EP.21 Winter Camp -2
EP.21 Winter Camp -2
If you asked most people which animal was the closest to humans, they would all name the same one.
The great apes, that is...
From their appearance and skeletal structure to their use of tools.
They were the most closely related to humans among all animals, and some people even claimed that humans were a species that evolved from the great apes.
I had no intention of going into detail about evolution theory, given all the controversy and misconceptions surrounding it, but in any case, no animal resembled humans quite like the great apes.
So if you were to look through the Divine Beast Dictionary to see which Divine Beast existed among those human-like great apes,
the one adorning the very first page was none other than the Yeti.
The Yeti, also known as the Snowman, inhabiting the northern Great Wilds, was said to be an ape that easily exceeded three meters in height and was covered entirely in white fur.
Contrary to its appearance, its temperament was not ferocious, and it was generally known to pose little danger,
but if you trespassed into the territory it had marked as its own, it was said you had best pray for your soul.
In fact, one adventurer who entered a Yeti's territory out of curiosity was found the next day, left in such a ruined state that he was unrecognizable.
It was one of those Divine Beasts you should not recklessly provoke.
And the stone that called such a Yeti was...
"Why is this in a shop like that? No, what even is this stone's true nature that it calls a Yeti?!"
"Curious?"
"Of course I am!"
"That stone is simply a rock that the white ape cherishes for no particular reason."
"I-it's just a rock?"
"Yes. That white ape has the unusual habit of designating one object to treasure over the course of its life."
"And that's this rock?"
"Right."
"Then why was a rock it treasures so much in a shop like that?"
"The rock that the ape accidentally dropped happened to roll all the way into a human settlement."
"Then what on earth is the Yeti doing, leaving something so precious lying around like that?"
"It probably tried to find it. But as is well known, the Yeti isn't an aggressive creature, so it won't cross the boundary and generally tries to avoid humans."
In other words, it wanted to retrieve it but was too wary to come and get it.
A Divine Beast like this was a first for me, so it felt refreshing.
Well, actually, there was one more Divine Beast that fled like mad whenever a person approached.
I subtly turned around and saw a familiar face peeking out at us from behind a tree far away.
The owner of that face was the rabbit who was constantly tailing me and observing.
There was no problem with her just coming over normally and striking up a conversation, so why was she keeping so far away and just acting like a stalker...
I couldn't understand the rabbit's mind, but I didn't have the leeway to worry about that at the moment.
"I get now that it can't retrieve it, but how do people know this stone is a stone that calls Yetis?"
"Because if you carry this stone and go near the boundary, the Yeti shows up. That's how it got its name."
"It came all that way because of one rock, but it won't even try to take it back?"
"That's how shy the fellow is. It doesn't even conceive of the idea of pouncing and snatching it back. Though I can't say the same if a human trespasses into its territory."
"What a terribly finicky guy."
"I can't deny that."
At any rate, the stone that the Yeti treasured was now in my hands, and I too would be able to meet the Yeti if I went near the boundary.
That much was fine.
The problem was...
"Why do I have to go and meet the Yeti?"
"Hmm~? You're saying that after you already bought the stone?"
"No, it's more like I had no choice but to buy it..."
There was no better way to screw over a shopkeeper than to boldly declare you'd buy something and then suddenly reverse course and say you wouldn't.
And of all people, this shopkeeper was a muscle-bound gym freak so hairy he could practically be called a Yeti himself.
If I acted like a nuisance in front of someone like that, there was no telling what he might have done to me.
So I'd ended up forced into buying it.
"Anyway! The fact I bought this means I'm going to meet the Yeti, so explain the reason! Ah, is this another one of those things where if you tell me, the future changes for the worse...?"
"No, this time it's no problem even if I tell you."
"Then tell me. The reason I have to fight the Yeti."
"Fight? I have no particular intention of fighting the Yeti."
"Huh...? Weren't you going to meet it to fight?"
"I'm not going to fight. Rather, I'm going as someone who will stop the fight."
"Stop it?"
"Yes. We are going to meet the Yeti as mediators."
"What on earth do you mean by..."
"Now now~! Time is short, so let's get going. Dear husband!"
"W-wait...!!"
I had no idea what our crow was thinking or what she was planning.
But I could tell at a glance that this was no trivial matter. Just what on earth was going to happen during this training camp...
My head was already starting to throb.
***
"Wahoo!!"
