The Bride Of The Sacred Forest God
Chapter 3. Charged Tasks

The sun started to rise that morning.

In Aragaki's main residence, he had already woken up earlier than the others. With his neat clothes and large tail, Aragaki sat down at his desk looking at the paper rolls piled up next to him.

The traditional wooden door in the room opens and instantly exposes a view of the garden and the blossoming cherry blossoms. It was that scene that became Aragaki's friend in the morning.

From the outside engawa, Ryuunosuke ran in a hurry.

“Aragaki-sama, Aragaki-sama!”

Aragaki who was reading then put back the scroll.

“Ryuunosuke, good morning. What's in a hurry?”

“Aragaki-sama, no! I...I cannot enter the kitchen to prepare breakfast!”

“Why can't I? Who banned you?”

“Na–Nagi-sama who banned it.”

“Again doing it? Why?”

“I..I went to the kitchen early in the morning to cook rice and side dishes so Reda-sama can eat and–”

“Reda? Who is Reda?”

Aragaki who initially looks friendly listening to the story of her little paddler suddenly turned serious. He felt that he did not know the name and became a little strange.

With the tail and ears of the fox Ryuunosuke descending in fear, he replied.

“Itu...name of candidate ‘bride’ Aragaki-sama. The girl last night was named Reda-sama.”

Now, Aragaki's eyes changed. His facial expression looked filled with hatred and his clenched hands strongly signified the evidence of his dislike for the girl.

“I want to bring you a change of clothes and breakfast for Reda-sama, but Nagi-sama prevents me from entering the kitchen. Nagi-sama said that I should not bring food to Reda-sama. Aragaki-sama, please tell Nagi-sama to–”

“Ryuunosuke..”

“I–iya?”

“I don't want to feed humans.”

“Eh?”

A look of anger and hatred was visible. Ryuunosuke became even more afraid. The cold words on a sunny morning were like a sign of misfortune. Moreover, it was said directly by the ruler of Higashi no Mori.

“A–Aragaki-sama, but–”

“I don't want to feed people. What Nagi did was right. That should be what everyone in this place is doing. Why is it that only Ryuunosuke himself is so obsessed with humans?”

“Aragaki-sama, don't talk that way! Reda-sama is a good person! Unlike the human girl before this, I am sure that Reda-sama can make–”

“The humans are all the same!” Aragaki snapped at Ryuunosuke. The sound was heard coming out. Making some of the demons that were standing guard around the park hear it.

“Aragaki..-sama” Ryuunosuke surprised.

“Humans are all the same! They're vandals, liars, traitors! No matter how good we are at them, they will always deny what they have promised. I will never forget my hatred for them!”

Aragaki's anger makes her unable to control every nail on her growing finger. There was a red mark on Aragaki's forehead and his large tail became even bigger.

A murderous aura started coming out every time he said reason for reason why he hated humans so much.

“I will not repeat this sentence for the third time, Ryuunosuke. I don't feed people. If you keep insisting, then you should try yourself to feed him. Even if this afternoon he comes to this place, the first thing I will do is throw him back like I did last night.”

Ryuunosuke was trembling. He started to tear and cry. Seeing his little servant frightened, Aragaki instantly turned calm. The terrifying aura and the mark on his forehead disappeared, his iron tail returning to its original size. He looks like his original figure again.

“I'm sorry to scare you in the morning, Ryuunosuke. Now go and do your job. There's still so much to do after this. This afternoon, Ryuunosuke can meet me after lunch.”

“Ba–baik” Ryuunosuke left with a sad face and tears still coming out. He failed to ask his master for help.

Now, he should be able to think of getting at least some rice in order to cook for the poor girl in the forest.

**

Inside the old hut in the forest, Reda had just opened her eyes. His body was still unable to move because of the pain that was felt due to being thrown away overnight.

“Sickness..”

Slowly get up and look around. There was a strange feeling he felt.

“This is not a dream. I really slept in this place. Somehow it feels so good.”

Although the pain in his body was still felt, he still took the time to smile. In his mind, being able to live after thinking last night was his last night of life was a God's gift to him.

After forcing herself to stand up, she went to wash her body as well as her face.

