Chapter 21

This might be dangerous, Tien thought.

His vision went white, and when he came to, he found himself face to face with the ground.

He managed to put his hands out to break his fall thanks to his quick reflexes, but it seemed he had lost consciousness for a moment.

"Hey, girl. You're in the way. Move over."

"……"

A burly red-haired miner carrying a pickaxe approached.

As they passed each other,

"…The site supervisor is on his lunch break now."

He muttered quietly.

"……"

After watching the miner leave, Tien sat down behind a nearby rock.

He had told her, "If you need to rest, do it now."

The site supervisor was strict, but some of the miners were kind.

Although she couldn't keep relying on their kindness, today might be too tough, so she decided to take a break.

It had been two years since she became a miner.

Instead of earning more, her days had become harder.

Her body had grown and required more nutrients, but the amount of fruit she ate hadn't changed.

(What should I do... If this continues, I'll be in a bad state.)

Tien hung her head.

It was impossible to continue this life for long.

She had considered going to another town, but there was no guarantee the food would be better, and she had no means to earn money. Besides, she didn't even know how to leave the town.

(My thoughts are all over the place...)

Her head spun. She couldn't think clearly because of her hunger.

At that moment, Tien's sensitive nose picked up a scent.

(Water...?)

Mining is sometimes called a "battle with water."

When digging through rock, you often hit water veins that have seeped into the rock.

If the water isn't drained, it will keep accumulating, so some miners are tasked with pumping it out.

In such cases, magic is often used, and mages can also play a significant role in mining.

(It's natural to smell water...)

Tien dozed off, stopping her thoughts.

The scent of water was a type she had never smelled before, but she couldn't think about it further.

"Damn you, you ghost dog! You only found this much after a whole day!? I won't pay you a single silver coin!!"

She ended up oversleeping until evening, and the site supervisor's wrath fell upon her. Tien's earnings for the day were zero.

It couldn't be helped that she had fallen asleep, but it was tough that her body hadn't recovered.

(Am I at my limit...?)

She walked home down the dim path.

It was the day before the new moon, and there was almost no moonlight.

On such nights, she always remembered her parents, who had left her behind.

—The Moon Wolves live with the phases of the moon. There are bright, moonlit nights like a wet surface, and there are new moon nights so sad that you want to disappear.

—Even on tough days, in about a fortnight, happy days will come again. So, Tien—

"……"

Tien shook her head.

Her loving parents, who had cared for her, were no longer here.

One day, they had suddenly disappeared without a note.

Her arrival in this town and being taken in by the orphanage had been nothing more than luck.

(Does Chii want to meet her parents...?)

She didn't understand herself.

If she were to search for them, she shouldn't be giving money to the orphanage.

Even if she didn't like being indebted, it was time to stop giving money and start saving.

But she wasn't doing that...

Maybe she wasn't ready to meet her parents.

Maybe she lacked the courage to face the "abandoned self"—

"The smell of water..."

She noticed heavy clouds hanging over the mine.

It must be raining in the mountains.

The clouds suggested a steady rain.

(Come to think of it, I smelled water somewhere today...)

Her head was fuzzy, and she couldn't remember.

"—Tien, welcome back."

She had arrived home, and the teacher from the monastery was waiting for her.

"What's wrong, coming out at this hour?"

"You've really done a lot for the orphanage. We're very grateful."

"…I'm sorry, I didn't earn any money today."

"Of course… looking at your haggard appearance."

Even in the dim light, she could see the teacher's pained expression.

Not wanting to worry him, Tien hugged herself tightly.

"I'm not haggard."

At her brave stance, the teacher's expression became even more pained.

"Tien… I came to express my gratitude, but I also have another matter."

"Another matter?"

"I want to invite you to the monastery's dinner."

"……?"

Tien tilted her head, confused.

The food at the monastery was the same as at the orphanage.

And she couldn't eat most of it there because it was so terrible.

The teacher must have known this.

"…Teacher, I—"

"I know. I know about you. But can you come once, just to see if I'm lying?"

"Is the teacher lying to people?"

"Ah!"

The teacher slapped his forehead. It was a gesture that seemed to say, "You got me," and Tien couldn't help but smile a little.

"I understand… If there's fruit, I think I can eat it, so I'll go."

"R-Right. Then let's go right away."

Tien walked to the monastery with the teacher.

The moon in the night sky was thin.

Her condition would surely worsen tomorrow, with the new moon.

Thinking about it made her feel gloomy.

"……Hm?"

As they got closer to the monastery, Tien noticed a scent.

There were few houses around the outskirts of town, so this scent—cooking—must be coming from the monastery.

Strangely, she didn't feel the usual nausea that would make her dizzy.

On the contrary,

—Her stomach growled.

"Teacher, what's going on today?"

The teacher, whose arm she had grabbed, was surprised.

He had never seen Tien so flustered.

She was usually detached and more mature than children her age.

But now, smelling the cooking, she was flustered.

"To be honest, I was skeptical, but I'm glad I brought you. Your face… and the drool—"

"!?"

Noticing the drool dripping from her mouth, Tien hurriedly wiped her lips.

"I'm back. I've brought Tien."

As soon as they entered the building behind the monastery, the teacher announced.

He had heard the children's voices from outside, but they sounded even louder when the door opened.

"—It's delicious! What is this, I've never eaten anything like it!"

"—Hey, that was what I was about to eat!"

"—I got it first!"

"—Hey, hey, there's plenty, don't be so greedy."

The excitement of the children, like a battlefield, and the nuns trying to calm them down.

In the dining hall, there were large tables, and the children filled the space, with numerous plates of food.

The large bowls of soup were filled with vegetables and meat, and the bread, baked to perfection, was piled high.

Some children were scooping jam from jars, while others were gathering small pieces of meat on their plates.

Everyone looked happy and content.

(Why...)

The children's excitement was higher than usual because of the lavish meal.

But they were always happy during mealtime.

It was just that—Tien alone had always felt gloomy.

(Why isn't there a bad smell?)