Haruo walked in front, morning rays of light scattered through the forest, mixing beautifully with the snow. Taiyo laughed to himself as he played with the surrounding snow.
Of course, he would follow Haruo as he did; he had learned not to wander off by himself and to focus on heading forward first before having fun, but for a child like him, it was hard to maintain focus.
Taking in the chilly atmosphere as the snowy season began to fall beneath them. Signs of snowfall first appeared after Leon's death at the manor, and since then, the difficulty had increased significantly—especially as they wandered the meadows of cold terrain.
As Haruo walked forward, he felt a tug on his coat and saw Taiyo looking at him with curious eyes. He stopped himself for a moment to listen to what Taiyo was going to say.
"Why is that lady following us?"
Taiyo pointed toward Ena, her eyes worn out by continuous crying. The tears she had shed froze from the excessive cold, and although the mess was clear, she no longer had the will to clean herself, leaving them untouched.
Her clothes were ragged and tattered by the fire; they didn't reveal any skin, but they did ruin her only set of clothes.
She was a mess; she had lost her momentum and impulsive behavior, and a limp and a lack of energy replaced them. Despite her being way past her prime, Haruo paid it no mind.
To him, she was just empty luggage that he didn't need or want. He wasn't afraid of leaving her to freeze.
"Don't mind her, she's just a person with issues."
Haruo didn't even turn his head once before placing both his hands into the pockets of his coat—continuing on his way.
He sighed and looked back to see his brother rushing to Ena's side. Taiyo's steps crunched the snow as he got closer to Ena. After getting to her side, he tugged her shirt.
She stopped in her tracks and glanced at the boy. He had his hands spread out to her, gesturing for her to carry him. Both stayed still for a moment or two, staring at each other, before Taiyo started flailing his arms around.
Ena didn't get a signal whatsoever, but she ducked down to his level, which was good enough for Taiyo.
Taiyo diligently wiped the crystallized tears and powdered snow accumulating on her face before smiling warmly and fixing her hair as well. He slid, patted her head, brushing off any excess snow.
He took off his scarf, but before she could wrap it around her, Haruo stopped him with his hand.
"Stand properly."
She did as he said and stood in front of him, with a clear view of each other's faces. Haruo cleaned her off properly, taking off his scarf and wrapping it around her neck.
"Are you so pathetic that you need a six-year-old to take care of you? If you're going to follow me, then make yourself useful."
Feeling the warmth of the scarf, she raised it to her face before shifting her eyes forward. Finally, her gaze was set forward rather than on the ground all day. Both stared at each other for a second before Haruo continued on his hike.
That was when another sensation took over her palm. Looking down, she was met with Taiyo's chubby face as he nervously held her hand. Taiyo walked first, signaling her to quicken her steps to follow Haruo.
***
Soon, the sun descended below the horizon. Fortunately for them, Haruo had found a cave to shelter themselves from the gruelling night. And to their shock, a snowstorm formed the moment midnight arrived. The icy wind intruded into the cave, making Taiyo shiver slightly.
To combat the biting cold, Haruo had set up a fireplace inside. Luckily, because of the cave's structure, the warmth was trapped, allowing for a somewhat bearable night.
Taiyo was the first to sleep; he slept at the very edge of the cave, far enough that he didn't wake up from the cold.
The sight of Taiyo fidgeting made Haruo reach deep within his mana storage. What came out were two blankets, which were both calmly placed over Taiyo's existing one.
Next, he took out dozens of sticks from his mana storage and threw one at the burning blaze at the center of the trio.
Ena stared at the fire, covering her mouth and nose with the scarf. She sat parallel to Haruo, her back against the wall, watching the fire crackle diligently.
"If you don't want to go blind, I suggest not staring at the fire so carefully."
She redirected her gaze to Haruo while he placed sticks to keep the fire alive. To his irony, he was watching the fire diligently as well.
"You say that, but you're watching it like there's no tomorrow."
This had been the first time she had spoken since her father's death; her hoarse voice echoed quietly in the cave. She hugged her legs with her hands, directing them elsewhere and no longer glaring at the fire as if it were an enemy.
"How long do you plan to keep this up?" Haruo said.
Ena snorted at his words. "Wow, aren't you comforting…"
"That depends on how you view it."