"Hee-haw!!"
Inside the ski resort, the laughter never ceased.
Within that space packed with people riding skis and snowboards with dazzling skill,
I tried to board the lift without any equipment at all.
Naturally, the ski resort employee was flustered and asked me why I was riding the lift,
and I had to lie, saying I was going to meet someone at the top.
"Well, since I really was going to meet a Yeti, it wasn't exactly a lie..."
But if I had told the truth as it was, I would have been dragged away as a lunatic, wouldn't I...?
So I had to do my best to act as if there was a lost child up above and convince the employee.
Having finally succeeded in boarding the lift, I arrived at the summit of the ski slope, but I had to persuade yet another employee at the drop-off point.
The ski resort staff even offered to make an announcement over the PA system to help find the person, but I politely declined.
Leaving behind only the words that I'd find them and be right back, I swiftly departed from that spot.
"Why did just the process of going to meet a Yeti have to feel this tough..."
"Um, Seon-ju...?"
"Hm? What?"
"Couldn't you just have used the illusion ability without needing to make all those excuses...?"
"Uh...?"
A belated realization born from a moment of short-sighted thinking.
As I stood there dumbfounded by my own stupidity, Yata suddenly clutched her stomach and started laughing.
Yata, who had been riding right next to me until just now, must have known about it too.
The fact that she stayed silent and just watched without telling me meant it was intentional.
If it was her, who knew the entire future, it was a certainty.
"Yata...?"
"Sorry! The sight of my husband desperately trying to persuade them was just so cute, I couldn't help it!"
"Your personality..."
But since it was just the mischief of a crow who was always full of pranks, I decided to let it slide.
This wasn't the first time this had happened, and it was also partly because my thinking had been too shortsighted...
"This was the first time I had found myself missing Miho."
If Miho had been there, she would have immediately cast an illusion and helped me out even without me noticing.
But Miho had said she had business to attend to somewhere and had gone off on her own without coming along on the trip.
When that fox, who always prioritized me and could never stand by quietly while the other companion animals got along well with me, refused to accompany us,
I thought something so serious had happened that the sky was falling.
But she said it wasn't anything that serious, and insisted strongly that she would join us immediately as soon as her business was done.
So I sent her off without a word,
but I couldn't help worrying if everything was really alright.
"Husband, if you're thinking about that fox woman, there's no need to worry at all."
"Yata, did you develop an ability to read my thoughts like Miho?"
"No. I've pretty much known what you were thinking from the very beginning."
"H-how?"
"Because among the possible futures I can see, there's one where my husband honestly answers what he's thinking about right now."
"What the hell, that's... cheating, isn't it?"
"It just means that when it comes to you, I also know you well enough not to lose to that fox."
Yata, smiling more brightly than ever, casually tossed out words that were embarrassingly sweet.
At her actions, my face grew slightly hot and I felt awkward.
"Anyway, you don't need to worry about the fox. She's working hard somewhere we can't see."
"Miho is working hard?"
"Yes. She's trying like crazy to finish her business so she can see you. So..."
"Alright! I'll work hard too."
"That's a good mindset."
Even Miho, who had been so intensely obsessed with me, had given up accompanying us and left for the sake of something she had to do.
And yet, she was making every effort to reunite with me.
What had I been doing on the other hand? Hadn't I just been doing nothing but spouting complaints?
That was something deeply shameful, something I needed to reflect on.
So I threw away all the idle thoughts that had been piling up in my head.
And I resolved that from then on, I too would do my utmost at the task at hand, just like Miho.
"For your information, right about now, that fox is thinking about you."
"Oh? You can tell what Miho is thinking too?"
"Of course. Want me to tell you in detail what she's thinking?"
"Sure."
"Ahem...!"
Yata, having cleared her throat once at my request, strangely began to produce a voice perfectly identical to Miho's...
Using a voice that was 100% identical to Miho's, Yata relayed Miho's thoughts to me.
"Haah!! I miss my husband!! My husband! My husband! My husband! My husband!!...Come to think of it, they said it was a four-day, three-night training camp, right? In that case, once my business is all done and I reunite with my husband, for at least four days I'll be all over him until he's a sloppy mess...♡"
"Yata."
"Yeah?"
"A-are there any good caves where we're going where I can hide out for about four days?"
Along with a chill that made my body tremble, a cold sweat began to run down my forehead.
Running away took priority over the mission.