The next morning, the village was a little quieter than usual.
There was the sound of the light truck heading toward the fields, and the greetings exchanged at the wellhead. From the chimney of Cafe Komorebi, a thin wisp of steam for brewing coffee was rising.
However, no one spoke lightly of yesterday’s events.
Souta entering the abandoned mine.
The appearance of the ore-fang wolf.
Mikoto protecting the child with a golden barrier.
Me subduing the magical beast.
The fact that all of it was caught on stream.
Everything was the absolute truth.
Precisely because of that, the morning air felt somewhat heavy.
“They say the wound on his knee is shallow.”
At the doorway of the barn kitchen, Riko-san said.
She held two smartphones in her hands. One was for streaming, and the other was for communication. She should have barely slept since yesterday, yet her eyes were strangely clear.
“Is he running a fever?”
“None so far. The reaction to mana contamination is low, too. The clinic doctor is going to take another look just in case this morning.”
“That is good.”
I lowered the heat under the pot.
Inside the pot, rice was slowly breaking down. I added chopped daikon radish, carrots, and a little mountain vegetables into a light broth made from tusked-boar bones. To make it easier for Souta to eat as well, the meat had been shredded finely.
As a finishing touch, I added a single spoonful of clear broth extracted from the bones of the frozen trout.
Into the hot steam, the rich umami of the beast and the cold, river-water-like scent mingled.
“Yuma.”
On top of the workbench, Mikoto wore a serious expression.
“It is still hot.”
“Tasting.”
“You have a cat’s tongue, don’t you?”
“I am a divine cat.”
“Even a divine cat finds hot things hot.”
When I scooped a small amount into a small dish and let it cool, Mikoto checked the temperature with her snout before giving it a dainty lick.
Her golden eyes slowly narrowed.
“Mmh. Just right for a weakened human.”
“That is good.”
Yesterday, Mikoto used her power, too.
Right now, she wore her usual brazen look, but she groomed herself less often. Her sleep had been light as well. She would probably never admit it herself, but she was tired.
I ladled some unseasoned porridge into a small bowl just for Mikoto.
“Mikoto, eat as well.”
“You eat first, Yuma.”
“I am fine for later.”
“Then I am fine for later, too.”
Saying that, Mikoto turned her face away from the pot.
What a troublesome cat.
Yet, she was also the cat that protected a child with that small body yesterday.
With no other choice, I ladled porridge into my own bowl and took a single bite.
The sweetness of the rice spread across my tongue. The tusked-boar broth was robust, but the scent of the frozen trout kept the aftertaste light. As it slid down my throat, the area around my stomach warmed up gently.
“Delicious.”
“Then I shall eat as well.”
“Is my judgment your standard?”
“Naturally.”
Mikoto brought her face close to the bowl with satisfaction.
At that moment, Riko-san’s smartphone vibrated.
She looked at the screen, her expression fading.
“It has arrived.”
“What has?”
“Ren Kurose’s expose video.”
The air inside the barn grew slightly colder.
Riko-san looked at me as if hesitating.
“Will you watch it?”
“The porridge will get cold.”
“Right.”
Riko-san let out a soft breath.
She was not angry; she was probably just a little relieved.
“I will just tell you the content. The title is ‘Former Comrade Exposes True Face of Countryside Streamer Yuma Kamishiro’. The thumbnail is red text on a black background. He is using an old photo of Yuma-san without permission.”
“Did I have an old photo like that?”
“It looks like the one from my Guild registration. It is a very maliciously cropped-out image.”
“I see.”
I stirred the pot.
Slowly from the bottom, so it would not burn.
“In the video, he says that Yuma-san abandoned your comrades during a retreat, illegally diverted supplies, and smuggled out dangerous materials.”
“It is all the same as before.”
“However, because you are getting attention as a streamer now, his intent to crush you is quite visible.”
“Riko-san.”
“Yes.”
“I am going to take porridge to Souta’s house right now. After that, I will consult the village mayor about sealing the abandoned mine. I probably do not have time to watch Kurose’s video.”
Riko-san fell silent for a few seconds.
Then, she relaxed the corners of her mouth just a little.
“Understood. I will handle things here.”
“Please do not push yourself too hard.”
“I will push myself. But I will not do anything reckless.”
There seemed to be a distinction.
I transferred the porridge into an insulated pot and closed the lid. When I wrapped it in a cloth, the scent of the steam leaked out just a little.
Mikoto emptied her bowl and wiped her mouth with her front paw.
“I am coming too.”
“To visit Souta?”
“I must accept my payment of dried fish.”
“Are you the one receiving payment?”
“Naturally.”
That naturally made me feel a little happy.
Souta’s house was about a ten-minute walk from the barn.
When we arrived at the entrance, Souta’s mother came out. Her eyes were red, but her complexion was much better than yesterday.
Souta’s mother looked at us and said:
“Kamishiro-san, Mikoto-chan.”
