162 Lulu's Harvest Festival (IV)

"Thank you for waiting. This is my dish of the day."

Where the sun was shining in the western woods.

Blessing suppers were to be dedicated to the winners of the Martial Arts Association, illuminated by a pine light fire set up in outfits surrounding the square.

Of course or whatever - the winner is Donda-Lou.

Just now, I couldn't see Donda-Lou playing the game for once. In the semi-finals of Mida, he showed the difference between catching an opponent's advance directly in front of him and throwing it away, and even in the final of Dan-Lutim, he twisted it with his arms, without causing a long battle against an opponent with no leeway.

The winner was sitting on a small yagura table with combined wood, one knee around as usual.

The black-brown haircut features the grass crown of the blessing offered by the eldest grandmother Jiba.

It was the top of the Buddha as usual and the intimidation as usual, but shortly after he decorated his opponents with three consecutive victories: Gazran-Rutim, Mida and Dan-Rutim. There is sweat on its tough face, only a little but also wavy on its shoulders and chest.

"Hmm......" he snorted small and Donda-Lou dropped his eyes to the wooden dish.

Today's dishes are served on the largest wooden dish in the settlement of Lou.

In addition, a warmed aria and chacci were laid down, and seated in the middle is a piece of meat weighing one kilogram, 'Roast Giva'.

"... wondering how strange it is, isn't it an out-of-the-box decent meal? At least not on the outside."

"Yes, if it suits your mouth, I'm glad"

"Roast Giva" is cut into pieces of thickness that are better than slices, with a special sauce hanging from the top. Based on tau oil and fruit liquor, it is the best made sauce for me at the moment, with minced aria and myrmu, rock salt and pico leaves, and candied gravy spilled from roasted giva meat.

"Enjoy it while it's warm, if you like. Cold and delicious are the hallmarks of this dish, but people by the woods prefer warm dishes, right?

"Hmm," he snorted again, then Donda-Lou stood up.

Around Yakura, families from 70 people were waiting for the feast to begin.

"Now we begin the harvest feast! O family of Lew, give thanks to the forest, and make its grace your own flesh!

Ooh - and a brave cheer responded to it, and people also took iron skewers and earthen bottles of fruit liquor.

After he sees it, Donda-Lou lowers his back somewhat and stretches his arm to the wooden dish unwrought.

Above Yakura, it's just me and Donda-Lu.

Donda-Lou stabbed an iron skewer in one chunk of "Roast Giva," a sturdy white tooth that seemed to chew off even stone, and bit it off.

Not as hard as steak.

But it won't even mean it's too soft. That's why I chose Momo, not Roth.

Unlike roasted beef, it is giva meat that needs to be thoroughly put through the fire all the way inside, but the meat was able to be pulled up on the verge of being crunchy, so the pink steamed meat is juicy and concentrated in flavor.

And the more often the fat falls out and the plump fat and the fox-colored skin, which is only slightly re-baked later, adds additional color to the texture and flavor.

The prized sauce is also modest in quantity, basically the intention is to make use of the flavour of the ingredients.

Thoughtful rock salt, pico leaves and buried myrmu by the way, even that's just the understatement that's supposed to be too much.

Once cooled, the flavor is firmly tightened again and the flavor is excellent, but this flavor is not inferior to what it is made of.

I came to this woodland neighborhood, about sixty days.

It is a culinary dish that has been elaborated by mobilizing the skills acquired at a very early stage and those that have only recently been acquired.

Taste better - how about that?

Well, I don't expect you to hear the word "delicious" or anything from Donda-Lou.

"... delicious"

"Huh?"

I'll look up and give you a face.

but donda-lou stayed the same face and just chewed the second bite of 'Roast Giva' rough and didn't try to look at me better.

The eyes are pointed at the foot of the candlestick.

They also lined it with vegetable-rich soup made by the women of Lou, roasted poitains, and dishes of organic dishes.

"Hey, what's this meat over here? I've never even seen it. It's a mix of shaped meats, but you didn't use any other meat than giva, did you?

