Chapter 1: Day of Change

1

As the fifth day of the white month dawned, it wasn't like we sensed any omens of things being off.

Four days ago, on the night of the first day of the month, Dora had been attacked by brigands. Then the next day Milano Mas's daughter almost got abducted, and someone sneaked into the Zaza settlement at nighttime. And the night after that, we ended up facing off with Goram Redbeard's son Jeeda at the Fa house. That was certainly a lot for just the first three days of the month.

Perhaps it was only natural, but we had been bracing ourselves more and more as time went on. But as if to mock the tension we were feeling, the fourth day of the white month passed on by without incident, leaving us to feel somehow let down coming into this morning.

"You absolutely mustn't let your guard down, Asuta. It's incredibly easy for people to let themselves become slack at times such as this, after all," Ai Fa stated with a strict look as I finished up loading my prepared food into the wagon.

She had decided that she would come to town on guard duty every other day, and this was the point in her rotation where she stayed home instead. And so I firmed up my resolve as best I could and replied, "Understood," with a nod. "You take care too, Ai Fa. The number of giba around here should be on the rise again, right?"

"Indeed. There have been more and more giba about since the start of the month. In fact, I hear tell that one of the Ran men was seriously injured just yesterday."

"Seriously? That's definitely concerning."

The morning sun and gentle breeze felt pleasant, and it was an extremely tranquil morning all around. However, the topic we were discussing was anything but.

"Hey, do clans like the Fa and Ran have break periods like the hunters of the Ruu?"

As she stroked Gilulu's neck, Ai Fa turned and went, "Hmm?" with a questioning look. "I explained as much before, but giba periodically shift their foraging grounds in search of more plentiful food. As they eat up the fruits, roots, small plants, and the like, they then move from north to south or vice versa, frequently moving all about the forest."

"Right. And that process is what led them to leave the forest and go after the Genos fields, isn't it? I remember."

"Indeed. As that occurs, the areas of the forest that have been picked clean take some time to flourish once again. And so for a time the giba won't go near there, and the hunters living in the area take time off. Such periods come around three times a year, but it's not as if it is fixed which clan will have time off in a certain month or the like."

"Then all clans get three break periods a year?"

"That's right. They seem to be eating rather vigorously this time around, so it may not even be a month before we get time off..."

"I see. I'm glad," I said, unwittingly breaking out in a smile.

Ai Fa, meanwhile, tilted her head and looked rather confused.

"What are you glad about, exactly? If our neighboring clans like the Fou and Ran are unable to hunt giba, it will be difficult to procure meat during that time, you know."

"But by then the Ruu will start hunting again, so I don't think it should be an issue. We may even be able to buy meat from the Sauti soon enough, too... Still, putting all that aside, aren't you glad to have a chance to rest up?"

"I train hard during break periods. Of course, that doesn't compare to hunting work, but it's still not enough of a difference for me to feel happy or displeased over," Ai Fa bluntly answered. "And besides, there's no guarantee that our issues with the nobles will be cleared up before that coming break period. Because of that, I will not be able to relax my mind even if I have a chance to rest my body."

"Ah, right... Still, if that can at least get dealt with, then you'll be able to take it easy. So it really is a good thing, right?"

At the very least, the thought of Ai Fa being able to take half a month off from her dangerous hunting work sounded nice to me. But for some reason, she was giving a displeased pout.

"It would certainly be for the best if you no longer needed to be guarded, but if that happened, there wouldn't be any reason left for me to go to the post town."

"Huh? Is that an issue, somehow?"

"It's boring, being left home alone..."

I was truly, legitimately taken off guard. I had never imagined such words would come from Ai Fa.

"Ah, er, but... I guess I can't exactly go taking half a month off from my work in the post town too, huh?"

"Of course not," she replied, grinding her head up against mine. Apparently she considered such an action interchangeable with kicking me in the leg. "I was simply irritated by you gloating away without considering my feelings. You really don't sympathize enough with your clan head."

"S-Still, I'm taking a break once every ten days now. If your time off lasts for half a month, then those breaks should overlap once or twice. So I'll do whatever I can on those days to alleviate your boredom."

With that, Ai Fa's head came to a stop.

And then, she stared at me from up close and personal.

"Now that you mention it, your first such days off are fast approaching, aren't they?"

"Yeah, it'll be the seventh and eighth of the white month, so the day after tomorrow and the following day."

"Then I believe I'll take a day off from hunting in the forest, too. I caught two giba the day before yesterday, so the fatigue has been building up a bit."

"I see. Then you should definitely go ahead and do so."

"In that case, you and I will both be off on the eighth of the white month."

"Yeah, sounds like it."

"I finally understand what you meant about feeling glad..." Ai Fa said with a smile, from up so close I could feel her breath. That seriously made for one heck of a surprise attack. "This should be your first time taking a break since the clan head meeting, Asuta."

"Y-Yeah, now that you mention it, I think you're right."

"We acted separately until dark on the day of the meeting itself, and on the days before and after you were busy preparing food. Furthermore, you were at the Ruu settlement both times, too." I was earnestly impressed she could remember all that from so far back. "In that case, it's been even longer since you have spent a full day in the Fa house... In fact, I was heading into the forest each day before that too, so we must not have spent an entire day together since we built the outdoor stove."

"That's some seriously impressive memory, there! I mean, we're talking more than two months back, right?"

"Indeed. I believe that was around ten days or so after I picked you up out in the forest. So back then, I must not have considered you as utterly irreplaceable as I do now..." she replied, clunking her head into me while still wearing a smile. "Now that I think back on it, when I was spending day and night hunting with my father, our break periods helped to bring us even closer. I've never forgotten that feeling..."

"O-Oh, really?"

"Both you and I have work that we need to carry out. However... That may be exactly what makes such days off feel so precious."

"R-Right..."

"And right now, we're in the midst of dealing with Cyclaeus, an opponent we still know little about. I certainly hope that we can at least spend those days peacefully." With that, Ai Fa stepped back, her eyes sparkling in a manner fitting to a girl her age as she wore the formal expression of a clan head and firmly stated, "Well then, Ludo Ruu's group should be arriving soon. Keep on striving at your work, but make sure not to let your guard down."

"Yeah, you too, Ai Fa," I replied while feeling a bit jumbled up inside.

And so, we set off down our own paths again that morning.

At the time, we gave the same farewell as always, knowing nothing of what trials awaited us today, or what suffering they would bring.

?

Soon after arriving in the post town, we found a pleasant reunion awaiting us. Once we picked up the stalls from The Kimyuus's Tail we went to stop and pick up vegetables as always, where we were greeted by Dora and Tara's smiling faces.

"Dora! You're doing better already?!"

"Ah, sorry for worrying you, Asuta. And the same to everyone else, too," Dora said with a grin.

Just seeing that familiar smile was enough to cause me to tear up a bit.

"Hey, what's with that face? It wasn't that serious of an injury, you know. Didn't my son tell you that?"

"Yes, but... Well, I'm just really glad to see you doing well. And it's good seeing you again too, Tara."

"Yup!" Tara replied, a big smile filling her small face.

"At any rate, I'm glad that you folks look like you're doing alright, too. So, do you want the same number of vegetables as always?"

"Yes, please."

With a sort of bashful chuckle, Dora started pulling vegetables out of stuffed bags.

He really was just the same as always....