>>5630743Sira calls his crows to meet at the house he is staying at.
With all nine other crows in the living room, Sira tells the leader of the bandits that all of his men are here, waiting for the negotiation.
A knock on the door.
They see a young human, wearing dark green clothes. Despite being sixteen, his height nearly surpasses Sira. His tunic is tattered and his fabric covered straw hat has many nicks in it. His only weapon is a cheaply made dussack on his hip — a crudely constructed blade made from a single piece of metal, with the lower portions of the tang bent and shaped into a knucklebow. Little more than a tool than can cut wood and leaves.
""I am the leader. The one you spoke to.""
「Where’s the rest?」
""They are here. Observing me. They’re not good at talking.""
The bandit leader explains that they have been stealing peaches off this plantation in order to keep their family safe.
Him and seven other bandits are children of a farmer and a merchant. Their father was a player of the dark arts, and had a 'Bow Buffalo', a type of statue made from occult metals that holds a spirit. If properly fed and given water, it can perform miracles when commanded.
Their father chose peaches as the main food source due to its abundance during his time. For a few decades, their farm and their mother’s career were successful, but recently, Clawflash’s focus on international trade has pressured many farmers to cultivate higher quality fruits and sell them at a higher price, or specialize in rice entirely.
Eventually, their father isn’t able to afford the once cheap peaches anymore, and the Bow Buffalo curses them for their failure. Once their father passed away, it became even worse for the family since there wasn’t anyone that knows how to deal with the occult statue. Right now, they can only satiate it with peaches to keep them from debilitating their mother and stifle their family’s income.
「That’s tough.」
「Couldn’t you give that thing peaches of your own farm?」
"No. We tried that. He-."
A young female voice is heard.
""Uhh…""
""Fine. No more tricks. Drop your veils.""
Seven more kids appear in the living room. Their presence by spirits, they were listening in on the conversation this entire time while being invisible.
The clothing themselves aren’t invisible. They’re aided by spirits, similar to Warin.The bandit leader taps his younger sister’s head.
""He only want peaches from somewhere much colder than our farm.""
