Drought hits the entire territory of the Regia Kingdom.
Millstone Village was not spared from this disaster.
Yields are very poor and few.
The barns have been drained
Many people got sick and starved to death.
"Gurgle... gurgle..."
My stomach growled.
I am hungry.
It's been 2 days I only eat water porridge as food.
I saw my parents were also look weak.
But dad and mom never showed it openly.
They always refuse to eat when there is even a small ration of food.
They always said, "We're not hungry, you just eat."
I know they're just lying.
I never saw them eat anything.
Have they not eaten in days?
I also see their bodies are getting thinner.
Mom always brought a glass of water with me when I ate.
He just drank while watching me eat.
We only had a small supply of food, and it had to be really thrifty.
Because we don't know how long this drought will last.
Dad also rarely leaves the house, I heard he quit his job because his place of work could no longer pay him.
Dad was an employee at the village hall, he took care of various administrations stuffs there.
However, now even the village hall itself was unable to pay for it. That means this drought is really having a huge impact across the region.
Many of my friends have also left the village to follow their parents to other areas that are more secure for their lives.
Maxim is no exception.
He is now 16 years old.
He joined the army.
I heard Regia was also fighting against Carmen for years.
The impact is not felt directly because of the location of Millstone which is far from the location of the war.
So, Maxim went to warzone?
Could he also die like his father?-
I heard that Aunt Vera's son and Uncle Mikhail's son died in the war a few years ago.
My only friends left in this village are Ivan, Nicholas and Elora.
Anna and Annette move to Alverton, their home before settling in Millstone.
Daniel moved to Gorakh, a small town in the mountains.
Dimitri moved to Veliki, a quite big trading city. Well, her parents are merchants, so I guess it's only natural that they move there.
Won't leave me? Huh...
In the end you all left me too...
I still remember in my brain the times we played together.
Play hide and seek, football, capture the flag...
Wait, what game is that?
That's not what I played with them.
Ah... The good times.
In just a year, all of that suddenly disappeared.
"Andre..." Suddenly dad called me.
"How about we move out of here?"
Move?
To where?
Isn't the whole area the same as here?
What if there was the same as here?
"To where, dad?"
"I heard in Balmoral the situation is better than here. It's a pretty big city, I think we can get a more decent life than here."
"…Do we have enough money to go there?"
"You don't have to think about it."
I'm confused.
As far as I know, our family life is pretty poor at this point.
It's hard to just getting food.
Especially to move to another place.
Plus, it's impossible for dad to get money, he's also out of work.
Even if you have money, wouldn't it be better to use it for food?
Maybe this drought will not last long.
"Wouldn't it be better if we just stayed here?"
Dad don't answer.
Mom looks very weak.
Ah... What did I do...
Maybe they have discussed this thoroughly behind my back.
They had agreed to do it, and hoped I would agree with them.
I shouldn't be selfish.
It's hard to leave this village.
Even though it's only 7 years old, I've already carved out many beautiful memories with him.
The villagers were also so kind to me.
Especially Aunt Vera and Uncle Mikhail.
Even though they had also moved a few days ago.
My friends have also been so kind, accepting me who doubted them.
But it looks like we did have to move.
No matter how long you hold on, if in the end things don't go your way, your life is at stake.
Not only my life, but also my parents.
Maybe we will have better luck there.
I'm sure mom and dad have also taken into account in case anything unwanted things happen.
"…But, maybe we should move. If we look, the condition of this village is also very worrying. I don't even know how long this drought will last."
As soon as I made that statement, dad and mom smiled.
"It's settled then. We'll be moving out of here as soon as possible. I will take care of everything necessary." Dad said.
"I will also start packing our things." Mom said.
They look more excited.
Although their faces look limp and pale, but I feel the spirit from within them.
I helped mom pack our things while dad went out to 'take care of everything'
After all, no kids my age would ever go out to play in these conditions.
What did I go out for?
I better help mom.
Even though both of us are weak, I'm sure that this work will be finished faster if two persons work on it.
I can also take care in case mom faints, because I see mom is very weak.
"Andre..." Mom spoke to me.
"Yes?"
"Sorry, we have to move. Though you must still really want to be here. I'm sorry mom and dad can't continue to survive in conditions like this."
I shook my head.
"No mom, I shouldn't be selfish. I'm 11 years old, I should be able to weigh up the best thing to do."
Mom smiled at me, she then stroked my hair.
"You've grown, Andre..."
Yes, thank you for taking care of me all this time, dad, mom...