"Oh, that's Giva's gut dish. I just remembered the dish yesterday, but I think it tastes pretty interesting."

Gibba's hearts, and livers, and kidneys, and hormones cut into them.

"Something about Ey-Fa seems to have bothered this heart. This guy doesn't even have the best taste, and I think the texture is close to regular meat."

"... Giva's Heart, or"

Donda-Lou also stabbed the iron skewer unconstructively, carrying the grilled hearts to his mouth.

A blue burning eye is hidden in his eyelids, and his teeth slowly bite the meat off.

When I also drank Gibba's hat that way, Donda-Lou took off one of the necklaces he had lowered to his chest and offered it to me.

"Thank you for your hard work. This is the price."

"Huh? The price?

Speaking of which, I wasn't talking about the price or anything at all.

The parents' conference and the noise that followed made me feel like I was going to give that back because I was so much taken care of by the Lou family.

"Thank you. But isn't this just a little too expensive?

Approximately twenty or so fangs and horns hung in its neckline.

Giva for five heads - fangs and horns worth more than five white copper coins.

"... Is your arm that cheap?

Donda-Lou threw a necklace at my chest, and then he started eating 'Giva Roast' carelessly.

And then he comes at me again in a frustrating way.

"So, how long are you gonna be watching me eat there? If you're done with your job, fill your belly."

"Yes. Now if you'll excuse me."

With a great deal of satisfaction, I decided to go down.

Really, the shadow that popped up like a hound grabbed my chest full.

"Hey, Asta! What the hell is this all about!?

"Bit, I'm surprised. What's the matter, change your blood phase?

I had a golden brown head so for a moment I thought it was Ai-Fa, but that was Rau-Ray, the young parent of the Ray family.

My watery eyes are burning like shit, and they're staring at me from close range.

"What's wrong with you and these things! I ate your cooking!

"Oh, really? Then why are you looking so angry? Didn't it fit your mouth?

"Is that why! I'm surprised it's so delicious! You, were out of hand at the Parents' Conference!?

I didn't know what it was.

But, well, I'm going to convince you that losing me too much of the deliciousness is something that there have been several examples of before.

"That bothered me, too. Asta, did you hide that skill at the Parents' Conference dinner? Or does that mean you've lifted your arms so much in just half a month?

From beyond the dim darkness, where only the fire of the pine lights has come to rely on my eyes, the great shadow also approaches.

In a square outline, a park face. The youngsters' style and the giant body that was worked out by the ideal - seen a little crackly, it was one of the three chiefs, Dali-Souti.

"Oh, Dari-Sutty. Looks like your injury is getting better."

Dari-Sauti had come to the settlement of Rutim to keep in close contact with Donda-Lou and to learn the techniques of blood drainage and demolition.

The last time I saw him in Accommodation Town, he seemed to be feeling a lot better because it was just after a meeting with Camua-Josh, but tonight he recovered his preponderance and smiled loosely.

"That verse has annoyed you. You look like you're breathing, too.... So, are you going to answer any questions about me or Ray's parents? Just because we were hidden from each other doesn't mean we're angry, but if you don't just ask me why, I don't like to sit down."

"Ha. He was hiding his skill, was he...?

The increase in culinary skill is a phrase that was also received the other day by the people of the Luu main house.

But I wonder what. Watching how Rau-Ray messes up makes me feel very nuanced.

"What are you talking about? - You're making a scene. This is the only way Asta's cooking is gonna look like this, so she's gonna be eating it all the time?

and Rudd-Lou, with a large wooden plate, approached him with a pinch of Momo meat steak on top of it.

It is a thickly chopped steak made from three kilograms of skinned meat. Along with the steamed arias and chatches, the rest were already about a quarter.

"Leave my share! My belly hasn't been filled at all yet!... So, what do you say, Asta? Did you turn around to show your parents your culinary skills? And yet you spared your strength in the context of the Conference of Parents?

"That's an out-of-heart word. There's no way I'm gonna get out of cooking."

"So you're saying you gave him that much skill in just half a month? But I'm eating your food, even at Gazran-Rutim's wedding feast! All the days between that feast and the Parents' Conference were empty, and I couldn't feel any improvement there, could I?

