Slowly the people came, enticed by the food. They glanced toward the wrapped corpses warily, but the relief quickly came when firmly secure in their hands was a loaf of bread. They tended to retreat back to their homes after that, just as the first woman had. But after a time, they ventured further out, testing the waters.
The young woman neared the platform, glancing from Gengyo toward a rice sack with urgency, struggling to swallow her saliva.
"…Can I really take that bag of rice?"
She asked hesitantly.
The young man nodded reassuringly.
"Of course. That's the only reason they're here – we have no other use for them."
He hefted the bag up, and handed it to her.
"Be careful, it's rather heavy."
The weight was no issue, as she cradled it in her arms almost disbelievingly.
"Ah, before you go, do you recognise any of these bodies? We found them when we were raiding Toda's mansion."
