It was decided that I would go down the mountain with Vivio and Tit to save Hakukyo.
To think that my son is about to embark on a dangerous adventure, and I wasn’t even told goodbye. How could he be so cruel? Then again, maybe he doesn’t care about his son at all. After all, his daughter is what’s important to him.
Tit started walking without a word, pulling the sled with Hakukyo on it.
“Hey, should I carry that for you?”
“Huh? But it’s heavy, isn’t it?”
“I’m big, so I’ll be fine.”
It would be difficult to pull the sled down the mountain like this. Hakukyo was delirious with a high fever, his consciousness already blurred. Even if I carried him on my back, no complaints would come.
“You two ride on Philiana’s back.”
Tit looked up at the giant Philiana. Riding something much bigger than himself would surely be scary, but this way would be easier.
“Ooh, wow, what a great view! Is it the same as Yakkar-kun’s back?”
“Otsumatsu, fuwah~”
As expected, Vivio didn’t seem to feel any fear.
“Yakkar-kun?”
“It’s a quadrupedal animal with horns. Look, you can see a herd over there. The ones with big horns are the males.”
In the distance, on the white snowfield, I could see several deer-like animals. They were characterized by their long fur and spiraling horns. The Yakkar-kuns were digging in the snow, searching for a meager amount of food.
Then, following Vivio’s instructions, we proceeded through the deep snow. Along the way, there were unexpected traps on the snow mountain, like sudden cracks in the ground. And because the ground was completely covered, it was quite dangerous.
“If you fall into a place like this, you can’t get out on your own. There was a time when an entire party was swallowed up and wiped out.”
The cracks in the ground were covered by the surrounding snow, making them difficult to notice. Even an adult would be unable to move and would die if they fell into this natural pitfall.
After proceeding for a while, the sun began to set, so we decided to take a break here for the day. Fortunately, the weather remained good. I wondered how long it would last.
“Hey, how do you make a bonfire on the snow?”
“Gather stones.”
Tit dug into the snow, arranged the stones he found, and placed bark on top of them. Ah, so that meant there was no worry of the fire going out because of the wet ground. The stones were slightly damp, but that could be handled by Elana. With a magic spell, they would instantly dry, and the fire would be lit.
Then, I sat down on a fallen tree nearby and drank some tea. It was simple, but it warmed me from the inside. Looking up at the sky, I saw a vast starry sky that would put any planetarium to shame.
Tit sat next to me and drank tea as well.
“Hey, why did you decide to help Hakukyo?”
“Eh, well… hehe.”
He blushed on his cheeks and nose and smiled.
“Because he’s an amazing person. Someone who, if there’s a possibility, I want to live. He can read, write, and calculate, so he’s like a star of hope for us.”
A star of hope. I could understand why he would say that. Hakukyo, who had built his current position through his own achievements despite being looked down upon, was arguably a man’s ideal.
“That’s true, but there’s more than one star, isn’t there?”
Tit looked at me as if he didn’t understand. Then, following my gaze, he looked behind me.
“No, it’s you too, isn’t it? You inherited good traits from your father.”
“…?”
“You can read and write, and you can calculate, right? Then you’re a star of hope too.”
There was a pause, and then he seemed to finally understand, shaking his head and saying, “Not at all.”
“It’s completely different. I’m just a freeloader.”
“Indeed, it might be true that there are differences in innate physical abilities. We can’t afford to be soft in this harsh mountain. But that’s precisely why we must become strong to live as ourselves. It would be a waste to be a freeloader your entire life.”
The star of hope isn’t just him. Vivio is also one. Even if they are not recognized now, there will come a time when their knowledge will be needed. Traveling, I’ve learned that strength alone isn’t what’s important. It’s not as if one can preserve their species, or in other words, survive, just by being good at hunting.
“Tit, you may have been born a male, and you may be small and sickly, but I don’t think you are in any way inferior.”
“Is that so? Hmm.”
“Someday, when the Yukidango Tribe is truly lost in darkness, you might become a star to guide everyone.”
He tilted his head slowly, as if he didn’t quite understand. I didn’t understand perfectly either, but I felt that something immeasurable by mere strength or rationality lay dormant within him. It might be people like them, who have never seen the light of day, who will change the history of the Yukidango Tribe.