Rau-Ray, too, was not indignant, but confused because he didn't know why.

But what I don't know more about than that is me.

Our confusion and doubts like that were to be lightly clarified by Rudd-Lou.

"What, are you surprised that Asta's food is too delicious? Nothing like that, it's not a surprise story, is it, Lauray-Ray?

"Why not? You know why, Rud-Lew?

"There you go. 'Cause the food served at the Parents' Conference wasn't made by Asta, was it? I just grabbed some dried meat with Sin-Lu, and I couldn't even eat that dish."

Soon, I didn't know what it meant.

But the words fell quickly.

"Oh - you know what?"

"That's right. You wanted the Sung women to learn how to cook that day, so Asta and the others said to try not to get their hands on it. Even if they're made together, they can't cook as good as Asta."

Still, it should have been a shocking flavor for people who only ate it by baking or simmering Giva's meat that wasn't draining blood. And the roasted Poitan.

The dish I chose was also 'Myrmu Grilled', not a dedication to choosing the person to make it that far.

But still - the way you bake, subtract, and tease sauce will make a difference in the solidity and finish of the meat. Even for me and the women who were the guides, I was handy with the Sung women on the lower hurdles of "Don't let it burn" and "Don't let it burn raw".

But in any case, it felt like it was a matter of honor that the martial bones of the men Rau-Ray and Dali Sautti wondered and surprised me at which difference it was.

"But I'm in the lodging town, and they're feeding me the food from Asta's stall? Even then, I never felt so good!

And now I'll explain to Rau-Ray, who eats down.

"At that time, they were all eating 'Meermoo Grill' because they couldn't even prepare a large number of patties, right? That flavoring is a little thick for the people in Inn Town. Don't think it wasn't the ideal flavor for the forest folks."

"Yes, yes. And even during Rutim's feast, the women of Rue were helping. It was only the first time for Rau-Ray that Asta ate a dish that she had made just for the people of the woods, without borrowing anyone's hand."

Saying, Rud-Lew let Chatch go into his mouth.

"Oh, yummy! The meat is delicious, but this chatch is great too! I like chatching."

Be alert, he is Rudd-Lou, who is smiling adorably like a girl.

Rau-Ray looked hard and shut up.

And he that grabbed my chest and grabbed my arm from the side appeared.

"Why are you acting so disrespectful to Asta? If you don't have the right reasons, I'll be the one dealing with you, Ray, the head of the family."

It is ai-fa.

Raw-Ray turned out to be such a difficult face and still finally let go of my T-shirt.

"I wasn't sticking around. Don't be so blind.... Or do you want to compare me to the power again, Ai-Fa?

"Whatever you do, the result will remain the same"

Saying in a cold, angry voice, Ai-Fa abandoned Lau-Ray's arm.

Rau-Ray rubs under his nose like a child.

"You guys are kind of sloppy, Ai-Fa on Asta! I'm not convinced that with only two families, one is the best Kamadoku number and one is a hunter enough to drive Dan-Rutim that far!

"It's not what I found out, like what you got."

Ai-Fa arms back in a dignified way and scowls back Lough Ray with his side.

Then Dari-Sutty, who was completely quiet, laughed low.

"I didn't even think that a harvest feast at such a disturbing time meant that Donda-Lou was also an infinitely swallowing man, but it seemed like a significant day to me at least.... I also got something convenient called Totos because of it, so I guess I should have gotten Graf-Zaza to take a leg too, this is"

"Huh? What's wrong with Graf-Zaza?

"The power of Lew is still outstanding. There was something about the power of the hunters, but more than that - these Lew's families, so full of power, I can feel them."

That being said, Dari-Sauti put his gaze around.

People are laughing brightly in the light of the pine lights and the simple Kama which fire.

It is a truly enjoyable feast that you can glimpse at Rutim's feast.

Together with his beloved family and family, he pounds his tongue on a delicious meal and sprinkles fruit wine. That was certainly a scene full of mindless power and enthusiasm for me born in another world - isn't this the standard by the woods?

