Chapter 1-12

At nearly the same time that the morning sun rose, my door was attacked by a wild beast.

“You’re quite early, Vaine-san.”
“Yeah.”
This man came just as promised, with the sun’s rise.
Actually, while I did not specify a time, this should be expressed as arriving at a time lacking common sense.

I look at his personal appearance and see it’s put in precise order.
His hair isn’t disarranged from sleep at all.

Rather than saying he came just as the sun rose, it has more of the feeling that he waited for the sun to rise and then came.
The boundary of his safe line and out line is there, perhaps?

“Please, come inside.”
“Thank you.”

Hardly after rising from bed, a gentleman with a well-ordered appearance enters.
Somehow, I start to get the feeling that my side is lacking common sense.

“I’ll get dressed right away.”
“No hurry.”

Since I was told such, I dressed at my leisure and washed my face.
“I’ll prepare some coffee.”
“Thanks.”

I enjoy grinding coffee beans.
Things such as the smell and the simple work of grinding have a healing effect on me.

“Here.”
“Thanks.”
I took my time enjoying the cup of coffee I had made with care.

“After we finish drinking, shall we have breakfast?”
“I had you accompany me yesterday for the whole day.
I want to show you my thanks today, so I have a place I want to take you to. I’ll treat you to breakfast there.”
“That sound nice. I’ll be waiting eagerly with an empty stomach.”
‘He’s an unexpectedly amicable person, huh,’ I thought.
I wonder what he’s going to treat me to? I wonder if it’s okay to expect something delicious from the royal capital?

The door was knocked on once again. Unlike Vaine’s, a knock with common sense.
I opened the door and Iris was standing there.

“Morning. I came.”
“Morning. Please, come inside.”
This sort of visitor with common sense gives my mind some leeway.
“Thanks,” Iris began talking while entering the room.
“I was a bit worried if it was okay to enter the men’s dorm, but since school hasn’t started yet, I took the leap.
Uwah!?”
Iris saw Vaine and was shocked.
Of course you’d be surprised. He’s a giant after all.
Well, he doesn’t bite, so there’s no danger.

“I am Vaine Lotte”
“Eh, yes, I am Iris Palala. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah.”

“It seems the two of your introductions are done.
Iris, it seems Vaine will take me somewhere today, but if it you’d like, would you come along?”
If you’re there, I won’t be troubled in conversation!!

“Sorry, in the school building there’s a library, you see. You can read the ten thousand books all you want. I’ve been looking forward to it, so I’m planning on going right away.”
“Is that so, that’s too bad.”
It is really too bad!
Alone with the wild beast, huh.

“Come to think of it, the repair of Iris’ sword was finished.”
I handed the sword I had left on a desk to Iris.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it!
I also sent the gold coin home. This is all thanks to Kururi-san.”

“Just Kururi is fine. We’ll be cla.s.smates from here on after all.
It’ll be nice if you find a good book at the library.”
It seemed like the atmosphere was becoming dark, so I changed the topic.

“Yeah!”
As I thought, she becomes quite happy when it comes to talking about the library.

“What kind of relations.h.i.+p do Iris and Kururi have?”
Vaine joined the conversation.
I really wish he would show this sort of a.s.sertiveness when we’re alone!

“When coming to the academy, we traveled together.”
“Is that so?
At any rate, Iris is pretty, huh.”

“”Eh!?””
This person say these kinds of things without a problem.
He’s quite the player.
As expected of Vaine-san!!

“It’s the first time I’ve been called something like pretty.”
Iris’ cheeks turned red.

Eh-!? It ends up in that kind of feeling, huh.
Vaine-san, were you one of the romance targets??

“Well, Kururi, let’s also head out.”
This side seems to think nothing of it.
It seems he just spoke his honest feelings.
This man is a natural player!!
With certainty!!

“Ah, let’s go.”
“Well, I’m going to the library.”
“Yeah.”
We left the room and parted from Iris.

“You can borrow a horse at the academy.”
Just as Vaine’s intelligence stated, we were able to borrow horses.
The amount of horses available to borrow where quite a lot, with a variety of breeds and hair color.
Just as I thought, a horse with chestnut hair is pretty, so I chose such a horse without hesitation.

“You can ride a horse quite well.”
Awesome. I was praised by a soldier along the way.

The place that Vaine led me to was a prairie filled with greenery. It was only a short distance from the academy.
An environment like heaven for horses and the like, I’d think.
The air is also clean, with all the gra.s.s they can eat.

In actuality, their running became lighter after reaching the prairie.

I chased right after Vaine.
The wind feels good.
The rising sun on the horizon and a slight chill to the air give me the feeling of wanting to ride on for forever.

I want to continue riding just like this.
It makes me think in such a way.
“I can see the settlement now.
I’ll go for a bit. Please wait.”
“Got it.”

I gazed at the sky with a morning glow.
The horse is relaxing.
From horse-riding, my drowsiness flew away and I had also sweated a pleasant amount.
With only this, I’m already in a satisfied mood.
I’ll have to give my thanks to Vaine for inviting me.

“I’ve made you wait.”
Vaine called out to me from behind as I was observing the sky.
There lied a spectacle that blew away my refres.h.i.+ng mood.

There was a sheep tied up by it’s limbs carried on Vaine’s horse.
Strangely, the sheep is extremely docile. It’s looking this way with clear eyes.
It must have accepted its fate.

“What is this sheep?”
A natural question.
“I thought of treating you.
I had someone from the settlement sell it to me.”

