The Traveler

"Ha ha... ha ha..."

Laughter rose and fell across the wilderness.

On a flat patch of ground, the adventuring party had pitched a tent. Water boiled in a pot, with all kinds of dried vegetables bobbing on the surface and fragrant steam rising from it.

Nearby, their haul hung from a wooden rack: a dozen or so White-eyed Rats, an entire nest's worth, along with an extra surprise.

After clearing out the White-eyed Rats' lair, Sebas had found a pile of grain and starchy plant roots. Like their ancestors, the rats had diligently gathered every scrap of food, only for it all to end up in Sebas and his companions' hands.

"Little Evan, you've got real talent—tripping over your own feet while running!"

A male archer looked at Evan, who was missing a front tooth, and gloated. "Our hunt was a huge success. The only loss was Evan's tooth... ha ha..."

"..."

What could Evan say?

All he could do was sit on the ground, hug his knees, and keep quiet as tears welled in his eyes.

"All right! Everyone takes a watch after dinner. Evan, you're first!"

Sebas was tough on the outside but soft-hearted underneath. Evan's parents had also entrusted him to look after the boy, so he did his best to take care of him. Now he pressed a warm, charred lump into Evan's palm. "Finish your meal, then get to work!"

"Okay!"

Evan answered softly, his words coming out with a whistle through the gap in his teeth.

He picked up the black kudzu root and bit down hard. It tasted awful, like chewing on sand, but it was the most ordinary staple that survivors ate every day.

As for the slice of roasted meat everyone else would get, Evan didn't even dare hope for a