"It will be the Zazas North clan who will have the power second only to Luu. The next thing you know, we must be from the South. But - it's kind of a harvest feast, and I don't think we'll ever have a happier smile. The meat of Giva and the vegetables obtained from the town were food for us to live, but it was similar to air and water, and I guess it was not like happiness or joy could be gained"

"Ha..."

"A meal is a joy to live. If the joy is greater, the power to try to live is also naturally greater. You must be the one who said that, Asta, right? I heard that from Donda-Lou, didn't I?

"D-Donda-Lou was saying something like that?

"Oh. Just today, I was reminded of the strength of Lew's house.... At the same time, you've been reminded of the strength of Fa's house."

And Dari-Sautti had a fat grin on his pale face.

"The meeting with the castle people is in three days. To deal with those people, the people of the woods will need more power than ever before, and yet they will need to join forces. Asta, Ai-Fa, I hope that the house of Fa will continue to squeeze its power for our compatriots as a people by the woods."

"Yes, sir"

"As a forest folk, that's natural."

Nodding to my and Ai-Fa's reply, Dari-Sauti returned the quizzle.

"And then we shall fill our bellies with the mindfulness of the women of Lou. Okay, let's take a breath."

That's how Dari-Sautti leaves, and that and the misplaced brings another new shadow closer.

Now, more than one. Lara-Luu, and Sin-Luu, and Mida.

"I finally found it! Rudd, don't take Asta's cooking on your own! You've been looking around!

Lara-Lew, who was walking in the lead, rushes over to his brother and gives him that left ear so badly that he doesn't like it. Even Rudd-Lou, who earned the title of brave man, could hardly avoid the attack with a large wooden dish.

"Stay, idiot! 'Cause if I left it like that, I'd have been eaten by all the big bumps there!

"Even you're so tense you can't beat Mida! Just give it to me!

Mida stares at her brothers and sisters like little piglets.

"... I don't eat them all, so I want Mida to eat Asta's dishes too...?

Mida snapped so, shaking her cheekmeat in a slightly squiggly manner, not rambling like every other time.

"Okay. Yikes. This is all we have left, so why don't we eat it?

"Yeah... you eat it important...?

"Huh.... Hey, Mida, next time you do it, you're never gonna lose, are you? You're not gonna lose to anyone but me, are you?

"... yeah...?

What a soothing atmosphere.

During Rutim's wedding feast, he was thoroughly behind his back, so it was difficult to share joy with people in this way.

The only dish I've made is for what's on this wooden plate, but people are all carrying the dishes made by Meer Ray-Lu and Raina Lu into their mouths and laughing happily. It's a feast that usually comes only once every few months to the people by the woods who live.

A short distance away, Grandma Ziva, sitting on a fur rug, is surrounded by many families. The big shadow with the abalone meat on his hands and his ridiculous laughter is definitely Dan-Rutim. Perhaps the same posing at its feet is Rimi-Lou?

Further afield, two long-lasting figures speak somewhat of a bottle of fruit liquor in their hands. That could be Ziza-Lou and Gazran-Rutim.

Everyone enjoys a feast every day.

The men, the women, the few, but the old men and the children - the families of Luu from the seventy, light their faces, grab their flesh, get drunk with fruit liquor, and sing raw by the woods.

As Dari-Sauti put it, the meeting with the people of the castle is imminent in three days,

I'm sure it's that time of year that Donda-Lou dared to feast on this harvest. To reaffirm this life, to protect this happiness, that feeling.

"Asta, did you put something in your belly?

and eye-fa glimmers with half-eyes.

"No. I stumbled on it while it was cooking."

"I knew it! That place hasn't grown at all. You're more or less..."

That's what I was about to say. Ey-Fa's voice was whispered by Rudd-Lou's pleasant voice.

"Oh, you're finally up, brother Dulm. Look, it's Asta's cooking, right?

Me and I-Fa glanced at each other for a moment before looking back at Rudd-Lou.

Dalm-Lou stands before us as he gently pushes his little brother's body against the back of his hand.

"Kamadu number of Fa's house. I need to talk to you."

