Chapter 303
Ten days.
It was the given time until she left the village.
"Complete all preparations within that time. Tell Avane Rophili like that too."
On the day she woke up from a long dream, after a deep silence, Soura left behind those words and turned around.
It was a short time to recover the body and prepare to start the long journey, but Shan just nodded.
Suddenly, she felt sorry for Avane, who had to finish her research in ten days.
So, after recovering enough energy to get up and walk, she often visited Avane"s house to help organize.
"Phew, I think it"s almost over. It"s all thanks to Shan."
Avane said, wiping off her sweat.
It was only three days before the deadline set by Soura.
"It"s all because of me that the teacher left in such a hurry in the first place. Of course, I have to help."
Shan shook off her dusty hands and laughed.
She had a happy face after finishing what she had been hanging on for several days.
"What about Shan? Are you... ready to leave?"
Avane"s question was infinitely cautious.
"Hmm..."
Shan, who had been thinking for a while, soon nodded.
"I don"t have much to bring with me anyway."
"...What about the chieftain?"
When Soura"s story came out, Shan"s smiling face was also inevitably shaded.
"I think my mother is very angry."
Soura acted as if nothing had happened.
She worked as before, and in the evenings sat together to eat.
But it wasn"t really okay.
"She doesn"t make eye contact with me."
Soura avoided Shan"s gaze the whole time.
As if she didn"t want to read what Shan was thinking by mistake.
"Those who leave will be different from those who send. Unless the rules within the tribe change, you may not see each other for a long time. Shan, please understand."
"Yes. Because we may not be able to see each other for a long time."
The real meaning of leaving the village was known only to Shan and Soura.
Naturally, while counting the remaining days she could spend with her mother, Shan got up from her resting place.
"I"ll see you soon, teacher Avane. I think I should go home early today."
"Okay. See you next time, Shan."
After leaving Avane Rophili"s house, she headed straight to her house without leaking anywhere else.
There was not much time to spend time together, so she thought she couldn"t let it go in vain like this.
Maybe Soura will never forgive her for the rest of her life.
But that doesn"t mean she"s just reading the room like this. She didn"t want to leave like this.
"I"m going to cook dinner before my mother comes back."
She should spend time with her mother like that.
She"ll have to keep an eye on her when she can see her mother"s face.
However, such a plan was broken down even before it began.
"Are you coming now?"
It was because Soura was waiting for Shan in advance.
"Uh, mother?"
Shan didn"t expect Soura to be at home at this time, and she was a bit bewildered.
She was startled, and Soura beckoned to her daughter, who was unable to enter as she stood at the doorway.
"I have something to give you, so come and sit down."
Shan quickly sat down in the spot Soura pointed at.
There were some small packages on the table in the middle.
Soura first asked Shan, who couldn"t even ask what all these were, and was looking closely at them.
"How are you getting ready to go?"
"I"ve finished tidying up teacher Avane"s house. When you said... I think I can leave."
"Okay."
Soura nodded.
And then she said.
"Take these with you."
"What"s all this, mother?"
There was a jingle as she lifted the first heavy pocket.
Shan"s eyes widened as she looked inside while tilting her head.
"Isn"t this... money from outside?"
It was something that wasn"t needed in the village where most of the things were bartered and shared.
"Money is what the most necessary thing outside. Teacher Avane Rophili won"t be out of touch, so make sure to get help."
"...Yes."
Nodding her head, Shan unpacked the second pack.
Much larger than the first one, it contained several thick clothes.
They were thick clothes that she would never wear in a jungle where it was hot all year round.
Moreover, it was not even the attire worn by the Chara tribe.
They were dresses and robes like the clothes worn by Avane Rophili.
"It"s winter outside, change your clothes when you start to get out of the mountains and jungle."
In addition, hard-shaped shoes with closed toes and gloves were all prepared.
"And this."
Soura held out the third pocket to Shan.
It was smaller in size and much lighter in weight than the previous two.
However, for some reason, she could immediately predict that this last item would be the most important and valuable.
She pursed her lips and opened the third pocket with a careful hand.
"Mother, this is..."
Shan"s green eyes looking at Soura shook.
"It"s... a map?"
The location of the Chara tribe village, located in the vast jungle of the South, has been kept strictly confidential.
A long time ago, it was a way to protect the tribe from those who covet magical power.
However, on the map that Soura gave to Shan now, all detailed routes from the village to the outside of the jungle were recorded.
"How long the elders endure not to give it away. After all, it"s just a copy drawn after the original."
Soura grumbled with dissatisfaction.
"Have you been busy all this time because of this?"
"Yeah. Shouldn"t we have that to get out of the jungle safely? And just in case."
Words that had been cut off for a while continued.
"You have to know how to come back."
Teary.
Shan clenched her lips once more without realizing it.
And she barely spoke out.
"I... I thought my mother was angry with me. So I thought you didn"t want to see me."
"Useless words."
Soura clicked her tongue displeasedly.
"Then did you think I would let you go empty-handed?"
"...Thank you."
"Don"t forget to put it in."
Shan folded the clothes and the map with a very careful hand, just in case it would get wrinkled.
Soura, who had been looking at it, asked suddenly.
"Where are you going?"
"...A place called Lombardi."
Shan, who paused for a while, replied.
"It said it would take quite a while because it was in the center of the empire."
"Yeah, that"s fine then."
"Yes?"
Soura said to Shan who tilted her head.
"Ask to teacher Rophili on the way to learn how to write outside. You must know how to write."
"Yes, mother."
"And I"ll write you a letter, so when you get out of the jungle, visit the Sector family. It is a place where we have had exchanges with our tribe for a long time, so I will help you. and...."
Soura didn"t say many words.
As Shan growing up and looking at her, her mother rather belonged to the reticent side.
However, it was unfamiliar to see such a mother pouring out words one after another.
"Shan, you have a habit of getting seriously ill once a year, so be careful."
In the end, it was all about worrying about her daughter who was leaving alone.
"Mother..."
Shan hugged Soura tightly.
Even Soura, who had been frozen for a moment, gently swept Shan"s back.
"I hope that your choices will lead you to happiness, Shan."
For a long time after that, the mother and daughter hugged each other, did not know to let go of their hug.
***
It was the day when Shan and Avane Rophili left the village.
Just when dawn began, Shan and Soura left the house and headed for the village entrance where Avane was waiting.
The sound of the footsteps of the two people stomping resounded particularly loudly.
Neither Soura nor Shan said anything.
The long and short road ended at the entrance of the village.
Avane, who quietly greeted Soura from a distance, did not come any closer.
It was to give the mother and daughter time to say goodbye.
Shan, who had been looking at the road leading beyond the village, turned toward Soura.
"Mother."
"Shan."
However, neither of the two could speak more.
I"m sorry.
Take care of yourself.
I love you.
Thousands of words lingered in her mouth, but in the end, the daughter dared not say a word, and finally hugged her mother tightly.
"...okay."
The mother, who understood her feelings, said firmly, holding her daughter"s shoulder as if she was still young.
"Don"t look back and go."
Shan, who had remained frozen for a while, slowly left Soura"s arms.
Step Step
The sound of footsteps was getting farther away.
She knew the sun would set dazzling soon, but her daughter has left on the road that is still dark.
Soura leaned on her cane and kept her back.
Until finally the sound of those footsteps was no longer heard.
"Please be careful. Be careful..."
In the end, only Soura"s voice remained at the entrance of the village.