In Basto Paerix’s head, enormous question marks flared up one after another.

What were the chances that a small child would wander into a forest swarming with Magical Beasts at night?

And what were the chances that this child would fall precisely into his trap?

And moreover...

"Ah, Mister, hic! Ti, Tie, hic! is f, fine! hic!"

What were the chances that this child would not cry, would not whimper, but instead reassure him that everything was fine?

"...Ha."

It made no sense.

It was not that something was wrong with him — the situation itself was strange.

Basto, who had been straightening the net that had fallen to the ground, finally stood up with a frown.

The child sitting on the ground noticeably flinched.

"You..."

"It’s f, fine! hic! Tie really, really is f, fine! hic!"

Basto stared in bewilderment at the child repeating the same thing.

The child could not even meet his gaze and only clasped both hands tightly together.

Unable to endure it, Basto asked:

"Where are your parents."

The child looked no more than three or four years old.

That meant he could not have ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ come into the forest alone — he must have been with his parents.

"Fa, Father, hic! is r, right nearby...?"

As expected, the child answered.

Basto nodded.

"I see. Somewhere close?"

"Yes... if Tie shouts, hic! he’ll come right, right away, hic! very c, close...!"

Of course.

Basto knew how curious children of that age could be.

No matter how carefully a parent watched, the moment they looked away — the child disappeared.

A short chuckle escaped his chest.

"Small, but bold."

If the parents were nearby, he could simply call them.

But with only hiccups — anyone would mistake it for some new kind of bandit or suspicious character.

Smirking, Basto threw out:

"Then you should have cried loudly. When you got caught in the net."

"...Hic."

"Cry now at least. Let’s see if your Father comes."

But for some reason the child tightly pressed her lips together.

And suddenly—

"Hng, hng... i, it’s true..."

Large, bead-like tears rolled down.

Basto looked at the child in surprise.

When she should have cried — she did not. And now, when he wanted to help find her parents, she suddenly burst into tears.

"...Why are you..."

"Waaah! Sob—! Kkamani! Kkamani! Save—!"

He stepped forward, trying to calm her, but the child began crying even louder.

The hiccups stopped, her breathing became erratic, as if a convulsion might begin. Basto froze in place.

"What the..."

And suddenly he understood.

He remembered what he looked like standing before a child.

Dried blood of a Magical Beast crusted in his hair, a stale smell clinging to his long-unwashed body.

On top of that, he had leapt out of the bushes while checking the trap and met the child’s eyes.

"Waaah! Kkamani! Save me! Help—! Waaah!"

With a heavy expression, Basto scratched the back of his head and stepped back.

He saw the crying child warily watching him.

Basto deliberately stepped back several more paces.

Then he took the weapon hanging at his belt and threw it farther away, toward the net.

"Hng... hng... Kkamani..."

The child sniffled and looked at him.

She pressed a pink backpack tightly to her chest.

"Uncle will stay here. You go. To your Father."

The child blinked cautiously.

"Go to your Father. You said he’s nearby."

The child hesitated, fidgeting with her backpack.

Then she asked in a barely audible voice:

"You... won’t run after me...?"

"Why would I catch you."

"Because you’re a kidnapper..."

Basto let out a heavy breath and tried to answer calmly:

"I’m not a kidnapper. I’m just hungry. I wanted to catch a rabbit."

Even greater shock appeared on the child’s face.

But soon she hesitantly stood up.

Watching the child fuss with her backpack, Basto thought:

"...I’ll have to follow after all."

He would not go search for the parents himself.

But he would follow until the child found her Father.

If she failed to find him before dark — that would be bad.

"Hurry and go to your Father. It’s dangerous to be alone here."

The child nodded uncertainly.

And, carefully turning around, ran between the trees in small steps.

"...Ah!"

She had not taken even three steps before she fell to the ground.

The fallen child sniffled and turned her head.

Their gazes met in midair.

"..."

In the silence, Basto stared tensely at the child.

She was clutching her left ankle, her lips trembling.

It seemed she had injured her leg in the net.

Soon a plaintive voice sounded:

"M, Mister..."

Basto was only able to move after the next words.

"Tie’s l, leg..."

"Mister, is rabbit tasty?"

Basto, who was bandaging the small ankle, lifted his head.

"Yes."

The child’s eyes widened.

"And what does it taste like? Like moo-cow?"

"Meat tastes like meat."

"That’s not true! Oink-oink and moo and cluck-chicken taste different!"

Basto smirked.

"If she’s discussing meat, maybe she’s from a rich family."

Though then it was strange that a child was alone in such a forest.

And the Father who was supposedly nearby still had not appeared.

"Why hasn’t your Father come. You cried so loudly."

He asked carefully, wary of another hysterical fit.

But across from him it was quiet.

Lifting his gaze, he saw the child watching him cautiously.

Basto added, trying to reassure her:

"I’m asking so I can take you to your Father."

The child pressed her lips together.

The hands hugging the backpack fidgeted nervously.

"Actually... in the Capital..."

Basto frowned.

"In the Capital?"

A nod.

A short breath escaped his chest.

He had thought the Father was nearby, and it turned out — in the Capital.

"Then why did you say your Father was close."

"If I say that, Mister won’t kidnap Tie..."

"If I’m so scary, why did you say everything was fine at first?"

"Because the teacher said not to provoke kidnappers..."

Silence hung between them.

Basto was speechless.

And the child, as if sharing a secret, whispered:

"If you ever meet a kidnapper, you mustn’t shout ‘save me’! Then it gets worse."

"...Why."

"If you make the kidnapper angry, it becomes more dangerous. You have to slowly learn his demands and open the possibility of negotiation and compromise."

Basto lost his words.

Suppressing a sigh, he replied:

"That wouldn’t work on me."

"Huh?"

"Who do you think would kidnap me."

After those words, the child’s mouth fell open.

Clear green eyes carefully examined him — the dried blood in his hair, the thick beard, the powerful build.

When the child nodded in understanding, Basto felt strangely uncomfortable.

"...That’s it."

Finishing the bandage, he stood and looked down at the child.

"Your Father is in the Capital."

However one interpreted it, the child was injured.

And the sun was already slowly setting.

Brioud was relatively close to the Capital.

And lately, refugees filtered out at the checkpoint had been swarming around the Capital gates.

Sometimes children got lost in the crowd and were left without family.

Basto’s gaze fell on the pink leather backpack.

A tidy child, without signs of neglect.

Apparently attending a decent institution where they taught rules of behavior in case of kidnapping.

From a family that could afford such a backpack.

A beloved child. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Basto made a decision.

"Come with me. To the Capital."

He needed to go there anyway to report the new Magic Stone.

"I’ll take you."

Seeing the child’s widened eyes, he felt something heavy tighten in his chest.

Once, he too had a child to whom he wished only one thing — that they would safely return to him.

Now that child was in a place he could not reach.

"Your Father must be waiting for you very much."

At his words, a bright smile blossomed on Astie’s lips.