She glared at him with disdain, scoffing as she rolled her eyes at the storm outside.
"'How are you' or 'Are you okay' would be nice, you know."
"I already know you aren't, so what's the point?"
"At least give me the opportunity to tell you how I'm feeling."
He sighed to himself before meeting the semi-pure's eyes. "How are you?"
"What do you think? I'm terrible. My father just died, and I haven't even heard his final words or said goodbye properly."
Haruo paused for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Mhmm"
"Is it really that hard to be nice just once? At least say something comforting…"
"Do you honestly expect me to be nice to someone who followed me all the way here? The problem you currently have no longer concerns me. So don't expect too much from others."
"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!" The cave echoed with her voice again and again, yet Haruo did not reveal any expression on his face. A single tear dropped from her cheek as her face contorted with madness.
Amidst her exclamation and haggard breathing, Taiyo flinched slightly. Only then did the pale boy clearly make an expression.
"That's not something I could decide."
Ena only stared before she stood up and charged a small blade next to Haruo's side—Hitting the wall beside him.
CLAAANG!!
The sound rang around the cave—before fading with the noise from the snowstorm. She kept her blade stuck and pressed it to the wall while her other hand was on the other side, supporting herself from falling over Haruo.
A gust of wind entered the cave, extinguishing the fire, allowing darkness to join.
Haruo stared at his own reflection through Ena's eyes. No light was visible other than his lone figure, covered in a void in her pupils.
"Sigh... what do you get out of this?"
"..."
"You're blaming someone who had no contribution to your father's death. Just because you can't hold your anger doesn't mean you can direct it at me. So get rid of your bloodlust. There's a kid sleeping."
She glared at Haruo, his expression stern despite threatening to attack him. She dropped the blade, clanging on the ground.
She sat beside him and hugged her legs once more, before hugging her knees once more.
"Then what do you think I should do?" She whispered.
"..." Haruo sighed before muttering, "I wish I knew as well."
Tiny bubbles of blood then appeared around the cave, emitting a light crimson glow that produced heat similar to the campfire.
***
Ena awoke to Taiyo tugging at her side. As she grasped the situation, she saw Haruo waiting at the cave's entrance. As she slowly gained consciousness, her nostrils tracked the scent of food.
Her vision slowly regained its clarity as she saw skewers of fish cooking on the campfire. Hunger slowly enveloped her, making her crawl to the skewers, but it wasn't long before she tripped over her own feet.
After finishing the three sets, they continued their journey through the forest. And at the end of it was a town. But the only obstacle that stood before them was the steep decline. Without a second thought, Taiyo hopped onto Haruo's back and began to slide down.
Ena watched them descend as if they were skiing. Taiyo cheered while Haruo easily dodged the obstacles ahead.
Ena took a deep breath before trying it out herself, only to fail on the first try. She stood up once again, determined to follow them, and slid down carefully. As she got the hang of it, she began to shift her weight forward, accelerating.
But an amateur is always bound to fail—she tripped on a rock, rolling onto her side as she descended.
After a minute or two, she finally reached the bottom—her face flat on the snow.
"Did you enjoy?"
"Fugh zou 'Fuck you'," Ena said while she stuck out her middle finger.
***
They had entered town and bought Ena a new set of clothing.
A Victorian-style shirt followed by a corset around her waist. Then some practical pants partnered with leather shoes. She looked at herself in the mirror, doing complex moves to see if it was compatible.
"We'll buy three sets."
After buying the clothing, he placed the spare ones in his mana storage to keep them safe.
"Hey, my underwear is in there!"
"Oh, please, I have better things to do than lusting after somebody like you. Honestly, I'd be quite disappointed with myself if it were you as well."
She rolled her eyes, mocking him internally.
"Honestly, this is better than the one I used to wear."
"Go thank Taiyo; he's the one who told me to buy you clothes."
"Uh-huh, whatever."
***
It had been three days since Taiyo felt his legs giving out, so they decided to make camp today. They were far from the snowy parts of the region and were now in a field filled with orange grass.
The orange hue gave the three a sense of ease, allowing them to relax. Taiyo lay on the grass and let the sun bathe him with its radiance. Ena joined him, relaxing all her muscles.
