Chapter 47 May My Life Sustain You
One of the 3 surrounding countries of Necronia, the Arbarheit Kingdom.
A small territory that embraces 2 villages in the borderlands belonged to the Wolrock Knight Baron's family.
Due to its rural nature, life was laid-back, and even the lord sometimes joined the villagers in working in the fields. Although the title was that of a noble, in reality, it was just a slight difference from being a commoner.
Moreover, the expenses required to maintain the minimum appearance as a noble always put a strain on the household budget. Cliff von Wolrock, the lord, often went hunting in the woods within his territory to save on food expenses.
He claimed that hunting was one of his hobbies, but it was clear that it was not a noble-like hobby, but rather a pressing need for sustenance.
As a poor and insignificant noble, the household budget was always in dire straits, but in her memories, Cliff was a father who often laughed. Therefore, her childhood memories were devoid of the hardship and darkness of poverty.
Instead, most of them were happy memories.
Walking around the nature-rich and peaceful territory, embraced by her father.
Being secretly taken to play by the river by her much older brother.
Making and eating cookies with nuts with her mother.
Helping out with field work among the villagers.
Being loved by everyone as if she were a relative's daughter――.
She liked the smell of spring emitted by the grass and flowers. Squirrels running around the trees in the forest, and occasionally encountering cautious deer. The murmuring of the river flowing near the village. The excited voices of the children playing there. Although there were some dangers in the borderlands, for the young girl, everything she saw, heard, and touched was fresh and intriguing, and she thought there was no danger in this world.
So, one day, she threw a tantrum in front of her father and brother about going out together.
"I want to go toooo!!"
Her father and brother were about to go hunting as usual.
Of course, they couldn't take a 5-year-old girl with them. She wouldn't be able to keep up physically in the woods, and above all, it was dangerous.
But a 5-year-old girl couldn't possibly understand such things.
Just feeling sad that it seemed like only she was being left out by her father and brother. Her mother scolded her, saying, "Don't say such foolish things!" Her father tried to comfort her, saying, "When you grow a little bigger, shall we go together?" Her brother warned her with a troubled expression, saying, "It's dangerous, so you can't come with us."
Being scolded, comforted, and warned, the young girl didn't really understand and said, "Okay, I got it" but she didn't really accept it.
Sometimes, a young girl is invincible.
She pleaded while crying loudly. She threw a tantrum with all her might.
"No, no, no, no, no! I want to go too!"
Until then, she was a relatively obedient child. Although it's not to say that she never threw tantrums like this, she had never resisted so fiercely before. No matter how scary her mother's face was when she was angry, for some reason, she didn't show any signs of giving up this time.
Her parents and brother were perplexed by this reaction.
They consulted with each other and eventually gave in. They strongly reminded her to always listen to what they say and not to act on her own, and decided to let her accompany them on the hunt.
However, they couldn't take a 5-year-old girl deep into the forest.
They changed their plans for the day. The brother drove the prey out of the forest, and when it came out, the father would take it down. The father, Jobs, is an "Intermediate Archer," and his archery skills are decent.
Driven by her brother, the father skillfully took down the male deer that jumped out of the forest in a single strike.
"Dad, amazing, amazing!"
"Yeah, that's right."
In response to his excited daughter's praise, the father nodded as if he wasn't entirely unsatisfied.
After that, they began to process the deer, but before that, the brother and father, who had returned, placed their hands around the deer's heart and muttered something.
"Your life will sustain me. Your life will be with me."
"Dad, big brother, what is that?"
The daughter tilted her head in wonder, and the father explained.
"This is a charm passed down among hunters in this area."
Even now, in remote areas and rural areas, there are still unique beliefs being passed down. It's not something that goes against the teachings of the church or contradicts them, but an ancient teaching derived from nature worship.
"Right now, dad just killed this deer. But, we'll eat the deer meat and use its skin, bones, and antlers to make various tools. The deer's life helps and sustains dad. The deer's life becomes a part of our lives. We express gratitude to the deer and treat it with respect."
"Hmm...?"
The young girl tilted her head.
It was still difficult for the young girl.
Her father seemed to think so too. He smiled wryly and continued to pat his daughter's head.
