Side Story: Of Endings and Beginnings
Part 1: Nack, to the Rescue Team!
The Llinger Kingdom. It was a lively nation where trade thrived, but the threat of the Demon Lord’s army loomed ever present. It was also home of the rescue team of which my teacher Usato was a member. I had come here by way of a merchant carriage, and while I was flustered by the sheer sight of the kingdom, I stood tall and strode boldly forward through its gates.
“Thank you so much for bringing me all this way,” I said to the merchant who’d brought me here.
“My pleasure. It was fun to have some company for a change!”
I walked on to the kingdom’s main town.
“Well, I’m finally here,” I muttered to myself.
Getting to Llinger hadn’t taken as long as I’d expected. I’d written a letter to my family thanking them for raising me and saying my goodbyes, then I’d informed the headmistress of my intention to leave the academy, and finally I’d received a letter from my sister, courtesy of Mina. All of it had happened in the blink of an eye, but the time had been precious to me all the same.
The town was bustling and lively, and I couldn’t help but just stand there, gaping in awe. Unlike Luqvist, there were far more adults here than there were children. And unlike my home, people weren’t bound by divisions of nobility and peasants. I could feel the aura of the kingdom as if it were touching me. I had to take a deep breath to calm my growing excitement.
“Wow, I’m nervous,” I said.
I reached into my bag and took out a letter. I’d made sure to take good care of it, as it was the very reason I was here. It was the letter of introduction that Usato had written for me. Now that I was here in Llinger, my priority was to pass that letter to Rose, the captain of the rescue team. That meant I had to find out where the rescue team was stationed. I stopped by a fruit stall to ask for directions.
“Excuse me,” I said to the young man at the stall.
“Hm? What’s up, little man? You don’t look like you’re from around here. What can I do for you?”
“I came from Luqvist. I was wondering if you might be so kind as to give me some directions.”
The young man laughed at the nervous quaver in my voice.
“Come on now, no need to be so formal around here. Where are you headed?”
I felt a little embarrassed, but I went on.
“Where is the rescue team?” I asked.
“The rescue team? Are you injured or something?”
“No, I’m fine, it’s just—”
“Oh, so you’re going on behalf of someone else, huh? But hey, the infirmary is much closer than the rescue team.”
The young man seemed convinced I was here for healing.
I guess I should be a little clearer about my motives. Being so straightforward has never been my style, but it’s time to pluck up my courage and make things happen.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, then looked the young man in the eyes.
“Um, I’m actually looking for the rescue team because I want to join them. So I don’t need to know where the infirmary is located. Could you please point me in the . . . huh? What’s wrong?”
I realized then that in my attempt to be more straightforward, I’d spoken rather loudly, and it had resulted in the smiling young man freezing in place. Not just him, but the people in the immediate vicinity too.
“Um, what is it?” I asked.
The sudden change in mood was awfully confusing. The young man suddenly gripped me by the shoulders. Everyone within earshot gathered around.
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” said the young man.
“You’re still so young,” added an old man sitting nearby. “There’s no reason for you to be so reckless.”
“If you’re looking for a place to work, I’ll happily hire you,” added a woman at a nearby stall. “So let’s not be rash, okay?”
“You are nothing if not courageous, my friend,” said a passing knight. “But that doesn’t mean you have to walk a road straight into the depths of hell.”
Everyone was trying to stop me from going to the rescue team. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. But at the same time, I could tell that they were all saying what they said out of kindness.
“Um, well, uh . . .” I stammered.
Usato?! Just what the heck do people here think of the rescue team?! They’re all acting like I’m about to leave on some kind of suicide mission!
“Look, I know you probably look up to the rescue team, and all of us here think of them as true heroes. But they live in a different world than we do. They run the streets with monsters on their shoulders. They sprint around shouting battle cries. And to top it off, kids have seen them flying all over the place when Rose smacks Usa . . . I mean, their members around.”
You were just about to say Usato, weren’t you? So he runs around here with Blurin on his shoulders too, then.
“You’re talking about Usato, aren’t you?” I said.
