Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone, we've reached 5th place in the daily rankings.

I'm so grateful!

Asmavillage spreads out in a circle centered around the large square.

When I say it spreads out, it's just that houses have been built in a row, but it's true that it has become more lively over the years.

Most of the roads are still dirt, but it seems they plan to pave them with stones in the future to match the construction of the capital and other cities.

Asmavillage is surrounded by forests and water, rich in both nature and resources.

Though small, it is rich in nature and has deep connections with its people.

Now, the people's lives are stable and vibrant. This village will surely become a good town one day.

I can feel this atmosphere just by walking around.

The sight of people working with hope is beautiful.

The center and the expansion area are crowded, so I and my sister Julia decided to take a longer route around the village.

We walk, waving to the villagers who greet us cheerfully, and the children running around happily.

By doing this, I can tell that my sister Julia is popular among the villagers.

We arrive at the eastern side, a bit away from the center.

There are fewer houses, and large and small sheds are scattered around.

A lush green field stretches out, and the air is filled with the rich scent of soil.

In the distance, it seems to be a pig pasture. Dozens of pigs are sniffing the ground and digging with their snouts.

Right in front of us are two plump pigs with light pink skin.

"Do you have any bulbs?"

"No."

"Tch. Ah! There's a worm!"

"Really?"

"I'm not giving it to you."

"That's fine. I have bulbs."

"You just said you didn't have any?"

"Delicious."

"…Don't ignore me."

…Again, I hear voices.

Male voices. Is something wrong with me today?

"Jed, is something wrong?"

My sister Julia looks at me curiously because I stopped.

"Are they pigs?"

They might be a new kind of monster or intelligent animals unique to this world. No, there are no such animals, and monsters certainly don't exist here.

"Pigs?"

"Ah, humans!"

"Are they humans?"

"Wow! That lady is so beautiful."

"Really. She must be captivated by my pig hooves."

"No, no! She's definitely giving hot glances to my strong loin."

The pigs just keep talking to each other, their faces close together.

Am I the only one who can hear this conversation?

To my sister Julia, it probably looks like I'm just staring at the pigs.

If I say, "The pigs are talking!" again, I'll be considered a fool.

Let's just move on quickly.

With that decision, I start walking.

"Are you done already?"

"Yeah."

"Ah, the beautiful human lady is leaving."

"It's because she's blushing at my strong body. She's a shy girl."

I leave without reacting to the pigs who are sending hot glances, mainly at my sister Julia.

Then, a noisy voice comes from the direction of the large log cabin.

I can hear a lot of male voices.

"Ah, I hear some lively voices."

"I don't hear anything?"

My sister Julia frowns but listens carefully.

Can't she hear it? From the log cabin, bright voices are coming without stopping.

Is it a tavern in that cabin? It's unusually noisy. I'm not impressed that they're drinking alcohol in the middle of the day.

Curious, I peek through the open door of the log cabin by the road.

"We're nice piglets!"

"We're nice piglets!"

"We're not orcs, piglets!"

"We're not orcs, piglets!"

Inside, the cabin is packed with piglets.

After one voice, a rough male voice chimes in.

"Yeah! We're in good spirits today!"

"Sure, Bunta! You didn't get called a throwback for nothing!"

"Right! Let's sing all day! What should we do next?"

"Rock!"

"No, I like jazz."

"Hip hop!"

"Let's do all of them!"

"Sure, Bunta!"

"Let's start with rock!"

"Yeah!"

I'm tired today. Piglets don't sing songs.

When I was in the mansion, I sometimes heard ghost voices.

"Cute piglets."

In contrast to my tired expression, my sister Julia smiles softly.

After that, I tried not to pay attention to the voices I heard unexpectedly and walked around the village from east to north.

By the time we reached the west side, it was noon, and we decided to have lunch.

My sister Julia, worried about my tired appearance, suggested we go home, but I declined. It's just mental fatigue.

While my sister Julia was ordering, I sat on a wooden chair set up outside.

"Phew~"

I sigh alone. What's wrong with me today?

Humans shouldn't be able to hear animal voices. Kanji the horse, the strange pigs, the singing piglets.

I even had a conversation with Kanji the horse.

He said something about coming to my hut. I don't know where Kanji's hut is. I might have already passed it. Sorry, Kanji.

"Are you really tired?"

My sister Julia looks at me with a worried expression.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just hungry."

When I say that, my sister Julia smiles and hands me a round sandwich.

"A sandwich with bacon and fresh vegetables."

"…Bacon"

Hearing that, I almost dropped the sandwich. Why did she order such a dish at this moment?

We just saw pigs. It's hard enough to imagine them alive, and I can even hear their voices. I can't help but imagine the processing scene.

"Huh? You don't like sandwiches, Jed?"

"No, I love them."

I love them, but the timing was just bad.

