Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

— Kii-kii.

With the baby Black-Clawed Red Earwig crying desperately for its mother, I raced through the lava cave and entered the passage. But no matter how far we went, its cries didn’t stop.

It kept wriggling in my arms.

If I went straight up to the village like this, it would immediately be surrounded by the others, leaving it no time to grieve. It would be overwhelmed before it could even process what had happened.

So, I leaned against the tunnel wall and spoke to it for a while.

“Hmm... Hello? My name is So-ryong. Why don’t we talk for a bit? But where should I even start...”

I introduced myself first, then tried to explain why its mother had no choice but to make that decision.

Unlike the others, this little one had received the most love from its mother, but the rest of its siblings wouldn’t have survived if she hadn’t made that choice.

I also explained that, as per its mother’s request, I would take care of it until it was grown.

Once I finished, the little one seemed to calm down a bit and looked up at me.

I stroked its head and asked,

“Feeling a little better?”