Dusk was fast approaching, and in that street filled with people, the group followed behind the two.
Miyuki was lagging behind the others. She looked over at Izumi, Takae, and Yuriko, who were walking in front of her with worried looks, but she didn't say anything.
For a while, the mood remained the same, with no one saying a thing, while Ayako and Hyogo chatted away in front of them without a worry in the world.
She felt a nudge on her left arm and turned to see Lloyd. She had almost forgotten that he was there from how silent he had been.
"What's up with them?" he whispered. "I thought they'd be thrilled to find someone with the same last name as them, but they're just quiet."
"Well, it's pretty complicated," she whispered back.
"You see, before I met them, their father got lost in a rift, and now, though they don't say it out loud, they're trying to find him," she continued. "But they don't know whether he's alive or dead, so this sudden encounter is making them tense."
"Really?" Lloyd said with a shocked look. "They never mentioned anything, so I wasn't expecting something like that."
The two slowed their pace even more until they were out of earshot.
"They don't talk much about him. The little I know, I've heard from Takae," Miyuki said.
"Now that I think about it," she added after a sudden realization, "she said that he also has a streak of white hair like him."
"What could their connection be?" Lloyd asked while looking at them. "Are they just people who share the same clan name and have no direct relation, or are they connected in some way?"
"I'm sure they're also thinking the same thing," Miyuki said before sighing.
"Maybe it's best if we just watch from the sidelines and see how this goes," she added. "Meddling in this kind of thing isn't our place, no matter how close we are to them."
"You're right," he replied.
His eyes drifted to the two ahead of them and he said, "They seem close, don't you think?"
"Yeah," Miyuki replied with a faint smile as she looked at them. "She was scolding him just a while ago for causing a scene, and now she's laughing."
She turned back to the others and said, "The contrast between them right now is scary, isn't it?"
"You're right," he replied. "They're just a few feet away, but it's almost like they're worlds apart."
"It really was sudden how she invited us back," Lloyd said after a brief pause. "Is it normal around here for people to invite you to stay over after you help them out?"
"I know it's just gratitude, but dealing with a large group like us shouldn't be easy," he added.
"I think that they're also curious about us and are using this excuse to get a chance to ask about us and where we came from," Miyuki replied.
They took a turn onto a less crowded street. Ayako turned back and said, "I'm sorry, we live towards the edge of town. That's why there's been a lot of walking."
"It's fine," Izumi replied with a faint smile. "We're used to it, so it isn't much trouble."
"We're almost here, so bear with us a bit longer," she said before turning back.
The silence between them took over again almost instantly. Lloyd started looking around and saw a small child selling hats.
They were tiny, but they were haggling with an adult three times their size with a smug look on their face. Their gaze turned to Lloyd, and he immediately looked away.
He didn't feel intimidated, so why did he look away, he thought. Once he turned back, he found them busy with another customer, not paying him any mind.
He took one last glance at his tattered robe, then turned away for good.
They took another turn, this time to a street filled with houses instead of stalls. There were far more children in this corner, huddling around in groups and chasing each other with sticks as they mimicked sword swings.
As they kept walking, the number of houses on either side kept decreasing and the amount of bushes and trees kept increasing. That was until they came upon a house sitting alone at the end of a long alley, with the forest spreading out behind it.
"We're here," Ayako said enthusiastically as she slid open the door. "Come in."
She was the first to go in, and the rest followed.
"Kanami, we're back," she said. "And we have guests."
A lady with the same curly long hair as her came out wearing an apron over her robe.
She locked eyes with the group before turning back to her.
"Welcome, everyone," she said, ushering them in. "My name is Kanami Shio. It's nice to meet you all."
"Let's properly introduce ourselves over dinner," she added. "Ayako, I'll be right there. Take care of them till then."
"Sure thing, big sister," she replied. "Just be careful."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she said before disappearing into another room.
Ayako led them to an open room with nothing but a matted floor and a window through which the afternoon sunlight was pouring.
They all took seats on the floor, and so did Hyogo. Ayako left the room for a while, only to appear again with Kanami.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't anticipating visitors, so dinner will take a bit longer," she said as she sat down in front of them.
Ayako sat by her side and she said, "It would be an honour to make the acquaintance of the people who saved my sister."
"Hi, my name is Miyuki Hibiki," Miyuki said with a smile.
"And I'm Lloyd Iris," he added.
"Wow, I've never heard a name like that," she replied. "Are you from around here?"
"No, I travelled here from the north," he replied.
"Oh, does that mean you crossed the glades alone?" she asked.
"Yeah, it wasn't easy, but I guess I made it through," he replied with a soft chuckle.
She turned to Takae and asked, "What about you?"
"I'm Takae," she replied nervously. "Takae Yamada, and these are my brother and sister, Izumi and Yuriko."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kanami replied with a smile, but Takae noticed her trading glances with Hyogo.
"I don't think it was a coincidence that we met," she said with a more serious tone. "I might be asking for too much, but we'd like your help with something."
"Of course," Yuriko replied.
She traded glances with Ayako before saying, "Well, you see, we're at a loss about something and we're wondering if there was anything you knew."
"What is it about?" Izumi asked.
"I think it's best if he tells you himself," she replied before turning to him.
He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, you see, it's about me actually—"
He paused and took a deep breath before continuing.
"—The thing is that, aside from my name, I have no recollection of my past or of who I really am."