The man called Rail Rain drank up all the black tea and regained his calm. Eli and I were both perplexed with the change in his intensity. Exactly what is it that made him lose his composure to that extent?
âHmmm, where should I startâŚâ
Putting his hand to his chin, Rail was thinking about something. It seems like he knows something about us but I wonder what he might talk about.
âLetâs start off with this. Why are the two of you pretending that you donât know me?â
Eli and I looked at each other and nodded.
ââWell, we actually donât, soââ
As if he was whipped by our clean, synchronized reply, he started coughing a lot. Reacting to every little thing. I should be careful about what I say.
âAre you seriously saying that? Itâs me. That Rail Rain?â
âWhich Rail Rain? A new fraud?â
âSorry, I donât know. Or rather, I donât remember. We had lost our memories of everything when he had woken up, after all.â
âLost your memories?! When did you wake up?! Where?! And exactly why?!â
He keeps coming hard, huh? He came pressing his questions while bending over closely, which made it all the more suffocating.
âI really donât have any memories. I only somewhat have the knowledge necessary for day to day life, and not even all of it. Of course, I also forgot everything about myself. Eli is also the same as me, she just sometimes remembers stuff from really long ago and thatâs all. In other words, we have cleanly forgotten completely about the past. And so, if I had borrowed money from you then I am sorry. Thatâs something my old self did so please make it even.â
âItâs fine âcause you didnât borrow any moneyâŚâŚ I see, amnesia, ehâŚâŚ No, donât you think itâs a bit weird, thinking from that explanation? You remember your name, donât you? In the first place, that is why I came back here.â
Ah, yes. Rail had come once in the noon too. He came back once again âcause he had a proper reason.
âWhen I was just about to leave the city, I was greeted by the elite guard squad. And when I thanked them for letting me know about âEli and Kururunâs Blacksmithâ since I got to buy an excellent sword, they corrected me, saying that the name is âEli and Kururiâs Blacksmithâ. My surprise at that momentâŚâŚ Being able to make such great swords and even calling yourself Kururi, I thought you might be the actual Kururi. And thatâs why I hurried all the way here.â
âAh, so thatâs how it went. Actually, my name is taken from the blacksmith Kururi Helan. I took it on me with all my feelings to become a blacksmith who is better than him. And so, I am not him. Sorry. Eli, too, took her name from the little bit she remembers.â
âNo, youâre him!! Youâre Kururi Helan!! And she is Eliza Deauville. Itâs a miracle! Is there such a miraculous naming anywhere else?! No way, normally!!â
Eli and I looked at one another once again.
Looks like we are thinking of the same thing. Is this a new kind of scam?
âWhen did you wake up? What are you guys doing in this land to begin with?â
âWe woke up about 3 months ago, I think. Seems like a person called Moran carried us here.â
âMoranâŚâŚ Aah, someone related to that rebellionâŚâŚ If I am not wrong, that is the name of a man hired by the Helan house. So he brought you all the way here. But, why would he want to hide you guys⌠Why didnât he tell us anything at allâŚâŚâ
This time, he started muttering to himself.
For a while now, thereâs this difference in intensity between Eli and I, and Rail.
Us, who were so tired that we wanted to hit the bed for the day and Rail, whose head was boiling as he was trying to sort out his thoughts.
I can understand that he is giving his all and what not but Eli and I only have one thing in mind for him. We just want him to leave for the day.
âThereâs no way he didnât know how valuable you two are to the country. To the point they want you to come back right this moment. Donât tell me, he had a scheme of his own?! No, that would be contradictoryâŚâŚâ
Even if itâs a new kind of scam, I want it to be tomorrow. I really, sincerely think that. Eli and I just looked at Rail with a gentle gaze as he worked his head to its full extent. When youâre in this sort of business, itâs really hard to tell someone to leave. And so, this was our silent way of applying pressure. But it seems like it isnât working at all.
