Yoru Chapter 12: The Beginning of Mountain Life

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Hello everyone!
In the last chapter, Yoru finally lost her younger sister as well...
How will she manage to climb back up from there?

From that day she lost her family, Yoru's place in the world had completely vanished.
She was far too young and far too lonely to live on her own. That is precisely why—it was inevitable that she would end up living with the bandits she met in the mountains.

Their base of operations was a cave in the mountains. They had to secure food and bedding all by themselves. If the hunt went well, they ate meat; if not, they staved off hunger with grass and berries. Even their clothes were simple things made by sewing together straw and scraps of cloth.
(It's like I'm a wild animal...)
Even in such a harsh life, Yoru gradually grew accustomed to this place.

One day, it suddenly occurred to her—she hadn't introduced herself yet.
"My name is Yoru."
Even though she said that, they just replied lightly, "Oh, nice to meet you, kid." For some reason, her real name was never used, and she continued to be called "Missy" or "Kid" as always.
(Somehow... I don't think my name mattered at all.)
It seemed all the bandits had nicknames, and no one used their real names. The boss was the boss, Tall Guy was Tall Guy, and the archer brother was... the archer brother. There was no special meaning to their names.

Yoru was often left to watch the base, and while everyone was out in the mountains, she spent her time cleaning, doing laundry, and preparing meals. She especially volunteered for the laundry. "Because, living in these mountains... everyone smells so bad!"
Since there was no detergent, she scrubbed their clothes desperately with river water. It was frustrating that they would get dirty again as soon as they dried, but it was much better than doing nothing.
(I wonder if I'm being at least a little bit useful...)

As the days flowed by like that, a small sense of calm gradually returned to Yoru's heart. At first, she had thought, "I can't believe I'm living with bandits," but they were surprisingly good at taking care of her and never treated her poorly.
Aside from the food shortages—it wasn't actually that bad. She could even think that.

However, behind that peace, there was always one thought.
(I will... never forgive the person who killed my family.)
One night, unable to bear it, she spoke that thought aloud.
"I want to find the culprit who killed them... and get my revenge!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed.
"Forget it."
"You'll just get killed yourself."
"Killing someone isn't worth it."
The objections came one after another. The boss said quietly,
"...Besides, kid. Do you even remember the face of the culprit?"

"Th-that is..."
Yoru was at a loss for words. That night was dark, and she had been desperate just to escape. She hadn't really seen the culprit's face at all.
"Then there's no point talking about it. It's frustrating, I know, but give it up."

It was frustrating. Why did "that person" take away everything precious to me, yet I can't do anything? Am I not even allowed to fight back?
(This is strange... this is wrong.)
However, the boss had more to say.
"Even if you get your revenge, you'll just end up the same. Next, it will be your turn to be hated... I don't want to see that."

A sharp pain pierced her chest. She understood the logic. But her heart couldn't keep up.
Yoru couldn't say anything back and just clenched her fists.
(...Even so, I—)

Mountain life seems surprisingly manageable, and the bandits seem like good people, but...
Where should she vent this desire for revenge... this feeling of unease?

That's all for this time. Thank you for reading until the end.
Well then, I hope today and tomorrow will be a good day for everyone♪