“For Souta. If he is able to eat.”
When I handed over the insulated pot, she received it with both hands and looked like she was about to cry again.
“Even though you saved him just yesterday, and now this.”
“He must have been quite scared yesterday. Having something enter his stomach will help him settle down a bit.”
“Thank you so much.”
From the back room, Souta’s voice called out.
“Mikoto, are you here?”
“Meow.”
Mikoto tried to step up into the entranceway as if it were only natural, and I stopped her by the scruff of her neck.
“Ask for permission first.”
“I am his savior.”
“Even a savior takes off their shoes where appropriate.”
“Cats do not wear shoes.”
Souta’s mother smiled a little for the very first time.
“Please. Come on up.”
Souta was sitting up on top of his futon. Bandages were wrapped around his knee. The moment he saw my face, as if remembering yesterday’s terror, his lips trembled.
However, the moment he saw Mikoto, he immediately reached out his hand.
“Mikoto.”
“Meow.”
Mikoto did not run away.
She sat within reach of Souta’s hand and let him pet her to his heart’s content. Normally, she would have said something like you are messing up my fur, but today she remained silent.
“I am sorry.”
Souta said softly.
“Going into the mountain without permission yesterday.”
“You should get scolded by your mother and the mayor for that.”
“Yeah.”
“I will only say one thing.”
Souta raised his face.
“If you are scared, it is okay to say you are scared. It is okay to cry after you are saved. You do not have to act tough.”
Tears welled up in Souta’s eyes once more.
“It was scary.”
“Yeah.”
“But, when Mikoto glowed, and Yuma-nii-chan came, I felt a little relieved.”
“Meow.”
Mikoto lifted her snout.
“That was my work.”
“Yeah. Mikoto was amazing.”
Souta smiled while crying.
When I ladled the porridge into a bowl, steam spread throughout the entire room. The sweet scent of rice and root vegetables. A light salty flavor. The tusked-boar broth. It was not flashy, but this was best for a weakened body.
Souta took a bite and slowly closed his eyes.
“It is warm.”
With just that single phrase, the meaning of making the pot was complete.
Around that time, on the internet, Kurose’s expose video was increasing its view count.
However, rising in views and being believed were two different things.
You’re exposing the person who saved a kid yesterday at this timing? The content is old and all the evidence looks clipped. Supplies diversion? The stuff Kamishiro is making right now is food relief for the village. Smuggling dangerous materials? A dismantler said ingredients are unusable unless you have processing tech. I came here after watching the rescue archive, and Kurose’s side looks bad. Kamishiro himself probably hasn’t watched this video. He’s probably making porridge. I’d laugh if he’s actually making it. No, he definitely is making it, that guy is like that.
Riko-san was following the flow of comments in a corner of Cafe Komorebi.
There were countless things she wanted to counter with.
Yet, she did not post out of emotion.
Instead, she tidied up the description box of yesterday’s rescue archive.
Do not disclose Souta’s personal information.
Do not disclose the village location either.
Add a warning note to prevent people from approaching the danger zone.
And finally, she added a short sentence.
Regarding this matter, please refrain from interviewing or contacting the rescued family and the villagers.
That alone was enough.
Not a single person from the village shouted back at Kurose’s video.
Souta’s mother cradled the bowl of porridge with both hands and released only a single comment.
My son was saved. I am grateful to Kamishiro-san and Mikoto-chan.
That comment spread immediately.
Far more than a flashy expose video, the words of a child’s mother who had eaten warm porridge carried vastly more weight.
In the evening, while discussing the sealing of the abandoned mine at the village mayor’s house, I received a message from Riko-san.
“Yuma-san. An official notice has arrived from the Dungeon Agency.”
“An audit?”
“Yes. The officer in charge is Auditing Officer Mahiro Saeki. They are coming to the village tomorrow morning.”
The village mayor furrowed his brows.
“People from the government are coming?”
“It seems so.”
I nodded.
I had thought it was unavoidable.
The ore-fang wolf, the unregistered abandoned mine dungeon, Mikoto’s barrier, and my own status.
None of these could be treated as if they had never happened.
“Yuma-kun.”
The village mayor said quietly.
“Will you be alright?”
“I do not know.”
I answered honestly.
“However, I have no intention of running away. What was caught on stream yesterday is the absolute truth.”
At my feet, Mikoto swished her tail.
“One who tells no lies never burns their rice.”
“Does that have anything to do with this?”
“It has everything to do with it.”
The village mayor gave a small laugh.
I smiled a little as well and looked out the window.
Beyond the mountains, the setting sun was dyeing the direction of the abandoned mine in a deep red.
Tomorrow is the audit.
Whether that will become something to judge me or something to protect the village, I still do not know.
There is only one thing I am certain of.
Tomorrow morning, I will light the fire again.
If people come, I will boil water.
No matter what I am asked, I will start by washing my hands and lifting the lid of the pot.