Father, the light's strong eyes look at me like I'm going to shoot.

Occasionally, Ai-Fa spoke up, but Dalm-Lou said even more, as he controlled the front desk.

"I talked to the head of Fa's house. You're the only one left, Kamado. No, it's Asta from Fa's house. Nobody interrupts me, I just want to exchange words with you, I..."

"Can you swear you won't harm Asta, Lou's second brother?

Still, when Ai-Fa broke in with a sharp voice, Darum-Lou responded "Let's swear" in a low voice.

"If I don't make this promise, I'll give you an arm or a leg. As the second brother of the Luu main house, as a hunter by the woods, Darm-Luu swears here that he will do no harm to Asta in the house of Fa. Witnesses are everyone who hears these words now."

"Hey! What are you talking about, brother Dalm!

Lara-Lew gives an angry voice.

Rudd-Lou is suspiciously frowning, and Sin-Lou is faceless. Mida looks the same, and Lauray--

Rau-Ray had the side of Darum-Lou with a hound-like eye.

"Was there anything definite about you guys? - Fair enough. Whatever it is, they only let me hear the words of the oath in these ears. If you make a mistake, I'll slap you in the arms, Dalm-lou."

"Do as you please," Darum-Lou says in a low voice.

Ai-Fa bit her tight lips and looked at me.

I give you a nod back, and then I look up at Darum-Lou's length.

"I understand. Where do you want to talk?

"Anywhere. We have to get out of the way."

Turn your feet out of the square, along with Dalm-Lou, who is only faceless.

Eventually it was the dim between the house and the house that arrived.

The hustle and bustle of the people and the lights of the pine lights are far away.

Darum-Lou turned his gaze around to explore if anyone was lurking in that darkness before turning to me again.

"It's Asta from Fa's house. Did you also hear the words of the covenant that I and I-Fa exchanged before the power comparison?

"Yes. I was listening"

"So I lost to Ai-Fa. I no longer deserve to stop him.... you must be the only one who can stop him."

"Stop Ai-Fa?

With no expression, both eyes of Darum-Lou burned up blue.

It is a vision reminiscent of a wild wolf.

"I can't decorate words. So tell me what you think.... you have no desire to stop Ai-Fa? Even if he decays into the woods, can you live forever, Asta?

"Does that mean - you should make I-Fa stop working as a hunter?

"Naturally. What else does that mean?

That was just a word too - surprisingly speaking.

"Please wait. Dalm-Lou, isn't he the one with a dangerous job as a hunter? And you deny the hunter his job?

"He's a bunch of women. It's not like I was born into a hunter as much as possible. Don't make me say the obvious."

"But I-Fa is proud to live as a hunter. I just happen to be born into a bunch of women, and I-Fa has a soul as the same hunter as the Dalm-Lou people -"

"I don't care about stories like that. I'm asking your feelings, Asta."

Then he stepped all the way to the ground and Dalm-Lou approached him only one step closer.

There would be no point in falling behind. If Darum-Lou feels harmful to me, it is in no time to escape from the beginning.

"Can you stand such a fate? Tomorrow, but maybe he's gonna rot in the woods, huh? Still, are you convinced that he's a hunter?

"That's - but... not all hunters get younger and decay into the woods, right? Because I'm a hunter, even a bunch of females, who possess treacherous powers."

"Congratulations. No matter how good a hunter is, he can't live forever just because he's superior. Wasn't he seriously injured the other day? If I'd encountered Gibba on the way home, he'd be dead."

Ragged, burning eyes approach with tremendous momentum.

It felt to me - like it was a flame of anger and carelessness.

"Besides, he also has his hands on dangerous' sacrifice hunting 'and so on. What will keep you safe forever, imitating that? Answer me, it's Asta. You think it's okay if I fa decays into the woods tomorrow? What is Ai-Fa to you?

"To me, Ai-Fa is more important than anyone else! But I don't want to deny the way I live."

"So you don't mind if we lose Ai-Fa? I... I don't like it!

Finally, Darum-Lou's voice also lost restraint.

