Chapter 27

Katachi narrowly escaped a rather dangerous encounter. A few hours ago he had been struck in the shin by a pebble and a red-haired lady who appeared about sixteen swung a large, heavy sword at him. It gave Katachi a severe affliction of paranoia.

K: (What... What in the good woods was that? I could have sworn she wanted me dead with those crazy attacks of hers. Has the word of me collecting the Words of Power spread out this quickly that people are hiring bandits and marauders to attack me now?! I don't even look rich! Why else would anyone attack a guy wearing such worn-down clothes and noisy sabots!?)

Katachi continued his slow cautious walk towards Rulid with a great sense of insecurity in his mind. He couldn't help but peek and glance furtively the whole time he remained on the winding trail.

*** ***

Rulid was a small town about three-quarters of an acre with some mountainous regions about so most of the houses were hillside terraces surrounded by pines, canes and many ornamental plants. It was a town ideal for the seniors and the considerably aged to purchase retirement homes.

K: (They look like they're ready to welcome spring. It's the Month of the Axe already and most of the snow melted mid-Halberd.)

Though they bear great beauty, the plants were mostly cosmetic in nature and scarcely profitable. So it was unfortunate that only small trades came by a rarely visited town like Rulid. Katachi slowly clacked his noisy sabots on the stone path and came upon a grocer that sold pickled vegetables and some caged birds.

"Hello, little boy. What would you like today?"

The old lady behind the stand peered through the sagging flesh on her face and earnestly looked at the boy.

K: (They have corn already? Must be the work of a magus. What spell is that though? It seems really useful.)

Katachi chose a brine-covered corn cob that was slightly smaller than the others, dropped three pieces of copper and prompted a question.

K: (Seeing how she's a grocer she might know quite a bit about the town's happenings and events. Even if it's hearsay, the slightest peep of a Word of Power is more than enough.) "Have you heard any interesting rumors about town?"

The old lady smiled slightly, but her limp cheeks made that almost unnoticeable.

"Oh no, no rumors for me, young man. I'm too old for it. Far too old."

K: (Nothing, huh.) "It's okay, thank you. I'll ask around elsewhere."

Katachi thanked her and headed deeper into the town.

*** ***

K: (From what I can gather, the town is quiet. There's nothing major going on and there's little I can do here except rest for the night. Though... I do get a rather creepy feeling somewhere.)

Katachi took out the rope from his bag and began tying it between two trees. He was worried that mildew might gather on the new clothes so he used the rope as a makeshift clothesline to air them briefly. He also attached his wooden sabots onto a wooden hook he made along his journey and dangled the pair on the rope. When the sabots were secured properly, he withdrew the ear of corn he bought and started peeling off the silk on the cob.

K: (These string things are a little hard to pluck... Maybe I can use the Word of Power to make my job easier. 解除! Remove exteriors – Corn!)

A dry whisper echoed in the back of his head as a golden 解 was placed onto the cob. The silk peeled off cleanly as expected and fell to the ground. However, the kernels attached to the brined corn also began falling out and what remained on his hand was the bare cob. The expunging was almost instantaneous so he couldn't stop the process midway.

K: "Ahh! The corn!..."

Corn kernels of three copper's worth lay on the ground.

K: (I'll need to clean them now. It's a pity the brine is going to get washed off.)

Beggars can't be choosers. Katachi picked up the small pieces of corn kernels with delicacy, cupped them in his hands and placed them onto a stone counter left outside one of the terrace houses. He withdrew the pebble with Urdythari's rune engraved onto it and recited the tale.

K: "An unending stream flowed."

The pebble became damp and water started to form on its pores. He washed the kernels briefly and dribbled the water from the pebble gently into his mouth. It wasn't as though he could actually quench his thirst with the illusory water, but it was enough to get by for the moment.

K: (I can't exactly stop here to do jobs for coin since there is no reason worthy of spending a while in this town. Expenditure on meals should be controlled... I'll have to get my own food the usual way.)

Katachi surveyed about and saw only Melkwood pines and Sugarpelt canes around the town. He couldn't find any fruit-bearing trees anywhere and was starting to get a bit nervous. So the child began walking around town in search of anything that resembled edible food. Just as he turned the corner of a terrace house, the vibrant green and orange patch in the corner of his eyes caught his attention immediately.

K: (An orange? I've never seen one in real life before. Quite literal to the name, I see. As far as I know, those take about a decade to mature and bear fully ripened fruits. It's probably going to be very sour but it's better than nothing.)

Katachi walked toward the orange tree and rested his foot against the soft, smooth bark. One bare foot upon its trunk and anyone could tell the significant difference from most trees with a coarse blistering bark – This was the bark of a tree none would be able to afford as a form of commerce because of its ridiculous ripening time.

He slowly extended his arms and grabbed at the branches. It took him some effort before he reached the fruits of the tree given his size, but he did it after a risky leap. Katachi plucked one off and sat on the branch of the tree to relax for the meal. He dug his thumbs into the soft, fragrant skin of the fruit. As he pried apart its smooth skin a sweet fragrance entered his nose and he saw the mysterious insides of the orange for the first time in his life.

It seemed as though the fruit's flesh had been divided into eight separate segments that detached individually into bite-sized chunks. It was a big change from sweet fruits like the papayas or mangoes with their wholesome fleshed-out insides he used to eat. The fruit had a tangy taste to it – A sweetness tinged with a hint of sour flooded his entire mouth and the fragrance of the juices seeped into his nostrils more concentrated than ever.

