... live free!

Then I talked to Serra for a little while and then we were making something together that Serra was going to be able to make with what she brought. At that time, Louis was just really looking at what we were making, just like he said at the beginning. Is it fun just to watch? I thought so, but maybe I enjoy being with Serra. I was a little curious about what I usually do if I thought that.

"Speaking of which, how do Serra and the others usually spend time together?

Then Louis and Sella looked a little troubled. How could you give me that look?

"I don't see Louis much."

"Really?

Louis was also nodding when he heard that. Well, aren't we getting much together from what happened to them earlier? I thought so, but I knew it was.

"Then now, you two should play..."

"Oh, you're not."

Then Serra said so as she shook her head to the side.

"So, what's this all about?

When I heard that, Serra looked in trouble again. Is it also something hard to say? Louis stopped by me thinking so.

"I'll explain that."

"Are you sure? Seems like Serra doesn't want to say much."

"Yes, and that doesn't mean Serra doesn't want to say it"

Then Louis made a statement that would shelter Serra. I wondered what it meant. I looked at Louis and he told me.

"... was it about six years ago? The crop didn't grow well that year, and the yield was about 30% lower. Well, that's how I should have managed to get past the winter..."

Louis had that somewhat sad look on his face.

"Is something wrong?

"... around the spring of that year, a couple of the village's best peasants died after being attacked by bandits on their way home to the city. My father had stockpiled up with the farmer to maintain the village, but he said it was a mutual promise, and he had a lot of trouble with the couple's death."

No matter how many promises we make to each other, wouldn't you know if we had sons and daughters? And I thought that.

"The couple didn't have any children?

"Your father said you had an extra problem with having kids, but you wouldn't know because you were only five years old at the time."

"Ah, I see."

It is likely that even when it comes to children, they do not know they are that young. And I thought that, but I realized it was there.

"Hmm? But the fact that my parents died in the spring and I was having trouble with winter food meant that until then, how did the kid end up with rice or something?

That's what Louis looked like when he asked. I wonder if something happened to that kid... I waited for Louis to talk to me as I thought.