I take a bite of the sandwich with a slightly bitter face.

To my disappointment, the bacon in the sandwich is odorless, juicy, and very delicious.

We take a longer break and then walk on the west side this time.

I planned to wander aimlessly, but my sister Julia suddenly remembered something and started walking quickly.

She smiles and says, "I had something to do for Gladys."

It seems she was asked to do something while we were heading to the village.

What could it be that Gladys asked for? A wooden sword? No, Gladys wouldn't ask someone else for something equal to his own skills.

It must not be that important to Gladys. Or it might be important, but my sister Julia is considered more suitable for the task.

I think about it but can't figure it out.

While I'm thinking, we keep walking past houses, a leatherworker's house, and a vegetable shop.

The further we go, the fewer people there are. Maybe there are pigs like on the east side.

Such thoughts cross my mind.

However, as the number of people decreases, we eventually see a fence.

Did we reach the edge of the village? I thought so, but it seems different.

Beyond the fence, a vast plain stretches out, and many horses are lounging around.

Some horses are running around, and some are lying down. Although they are enclosed by the fence, their lives seem quite free.

Near the entrance of the fence, a woman is brushing a horse.

"Nina!"

When my sister Julia calls out, the woman stops brushing and turns around.

"You're late. We agreed on the morning, didn't we?"

The woman turns around with a slightly annoyed look.

Her skin is tanned from being outside a lot, and her red eyes are strong, showing no fear of men. Her brown hair is tied back, and she wears an overalls-like outfit with the sleeves of her white shirt rolled up. She wears slightly large boots to protect against dirt.

The horse Nina was brushing looks a bit dissatisfied.

"What, I was just getting to the good part."

The horse's voice sounds sulky. When I glance at the horse, it just swishes its tail and walks away.

"Hehe, sorry. I forgot while walking around the village with Jed."

"You forgot?"

My sister Julia, who doesn't seem particularly remorseful, receives a stern look from Nina.

"Here, Jed. This is my friend, Nina."

My sister Julia, perhaps to avoid further discussion, introduces me.

"I'm Jed, the third son of the Clifford family. My sister is always taken care of by you."

"Such a well-mannered child. How old are you?"

"Five years old."

"…Five years old!? …If the neighborhood kids were this well-mannered, even a little, they'd be cute."

Nina says this with a slightly gloomy expression. It seems even the tomboyish Nina has trouble with the village's naughty kids.

But maybe the boys are doing it because they like or admire her. Boys are weak for older, pretty sisters.

"So, we came to see Gladys' horse as planned today?"

My sister Julia changes the subject to bring Nina back to reality.

Ah, the task was about Gladys' horse.

I remember the brothers practicing horse riding the other day.

Surprisingly, my sister Julia mastered horse riding on the first try, while my brothers Gillion and Gladys were comically thrown off.

Maybe my sister Julia is the best match for the horse, so she's the one who takes care of it and checks on it.

"Why does my sister Julia come to see Gladys' horse?"

"Ah, Gladys' horse is particularly fast, but it doesn't get along with Gladys. It refuses to be ridden, but when I take care of it occasionally, it listens to Gladys a little more."

"We can ride it without any problems," Nina adds, and "That's true. It's strange," my sister Julia agrees.

No, isn't that a very simple reason?

"Because it's really there! A kid who can understand my words!"

"No, that's not possible. It must be Kanji's mistake."

Two horses walk side by side.

The voices are the same as the ones I heard earlier.

"Right, a kid like that—It's you! It's you!"

The horse called Kanji stops and looks at me twice before approaching.

"That kid? No way. Nina is more believable."

A horse with a particularly flashy voice walks over, sizing me up.

Why is this horse so condescending? It's annoying.

The two horses eventually get close to me and sniff me.

"Oh? Master Jed, they already like you?"

"Really?"

The horses seem to be rubbing their faces against me like they're playing with a child. If it's true, it would be a heartwarming sight.

But in reality, it's like this.

"Hey, it's me, Kanji. Remember me from this morning?"

"Does this kid really talk?"

"Hey, can you hear me? Say something."

It feels like I'm being threatened.

"Can you hear me? I'll kick you. What's my name?"

If I say Tonji, he'll probably attack me.

"…Kanji"

I whisper, trembling.

"See! Did you hear that?"

"Wow, that's amazing! You really understand us?"

"…I understand."

"Wow! This kid is amazing!"

"…The horses seem really happy."

"Yeah. Those two don't usually get close to anyone, and I've never seen them this happy. I'm a breeder, and I'm losing confidence."

"Cheer up. It's just a coincidence."

In the back, Nina seems to be feeling down.

"Hey, let's go over there. Let's talk."

"Sure, sure!"

"…O, okay."

Meeting Kanji twice and hearing and talking to the same voices face-to-face, I realized something.

I can understand animal language. I can even communicate and convey my intentions.