The next day, I left the house to take in the morning sun. There, I saw Katima standing stock-still in the forest. She had distinctive tan brown skin, and her silver hair gave off a dull glitter. Other than her long ears, she basically looked like a normal human. She had a somewhat absent-minded demeanor that made her feel more childish than she looked, but then again, exterior age wasn’t at all reliable when it came to the inhabitants of this island.
As I idly watched Katima, she noticed my presence and looked at me with her scarlet eyes.
“Oh, it’s you, Arata.”
“Good morning, Katima,” I said. “You sure woke up early.”
“Yeah, the sun filtering through the forest trees feels good. I like sunbathing in the morning.”
“Oh, really?”
Just as she said, the soft morning sunlight that shone between the gaps in the foliage was pleasant. Sunbathing to the sound of birds chirping and trees rustling seemed like an incredibly attractive idea.
“Sorry about yesterday,” Katima said.
“Hm? Oh, you mean me rescuing you? Don’t worry about that.”
“No, an Alfr never forgets their debts. And I had a lot of the fish you guys caught too.”
She apologetically lowered her shoulders, and I unconsciously smiled awkwardly. I didn’t think there was any need for her to apologize. Luna and Elga were the ones who had caught those fish; I hadn’t caught anything, unless you counted Katima herself.
“If that’s the case, then bring something for Luna next time. She’s the one who caught most of those fish.”
“Okay. I don’t forget my debts, and I pay them back plenty.” Clenching her fists, Katima fired herself up. While her expression didn’t change much, it was easy to tell what she was thinking. “But you saved me, so I’ll repay you for that. Is there anything you need help with?”
“Me? Umm, let me think...”
My invincible body meant I never got hurt or sick, and I was the epitome of good health. Also, all the islanders were friendly people, so I wasn’t having any trouble in my personal relationships either. The meals were delicious, and I ate fresh food every day. I was having a pleasant and enjoyable time, so I was hard-pressed to come up with anything bothering me. That said...
“Oh, that’s right. Hey, Katima, the Alfar live in the mountains, right?”
“Yeah. It’s because there’s a lot of fire, earth, and darkness spirits there. It’s a comfortable place for us.”
“Then, are there any local delicacies you can only get there?”
“‘Delicacies’?” She tilted her head, maybe because she didn’t quite understand what I meant.
“I mean, is there anything tasty where you live?”
“Ah, I see. There’s plenty. The mountains are the source of all life, after all.”
Katima proudly puffed out her chest, emphasizing the obvious curved outlines under her thin clothing. Her outfit was made of animal pelts; it looked rather tough, but it was divided into a top and a bottom like a swimsuit, and her stomach was completely uncovered. She didn’t seem to care at all, but as a guy, I had some trouble finding a place to rest my eyes.
“I recommend mushrooms,” Katima continued.
I paused. “Those mushrooms are safe to eat, right?”
“Why are you suspicious all of a sudden? They obviously aren’t going to be poisonous.”
I was suspicious because the mushrooms on this island couldn’t be trusted. Honestly, Elga’s story terrified me. Still, that didn’t mean all mushrooms were like that. And Katima saying they tasted good had piqued my interest.
“Well, when we go to the mountains next time, do you think I could have some?” I said.
“Sure, and I’ll tell the elders too. You guys saved me, so all of the Alfar are in your debt. I’m sure the Great Spirits will welcome you as well. Uh-huh,” she said, smiling.
I thought she was exaggerating, but it didn’t change the fact that I had saved her life. Since coming to this island, I had realized that the key to improving your relationships with others was to sincerely accept their gratitude and express your own.
“Mushrooms, huh...”
Even though we were in the middle of the forest, there actually weren’t very many different kinds of vegetables we could gather in the area around our house. And annoyingly enough, many of the plants here had troublesome features. On the other hand, we had an easy supply of meat, but that increased the risk of us eating an unbalanced diet, so I wanted to find a stable source of vegetables.
“All right then, I think I’ll stop by for a visit sometime,” I said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Katima said.
As I spent time talking with her about the kinds of food that were out there, Reina woke up, as did Luna who had spent the night at our house. They seemed curious about what we had been talking about, and when I told them, they both showed interest. Luna was especially enthusiastic; as we spoke, she started to drool, eager to go to the mountains right away.
“Plenty of the food I brought with me is still left, but I was thinking that it would be good to have more vegetables,” Reina said.
