Chapter 796: 796: A Distant Memory Of Warmth

『I see it! That's gotta be Castel!』

It was the day after we handed the dragonkin over to the guild. We departed from Nocta early in the morning.

I thought there would be more trouble over the treatment of the dragonkin, but both the guildmaster and the submaster were happy to take them off us. They had taken quite a liking to Fran.

Also it seemed like they planned to use them as a bargaining chip against the other dragonkin, who had been getting rather annoying lately. We can let the guild take care of the political stuff.

Then, the evening of the day after we left.

Our destination came into view.

We were staring ahead from Urushi's back as he flew through the air.

The village consisted of several wrecked buildings, surrounded by the remains of a battered wooden fence. There was no sign of life.

In the first place, it was unusual to see not a single light this late in the evening. Like we thought, no one lived here anymore.

What lied before us was just one of the many illegal villages abandoned after being destroyed by antidemon raids.

(This is Castel......)

『......Remind you of anything?』

(No.)

『I see.』

Fran shook her head. The sight of the village did not ring any bells.

Well, it was five years ago and she had never seen the village from this angle. It wouldn't be surprising if she couldn't remember.

『Let's go down.』

「Nn. Urushi.」

「Woof!」

Following Fran's instructions, Urushi descended onto the village square.

The houses were destroyed and the ground was completely covered with grass. Even the square where we stood had long weeds sticking out from the gaps between the cobblestones.

Human hands had clearly not touched the area for many years. There was not much moss in comparison to the weeds, perhaps because of the relatively dry climate.

「......」

Fran gazed around the square silently.

The grass covered square was lit only by the evening sunset.

It must have been a place of relaxation and laughter long ago.

Now all that could be heard was the chirping of insects and the faint rustling of leaves against each other in the wind.

「......Here.」

『Fran?』

「Here...... I recognize it...... I think......」

Fran started walking slowly. She headed toward one of the entrances to the plaza.

You seriously recognize it?

Things must have completely changed since Fran was last here. I had doubts that there would be any semblance to what she once knew.

However, Fran's steps were getting faster and stronger. Her feeling must have turned into certainty.

Was there some kind of atmosphere that only those who have lived here can understand? Or was it her intuition?

Lately, Fran has been strangely perceptive when she acts on her intuitions. Well, that's great as long as it works......

Maybe her wild instincts as a beastman had been sharpened as she continued leveling up?

『Fran, where are you going?』

Without hesitation, Fran plunged into the bushes, weaving her way through the brush.

「......This way......」

『Fran?』

「......I knew it.」

It's no use. She's so focused on drawing out her memories that she can't see anything else.

『Urushi, keep an eye out on our surroundings.』

「Woof!」

Meanwhile, Fran continued to wade through the grass.

Then she stopped at a certain place.

It was a hut with its walls destroyed and its roof collapsed. Quite small, even by the standards of this world.

Well, all the houses in Castel looked fairly similar to this one.

「......」

The walls were about 70% collapsed, and the remaining parts were rotting and falling apart.

We could see in the inside through the non-functional walls. What appeared to be the remnants of furniture were scattered around, also encroached upon by weeds.

Fran silently turned to the side of the abandoned house. There, she found the remains of a door with only the wooden frame remaining.

『Fran?』

「......Here.」

Fran muttered as she staggered toward the abandoned house, in contrast to the brisk pace she had on the way here.

These were very heavy steps, as if something was blocking her way forward.

Judging by her reaction...... I should just watch without saying anything.

「......」

Fran stepped foot into the abandoned house. The ceiling and walls no longer served any purpose. Most of the floor was missing, and a carpet of weeds covered Fran's feet.

Even so, Fran was certain about what she saw.

「......This is my house.」

『I knew it.』

「Nn...... This is... where I lived... with Mom and Dad......」

As Fran muttered this in a hushed voice, a tear fell from her eyes.

What kind of tears were those?

Sadness? Joy? Loneliness from regaining old memories? Melancholy at reaffirmation of her parents' deaths?

「I'm... home......」

But to me, Fran's tears felt more precious than anything in the world.