31-Dawn

Somehow, I was able to find my way to the pond, panting heavily.

Once I got there, it took some time before I could find the bucket. I filled the bucket with water, thinking all the while that I had to hurry back.

What saved me was the giant plants helping out. Back when I was making my way to the pond, and even when I was looking for the bucket, they'd moved and made a path for me, as if guiding me towards what I was looking for.

That was great, but......

For some reason, my body felt hot and sluggish. It was said that sometimes injuries caused one to get a fever, so maybe I was feverish.

My one strong point was my healthy body, so I'd never caught a lot of colds. I wasn't used to having a fever.

But if I kept thinking about it, I might lose all motivation to move, so I decided to ignore my current condition and made to lift the bucket.

As I had expected earlier, the sun rose and the sky got lighter. Thanks to that, I could see my face clearly reflected on the surface of the water.

My face looked terrible, enough that I could probably be mistaken for an extra in a horror movie.

"Uwaah, I look horrible!"

My swollen right eye had gone purple, and there was a cut on the corner of my mouth. Thanks to my nose bleeding heavily, there was dried blood all over face. I looked like a ghost from a horror movie.

I was amazed that Pochi and Pyonkichi hadn't run away when they saw my face.

If it had been me, I would've ran away screaming as fast as I could.

"Ugh, so heavy. Was this bucket always this heavy?"

The bucket full to the brim with water was incredibly heavy and I couldn't lift it up. I knew I'd put on enough muscles ever since I came to this world, but right now I couldn't exert any strength. I might not be able to drag this thing to where Pochi was.

I really wanted to let him drink his fill of this cold water and wash the blood from his fur, but oh well.

I poured out half of the bucket. However, it was still pretty heavy.

I walked on my knees back to Pochi, once again panting heavily from the exertion. The knees of my pants were getting all torn up from this, but I didn't have any other way.

My knees were getting painful, my body felt heavy, and I was dizzy.

I wanted so much to just lie down where I was and go to sleep, but Pochi and Pyonkichi were waiting. Now wasn't the time to be saying such things.

Unfortunately, there was a limit to doing things out of sheer willpower.

Before I could make any significant progress, the bucket fell over.

The water that I had taken pains to draw splashed onto the ground. It felt like my heart was going to break with it.

"Argh, geez."

I heaved a long sigh. Even my breath felt hot. I placed a hand on my dizzy forehead; it was so hot it was a bit shocking.

"Nope, it's just my imagination. I'm sure of it."

There was nothing wrong. I definitely didn't think that maybe this was bad.

I didn't have a fever, so I just needed to draw some water again and hurry back to where Pochi and Pyonkichi were.

......Hmm, maybe I should take a little less water.

I threw the bucket back into the pond and this time filled it up only to a third. Strangely, it felt even heavier than before.

"Geez, pull yourself together, stupid!"

I put both hands on the bucket that I had finally pulled upright, and shut my eyes tight as I breathed heavily.

I knew I shouldn't rest now, but I couldn't muster the will to start walking.

When one was having a hard time, one shouldn't stop. Back when I'd participated in a marathon in school for PE, once I'd stopped, I'd found it hard to go back running.

I knew that I had to get moving, but I still couldn't do it. In the end, I sat back down on the ground.

"Pochi, just wait for a little longer. I'll definitely bring you some water."

Maybe if I cooled my body a little I'd feel better. With that thought in mind, I scooped some water from the pond with my hands and splashed it onto my head.

At that moment...

Rumble, rumble

This sound, wasn't it...

It was a very nostalgic sound, one that I hadn't heard in three days.

I used to hear this sound of a horse galloping at full speed every day at just after noon. When I'd first heard it, I was shocked and thought that there was a landslide. Still, it was always running in order to save people.

The sound I was hearing right now was more intense than what I was used to hearing, and it was thundering closer.

The sound grew louder until it pulled to a stop in front of my house. I gripped the front of my pants in anticipation.

But I was a little too scared to make sure. What if it wasn't Krish-san? What if it was one of those men who'd come back? I held my breath.

A little while later, I could hear the sound of rustling as if someone was making their way through the grass, then a bang, bang of two hard knocks on the house door.

"Shinobu, are you here?!"

When I heard that voice, I felt that I was saved at last. I was so relieved, I could almost cry.

