Chapter 10: Children's Dream.
"No time. We need to hurry. The guards are almost done with their shift change."
"But... but there are still people on the city walls."
"We'll climb under the bridge and jump into the city gate. They won't see us then."
"Huh?"
Takeshi led Airi toward the bridge connecting to the city wall. He and Airi were crawling on the ground. Then, at the bridge, they grabbed onto a protruding stone slab. It had a straight edge. They hung underneath the bridge, climbed up, and clung close to the wall's edge, entering the city.
The two were walking down a small road after turning right upon entering the city. Airi pouted, looking at her hands and her body covered in dirt from having to crawl.
"Aaa, my hands hurt. I'm all dirty. I wish I hadn't listened to you; this is like torturing myself."
Takeshi signaled for silence, placing his finger on his mouth. "Shh, be quiet. I'm going to find food now. You just need to follow me."
"Huh? But why do we have to talk quietly?"
"Because it makes me feel safe."
"Huh? Are you kidding me?"
Going deeper inside, the surroundings were visibly more beautiful than Takeshi's village. It was cleaner. It was bigger and looked more luxurious. The houses were tall, and there were still nobles strolling around at this hour.
They were sitting in a corner of an alley, eating buns. Next to them was Takeshi's small water bottle. Airi's face lit up as she ate the bun in her hand.
"Woahh, this bun is delicious."
Takeshi looked at Airi, surprised. "Huh? Is this the first time you've eaten it?"
"Yeah, this is the first time I've eaten it."
"Seriously? You wore clothes that looked so luxurious, and you've never eaten this before? It's just a cheap bun."
Airi's face darkened, then she forced a smile. Takeshi noticed, but he just continued eating.
"By the way, after you find the flower, where will we go?"
"On an adventure."
"Adventure?"
"Ah, that idea was my friend's."
"Your friend?"
"Yes, he came up with the idea that we would travel everywhere, and no matter what happened, we wouldn't regret our decision, even if we died. I also decided that this would be the main dream of my life. I'll make that journey absolutely wonderful."
"Huh? That sounds like what some foolish children would say about a dream."
Takeshi stood up, yelling into Airi's face.
"What did you say? Who's foolish? You're the one who's foolish!"
Airi calmly sat still. "Alright, alright, sit down. Tell me about that friend of yours."
"Hmm, he's quite strong. He even hunts wolves. Basically, we promised to travel everywhere together. We don't have a plan yet, but we'll discuss it when we meet."
Takeshi extended his hand in front of Airi, his face serious. "Hey, do you want to come with us?"
Airi looked expressionless. "I thought it was something great, but hunting a few wolves is too easy. This idiot is probably weaker than that guy."
"Of course not."
"Huh? Why not? It'll be a lot of fun."
"I'm only traveling with you because I'm interested in your story. But the adventure you're talking about? Probably not. I don't have the time for such childish games."
Airi looked directly into Takeshi's eyes.
"What dream doesn't stem from greed?"
Takeshi was furious, his face bright red, his eyes fierce. "Greed? You act like you understand everyone. You're generalizing. What about the dreams of simply wanting to live? When my convent was gone, I wandered and saw other kids with families, and I was so jealous. I just wanted to live peacefully, so why is it so hard?"
"Although I don't know who my parents are, I considered everyone in the convent my family, who would accompany me on the path as I grew up, but that couldn't happen anymore."
"It's just that simple, so why is it greed?"
Takeshi's tears began to fall drop by drop. He felt like Airi's words had touched a deep wound in his heart.
"And one more thing."
"What childish nonsense are you talking about? We simply like freedom and want to do what we want. Go ahead and call us childish, but how much older are you than us?"
"Who taught you that? Looking down on other people's dreams like that, you must be a child too. The nun told me, 'You must respect all the words of those around you, even a child's.'"
"Because everyone has a dream, everyone wants to strive for the future they desire, no matter how difficult or impossible it may be. That dream is the driving force that pushes anyone forward."
"Try to tell me if you have a dream or not? I bet you do, and if I say, 'Your dream is childish,' would you be angry?"
