Living as a Recluse Deep in the Forest - Episode 21: Fractured Atmosphere

 He said it so casually. Really, in his exact usual tone.

"............"

Aurora’s time alone ground to a halt right then and there. The utensils in her hands trembled faintly. For the few moments it took for the steam to waver and vanish into the air—her mind was a complete blank.

(...Eh?)

Perhaps she had misheard. Or perhaps the words meant something else. Maybe the phrase "heading out" carried a different meaning.

—No. There was no other meaning.

It was a phrasing she had heard several times in the past. An experiment for a new magic. A search for ingredients. Or an investigation into an anomaly occurring somewhere in the forest. The reasons varied, but Yuu didn't just shut himself away in this log house 24/7. He had lived in the southern part of the forest for eight years, and during that time, he had repeatedly gone on "short journeys" just like this. So to Yuu, it was just a casual remark.

But—to Aurora, today of all days, it was a terribly heavy remark.

"So, because of that,"

Entirely unaware of the weight behind his words, he continued.

"I don't know how long you guys are planning to stay this time, Princess..."

Yuu spoke breezily, just like always, while tidying up the empty pot.

"Feel free to use the vegetables, water, and whatever else you need. There's a decent amount of preserved food, and the maids are already used to the kitchen layout, so I don't think I need to explain anything..."

It was consideration. He was saying it with that intent. He wanted them to face as little inconvenience as possible during his absence—his words were born from that thought.

"Is there anything you want to ask before I go? About the barrier stones, or handling the fire?"

It was the same exchange as always. In fact, they had shared similar conversations several times in the past. Each time, Aurora and the others would settle it with a light reply like, "Then we'll stay for just two or three days before heading back," or "Then we shall make use of the place during your absence, ensuring we commit no discourtesy." So, it was only natural that Yuu didn't sense anything amiss with the Princess's demeanor. If anything, he was being thoughtful. He was trying to provide as comfortable a lodging as possible for the group, who were bound to be tired from their long journey.

"............"

The maids fell into silence. The guards also averted their eyes, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

(...Your Highness.) 

(Oh, honestly... that is just too cruel...)

Her subordinates knew. They knew that this time, Aurora had concealed "clothes different from her usual ones" inside her luggage.

A beautiful dress. It lacked excessive, fluttery decorations, but it featured high-quality fabric and refined lines. Unsuited for walking in the forest, but a garment one could easily wear inside the log house—that kind of dress. It wasn't just for a change of pace. It was a special piece she had chosen together with her sister, Regina.

(Clothes meant to be shown to Master Yuu—)

No one voiced it aloud. But every single maid understood. And because they understood, they knew exactly how deeply Yuu's casual remark had pierced Aurora’s chest.

(What terrible timing...!)

One of the maids gritted her teeth in her mind. Yuu meant no harm. In the first place, it wasn't even a matter where "meaning harm" applied. Aurora was the one who repeatedly visited the forest. Each time, Yuu opened his home to them and prepared a comfortable space.

There was no ground to blame him. There was no right to blame him either. And yet—why today of all days? Of all times, why did it have to be today, just as Aurora had finally resolved to "show him her nice clothes"?

"Hm? What's wrong, everyone?"

Yuu tilted his head.

"You've all gone quiet... Wait, did I say something weird?"

He hadn't said anything weird. Nobody was in the wrong. The timing was just terrible. Her subordinates thought that this was precisely what made it so frustrating.

A heavy silence descended. Only the light pop-crackle of the campfire echoed gently. Aurora—felt the edges of her vision blur slightly.

(...And I was planning to wear it.)

The conversation she had shared with Regina before heading to the forest replayed in her head over and over.

“Make sure to prepare some nice clothes too. And then, try showing yourself to the Sage.”

“There isn't a man alive whose heart wouldn't flutter at the sight of my cute little sister dressed up with all her heart.”

(I had decided... to go for it.)

Once dinner was finished and the cleanup was done. Before everyone went to sleep. She would say, "Just for a moment," and call Yuu out. Either inside the log house or at the edge of the terrace. She had simulated that level of preparation in her head countless times.

The timing to change clothes. The timing to call out to him. The very first word.

(It's all gone.)

She could just do it right now. She could change in a hurry and show him. Even though she thought that, her brain refused to work.

Because tomorrow, Yuu wouldn't be here. The few days she had envisioned spending with Yuu while wearing her beautiful dress. They were gone, nowhere to be found.

Deep in her chest, her heart squeezed tight.

"............"

The chair let out a sharp clack. No one could bring themselves to look directly at Aurora’s face as she stood up.

She said nothing. She simply stood up as if springing from her seat, and leaving the dining table behind—she ran off.

"Your Highness!?"

One of the maids stood up in a panic. Several guards followed suit, moving with enough force to nearly knock over their chairs.

"W-wait a moment—!"

