And a few years later…… .
No, no, it has only been three days since then!
As a result of my difficult pantomime, they could somehow understand my what I want . ……or, I think .
First, I’ll work here so let me stay for a while . Second, I want to go to a town later so please share some water and food when that time comes . Third, tell me the way to the town .
It took a very long time to convey only this . I gave up memorizing their language . I’ll hardly remember it in a few days, there should be a phone if I go to a town so I can call Japan using an international phone or from an embassy, if I can find someone who understands Japanese or at worse English, it’s the end of that story . There wouldn’t be any chances to use this country’s language after returning home . No, I will say my thanks, but it’s fine if I get someone to translate it .After doing various things with them I understood a few things . First of all, as I thought I seem to be thought as a child or rather not in that sense that I’m a minor but that I’m about ten to twelve years old . …It’s all right, it’s convenient so I’ll let that go! Well, Colette-chan is eight years old… . shouldn’t I let being twelve pass?
And maybe it’s a custom around here, but it’s normal for orphans and abandoned children to be taken in by someone, raised, and become a child of that house . It is not unusual for them to marry a child from the house after becoming an adult be blessed with becoming “true parent and child” by everyone . Of course, it seems a large majority will usually marry other households and repay their guardians like one would parents . Well, in the first place it’s a small village so all villagers seem to be like family .
So, what does that mean? It seems that “If an orphan or an unidentified person is picked up, without sending them to a government office you can take care of them as is . They were abandoned anyway so don’t bother looking for such parents . ” Oh, so that’s why parents here looked so calm when they took care of me . Well, I’ll be leaving soon .
…So why did you bother to explain that for half a day, Colette-chan? She took a lot of time and effort to scrape the ground and draw a lot of things which seemed to be a family tree with a piece of wood and then points to it . What do you have to explain right now? The adopted daughter marry their biological son in the house over there, and the house over there has an adopted son and a biological son taking care of their parents . No, why are you staring at me!
I was disturbed by Colette-chan’s pressure, but I spent a few days relaxing while helping with housework . Cooking using the stove without any fermented seasonings gave me a huge handicap but I’d been helping my mom cook since elementary school and by middle school, it was mostly up to me so I have a life full of experience and was able to make something appropriate . The result was very popular, the wife Elnel-san groaned, Gununu .
In contrast, chopping firewood was terrible . No, is chopping firewood housework? Isn’t that part the father’s work?
Oh, Eline-san and Colette-chan is in charge of the housework and part of that is the preparation of firewood, is that so?The ax is heavy . The hatchet is difficult to use . It misses when I swing down . After the ax bites into the firewood, the ax attach to the firewood is too heavy to raise to raise and slam back down . When doing that the skin of my palms peels off, muscles, shortness of breath, waist… . . Immediately, I got tagged out . Why does it breaks after a few plonks, Colette-chan…… .
The next day, I went to look for wild vegetables with Colette-chan . Going into the forest carrying a basket on my back . Oh, only me is carrying it . Because there is no way we’ll find two baskets worth, I will carry it to make it easy for the main force Collett-chan to move . Yep, that is very logical .
Huh, Is this the forest I was wandering in? I see, so Colette-chan found me here? Then, I’ll try my best in the search to apologize for messing up the gathering that day! Colette-chan showed me a sample of the types of vegetables we’re looking for so it’s ok!
…Although I was enthusiastic, it seems there is a knack to look for where the wild vegetables grow, I can only found it when I look in a place instructed by Collette but not at all if I look for it myself . . Oh well, I’m not doing this to learn, if I can help Colette-chan… .
When the wild vegetables in the basket filled about one-third, Colette-chan suddenly stopped . She has a bad complexion when I turn to look . She told me to take off the basket with a gesture . Despite thinking it was strange I took off the basket as instructed and Colette-chan slowly came back and whispered to me .
`Keru, korore, marutousu…’
Yes, it’s one of the words that I’ve learned after being repeated over and over again before we departed . No, I gave up learning their language but only at the level of having a normal conversation, I learned some simple words . Yes, no, water, food, hungry, give me, they’re very important and essential words . And now that is the word used when a dangerous beasts appears, it is serious! Didn’t you tell me that dangerous beasts seldom come out around here, that’s definitely the meaning of the picture you draw on the ground .
… What, “rarely comes out” also means “sometimes comes out” is that so?
Putting the basket down gently and we return to the direction where we came quietly . The basket will probably be recovered at a later date after the danger leaves . Will the villagers hunt the beasts or will they keep children from approaching the forest until they are gone? It’s impossible to do business, mou . I wonder if the basket of wild vegetables collected with great pains will become useless by that time . It probably wouldn’t become a good dry product .