“The mountains the Alfar live in are full of the bounty of nature. And, we’ve also made some things ourselves,” Katima said.
“If that’s the case, then do you have something like this?”
Reina began to ask Katima all sorts of questions, as if some sort of switch inside her had been turned on. I knew from experience that conversations could get rather lengthy when she was like this.
“Luna, I’m going to go wash my face in the river. What about you?” I asked.
“Ummm...” Luna thought for a moment, then said, “I’ll go too!”
Detained by Reina, Katima looked somewhat flustered by the rapid deluge of questions. It didn’t look like she was in any state to be paying attention to anything else. Luna must have thought that if I left her here alone, she wouldn’t be able to participate in the conversation and she would get bored.
“Okay then. Reina, Katima, we’ll be right back,” I said.
“Goodbyyye!” Luna said.
When we got to the river, someone else was already there. Zelos, a Celestial Archmage like Reina, was taking practice swings with a flame sword in hand, his torso bared.
“Good morning, Zelos,” I said.
“Huh? Oh, it’s you...”
Sweat was trickling off his toned body, and I could tell that he had been practicing for quite a long time. Is this how a magician trains? I wondered.
Zelos looked at Luna, and his expression stiffened somewhat.
“Umm, sir, why are you looking at me like that?” Luna asked him.
Zelos was acting a bit suspiciously, perhaps because he very much comprehended the sheer difference in power between him and Luna. Then again, she was suppressing her mana this time, so she shouldn’t have been giving off an oppressive aura. He must have picked up on this consideration from her and realized that he was being rude, because his expression changed to an awkward one. Then, he suddenly tilted his head.
“Do I look old enough to be called ‘sir’?” he asked.
I almost laughed, but I somehow managed to restrain myself.
“But you’re middle-aged, aren’t you?” Luna said.
“Well... Huh. Yeah, I guess I am.”
He actually looked to be in his mid-twenties—not old enough to be called “middle-aged”—but it seemed that Luna wasn’t basing her judgment on his appearance. Come to think of it, long-lived races were the standard on this island, and it was normal for them to have diverging ages and appearances. If I remembered correctly, Reina had said that Zelos was past fifty. If so, it was a bit strange that he was surprised, but more importantly, I had something I needed to confirm. After all, my age also differed from my appearance.
“Hey, Luna. I’m not middle-aged, am I?”
“Huh? No, you’re not that old yet.”
“You’re a good kid, Luna.”
It seemed that to her, thirty was still young. She had called Suzaku “grandma,” which meant that maybe there was a considerable leeway between the two terms.
I pet Luna’s head, and she looked very happy.
“Ehe he he...”
“Well, she’s definitely strong, but there’s no need to be afraid of a thing like her,” Zelos said.
“Hey, calling me a ‘thing’ is just mean. I have a name! It’s Luna!”
“Ah, my bad. Okay, Luna, it’s a bit belated, but nice to meet you.”
“Yeah! Nice to meet you!”
Thanks to this exchange, Zelos’s attitude toward Luna changed somewhat. This was fortunate, and it made me hope that they would go on to get to know each other better.
“Luna, Zelos isn’t used to this island yet, so be careful when you’re showing off your power, all right?” I said.
“I knooow.” She obediently nodded. This was one of her good points; if Tailtiu had been in the same situation, she would probably have amused herself by purposefully threatening him.
“Sorry for making you go through all this trouble,” Zelos said.
“Not at all,” I said. “ Someone has to while you’re still not familiar with things. But, if possible, I’d like for you to look at her like you would anyone else.”
“Sure...”
He and Merlyn were still afraid of the people of this island. Though the two probably understood logically that they meant no harm, there was surely some instinctual hesitation to accept it. As a fellow stranger who had washed up here, I hoped they could get along with everyone.
“Then again, both of them seem even more cautious than Reina,” I said to myself.
Or maybe it was Reina who was unusually flexible, though me being with her probably helped too. Regardless, I would be disappointed if Zelos and Merlyn stayed afraid of my friends forever. And, there was also the recent incident with the Shantak to think about. If I continued to leave them on their own, they might eventually crack under the stress of living here. I had only just met them, and I didn’t want that to happen.
“Do you have time after this, Zelos?” I asked.
“Huh? Well, I do, but...”
So, I would take drastic measures.
“Would you like to have breakfast together?” I asked.
Though Zelos grimaced somewhat at my proposal, he nodded along.