Chapter 2: Passing Days at the Village
Two months passed since Rio began living in the village, and in that time, there was now no longer a single person there who didn’t know his name, and the villagers generally viewed him favorably.
This was partially thanks to the village chief, Yuba, taking him in, and partially thanks to him bringing back huge hauls of hunting spoils on a near-daily basis. The meat supply of the village had never been greater, and Rio was actively working in areas other than hunting, too. Using the knowledge he had gained in the Royal Academy and the spirit folk village, Rio had contributed to improving the standard of life in the village by a tremendous amount.
For example, he built a bathhouse next to the village chief’s home for the villagers to use, and distributed his homemade soap to every family in the village, to the immense approval of the women. Furthermore, by giving his advice on farming techniques and tools, he greatly increased the efficiency of the farm work, which gained the strong approval of the elderly villagers.
The rate at which the village was developing was a bit fast, but Rio felt no need to refrain from sharing his knowledge and technology.
The village also suffered from sanitary issues, which had already caused people to become sick, whereas casualties from famine could be blamed on poor harvests. Ruri’s mother had passed away at a young age from such problems, and her younger brother was only four when he died from famine.
Thankfully, Rio had both the knowledge and technology to prevent such deaths.
He had only spent a short time there, but both Yuba and Ruri considered him a beloved member of their family. Yuba, of course, knew of his circumstances already, but even Ruri treated him like a dear brother.
Nevertheless, there was a reality that Rio had to face: his time here was limited, as he would someday leave the village. That was why, for their sake, he wanted to make the village they lived in as comfortable as possible.
Rio’s feelings and actions were also acknowledged by the villagers, helping him earn their trust. Recently, the women of the village had been increasingly requesting his assistance with repairing their furniture and homes, having deemed his carpentry skills worthy of praise. While there were other craftsmen in the village, they usually already had their hands full.
Today, Rio was helping a woman fix the cracks in her walls, which were letting in drafts of air. Sayo and Ruri lead him to the house in question. After Rio completed the repairs, the portly woman who requested his help spoke to him cheerfully.
“Oh, thank you — you’ve saved me. The drafts have been so cold lately... I tried to leave it to my husband, but he made it even worse, so I was at a loss. The village craftsmen kept putting me off, too.”
“The nights are starting to get cold, after all. I’m glad I could be of help to you, Mrs. Ume. Please call me again if you need any help.” Rio shook his head at Ume, showing it was no bother at all to him.
“Sure thing. That aside, you three are always glued to each other’s sides, huh? The younger men are all green with envy, seeing you walk around with two beauties of our village, Rio.” The woman grinned happily, looking at Ruri and Sayo who stood on each side of him as Rio laughed awkwardly, his smile forced.
“Oh, stop that, Mrs. Ume. Rio and I aren’t like that,” Ruri answered with practiced ease.
“Since you’re using the singular, does that mean it’s different for Sayo?” Ume asked, changing the target of her attention.
“...Eh? Ah, no, umm, that’s...” Sayo flushed red on the spot.
“Ahahaha, Sayo sure is cute,” Ume gave a hearty, booming laugh.
Similar conversations had been occurring a lot as of late, and Sayo would react in this way nearly every time. Those initiating the conversations would bring it up to her in anticipation of her reaction, clearly making fun of Sayo’s innocence.
“Geez, get used to it already, Sayo. You should at least laugh it off like Rio,” Ruri said, then giggled happily.
“Uhh... I-It’s just...” Sayo glanced at Rio, but the moment their eyes made contact, she looked down in a fluster.
“Sayo doesn’t seem to be very comfortable around men, so try not to tease her too much. I’d be grateful if you went a bit easier on me, too. I don’t really like these kinds of conversations,” Rio said in support of Sayo.
“Hmm... In Sayo’s case, it’s not that she’s uncomfortable around men, really...”
“Right...”
Ruri and Ume looked at each other with a small sigh. The two of them looked back at Rio, who tilted his head in question.
