The Nako Village

The fields lay waste, and the walls of the houses were peeling away. The Nako residents I saw were dressed in rags, and most of them were either elderly or children. The only young person in sight was Miss Hisaba before me.

Thinking this, my gaze fell upon her back. Since it wasn’t raining, Hisaba had slung her bamboo hat behind her, revealing her frayed hair. Perhaps because of the desolation surrounding us, her silhouette carried a sense of weariness that hadn’t been there when we were back in the stable.

“Hisa—”

I opened my mouth but closed it immediately before a sound could escape.

This wasn’t the place for questions. At the very least… I had to wait until we reached our destination and let her speak first.

“Please, this way.”

Before I realized it, we had reached a corner. Hisaba turned her body slightly to the left, indicating a turn. I nodded and followed closely behind her.

“…Sister Hisaba!”

Just past the corner, a series of meows and calls echoed from a distance. Looking closely, I saw a small figure running toward us.

“Um, thank you for saving us and giving us food… so, let’s eat breakfast together!”

It was a Nako child wrapped in a large coat made of animal hides. Due to the severe cold, white mist puffed from his mouth as he spoke with a reddened face. Because of the height difference, he had to lift his arm high to offer a piece of meat to Hisaba. I could faintly hear his stomach growling; he had likely been waiting for her this entire time.

The syllables of the Nako language are truly so similar… To understand those few sentences, I had to repeat the child’s words in my mind, which took longer than I expected.

“It is alright. You go ahead and eat. Sister Hisaba still has things to do.”

Bending down, Hisaba smiled and stroked his head. Her gentle voice was enough to make even my chest feel warm.

“Okay… but, Sister Hisaba, be careful. You must be careful.”

The child’s eyes were filled with unease as he looked at her. Once he finished speaking, he lowered the hand holding the meat and prepared to leave.

“……”

The child turned his head and shot me a cold, sharp glare.

I see.

That familiar look told me exactly what was happening.

“I apologize, Miss Leni, for making you stand there and watch.”

Switching her tone back to the common tongue, Hisaba turned and bowed slightly toward me.

“No, it’s fine. After all…”

‘After all, I can understand a little.’ The words almost slipped out, but I shoved them back down my throat.

“After all, we are both survivors. It’s good to see him looking happy.”

I suppose this was my wariness acting up… I did not want Hisaba to know that I could understand the Nako language, even if it was only partially.

“Yes.”

Hisaba answered, her gaze drifting elsewhere.

“They have suffered too much.”

I knew where Hisaba’s gaze had landed because I was looking there too. Not far away, under a wooden shed meant for stacking straw, several Nako people were gathered around a bonfire roasting meat. The child had already returned to the fire and was eating with the others, the cold expression he had given me completely gone.

That child saw it, didn’t he? Or rather, that group of Nako survivors probably all know.

They know what I did back in that cage.

“Please follow me this way. My Lord is waiting for you.”

“Alright.”