Hurried footsteps crossed the garden and vanished into the guest quarters. Yuu watched them go, his mouth hanging slightly open in a daze. Left behind was an unfinished dinner. Left behind was Yuu, sitting all alone, along with a few remaining maids and guards.

"...Eh?"

Barely a sound managed to escape Yuu’s mouth.

"I-I'm sorry... Did I say something bad?"

He asked timidly. If anything, it was with the familiar sensation of "Did I stick my foot in my mouth again?" The remaining maids wore troubled expressions.

(It's not bad... Master Yuu has done nothing wrong.) 

(It really was... just terrible timing.)

But even so, they couldn't exactly say, "Actually, Her Highness brought a dress to dress up for you." If they exposed something like that, there was no telling how severely Aurora would grill them later. Their loyalty as the Princess's personal maids, a strange sense of embarrassment, and their duty to patch up the situation. All of it tangled together in their heads—

"Ex-Excuse me, Master Yuu!"

Everyone's shoulders flinched. The one who had raised her voice was a member of the maid corps. Around the same age as Aurora, or perhaps slightly younger. With her chestnut hair tied into a single ponytail, she was usually a reserved girl, but right now, she stood straight as if summoning every ounce of her courage.

"Yeah?"

Yuu turned his gaze toward her. Just that action made her throat hitch once—but still, she didn't back down.

"I am well aware that you have important business, Master Yuu!"

Her voice cracked slightly. The maid next to her instinctively tugged at her sleeve.

"W-wait, what are you doing...!"

She rebuked her sharply in a whisper, telling her to stop. But the girl shook her head as if brushing the hand away. She wore an expression that suggested if she didn't speak up now, she would regret it for the rest of her life. Biting her lip and clenching her fists tightly, she continued.

"...But, even so... even just a single day would be enough!"

The air around the table grew taut. And with a sudden, forceful bow:

"Would it be possible... to push back your schedule!?"

She had said it. The moment the words left her mouth, she could feel her pulse pounding loudly in her ears. For a mere maid like herself, and not the Princess, to ask the Sage of the Forest to "alter his schedule" was an unforgivable overstepping of bounds under normal circumstances. She knew this. And because they knew it too, the expressions of the other maids twisted in panic.

"You, honestly...!" 

"I understand Her Highness's feelings, but even so...!"

Clear, rebuking whispers struck her ears. Even so, she kept her head bowed while seated and did not look up.

(Even just one day...)

She thought. Even if she was scolded for this later. Even if her words invited resentment.

(Her Highness hesitated so much, summoned so much courage... and yet, for them to part like this, as if she's being pushed away with nothing happening—I won't accept it.)

That sentiment held her spine perfectly straight. And—the voice of Yuu that returned to her was...

"Eh? Well, if it's just a day, that's totally fine."

It was incredibly casual. His tone was surprised, carrying a moment of blank, carefree innocence.

"............"

Everyone present slumped forward simultaneously, burying their foreheads into the table. The wooden tabletop shook with a heavy thud. Any semblance of tension completely evaporated. Hold on a minute, Sage of the Forest. The atmosphere from just a moment ago is entirely ruined.

"O-oi..." 

"I want that sense of tragic despair from a moment ago back..." 

"We were settling in and steeling our resolve to 'personally negotiate for Her Highness's sake'..."

The guards groaned in low voices, clutching their foreheads. The maids also hid their faces, their shoulders shaking. The tension from just a moment ago. The resolve. The death-defying remark from a girl who had braced herself thinking, "It's likely no good, but I must speak regardless." Because all of it had been accepted so effortlessly, it had come full circle and transformed into complete exhaustion. Really, honestly... it made them want to scream at him to give them their time back.

"A-Are you certain...?"

The maid who had summoned her courage raised her face unsteadily.

"Do you not have... an important schedule...?"

Yuu tilted his head.

"It's certainly important business... or rather, business I can't ignore, but..."

He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and continued in an easygoing tone.

"Pushing it back by a single day is whatever."

Casual.

"In the first place, it's not like the exact date and time were strictly decided. It's not an opponent who's going to get mad just because I show up the day after tomorrow."

As he said this and shrugged, Yuu's profile made it clear that it truly was a matter of "that degree."

"Though, let's see... conceptually, it's more like, 'If I don't show my face in the near future, they're going to complain a whole lot later.'"

The maid asked back timidly.

"You mentioned it was to express your gratitude... um, what exactly is this gratitude for?" "Ah."

Yuu clapped his palms together.

"We ate curry today, right?"

A sudden chill ran down everyone's spines. That dish, boasting a violent level of deliciousness. The aroma and spice from just a short while ago vividly resurrected on everyone's tongues.

"And I also told you that 'I used spices,' right?" 

"Y-yes..."

Several nodding voices, a mix of maids and guards, could be heard. Yuu continued lightheartedly, as if engaging in nothing more than idle gossip.