“Well, at any rate, we’re so glad to have a boy like you here in our village. I was a bit worried at first when I heard there was an outsider in Lady Yuba’s house, but I’ll be relying on you a lot more from now on!” Ume said brightly, changing the topic. She patted Rio on the shoulder.
“It’d be my pleasure to help wherever I can.” Rio nodded bashfully.
After that, Ruri and Sayo continued to lead him to other houses that had furniture that needed to be fixed. Similar exchanges occurred wherever they went, but the blush on Sayo’s cheeks was a story for another day.
Rio and the two girls were walking along together once they were on their way home.
“Really, though — Rio sure has a lot of skills. You’re clever, you can cook, you can hunt, and you’re skillful with your hands. Not to mention the spirit arts! Every village would want someone like you,” Ruri said, nodding as she spoke.
“I’m just a jack of all trades but a master of none. None of my skills can hold a candle to a true master.” Rio shook his head with a bitter smile.
“That’s not true! Sir Rio is amazing! The villagers all opened up to you instantly because you’re so friendly!” Sayo interrupted from beside them.
“Sayo’s right, you know. Having you here has really helped us out. We’re so grateful having someone who can do pretty much everything in this village.”
“Thank you very much. I’m glad I’ve been able to assist in this village,” Rio answered embarrassedly, a somewhat happy smile tugging at his lips.
Then, at that moment, Rio and the girls came across some of the young men from the village, walking on the road as well. Sayo’s older brother, Shin, was among them. When Shin and the other boys saw Rio, their faces furrowed in displeasure.
“Are you lot together again? Rio aside... Ruri, Sayo. What happened to work?” Shin asked with a frown.
“We’re helping Rio with his work. Do you have a problem with that?” Ruri replied.
“...His work? What were you doing, Sayo?” Shin looked to his sister for a reply.
“Erm... Repairing furniture and homes. The craftsmen of the village are all occupied with building new residences, so Sir Rio is helping fix the smaller things.”
“Tch, you’re even doing that now?” Shin clicked his tongue. Sayo looked at him with a sullen expression.
“If you don’t have anything to say, then we’re going to go now. I’m tired, and I want to rest. Let’s go, you two.” Ruri urged Rio and Sayo to quickly leave the others.
Shin called after them to stop. “Wait. You can do your best sucking up to everyone, but we won’t accept you!” he said, prompting the other boys around him to agree.
“That’s right!”
“Yeah!”
“...” Rio hesitated for a brief moment. He was aware of the fact that his existence was having an impact on the lives of Shin and the other boys, making him question as to how he should react. Should he say something to them directly, shrug them off, or ignore them completely?
There were people in closed-off village communities that believed in excluding outsiders from their society, and Rio didn’t think those kinds of sentiments were wrong. He knew that they could sometimes lead to stability and peace.
In other words, he felt a sense of guilt when it came to Shin. However...
“Good grief — you’re such rude brats. Rio, don’t give them any thought. You’re already a wonderful member of our village, okay?” Ruri asserted herself bluntly and took a step forward to defend Rio.
“Ruri’s right! You’re being awful, Shin. Lady Yuba approved of Sir Rio’s stay in this village, and he’s been helping out with work this entire time!” Sayo agreed with Ruri.
However, seeing the two cute girls of the village stand up for Rio only made the boys even more unhappy, and their resistance to Rio rose above all sense of reason. Shin was particularly familiar with Sayo’s personality, so he knew she wasn’t the type to defend someone so angrily and place herself in the firing line. It left him feeling greatly shaken.
“Y-You shouldn’t fawn over a weakling like him, Sayo!”
“I-I don’t fawn over him!” Sayo hesitated for a moment, then quickly denied it.
The two glared at each other darkly, a tense air flowing between them. Just as Rio was thinking the situation was taking a bad turn...
“Shin, are you misunderstanding something? Rio isn’t a weakling by any means. Despite his appearance, he’s actually quite muscular. Right?” Ruri said, suddenly clinging to Rio’s upper arm. The boys widened their eyes in blank shock.
