Reflecting on those words, Arthur showed an expression of doubt.
Although they were companions or friends, the boy needed him most of the time.
『Arthur: ...Don't worry, he and I have known each other for a long time. We get along well. 』
『Lina: Yes, I think I understand. 』
She gave Arthur a small smile, though she still felt somewhat uncomfortable due to the lack of trust between them.
『Neizan: Shhh! Quiet, be silent for a moment. 』
The boy warned them to keep quiet, as he had heard something strange.
Immediately, both stopped and paid attention to the sounds of the forest.
Neizan looked at his watch: it was a quarter to ten at night.
There wasn't much light left, and in about an hour it would be completely dark.
『Neizan: Do you hear that? 』
He asked in a low voice, but no one knew how to respond, as they didn't hear anything.
Then, a distant sound broke the silence. It was a sharp, unsettling screech, barely discernible.
『Arthur: Okay, I heard that. 』
『Neizan: We need to go quickly. 』
They quickly picked up the pace. Now the three of them were closer together and started along the sandy path in the forest.
Although they were moving at a good pace, the small group was still a bit far from their destination, and it would take them at least thirty minutes at a brisk pace.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Finally, after some time walking, they reached a small cabin in the middle of the forest.
They hurried inside, as they had been running without stopping for the last ten minutes.
Drops of sweat were falling from their foreheads.
『Arthur: Aah, phew, just in time before it got dark. Thank goodness. 』
Arthur and the girl were exhausted, but the other boy was standing by one of the windows, looking out seriously from inside the cabin.
『Neizan: Tsk! The next time I have to wait for you, Arthur, I'll kick your ass so hard you'll fly back to your damn clients. 』
『Arthur: How was I supposed to know? Besides, it's your fault we had to leave in such a rush. 』
『Neizan: I hope that conversation with your client was worth it, since you made me wait an hour. 』
『Arthur: Well, speaking of that, what was that noise? 』
『Neizan: I don't know, but it was probably some Kyouryu beasts. 』
『Arthur: Can they get into this cabin? 』
『Neizan: I don't think so. The first time I came here, I did some renovations. The first thing I did was reinforce the doors and windows. 』
『Arthur: Damn, that was a scare. 』
『Neizan: I bet you pissed yourself. Hey, are you okay? 』
『Lina: Yeah, but I don't understand anything. What are those Kyouryu, or whatever they're called? 』
The girl was feeling a bit excited by everything that was happening.
The thrill and excitement of the chase, and this new adventure into the unknown, made her feel better than before, completely forgetting any worries or problems that might arise in the future.
『Neizan: Better not talk about it anymore. I'm going to make dinner, and don't even think about going outside. 』
『Arthur: Not even if you paid me. I'm going to leave my things in the room and get ready to sleep, I'm exhausted. 』
『Lina: Arthur. 』
『Arthur: What is it? 』
『Lina: My name is Lina. 』
『Arthur: You have a pretty name, Lina. I'm glad to meet you. 』
『Lina: Me too. 』
After Arthur went to the room, the two boys ended up in a different part of the living room, while Lina remained seated in one of the chairs at the table, observing the corners of the house and watching the boy prepare dinner.
She was very tired and couldn't help but sigh.
『Neizan: Hey, Lina. 』
『Lina: Yes? 』
『Neizan: Bring me the utensils from that cabinet. 』
Lina looked where the boy was directing his gaze.
He was pointing to a cabinet at the back of the living room.
After taking a look, she got up and started searching for the utensils, finding them in the third drawer she opened.
『Lina: There are only two. 』
『Neizan: Yeah, bring me those two. 』
Lina took the two wooden spoons and walked over to the boy to hand them to him.
『Lina: Here you go. 』
『Neizan: Keep one for yourself. Here's your plate and the food. 』
Neizan had prepared a kind of salad, along with a soup made with water, potatoes, and salt.
『Lina: Thanks. 』
Lina took the plate of food that had been prepared for her and brought it to the table.
"This is the first time I've seen such an elaborate dish with so many ingredients together," she thought.
『Neizan: Is something wrong? 』
『Lina: Ah, no, it's nothing. 』
『Neizan: Well, I hope you like it. 』
They both sat across from each other at the only table in the place. The boy told her to enjoy her meal.
Lina looked at him for a moment but said nothing. She looked back at her plate and began to try the food.
『Lina: It's really good. 』
『Neizan: I see. Just so you know, I made it with the ingredients I stole from you yesterday. 』
The boy said with a small smile. They were close, illuminated by the candles he had lit in the house.
『Lina: I still can't believe everything that's happened today, but in the end, I'm grateful for what you did. 』
『Neizan: Do you regret anything? 』
『Lina: I only regret not being able to say goodbye to my father the way I wanted to. 』
『Neizan: It wasn't your fault. Besides, I'm sure your father is fine. You'll see him again someday. 』
『Lina: Can I ask how you two met? 』
『Neizan: Sure. Let's see… About a year ago, I was walking near a forest path and saw two men ambushing a carriage. I hid nearby to see what was going on. They had two swords and two horses, and the man they were threatening didn't want to give up his belongings, so I decided to step in. 』
As Lina listened carefully to the story the boy was telling, she realized that, despite everything, he wasn't a bad person.
『Neizan: I had no trouble taking care of those men. That's how I met Arthur, but I only helped him so he'd owe me for saving him. Even though we became business partners after that, he still considers me a friend. 』