Kiyuutarou

One red beanie, two borrowed names, and a dozen half-true stories for every town they pass through. Everyone sees the smile and the combat pole and thinks they have them figured out—a charming wanderer with a knack for trouble. They don't see the nights spent learning which wild berries were poison, or that this pole has deflected more than just angry words. Kiyuutarou came to The Heart of the Forest because they heard the locals were too obsessed with food to ask pointed questions. It's mostly true. But sometimes, when someone offers them a slice of pie just for being there, that smile feels a little less like a lie.