The village chief sank back into his chair, his face pale and drawn. A weary sigh escaped his lips—whether it was for the boy's arrogance or the cruel indifference Windblown Sand City had shown toward his suffering village, even he couldn't say.
No more words passed between the village chief and Delia. But the moment the fool turned to leave, the little girl named Marlene snatched up a meat pie and, in just a few hurried bites, devoured it. She wiped her greasy hands, leapt down from her chair, and in a flash, darted to the boy's side.
"Wait a moment! Mister! You're going to explore the village, right? Then allow me to be your personal guide!"
"Marlene! What nonsense are you spouting! This young man will be leaving soon—there's no need for a guide!" Delia's voice rang out in scolding protest.
But Marlene was already pulling the boy by the hand, not even sparing a glance back. She dragged him toward the door, and once outside, turned with a mischievous grin toward her parents—
"La~ I'm not coming back! This mister is super strong—Daddy said so himself! Mister, you're going to help us kill the Harvest God, Vemon, aren't you? Aren't you? ...Well, silence means yes! Let's go! I'll give you the grandest tour you've ever had!"
Without waiting for a reply—or a single reprimand—Marlene tugged him along, dashing out the door with radiant excitement.
…
The mountain village was not large, but to an eight-year-old like Marlene, it may as well have been an entire kingdom awaiting discovery. She dashed up the slope, tugging the silent boy behind her, grinning gleefully as the villagers glanced their way in surprise. That look in their eyes—half curiosity, half confusion—seemed only to encourage her further. Before long, they had left the village behind, climbing a modest hill nearby.
"Huff... huff... I'm so tired... I'm dying here... I mean it! Mister... You city folks... must be just as tired, right? Haha... Even though I'm used to mountain paths... it's still exhausting... whew...!"
Bent over, hands on her knees, Marlene panted heavily. When she finally gathered herself and turned to look, she found the boy standing calmly behind her, not a trace of sweat on his face, not the slightest rise in his breath, as if he had never run at all.
Her cheeks puffed in protest, but she quickly justified her loss: "Well, of course! You're a boy, and I'm just a girl. You're the mighty warrior here to slay the Harvest God, and I'm just a plain little girl~!"
She straightened her back, reassured by her own logic. Somehow, losing didn't feel so bad after all.
The morning sun was gentle, and the hill was sparsely dotted with trees. Bathed in golden light, Marlene stretched her arms high with a deep breath.
"So, what do you think? The air here is nice and fresh, right?"
"..."
"I heard Windblown Sand City is built in a desert. Mister, what exactly is a desert?"
"..."
"Mister? Hey, mister, can you even talk? Hellooo~!"
He simply stared at her, expressionless. Marlene couldn't stand how he never said anything—never reacted, never responded. She grabbed his hand and started swinging it wildly up and down.
"Heyyy~ Hey, are you even listening? Can't you tell me more about the big city? I've heard it's full of tasty treats and fun things! Is it true?!"
The boy gazed at her, but after a moment, turned his head away. His cold, detached eyes scanned the village below. There, near the outskirts, lay the wheat fields—men scattered across them, toiling with little vigor.
"Mister? You really can't speak? But you did say something before, didn't you? …Mister???"
Marlene rose on tiptoe and waved her hand in front of his face. No answer. The boy—this strange, aloof child—glanced at the withering crops and then, without a word, turned and began walking toward the fields.
Marlene, who had hoped to play in the hills for a while longer, was visibly annoyed. She stomped her feet and followed in a huff.
"Mister! You're ignoring me! I said I wanted you to play with me! Everyone else has been too busy, so now you have to play with me!"
"Heh, listen to that brat call for you. Honestly… kind of irritating. Should I just kill her now? We're in the mountains—easy to hide a body."
Dark Extinguish chuckled in his mind. The only response it earned from the boy was a sidelong glance. Then he quickened his pace, heading straight for the fields. Marlene had no choice but to follow him down the hill and into the farmland.
…
The men in the fields wore grim expressions.
Some sat silently on the edges, others listlessly swung their sickles with no real aim. There was no laughter, no glimmer of hope in their eyes—only a heavy, oppressive gloom.
The reason was plain to see. The wheat, which should have been ready for harvest, was a sickly yellow-brown, drooping and stunted. Once lush, golden stalks now bore black streaks on shriveled leaves. Some plants had broken stems or were missing entire sections.
And that was the better part of the fields.
Much of it had already withered entirely. Collapsed stalks layered the ground, rotting with a fetid stench—a stench mirrored in the hopeless faces of the farmers.
"Ahem… The chief was supposed to offer the tribute last year, but his greed got the better of him… That's what angered the Harvest God, Vemon…"
The boy walked among them as a few farmers muttered bitterly.
"That cursed old fool! If he hadn't hoarded all that wealth… would this year be so miserable? It's only because of our past devotion that the god didn't annihilate us outright. But look at the harvest... What's left of it…"
"If the chief refuses again this year, what will become of us? Another year of famine?"
"Worse! Vemon will slaughter us all! And you've heard, haven't you? The chief's even brought someone in to try and kill—"
"Shh! Do you want to die, yelling that out loud?!"
As the boy approached, the men exchanged glances and scattered. Clearly, not everyone welcomed this outsider brought to solve their woes.
"Hmph! Talking bad about my father—none of those people are any good!" Marlene huffed, sticking her nose in the air. "Mister, you will finish your mission, won't you? Once you defeat that monster, they'll see! They'll know you're strong!"
She turned back—only to find the boy kneeling in the field, closely inspecting a single wilted stalk. Curious, she tiptoed over and peeked over his shoulder.
"What're you looking at, mister? Did you find something?"
Find something...?
Indeed, he had.
He tossed the withered wheat aside and surveyed the desolate field before him.
The beast Vemon was angry? It needed offerings? And because of one man's greed, it could curse an entire harvest?
...How could that be? Could a mere first-rank beast really wield such power?
"Heh... looks like you've already figured it out. Intriguing. Care to share your thoughts with us now?"
The boy ignored Dark Extinguish's mocking tone. He stepped slowly from the field, head lowered in contemplation. And at that moment, beneath the gentle sun, the little Bread awoke with a soft whimper.
"Oh! Your sister's awake!"
Marlene let out a cry of surprise as the little girl opened her eyes. She pointed in amazement—those eyes were green! A color Marlene had never seen before. Her loud reaction, however, only made the boy wince from the noise.
"Mm... mm-mm..."
Bread looked around, still dazed from sleep. Slowly, she reached out and tapped the boy's shoulder.
He took her gently from his back and placed her on the ground. Then, retrieving a thermos and a piece of hardtack from his bag, he crushed the biscuit into powder, stirred it into the warm water, and handed it to her.
"Mm~"
Was this simple food tastier than the fried meat pies from home?
Marlene stared, incredulous, as the little girl drank it without hesitation. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, she reached out and gave the boy a tentative tug on his sleeve.