At Village Head Daichi's Home
They say a good day starts in the morning, but for the village chief, Daichi, morning was the perfect time to relax and enjoy life. Daichi sat at his table, savoring breakfast. In his left hand, he held a fragrant cup of tea, sipping it slowly. He didn't swallow right away; instead, he closed his eyes and let the tea swirl in his mouth, enjoying its rich aroma.
Suddenly, a loud "bang!" startled him, and the tea he was about to swallow sprayed out. Annoyed, Daichi jumped up and looked toward the noise. At the door stood a huge man, his frame so broad that the narrow doorway barely let him through. The room was dim, the light blocked by the man's body.
"Kunkei, how many times have I told you? Knock before you come in! Do you understand? Knock!" Daichi scolded, recognizing the big man at once.
"Oh, I forgot," Kunkei replied simply, glancing back at the door.
Daichi sighed deeply. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" He felt as if he'd aged a few years in that instant.
Kunkei grinned. "Come on, old man, we've been friends for so long. Are you really going to let a door get between us?"
Daichi frowned. "Just tell me what you want."
Kunkei's smile faded, and he became serious. "Chief, have you seen Reo, the boy Shibi rescued yesterday?"
"Of course I have. Why?" Daichi replied casually.
"Did you notice what Reo was wearing? Or did you forget?" Kunkei's tone was grave.
Daichi shook his head, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip. "Of course I saw it. How could I forget such a unique outfit? Are you worried?"
"Of course I'm worried. Little Shibi is always around Reo. If-" Kunkei started, but Daichi cut him off.
"Haha, you're underestimating Shibi," Daichi said, setting his empty teacup down with a sharp clink. "Or maybe you're underestimating me? Sure, I'm old and not as strong as I used to be, but I have experience you don't, Kunkei. You have a kind heart, but you don't see things as clearly as I do."
Kunkei looked puzzled. "Kind?"
Daichi waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Your job is simple: don't let anyone into the back mountain. That's all. Focus on that."
"Understood," Kunkei said, nodding. He turned and left the house, remembering he had something important to do.
As Daichi sipped his tea, he noticed the front door was still wide open. He scowled.
"Kunkei! Are you planning to take the door with you?" Daichi's angry shout echoed through the house.
The Back Mountain
Although Seihoku Village's island wasn't large, The back mountain covered almost three-quarters of it. Behind the village, a steep mountain rose up, its cross-section thin but tall. The cave entrance Shibi had mentioned was about a hundred meters below the cliff, blocked by a massive boulder.
Shibi didn't know if Reo was strong enough to move the boulder, but he wanted to try.
With his iron-wood sword in hand, Shibi set off toward the sea with Reo.
At the seaside, things looked much the same as always, except the tide was low, revealing a much larger stretch of beach. Shibi and Reo walked along the sand toward the reef, the only way to reach the cave entrance.
When they arrived, Shibi said, a little out of breath, "Here we are, Reo. See if you can move this boulder."
Reo nodded. "Alright, stand back." He placed his hands on the cold stone, unsure if he could really do it. The last time he'd shown such strength was by accident.
Taking a deep breath, Reo started to push, slowly increasing his effort. Shibi watched, fists clenched in excitement, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
Finally, with a rumble, the boulder shifted. Reo managed to roll it aside, creating an opening big enough for an adult to pass through. Staring at his hands, Reo was speechless. Moving a boulder felt even more unbelievable than throwing a wooden sword through a tree.
Shibi, already lighting a torch, called out and headed into the cave. Reo snapped out of his daze and hurried after him.
Inside, they quickly realized they didn't need the torch at all. Not far ahead, a faint light shone from another exit. Excited, Shibi grabbed Reo's hand, and they ran toward the opening.
Stepping out, they found themselves in a lush forest. The trees weren't tall, but their leaves were thick, blocking most of the sunlight. The air was damp and cool. The branches were heavy with strange fruits Shibi had never seen before. He started drooling at the sight and dashed under the nearest tree, wishing he could climb up and eat everything.
Reo, meanwhile, quietly observed their surroundings. He noticed there were no animals at all, which seemed odd for such a rich forest.
Shaking his head, Reo decided to take things one step at a time. He walked over to Shibi, who was already eyeing the fruit hungrily. Smiling, Reo made a fist and gently struck the tree trunk. The tree shook, and fruit rained down. Shibi cheered and dove into the pile, grabbing as many as he could.
Reo didn't eat right away. He picked up a fruit, wiped it on his sleeve, and examined it closely. It was bright red, shaped almost like a bunch of grapes stuck together. Curious, he took a small bite. The flavor was like an apple, but even better. Before he knew it, he'd finished the whole thing. Then he noticed something strange.
"Shibi, wait! Why don't these fruits have any seeds?" Reo called out, worried.
"Huh?" Shibi paused, looking at the fruit in his hand. "You're right! Wow, there's really no pit. Maybe… it's a magical fruit!" Shibi said, stroking his chin as if he'd solved a great mystery.
Reo sighed, a little exasperated. He realized it might be pointless to argue with Shibi about it, so he walked to another tree and looked at the fruit there. Each tree seemed to have a different kind of strange fruit.
Standing under a tree, Reo frowned, deep in thought. He tried to search Kai's memories. He remembered seeing a fruit with a strange pattern before-one that looked just as odd as these. But the taste… Just thinking about it made Reo feel sick. Not only did these fruits taste different, but none of them had the patterns he remembered from Kai's memories.
This little island really was full of mysteries.
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A/N: If you like the fanfic please show your support. Throw some stones ;)