Led to the village by Piyo the harpy, not an angel, to play.
Since there was no other way, I decided to follow her while harboring some anxiety. The reason I was a good human, she said, was because I caught her when she came rushing in. She was a carefree guy, a stark contrast to me…
“Hey, hey, um, Alice– no, Hiro! Why are you here, Hiro?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.”
I explained the events so far with a sigh. As expected,
“Ahaha, what’s that~ That’s weird~ Hiro’s funny~”
She just laughed at me. That was to be expected, though. Anyone would think that. I would have laughed it off too if I hadn’t experienced it myself.
“Grandma Piyo’s cookies are super delicious! I’ll give you some too, Hiro!”
Not caring about my expression, she happily talked about her village. Hearing about her family, favorite foods, special places, and fishing trips with her brother, the harpy village didn’t seem like such a bad place. It reminded me of my grandparents’ house, where I went during summer vacation as a child.
Speaking of brothers, I vaguely thought, “So harpies have men too,” and as I walked, the forest opened up, and a gate that seemed to be the entrance to the village appeared.
“Hehe, ta-da! This is Piyo’s Village!”
Piyo turned to me, beaming with pride. Behind her back, a landscape unfolded that was completely different from what I had imagined.