That’s the reason, huh.
Not needing breakfast and bringing me out was for this.

I never ate a whole roast of a sheep when I was at home.
I’ve never seen the killing of livestock either.
While I have seen raw meat, the food lined up on the table was always already cooked.

Usually I wouldn’t like something like a whole roast of a sheep. However, it might be alright if it’s at this prairie.

It seems I’ll obtain a nice experience today.

“In the regions in the north where produce can’t grow,… ”
Following after Vaine who said he would head to our destination, I listened to his story on the way.

“the people can’t get many vegetables.”

I would guess as such.
I’ve heard there was such a place.

“The wisdom people gained there was to eat raw.”
Eh? What?

“By eating raw meat, it’s possible to take in the essential nutrients found in vegetables.
The people of the northern lands are able to live in this way.”

… I see.

“In actuality they almost never suffer serious illness and are even known for longevity.”
Huh, I can see the where this conversation leads, but… .

“I also want Kururi to experience this.”

… Would you please let me leave already!!?
I already feel really good after all!!
“Well, we’ve arrived.”
The place Vaine took me to was truly a beautiful place.
We seemed to come to the edge of the prairie where there was a cliff that you could see the sea from.
“It’s a beautiful spot.”

Such words naturally flow out.
If not for the tragedy that will surely occur next, I might have shed tears over this scenery.
Beautiful nature.
My heart is healed, bringing forth the memories of my beautiful homeland.
“This is a good sheep. It has worth in eating.”
Vaine was steadily making preparations for breakfast beside me as I was charmed by the scenery.
Even after being taken down from the horse, the sheep doesn’t struggle.

Why does it look this way with such clear eyes?
The power to save you does not exist in me.

At that moment, Vaine’s dagger took the sheep’s neck.

The head is cut off beautifully and came came flying right in front of me.
Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!!
A scream that couldn’t become a voice came out.

“Ah.”
My eyes met the sheep’s neck.
As if glared at by Medusa, my body cannot move.

They were clear, kind eyes.

“What?”
“No… “
“Did… your eyes meet?”
“My eyes… met.”
“…”

Say something!!
What’s with that meaningful reaction!?

If your eyes meet, you get cursed, right!?
That’s it, right!?

“Does something happen if your eyes meet?”
I tried asking, timidly.
“Nah, nothing in particular.”

That’s a lie, right? I know that’s a lie!
I don’t need a kind lie! I want the truth!

“Is there some anecdote? Please tell me.”
“It’s really nothing.
It’s just, I’ve never looked at the eyes of livestock while killing them. I’d feel pity for them after all.”
“That’s it?”
If that’s all, then it’s fine… .
“However,… ”
Hey! There’s more after all, right!?

“My uncle said that if you look livestock in the eyes while killing it, its face will appear in your mind when you eat it.”

Dammit!!
When I eat sheep from now on, those bleared, kind eyes will appear in my mind!?
If something like that appears, there’s no way I’ll be able to eat, will I!!?

“Well, it depends on the person. Don’t worry about it.”
“Haha, that’s true.”
Somehow the beautiful scenery lost its meaning.

Even during the time I was in shock, Vaine proceeded his work unconcernedly.
Far off from being clumsy, his handiwork was smooth and beautiful.
He’s surely accustomed to it; he’s skilled enough that even an amatuer can tell by looking.

After he cut the head off, he shaves all of the hair off.
Then opening the abdomen, he takes out all of the innards.

Oe-

After taking out the innards, he disa.s.sembles the sections of meat and cuts it up to be edible.

Oe-

“Well, let’s eat.”

Ican’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothis!!

I can’t say that of course.
He went to the trouble of buying and preparing it.

“Did you need salt?”
It’s not that level of problem.

“L,let’s eat.”
I resolved myself.

I took the thigh meat dripping with blood and carried it to my mouth.
My hand was shaking, but I did my best and continued.

As I thought, Ican’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothis!!

“The liver is especially delicious. I’ll give it to you.”

That’s an unwelcome favor.

However, will I turn away his good will?
He’s yielding the liver over to me.
It’s the liver!

I do my best and grab it with my hands and carry it to my mouth.

As I thought, Ican’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothis!!

Haahaa, it seems my breath has gotten progressively ragged.

“Are you not good with the liver’s fat?”

“No, not at all.”
I’m! Eating it!!
I will accept my friend’s good will!!

Imagine it, just imagine it.
For example, a hypothetical situation.
Let’s say Rahsa pays money to invite me to go strawberry picking.
I am let to a brilliant field, pick strawberries, and he expressly gives me some with the stem taken out. Furthermore, the sweetest ones.
Will I refuse that?
Of course I won’t refuse!!
It’s wrong to refuse, right!!?

This situation and the hypothetical situation, what is different!!?
What is different between the sheep’s liver and the sweetest strawberry!!?

If I don’t eat this, I’ll stop being a person!
At the least, it can’t be forgiven for me to name myself as Vaine’s friend.

I put the liver in my mouth.

It’s mild.
Oe-
It’s not delicious, but it’s not bad.

“It’s delicious enough to cry, huh?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

The tears won’t stop.

“It’s the first time I’ve had someone enjoy it so much.”
I have the feeling Vaine showed me his smile for the first time.
I’m glad I ate it. Really.

Oe-
“I’ve never made a friend before this.
Kururi, it seems I’ll be able to become friends with you.”

“Ah, we’ve eaten the same sheep’s innards after all.