Toasteful: Chapter 136, Part 1

[Part 1/4]

'Haah... haah...!'

Through the damp marshland and into the forest, I sprint. My field of vision violently sways, blurring everything. My breath is ragged, but I keep running desperately. I'm running to escape the terrifying presence closing in from behind. To save her.

'Haa... haa... haaah...!!'

I gasp heavily, and there's the taste of iron in my mouth. I can't hold back, and I involuntarily look down. Nausea hits me. Bitter bile drips from my mouth. My sweat pours like a waterfall, splattering on the ground.

Still, I couldn't stop. I couldn't afford to stop. Not just for my sake but also to save her.

'I'm okay! It's alright!! We've made it out. Hahaha, how about that, you b*stard!!'

As I turned forward again, I laughed twistedly, masking my impatience and fear. I acted as if I were triumphant, even though I didn't know what I was saying anymore. All I knew was what I had to do.

But the warmth on my back was growing colder by the moment. There was no response. There was no time. I panicked. I rushed. I ran. I kept running. Run. Run. Run...!

'Haa, haa, d*mn... d*mn...!!'

How did it come to this? Why did things turn out this way? I didn't understand. Why... Why am I the one still alive? Why me? Again, why me...!?

'Hey, you okay? Are you still alive? Ugh...!? Pull yourself together!! You're alive, right!?'

In a faint murmur, my expression, previously one of despair, seemed to have a glimmer of hope. I called out desperately. I kept calling out. To ensure that she didn't lose consciousness. To believe that there was still time. I didn't want to go through that again. Once was enough.

'It's getting... sleepy... Is it okay if I'm left behind?'

'Don't be stupid! It's too late for that now! Besides, wouldn't you do the same...!?'

It was a really late conversation. The most dangerous part was already behind us. It would be foolish to waste all the effort we had put in up to this point. Above all, those words should have come from my mouth.

I, who had begged for help in such a pathetic manner, would be despicable if I abandoned her in the same situation.

'Ha, haha... Stubborn, aren't you? Trying to act cool?'

'Showing off in front of girls is a guy's privilege...!!'

With a dry, bitter smile rather than a metaphor, I laughed and responded in kind. It was an obvious display of bravado. I couldn't hide my desperation. There was no room for pretending. That's how it sounded, a small, contemptuous chuckle, next to my ear.

But I didn't mind. As long as she was alive, even if she laughed at me...

'Then... um. Can I ask you a favor? It's a bit... heavy.'

'Just a little!'

'...Afterward, I'll treat you to some dango. The expensive ones.'

'Seriously!?'

The last request she made was so faint that, despite all my concentration, it was barely audible...

...

"Hey, idiot, wake up. Time to get ready for departure."

"...Ah."

I was shaken by my colleague, or maybe I had just awakened from a dream. I looked around, surrounded by the dense forest. I sharpened my senses. As far as I could sense, there were no signs of anything beyond the ordinary.

I was on a rock. At the top of a large rock in the middle of the forest, allowing me to survey the area. It would be meaningless if I had been sleeping, though.

(Really, it's pointless.)

Negligence was out of the question for those responsible for surveillance in the area. Fortunately, nothing had happened this time, but it was only a matter of luck. When something did happen, it wouldn't be as simple as taking responsibility.

"You surprised me there. Were you napping? It's a rare sight. What would you have done if you'd been eaten while you were asleep?"

"I'd be more afraid of getting caught and beheaded."

My colleague shrugged, as if exasperated by my reaction. It wasn't a joke. It might have been a joke during the Loli Era, but in the main story, Gorilla-sama was a boss who surpassed a bossy boss. Even with the recommendation from her beloved father, there were limits. She could easily lose her temper and end up killing me.

"Alright, let's go. It's mealtime."

"What's on the menu?"

"Porridge."

"The usual, then?"

"No, not quite."

As I sneered, my colleague, Tsukuba, shook his head in disagreement.

"It's noticeably thinner than usual. It seems our allotment is being used as payment. Likely the work of Princess's laborers."

"That's..."

Truly loyal subjects, indeed.

"There's no point in lodging a complaint. Let's endure it."

Resigned, I climbed down from the rock. Following Tsukuba, I headed beyond the cooking smoke-filled forest.

"Oh, right, Tsukuba."

"...What is it?"

"Thank you. You saved me."

I felt genuine gratitude for waking me from that nightmare...

* * *

In the sixth year of Emperor Seiri's reign in the northern region, towards the end of June, when even the Northern region begins to feel the heat of the summer, a group set out from Onitsuki Valley. They were a party of the second princess of the Onitsuki family, heading to a forbidden area as per orders from the Imperial Court.

The group consisted of one ox cart, six horse-drawn carriages, and a total of 46 personnel. This included 15 laborers and maids who took care of their daily needs, four members of the Hidden Group, one medic, 20 temporarily hired soldiers, and five servants.

Their destination was the third-class forbidden area in Fusō-kuni's Northern region, the "Silent Curse Deep Forest" (黙呪深林, Doku Noroi Fuka Hayashi). Their objective was to thin out the creatures inhabiting that place and, more importantly, secure the rare spiritual herbs that grew naturally in that area.

The "Ifukamuta," which only grew in certain rich and unique spiritual places, was also the subject of a secret request from an anonymous noble in the Imperial Court. Success in this mission would solidify the Imperial Court's trust in the Onitsuki family. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a task worthy of determining the next head of the Onitsuki family.

"For appearances' sake, yes."

On the fourth day since the group's departure from the valley, the group were about eight-tenths (8:10) of the way to their destination. Among the group marching along the city road, I carried a spear and continued to walk, sighing at the sky for the umpteenth time.

That was merely a front, at least for Psycho Father-sama, who had taken on this request. It seemed to be a job that couldn't be refused, not only to live up to her father's expectations but also to achieve a decisive victory in the competition for the next head of the family against her big sister. Moreover, Loli Gorilla-sama must have been delighted that he had assigned the task to her rather than any other member of the family. She expected something from him.

But in reality, it was a cunning trap...

"...Senpai... Senpai?"

"Hmm!? Hisame, right? What's up?"

I asked, trying to hide my surprise, to the petite girl who had been walking alongside me. Perhaps she had called me multiple times, but I hadn't noticed.

"Oh, um, nothing..."

Maybe it was because my tone of voice was a bit hoarse, or maybe it was because my words were a bit strong, but Hisame seemed to be really afraid of me. Her attitude reminded me of a puppy again, so I pushed those thoughts away and confirmed it again.

"Hey, I'm not angry or anything. I'm just curious. Come on, what's on your mind?"

"Well... I just noticed that you seemed to be lost in thought for a while. So I wondered..."

It seemed that I had been quite preoccupied. Perhaps she felt anxious because the seniors she relied on were acting so absent-minded.

"I see. Well, it's nothing much. I was just thinking about my hometown."

I look away from her, trying to cover it up.

My vision is filled with lush green ears of rice, reaching high into the sky and swaying in the wind. The lush paddy fields that promise a bountiful harvest are the blessings of the spiritual vein itself. A sight I will never see in my hometown...

"Your hometown?"

"Yeah. it's a cold village in the countryside. The land there is barren, far from any spiritual veins. It's quite different from around here."

It was impossible to grow rice there. They only grew enough rice to pay taxes, and the rest of the land was used to cultivate hardy grains that could withstand the cold. Fortunately, there were no orders to forcibly cultivate rice, like in the real Edo period in Tohoku. If there were, my family would have been wiped out by famine.

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