Even after the sun had descended completely, the kobolds continued to work.
The boar meat was processed for preservation, while the leftovers were used for stews and sausages. Now that they did not have to worry about food for some time, the next thing they focused on was clothes and hunting equipment.
While they had packed their things in order to depart tomorrow, the women continued to work around the dim fires, sewing and creating things.
Fi sat by the fire and watched Urak’s mother, who was weaving.
Sheo had done something similar in the Elephas mountains, but she worked with much more skill.
She would pull the fibers from a plant and twist them into string. It looked easy to do, but after giving it a try, Fi’s strings would be cut off or too thick.
“…She’s very good.”
“Ma is the best, in the village.”
Urak answered while patting his younger brother, who slept on his lap. His mother was very quiet, and only smiled in reply.
The children huddled together and drifted off to sleep next to her. And so she picked up a blanket to cover them.
“Fi, want to sleep, too?”
She asked gently.
“Night is cold. It’s warmer to sleep in group.”
“I…I’m not tired yet! I’m going to take a walk!”
He pulled himself away from the fire and then started to walk in the dark forest as if to run away.
As their voices grew distant, Fi let out a sigh.
“What is this…”
He had thought that he understood, after living with Sheto. Kobolds were not savages with low intelligence.
However, after spending a whole day with them, he really understood it.
They worked in the mountains, acquired food, supported families, and raised children.
‘What the hell? That’s scary. In fact, it’s a massacre.’
He recalled the reactions on the message board.
‘Hearing all that, >>1 seems like a villain.’
“But…I had no choice…”
Fi groaned as he closed his eyes.
“How was I supposed to know! That…that…!”
Monsters were evil. Heroes were good.
Kill them and save the work. It was exasperatingly easy. A cliche, third-rate story.
Played again and again and again. A long-running hit that was met with applause every time.
But behind the scenes, there was a world that no one tried to see. Of those who were consumed again and again.
He had supported this act. No, he had taken the lead.
“Hey, Fi!”
With light footsteps, the voice came. The voice he wanted to hear the least right now. And then felt a hand on his head.
“…!”
“He-hey! What is it!?”
Sheto looked surprised as Fi pulled away.
“You, does your head hurt, again?”
“…N-no… It’s not that.”
“I see… Good.”
The kobold nodded with relief and offered him a cup.
“Let’s drink. Tomorrow, departure. We won’t be able to rest for some, time.”
“…Yeah.”
Without being able to refuse, he sat down with Sheto. He accepted the apple wine that was brought from Lindle.
“Quite good, this.”
“It’s their specialty. They said they are going to make Calvados with the next harvest.”
“What is…that?”
“In other words, they are going to make something even stronger.”
They talked of such things while slowly sipping the sweet and bitter liquid. Somehow, it seemed to melt away the thing that was stuck in his heart.
“Hey…was your…village like this?”
“What?”
There was silence for a moment, and then Sheto began to mutter.
“My village, a little smaller. But, same as this.”
He closed his eyes. And as if picking up the memories, the kobold began to talk.
“Early morning, I go to the mountains, with the others. We chase prey, finish the hunt, and return. Alway, my little brothers, run to me with a hug. Once, they almost touch, the poison arrow. I scolded them.”
“You had…younger brothers?”
“Rok, Muery, Shureha, Odo. All were very lively.”
Were.
“Large prey, shared with everyone. Boars, bears, deer. Great work to carve up. The hunter to take it down, gets biggest portion.”
“…They said that you took this one down.”
“I was lucky. Everyone helped. These hunters, all very skilled.”
There had been no traces of blessings used with the arrows.
It had been a while since Sheo had been able to return to his original occupation. And so he continued to talk happily about the hunt.