My Realm, My Home (Yukari's Speech)

Hello, hello. Thanks god, this casette is still running. I'm in the human village of Arkusterra, and I saw that girl from afar. Let's see what is she doing in this place?

"Kagome kagome, O bird who stuck in your own cage."

"When will you come out. Who is behind you now?"

"Kagome kagome, oh hey! Don't run too fast, you will be tripped! Hey, slow down. You too, little one. Yes, like that. Now, one, two, three! Call the name of who is behind you. No! It's wrong, you'll get a nose boop! Ahaha, you're so cute!... My god! Don't cry, don't cry! Your mother will kill me... Oh boy..."

The schoolgirl was attempting to calm the child down. Now that the game has been paused, I can take a closer look at Katsura-chan. Her short hair was gently flowing in the wind, as is typical of a Japanese schoolgirl, and she gave the image of a fine young lady. Her black eyes sparkle like the night sky with starry astrals, but they are so deep and contain a hidden charm. This girl made me feel good because of the way she smiles and speaks softly in her wonderful, sweet voice. But this feeling was a little bit... blank; maybe I'm just overthinking or tired after the incident that happened to [Redacted]. His papers about them are still successfully transferred back to me, but he's in a serious situation now. [...] Sorry, is this casette bugging? I'm trying to record the interview. [Redacted] risked himself with the papers, so I won't do that. I'm standing from afar, so she can't hear what I'm recording here. Let's get to the main topic before the cassette runs out.

She was playing with the children so harmlessly, teaching them one traditional game called Kagome Kagome. Or so? I don't really remember the name; it's about children centered around a kid who was blindfolded and kept walking round and round while singing a song. When the song ends, all of them will stop and ask the center kid who is behind them. That's all I remember. I wait for the round to end so I can call her over. Now that's it... Hey, excuse me, can I talk to you for a while? Yes, you, the child caretaker. Would you mind answering some questions? Yeah, you'll be down for some? Thanks a bunch! Can I ask about your feelings and experiences in this realm? Is it the place for you to call home?

"Yes, I feel at home in Arkusterra, even though it's so dangerous. I know of the existence of other realms since we all moved from another world to this place. Maybe I thought about traveling to another realm that's safer at first? First of all, I ended up having an encounter with a dragon. Hmm, that day, I was just an amateur who just arrived with no idea of what was happening. So I wandered down the roads that were covered with grass for a long time, looking for help. Heroes and strong fighters are not always scouting around, except for them, no humans dare to step out of protected settlements. That's why I walked for really long but still couldn't see anyone. And that's when I see it—a noble, untouchable, and powerful form of a living being who is just casually passing through. It's not hostile, and it seems most of the dragons prefer to live peacefully. Maybe they are not the only thread on these dangerous roads? But God bless me that I met one at first, or else I would've died. Unluckily, I was standing a bit too close, so the wind created by its wings blew me away. I fell into a field, hit my head on a rock, and fainted away. That dragon is a nice man; he brought me to a place that's near a human village before leaving. When I wake up, I'm already inside this village."

"Yeah, I know; I can't get a closer look at that dragon before I faint away. The people here are so nice; some even praised me for having the guts to wander on those unprotected roads. I was very grateful, and until now, I'm still grateful for the way they have treated me. Knowing I'm new, they handed me guidance and food. After all, not many humans dare to live inside Arkusterra anyway. Speak of whatever, this place is still my home, and the people here are my siblings. I work as a babysitter and bear children to earn a living. But yeah, like everyone, I have had a rough start."

"The world from which I came is much more modern than this place. That means I have to learn a lot to just live normally, do normal chores, and play popular games with children. No electricity, but with a whole new thing—magic. Isn't that wonderful? A medieval village with fantasy stuff is a dream world for many people. Less convenience but a much more interesting side of life has been discovered here, which I couldn't dream of finding if I were staying in my old world. It's been two weeks since the day I entered this realm. I was doing great here all along. Knowing that this place is dangerous and could potentially crash the peace at any time, it's still home to me. That's it. Thank you for listening!"

That girl looked like she was finding a way to keep distance. Before I could even raise my voice to call her back, I heard children's laughter burst out of nowhere. It's like I just fell into a deep hole, and the only sound I heard was her voice. Maybe I'm really tired, I should take a rest. When I looked up, I caught her eyes looking at me while she was laughing and playing with the children. I don't know, she was still pretty and adorable, with no threatening means, but I don't understand why she was smiling like that-

[The cassette has run out of tape.]