It took a single slice to have him nod his head in solid approval of the fruit's wondrous taste and thirst-quenching capabilities. He chewed on the delicious fruit for a couple of minutes, completely indulged in the exotic taste.

K: (This... This is an orange? It feels like a mellow mango mixed with a bit of lemon, but it's so good! I can't believe an orange actually tastes this great! I was expecting an overwhelming vinegary taste since the book often says that it is sour when it isn't ripe, but this only bars a hint of sour!)

He stopped himself when he derived at a startling answer.

K: (Wait, then... Are these oranges fully ripe?!)

Katachi tensed up in reflex.

K: (For at least ten years counting the maturity rate and the ripening process this tree has probably been tended to frequently. Taking the unripe oranges to eat is one thing, but this... I feel kind of bad for taking the hard work and efforts of the person who planted this tree.)

He glanced around the tree and saw an abandoned, demolished house behind the thicket of leaves.

K: (The house is abandoned... There seems to be quite a bit of neglect for this house since I can see some cobwebs on the windows, but... Finding the fruit outside of an abandoned house does not pardon me from the sin of theft. To the owner of the orange tree, forgive me. I was unaware of my wrongdoings.)

Katachi leaped down, securely wrapping his forearm around the skin and slices while walking back to the stone counter where the corn kernels lay.

K: (It's still a waste leaving the orange behind though since I already plucked it – Might as well eat the one that has already come off.)

*** ***

Roberia arrived at Rulid just as the sun cut into the horizon. It would normally be nightfall by the time she reached. But, Roberia lost her sword to a peculiar curse which comprised the majority of her luggage. She jogged her way back at a pace much faster than the hike out.

R: (I didn't think I'd make it. That's great.)

She set the leather strap of the flattened bag down and reached her hands out toward a tree, scaling up its side quickly. She sat down on a sturdy branch, plucked an orange from the tree, broke its skin and slowly enjoyed the flesh within. When the flesh was gone she tore a piece of orange skin and tossed it into her mouth.

R: (Good to the last bit. I should head to the blacksmith for another weapon, and then rest for today. I feel sleepier than usual.)

She thought about her lodging for the night, but there was only the run-down and miserable excuse of an inn located at the south of Rulid. The occasional traveler or official would visit the town from time to time, and even they chose the house of their relatives. With limited feedback from their patrons, the accommodation at the inn was subpar at best.

R: (I guess this will do. There's an abandoned house right here so if anybody comes near me I'd know.)

Roberia landed on the soft ground with a thud and walked towards the blacksmith's house.

*** ***

Katachi originally planned to sleep on a bench outside a watering hole.

K: (The rumble of thunder?)

But as the sun set more and more the dark clouds above seemed to impose upon Katachi, almost taunting him.

K: (It's about to rain. I have to look for shelter... But I have no intentions of spending coin so liberally. Where should I go?)

Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, a familiar location surfaced; the abandoned house where the orange tree was.

K: (There's an abandoned house near that orange tree. It's okay if there's a lot of dust and dirt, but I'm more worried about spiders crawling on me in my sleep... I guess I can use the groundsheet to cover my body for protection and use the blanket only when the night becomes too cold and harsh.)

Katachi kept his clothesline and packed his stuff before the rain and storm could claim them.

*** ***

R: "Yes, just like that. Just attach these to an existing one with a slightly more durable handle, please."

"Okay. It's just cutting and welding so it should be ready in a few hours. Why don't you come and pick it up tomorrow morning, little missy?"

R: "That would be great. Thank you."

Roberia left the blacksmith's abode and walked towards the old, abandoned house.

R: (That child is probably sleeping inside the inn... That may be the reason why I haven't seen him yet. But now, it's far too dark for me to see even my own hands clearly. I'll worry about his route tomorrow.)

A rumble echoed and the dim moonlight obfuscated by rolling clouds impaired her vision. Roberia hurried into the abandoned house.

R: (It's raining soon... That makes the night air harsher, but it gives away any thieves that may come in the middle of the night. It's not primarily a bad thing.)

Roberia dropped her belongings, walked to a corner of the room farther away from the windows and lied down. She curled up to preserve what little warmth was available in her body.

R: (The ground is more comfortable than I thought... Or maybe that's just me.)

Roberia rested quietly on the floor and slept the night away.

*** ***

R: "Mmmhh..."

Roberia slowly opened her eyes to the cries of the birds outside the abandoned house. And to her shock, before her was the serene face of Katachi sleeping peacefully right beside her. She gasped and retracted her head a little.

R: (No, wait! I shouldn't make any noise at all. I don't want to wake him up.)

She slowly rolled off the groundsheet and backed away from Katachi. However...

R: (He's beneath the groundsheet? I... I slept on his groundsheet. So he didn't make any moves on me?)

Roberia shook her head a little bit to energize and compose herself.

R: (The storm last night made the room so dark I didn't even see him right there. Not noticing him was actually my mistake. I actually thought he was enjoying himself at the inn when his situation is not that far off from mine... At least I've established the fact that he is poor to the point that he sleeps out here.)

She picked her stuff up and slowly made her way towards the doorway, looking back at Katachi once more before leaving.

R: (He's not a rich target. But he's definitely strong – A foe trickier than most I've met thus far. That's more important than simply attacking the rich for money just to survive.)

Her resolve was not one to wane so easily.

R: (If I can beat him that shows my physical and mental growth. This victory would surely serve me well to prove Rugnud's might to other countries. But I should retrieve the weapon first.)