Takahiro (2)

After seven long hours of travel, we finally arrived at Marine Village. The moment we stepped into the settlement, the villagers welcomed us without hesitation, their warmth evident in the way they guided us toward the Village Chief's house. Children trailed after us, their eyes wide with wonder as they bombarded us with questions.

"Are you knights?" one asked, tugging at my sleeve.

"Where are your dragons?" another piped up, their gaze shimmering with excitement.

I sighed, unsure how to answer, but I didn't miss the way Yushiro's lips twitched with amusement. He was enjoying my predicament way too much.

Before I could swat the smirk off his face, an older man approached. He was thin but carried himself with an air of quiet authority. Despite appearing no older than his mid-thirties, his strong herbal scent and weary eyes hinted at years of responsibility.

"Greetings," he said, inclining his head slightly. "I am Jules Marine, Chief of this village."

Kenji stared at him, caught off guard. I wasn't surprised—we weren't exactly used to formal greetings. Before Kenji could stumble over his words, Yushiro smoothly intercepted.

"A pleasure to meet you," he said with an elegant bow. "My name is Yushiro, a rookie of Division 4. Please forgive my brothers—they aren't accustomed to such courtesies, so there's no need to stand on ceremony."

Kenji and I both turned to him, baffled. Ever since we arrived on the mainland of the Empire, Yushiro had developed this strange way of speaking. Was it from all the books he read? Or had he hit his head at some point?

The Village Chief visibly relaxed, chuckling at Yushiro's polished demeanor. "Thank you, young one. Now, what brings you to Marine Village today?"

Yushiro, rather conveniently, chose that moment to go silent, staring at Kenji. After a beat, Kenji realized he was supposed to answer. Clearing his throat, he straightened. "We're here to collect the herbs for delivery to Zia Village."

Chief Jules nodded. "Of course, the request from Zia Village came in recently. Please, rest for a while. I'll have someone bring the herb cart." He gestured for a villager before leaving.

We settled onto a bench near the chief's house, watching as the villagers returned from a long day's work. The evening air carried the scent of tilled earth and cooking fires, a scene so familiar it tugged at my memories of home.

A kind old woman soon approached, offering us water. We thanked her and drank in comfortable silence, letting the sounds of the village wash over us.

Then, a gentle voice broke through my thoughts.

"Good evening. I've brought the cart."

A young woman stood before us, dusting off her skirt. She must have come straight from the fields. Kenji and I bowed in thanks before taking the cart—a small wooden push-cart brimming with herbs.

Rather than resting too long, we decided to head out immediately. Kenji took the first shift pushing the cart while Yushiro and I remained on guard. The night settled around us, cool and quiet, the only sounds being the soft crunch of our footsteps and the rustling of unseen creatures in the underbrush.

Two hours passed in near silence before Kenji suddenly muttered, "I'm hungry."

I glanced at him. "Do you really think we can hunt in the dark? Finding tracks or spotting beasts will be difficult."

"Blondie's right," Yushiro added. I scowled at the nickname—I'd get him for that later. But then he stopped abruptly, forcing us to halt as well. A grin spread across his face.

"It's only dangerous if we go looking for the beast." He turned slightly, his eyes gleaming. "But it's not so dangerous if the beast comes to us."

A deep, guttural snort echoed from the shadows.

A large boar—easily half my size—emerged from the trees, its beady eyes glinting with aggression. Its tusks gleamed under the moonlight as it pawed at the ground, preparing to charge.

Yushiro and I unsheathed our katanas in unison. Kenji moved to draw his sword but hesitated—he had to guard the cart. The boar lunged.

"Way of Nature Technique: Mountain-Splitting Wave!"

I surged forward, bringing my blade down in a powerful arc. My katana struck true, sinking into the boar's head—

—but the beast didn't die.

Instead, it thrashed violently, my katana still embedded in its skull. Before I could yank it free, the boar reared up and sent me flying. I hit the ground hard, cursing. The beast continued its rampage, now barreling straight for the cart.

"Way of Nature Technique: Mountain-Piercing Strike!"

Yushiro's blade shot forward in a precise thrust, piercing the boar's skull from the side. The beast shuddered, then collapsed lifelessly.

I glared at Yushiro, but deep down, I was relieved he had my back.

After preparing the boar, we roasted it over a fire, the rich aroma filling the air as we ate our fill. With our hunger sated, we resumed our journey toward Zia Village.

The trip took nine more grueling hours. We relied on Flow and Kenji's released Hashi to push through, fighting off ambushing beasts along the way. Exhaustion clawed at me, but by midday, we finally reached our destination.

Zia Village was larger than Marine Village, its fields stretching wide. The moment we arrived, villagers greeted us warmly before fetching their chief.

We collapsed onto a bench, utterly drained. Kenji had pushed the cart the entire journey without once switching, while Yushiro and I had taken turns acting as guards. Kenji and I were spent—Yushiro, annoyingly, still looked fine.

Soon, an old man approached, followed by a girl around our age. We stood as the chief arrived.

Kenji, learning from last time, took the lead. "Good day, my nam—"

"Huh? Whatcha say, boy?" the old man interrupted.

Kenji frowned. "My nam—"

"HUH?!"

Kenji took a sharp breath. "My—"

"HUH?! Speak up, boy, I can't hear ya!" The old man leaned closer, cupping a hand to his ear.

Kenji's scowl deepened. Yushiro and I exchanged glances. Was this guy actually hard of hearing, or just messing with us?

"Grandpa, stop teasing them," the girl chided, dusting off her skirt. She must have been working in the fields.

The old man scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Does it matter? Listen up, brats. Name's Ku Zia, chief of this village. And this here's my granddaughter. Don't ya dare look at her funny, ya hear? If I catch any of ya sniffin' around her, I'll kill ya!"

I blinked. Was that a greeting, an introduction, or a threat?

Kenji's patience finally snapped. "Damn it, old man! Listen up! My name is Kenji Kimura! These are my brothers, Takahiro and Yushiro! Do you hear me?!"

Chief Ku glared. "You brat, you come into my village and start yelling? You got a death wish?"

The two locked eyes, tension crackling between them.

Ignoring them, Yushiro turned to the girl. "We've brought the herbs from Marine Village. Can we leave them here?"

"Of course, but… we weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

Yushiro flashed a charming smile. "I'm Yushiro."

"I'm Ru," she replied, watching him curiously.

"Hey, brat! What did I say about talkin' to my granddaughter?!" the chief roared.

"Old man, don't yell at my brother, you old bastard!" Kenji shot back.

The argument flared up again.

A strong sense of relief washed over me. Then, everything went black as exhaustion finally claimed me.