(tn note: I can translate mou to jeez but I don’t for the kawaii, also in case you forgot she thinks she’s in a third world country so gathering is a business)
Well, life is important more than a few wild vegetables . Should we slowly and quietly run away, wait, the wind, earlier it was blowing . We had the bad luck of facing the wind, wait, isn’t this bad! I don’t think even if the incredible super girl Colette-chan would notice a beast before it notices her . Aren’t we already founded? Then I can only hope that the other side is full and not going to hunt right now, following another prey, maybe a vegetarian… No, slim chance . Then why don’t they attack already? Think, think, roar my trivia computer!
Yes, I got it . Three possibilities .
One, slowly surrounds to completely detain . Is that necessary when the opponent’s a child’s with slow feet?
Two, to enjoy mocking at us, playing around . Then wouldn’t they show up enjoy scaring us .
Three, a practice stage to teach children how to hunt . There is no worry of escape because of their slow feet, no worry that their children will get unexpectedly injured by a counterattack, the ideal prey . That’s so, it’s ideal isn’t it, a human girl . It is a secret that a girl that can’t be call a “child” is mixed in .
Although it is only an guess, the possibility that a beast is approaching is high . How to escape safely…… .
Buy some time? How long will it take for someone to look for two children who hasn’t come back by night? Searching the woods on a dark night? Parents aside, the villagers probably wouldn’t take on such danger . Besides they wouldn’t make it in time .
When I looked back, I saw a glimpse of something moving through the gaps in the trees . Multiple . One wolf-like thing and a few which are considerably smaller . As expected? Can that type climb a tree? It seems unlikely to climb If there are no branches in low positions .
They will come soon . A good tree, a good tree, can’t be helped that one!
“Colette!”
There doesn’t seem to be any branches low enough that the beasts will be able to climb, so finding a tree that seems able to easily supported Collett’s body weight she grab the Collett’s hand and forcibly pulled on it . Putting her hands under armpit and lift her up and push her onto the tree .
“Mitsuha! ーー、ーーー！”
After confirming that she clung to the tree, while ignoring the shouting Colette she released her and put her hands under Colette’s shoes then pushed up . Colette guessed Mitsuha’s intention and hurriedly moved both hands to climb onto the tree and gripped the branch that she arrived at and pulled up her body .
“Mitsuha!、ーーー！”
Colette is desperately reaching out to Mitsuha, but Mitsuha smiles and shakes her head .
“I’m sorry, I’m not good at climbing trees . That tree seems like it’ll break with two people . Well, goodbye, take care of yourself!”
Maybe the beast thought that they had given up, they revealed themselves and slowly came up . Like I saw earlier, one looks like an adult and three seems like children . Because they are wolf-like, is it fine to call them “wolves” and “wolves cubs”? I picked up a tree branch at my feet and flung it at the wolves to draw attention to myself . Of course doesn’t hit them, but the intention to attack was transmitted, a growl is raised and Mitsuha glares . All right, with this I ranked up from “helpless prey” to “resistant prey” . To attract enemies get their hatred . As much as possible, as far as possible!
“Mitsuha, Mitsuha, Mitsuha ~ ~ ~!!!”
Leaving the desperately screaming Colette, she ran away with all her might .
Haa, haa, haa, haa…… .
Mitsuha’s mornings are fast because there are so many things she has to do .
Mitsuha’s stamina also runs out fast too because there are many things she doesn’t do
Just as she looks Mitsuha doesn’t have much physical strength, the only time she exercises outside of PE in school was when her older brother invited her to airsoft games . Her reflexes aren’t bad, but she couldn’t keep up . There was bad footing as well, the wolf didn’t seem to be serious at all and had closed the distance in a blink of an eye .
(Only the parent . The cubs can’t climb the tree . The parent’s out too but just in case before getting killed I should somehow get one of it’s legs…)
I gave up already on myself . All that’s left is somehow protecting Colette!
Mitsuha stepped on her feet out of fatigue and had a great fall, crashing into a nearby large tree .
The wolf exposing its fangs comes near and jumps
“I don’t want to die! Colette-chan, Father, mother……”
The wolf’s fangs approach . On the verge of death, various things float and flow in Mitsuha’s mind . Colette’s smile, the figures of her parents, and the one who call the two years younger her cute and taught her various things, the gentle, dependable and a little, no very nerdy, beloved older brother . Maybe he liked quoting lines in novels? The happy smug look he get whenever he finds a good time for a quote is a bit annoying . I wonder what that brother would quote at a time like this… .
Mitsuha cried out with a loud voice at the end .
“Onicha~aaaaa~a~a~a~~~n~~n!!”
And Mitsuha’s disappears, the wolf rolling in pain after bashing into the big tree finally got back up and stands with a astonished look .
(tn: You know, I’m surprised imoutosite didn’t pick this up)
