“I wonder… What Phyto is like.”
Phyto ended up in this village as a hostage. I go see her sometimes, but she doesn’t talk a lot. Also, everyone is wary of her because she came here as a hostage, and I can only see her sometimes.
They say she can hear god’s voice, and maybe that has to do with it.
I’m said to be the miko… I’ve accepted it, but it still feels weird.
I can’t hear god’s voice or anything. Will I hear it if I really try? I’ll try that later.
Why do people say Phyto can hear god’s voice anyway? Can she really do it? I have no idea, because she doesn’t really talk about herself.
She reminds me of how I used to be. I can tell she isn’t good at talking, even though we don’t see each other a lot.
Phyto hasn’t seen her people even once since she came here, but she doesn’t say anything about it.
I haven’t seen them in a while either. The elves and beast people have been taking care of them, but they tell me I shouldn’t go there because it’s dangerous. I hope our relationship can improve to the point where I can go there anytime I want.
The gryphons, Scifo, and Freinet all go there to see how they’re doing, and they all say it doesn’t look like they’re going to do anything to us.
A lot happened after Phyto came here, like Gaius changing and mister Ilma and miss Shehan suddenly appearing, so I haven’t had the chance to learn a lot about Phyto.
“The hostage girl?”
“Yes. Mister Sileva, you bring food to her, so do you, know anything?”
I ask mister Sileva what he knows about Phyto.
He was curious after he heard about her communicating with god, and volunteered.
“I have not seen any sign of it. I do know that she cannot see spirits as you can, Lerunda.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I asked miss Freinet to get close, but she was completely clueless. But remember, spirits are our gods, but to beast people gryphons are gods. It is very possible that their god is also different.”
“…I see.”
Different people have different gods.
It’s said that there are many different gods in this world, so could it be that the god they’re talking about is not the same I have in mind?
…What is god to me? I guess it’s the god that is influencing me. I don’t know what god that is exactly, but I do pray to the god that influences me.
“Perhaps she has something we cannot even imagine. Perhaps she is a being like you, Lerunda. Or perhaps… She has no power whatsoever.”
“…Are you saying, she has nothing, but can communicate with god?”
“There is that possibility. We have no idea what they were thinking when they said that.”
“They said, they’d offer an important girl, who can communicate with god, as a hostage… Is that, a lie?”
That’s what they said when they handed Phyto over to us as a hostage. They said she is the most important person among them.
“But we never heard that from her, have we?”
Says mister Sileva, and I let out a surprised gasp. Yes, Phyto has never said she can do that. We just heard other people say that’s what she said.
“Yes.”
“I even wondered if perhaps she was made out to be such a being. As far as I can tell, she shows no signs of being special in any way.”
“…I see.”
“She is still young, but has never once spoken about wanting to see her family or friends. She simply remains calm and goes about her life in her locked room. That could be because the environment here is better for her than when she lived with them.”
She never says she wants to see anyone, never cries, and never complains. She just continues living peacefully.
I’m sure being under watch is uncomfortable, but she doesn’t look sad either.
“I do not believe she has any intention of doing anything to us, so I will not argue if you want to see her from now on. Of course, we cannot allow you to do so alone.”
“Really!?”
I blurt out. I’ve only gotten permission to see her a few times, but apparently I’ll be able to talk to her more from now on. There’s a lot I’m curious about, so I’ll ask her gradually as we get closer.
—Girl and something on her mind
(The miko is interested in the hostage girl.)
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
wouldn’t want someone else to suffer the way you did