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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Morning came, and I exchanged brief greetings with the villagers. For them, it had only been a year since I left for the academy, but…
For me, who had experienced reincarnation, it had been almost a decade.
Honestly, I couldn’t even remember some of their names.
“The people here are so nice.”
Sen, munching on a sausage, stood beside me. She had been clinging to me as we greeted the villagers, accepting food from everyone. Her cheeks were puffed out, her hands full of snacks.
“They’re being nice because you’re mine and Rin’s friends. Don’t think all countryside people are generous. They can be quite territorial.”
I had seen countless outsiders, hunters with no local connections, being driven out of the village.
I didn’t want Sen to have any unrealistic expectations.
That’s how it was in the countryside.
They were incredibly kind to those they knew, but they were often hostile towards outsiders.
“Besides, we don’t bring them any benefits.”
Farming wasn’t particularly difficult here, and wild animals were plentiful, so they were self-sufficient. Outsiders only brought them a small income from renting out rooms.
And even that could be a loss if the outsiders hunted too many wild animals.
“Is that so?”
Sen looked at the villagers, her face falling slightly. I felt a pang of guilt, crushing her childish innocence, but…
“That’s how it is.”
She had to grow up eventually. Growth often came with pain. Become an adult, Sen.
“Hmm…”
She grumbled, her expression showing her displeasure. I told her not to worry about it too much and opened the door to my house.
My house was small, so Kurika’s massive form was the first thing I saw. He was sitting awkwardly on the floor, his legs crossed, his expression apologetic.
“I apologize for taking up so much space.”
“It’s worse if you go outside. The villagers will all come running with bows and crossbows. It’s fine, Diana is staying at Rin’s house.”
“Here’s some food.”
Sen offered Kurika the food she had received from the villagers.
He took it with his large hands, thanked her, and began to eat.
“We’re leaving at dawn, so bear with it for now.”
I wanted to leave immediately, but there was no way to move Kurika without the villagers seeing him.
“Fluffy.”
“Hmm.”
Sen lay down on Kurika’s back, burying her face in his black fur. She had been doing this earlier, before we went to the village, and she seemed to have taken a liking to it.
Kurika, feeling awkward about taking up so much space, kept his mouth shut and endured it.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
I motioned for Sen and Kurika to move further inside and opened the door slightly.
Even if Kurika squeezed into a corner, his tail would still be visible.
But the moment I saw who it was, I flung the door open.
“Adriana?”
“The villagers were much nicer when I mentioned your name. They were kinda scary before.”
Adriana grumbled, shrugging her shoulders. I had heard it would take her some time to arrive because of the Grand Witch’s condition, but she was here much earlier than expected.
This was good.
We were planning to leave for the beast-kin territory at dawn, and Adriana’s arrival was perfect timing.
“I’m glad you’re here, but… I don’t think the villagers were wary of you because you’re an outsider.”
Half of her robe was burned, and her hair was a mess. She usually kept her hair neatly braided, but now it was sticking out in all directions.
Honestly, she looked like a beggar.
She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
“Haha… I used warp magic, but I ended up on top of a mountain. I rolled down the slope for a while, and this is what happened.”
“……”
It seemed she needed more practice with warp magic. I guess Hayun and I were lucky when she sent us here.
“So, did everything work out with the Priestess and Kurika?”
“Well, yeah.”
I let Adriana inside, and then I showed her Kurika, who now had Sen clinging to his back.
“Eeeeek!”
Adriana shrieked and stumbled backwards, hitting her head on the floor.
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Early afternoon.
I was seeing Hayun off at the village entrance.
“Why aren’t the others here?”
Hayun was returning to Nirva to take care of the Len family mansion and assume her responsibilities as the last remaining member of the clan.
It was only a temporary parting, as we had to leave for the beast-kin territory, but no one else had come to see her off.
“We talked last night. They wanted to give you and me some time alone.”
“Hmm?”
We had all slept at Rin’s house, and the atmosphere had been rather friendly, but I hadn’t realized they had made such a pact.
Hayun looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to say something. She had orchestrated this, yet she wanted me to figure out what to say?
“So…”
I asked her what she wanted, and she sighed dramatically, pressing her hand against her forehead.
“Would Eris just stand there silently and ask you what you meant, if she was in my position?”
“……Was this a test?”
“Yes.”
She could have told me beforehand.
But why was she making me practice what to say to Eris?
Hayun, as if reading my mind, explained,
“You need to be prepared for any situation. Imagine I’m Eris and tell me what you would say.”
So we were role-playing?
This was why I told the others not to come.
I cleared my throat and looked at Hayun. She was a cold beauty, unlike the warm and gentle Eris, but I was surprised how easily I could imagine her as Eris.
Hayun had learned the truth about her parents. She had no family left, not even the uncle she despised. She had to carry the burden of the Len family name, a heavy responsibility for a girl who was just turning 19.
She had inherited the family’s wealth, but she would be burdened by the weight of her responsibilities.
“……”
I couldn’t think of anything meaningful to say.
Trying to comfort her with a few words felt like a futile attempt, considering the immense pressure she was facing.
“Well, um…”
Hayun’s cat-like eyes narrowed, urging me to speak. I forced myself to say something, anything.
“Ch-cheer up?”
That was terrible.
If I were a girl, I would have slapped me. It was the kind of response that could make any existing affection disappear.
I was painfully aware of my lack of eloquence, but…
“Pfft.”
Hayun covered her mouth with both hands, trying to stifle her laughter. But she couldn’t hold it in.
She burst out laughing, clutching her stomach, and at first, I thought she was amused, but then I realized she was laughing at me.
“Haa… I haven’t laughed like this in a long time.”
Her laughter subsided, and a genuine smile spread across her face.
I suddenly remembered an old memory.
“Remember when you were practicing your confession to Ares?”
“Of course I do.”
She chuckled, as if I was stating the obvious. She probably thought I was trying to change the subject because I was embarrassed.
“You practiced smiling for days, but you still failed.”
“That’s right.”
Hayun nodded slowly.
Back then, she had been a puppet, controlled by her uncle and her family, unable even to smile properly.
I couldn’t help but smile, feeling a sense of pride.
“You smile well now.”
Her current smile was a stark contrast to the stiff, forced smile she used to wear. They were like night and day.
“It suits you.”
“……”
Hayun stared at me for a moment, then suddenly lowered her head, lightly punching me in the chest.
“You’re… quite something.”
“Huh?”
I was about to ask what she meant, but she grabbed my right hand, the one with the faded five-colored love bracelet she had made for me.
“It’s sturdy. It didn’t even break after all that.”
I praised her craftsmanship, but she didn’t seem pleased. Her expression was filled with a strange sadness.
I was about to ask what was wrong, but she whispered, as if reciting a poem,
“The legend says that if this bracelet doesn’t break for a year, you’ll end up with the person you love.”
“Yeah, you told me before.”
I wondered why she was bringing this up now, but then, she pulled out a small pair of sewing scissors from her waist pouch.
Snip.
She cut the bracelet.
The love bracelet fluttered to the ground, its threads unraveling.
I stared at my bare wrist, speechless.
Hayun met my gaze, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“That love… will fail.”
“What?”
I didn’t understand what she meant, but she gently stroked my wrist and declared,
“Next time if you fall in love with me, I’ll make you a new one.”
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[Your Text Here]
God she’s cute
Absolutely based.