âAh, right! Kururi, that Moran person, did he not leave you two a message or something?â
âAh, yes, there was one. Ms. Poly gave it to us. What was it again, âyou two fulfilled your duty. I want you to live as you please when you wake upââsomething like that, I think.â
âYou two fulfilled your dutyâŚâŚâ
As if to digest my words, Rail muttered the message we received from Mr. Moran over and over again.
And then, who knows where all his excitement went, he sat straight on the chair and calmly looked at us. And then also around the shop. And finally down to the cup of black tea that he drank. After looking around once, he smiled and nodded, as if he had come to terms.
âAre you two happy now?â
What is this question all of a suddenâŚâŚ itâs a bit troubling, even if you were to ask that.
There are hardships when youâre managing a shop. There are also times when Eli gives me strict looks. However, the work I do is worth doing and itâs also fun. And even though Eli also had her complaints, isnât she also satisfied with this life? If soâŚâŚ
âI want you to answer seriously.â
âI am happy, I think.â
âMs. Eliza too?â
âI guess, more or less.â
Confirming Eli and my serious reply, Rail let out a huge sigh.
He is clearly hanging his head in depression. Eh? Are you sad because we are happy? What is this person? Just leave already!
âIt might have been a mistake for me to have come here. Yes, going about your life like this might be best.â
It is a mistakeâyou coming here. So just leave!
âKururi, do you know what I am doing right now, travelling to different cities?â
âYouâre a doctor, right? You were the topic of the whole town.â
âYes, thatâs right. I became a doctor, which was my dream. Although I am still in training. But, thatâs not the only reason I have been travelling around this country, corner to corner. Thereâs one more job I have, given to me by the prince. It is the search of Kururi Helan and Eliza Deauville, who disappeared 3 years ago after saving the Helan territory.â
Seems like that is us. Eli and I saved the Helan territory? I honestly just thought, what are you talking about? Where is this Helan territory? Itâs definitely a remote region as I never heard of it.
âTo be honest, I had given up somewhere in between. Prince Arch too. We had thought that the two of you might not be alive anymore. But, prince Rahsa and Ms. Iris never doubted it and kept believing. That you guys are still alive. And thatâs why I kept searchingâŚâŚâ
âGood thing you found them, huh?â
âOther peopleâs problem?! It really sounded like youâre talking about some stranger just now! I am talking about !â
âAh, I see. Right. I just got carried away, as I really felt that you worked hard.â
âHaaa, but I guess it might be fine now. The words that Moran person left behind, I am feeling their weight now. I had never doubted that searching and confirming that you two were well would be best for the two of you but maybe opening up a blacksmith like this might be for the best.â
âItâs a good shop, right? We open in the morning and close when the sun sets. Ah, the sun has already set today, huh?â
âAre you telling me to leave!? You implicitly told me to leave just now, didnât you?! Seriously, you donât understand a thing. About the weight of the matter! I will stay tonight! I want to sort things out so I will definitely stay! I will not leave, okay!â
âThen you will be 3rd in line for the bath. Eli goes first, then me, and then Mr. Rail.â
âItâs okay?! So you will let me normally stay over!â
âWell then, letâs go eat something. It will be a pain to make something now, right?â
The talk had reached a conclusion for the time being so Eli started preparing to head out. Seems like she is also bringing my clothes.
âThatâs too fast! Youâre completely different from all your dawdling a while ago. You two were thinking about that all that time, werenât you?!â
Exactly. But I will keep it a secret.
âDo you two have something you wanna eat?â
Coming back with my clothes, Eli asked the two of us about what we wanted to eat.
âI would like something spicy.â
I somewhat feel like warming up my body with something spicy before going to sleep.
âUmm, I would like seafood.â
Rail will have seafood, eh? I guess he does look like someone who would like refreshing food like that.
âThen, letâs go to that shop who serves soy milk stew today. With the ingredients being mainly pork and vegetables.â
âUnderstood!â
âWhy?! That has none of mine or Kururiâs request, though?! Kururi, why are you so submissive?!â
âItâs the usual, soâ
âYou have been dominated quite a bit, havenât you?! Hey!!â
Now, now, thatâs all fine. Hohhoho, soy milk tea, looking forward to it.