Chapter 23

We got on the Otem and moved through the forest.

The ride was bumpier than expected, and I almost threw up, so we had to take a break. Simparrot woke up and tried to escape, and on the bumpy road, my father almost fell off the Otem, so I had to run alongside it to support him. It was a busy journey back.

But thanks to our efforts, we could finally see the watchtower of the village in the distance.

We could finally return home.

It was already dusk, and the sky was turning red.

"Mr. Abel, thank you! ... I'm really sorry for calling you a pervert and all that."

"No, it's fine. I caused you a lot of trouble too, and you helped me. Ah, you don't need to do the cross-cut thing."

"O-Oh, okay."

Shiby lowered the hand she was about to raise and scratched her cheek.

"To be honest, I thought Mr. Abel was my love rival, so I tried to be assertive..."

"Love rival?"

"But after seeing you easily defeat such a terrifying monster and use healing magic so efficiently, I realized I couldn't compete with you..."

Shiby talks about a love rival, but I don't even have a girlfriend, let alone any proper friends.

Is she talking about Philo?

I haven't really thought of her that way...

But in a place like this, marriage happens early, and my parents were quite young when they got married.

Maybe I should start thinking about these things soon.

I don't have many friends, being a recluse.

Recently, there's even a rumor that the Berrek family has a demon that can turn humans into Otems.

While it's just a joke and no one believes it, it's clear that my eccentricity is well-known.

There are plenty of people who would take Giselle, but not many who would marry me.

In that sense, Philo, who has had a lot of interaction with me since childhood due to my good relationship with the clan leader, is a different story.

She's quite transparent, but I don't think she dislikes me.

The Maren clan's village isn't very large.

Compared to my previous life, it's a much more closed community.

Considering how my strange behavior has been distorted and spread, it might be that Philo is the only one who might consider marrying me in the future.

Well, I don't need to think too seriously about it.

I'm only thirteen in this life. When the time comes, things will fall into place.

...But maybe I should be more mindful of my actions.

"Actually, I and Philo..."

"Looks like Giselle is out of my league after all..."

"Huh?"

Wait, what are you talking about?

"I was asked to carry the ritual items during the Fire Spirit Festival, but I dropped part of the decoration... Giselle helped me look for it."

The Fire Spirit Festival celebrates the start of the Fire Dragon season, which is like summer in Japan.

The seasons in this world are divided into the Fire Dragon season and the Ice Dragon season.

"Come to think of it, you weren't there that day, Mr. Abel. Giselle also left quite early."

"Ah, yeah. I was busy that day."

I remember being busy taking care of the four-headed rat, which is why I skipped it.

Chimeras are difficult to maintain.

They can suddenly develop health issues and die.

The multi-headed rat I named Jangarian needed constant care even after the Fire Spirit Festival. Thanks to my efforts, I managed to see it through to its natural death. It was a short-lived species.

Jangarian would fight over food with its five heads, but sometimes they would share. It was quite cute.

I cried when it died and even made a grave in the yard.

I got sidetracked, but it was the Fire Spirit Festival.

I remember my mother telling me that if no children attended, it would be embarrassing for my father, so Giselle went alone.

In the end, Giselle only helped with the preparations and showed up briefly, citing a health issue to leave early.

I wonder who she takes after.

...From now on, I'll attend all major ceremonies.

"Giselle and I are siblings. We're not like that."

"Huh? Oh, no, that's not it..."

"No, it's not."

Probably, Shiby saw us close together from a distance and misunderstood.

In this village, it's not uncommon for people to have the same last name.

Indeed, Giselle and I are too close.

It's possible that we didn't look like siblings.

I've been thinking I need to be more careful about that recently.

"Then, can I call you brother-in-law!?"

Shiby's crush was Giselle.

So my answer is obvious.

"No way in hell!!"

I'm a siscon.

While Giselle will eventually get married, I don't want to think about it now.

I'm confident I'll shed tears of blood at her wedding.

"Ugh, mmm..."

"Whoa... what, where are we!?"

In response to my shout, two voices came from behind.

My father and Garia seemed to have woken up due to my raised voice.

"Stop!"

As I shouted, the four Otems stopped immediately.

Shiby and I got off the Otems and stood before my father, telling him we had defeated the Greater Bear.

"Greater Bear... and that, the extra-large one... Could it have been something else?"

Garia tilted his head.

It seems that defeating a Greater Bear is hard to believe.

"What are you talking about, Father! Mr. Abel, he, you know, just swept through the trees...! It was truly amazing!"

"...While I was unconscious, you two seem to have become quite close."

Shiby was starting to be my cheerleader.

"I thought you were hit in the stomach..."

Father said this while touching the torn part of his clothing, where the Greater Bear's claws had struck.

"I used the monster's flesh to seal it. It worked well, so there's hardly any scar. If there are any issues or discomfort, I can remove and reattach it. The longer it stays, the more it will integrate with your body. It's best to do it as soon as possible..."

"Ugh, mmm..."

From there, we abandoned the Otems and walked back.

...

After that, we safely returned to the village.

At the entrance, Giselle was waiting with a worried expression.

When she saw me, her face lit up, and she ran over.

"Are you safe, brother!"

I put Simparrot on the ground, hugged Giselle, and stroked her head.

Feeling a gaze, I turned around to see Shiby looking at me anxiously.

N-No, this is just a friendly gesture...

When I asked, it turned out that Giselle had been waiting here since she learned I had gone hunting.

She must have been very lonely.

I'm sorry, I didn't intend to be away from the village for so long.

"I'm glad... I was so worried, thinking you might have collapsed on the way..."

...So, she really sees me that way.