Chapter 5 is here (^_^)/

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thanks for all feedback, and also thanks for the tip by hunknow (^_^)/

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"Ten...twenty...thirty...and eight.... I need two more for forty"(Rune)

It's been a few months after the warrior ceremony. Right now, I'm counting all my handmade bracelets, with many colors and many different types of flowers.

Ever since I made that pendant for my brother, my handmade craft pendants have become well known inside the village.

At first, they asked me to make the same pendant as my brother, but then my brother released a very scary killing intent towards those guys and put on some puppy eyes while facing me. So I declined them. After all, that pendant was to commemorate my brother's achievement. It wouldn't feel right if I made the same pendant.

That's why I proposed to make bracelets for them instead. At first, [Esta] didn't like the idea since she requested the exact same pendant as my brother's. Then, I promised her to make a bracelet from the same tree as my brother's pendant with the same flower emblem. At the end of my persuasion, I called her 'future sister-in-law'.

She became stoned, but I could see how overjoyed she was when I called her that. Her tail was swinging crazily fast.

Mostly, my customers are women. But, sometimes there's a guy too. It seems to be some sort of new trend for a guy to give my handmade bracelet for girl they like in our village. Well, I don't mind much as long they pay me.

At first, it took me a day to make one bracelet. But, as my crafting skill level went up, I could make them faster now.

Now, my skills are:

[Healing skill ] - Lv.24

[Cure skill] - Lv. 10

[Apothecary skill] - Lv. 20

[Crafting skill] - Lv.33

[Sword of the South ] - Lv. 6

I learned the basic stance of [Sword of the South] in secret when I gathered the material to made the bracelet by copying my brother's movement. I've been watching him train for two years after all. At first, my brother insisted to accompany me, but after a long debate, as well with the help of some tears, my family let me go alone. I promised them to only search near the village, but I don't always adhere to that promise. I tried to train my sword skills by fighting some slime near the forest. My skill level went up quite fast, but it still is not enough to fight adult humans and my body can't keep up as the skill keeps leveling up. Sometimes my body would stop functioning because of the excessive power and speed the skill needs. My body would grow numb and become frozen for almost 30 minutes. When that happens, I would cast a healing spell on myself while I catch my breath.

"....... and with this, forty bracelets."(Rune)

I have just finished two more bracelets and put them aside with the others. What I need to do now is dye them.

".........blue, green and...red?"(Rune)

I think I have just ran out of red color. I need more of the wild red berry.....there's still a week before my fourth year birthday, so it should be okay, [Eden Rectival] did say that I was kidnapped when I was four and I'm not four yet. Besides, I need to finish all these bracelets tonight.

"Mother, I'll go pick some wild red berry right now."(Rune)

"Okay sweety, be careful!"(Adien)

I pick my basket and take off.

.....

"Are you going to the hill, Rune?" (???)

A familiar voice asked.

"Yeah, wanna come?"(Rune)

While I asked, the figure of Neit suddenly appeared behind me.

"Uh-hu, I need to pick some herbs for doctor Alba." (Neit)

Neit and I chat along the way, mostly about the herbs and medicine.

Neit never really was a combat type of person, he trains as an obligation to our village, but the truth is that he wants to be like doctor Alba. I like to borrow doctor Alba's medicine books and so does Neit. At first, he was a very quiet kind of person, but, as soon he saw me reading the medicine book, he became a talkative person. We always talk about plants and medicine, exchange medicine plants we found or mix some herb together, we are practically best buds.

"Aren't you suppose to be at the training ground today?"(Rune)

"Well, your brother is at the training ground today, and my sister won't be focused teaching me, she will keep daydreaming as long your brother's there, so...I think it's better to gather some herbs for doctor."(Neit)

"Your sister is really heads over heel for my brother, huh?"(Rune)

Neit's training was always used as an execuse by Esta to meet my brother, so that's why he always complains to me, the 'eyewitness' of all suffering Esta put him through.

"Yeah, it's really annoys me to see how dense your brother is."(Neit)

What can I say, 70% of my brother brain is preoccupied by his little sister, 27% is training and the other percentage is the rest. I don't even think he has room for romance.

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I feel guilty.

