Chapter 28 - Prelude

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As they approached the area, Rei glanced at the people still sitting around the campfire and spoke immediately when he felt their eyes on him.

— Guys, we got some camping tents to sleep in. There are four of them, so I'll leave two for you.

— They're really easy to set up. You won't have any problems or anything like that. You just put the tent up and ta-da~ it goes up. Even a five year old could do it.

He then walked over to Laili and handed her the tents that needed to be set up, adding, "Each one fits two to three people, so that should be enough for you.

As soon as she took hold of the tent, the woman let out a sigh of relief and thanked him.

Just moments before Rei had arrived, she had been worried about finding a place to rest without having to deal with the cold or the night insects.

— Thank you...!

With surprise in their eyes, Laili's group held back any further comments, though their disbelief at the equipment was obvious.

— Thanks for this, but... how did you even get these tents in the middle of this forest? We have a right to know, don't you think?

Hearing that, Rei covered her mouth with her hand and tried to stifle a few laughs, although some slipped out involuntarily.

"How? Seriously, they ask me that? These guys really have some nerve."

"It's almost funny... We literally just met and they're already acting like they're entitled to an explanation."

After hearing her question, Kazuki immediately looked at Rei, who now had a look of clear dissatisfaction on her face.

— The right to know? You guys have the right to shut up and accept what we're offering.

Rei, who stared at them in confusion, continued with his abrupt statement.

— We just met, and you're already demanding answers? Do we look like people you can interrogate?

— I can see you guys love being nosy, so just take the tents and say thanks, better yet, shut up and get lost.

With that, he turned his back on them and walked away.

His words were crystal clear, but with his tone and attitude, it was practically a warning.

Even though it sounded like a warning, his eyes couldn't hide his amusement.

On several occasions, both Rei and Kazuki had felt the uneasy, expectant glances of Zeryn and the other two men in his group.

Their eyes seemed to constantly plead for help: "We need assistance, please," "We just lost our friends and family... It's your duty to help us now."

This forced sense of obligation was disturbing. Everyone was in the same situation; it didn't make sense to expect help from strangers, from people who barely knew each other.

The two men in Laili's group had nothing to say. They were both embarrassed and surprised.

But what bothered them most was the fact that they couldn't think of a single retort.

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With the two tents set up side by side, Rei turned to Kazuki.

— I just set up both tents together. We can let Mia and Takayo take one and we'll share the other one, okay?

Even though Rei had remained silent while setting up the tents, he didn't seem to care about what he had said earlier.

— O-okay.

Hearing Kazuki's hesitant answer, the boy let out a small sigh and concentrated on him, noticing that he seemed to want to say something about the argument but held back with a short reply.

— Come on, you don't have to be like that. I can tell just by looking at your face… You know that aside from Laili, those guys were crossing the line.

— Well, for starters. — Rei said as he stood up, leaning his back against the tent. — Their attitude wasn't great… I wasn't just gonna sit around and let that happen.

In response, Kazuki's expression darkened slightly as he looked at the ground, his thoughts running in circles.

Noticing his expression shift, Rei moved in front of him, speaking with mild confusion.

— My bad. I mean, uh, Kazuki. You... You look kinda… mad?

— N-no, I'm not mad. I just got lost in thought.

As he finished speaking, he smiled softly at Rei, his eyes filled with understanding.

That was the expression Rei liked the most on Kazuki.

However, in contrast to his sweet expression, the words that followed were sharp like a blade.

— I don't think what they did was right. The whole time Laili was explaining about dark magic and everything related, Zeryn and his companions kept staring in a... weird way.

— What, seriously? You felt that too? I thought it was just me — the boy replied.

As Kazuki nodded in agreement with his deduction, Rei flashed a small grin and turned back toward the tent.

— I can finally get some proper sleep. I haven't slept right since I woke up at dawn with all that damn commotion.

— Why don't you go tell Mia and Takayo that the tent is ready? — the student suggested.

— Alright. I'll go get them now.

After replying, Kazuki turned away and took a few steps toward the children, who were still sitting around the campfire.

Before he could return with them, he noticed that Zeryn's group had also started setting up their tents.

On the other hand, both Laili and the merchant were still sitting in front of the fire, warming their hands and bodies against the cold of the night.

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When he returned to the tents, Kazuki guided Takayo and Mia into the one beside his own.

He told them they needed to rest and sleep, even though they were still shaken by everything that had happened throughout the day.