"Memorial Box"

Alan silently read the name, thoughtful.

"Alan, you know this thing?"

Tia always pays special attention to her lover's every move, and she has never even heard of the words 'sacrificial box', so Tia also feels a little strange about Alan's reaction.

"I heard a traveling mage mention a similar name a few years ago, I can't remember exactly what it was, but it's very similar."

Alan rubbed his temples, as if he was trying to think about it, but he couldn't remember it.

"You must have heard that it was called the Sacrificial Box."

Dusty said.

"Sacrifice is right! That's right, it's a sacrificial box. ”

Alan suddenly became enlightened, and the memories of four years ago poured out like a spring.

Alan was only 12 years old that year, and lived with Martha and Chester in a small village under the Duchy of Dax, Mupa. It's close to the central city, so Alan learned the manners and manners of the people in the city from an early age, so he is more precocious than the average child, and knows how to take care of the family from an early age. At that time, Chester did not go home very often, and was always in and out of other countries, as if in search of something important. So most of the time there are only two people in the family, Alan and her mother Martha.

One day, Alan left the village and went to the market in the city, because Martha's old illness had recurred and she needed to take medicine, and there was no medicine in Mupa's small pharmacy, so Alan had to leave her mother alone and rush to the market to buy medicine. Although four years have passed, for the memories sealed in the bottom of my heart, it only takes a small gust of wind to blow is enough to set off a burst of wild sand flying.

Alan vividly recalls the sound of music echoing in his ears that day. The music was beautiful and moving, and it was attractive enough for a music nerd like Allen. Allen, who was looking back and forth in the market, was attracted by such a breathtaking sound. The music was played by an old man, with a wrinkled face, dry pale hair, lilac lips that were somewhat gray, and a piccolo-shaped instrument between his bony fingers. When the fingers move back and forth on the instrument, different tones and melodies are produced, and the combination is a beautiful movement that you hear at the moment. It's also strange to say, obviously the music is so beautiful, but the onlookers are only Allen. The people who walked around all looked at each other coldly, and some even showed very disgusted expressions, but Alan was the only one who stopped and listened.

"Kid, why did you stop?"

The old man's voice was dry and hoarse, and his words were slurred, and if it weren't for the obvious movement of his lips opening and closing his lips, Alan would have thought that the old man was mute.

"Old man, your performance is so beautiful, I can't help but stop, am I bothering you by standing here?"

Alan replied politely.

"Do you think it sounds good?"

The old man's closed eyes suddenly opened, and his cloudy pupils were like the waterlogged ground on a rainy day, mixed with gray and black, and the cloudiness was bottomless.

"yes, I've never heard such beautiful music before."

Alan smiled, his expression sincere, and the old man's originally lifeless eyes suddenly flashed,

"Hehehe, I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it"

The old man sighed, and blew the instrument again, his fingers moving as if dancing, and the beautiful music flowed out again. As if enchanted, Alan sat across from the old man, hugged his knees, and listened quietly.

It was already approaching dusk, and by the time Eren came to his senses, it was already dark, and Dax's short day was nearing the end.

"What's wrong with me?"

Alan sat on the ground with his back to the wall, in front of the liveliest market on Central Street. He was sitting in the shadows between two houses. The temperature of Dax would plummet during the night, and the moisture on the ground made Alan bounce immediately. Something that had been on his lap rolled to the ground as Eren stood up.

"What is this?"

Alan picked it up from the ground and opened it to see a box of herbs wrapped in a paper bag - this box contained the medicine that Eren was going to buy for Martha. The packaging is simple, but the opening is very carefully sealed, as if to prevent the herbs from getting wet.

――I didn't buy medicine myself, so who would have done that?

Alan touched his head, looking inexplicable. I was obviously looking for a pharmacy just now, but I was attracted by a burst of music, and what happened after that? Allen's mind went blank as he looked at where he had just been sitting. I asked the uncles and aunts who were doing small businesses around, but I was told that I had never seen any old people playing the flute. In the end, Alan had no choice but to return home, although things were very strange, but if it wasn't for this herb from heaven, he might have to return empty-handed today, so let's believe that today is a day of good luck.

Watching Martha fall asleep after drinking the medicine, Alan finally put his mind at ease. But as soon as the mood relaxed, the previous questions surfaced again.

――I'll go to the market tomorrow.

Secretly making a decision, Alan stuffed the last bite of food into his mouth, washed the dishes and chopsticks, and left the room, ready to go for a walk.

The dark sky is dotted with countless stars, and although there is no moon, it still illuminates every path in the village of Mupa. Alan walked leisurely along the edge of the forest, and from time to time small birds flew by in the sky, as if to tell Alan that he was not alone.

The area where Allen's home is located is very close to the mine, so Allen often goes to the mine to practice swords, and even walks to the mine. The mine was silent at night, except for the sound of Alan walking, except for the sound of the wind scraping through the grass. But tonight's mine was very different, and as soon as he stepped into the mine, Alan heard some sounds that were different from nature. At first, I couldn't hear it really, thinking that I was having auditory hallucinations, but as I went deeper into the mine, the sound gradually became clearer.

-- It's music.

Alan heard the familiar music again, and had the rare opportunity to figure out what was going on during the day. Alan walked briskly in the direction the voice came from.

Passing through several small caves in the mining area, a small forest appeared in front of Alan's eyes, full of greenery and life. Even though he frequented and frequented here, he had never found such a place. Pushing aside the weeping willows in front of him, Alan saw the old man, with a familiar appearance, wearing a shabby trench coat, sitting under the roots of a large banyan tree. In his hand, he still had the same long piccolo-like instrument, which made a heart-warming sound under the friction of his fingers and lips.

"Hello." (To be continued.) )