"No matter who it is, everyone has a dream, no matter how far-fetched. My nun was a very kind person. She could forgive anyone if she felt they regretted their actions."
"She once told me that 'even a bandit has a dream. They wish to be wealthy, and they surely wish they didn't have to do such things.'"
"But this life led them down that path. How would you understand? I guess no good person taught you."
Airi sat still, listening to Takeshi without any change in expression. Then she spoke.
"I am different from you."
The anger inside Takeshi flared up even more than before. He pointed at Airi, his voice venomous. "Different? You're just trying to separate yourself from me, a little girl trying to think she's an adult? How much do you think you've grown up?"
"How much have I grown up?"
Airi thought of her childhood image. She was holding a teddy bear, walking up to her father, and lifting it up proudly in front of him.
"Look, Dad, look! Isn't the teddy bear I made pretty? It took me over five days to finish it."
The image of her father, whose face was obscured, looked down and pushed the teddy bear out of Airi's hand. Airi's face was still confused by this scene. Then he bent down and gripped Airi's small shoulders.
"Listen, my daughter. You are my daughter, and you were born to do great things, not these little things. You are more talented than your younger brother, so you must work hard not to fail my expectations. All my subordinates are looking forward to a worthy successor to replace me, and that is you."
"You need to study the things I have personally compiled for you, so you can become the leader of the bloodline."
Back to the present. Airi was biting her lip until it bled, her face furious as she thought about the past. "Takeshi, what have you been through to say such words to me?"
Takeshi was still angry. "Been through what? It's something obvious that everyone should know. You should re-examine how you lived before."
Airi smiled, her face cheerful again. "Oh, is that so? So, I'm the child, am I?"
"Yes, I was always led by my father and never walked on my own, walked on my own two feet without anyone stopping me for anything."
"Yes, I used to despise all the children in my clan. I considered their conversations about the future to be mere illusions. How did I live before? Or was I just a soulless puppet that my father led?"
Airi looked apologetic, her voice softened. "Takeshi? Perhaps you were right. Thank you for clearing my head, and I sincerely apologize."
"I knew nothing about you, yet I was quick to judge a person."
Takeshi turned his face away, looking annoyed. "Hmph, I guess you know your place. That's all."
Airi was surprised by Takeshi. "Huh, is that all? You're not going to say anything else? Or yell at me?"
"Say what? The fact that you know how to apologize means you've grown up. Everyone deserves a second chance."
"But I also know this world is very dangerous, and one day I might kill someone, even if they've apologized or done something to atone. To protect the physical and mental safety of the people I cherish."
"But whether we should place our trust or not depends on that moment. We'll know that when we grow up."
"So, are you still mad at me? Have you lost faith in me?"
Takeshi stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his face still annoyed.
"Hmph, of course, I'm still mad. As for trust, I'll temporarily trust you."
Airi covered her mouth while laughing. "I agree to join you."
"Yes, I am a bird, a bird that has just escaped from a large cage, a cage that provided so many things. Yet, when I came outside, I was arrogant, not understanding anything about this world. This time, I've decided to become a free bird. I will fly everywhere."
"I don't want to be confined anymore. I will trust this new friend. He is definitely a good person."
"Adventure? Death? Everyone is probably afraid of death, but few die without regrets. He's only the same age as me, yet he already has such thoughts."
Airi lay down, closing her eyes to sleep, but a smile still graced her lips. "It was definitely the right decision to run away. I will never go back there again."
Takeshi and Airi were lying in a corner. Airi was covered with an old blanket, which Takeshi had presumably found.
The next morning. The two were walking deeper into the forest, a forest with lush green canopies, blocking all paths, with trees so tall and wide that it would take nearly a hundred people to hug them. The leaves blocked all the wind from entering the forest.
Airi looked up into the distance. It was a mountain. "We'll reach that place after crossing this forest, Takeshi. But why is this forest so gloomy?"
"It's probably because these trees have huge canopies that block out a lot of light. And I'm feeling very hot because no wind is coming into this forest."
"Oh my gosh, your shirt is all wet!"
"It's okay, keep going. When you were sleeping, I asked around. There are no monsters in this forest."
"We should reach the foot of the mountain by almost evening."