The disappearance of the mouse spirit had upset Kotori’s brother greatly, but like most young children his emotions waned and waxed like the moon, and soon after being soothed by my mother he was fast asleep on the mattress next to me.

Her brother had the same brown hair as her father, overall looked much more like him. Kotori did not know what exactly she looked like since this family did not own a mirror.

His soft breathing lulled Kotori into a meditative stance.

[I guess brothers can be cute like this]

While this was happening, her mother began to prepare dinner with a small pot. It seems to be a thin rice gruel filled with mostly vegetables. There was a little salt added to flavor it. Although the gruel was simple, there must have been a little ginger inside because it greatly warmed Kotori's stomach and she was grateful for eating anything at all.

Her brother had woken up in time to eat and was enjoying dinner with the family. Kotori watched as he balanced a small wooden bowl in his hands and tried to use the wooden hewn utensils. He seemed to pick at his food while avoiding the major chunks of vegetables that were in it.

“Ryuji eat your vegetables” Her mother chided

“I don’t wanna!” Ryuji protest

Her mother flashed him a glare

“Don’t make me force it down your throat”

“Eep!” Ryuji yelped and began to obediently eat his vegetables.

Kotori seeing the scene was reminiscing

[Ah reminds me of my old mother] she thought

Kotori also hated vegetables when she was younger and was often scolded for it. She had never really grown out of her dislike of them but had learned to endure it for the sake of her health. Kotori was a thorough carnivore and thus still felt a bit of longing towards being able to eat meat right now. The image of a juicy steak flashed in her mind. Though she was aware that it was unlikely she was even going to get it. She tried to ask anyway

“Hey, when do we get to eat meat”

“Meat? How do you know about that?” her mother asked

“No meat!” she exclaimed

[This really is hell!] Kotori panicked internally. Thinking that this was a world full of vegetarians.

“Hush, you’ll be able to eat meat soon enough when you find a nice man to marry, or when you become 16”

[Oh]

It was through this conversation that Kotori realized that meat just a rare commodity.

[Though 16 to be considered an adult? that seems a little young.] she thought

In the world, Kotori had come from people would become legal adults at 18 years of age. Become an adult at 16 seemed quite literally “juvenile” Once again, she was stuck with the reality of how utterly hopeless her life had become.

Everybody else had also finished eating and seemed to be waiting for something to happen. She quickly finished her food and set the bowl down patiently waiting with them. Kotori had no clue what was going on and simply went with the flow here. She was trying to fit in and hide the fact that she wasn’t really the original “Kotori” anymore.

Her father pulled out a small reed he places the end of the reed against his mouth and began to blow on it. Kotori’s face lit up in surprise when she realized the reed was in fact a flute. Her father’s hands which were thick and calloused deftly played a small tune.

The tune he played was a light and jovial song which made the heavy atmosphere of the small house seemed to light up.

[So, we at least have some entertainment]

“What song is that papa!” She asked

Sato Hikki looked at his cute daughter “Oh I don’t know”

“Wow!” Kotori looked at her father in amazement “Who taught you?”

Her mother butted in

“Kotori, didn’t we tell you that your father was accepted to train at the Atlea royal music academy,” Her mother said

“Well…” Her father started

“I was only there for a couple of years since I couldn’t pay tuition,” he said sheepishly

“As for the song, I just make them up as I go” her father explained.

It was then Kotori realized her father was quite talented. Being able to simply make up a song on the fly rather difficult for any normal musicians

“Can you teach me!” She asked

In truth, Kotori had always wanted to learn an instrument but had never gotten the chance too. Her father was a musical genius and she saw this as an exciting opportunity to finally do something she always wanted to in her past life.

“Hmm, I guess I can,” Her father said.

“Your father even plays for the Baron Derkin sometimes,” her mother said

“Baron?” Kotori said confused

“I guess you’ve never met him before, don’t worry a Baron is a nice man his taxes are fair and he rarely bothers the peasants, although I’m not sure you want to meet him” Her father explained

[I see, so this world is under some kind of feudal system]

Kotori wondered why her father showed hesitancy toward letting her see the Baron especially when he just described the Baron as a nice man.

Her father played a few more tunes

Until eventually her brother said, “Papa, play the one!”

Her father who was still in the middle of a song stopped playing, lowering his flute. He asked “Ryuji you aren’t tired of that song yet? you ask me to play it every time”

“It’s my favorite. I want to hear it again!” he said

Her father sighed and then smiled.

He once again picked up his flute to begin playing a different song. This one was much different than the others, it almost seemed to hum in the air.

[Hmm? What’s this]

Kotori knew something was immediately different in this song from others and once her father finished the song, she quickly asked him about it.

“Hey papa what was that,” she asked

“Ah, that was a song with magic,” Kotori thought back to her father's status. He did indeed have some mana in it. Although, it didn’t seem like much.

“Can you teach me that?” She asked,

“Well… it’s not something you can learn really easily it took me two years at the academy to just do that little” he said he seemed very hesitant to teach her how to use mana melodies despite the fact that he accepted her previous request.

Kotori was saddened it seemed like she would be stuck playing normal tunes unless she put in a large amount of effort and she wasn’t willing to put in the time to do it.

Her father played a few more tunes. Although, it seemed that playing the short song infused with mana had made him quite tired and soon, he stopped. Afterwards, everybody piled onto the same straw mat to settle down for the night. This was apparently a culture where everybody slept together instead of separately.

Not that there was any space to sleep separately in the small cramped house anyway…