006. Help Chizu pick up her items.

I bent down and grabbed the rolling onion and picking it up. The foreign **** girl scrambled after it and looked up at me, tears covering her face. She was about my sister's age, maybe a little younger, and I just couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Here," I smiled as I held out the vegetable to her.

She snuffled back a sob enough to whisper, "Thank you, Matsumoto-sensei."

"I always figured you for a coward like your father, but never as an actual traitor as well!" Natsumi mockingly shouted over at me as I helped the girl collect her things and stand up.

"And it takes a big woman to pick on a girl a third her size and age," I shouted back. I was worried at first that would make her come over and beat the crap out of me, but I just couldn't help myself from saying it. Luckily I think she realized she looked more the fool than me for even bothering with us, so turned and stormed off back into her empty dojo.

Chizu was still very shaky, **** back sobs, so I decided to walk her back home. 'Ushi will be fine', I told myself. "You have to watch out for Natsumi," I cautioned the frail **** girl. "She's not someone you want to be alone with."

"Chizu clumsy," she explained meekly, "and must watch feet more." She still took responsibility, even when she was the victim.

I didn't know how to respond to that kind of selflessness, so just smiled and walked as I considered Chizu's history here. She came to town about two years ago as a prisoner of war and was quickly turned into Mister Takahashi's **** once the war went into full swing.

She wasn't seen for the first year as she was trained to be their household ****, but she'd definitely been broken in and quite docile and civilized for someone from a barbarian tribe. Of course, she was the only one from that tribe I'd ever seen, but the shocking exotic purple hair made it clear she wasn't a normal person from these parts.

With the way the day had been going I couldn't help but examine her cute outfit and body, and instantly felt ashamed for doing so. She might have flowered as a woman biologically, but only just. She was at least two years younger than I was and possibly younger. Even still she was attractive in her cute black and white maid outfit, even covered in dirt as it was now. She'd definitely grow up to be a stunning looking woman in the next few years, and that was enough to start the uncomfortable tightness in my pants again.

I eventually explained that I was looking for Ushi and how the ox had gone missing, and it was just my luck when Chizu pointed up the hill at the old ruins stating confidently, "Ushi is there."

I looked and could see the wayward beast's tail behind the broken vine-covered walls as we walked by. I thanked Chizu and left her to return the short distance back to the manor alone as I went to retrieve the missing farm animal. He'd been chewing at the vines on the central stone obelisk, and I could only imagine how that would affect his digestion.

The sun had just set and the nearly full moon was glowing with its pale white light now, and as I took the reins of Ushi's harness something made me look at the hole in the vines where Ushi had chewed away to expose the stone underneath. There chiseled in on the rock was the character for 'healthy', but it was also the first character of my given name. I pulled back the vine to look at the next character in curiosity and was surprised that the next one was 'rule', completing 'Kenji'. Then I had to continue, though I knew it was probably just some crazy coincidence. The preceding characters thought really freaked me out. 'Pine' and 'base' declared 'Matsumoto'.

I told myself I was just being silly however since my name was actually a fairly common one. This was probably some history or tribute to some ancestor of mine. I release Ushi's harness to pull more and more on the vines, exposing the text around my name, but there wasn't any. It was only this name as far as I could tell. Breathing hard from ripping away the vines Ushi turned as he cocked his head and turned to walk away. I moved after, not wanting to lose him again, but then I could hear Kouki's voice carrying from our home as she called out "Kenji!" to call me home.

Ushi was similarly called, so I caught up and took his reins again and walked him back before yelling "Coming!" I stabled Ushi back in the barn and returned to our small home to find Kouki had dinner ready. Neither of us spoke about what had happened earlier as she served me up a small bowl of rice and vegetable stew.

After eating in silence I just had to talk so I asked, "Did you know my name is on that old stone obelisk in the temple ruins?"

She sighed and scowled at me, "Please don't tell me you are a vandal now!"