WOW, THAT MAGIC NEVER STOPS AMAZING ME.
CAN I LEARN IT TOO?
IT'D MAKE HARVESTING SO MUCH EASIER.
YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT HELP TO ME, KID.
BEEN?
YOU'RE TALKING LIKE THIS IS THE END.
I'VE GOT MORE THAN ENOUGH FLOWERS NOW.
WON'T YOU NEED MORE IF YOU'RE USING THEM TO COAT WEAPONS?
IT'S FINE. YOU'VE ALREADY DONE MORE THAN YOUR SHARE.
THAT'S A SHAME. I'VE BEEN BUYING DELICIOUS MEAT
WITH THE MONEY YOU'VE PAID ME FOR THE FLOWERS.
MEAT? DO YOU WANT TO EAT MORE?
THE VILLAGE BELOW SHOULD PAY YOU A GOOD PRICE FOR THIS.
YOU'RE
GIVING ALL OF THIS TO ME?
THIS IS NOTHING COM- PARED TO HOW MUCH YOU'VE HELPED ME.
TAKE CARE.
I HOPE THERE ARE MANY MORE GOOD DAYS AHEAD OF YOU.
I'm back~
WHAT?
WHERE DID YOU-
UGH!
COME ON, KICKING ME IS...
LET'S AGREE ON ONE KICK A DAY...
I-I GOT THESE FROM WORKING.
I EARNED THEM FAIR AND SQUARE.
EVER SINCE MOM AND DAD DIED, WE'VE BEEN EATING NOTHING BUT WEEDS.
WITH THIS MONEY, WE COULD KEEP EATING ME-
RIGHT.
I'VE ALREADY LOST OUR PARENTS.
WHO ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO LOSE?
YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO LISTEN TO ME ANYWAY.
IF ANYTHING EVER HAPPENS, WHEREVER YOU ARE, BLOW THIS IMMEDIATELY.
THIS IS YOURS, SIS.
WHY ME...?
IT ACTUALLY BELONGED TO OUR PARENTS.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BLOW IT.
IF I HEAR IT, I'LL COME TO YOU NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.
TAKE THIS BACK TO ITS OWNER FIRST THING TOMORROW MORNING.
HUH? BUT...!
EDEN.
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD COMES WITHOUT A PRICE. ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMEONE ELSE GIVES IT TO YOU.
SO DON'T JUST ASSUME IT'S KINDNESS AND ACCEPT IT.
I'M SAYING THERE'S A REASON HE GAVE YOU THIS MUCH.
BUT I EARNED IT BY GATHERING YASHA FLOWERS FOR HIM...
UGH, PLEASE LET THAT MISTER BE GONE BY NOW.
THEN I CAN JUST KEEP I-
HM?
HUH...?
...MISTER?
I WANTED TO KNOW.
WHAT THE WORLD THAT CONFINED US TO THESE MOUNTAINS
AND KEPT US ISOLATED FOREVER
ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE.
WHETHER THERE WAS TRULY NO WAY
TO OVERCOME THE FEAR WE HELD TOWARD THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
BUT...
H-HELP...
PLEASE HELP ME...!
S-SOMEONE GET A PHYSICIAN...!
A PHYSICIAN, PLEASE!
HEY, THEY'RE MOUNTAIN FOLK.
THE ONES THEY SAY EAT PEOPLE.
LET'S NOT GET INVOLVED.
AH...
AAH...
PLEASE...
THERE'S SOMEONE HERE...
JUST... HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER, SIS.
JUST A LITTLE FARTHER AND WE CAN ASK FOR HELP...
AH...
N-NO...
...SIS. GET ON MY BACK.
COME ON, GET BACK ON MY BACK, OKAY?
N-NO NO NO...
NO.
NOOO!
YOU DIED.
COULD A DEATH LIKE THAT
REALLY BE DISMISSED AS SOMEONE THAT SIMPLY HAPPENED?
YOU SAID WHENEVER THE WHISTLE SOUNDED,
YOU'D ALWAYS BE THERE AT THE END OF IT,
BUT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I BLEW IT,
YOU NEVER CAME AGAIN.
IF OUR SETTLEMENT HADN'T BEEN ISOLATED,
WOULD EVEN YOUR DEATH, LIKE THOSE OF OUR ANCESTORS,
HAVE BEEN QUIETLY BURIED WITHIN THESE MOUNTAINS?
AN INNOCENT DEATH THAT DESERVED TO BE KNOWN.
LIVING ON IN SILENCE ATOP THAT DEATH
FELT LIKE NOTHING BUT PUNISHMENT.
...I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY, RIVER.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME,
I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR MY CURIOSITY.
A boy who harvests with magic gathers yasa flowers to coat weapons and earns money to buy meat in return. When he returns home, he argues with his older sister; she gives him a whistle left from their parents. As curiosity about the outside world intertwines with isolation and the pain of loss, the chapter ties into a sorrowful farewell and an apology.