"I'm sorry..."(Rune)

"I don't blame you. On the contrary, I sympathize with you."(Neit)

Having a brother who overly dotes on you, who does not let any guys get near you, always cuddles at every opportunity and is overly protective....

Even I'm tired just thinking about it.

"I wish my brother would be more like you."(Rune)

"Please don't say that. If Eden hears that, I will be killed"(Neit)

"*sigh*...... He's just too much"(Rune)

Neit suddenly takes my basket.

"Aren't you gonna pick some herbs?"(Rune)

"You can help me after we pick the wild berry. After all, two people are faster than one, right?"(Neit)

Just like that, both of us pick the herbs and wild berry while chatting and joking.

It's been a couple minutes.

"Do you think this enough?"(Rune)

My basket already full of wild berry and herbs without us realizing.

"I think this is enough, we should go back now."(Neit)

Just when I turn around, I see two names floating around the bushes. Thanks to [Analyzing Eyes], only I can see those two names.

"Is that.."(Rune)

It can't be right?

"Something wrong, Rune?"(Neit)

"No, it's just-"(Rune)

Right before I finish my word, something shiny catches my eyes.

"Neit, duck!"(Rune)

I push Neit down and an arrow flies by, grazing my leg. I'm starting to get numb. Is it poisoned?

"Run Neit!"(Rune)

"But Rune, your leg!"(Neit)

"Run! I will be okay! They won't kill me! Hurry and call my brother!"(Rune)

I shouldn't be killed here, right?

Neit run as fast as he can. Even though he's older than me, defeating two adult humans is too absurd.

"The other one is running away!"(slave trader 2)

"Leave him! We must hurry before the villagers come for us."(slave trader 2)

Aaa.... so today really is the day I was being kidnapped. They said I will be kidnapped when I was four....... I wasn't even four yet! That stupid brother! Don't tell me he just rounded up my age when he told the story! I let my guard down!

They just put my body inside something similar to a potato sack, then put me on their horse and took off.

"[Cure]"(Rune)

I cast cure to myself and the numb feeling slowly disappear. As my skill got higher, I only needed to use a little amount of mana, even if it's usually the double the amount for normal people. But, I can still feel little sleepy........ the more I use my mana, the more sleepy I can get.

*yawn*

I think taking a quick nap won't hurt and so, I close my eyes as I fell sleep.

.........

......

"This lass is sleeping!"(slave trader 2)

"Unbelievable!"(slave trader 1)

A loud voice awake me. Both of my legs and arms are in shackles. As I open my eyes, I can see a cave in front of me. It's seems they hide in there for the mean time while they search for their targets.

"I wonder if you're courageous or simply ignorant?"(slave trader 1)

"Let's see if she's brave enough to stay in the same cage as that thing!"(slave trader 2)

"Are you really gonna put her in that cage?"(slave trader 1)

"The other cages are already full, remember! We need to buy a new one in the next town! Beside the other kids keep crying the moment we put them inside that thing's cage! We need to put her there whether she like it or not!"(slave trader 2)

"What if she dies?"(slave trader 1)

!?

W-why I'm gonna die?

"We can't sell a dead slave!"(slave trader 1)

Wait a minute! Why am I gonna die?!

Am I gonna die already?! It's really that fast?!

"Don't worry, that thing is already chained, right? The guy we paid said that thing can do nothing now. Besides, we need to move those cages tomorrow. The sooner we put this child inside, the sooner I'll catch my sleep."(Slave trader 2)

These two guys bring me inside, deeper and deeper inside until I see some cages and wagon. As part of the wolf-tribe, I don't have any problem seeing in the dark.

I can see many other kids inside the cages. In the corner, there is a small cage covered with dusty fabric. Only this cage seems so lonely.

"Move!"(slave trader 2)

These guys pull my shackles roughly as I stumble and land in front of the lonely cage.

"Get in, you mutt!"(slave trader 1)

I was picked up and tossed into the cage. My body crashes into the iron bars before it falls on the cold, iron floor.

"*cough*cough*"(Rune)

That hurts!

The room grows dark as the slave trader leave with their oil lamp.

I tries to sit. Then I realize there's a pair of shining eyes watching me from the the corner of the cage.

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Special thanks for Tivanenk (^_^)/

Thanks for reading