes the hope of "I want it to be a dream".

At the same time, I was reminded that the last thing I saw or heard was an immutable fact.

"Alec the Brave is still in there."

(Alec....)

Robust fortress and transformed ark. Alec said he was still in the ark when the heroes of the past gathered.

I feel sick again in an unacceptable reality.

"Wake up, Ruth."

"Ah... yu, ah, nh, san"

It was Yuan who called out. Looks like he was sitting on a chair next to Ruth's bed from the beginning. He seems to be the only one in the room right now.

Yuan was never a chatty type, but now Ruth wasn't even in the mood to talk to him. And I was like, "Where's Alec? I felt like I was going to repeat the vain question again.

And now Ruth didn't have the energy to talk about anything else. I can't afford to care about others.

Hang on a second.

"Eh... ah, ma..."

Yuan leaves the room leaving Ruth.

(I wonder if he went to get everyone....)

I didn't really want to see people, so I kind of felt depressed. I know they're worried about Ruth, and I don't hate Ruth. Normally, you would have been very happy to see them again.

But now I don't feel like I can reply as usual. I didn't have the courage to ignore them and make the air worse.

After a while, Yuan came back to the room. It seemed like someone else would come after him - he just held the basin in his hand and put soup and soft bread on top of it. There's no one behind it.

Euan puts the basin in front of Ruth and arranges it for easy eating.

"Cyrus said that his body was also hungry. Now don't think of anything extra to fill your stomach."

The large bread was cut small and the soup had something like a wooden straw. It seems that the straw was handmade by Yuan. He seems to be good at making woodworking tools.

After smelling the food, Ruth finally realized he was hungry.

"Yes, but..."

"Nh...."

Yuan sat silently next to Ruth as he ate slowly. They rub my back when I stuff my food. When the ingredients in the soup were big and difficult to eat, they were made small with forks.

"I didn't tell anyone you woke up. Eat slowly."

"Mmm...."

"They're all busy. I have to call. You can lie down as much as you want, and if you're hungry, you can tell me. If you don't want to talk, just shut up. I'll kick the guy with the May flies out."

"Yes... there is"

Now just focus on yourself. You don't have to worry about me.

"... yeah"

Ruth just kept eating, as Yuan said. And when the meal is over, I breathe heavily.

It seems that this body feels tired even with a little movement. It may be similar to when your body is drowsy due to a high fever.

I know you're used to it, but I understand that Cyrus, who was moving freely in the same body, is once again amazing.

When Ruth is tired of eating, Yuan's hands touch his forehead and slowly fall behind him.

"Sleep....."

"... yeah"

Ruth lay still and meditated. I felt Euan turn off the nearby lamp.

Feeling the quiet signs of Euan on his side, Ruth let go of consciousness in the darkness.

------------

The next day, when he woke up again, Ruth spent the day eating and not talking to anyone.

Having eaten and slept well and getting used to the body gradually, the movement of the body improved considerably. I still feel the clumsiness and I can't move as fast as when I was a person, but I no longer feel the chronic sluggishness.

Thanks to this, the sadness swelled up when I heard Alec's story, relieving me of the despair that had driven me out of everything.

(... not when you're grieving and standing still. We need to check the situation. That way maybe....)

Ruth doesn't know why Alec is still in the ark or what's going on with the rescue.

The only thing clear was that Alec had to be rescued from the ark anyway.

(Alec....)

Feeling desperate about Ruth's death, Alec lost hope of life. I couldn't leave him in the dark in the ark.

"Yuan-san....."

Calling Euan with a still-clear voice, he stopped by the corner of the room as the signs vanished.

"Dinner?

A big hand stood on Ruth's head.

Yuan was kind.

He drew on Ruth's feelings that he didn't want to talk about and finished with a minimal conversation. It's not originally a chatty type, but "Are you okay? I didn't ask, and I didn't say anything about Alec.

The kindness has stained me now. Bad consolation must have only made Ruth's smoky feelings wither, and it must have taken some time to make her feel better again. Thanks to the time spent eating and sleeping without saying anything, my physical condition improved and I felt better quickly. The body and mind are connected. Even such a body.

I'm sure if I ask him, Ruth will be able to lock himself up forever. But Ruth, who decided to help Alec, can't afford it.

