「I’m sorry for startling you」
「No, I should be the one apologizing. I thought you were some kind of new monster……」
It seems Kirk-ojisan misunderstood me like that.
For a moment, he thought I was something like a giant rat knight.
And so, although Kirk-ojisan and I briefly fell into a tense standoff upon meeting, Jisrare-san stepped in between us, and we somehow managed to calm down enough to talk.
「So, you’re the boy who came to this village before?」
「Yes, yes. Ah, let me take this off for a moment」
I removed my mask and showed my face to Kirk-ojisan.
「How about it? Do you recognize me?」
「…………」
「Huh? Um, well……」
「…………」
……Same as last time. No matter how I ask, there’s no response. Kirk-ojisan has turned into a clam.
Since there’s no helping it, I put the mask back on.
「……Ah, ahh. I remember. You’re that boy from before」
「It’s been a while」
「Yeah. About two months, right?」
「That sounds about right」
As expected, it seems Kirk-ojisan can talk normally when my face is covered, but when I show my face, he can’t speak at all.
「So then, that mask of yours――」
While Kirk-ojisan was speaking, I tried taking the mask off again.
「…………」
「Hmm」
The moment I removed the mask, Kirk-ojisan went silent and became unable to speak.
After confirming that, I put the mask back on again.
「Ah…… Uh…… so, that mask, what exactly is it?」
「This?」
「Ahhh, that is――」
I tried taking the mask off once more.
「…………」
「I see」
And then I put the mask back on again.
「……Don’t play with me」
「Ah, sorry」
He caught on that I was messing with him.
Even so…… in a way, this clearly proves how effective the mask is.
It’s been demonstrated to be an extremely effective item…….
「About this mask――」
「I made it for Alec」
Jisrare-san cut in from the side, sounding a little proud.
She’s probably pleased that the mask she made has proven its effectiveness.
「For Alec’s sake, and by extension, for the sake of humans」
「For the sake of humans?」
「Alec’s face is too dangerous for humans」
Couldn’t you have phrased that a bit better, Jisrare-san?
「It’s very dangerous for Alec to walk around a human village with his face uncovered」
「I see…… You have a point」
Even a human agreed with that. So, it actually makes sense……?
「It’s true, this kid, Alec, right? If Alec entered the village with his face uncovered………… just imagining it is terrifying. The village would be in danger」
「This mask exists to avoid that danger」
That’s a pretty harsh way to put it.
「Still, I feel like there could have been another way……」
「There wasn’t. This was the only way」
I feel like that’s not entirely true…….
There were probably smarter methods…… but I’ll keep quiet. Jisrare-san worked hard to prepare this. I won’t say it.
「I see. If anything, as someone from the village, I should be grateful. You came up with this for the sake of the village, right?」
「It took a month」
「I see, a whole month…… Alec, I’m sorry too. It must be tough to keep wearing that」
「No, not really」
Sure, the visibility is a bit bad, but Jisrare-san worked hard to make it, and it’s warm when I wear it, so it’s not that uncomfortable.
After all, it’s warm. It’s perfect for winter. For winter………… hm? Winter?
……What happens when summer comes?
Right now it’s winter, so it’s nice and warm, but what about summer…… Wearing this in the middle of summer could be dangerous…….
「If that’s the case――hm? Is something wrong?」
「Ah, no, it’s nothing」
It seems my worries about summer showed on my face. Even through the mask, it must have been noticeable, since Kirk-ojisan looked concerned.
Well, whatever. There’s no point thinking about that now. I’ll deal with it when winter ends.
「So then, if you don’t mind――would you let me guide you through the village?」
「A guide?」
「It may be better than showing your face…… but a mask is still a mask. I have a feeling it could cause a commotion」
「Yeah, that’s true……」
「If I’m there, I can explain things to the villagers」
「I see, so that’s why you’d guide us……」
Hmm…… that sounds good.
Kirk-ojisan doesn’t seem like a bad person, and it feels like a helpful offer.
I’m also a bit uneasy about entering the village like this, so having him with us would definitely help.
「What should we do, Jisrare-san?」
「I think it’s fine」
I asked Jisrare-san for her opinion, and she agreed.
Alright, then it’s decided.
「Then, could we ask for your help?」
「Got it, leave it to me」
「Thank you――Kirk-ojisan」
「Yeah, no problem………… huh?」
Alright, alright. With this, it looks like our first visit to Kirk Village will go just fine.
「Hey, just now――」
「Ah, but weren’t you about to head out somewhere?」
「Huh? Ah, I was going to go hunting. But well, skipping a day isn’t a problem」
「I see. Thank you――Kirk-ojisan」
「Ahh, no problem………… huh?」
He says it’s not a problem, but I still feel a bit bad.
While he’s guiding us, I should behave and make sure not to cause any trouble.
「H-hey, this 『Kirk-ojisan』 thing… that’s me, right……?」
「Huh? Ah……」
I see. His reaction did seem a bit strange, so that’s why…….
I ended up calling him that without thinking. I had already recognized him as “Kirk-ojisan” in my head…….
「――It’s probably already too late」
「Too late……?」
「Basically, Alec doesn’t remember men’s names. From now on, you’ll always be called 『Kirk-ojisan』」
「Always Kirk-ojisan……?」
Jisrare-san explained from the side.
……Hearing it like that, I sound pretty terrible. That’s kind of awful.
「More importantly, what do you mean he doesn’t remember men’s names……?」
「He’s not very interested, so he doesn’t try to remember them. The only one he remembers is his father’s name」
「Only his father……」
That’s not entirely true……?
Like, there’s Jered-kun…… well, Jered-kun.
「On the other hand, he remembers women’s names right away, and he’s very attentive when it comes to approaching women」
「……Is he a womanizer?」
「Yes」
Hey.
What is this? What kind of thing are you suddenly saying?
……More importantly, Jisrare-san thinks of me like that too?
「With a face like that, and a womanizer…… isn’t that a bit too dangerous? Now I’m starting to worry about guiding you around the village……」
「But it’s fine」
「Hm?」
「It’s true that Alec likes women, but――the one Alec likes is me. He’s in love with me」
「I-is that so……」
Jisrare-san says this kind of thing from time to time. I often see her saying it to tease Ralina-chan and Diana-chan.
「Um…… what is this? What am I even hearing right now……? Is this some kind of bragging about your relationship……?」
Hmm. Bragging, huh. If it’s bragging――I wouldn’t mind that. Not at all.
Well, the fact that I’m even thinking like this means Jisrare-san might not be entirely wrong…….
next chapter: To Kirk Village
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