The scar engraved on his right cheek rises bright red.

"I don't want to lose Ai-Fa! I can't stand such a fate! That's why I wanted Ai-Fa to live as a lady! But I've been reminded that I can't stop Ai-Fa anymore."

"It's..."

"Even on the night of the Conference of Parents, I couldn't protect I-Fa. And even today, I lost to Ai-Fa. I don't deserve to talk about anything anymore - and I don't have the power to protect Ai-Fa through it. I can't do this anymore!

And Darum-Lou, he's been grabbing my chest.

With a force stronger than Rau-Ray's - with thoughtlessly trembling fingertips.

"You're not going to stop Ai-Fa? While you are only one family member - a person recognized as a family by that Ai-Fa, don't you feel like protecting Ai-Fa?

"We want to protect you! But..."

In what language should I reveal this feeling?

I don't want Ai-Fa to die. That's too obvious a big premise.

But still, I'm not in the mood to deny my life.

"- I want to protect my feelings, my thoughts and my dignity, too. If I want to live as a hunter, I want to protect my feelings."

No, you can't.

In words, something important escapes me.

In these words, I'm not convinced myself.

So of course, Darum-Lou hasn't looked convinced at all, and he's been tightening up my chest with such a strong force.

"So even if you're going to lose Ai-Fa, can you stand it?

"You may not be able to stand it. At that time, you may continue to regret it for the rest of your life. I thought if I was going to prioritize the feelings of I-Fa, I'd just have to be prepared to follow them."

Is that the wrong idea?

The women of the Lou family and others seemed to be sending the men out into the woods, prepared to be unbeatable by me and others. I think about my family stronger than anyone else, and still, it seems to me that whenever I lose my family, I accept a harsh fate, I just believe in my family and hope for its safety - that's how it seemed to me.

I thought what was missing from me was the amount of that readiness.

So I, too, thought I should not believe my family - Ey-fa - like they did.

Does that mean I was wrong in the first place?

"... you have the power. In the meantime, you have proven it. If you earn copper coins in town, don't you have to let Ai-Fa do the hunter's job?

From between the stirring and the eaten teeth, Darum-Lou squeezes his bottom voice.

I was to be beaten to the thought that this young man was showing himself to Ai-Fa in such a strong way.

Is that why I'm shaking?

I thought I deserved - that it wasn't me who could save Ai-Fa from a harsh fate, but someone like this.

(I...)

I was to remain silent and keep staring at Darum-Lou's pulled and distorted face.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Eventually Darum-Lou let go of his hand from my chest and turned away looking exhausted.

"... when Ai-Fa decays into the woods, I will kill you. Even in this case, absolutely not."

At the end of the day, abandoning just that, Darum-Lou walked away.

Still, I couldn't move a step from the spot.

It also felt as if Dalm-Lou was leaving the darkness and a sleazy figure with a wooden plate rushed over to you - but it could have been a mistake to look at. Somehow, I felt like all my senses were gone.

If you go just a few meters on your feet, it's a warm world full of light. The orange flames, the hustle and bustle of the people, the fervour and excitement of the feast, swirl there vigorously.

But the credentials to go back to that place, they exist in this me or something - I had no idea.

(I... was just sweet to the strength of the i-fa?

Ai-Fa has exceptional powers as a hunter.

Yet Ai-Fa always insisted that life would not be scattered in vain. Living long enough and hunting even one giva is the right way to go as a hunter.

I believe in the words of such an eye-fa - as a result, was I sweet?

Ai-fa can't be dead, he said.

There's no way that such an irrational fate would visit Ai-Fa, he said.

I didn't know.

I didn't know, but I...

"... how long are you going to be in a place like that, Asta?

I look back stunned.

I can't have misheard this voice.

Ai-fa stood resolutely against the backdrop of a faint feast in orange.

"Duh... what's going on, Ai-Fa?

"What's the matter with you and what's wrong with you? Lew's second brother came out, and you're the only one who won't be out forever, so I guess he picked him up."

With a plump face, Ai-Fa approaches slightly.

I reflexively tried to back off and that arm was to be captured by I-Fa.