"Now, I want you to tell me what's going on, what's going on,"

Euan narrowed his eyes to Ruth's remarks. I thought it would be such an attractive appearance if a majestic man was relieved.

"Which is better, Karen or Ed?

Huh?

"I'm not good at explaining. The same goes for Kia. Cyrus is not on this ship right now. There's only two options left."

I thought you were looking at others unexpectedly. Ruth didn't know which was better, and asked him to "get caught." Yesterday's conversation between Kia and Ed revealed that they are doing a lot on this ship, and it doesn't seem like they're always free.

After hearing Ruth's reply, Yuan put his hand on his head again and quietly left saying, "Wait."

I was glad Ruth was on his way, but when he went out, he called me because he might be surrounded the same way last time.

It was Karen who came back after a while.

"You're awake, Ruth."

Karen smiled calmly and closed the door and sat by Ruth's side. There was a snack on the plate in the hand.

"I was baked in the dining room earlier. Would you like to eat it? It's so delicious."

"Ah, yes...."

Reach for sweet, nostalgic sweets and put them in your mouth.

I felt the addiction of the baked confectionery made by my mother Celine, which I always wanted to eat, to the gentle taste that spreads when I put it in my mouth. I used to want to eat it full of stomach, but now that my body feels nearly ten times bigger than the same size, one is enough.

(I wonder what Mother thinks when she sees her body like this... yes, is everyone all right?)

I was thinking about Alec, but Ruth finally became concerned about his family, friends, and village.

The last time I saw it, the village close to the ark was destroyed. I don't know what's happening to them now. It's not always because it's painful.

"Cale, n, mr.... what do you have in mind..."

"I've heard from Yuan. I know, I'll talk to you in turn. But first, please."

What?

"About me, Karen. It's hard for Ruth to talk right now, so it's better to keep his name a little short, right? Let's stop honoring for the same reason. And if you want, you can do the same for Yuan, because I care about him."

"... yeah, cale, nh"

Thank you, Ruth.

I've always been called "Ruth", but naturally I felt a little itchy when I was called "Ruth", but at the same time I felt happy.

"Fufu, even if it looks like a doll's face, it's unexpectedly transmitting emotions."

Really?

"Yeah, it looks like a pretty, dark-haired floral doll, but it really looks like Ruth."

Karen gently smiled and stroked Ruth's cheek with her fingertips. Even though she looks masculine, she feels like she's talking to her sister because of the gentle way she talks.

"... Cale, nh"

What?

"It's like you're mine."

Karen had a complicated look on Ruth's face, but when she went to the corner of the room without asking anything else, she brought me a mirror. Well-polished mirrors have no distortion and reflect the surroundings on their surfaces.

"... tell me if you think that's enough."

That's what Karen said, pointing the mirror towards Loose.

(... it's not the same as imagining it.)

There was a small floral doll with even a fine knuckle. A floral doll with blue eyes and black hair to the shoulders on white skin is wearing a white dress with a little lace on it. I don't know what I was thinking without expressing myself, but Ruth waved his hand up in the same way. Although I watched the doll move on its own on Cyrus, it was still a little creepy.

"Do you know that this... is me?

"I understand.... I mean, I don't have an expression on my face, but it must be a movement. Eyebrows and eyelid movements, neck tilting, hand movements, etc. I've seen a real floral doll before, but it's so much more clumsier than this doll. I'm sure this is how Ruth's body is made to move."

With that, Karen grips Ruth's hand with her fingertips. I felt strangely warm.

Yes, but that's enough.

Well then, I'll put it back.

Karen speaks well and speaks well. But he was just so old, and now he's talking slowly while solving Ruth's feelings. I appreciated the kindness of seeing the situation and changing the way we talked. It's Ruth, who doesn't speak very well, but Karen was happy to read what she wanted to say for a long time because of her childhood acquaintance with Yuan.

Now, let's return to Ruth's story.

"Yeah."

"I'll tell you first. Your parents, your friends and the rest of the village are safe."

"Really?

"Yes, there were a few people injured, but I'm fine. We are now with the people of Mikana in a port town called Warriors. So don't worry, listen to me."

"I see..."

Ruth calmed down when he heard his parents and Hashi village were safe. When I saw the village collapsing, I thought about the worst, but it seems that the people who lived near the ark were evacuating before the building left.

"Why, Hinnan?

Well, let's talk about it then.