The old woman fell silent, unable to answer.
"Mother, when I first saw the medicinal properties, I thought, 'Wouldn't this be very profitable?' My colleagues shared the same opinion."
"But then I remembered. She was a kind child who even treated you without asking for anything in return."
"Then, when the elf came up, I somehow remembered the moment she ran past me in terror. But because I didn't have any proof, I couldn't convince myself."
"Then yesterday I saw her while she was making the medicine."
"Did you... see it?"
"Yes."
"And the truth of the murder story is that the people of the village wanted to monopolize the elf's abilities. By hiring mercenaries, they threatened his life."
"But unfortunately, those five people died when they confronted him."
The old woman was shocked and covered her mouth. Her eyes welled up with tears.
"So... that's what happened to her." The old woman murmured.
The man, who overheard her, asked what her mother was talking about.
"That girl lives alone. When I asked, she only gave short answers and wouldn't tell me. I never imagined such a terrible thing could have happened to her."
"She lives alone at such a young age. Even though she's afraid of others, she still mustered up the courage to help me."
"Mother, it seems people around here are starting to suspect us." Her son said.
"I guess so."
There was no longer any surprise from his mother.
"What if we lived with that girl in the capital?"
"In the capital?"
"Yes. I can afford a house, even if it's small, but it's enough for you two to live in. And since it's located in the area where I work, it'll be easy to visit you and take care of you both."
"And with so many people coming and going in the capital, the girl's abilities won't be suspected."
Hearing that, the old woman thought that might not be a bad thing.
"But, the girl will be the one to decide. I'll talk to her tomorrow."
"If you're going to the girl's house, let me come along. I have to earn her trust, too."
The man said earnestly. The old woman nodded.
The next day, the girl was surprised to see the old woman arrive with her son. Seeing her surprise, the old woman immediately reassured her.
After the girl calmed down, they discussed what they had discussed the previous night.
After listening to the whole thing, the girl pondered. There was doubt in her eyes.
"Will this be okay? Living in the capital... I've never thought about that." The girl thought.
The old woman and the man knew this wasn't an easy decision for her.
"I'll be back in the capital in three days. If you've decided, you can come and we'll go together."
"B-but... what if I don't come?"
"The decision is yours, we won't force it. And if you don't come, I won't move to the capital either. I'll stay at home." The old woman said.
The two of them returned to the village.
Inside the house, the girl was lost in thought.
Then that night, the girl visited her father and mother's graves.
"Son, don't you think we're overreacting?"
"From that girl's perspective, perhaps we are."
"I know this is too much. But Mom... I don't want us to end up being terrible people to her."
Three days later, the girl arrived at the old woman's house. She agreed to live with them in the capital.
...
"Brother Zain... Can I say something?"
"What?"
"That... That old woman and her son are good people."
Zidane spoke in a tone that sounded like a question but wasn't a question.
"Yes." Zain replied.
"That..." Zidane scratched the back of his head.
"What? You thought they would act like the villagers before?"
"Isn't that what the story leads to?"
"No."
"But it sounds like it." Zidane complained.
Zain just stared at him silently.
"Bro, is that a made-up story?"
"You think?"
Zidane paused for a moment.
"It sounds like a made-up story... no, more accurately, you're the one making it sound like a made-up story."
"Why do you think that?"
"Somehow, I feel like something's missing from that story. Bro, a child living alone can't possibly seem to have such a clear sense of direction."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I was at that age once. If I think back, I clearly remember always needing my father's guidance even though I could think for myself."
"At least there was someone to guide that girl after her father passed away."
"And also..."
Zidane looked at Zain.
"Did that girl bury her own father?"
Silence fell between them.
Zain remained expressionless, looking at Zidane, who had a serious expression on his face.
"Bro... You were part of that story, weren't you?"
"..."
"Even though she was a child, maybe she could do that?" Zain said.
"No, bro, there's a part you cut out."
"If I told you the whole story, you could probably listen to it for the rest of your life."
"Just telling it like this has already taken almost two hours."
Zidane couldn't deny what Zain had said.
"Then, what about the ending?"
"What ending?"
"The story from earlier."
Zain looked at Zidane.
"Death."
"Huh?"
"Yes, that's the ending."
"..."
"Didn't I tell you. The end of a person's story is death?"
"Did you think a story would end with 'they lived happily ever after?'"
"No, that's not what I meant, bro..." Zidane stuttered a little.
"Yes... you're right. But didn't you say this was made up? How should I put it..."
Zidane scratched his head. Zain chuckled slightly at Zidane's confusion.
"Yes, yes, I know what you mean."
"The girl was no longer mired in loneliness. With the old woman who considered her her granddaughter, and the old woman's son who treated her like his own daughter, the girl no longer stuttered when speaking to people."
"Because there were more people in the royal capital than in the village, and there were also many strange occurrences that confused the higher-ups, the girl's abilities and identity were able to be concealed."
"Gradually, the girl's life improved."
Zidane's eyes lit up as he looked at Zain, who understood what he meant.
"But speaking of which, why did the old woman's son even think of inviting the girl to live in the city? Why not just let her live in the forest or in the village? And his attitude was too kind for someone who wanted to express his gratitude."
"Should I say it?"
"Of course!"
"Hmm, actually, it was also an apology."
"An apology?"
"The mercenary leader who killed the girl's father was his friend."
"What?!" Zidane was shocked.
"Why did that happen?"
"Well, it's a long story."
"Let's cut it short." Zidane urged.
Zain paused for a moment, thinking about how to explain it.
"So, he was his friend, a comrade? He was also the one who recommended him and managed to get a job as a security guard in the capital. The pay was quite good. But unfortunately, at that time, his friend was in trouble."
"Because of slander from a nobleman, his friend ended up being fired. And to restore his reputation, he decided to become a mercenary."
"Well, somehow the man learned the truth, and he felt regret. Before he could repay the favor, his good friend had fallen into a bad place. But as a friend who respected him, he at least wanted to repay his friend's kindness. So, at least by caring for the girl, he hoped that one day she would forgive he and him."
"Why would he do that? It's his friend's fault, isn't it? If the girl knew the truth, she would probably be angry."
"When someone you know well turns bad, wouldn't you be sad to learn about it?"
"I..." Zidane paused.
He imagined what it would be like if the friend who had gone bad was Zain.
"I guess so." Zidane smiled sadly.