Big Hammer went with Kanae as well. Tetsu no Sosuke needed the wolf by her side to protect her.
With that, however, the Hammer Hut suddenly felt empty.
Tetsu no Sosuke gazed in the direction Kanae had left, standing motionless for a long time.
Only after a long while did he let out a soft sigh and turn back, finding Yuichiro beside him.
Master and apprentice looked at each other. Finally, Tetsu no Sosuke said, "You're cooking tonight."
"..."
Yuichiro knew how to cook. After all, he and Muichiro had once lived on their own.
But life at the Hammer Hut had made him lazy, and he had stopped paying much attention to cooking.
Now that he was trying his hand at it again, he found that his cooking skills were still decent.
Dinner was served, but Tetsu no Sosuke sat there for a long time without eating.
Yuichiro glanced at him. "What's wrong? Does it taste bad?"
Tetsu no Sosuke shook his head. "Waiting for someone."
Yuichiro nodded. "No wonder you had me make three portions. Who's coming?"
As he spoke, someone pushed the door open. A boy stood outside, looking far more resolute and decisive than he once had.
Yuichiro took one look and froze.
He stared at the person in the doorway and rubbed his eyes for a long time. He couldn't tell whether his eyes had reddened from the rubbing or from seeing him.
"Muichiro..." Yuichiro felt his voice catch in his throat, much to his embarrassment.
"Brother..." Muichiro's voice trembled too. He stepped into the room in two strides, looked Yuichiro over carefully, then broke into a grin. "You're still looking so lively. That's such a relief."
"You little brat, is that any way to talk to me?" Yuichiro feigned fury and moved to thump