For You In The Cage

Episode 56: Pionia (V)

Yulif took Canaren to the dining area and immediately left the castle. He tried to blow away Roana who was waiting in the dining room with a grin, but he gave up. It’s Canaren who already likes Roana. There was no need to show a scene that would arouse sympathy.

Space movement magic was a very convenient magic, but it had some limitations. Whether the amount of magical power consumed was enormous, or that the procedure was complicated, it was not relevant to the great wizard.

However, the restriction that he could not move to a place he had never been to without precise coordinates was something that even Yulif had no choice but to do.

Yulif thought for a moment, but he quickly made a decision. Magical power surged under his feet, and the surrounding landscape changed in an instant.

The sound of water was heard nearby. Lake. The lake, which was smaller than Lake Nice, was exactly as he remembered it. Maybe it was because of that, but the memories of the past suddenly intervened.

“Yuf! Did you come today?”

“Whoever hears it will know that I come every day…”

“You come every day. You came yesterday too!”

“Well… That’s right. Today is not as long as yesterday.”

“Why? Didn’t you come to play with Canaren? Don’t go. Play with Canaren! Hmm? Yes?”

“First… receive. I just came here to give you this.”

“I’m going to eat! Everything you gave me is delicious. Can I eat it?”

“Yes. Eat them all.”

“Thank you!”

What he brought out in his memory was pudding. Canaren ate deliciously with caramel syrup on her lips.

“This is so delicious! What’s the name of this? First time eating for Canaren.”

Canaren from the past was overlaid on the old memories of her smiling brightly with her eyes twinkling.

She invariably loved pudding. Even when she was young, she still had no idea how adorable she was when she had a softer expression than a pudding.

After waking up from a pleasant thought, Yulif searched through the grass. A scarlet feather, much larger and stronger than that of a bird, was held in his hand. He cast a spell to lift the feather into the air. And he walked along the slowly flying feather.

The more he walked, the more the trees grew and the grass grew so thick that it went over his ankles and covered his calves. The feather was flying steadily in one direction.

Yulif looked back at the path he had passed. The branches and leaves covered the sky, making it difficult to be sure which way had just passed.

Since it was a race with special abilities, there must be at least one person who can strike a barrier, but now the question had been solved why they didn’t put a barrier around the village. There was a barrier that was formed naturally, so there was no need to strike it. It was a place where even his senses, which surpassed the human level, were broken.

‘It seems that Canaren came out near the lake and was caught.’

The feather, which was flying well, suddenly fell. Yulif stood where the feather had fallen. Swoosh. The sound of a gust of wind was heard first, and then the Hwira suddenly approached.

Yulif did not avoid the incoming spear aiming at his chest. The spear brushed his collar and stopped.

“Why didn’t you avoid it even though you knew it?”

“I have no intention of fighting you. You won’t be able to put your finger on my body anyway.”

“Even though you’re a weak human…”

The Hwira man holding the spear lit up his sad blue eyes. He had a good physique, and above all else, it could be seen that he was quite strong in that he was able to withstand the intimidation of Yulif. Even if Yulif was not sincere. Perhaps he was the strongest of the Hwira.

‘Yes, I guess.’

The fingertips holding the spear were trembling.

‘He’s weak.’

Yulif maintained an overbearing attitude. Today’s kindness and gentleness had already been used up on Canaren.

“I came here for Canaren’s business. I want to talk to Anera.”

“Was it you who took Canaren?”

“I have nothing to talk about with you. I need you to guide me to Anera.”

“Why Canaren…! No. I don’t even wonder why! Where is Canaren? Right now, you…”

“Muasa, back away.”

A woman slowly walked out from behind a man named Muasa. She exuded an atmosphere similar to that of Canaren from a woman with long blonde hair and a benevolent expression.

“Are you Anera?”

“Yes. I am the leader of this village, and I am the mother of Canaren.”

Anera’s eyes were bright blue, different from those of Canaren. A twinkle flashed in her blue eyes.

“You and I have so much to say and hear from each other. Come on in.”

Following Anera’s footsteps, Yulif carefully looked around the village where Canaren was born and raised.

It was a small, little town. Considering the number of houses gathered together, the number of Hwira people living in the village seemed to be less than 100.

It was a small number even for a general village, but assuming that most of the Hwira people living on the continent lived here, it was a really small number. If you included mixed races living among humans, it would increase slightly, but there would be no dramatic change.

The houses of the Hwira people followed a different architectural style. The house was attached to a tall, large, beautiful spruce pole. The wooden building was elongated upwards, and the vine-like spiral staircase served to hold the building and the wooden beams firmly together. In almost every house, the stairs are polished like new without fading. For the winged Hwira tribe, it would be only for fixing the house to a tree.

A clan that does not go against nature. People who love heaven and freedom.