"Well, it's okay if you don't understand now. Fee, when you grow up, you'll naturally understand."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. For now, instead, learn the etiquette of hunting. This deer's life will also become a part of Fee's life. So, Fee must do the same as dad. Come here, put your hand on the deer's heart."
"Okay."
She placed her hand on the deer's body lying on the ground.
The recently deceased deer's body was warm, and she remembered feeling its body heat passing to her through her small palm.
Just like her father and brother, she murmured.
"――Your life will sustain me. Your life will be with me."
"That's right. Don't forget those words."
"Okay!"
"Well then, since we're at it, should I teach Fee another word?"
"Hmm?"
Her father taught her.
Hunting is a struggle for survival with nature and animals. It's not always about winning. Hunters must be prepared to be killed and eaten by animals.
So, if one day the hunters here are hunted in return, they say this to the beast that defeated them.
"――May my life sustain you. My life is with you."
By doing this, it is believed that their life will circulate and take shape in this land, and someday, they will be born into this world again.
It's a word that is a pair to the previous one, reminding the hunters of the severity and respect of nature at the same time, an important word.
However, the young girl refused to remember these words.
"No wayyy! Dad and big brother, don't say thattt!!"
She might have felt a deep-rooted fear of death from those words that seemed to accept her own demise.
She buried her face in her father's chest, crying.
While gently stroking her daughter's head, her father smiled wryly and continued, "This word has another meaning, you know."
"Another meaning...?"
"Yeah, that's right. It's also a word used in proposals that have been passed down around here."
"...Propose?"
Despite being a young girl, she was sensitive to romantic stories.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at her father, urging him to go on.
"When I proposed to your mother, I said this word."
According to her father's explanation, the one who usually proposes is the man.
"May my life sustain you. My life is with you."
If a woman accepts this proposal, she responds like this.
"Your life will sustain me. Your life is with me."
Upon hearing this explanation, she imagined a future she had yet to see.
"Will I be proposed to someday too...?"
Although the words associated with death felt eerie, when they became words of a proposal, the impression was reversed. She imagined a future where she would be proposed to. Her father said to such a daughter.
"I'll say it to you, Fee."
"――Eek!"
The young girl vehemently refused. Even though she was young, she became displeased, saying she didn't want that kind of thing.
"It's okay, Fee. You're so cute, so someone will definitely say it to you someday."
Her brother comforted her, trying to cheer up the displeased girl.
"Big brother, really?"
"Of course! Maybe, not just one person, but many people might propose to you?"
"Hehehe."
Honestly, she didn't fully understand what a proposal was, but she vaguely wished to hear it from someone someday.
"Fee, listen carefully."
"Hmm?"
However, as if dampening the joyful girl's spirits, her father said.
"When you reject a proposal, you have to give a different response. The rejection phrase is 'Your life is to you.' Got it? 'Your life is to you.' That's what you say."
"Father... what are you teaching her now? Fee will get married someday, you know?"
The son was astounded at his father's doting. But his father's doting was beyond his expectations.
"Fee getting married? Not for another hundred years!! Fee will live with her father even when she's an adult!"
"That's cruel to Fee... When I inherit the house, I'll have to look for a husband for Fee."
"Don't do anything unnecessary!"
"Unnecessary... This is bad. I have to do something about this father of mine..."
The young girl didn't understand their conversation.
Even so, she spoke, hoping for a future like this.
"Fee will always live with her father and mother, even when she's a grownup?"
"Fee!"
"And then, Fee will marry brother!"
"Fee!?"
The father was delighted by his daughter's words and jealous of his son.
The father said to his daughter in a persuasive tone.
"Fee, I'm sorry, but you can only marry someone strong enough to protect you..."
"...How strong? Is brother too weak?"
"Let's see... At the very least, he has to be strong enough to suppress a stampede single-handedly..."
"There's no one who's that strong. What are you talking about?"
The son lost his respect for his father, but his father didn't care one bit.
In any case, they decided to go back after hunting a deer.
On this day, a bear monster had been spotted by hunters, flowing in from somewhere deep in the forest. It was a very dangerous monster for the villagers, and 2 weeks after it was discovered, the able-bodied adults managed to catch it in a trap and hunt it down.
If their daughter hadn't insisted on coming with them, Cliff and the others would never have realized that they had run into this monster with just the 2 of them...
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)