Haruo grabbed a giant leaf. Then he used it to cover their heads so they wouldn't get blinded by the sun. He joined them and quietly slept through the afternoon.
***
On the sixth day, they sat underneath a massive tree. Ena watched the rain fall and absorbed the view while Taiyo slept on her shoulder.
Haruo created a fire far from the trunk to prevent the tree from catching fire. With it, he cooked food for the three of them. The scent awoke Taiyo from his nap, and he walked to the food.
She took another glance at the scenery before making her way to the fire.
***
Blades made contact whilst Ena and Haruo dueled each other as they trained. Ena threw one of her blades at Haruo, only for him to grab it by its handle and send it back to its sender.
Ena quickly dodged it by leaning backward, cutting slightly on her bangs. Haruo swiftly closed the distance and sent a downward strike at her.
Another blade appeared in her hand like a magic trick, and she flicked her wrist, sending another blade toward his face. He quickly redirected his blade to deflect it. Giving Ena time to reposition herself.
Taiyo watched, counting how long it had been since they began travelling together, which was nine days in total.
***
On the fourteenth day, Haruo put his finger on his lips.
At the same time, Ena nodded, redirecting her gaze back to the boars as they silently waited in the trees. Haruo showed three fingers at Ena and went to look at her; she had already jumped off and charged at them.
Both of them returned to their base with only one leg in hand. Ena didn't meet his eyes, not wanting to see his disappointment whatsoever.
***
On the twentieth day, they went to a nearby town to buy more materials and food to last for the week.
Haruo booked them a place to stay near a tavern, which surprised Ena, as the place was smaller than she had expected. Taiyo jumped on the bed to embrace and appreciate the soft mattress. Falling asleep soundly instantly.
***
On the twenty-eighth day, the two of them sprinted away as a giant monster charged the three of them. Taiyo watched as Haruo carried him, waving at the beast before they vanished from its view.
Both of them hid under the bushes for hours till the beast lost interest and wandered off on its own. As it drifted away from the horizon, Taiyo sneezed, turning the beast back to its pursuit.
***
On the thirty-first day, they all hung their clothes and wore their extras as it was laundry day. Haruo did all the work while his two companions dozed in the shade.
***
On the thirty-seventh day, the three of them steadied their feet as they crossed a steep mountain hundreds of meters above the ground.
As Taiyo fell, Ena caught him quickly and made him ride on her shoulder while he calmly took in the impressive view of the flowing landscape.
***
On the forty-fifth day, Haruo pulled out a massive fish from a lake, splashing the ocean around it and watering the nearby forest. The fish shot hundreds of meters into the sky, flapping as it did.
Ena, who stood near Haruo, sprinted to the side, then to a tree, using it as a springboard to launch herself upward at the massive fish. She took out one of her hidden knives and sliced its side cleanly—its blood raining down on the lake.
The fish groaned, sending a loud, painful shriek into the sky.
Ena then dropped to the lake, giving Haruo a thumbs-up. Haruo only pointed upward as she did; a large shadow enveloped the lake, getting smaller with each passing second.
The massive fish fell into the lake, splashing gallons of water in all directions.
Haruo hid himself in a case made of layered ice. The fish floated on the surface of the water, its blood dyeing the lake. Ena walked beside Haruo limply. Her clothes were soaked—not only with water but also with the fish's blood.
***
On the Fifty-first day, they were in a dense forest filled with large trees that shot up 40 meters into the sky, with trunks as thick as 10 meters. As they observed the place, they came across a giant beast.
It stared into their soul, not blinking once. Haruo and Ena equipped their weapons almost immediately and looked at the beast.
"It's already dead!"
A voice was heard above the beast, and a man entered, looking down from the beast's corpse.
He smiled at the three and dropped down from its skull to the ground.
He had messy black hair with one single strand of red hair in the middle of his bangs. He wore formal vintage attire that paired rather well with his face. His amber eyes locked with the three.
Going to the side of one of the thin trees and vanished instantly. Haruo felt his skin tense up while they all searched for him.
"You know…"
The three turned their heads to see the man leaning against a tree while he investigated Haruo's ring. Haruo's eyes widened as he looked at his hand to find his ring missing.
"I had a friend who had a similar ring." He smiled.
"It's nice. Where'd you get it?"