Yulief understood a little more as to why Canaren was so desperate to be sent back to her village. For Canaren, who spent her whole life in a place like this, her human society was like a prison. Besides, she wasn’t allowed to fly as freely as she wanted.

As they headed into the village, a lot of gazes were attached to them. Occasionally, he could hear a whisper, like a song.

「It’s a human.」

「Really? How did humans find the village?」

「The human who captured Canaren.」

「Then, did that person come to catch us too? Maybe we should run away?」

Hearing a voice that was much more fearful than curious, Yulif felt bitter. How many things must have happened to them from the thought of running away rather than the thought of fighting the intruder who invaded the realm?

He thought he knew why Canaren asked him to let her return to the village. She could have run away to escape, but she sat down several times and ended up in the palace herself.

“This is my home. I lived with my daughter.”

At Anera’s words, Yulif raised his head. The house was hung from a tree with white pillars like a birch tree. But in the other houses, there were no stairs attached to each other. Only the wide vines that had smoothed the surface were wrapped around them.

“There are no stairs.”

“Canaren hated it. She constantly asked me to make it into a slide”

“You must have been in a difficult situation. She is very stubborn.”

A faint smile crept onto Yulif’s lips. Anera stared at him, spread her wings and soared. Yulif also flew up with magic.

Anera’s harsh voice hit Muasa, who was about to follow the two of them as if it was natural.

“You stay there.”

“I don’t like it. It’s about Canaren, so I have a right to hear it!”

“If there’s anything you need to know, I will tell you. So just wait.”

Muasa did not lose his dissatisfied expression, but soon folded his wings.

Anera brought Yulif into her house.

“Please excuse me. Because of Canaren, I am sensitive and my words and actions are harsh.”

“What is your relationship with Canaren?”

“Would you like to sit down? It won’t be a short conversation.”

Yulif sat down in the chair as Anera guided. Seeing Muasa in the fresh scent of wood filled the house, the fiercely boiling heart gradually subsided.

Anera, who had gone to the kitchen all of a sudden, asked.

“It’s not a good place for alcohol, so I’ll give you tea. Do you have a particular tea you want?”

There was nothing to enjoy or hide, so Yulif, who was about to reply that anything was fine, thought for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Anything Canaren likes the most.”

At that moment, Anera smiled briefly. After a while, Yulif understood why Anera was smiling.

What was in front of him was not tea, but a red liquid. Yulif looked into her cup and gave Anera her questionable gaze.

“This is my daughter’s favorite. Drink it.”

Yulif took a sip of an unidentified liquid. The sweet and sour taste was so stimulating that his tongue numbed. He reflexively frowned. He couldn’t spit it out, so he forcefully swallowed it, and his throat was sore. Anera laughed again.

“How is it? Does it suit your taste?”

“…It’s okay.”

“Your expression isn’t good. Is my daughter really that important to you?”

Yulif answered with eyes instead of words. Anera, who met his seriously sunken eyes, erased her smile from her face.

“Do you want to ask a question first, or answer my question first?”

“I am going to ask and answer one question in an impartial way. How is my daughter doing?”

“About a week ago she moved from the Imperial Palace to Pionia. On her way she was hurt, but… She is well now.”

“Where… How hurt was she?”

“She had wounds on her wings and legs. There is no need to worry as we have taken measures so that it does not leave any scars. It was my negligence. I’m sorry.”

Yulif politely apologized. Unable to hide her anxiety, Anera, with her eyes wide open, took a deep breath. Yulif waited until she calmed down and opened her mouth first.

She let out a few big and small sighs, and Anera touched her forehead and lifted her hand.

“I’m sorry. It was my turn to answer.”

“It’s okay. May I ask you a question?”

Anera nodded her head. Yulif said, recalling what he had heard from Roana.

“Do you know about ‘a bird that escapes death’?”

This statement drained the blood from Anera’s face.

“That’s what the barbarian who attacked Canaren said. I’m guessing, but I’m here to get an accurate answer.”

“…How…”

Anera let out a cracked voice as if in pain and covered her face with her hands.

Should he release more of what he knew?

Yulif didn’t want to drive Canaren’s mother any further. But if Anera continued to keep silent, he had no choice. He had to get a definitive answer.

“…Each of us Hwira is born with an ability.”

Fortunately, Anera seemed to have hardened her heart. Yulif nodded his head. Anera saw the closed door inside her house, not him. It was Canaren’s room.

“Some people are born with the ability to change very little, and some people have the ability to change their destiny. Canaren’s ability is the latter. A bird that escapes death… That’s right. The ability is literally so.”

Anera clenched her fists so tightly that veins spurted from the back of her dry hands.

“The child can only live once in her lifetime, and she can make a being live forever. When my daughter uses her powers, that person will never grow old or die.”