“Oh, you know about him,” said the young man. “He’s out of this world. Literally, when you think about it. But how do you even describe the guy? If you had to, you’d probably use the word ‘crazy’, right?”
The young man gazed off into the distance, eyes glazed as he looked back on the past.
Just what did you do, Usato?!
I was curious, but I also felt that it might destroy my fragile sense of normality, so I opted not to ask.
“Anyway, who even gave you this idea of joining the rescue team in the first place? They must have been a bully to send a kid like you there, playing with your courageous spirit like that. I won’t stand for it.”
The young man looked angered. The crowd around him looked the same. It told me that the rescue team really was a crazy place. But the people of Llinger really respected and trusted the team, crazy or not, and that was why I knew I had to clear the air.
“Actually, it was Usato himself who told me about the rescue team,” I said. “I’m a healer too, so . . .”
I paused in midsentence. I’d just admitted, out loud and to strangers no less, that I was a healer. Back home and in Luqvist, admitting such a thing only ever resulted in cold gazes filled with contempt and disappointment.
What if it’s exactly the same here?
Fear ran through me as I timidly waited for everyone’s reactions.
“Usato himself?! Well then, that changes things!” said the young man with a smile. “Sorry, little man. I had the wrong idea completely!”
“Oh, uh, okay,” I uttered.
I couldn’t believe it. The reactions were completely different to what I got in Luqvist. Nobody looked down on me at all. Everyone responded with smiles. It took me completely by surprise. As soon as everyone knew that I was here on Usato’s recommendation, their expressions relaxed. Usato had told me about the people of Llinger and how accepting they were. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe him, it was just that I couldn’t help feeling hesitant and nervous all the same. I didn’t really know what Llinger’s people thought about their team of healers, or how that team was treated. But now that I was seeing it for myself, I knew that Llinger was a place that would accept someone like me.
“I’ve met Usato, so I should have known better than to judge a book by its cover,” said the young man. “I guess I’m still just too tied down by living a normal life.”
“No,” I said. “I should have been clearer from the start.”
That, and I think it’s best for you to just live that normal life of yours.
Even though I’d only just arrived, I was well aware that the rescue team and Usato lived anything but normal lives.
Various people started making comments.
“If Usato gave his stamp of approval, then there’s no need to worry.”
“He’ll be fine if Usato gave him the okay.”
“But he looks like such an ordinary kid. Then again, with time he’ll end up just like the others, I suppose . . .”
It seemed there was no misunderstanding anymore. I couldn’t help but wonder just what Usato had done for the kingdom. I felt like he’d somehow won their trust, perhaps through extraordinary means.
“Hey, are you headed to the rescue team?” came a voice.
“Oh, yes,” I said.
The voice belonged to a girl about the same age as Usato. Suddenly, she was right there standing by my side, looking at me with wide-eyed curiosity. She nodded at my reply, then turned to the young man at the fruit stall.
“Don’t mind me,” she said, “I’m just going to take this one to the rescue team.”
“Hm? Oh! You’re Orga’s little sister! We can all rest easy now,” said the young man, who turned to me and added: “Good luck out there, little man!”
I could only assume by his reaction that the girl had some connection to the rescue team.
“Well, let’s go!” said the girl.
“O-okay,” I stammered.
Now I had a way to the rescue team. I waved goodbye to the townsfolk I’d been talking to and headed off with the girl.
“Hi! I’m Ururu!” said the girl. “I’m eighteen! What’s your name?”
Her voice was bright and cheerful, full of life.
“Oh, I’m N-Nack. I’m twelve!” I replied, a little more loudly than I’d planned.
Ururu smiled and gave me a light pat on the head. The gesture was so natural that I didn’t even react to it at first.
“Hm, Nack, huh? And only twelve years old? You sure are brave!”
“Oh, um, no need to pat me, uh . . .” I stammered.
I politely removed Ururu’s hand from my head. I was a bit embarrassed by the way she was treating me like a child.
“Oh, sorry. Recently, Kukuru’s been denying me pats, so I wasn’t even thinking.”
“Kukuru?”
“It’s nothing,” replied Ururu, waving me off. “Just thinking out loud. So you came here because Usato told you about the rescue team, huh?”