"Why run? And why do you have such a sad eye? I don't suppose you're the kind of person who can do something about that second brother anyway?

Saying, Ai-Fa tests my appearance from top to bottom with angry eyes. Probably checking for signs of violence or something.

"... you weren't eavesdropping on us, were you?

"Is it not Camua-Josh, and something that shamelessly imitates it that way? If you slap me in the mouth too rude, it'll fit your painful eyes, okay?

"... right. Sorry."

"What's really going on? Not to my second brother, but also to me?

Ey-Fa just nagged for a moment and let her lips hang in the usual condition.

It's something else that doesn't have eyes, so you're probably exposing your emotions to it.

Such a trick is so loving and so stung in the chest.

"Then I, too, will keep my head down honestly. So don't look so sad, Asta."

"Huh? There's got to be no reason for you to apologize..."

"Really? Didn't I hit you eight times when I suffered a defeat by Dan-Rutim?

I didn't even care about that.

Isn't that the usual?

"At that time, I couldn't contain remorse either. But if you chill your head, you could reconsider that you should be proud, because you could compete with that Dan-Rutim - Dan-Rutim, who would also have comparable powers - and with each other even though they were tied to different constraints."

That's how I-Fa smiled a little illuminated.

"My father, Gil, has guided me right. I could be more convinced than ever that I was still a hunter full of this. I don't need to worry about you, but I think it's significant that I joined that force."

"... right"

"What, you're not happy, are you, Asta?

Clouding my eyebrows again, I = fa came all the way close to my face.

"And after all, things are not right. You rarely have such a bitter eye. [M] You were supposed to tell me not to hide anything, Asta?

"... That being said, there are some things that are hard to talk about."

To my reply, Ai-Fa looked very dissatisfied.

And say a word, "No."

I don't like it, I don't like it.

That slight change in tone was manifesting the very occasional youthfulness of Ai-Fa.

"I gained pride as a hunter. You were once again recognized for your culinary skills by Dari-Sautti, Lau-Ray, and maybe Donda-Lou. You have sad eyes on such a happy day."

"No, even if they say so..."

"Something nasty, something nasty."

Ey-Fa's fingertips grab my fingertips all the time.

"I kind of feel Asta's presence far away. No, rather than far away - it's like it's going to disappear somewhere."

An incisive look comes up on the face of Ey-Fa, and it's all over my face.

"I told you before. I'll never forgive you for disappearing, Asta."

…………

"You are an irreplaceable family. I can't do this without you."

I feel Ey-Fa exhale, on my cheeks.

The sweet scent tickled my nasal cavity.

The heat is coming from your fingertips.

"- Sorry if I offended you."

If you abandon me like that in a small voice, I = fa have freed my fingertips and cuddled my body from the front.

"Stay by my side for the rest of my life. I swear I'll be in your place for the rest of my life."

Both arms of Ey-Fa, turned on my back, come over my torso all shattered.

I couldn't cuddle with the same force - but I gently turned my arm around Ai-Fa's back.

"I want to be by your side, too. If you'll forgive me."

"What are you talking about? I'm the one who wants to be with you."

Just one thing, I've figured it out.

I knew I liked the eye-fa as it was.

I like my pride as a hunter, my willingness, and my childish unreliability, and the honesty behind my bigotry - everything, as it is now, i-fa.

I don't want to lose Ai-Fa.

If you can do it, I don't want you to do one dangerous imitation or anything.

But more than that - I didn't want Ai-Fa to change.

If Ai-Fa is to be dedicated to another job that is not a hunter, then of course it is a sincere blessing.

But if it's not - for Ai-Fa, living as a hunter is the highest joy and the highest happiness - then I want to be the person who supports and protects it, not denies it.

That's all I could say at the moment.

With all those thoughts in my chest, I was finally able to hold Ai-Fa's body full of strength.

It was then roughly fifteen seconds later that I-Fa started complaining about "suffering".

Thus, on the 27th day of the Blue Moon - the 64th night I came to this world - it was at that fingertip that different human thoughts were teased, but it was only a few moments away.