3. The Laws of Nature
The hunter Itsukushima provided Yume with the bare minimum of gear, and immediately took her out into the forest near Alterna.
“I used to be a volunteer soldier like you. But I quit. You know why?”
“Hmm. You wanted money to play around? Or somethin’ like that?”
“I’m not a robber,” he said with exasperation.
“Sorry, Itsukushima. Yume, she just said whatever came to mind!”
“Don’t just say things at random... Well, whatever. Listen up. Ever since joining the hunters’ guild as a volunteer soldier trainee, I’ve always been a hunter. It’s been twenty years now. Life as a hunter suits me, so I wanted to be a hunter more than I wanted to be a volunteer soldier. That’s why I quit being a volunteer soldier and changed trades to be a hunter.”
“Mm-hm. Mm-hm. You’re so cool, Itsukushima.”
“I... I am?”
“Yume wouldn’t know, but she thinks you’re cool. Do you think Yume can become a hunter like you?”
“If you’re serious about it, then maybe. By the way, about the way you address me...”
“Itsukushimaaaa?”
“That. That’s what I mean. You’re not poking fun at me like that, are you?”
“Mew?” Yume crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. She clapped her hands. She knew what poking fun must mean.
Yume thrust her hands under Itsukushima’s armpits and started wiggling her fingers around.
“Wahah?! Wait?! Hey, Yume?! What are you doing?! Wahahah! Wahahahah?!”
“This’s it, right? Huh? This’s poking fun at you, right?”
“N-No! Stop! Stop it! I-I’m weak there! Stop...!”
“Okaaaay! Stoppin’ now!”
“Hahh... Hahh... Hahh... Hahh... Wh-What are you doing to me...?”
“Yume thought she was pokin’ some fun at you. Was she wrong?”
“That’s tickling! It may involve poking, and you may think it’s fun, but they’re different things! Okay?!”
“Ohhh. It is, huh? Yume got it wrong. Sorry about that, Itsukushima.”
“There, again! Why do you keep addressing me with no honorific?!”
“But you’re Itsukushima, aren’t you?”
“I’m Itsukushima! Yes, I’m Itsukushima! That is not the point here!”
“What is the point here?”
“No, hold on.”
“Holdin’ on.”
“This is wrong. It’s wrong. This isn’t the kind of guy I am. It shouldn’t be. So why...?”
Itsukushima hung his head, mumbling something to himself.
Not sure how long this was going to take, Yume crouched down, resting her hands on her palms so she could relax as she waited.
She was getting sleepier and sleepier, so she sat down on the ground. Her eyelids felt heavy...
“Heyyyyyy?! What’re you sleeping for?! Is it time to sleep?!” he shouted.
“...Fumew?” Yume raised her face, then waved her hand. “Hey, it’s Itsukushima.”
“Yes, of course I’m Itsukushima! It’d be weird if I changed into someone else, wouldn’t it?!”
“Yeah, it would, huh? But still, Yume, she’s glad you’re Itsukushima.”
“H-How so?”
“Itsukushima, from the very beginnin’, you’ve talked to Yume a lot. You seem like you’ll teach her lots about bein’ a hunter. Yume’s glad she was able to meet you.”
“O-Oh, yeah? W-Well, then. I do plan to teach you. But first. First, we need to make the relationship between us clear.”
“What’s the relationship between Yume and Itsukushima?”
“D-Don’t say that with those beady little eyes upturned. You’re making this harder on me. No, listen, you don’t have to cover your eyes with your hands like that! You can’t see anything that way! It’s dangerous. Be normal. Normal, okay?”
“Normal, huh. Got it. Yume, she’s gonna do her best at bein’ normal.”
“Normal isn’t something you try at, though...”
“Then Yume won’t try!”
“I’m not convinced, but that’s fine... I think? It’s fine, right? I’m losing my confidence here...”
“You are? Well, it’s gonna be okay, Itsukushima. Because you’re a cool hunter.”
“I’m not sure praise from someone who doesn’t know what a hunter is helps...”
“Well, you’ll just have to teach Yume all about it from now on, then!”
“Y-You’re right. That’s what I’m here for, after all... No!”
“Nuh?”
“If you’re going to enter the hunters’ guild, I’m going to be your father. By the way, if I were a woman, I’d be your mother.”
“Whaaaa?! You were a girl?!”
“I’m a man, as you can clearly see! I never said a word about me being a woman!”
“Oh, you didn’t? Huh. Yume was surprised.”
“You jumped to a conclusion way too quickly there,” he said with frustration. “And let me tell you, I’m not normally so talkative. I’m more taciturn. I’m a hunter, after all... Well, we’ll set that aside. Erm, what were we talking about again...?”
“About how you’re Yume’s mother? Was that it? Mom? Huh...?”
“Father, you mean. Father. Even among wild beasts, though not all of them, there’s a bond between parent and child. The mother and father teach their children to survive. In reflection of this law of nature, the hunters’ guild has experienced hunters become fathers who show inexperienced hunters the way.”
“Oooooh. Sounds complicated. Yume’s got herself all tied up in thoughts.”
“Because of your misunderstandings, I’ve got myself all tied in thoughts, no, I mean knots, too...”
“Sorry, Itsukushima. Yume may’ve mislearned some things.”
“I-It’s fine. No big deal. You don’t have to apologize... No, no, it’s not fine!”
“Well, could you tell Yume what’s wrong with her? Make it clear and bright.”
“How do I make it clear and bright...?”
“Hmm. Flash! Like that, maybe?”
“...Sorry,” Itsukushima sighed. “I think that’s a little... no, completely impossible for me. This is going nowhere, so let’s drop it. Okay?”
“Okay, Itsukushima.”
“That!”
“Foo? What?”
“Who addresses their father like that?!”
“It’s no good, huh? A father’s a dad, right? You don’t talk to your dad without honorifics? Oh, but Yume, she doesn’t remember her dad or her mom. Why do you think that is, Itsukushima?”
“I don’t think asking me is going to help. It’s weird, but now that I think about it, all I can say is that’s just how things are.”
“It’s just how things are?”
“O-Okay. You’re having trouble getting this father stuff. Listen: basically, I’m your master.”
“Ohh. You’re Yume’s master.”
“That’s right. You wouldn’t address your master without an honorific, would you?”
“Maybe not. Yume, she probably hasn’t had a master before you, so she wouldn’t know.”
“I-I’m your first, then. Well... I imagine I would be, yeah.”
“Master, huh? Okay! In that case, Yume just has to call you Master, right?”
“It’s better than no honorific, yes. Do that.”
“Well, that’s what she’ll do from now on.” Yume bowed her head. “Yume’s got her shortenings, but she hopes you’ll treat her kindly, Master.”
“...R-Right.”
Itsukushima, no, Master scratched his neck and looked away for some reason.
“Likewise... Also, it’s shortcomings. I think you mean shortcomings there...”
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