"These spices, you see—I got them from the Master who lives in the 'West' of the forest." 

"..................Huh?"

The air froze solid. For a moment, they even felt the illusion that the crackle of the campfire had ceased.

The western part of the forest. Deep within the Great Forest of the Demonic Realm, and even further beyond that. A territory Aurora and the others would never dream of aiming for. Over there— Aurora's subordinates knew. Yuu himself had drilled it into them until his mouth was dry.

“In the western side of the forest, there's a monster you can actually communicate with. As long as you don't attack first, it won't assault you.” 

“But don't approach it mindlessly. That's its territory.” 

“Even from my perspective, it's an opponent that's roughly 'on equal footing.'”

When they had first heard those words, the guards thought it was a joke. No matter how much he humbled himself, Yuu was Yuu. They couldn't even imagine him losing to a monster of the forest. But seeing the utter seriousness in Yuu's eyes back then, they eventually realized.

—It truly existed. An existence of a level where Yuu "wouldn't know if he could win unless he went all out."

"...Y-You said... the 'Master'..."

One of the guards asked, his throat dry. Perhaps it was a dragon capable of destroying a nation. Perhaps it was a demon god sealed since ancient times. Or perhaps a wicked dragon that devoured the forest itself— Their imaginations ballooned endlessly. Whether he knew of their inner turmoil or not, Yuu continued his explanation breezily.

"Well, you see, in the western forest, even further inside, there's a massive oasis." 

"An o-oasis...?" 

"A watering hole, you mean...?" 

"There's a zone there where all kinds of spices grow wild in massive quantities."

The scale of what he casually announced was so massive that it conversely failed to register in their brains. Cumin, coriander, turmeric— The numerous spices explained during the day. On top of that, seasonings like chili pepper and cardamom, spices whose names they hadn't even heard before.

"And the one who claims that entire area as its territory is the Master of the West."

Light. His tone was altogether too light.

"That guy told me, 'Bring it over once the prototype is finished.'"

There, finally, the meaning of "expressing gratitude" came into view.

"So, the curry I served everyone today... honestly, I guess you could call it a 'pre-sharing prototype' meant for the Master of the West."

Yuu shrugged, not looking particularly apologetic.

"Well, basically, I just don't like owing that person favors."

After all, they were "on equal footing." He wanted to avoid blindly racking up favors with an existence of a scale where he could only barely match them by going all out.

"So since I received a massive amount of spices, I'll grant their request in return. As a way of saying thanks."

He put it like that.

"That's the business this time. So there's no strict date and time decided. Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, honestly, either one is fine. It takes three days one-way to get there anyway."

However, Yuu held up a single finger.

"It's just a matter of 'I absolutely must go in the near future.'"

One of the guards swallowed hard. The Master of the West. A monster on equal footing with Yuu. An existence even the Holy Knight had evaluated as "something I could not match, even with my Holy Sword." "Something" that sat at a distant height, as if looking down upon the entirety of the Demonic Kingdom. And the "thanks meant to avoid owing a favor" to such an entity was now being spoken of casually by Yuu.

(To routinely make a promise like 'Bring it over once the prototype is finished' with that kind of opponent...)

Just imagining it sent a chill down their spines. One of the maids instinctively wrapped her arms around herself. She could feel goosebumps rapidly spreading across her skin.

(Deep within the forest... something that cannot be measured by our common sense is truly in motion...)

Even further beyond the Great Forest that Aurora and the others risked their lives to cross. In a territory they couldn't even draw on a map. The protector of the forest. The dwellers of the forest. And—existences like the forest itself were negotiating and interacting on an "uncommon" scale.

(Master Yuu... truly steps into that kind of place.)

It was scary. But more than that—it filled them with pride. They had been forged each time they journeyed to the forest. They had become robust. Their levels had risen, and they were now spoken of as a military force on par with generals. Yet, each time they heard a tale like this, they were forcefully reminded. That what they were looking at was still nothing more than the "entrance to the forest." Even so—

(This person, even further inside...)

The aloof, black-haired youth was interacting with monsters deep within that interior today as well, carrying the casual mindset of dealing with neighbors.

"...So anyway,"

Yuu scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.

"Going to the Master of the West's place is my business. I just need to push it back by a day, right? That much is fine."

Carefree. The maids and guards couldn't entirely dissolve their tension until the very end. Yuu alone concluded the conversation with a consistent energy, as if it were just a single scene from a typical day in the forest. They did not know. Just how loose of a "neighborly relationship" Yuu and the Master of the Western Forest—the Dryad Empress—actually shared. A relaxed barter system revolving around shared spices and a plant nutrient known as "Captivating Nectar." That such a daily life continued unchanging today as well, right in the dead-center of this demonic territory. The only thing that was clear—

The future where Aurora would be saddened had vanished. That alone was the fact made apparent to the maids and guards.

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