“Kouya, right? Are you from the suburbs?”
Kouya felt very happy to be called his name. Overwhelmed by bliss, Kouya turned back, and pointed his fingers to the mountain above the woods that protruded towards the sky.
“So you live at Mt. Kongou. The Yellow Sea -- not there I guess? It is said that humans and beasts cannot get in that place.”

“Cliff.”
Kouya said, and the man broke into a smile.
“Really, you live at the cliff? So you understand my language. What a bright kid!”
The man praised, and put his hand on Kouya’s head again. This time Kouya let the man pat as he pleased.

“How old are you? Around twelve?”
“Don’t know.”
“You have no parents?”
Kouya nodded.
“There are many children thrown into the Black Sea to reduce the burden of the families. So you are one of them. Lucky that you survived till today.”
“...It is rokuta...”
Kouya turned back to the youma, and the man followed his glances to the youma which was sinking its teeth into the deer.
“How surprising! So you are brought up by a youma. And he is called rokuta, I suppose?”
“...”

The man smiled, and then noticed Kouya’s left wrist.
“--Oh no. You are hurt! And the wound is infected.”
Kouya nodded, and fixed his eyes on the man while he held his wrist.
“The spearhead is left inside the wound. It must be treated.”
The man stood up. Kouya looked up at the man in pain. Is he going to leave me?

--But the man held out his hand.
“Come. You should live a normal life for a little longer, Kouya.”
“Come?”
“My name is Atsuyu (斡由). I live in Ganboku (頑朴). --Do you understand?”
Kouya cocked his head.
“Come to my residence. You need treatment to your wound, new clothes and education.”
“Is rokuta… coming with me?”
Kouya sheepishly asked, and the answer was given with a dazzling smile.
“Of course.”

***

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