Slumped sitting on the ground, I sniffled as I called out in a loud voice, "Krish-san!!"

In my short life, I'd never yelled for someone like this before.

"Shinobu, are you there?!"

"Krish-san!!"

I wanted to see him.

Desperately, I stretched my hand out to where Krish-san's voice was coming from.

As if in answer to my emotions, the giant grass rustled and made way, opening a path towards Krish-san.

"Shinobu!!"

"Krish-san!!"

Krish-san ran as fast as the wind down the newly-made path towards me.

The sunlight piercing through the grass leaves fell upon Krish-san's armor, reflecting off of it and making it shine brightly.

The moment he grabbed my outstretched hand, I finally felt that the long night really was over, and I couldn't help bawling.

"What terrible wounds. Just what exactly happened here?"

Krish-san was sweating so hard that there was slight vapor coming out of his armor. It looked like he'd really sped his way here. The thought made me cry again.

"Ugh, hic, Krish-san, I thought I was done for. I heard Pochi cry out in the middle of the night, and when I came out to take a look, there was a group of five burglars there. They took everyone away. When I regained consciousness, I was lying on the ground alone, and Pochi was heavily injured, but thankfully Pyonkichi was still alive."

I cried and sobbed as I held onto Krish-san's armor for dear life.

The fact that he'd come was like a dream, and I felt like if I let go of him, he would disappear into nothing.

"A group of five burglars? Where are they now?"

"I don't know. When I came to, they were gone. Krish-san, they took Brian and the others. Please save them!!" I tugged on his arm, urging him.

Krish-san patted me on the shoulder as if to say, 'Calm down.' His usually warm hand felt a bit cold today. "Then there's no need to worry. Everyone in your family is safe. There's a wagon for transporting livestock parked by the side of the road. It was shaking hard, and when I told my subordinate to inspect it, we found everyone except Pochi and the ravi inside."

"Whaaat?! Really? Brian and the others are alright?!"

Hearing those unbelievable words, I staggered hard and almost fell down, mouth agape.

If Krish-san hadn't reached out and held me up, I might have fallen into the pond behind me.

But if Brian and the others were fine, then where did those men disappear to?

"Uuuu, I'm so glad..."

"Let's talk later. First we need to take care of your wounds."

"Wait!!" I thrust my hand at him, stopping him from trying to carry me. "I have to go to Pochi. I promised him I'd bring him some water."

Krish-san glanced at the bucket at my side. "You were trying to carry this? Even though you're heavily injured?"

Did I look like I was in a terrible state in Krish-san's eyes? I looked down at myself.

I'd ended up using my shirt on Pochi's wound so I was half-naked, and my pants were all muddy. The area around my knees were all torn up, with my knees showing through.

I'd been thinking that they were hurting—now it seemed that my knees got all scraped up too.

Oh, that was right; when I saw my reflection on the pond, I was shocked too.

My right eye was all purple, and I had blood all over my face.

I'd even thought that I would run away screaming if I'd seen myself.

Had Krish-san been shocked too?

And, Krish-san had seen that there was barely any water in the bucket, yet I'd been struggling to carry it. I felt a little embarrassed knowing that he'd seen me so weak.

"You're always thinking about other people. You should take care of yourself more," Krish-san said.

That wasn't true. I was always just thinking about myself.

"I just don't want to lose anyone important to me. That's why, it's not for anyone else's sake but mine. Pochi, Pyonkichi and Brian—they're my precious family. I'm happy when I'm with them, that's why I didn't want them to be taken away from me. Isn't that all for my own sake? So, I'm actually really selfish."

Krish-san gave a little sigh.

Was he exasperated with my selfishness? That made me a little sad.

I tightened my hold on his arm, hoping that he hadn't come to hate me.

Krish-san passed an arm under my butt and lifted me up, carrying me easily. He took the bucket in his other hand and drew water from the pond. The bucket that I hadn't been able to lift despite my best efforts was carried so easily, just like that.

"Where to?"

"Huh?"

"You wanted to let Pochi drink water, right?"

Looks like Krish-san was respecting my wishes.

I happily replied, "Yes, thank you," then eagerly pointed to where Pochi was. "Over there!!"

All the giant plants in the direction I was pointing to moved aside. As Krish-san walked down the newly-made path, he muttered quietly, "How convenient......"

Yup, I thought so too.