The Unsettling Dobby and a Fading Sunset

Sitting on the old, slightly uneven bench, South Creek felt a faint discomfort. She shifted her body subtly, placing her small hands gently on her thighs before speaking softly.

“Aunt Meg, what Fanny said earlier…”

“About that…”

Aunt Meg offered an awkward laugh, unsure how to explain the situation to the girl before her. Her own playful daughter had certainly presented her with a predicament.

[If you think about it closely, you’ll uncover the secret. These adorable little creatures usually don’t approach us willingly. Since my mom managed to catch one, and it even lay peacefully in my arms, it means it isn’t afraid of us… And if there’s one like that, there might be two, or three… When you consider it, you could totally catch one yourself!]

Recalling Fanny’s words, South Creek felt a headache begin to throb. A Dobby unafraid of humans… While no one had explicitly stated such a thing was impossible, it was far from normal. Pushing her conjectures further, the most likely scenario was that the Dobby already had an owner.

Then another problem arose. Keeping small animals, likely only for their cuteness, completely contradicted the villagers’ values. Unlike the world she knew, keeping pets was not a common practice here; only the wealthy or nobility indulged in such habits. The deeper South Creek pondered, the more she felt she was stumbling upon something truly unsettling.

“Little South Creek, do you want a Dobby like that too? It’s perfectly normal for children your age to be fond of cute little animals…”

“Oh, no, not really. I’m not particularly interested in small animals… Besides, Sister Elise probably wouldn’t agree. She already has so much to do; she wouldn’t have time to look after a Dobby.”

“Is that so… You truly are a good child. If only Fanny were as obedient as you.”

“Uh… Well, I still have many areas where I need to improve…”

South Creek had lost count of how many times she had been praised for being obedient or cute. While she once secretly reveled in it, such compliments no longer stirred any emotion within her. To face praise with calm indifference was, after all, the first step towards maturity.

“Do you have other people to deliver medicine to? You shouldn’t stay here too long, and there’s also the risk of contagion… Oh, Auntie doesn’t have much to offer you, so please take these few fruits. Auntie just picked them; they’re incredibly sweet.”

“It’s fine, really. I’m not hungry right now, so there’s no need for the fruits. Please save them for Fanny.”

Quickly standing, South Creek saw Aunt Meg attempting to press the fruits into her arms. She swiftly clutched her herb pouch and moved towards the door.

“Oh, you little girl, why are you being so polite with me? When you’re out and about, remember to stay out of the sun.”

“Okay, I understand!”

Hurrying out of Aunt Meg’s house, South Creek waved goodbye as she walked towards the next home on her route.

[A Dobby unafraid of humans, huh… I’ll ask Sister Elise about it later. She should know something.]

With that thought, South Creek pushed the matter to the back of her mind for the time being.

As the sun began its descent, South Creek gazed at the dimming amber sky, lost in thought. Daylight in this world was always remarkably brief; thick layers of clouds perpetually blanketed the heavens, making the sun seem even shyer than imagined, only occasionally revealing its form.

The adults in the village claimed this was a trial bestowed by the Goddess, meant to teach people the preciousness of light. Yet, Sister Elise had never echoed such sentiments. Despite being a devout follower of the Goddess, she always possessed unique insights on many matters.

This was a world that should have existed only in children’s fantasies: swords and magic, demon lords and heroes, adventures and legends—all of them were vividly real here.

So, did her arrival here hold some special significance?

The younger one was, the more likely they were to yearn for their own uniqueness, to prove they were not merely one among the masses. In this regard, no one was an exception.

South Creek had often contemplated whether she should have a goal, much like the protagonists in the novels she had read—a desire to return home, to reunite with her family and friends. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, such thoughts never truly took root within her. Whenever memories of her past world surfaced, she felt only a vague ache, whereas her recollections of this world remained remarkably clear.

What would her future self be like?

Would she truly become a legendary hero, much like the Hero of Dawn in Sister Elise’s tales, just as her small, secret fantasies now whispered?

“Rustle, rustle…”

“What… was that sound?”

South Creek abruptly turned her head, convinced she had heard an unusual rustling from the bushes behind her.

“Rustle, rustle…”

“Is there something there?”

Swallowing nervously, South Creek, who had always been rather timid, found her mind conjuring all sorts of terrifying images. It was as if a man-eating monster lay hidden within those unusually rustling bushes.

“Surely not?”

Forcing down her fear, South Creek cautiously approached the bushes, step by hesitant step. She picked up a slender twig from the roadside, a meager attempt to bolster her sense of security.

“Come out… Come out… Come out…”

Muttering to herself, South Creek steeled her resolve and, with a sudden sweep of the twig, pushed aside the bushes. To her dismay, before she could even discern what lay within, the delicate branch snapped with a disheartening crack.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Glancing at the empty ground around her, then at her own soft, small hands, South Creek found herself trembling even more intensely than before.

“Calm down, calm down… There’s nothing to be scared of.”

Fixing her gaze on the small clump of bushes before her, South Creek mustered every ounce of her strength, pushing both hands forward with a determined shove—

“Chirp?”

“A D-Dobby?”

Crouched in the bushes was a small Dobby with pale golden fur. It stared directly at South Creek with its large, emerald eyes, and South Creek, equally stunned, simply stared back. Human and beast remained frozen in place, locked in a wide-eyed gaze.

“Why… is there a Dobby here?”

Unable to believe her own eyes, South Creek murmured in bewilderment. However, as if reacting to her voice, the small Dobby, which had been squatting motionless moments before, immediately turned to flee.

“Hey!? Wait, don’t just run off!”

Snapping out of her daze, South Creek saw the tiny figure about to disappear and immediately broke into a run, chasing after it amidst the fading amber light.