Keres or Kersen. A small, round, cherry-like fruit that turns red or orange when ripe.
Arvani gathered as many as she could, even though they weren't very filling. Thankfully, she'd had three fish for lunch thanks to Kensei, which made her less hungry now.
The night was cold, dark, and scary.
Kensei had no intention of making small talk to ease the tension. He wasn't obligated to entertain Arvani, after all.
She walked along a partially paved road overgrown with vines and dirt. Arvani could feel eyes watching her, likely from monsters lurking in the shadows.
Luckily, the full moon shone bright tonight. Let's just hope there aren't any werewolves transforming around here.
"Kensei, can you tell me about the Igarashi family?"
'Didn't you say you weren't interested?'
"I wasn't, but now I'm bored."
Kensei pondered for a moment, thinking about how best to answer.
'Well, the Igarashi family wasn't originally one of the founding noble families. Back then, there were only seven Viarki seats. The twelve Great Noble houses are families whose members have occupied a Viarki seat at least three times.
The Igarashi clan is renowned for its swordsmanship. The better your technique, the greater your influence in the family.'
"What about the head of the family? Were you ever forced to take that position?"
'No. There were many other talented candidates besides me.'
Arvani fell silent again. Dropping out of school hadn't made her dumb. If anything, it had taught her more about human interaction, things rarely taught in school. Like how in a small family with two children, only one receives love.
How a husband leaves his family to be with a stranger. How a man obsessed with his reputation slaps his child in public.
She had once seen a ten-year-old awaken his Miracle while playing near the river, creating a fierce windstorm.
Miracle powers varied from person to person. Most awakened at age ten, though some earlier or later.
Arvani, for instance, awakened hers at twenty. A bit surprising, considering her petite frame and youthful face made her look about eighteen.
In most families, Miracle types tended to be similar. For example, if a father could conjure blue fire, his child might summon black fire. This was one reason the great noble houses were formed, to pass down powerful miracles through bloodlines.
Perhaps in the future, the number of ordinary people— those without miracles, would dwindle, or even vanish entirely. The same could happen to ordinary animals.
Tap.
Arvani halted.
Two paths stretched before her in the dark. She couldn't tell which to take.
Her black eyes scanned the area. Abandoned roadside houses lined the street—windows and doors long gone, vines crawling over their walls.
She decided to turn back. Earlier, she'd seen a slightly larger building with a sign.
Village Chief's Office
The sign was faded. Arvani stepped inside. The door had collapsed, and broken glass littered the floor—she had to tread carefully.
"What are you looking for?"
"The Village map. Every village office should have one. Oh, found it."
Arvani's dark eyes landed on a slanted board nailed to the wall. She studied it closely, memorizing the paths and landmarks before leaving. It was surprisingly easy for her.
Kensei's impression of Arvani rose by one point.
'Looks like these villages were once inhabited by humans. Probably a few decades ago. Am I right?'
"You're right. People say that twenty years ago, there was a Miracle user who could grant wishes. One child wished that no more monsters would appear in this country. The wish came true. People were overjoyed and started building settlements outside the city walls.
However, once the Miracle user died, the wish faded. Monsters returned. People didn't have time to escape. The end."
'A wish-granting Miracle… that's one of the rarest types.'
"Yup. That's why some people believe that the user was killed by someone else."
The conversation ended there.
Along the way, Arvani often felt tremors or muffled sounds beneath her feet, underground trains still running.
Under the starry sky, she kept walking without pause.
.
.
.
Capital of the Emerald Equator Nation.
Inside a building belonging to the Special Department responsible for dealing with Miracle users, also known as the Special Defense Department.
A muscular man in military uniform stormed down the hallway, heading straight for the director's office. His gaze was so intense it could kill a lion with a single punch.
Bang!
He kicked the door open and saw the director was buried in a pile of paperwork on his desk.
"What's wrong, Pratama?" the director asked.
"What's the meaning of this, Farel? Letting enemy factions into our country?" Pratama fired back. His breath was raging as if he wanted to beat up the man with a flat stare in front of him.
Farel paused, trying to recall which 'enemy' group Pratama, the Minister of Defense, was referring to.
"Oh! You mean the Miracle users from the Land of the Rising Sun. They're just here searching for something secret."
Bang!
Pratama slammed the desk. "Do you even realize this country is facing a zombie outbreak?!"
"Nu-uh! You're very wrong, Pratama," Farel crossed his arms. "The biggest problem in this country isn't zombies—it's corruption. If the mayors hadn't embezzled the funds meant for building walls, zombies wouldn't have gotten in. If they'd let the beggars beyond the walls inside, the outbreak wouldn't have spread."
"This country has never lacked talented Miracle users, Pratama. The ones who left—or those you claim 'betrayed' the nation—just refused to work for free."
Though he kept a calm tone and a smile, Farel was clearly criticizing the government's incompetence. As director of the SDD, he'd faced discrimination many times from the council.
They believed all affairs regarding Miracle users should fall under military control.
Farel sipped his coffee calmly and offered a thin smile.
"Relax. The Miracle users from the Land of the Rising Sun offered to deal with the zombies in exchange for entry. If they cause any trouble, we'll get enough compensation to cover our budget deficit."
Pratama fell silent. Though he'd never taken part in corruption, that didn't mean he was guilt-free.
The muscular man finally backed down.
"What are they looking for here?"
Farel shrugged. "I don't know. But it's nothing of national importance."
"Now go. Tell your troops to assist the cities hit by the outbreak. I've already dispatched Miracle users to several areas."
Pratama grunted and left the office. Farel watched his retreating back and sighed deeply.
"Ah... I wish there were some crazy people would just wipe out all the pests in this country."