17. Alistair and I (← we've finally overcome one hurdle)

"Hey, I feel bad for her, but what are we supposed to do with this kid?"

"Ultimately, we should return her to the Kingdom, but if we turn her in now, we'll probably just be treated like the kidnappers."

"And you think the Frontier Guard will just take her and send her back to the country without question?"

"Nah, they'll probably just resell her."

What kind of country is this? Even though I was too exhausted from crying to do anything, I could still hear their voices.

"Maybe we should just abandon her."

What did you say?! In that case, just resell me!

"Cut the crap, Bart."

"Haha, well, she does have eyes just like yours, Alistair."

"Shut up."

The boy from before was the one who told me to shut up. I rubbed my face, which was messy with tears and snot, with my sleeve. Then, that same boy approached me. He knelt down in front of me while I was sitting on the ground and looked into my eyes.

He had black hair and eyes the color of a midsummer sky. He looked to be about the same age as my big brother. I knew those eyes very well.

"Gil?"

"Gil? No. I'm Alistair."

"A-wish-ta."

"No, well... whatever. Close enough. And you are?"

"Wia-wia."

"Wia-ka?"

"Wia-wia!"

"It's Lilia, then."

That's fine. Still, I wondered what this boy was trying to say. I fell silent and stared straight at the boy, who introduced himself as Alistair.

"You've been kidnapped. This isn't the Kingdom you used to live in. This a place in the Frontier called Wester."

The boy spoke to me in that slow, deliberate way. Kingdom. Wester. I'd never heard those words before.

"What are you sayin' to a baby?"

I could hear people around us laughing mockingly.

"I'd like to send you home, but it's going to be difficult."

I nodded. The boy looked relieved, but around us...

"As if she could possibly understand!"

...the mocking voices continued, as usual.

"Once you're older, there'll be ways to find your own way home. That's why I'm telling you this."

The boy spoke slowly, as if trying to make sure every single word sank in.

"There are two paths. One is to be bought by a rich man and become his wife. Even if you are bought, you'll probably live a good life."

I listened to him, my eyes wide with surprise.

"The other is to come with me. Life won't be easy, but once you're grown, I'll make sure you can choose your own path."

"That's exactly what I told Alistair at first."

The man who had been listening rubbed his chin boastfully.

"But it's not like a baby can understand that."

Alistair ignored him and said to me,

"If you want to be taken in by a rich man, just stay as you are. But if you want to come with me, take my hand."

And so, he held out his right hand to me. It felt like I could survive no matter which path I chose. But I wanted to go back to my big brother and my father. To do that...

I took the boy's hand. He picked me up and held me out toward everyone. He's so strong.

"I, Alistair, apprentice hunter, will take this child in! If anyone has an objection, step forward!"

The boy's high voice echoed across the grasslands. I heard the heavy thud-thud of feet stomping against the early spring ground. It seemed to mean that no one had any objections.

"It's hard work, earning enough to feed two people."

The man called Bart said that.

"I was earning enough for just me and Mama until recently. I'll manage. But please, help us!"

"Haha, you never do hesitate to lean on others, do you? Well then, looks like an opportunity to earn some bread has come up right away."

Bart teased Alistair, then spoke while looking behind him. I heard that low, humming sound.

"They've got a taste for it, haven't they? Humanoid and Raag Dragon types. Must be those Void-kin from last night. Keep that little shrimp behind you. Better yet, cover her eyes."

As soon as Bart said that, I was carried so that I couldn't look behind me, and the hood of the poncho was pulled low over my head.

"We're Void-kin hunters. Don't worry. Just keep your eyes shut."

Alistair whispered that before running toward the sound of the humming. There were five men. They had dismounted from their Raag Dragons and were drawing their swords. Even with the poncho hood over me, I kept my eyes wide open as I sat there. I had to see for myself what it was they didn't want me to see, and what these Void-kin actually were.

In the morning light, I could see ten figures facing off against the men. Some appeared to be people walking steadily on the ground, while others looked like Raag Dragons. That humming sound seemed to happen whenever their forms flickered slightly. Hannah was among them.

"Hannah."

Those eyes will never look at me again.

"Hannah."

That face will never smile at me again. The swords held by the men were as white as porcelain, almost as if they were glowing with a faint pinkish hue. Without a moment's hesitation, the men charged toward the Void-kin taking the forms of both humans and dragons.

With a slicing *vun* sound, the creatures were torn apart, their wounds dissolving into black mist before eventually coalescing and shrinking away into nothingness.

"Hannah."

The thing that looked like Hannah vanished too. Once it was gone, the men picked something up from where it had been and returned.

"You saw that, didn't you?"

Alistair stared at me, his eyes wide with shock.

"Hannah..."

"Did you say Hannah?"

"She's... she's gwon now."

The boy silently stroked my head. The men around us watched the scene with awkward expressions.

"Our objective this time wasn't a hunt, but I suppose extra income is always welcome. Come on, let's head back."

However, there was no room for extra cargo on the men's Raag Dragons.

"Can't be helped. Pack it up; we'll stack her on top of the luggage."

And so, I ended up being perched precariously atop a pile of vegetables and cloth in a cargo basket on a Raag Dragon, being carried away toward the town where the men lived.