Episode 1-b. The One Who Follows the Anger.
Two days have passed.
I have stayed in the same place for a day longer than the promised time.
If I were to explain why I have remained here an extra day, it would be because I thought I could catch up to that disheveled woman in no time given her pace without a carriage.
It was the image of a certain adventurer’s back who fled from me, sobbing the night before, that came to mind.
The trembling gestures and eyes of that figure, terrified by my very existence, brought back memories of the moment we first met, when he completely wet himself.
For that reason, I found myself still lingering in the forest today.
In truth, there was nothing else to do, so I had hidden the carriage in the bushes and stepped into the forest scenery.
I erased all traces of my presence and killed the beasts swiftly, unlike before.
Though I claimed there was nothing to do, hunting beasts was something necessary for me.
To put it simply.
The meat I received when departing from the empire had long since been consumed.
All that remained were things like jerky that could last a while.
I had to diligently gather meat, cutting up the carcasses of the beasts and skinning them, occasionally splattering blood on my face.
Otherwise, come dinner, I would have to eat a stew filled with only grass. Jerky pieces that make my jaws ache from chewing.
So.
As I looked at the chunk of meat that had been reduced to rags due to my poor knife skills, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words, but still thought, well, at least I had some meat.
Just the fact that I had managed to freeze the gathered meat with magic and store it in a wooden box filled me with a sense of satisfaction.
And now, I was quietly kneeling in the middle of the forest, chewing on some grass.
I put a thick grass that looked similar to the one illustrated in the creature encyclopedia into my mouth and began to chew.
“…”
As for my opinion on it.
Yes.
It’s bitter.
Though I had only chewed a few times, my mouth was entirely filled with bitterness and discomfort.
So, I thought it sounded like the same type as the grass in the encyclopedia, but I was left wondering if it was something humans could actually eat, and I spit it out.
Ildrin.
No matter how beneficial the grass may be, at least tell me if it tastes good and is edible.
What good are components that help suppress emotions?
It tastes so terrible that I can’t swallow it at all.
I spat out the bitter grass that had filled my mouth and collapsed onto the ground.
Thinking back, in my childhood, I used to eat rotten food without hesitation.
Despite having disgusting flavors filling my mouth, I used to swallow it down, being thankful I could still eat something today.
It was a little amusing to think that I was grimacing over just a handful of bitter grass.
It seemed ridiculous that my taste had become so finicky just because my living environment had changed slightly.
However.
I began to dislike the fact that such thoughts filled my head, so I opened the encyclopedia again to compare the illustrations with the forest scenery.
While looking around, I grabbed a grass that seemed similar to what was illustrated in the encyclopedia, yanked it out, shook off the dirt, and popped it into my mouth.
As I stared blankly at the sky, I chewed on the green grass filling my mouth.
“…”
Yes.
It was definitely bitter, and there was a slightly strong aroma rising up.
But when I changed my perspective, it seemed a bit tasty. At least compared to what I had just spat out, this was quite edible.
So I thought it would be enough to use this as a stew ingredient for dinner.
I gathered more of the same herb and stuffed it into my bag.
While it felt like I was just doing anything out of boredom, broadening my knowledge and gaining experience is quite important.
Especially for someone as lacking and ignorant as I am, who wouldn’t even notice anything without experiencing it myself.
And thus, two days have passed.
Now it is time to move forward again.
A road that just continues feels a bit tedious.
The same road repeats, the same scenery repeats.
The same morning, the same lunch, and the same dinner keep repeating.
At first, it was exhilarating and thrilling, but now when I glance at them, they evoke no particular feelings.
As such, my mind is gradually filling with thoughts of Ain again.
I am curious.
Did Ain also delve into these landscapes as I moved forward?
I want to ask.
Did he not find these repetitions boring at all?
I want to find out.
Somewhere along this road, or perhaps in the Principality of Sarabati that I am heading towards, are his traces still strongly engraved?
And where might he be right now?
“Ain…”
Of course, I don’t know absolutely nothing.
I didn’t start without any preparation.
I was headed towards the principality where he said he had continued to stay, but I planned to read his traces once I arrived there.
My magic would help me trace his remnants, but I had to go to the places where those traces remained in order to read them.
Due to my still lacking magic, I had to endure such inconveniences and risks.
So.
I want to see you soon.
Ain.
I want to run to you, embrace you, and express my emotions.
I love you.
I like you.
I certainly love you.
I want to whisper all those feelings into your ear.
And as I think that, I twisted my body.
“Ugh…”
Lately, when I think of Ain, my body keeps getting hot.
Ever since I became aware of the nature of my emotions, it feels like I am getting breathless and my abdomen is being pressed down.
I keep flinching, and my face grows warm, feeling like I am going to overflow with saliva that’s gathered in my mouth.
Interestingly, after realizing the feeling of love, another emotion connected to it began to sprout.
Yet, since I don’t know what this is either, it keeps making me anxious.
“Hah…”
Eventually, after exhaling my quickening breath, I gave the reins a strong flick to urge the horses onward.
The intensity of my emotions is becoming deeper and more intense, but that’s okay.
Once I meet Ain and unload all these emotions, everything should be resolved.
I’m sure of it.
So.
After traveling for a while, small villages began to come into view under the mountains bathed in the sunset.
At the end of the winding road, I could see the flickering lights in the distance, bustling eagerly to express the warmth of humanity.
From orange to purple, the colors of the sky changed into a dark curtain, as bright flames became increasingly pronounced.
Thus, I naturally drove the carriage towards that village.
As the lights of the village drew nearer and the quaint and peaceful scenery rushed toward me, surrounding me with warmth, I found myself stopping the carriage, looking at this scenery with a gaze filled with contemplation.
“…”
It’s amusing, as the disheveled adventurer named Eileen came to mind.
It had almost been four days since I parted ways with her, as I had driven the carriage slowly, but her back appeared vaguely in my mind.
To put it simply.
Perhaps just as I ruined the lively expression on that adventurer’s face, I pondered whether I might ruin this peaceful scenery somehow.
Aside from the warmth of people, there was nothing particularly necessary for me here, yet I couldn’t shake the thought of whether I had to enter.
I hesitated to step inside.
It was a small village, so surely no one would recognize me, but I couldn’t forget the frightened expressions they bore when they looked at me.
Thus, I drove the carriage up to a low hill a little distance away from the village.
I parked the carriage appropriately, fed the horses some hay, and sat down on the dirt ground holding the pouch of jerky, gazing at the village lights.
As the sky darkened, the lights became even more pronounced, appearing quite warm, prompting me to ignite a fire with a gesture.
I watched small human figures gather and head towards somewhere, stroking the horses that lay beside me.
It felt equally warm and together.
So.
Yes.
Today, it’s fine not to enter the village.
I have obtained meat from the forest, and various herbs as well.
Moreover, I’m quite accustomed to sleeping like a vagrant.
I would rather not intrude upon that scenery, hoping not to disturb those shy colors.
I’m fine.
If I recall my childhood, it’s something I’m quite familiar with.
I absentmindedly picked up a piece of jerky and began to chew.
The salty and savory taste lingered in my mouth, washing away the slightly sad emotions.
So, I’m fine.
