"Before you bury me! Before that… one thing… I will tell you, girl…!"
"Karl… in ten days he will travel to Fukayama..! That's all I can say."
Surprised by the information, Eva looked at Tarkus, the supposed enemy, with eyes of thanks and gratitude.
Hey! You! Not so fast, Tarkus! Before you die, tell me one thing…
Why? I noticed that… it was early! You didn't try to stop me from tearing your body apart; why didn't you resist?
"Oh, girl! You were right in saying… living like worms! I've grown tired of it."
It took quite some time to bury Tarkus's body parts away from each other… Eva helped me with that, and I also buried his sword in the place we decided to bury his head.
Thus, I discovered that one who possesses an immortal body like mine can die or be buried alive with a scattered body…
"Do you think this is good enough?" Eva asked after we finished the burial…
"Eva! Why are you concerned about doing this?"
"Hmmm… I don't know, maybe some respect! For all those years he lived."
Sadness was evident on her face as Eva said, "You know… when I was in that cabin alone with him, he told me he could give me an immortal life… but in the end, that wasn't true."
Did you wish for that? To have an immortal life?
"But if I really became immortal, revenge… all those kinds of things wouldn't stand in my way… I was hesitant, I felt a wave of fear wash over me; not dying means living forever, no matter how painful or joyous… I don't know."
I didn't want to engage in a conversation with her about immortality and how I took on this adventure in hopes of returning to my nature!
"Eva! What happened with the child?!"
She slapped her hand against her forehead and rushed quickly to pull him out of the barrel…
She cradled him in her arms. "Hmm, Brando! Dying without achieving your goal or living for several years knowing that you will never achieve your goal… which is worse?"
Damn it! You're making my brain work! I think living with the knowledge that your goal will never be achieved is the worse option.
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In the heart of Himura...
"Tell me, Brando..! If I said that I would leave Himura and go to Fukayama… I mean… just if that happened… would you go with me?"
It's not worth going…
My answer discouraged her; that's what I felt from her body language. She turned her eyes away and shook her head.
"Listen to what I'm about to say, Eva… even if Tarkus's words are true, Karl won't be here in Himura after 10 days…"
How in the hell are we supposed to find him in a big city like Fukayama, a city we've never seen before?
We won't be able to track him down and catch him except in a city we know very well…
Eva placed her finger on her chin, trying to understand what I was saying...
I have a suggestion for you; how about that?
We don't have a clear plan of action to track Karl at the time he leaves Himura, right?
Instead, let's focus on the present; we'll place all our bets on the 10 days we have before he leaves…
There aren't many routes leading from Himura to Fukayama; it's a heavily fortified road...! Therefore, we'll take a short stroll along the Himura, during which we will plan our next steps... I hope luck is on our side to catch him here before he enters Fukayama...!
"Wow! What an amazing idea!"
Heba! You need to use your brain, Eva…
She placed her hand behind her head, "Wow, okay, okay."
O you in whom I entrusted my heart and who has departed,
O you who were life and light to my soul,
How can I forget you when you live on in my heart,
And the wound of your departure does not heal, O longing...
Your departure extinguished the light on my paths,
And quenched the hope in my heart.
O you who were my soul,
How can I bring you back when you linger in my specter?
These were verses of poetry from one of the women...! A fair-skinned woman, tall and slender, wearing a long, flowing robe that covered her entire body, with a headscarf that concealed most of her features, and straight high heels made of leather...
She cradled a shamisen, a stringed musical instrument, in her slender arms... and played it with her long fingers.
In the middle of a spacious square where various talented individuals gather to showcase their art to passersby, the woman recited verses of poetry, yet no one among the crowd stopped to listen to her, unlike the others with diverse performances, where people were gathered around them...!
I wonder, is it because people prefer to witness something that brings them joy, far removed from poems of sorrow and longing, or is it that the type of crowd there is simply uninterested in what she has to offer...
By chance...! It seems the woman has gained a fan for her poetry...
A group of boys was running around, and one of them could do nothing but pause at the performance and listen...
The woman stopped reciting her poem, "Your friends have moved away! Don't you want to catch up with them?"
The boy remained silent, rooted in place, his eyes fixed on the woman's face. She bent down to meet his gaze.
"What are you staring at, young man?" she asked gently.
"Hmm! I can't breathe well, so my mom told me not to run too much... Wow, what a beautiful kanzashi! Why don't you wear it in your hair?"
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What is this girl doing inside all this time while I stand here like a beggar under this scorching sun (Eva inside the money exchange cart)?
"Let's see... this gives you 35 for each piece of silver."
Eva revealed her hands in objection, "Um... I don't think that's the real value for a single castle."
Eva hurried out, "Hey! Brando... I'm going to exchange some of the silver pieces; we need to get the smaller coins from it."
Ugh! That foolish painter, he gave us all the money in large coins...
"I'll be back in a bit... wait for me!"
"Hey! Why are you running? Where do you want me to wait for you?"
At the top of her voice as she ran, "Just wait where you are!"
What's the rush about?! But there's no place to exchange money here! Fine!
Standing in place waiting for her return, I lifted one foot to lean against the cart...
"Ahhhh!" a yawn escaped my lips.
Huh! A slender finger was placed on my mouth as I yawned... I turned to my right to find a woman close to my face, wearing a covering on her head...
Her eyes were jewels like stars illuminating the sky, springs reflecting a dream beyond imagination, and her lips were roses blooming in the spring of beauty... Of course, I didn't tell her that!
"You seem bored, young man…"
Take your hand away from my face! Who the hell are you?
"That's not a nice way to address a person. How about we have a little fun, just for a single piece?"
I'm not interested in that; go find someone else.
"Are you implying that you and... that little girl? You're a very bad companion, and I thought she was still a virgin...!"
Look..! Without too much talking, let me tell you something... I'm not that into sex to the extent of sleeping with an old whore who can't even find work in brothels. You're bothering me, so get out of here!
She opened the bottom of her robe with her hand to reveal her long leg, "Look! Come closer and judge for yourself whether I'm really an 'old whore.'"
Hmm! I took a long look from her head to her toes, resting my hand on the area between her chin and neck, hmm, smooth skin, not bad at all, is it?
Alright, fine, follow me...!
I searched for a place free of passersby while she walked a few meters behind me...
Okay, not the best option, but it will do...! In a narrow alley, there was an abandoned warehouse in a state of disrepair, pieces of wood and metal scattered on the ground blocking the way...