In the forest, Ryuunosuke walks with two cucumbers, two round tomatoes and two potatoes in a basket. On his shoulder, there was another cloth that was the clothes for the girl.

“Ah, good morning little fox.” saya Reda

Ryuunosuke dropped all the vegetables in the basket and looked flushed.

“Ka–ka–ka–kamu..Reda-sama?”

“Iya. Indeed why? Is my face full of mosquito bites?” Reda looks confused. The little fox's reaction astonished him.

Inwardly, Ryuunosuke was praising her.

“Beauty. Of all the girls who came, this was the prettiest. I'm sure that this girl can definitely make Aragaki want to like humans again! I'm sure! My servant's instincts were shaking to see it! It will not be wrong!”

“Little change? Ryuunosuke?”

“Ah! Pardon me! Here, I bring you clothes and. Waa! I'm sorry, the vegetables fell all!”

Reda just smiled looking at him.

Ryuunosuke took the vegetables back and gave them to Reda. They sat together on the tatami.

“I'm sorry. I wanted to bring you breakfast this morning, but Aragaki-sama said he didn't want to feed the humans so I couldn't bring you breakfast. I was forced to steal all of this so that you could eat, Reda-sama. But all this is still raw.”

Ryuunosuke looks so sad. Seeing that, Reda rubbed the little fox's head gently.

“It's okay, this alone makes me happy. I used to eat leftovers thrown into the street by villagers so grateful to be able to eat these fresh vegetables. Thank you very much.”

“Reda-sama..”.

Take the basket and wash the vegetables. By utilizing the objects that are there, Reda cut the potatoes into small pieces and then steam them briefly, while tomatoes and cucumbers are cut into small pieces using a rusty knife that has been washed before.

After the steaming of the potatoes ripened, Reda presented them on a cracked plate in the place.

“Ryuunosuke should also have breakfast. I'm sorry I couldn't make another one. No seasoning of any kind here.”

“No! I am the one who should apologize for not being able to bring breakfast to Reda-sama!”

“It's okay. Let's eat too.”

“Ryuunosuke..had eaten before, so it's best Reda-sama who ate it.”

“Good. I ate ya.”

Reda enjoys every steamed potato, tomato and cucumber it. It felt like there was happiness for him who had only been eating leftovers on the road. Big luck, that's what he thought.

Ryuunosuke just looked at the girl calmly while wagging his fox tail.

“I'm sure he's the right person for Aragaki-sama! I'm sure it is!”

Finished breakfast, Ryuunosukue explained a little what Reda had to do during her time in Higashi no Mori.

“Reda-sama, during these three months you have to serve Aragaki-sama as a waiter in Higashi no Mori.”

“Serve? What does it have to do with the candidate ‘bride’?”

“Calon ‘bride’ it is a designation for the girl given to Aragaki-sama. This is done because of tradition since 200 years ago because of a serious problem.”

“Serious problems?”

“True. The girl who is called the candidate of ‘bride’ here has the task to serve Aragaki-sama like other maids, starting from cooking, mopping and preparing all the needs of Aragaki-sama every day.”

“So. It means that Aragaki-sama's command must be obeyed yes.”

“True.”

“Then, is there any other intent with the word candidate ‘bride’ it? I think that means marrying Aragaki-sama.”

“It's impossible. Aragaki-sama will not marry a human.”

“Why?”

“Beliau. There was a point why only the girl in the village was sacrificed. That thing, I don't think I can say it. What is clear is that later at noon, Reda-sama will meet with Aragaki-sama.”

Reda just nodded. What he knows now, being a sacrifice means that he serves Aragaki. The girl was still unaware of any other duties being charged at her.

“I have to be a good servant to Aragaki-sama so that I don't get thrown like last night. If by serving him I can still eat and sleep in this place, I will have to fight.”

Ryuunosuke looked at the innocent smile of the beautiful girl. Guilt began to cloud him.

“I can't say it. I cannot say that this girl only has 3 months chance to make Aragaki-sama willing to accept it by serving all the needs of Aragaki-sama.”

“If it fails, this girl will be killed by Aragaki-sama himself like the others. How can I snatch that innocent smile.”

****