“Hah? W-Wha— Y-You, and him... How indecent!” A beat later, Shin seemed to have clued in on something. His face turning bright red.
Sayo was also blushing. “W-Why are you aware of that, Ruri?”
“Hm? I don’t know what conclusions you’re all jumping to, but cool your heads. Not to mention how much better Rio is than Shin at hunting, too. Now, let’s go, you two.” Ruri stuck her tongue out at the boys before dragging Rio off by the arm. On Rio’s other side, Sayo hurriedly followed after them.
Shin had frozen where he stood in embarrassment, wincing slightly as Sayo shot him one last glare when she passed by.
That night, in the garden of the village chief’s house illuminated by the moonlight, Rio was working hard at swinging his sword and working up a sweat that flowed down his shirtless back.
He repeatedly swung his sword, making sure the sensation was carved into his body. His breath was coming out slightly harsher than usual, and each time he swung the sword, his sweat was sent flying. Occasionally, the wind would blow the cold night’s fog through the air, wrapping Rio’s flushed body in a cooling embrace.
The sounds of insects could be heard echoing around him, and the plants rustled in the wind to form a symphony with the sound of the movement of Rio’s sword. It was such a pleasant feeling that he almost wanted to keep training forever — but with dinner waiting for him, Rio finished revising his sword movements and moved onto his body formation next.
Around ten minutes of moving his body later, Rio came to a sudden stop.
“This isn’t interesting to watch, is it?” he called out with a wry smile to Ruri and Sayo, who were standing by the doorway and silently watching on. Sayo’s body flinched.
“Ahaha, so you noticed us after all? Is that what they call martial arts? Your movements were so graceful, I couldn’t help but watch,” Ruri said, giving a carefree smile.
“It’s just my daily training,” Rio replied with a strained smile.
“No, no, it’s really impressive. I can’t believe you can keep at it without getting bored. You’ve done it every day since you came here,” Ruri said with earnest admiration.
“Huh? You do this every day?” Sayo’s eyes widened in surprise.
For the record, she was here because she felt too awkward to go home and face Shin after their earlier squabble, so Ruri forcefully dragged her with them. Rio had briefly wondered about what Shin would eat for dinner, but Sayo reassured him there were leftovers from breakfast.
“Yup, he does this at least once a day around this time. Amazing, right?” Ruri gave a small shrug.
“Yes, it’s amazing...”
“By the way, I’ve always wanted to ask. Why did you start learning martial arts, Rio?” Ruri suddenly brought up her question, figuring it was a good opportunity to do so.
“Why, you ask?”
“Yeah. I don’t really understand martial arts, but even to my amateur eye, I can tell your training is impressive. Not everyone can put in the amount of effort to reach that level.”
“Let’s see... It’s a little embarrassing to say since it’s so simple, but I think any young boy would have the same reason,” Rio replied with a grin, having carefully considered his answer.
“Eeeh, what’s with that?! I’m so curious! Don’t you wanna know, too, Sayo?”
“Y-Yeah. I want to hear more.”
Ruri and Sayo were both brimming with curiosity.
“Ahaha... What to do. May I put on my clothes first?” Rio gave a wry smile before picking up his towel and clothes he had left to the side.
“Huh? Ah, yeah. Sorry, sorry. Go ahead,” Ruri replied a bit shyly, though she hadn’t really cared since they were both cloaked in the darkness of the night.
Sayo only noticed after Rio’s comment, too, making her suddenly flush red and look down. Rio took that chance to quickly wipe his sweat off and throw a shirt on.
“All right, now that you’ve got your clothes on, tell us already! Why did you start learning martial arts?” Ruri pressed for an answer. Having calmed down, Sayo approached Rio to make sure she didn’t miss anything.
Rio gave in to their demands, and began to tell his story. “It’s just from when I was a child, okay?” he said, as though he were ashamed.
