I got permission from the Hummingbird Har chieftain to proceed.
As we were all looking at the picture Ryoku had drawn, someone peeked at us from the side.
“Cowardly Ear, you came.”
She seemed timid, a stark contrast to her appearance on the battlefield. She approached hesitantly, as if asking, “Can I come in?”
“We’re looking at the picture Ryoku just drew.”
“Oh, wow, you’re good.”
Ryoku stared intently at her, watching her admire the drawing. He seemed to be waiting for her reaction, perhaps worried about how she would react to something she had likely never shown anyone before.
“It’s true, it’s wonderful. It’s nice to have a special skill; I don’t have any.”
“That’s not true. Hey, why don’t you draw Cowardly Ear next time?”
“Ehh~”
She shyly refused.
“The voice of the forest is now a god; no one calls me a tree-talker anymore. For such a person to appreciate my drawing…”
“Hmm, I think you two would be surprisingly well-suited, though.”
“Eeeh—!”
Cowardly Ear’s face turned bright red. He, who doesn’t speak, and she, who dislikes noisy people, were a perfect match. They should definitely get along.
“Um, by the way, how long are you staying in this village?”
“We’re leaving soon. I have to chase after Nigpyura’s brother.”
She looked disappointed, as if I were leaving already. I truly wanted to stay and help with the reconstruction, but I couldn’t.
“So, you two, get along. Ryoku, come out of the forest once in a while and visit her. And take a bath.”
“……”
Ryoku frowned, looking displeased. If he doesn’t have someone to look after him, he’ll quickly revert to being a wild child.
Afterward, the villagers visited one after another, offering donations. They even managed to repair my dented shield and cloak so they could be used again. Even though we had lost our homes, I wondered if we should accept even these meager food supplies. Some people even left behind ornaments made of gold.
Nina picked up a finely crafted earring. It was an exquisite piece that would be difficult for human hands to create.
“Can we really accept this much? It’s beautiful, but look, it sparkles when the moonlight hits it.”
The scattered gems reflected the moonlight, glittering beautifully. We had gathered all the supplies we needed in a single day without even going shopping. Though I felt guilty, it looked like we could get money by selling these ornaments.
“This necklace, hey, does it suit me?”
“Yeah, I guess it’s fine.”
“What’s that, that’s why you can’t get anyone.”
Good grief. I wouldn’t be able to fight wearing something like that. I should put it away in a sturdy box. At least until this journey is over. Nina looked pleased, holding the mirror and talking to Veronica.
“By the way, are you okay? You were quite swollen.”
“Me? Well, it’s still swollen, but it’ll heal soon.”
“Hmm, and where is that from? That’s a really striking color for eyeshadow, though.”
Veronica usually used dark blue or purple eyeshadow. Her lipstick was also a purplish-red. I wondered where she bought such things.
“Beast.”
“Ah, as expected. Hey, let me see. Wow, the glitter is amazing.”
“Once applied, it won’t come off even if you get punched.”
Nina, lying down, rummaged through Veronica’s makeup. She was probably the only one who could do something like this.
“I’m using Venom Tan. The color is vivid and it doesn’t come off easily. Oh, right, Hiroaki.”
She looked our way. I had a bad premonition. As I tried to leave, she grabbed my shoulder.
“I’ll put some on you too. Your face, you know, it doesn’t have any distinct features. Your hair is brown too. But I think it’ll suit you quite well.”
“Why, stop it!”
Filiana joined in, amused.
“Oh, it looks fun. By the way, I use Flora Wave. Look, this green and pink are so cute.”
“Hey, why are you trying it on me?”
They looked at my face and tilted their heads.
“It’s a bit different.”
“It looked good on Philiana, but it’s so-so on you.”
What kind of reaction is that? It doesn’t have to look good! Ugh, the area around my eyes feels weird. Some powder might have gotten on my eyelashes.
“Brown tones would probably suit him.”
“Ah, that’s right. Does anyone have any? Elana’s?”
At Veronica’s word, Nina started rummaging through other people’s belongings without permission. She’ll really get yelled at someday.
“Found it, Old Caravan. Oh, it has sky blue in it too.”
“So why are you putting it on my face?”
It felt like I was getting dragged into a girls’ pretend play session. Looking in the mirror, I saw a grotesque man staring back.
“By the way, the founders of each brand are different races. The one I use is Flower Harpy. It’s characterized by its light color and gentleness on the skin.”
Hmm… Nina’s was Naga Tribe, if I recall correctly. So, Veronica’s must be Werewolf. In times like these, I wish I had at least one more male companion.
