Chapter 3
The silence between them was palpable and could be seen even from afar. Although Gen had planned it, he didn't expect you to accept it so readily, but it was to be expected from the great Silence, if that was your name...
"Have I ever come this deep into the forest where you're leading me, Silence?" Gen asked, even though he anticipated no response. He was distracted, looking around at the somewhat obscure location. How long had he been walking? Five minutes, or perhaps ten? Even if he knew the answer, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Gen hoped that Silence wouldn't lead him into something dangerous, a shiver running down his spine at the thought.
"Why did you stop suddenly?" Gen finally looked at the boy/girl as they approached. They pulled aside a bush, revealing a simple, old dwelling that must have belonged to someone, perhaps Senku. Although there were improvements, like the fact that the ground-level house appeared larger, or maybe the treehouse had also improved, especially the new-looking staircase. Everything had a touch of charm to it. Following the boy/girl, Gen came in front of the house, which he was now invited to climb. Going up and sliding open a sliding door (ancient Japanese-style with paper) and drawing the curtain, he saw a kind of bedroom, a large double bed, some chests and shelves, and a wooden desk. For a moment, Gen thought he might have to share the bed with Silence since it was right there.
Before anything else, the boy/girl took out a thick futon with a blanket and a pillow and placed it on the bed. Gen noticed that he would be sleeping here but not alone on the same bed. A possible sigh of relief escaped him once it was done, and Silence went outside with Gen following, sitting on the ground in front of the tree.
"So, what do we do now? Maybe now I'll find out what Silence does and what its role here is," Gen thought aloud. The boy/girl took out a book they had with them and pointed to a to-do list where it was written what to do, pointing to the first item, "get food."
"Let's get some food. Interesting!" Afterward, Gen followed Silence into the laboratory, where they took two baskets, giving one to Gen and using the other themselves. The boy/girl also took a spear, which they hid in the basket, and slung it over their shoulder. They also had a bow and arrow. Now ready, the two set off to the left of the house, with Gen following without any issues. They went to a field where they filled Gen's basket with berries and edible plants, such as wild strawberries and apples.
Then, they headed to the beach, and Gen watched as Silence worked, using the spear to catch river fish and even setting traps to catch more than they needed. Silence's basket was filled with fish, and it was a lot. Despite this, the basket was also full of rabbits and even meat from some small animals.
"Is this how you do it every day?" Gen wondered for a moment if it was madness, as he saw Silence climbing trees just to hang upside down. However, after witnessing how capable the boy/girl was, like killing a deer with arrows, he didn't judge. They returned to the house, leaving the baskets full of food in the "lab," and then went on to the next task.