“Back then, there was a girl I liked... I wanted to become stronger so I could protect her.”
“...Huh. You had a girl you liked, Rio? That’s kind of unexpected. Wait, does that mean you don’t like that girl anymore?” Ruri asked with wide eyes.
“...It doesn’t mean I hate her or anything, it’s just that we’re estranged. She might have a lover already, or she may not even remember me...” Rio spoke with a smile and a small huff of laughter, but his gaze seemed distant.
“Sir Rio, you worked so hard for that girl... Won’t you have a chance to meet her again?” Sayo asked timidly, looking closely at Rio’s expression.
“I don’t even know where she is. The last time we met was a long time ago.” Rio shook his head slowly.
“But, if she’s alive, you may meet her again someday, Rio. All your efforts might pay off,” Ruri said in a bright voice, wanting to uplift the gloomy atmosphere.
“...You’re right. And, well... Now I’m training for my own sake.” Rio nodded and gave a vague smile.
Ruri and Sayo looked at each other. “Really?” They asked together.
“Yes. It’s partly because I’m scared of losing something I’ve spent years cultivating, but I also need to be strong in order to travel alone. You can only fight the unreasonable with raw power itself.” Rio lightly formed a fist, speaking in a stiff voice.
“Is it really that dangerous? Traveling alone...” Sayo asked hesitantly, noticing the air around Rio tensing up.
“Yes. There are dangerous animals and dangerous people.” Rio seemed to be aware of how he had stiffened up, and answered with a softer tone to his voice this time.
“That’s... true...” Sayo nodded weakly.
In this world, a person’s life was a fragile thing. People died from illness and famine. People died from war. People even died from being attacked by wild animals and bandits.
That was why it wouldn’t be strange for Rio to be attacked during his journey alone, and it wouldn’t be strange for him to defend himself by killing them. That was the first thought that came to Sayo’s mind.
However, she was too scared to know the truth, so she didn’t ask any more than that.
“Sorry for talking for so long. You two must be cold. Shall we head inside?” Rio changed the subject, making a suggestion with a bitter smile.
“Yeah, let’s. I came to call you because dinner was done, but I completely forgot about it.” Ruri agreed with a laugh. Sayo also smiled, giggling.
“Oh, that’s right. Do you want to bathe together after dinner, Sayo? In the bathtub Rio built. You still haven’t tried it, right?” Ruri offered.
“Can I really? It was only just built recently, so the wait list was really long...”
The small bathhouse Rio had constructed was currently the talk of the town, with many villagers all wanting to try it. As a result, a wait list had been formed.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. We lend it out to whoever wants to use it, but it’s still our bathtub in the end. Residents of the house and their guests can enter it at any time,” Ruri said smugly.
“Okay... Then — yes, please. Thank you very much, too, Sir Rio.” Sayo had been a little hesitant about receiving any kind of favorable treatment, but she lost to the temptation of the bathtub and ultimately nodded. She bowed her head at Rio and Sayo.
“All right, it’s decided! So, please make us some hot water later, Rio!” Ruri clapped her hands together in request.
There was a bath heater installed in the bathhouse to heat the water for the bathtub, but it was much faster to have Rio make the hot water with his spirit arts. And, more importantly, it didn’t use up any firewood.
“Sure thing. Leave it to me,” Rio said, nodding willingly.
“Ehehe, thank you! You can peep at Sayo when she’s changing as a thank you,” Ruri said teasingly.
“R-Ruri!” Sayo yelled with a bright red face.
“Ahaha, it’s just a joke!” Ruri said, retreating while she laughed.
Sayo made eye contact with Rio right beside her. “Geez! ...Ah, Sir Rio, please don’t peep at me, okay?” She pleaded in embarrassment.
“Of course I won’t,” Rio answered immediately, ever the gentleman.
...But if it was Rio, a little peek would be okay, Sayo thought.
Her cheeks immediately flushed right after — her heart seemed to be in a bit of turmoil.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login