What did you just say?"
"I want to leave the mansion."
"No, no, I heard you the first time. What I'm asking is, how—why? What's the reason? Are they treating you badly? Are they bullying you…?"
Pfft. Some bunch of kids bullying me? That's impossible. Well, except for that gorilla.
"It's not that they're bullying me. They can't do that. What I'm saying is, I need to leave the mansion."
"Then why do you want to leave? Are you quitting the Corp after?"
"I'm not thinking of quitting. My reason for leaving is simple. The training here is enough—for now. But I need more. I need to get stronger."
"But you're just a kid."
"That's the problem. Demons don't only eat adults; they have a taste for other delicacies too."
Ms. Ayuma sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"So, the training here is enough, and you want to leave to get more brutal training to become stronger? That's... admirable."
"Yes, it is."
"I would've reported it to Oyakaya-sama if you were quitting. But, I don't know… Do you have a particular place in mind to get this brutal training?"
"Nope."
"..."
"..."
We stared at each other.
"Do you even have a destination?"
"None."
"Then how do you intend to get stronger?"
"At first, I thought of taking on a demon myself. I wanted first-hand experience, but then I realized I can't do that with this weak body of mine. So I decided—I'll be going to the mountains to train."
Ms. Ayuma stared at me, her gaze screaming disapproval. She let out another sigh.
"I don't know... This is all too sudden. I can't let you leave, not without ensuring your safety first—shelter, food, and—"
"Ms. Ayuma, you worry too much. You underestimate this gentleman. When you first saw me, what state was I in?"
"You were about to die."
"..."
"..."
"No, you're looking at the negative side of things. True, when you first saw me, I was at death's door, but I was also surviving. That's me, Ms. Ayuma. I'm a survivor."
"Haa… This conversation is leading us nowhere. When have you decided to leave?"
"Now. I don't have any belongings to take with me. Almost everything I have was given to me here, so I've decided to leave them all behind."
"Have you told anyone? Your friends?"
Like I have any.
"About that... I don't want anyone to know I've left. Oh, and Hachiro… can you tell him I went on an errand?"
"I will—before you go, I have something to give you."
She stood up, walked to the shelf behind her, and brought out a rectangular-shaped box. Placing it on the table, she opened it to reveal a dagger.
"Take this with you. I'm sure you can defend yourself with it."
"Thank you, Ms. Ayuma." I bowed and took the dagger. "Well then, I'll take my leave." I stood up, heading for the door.
"I wanted to ask you one more thing."
I stopped, just before leaving the door.
"What was it like... at the ninja village? What was the experience like there? You never told me how you got that mark, and I never asked. Not that I'm bothered by it, but I'm curious. What was it like?"
I scratched my head, wondering how to answer such a strange question.
"There's no difference between there and here. The wealthy enjoy, the poor suffer. There are trees, plants, and the same soil. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Is that so? That's... relieving to hear."
I bowed one last time and left the room.
A red woolen bag hung around my neck as I wandered through the village. Inside, nothing of note—a change of clothes, the dagger Ms. Ayuma gave me, and some coins.
My journey had begun. I had three destinations in mind: a tavern, Tenryu Mountain, and Shogi Village.
A tavern because I needed to fill my stomach. I was starving, and by now, they were probably eating back at the mansion. What a pain.
Tenryu Mountain was next. According to Mui, the gorilla, it's a great place to train—demons lurk there at night.
And finally, Shogi Village, where Gorilla had seen a kid from the ninja village. I would've liked to head there first, but it's the farthest away. It wouldn't be wise to go so far and then come back. At least that's what I think.
I flipped the curtain open and entered the shop. It was empty.
"Hello, anyone around?"
I found a nice spot and crossed my legs.
A woman came out from the back door.
"Oh, a customer! Wel—come."
Her eyes landed on the dagger in my hand.
"I'd like a full plate of red bean soup, please."
"Yes!"
She went back and soon returned with a plate of hot bean soup.
"Enjoy."
"Yes!"
After filling my stomach, I counted some coins and handed them to her. Out of curiosity, I asked,
"Ma'am, do you know Tenryu Mountain?"
"Hmm, I've certainly heard the name and its tales, but I've never gone there myself."
"It has a story behind it?"
"Yes, one of those stories meant to scare children. I'm not sure if it's true, but they say demons and the souls of the deceased wander there. Supposedly, no one's ever gone there and come back alive."
"That's really scary. Thank you, ma'am."
"Wait a minute, son. May I ask how you got that money? Surely, you didn't steal it, did you?"
Effect of the mark... and my height. My life is screwed.
"I didn't steal it. I sell clothes and brooms. See!" I shook the bag on my back.
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I was just—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I know."
I left the shop and looked up at the sky. The edge of my lips curled up as I wondered how entertaining Tenryu Mountain would be. Surely, it would serve as a good training spot.