Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Chapter 3-1. Black Tree Tribe
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Without a guide, it had been four days since they entered Rigen's lands and followed the path. Though they weren't lost, Judah led his companions along briskly, his mind wandering to the absurd thought that the Amazon rainforest he'd never seen might not be this vast.
A land called a kingdom must surely be home to a fair number of tribes, yet not a single human shadow had crossed Judah's eyes. Instead, orcs and other异 races roamed more freely. He even found himself idly speculating that the tribes living here might have been wiped out long ago by these creatures.
'Not with Quake around, though.'
With the Fragment's owner present, what chance did these orcs have of destroying them? So, it was about time someone finally showed up.
"Are we really going the right way? Tell me we are."
"Uh-huh."
No signs of human habitation appeared no matter how far they walked—just ambushes from monsters and异 races—so the women shot him suspicious glances. Judah felt sorry for them but could only give that vague response.
"At least we're not going in circles, so don't worry too much. And since we're following the path, we're definitely heading the right way."
Even if overgrown with foliage, a path like this didn't form overnight. That single fact seemed highly convincing, as they fell silent. No wonder—Judah himself was battling immense frustration, so they must be too. He made sure to treat them as well as possible to make up for it.
"Ah!"
Judah, who had been walking steadily, let out his first joyful sound since entering Rigen. His deployed shadow had detected a human atop it. He thought it might be an orc with a similar build, but the shadow's intel confirmed it was human. Spotting the figure approaching, Judah hurried toward it, with Arhil and Jeanne close behind.
Perhaps hearing the rustle of parting foliage, the other side crouched low and hid. They seemed to be hiding stealthily, but Judah had their position pinpointed. He approached thoughtlessly toward the one lying prone in the bushes directly ahead, waiting for an opening, his heart full of pleasant surprise.
Instantly, the hidden figure lifted its head and thrust out a hand. In it gleamed a sharp dagger.
"Shei! Stop!"
Others nearby shouted, but it was too late. The boy before Judah swung his dagger at his nape with tense eyes. He probably hadn't even registered the others' cries.
Despite the sudden ambush, Judah didn't panic and simply stepped back. The dagger sliced empty air, then thrust straight at his body like a serpent. No sign of stopping, so Judah parried the boy's strike with his own dagger, which he'd been using to clear brush and branches.
Clang!
The difference in strength was clear. Overwhelmed, the dagger flew from the boy's hand, leaving his body wide open to Judah. As the boy cried out in shock, Judah slipped inside his guard, drove an elbow into his solar plexus, then swiftly grabbed his throat and hoisted him up.
Tears welled in the boy's eyes as he clutched weakly at Judah's wrist. Those who had been hiding emerged, weapons drawn, their faces strangely fearful.
Their appearance was distinctive. The boys and girls wore only crude leather scraps over vital areas, while the adults draped themselves in beast hides—boar, wolf, bear. Their sun-bronzed skin gleamed over lean muscles. But contrasting their skin, their hair blazed in vivid colors. They aimed weapons at Judah ambiguously, clearly reluctant to fight.
"Relax. I don't want to fight either."
If it could end peacefully, that was best. Judah smiled and set the boy down from his throat hold. The boy, finally able to breathe, coughed and sputtered, drool and tears streaming. One from the group approached the boy, while the others knelt on one knee before Judah, bowing their heads in respect.
"Huh?"
Was sparing the boy such a big deal? Their overly formal courtesy left him flustered. Suspicious. Were they trying to lower his guard? Caution swelled in his chest even as the man in bear hide—who seemed to lead them—spoke politely to Judah.
"We thank you for your mercy, Spirit. Please forgive our rudeness."
Spirit?
Judah blinked and glanced back. Jeanne and Arhil looked equally baffled, staring blankly.
"You're calling me a spirit... right now?"
"Yes. If you intended to hide your nature as a spirit, we truly apologize."
The "spirit" they spoke of was like a shamanistic deity, unique to them. The issue was that they saw Judah as one.
'I don't have any settings like that.'
He knew they believed in spirits, but he hadn't detailed what form they took or what they were. When setting up quests, he'd only made NPCs say things like "The spirits are angry!" or "The spirits will guide us"—nothing concrete about their appearance or nature.
Even the knowledge he'd gained from books in Serenia's library after arriving in this world had no such details. Understandably, little was known about Rigen's tribes, and no books compiled it.
"......"
They didn't seem to be deceiving him with bowed heads. Unable to stay like this forever, Judah scratched his nape.
"Why don't you stand up first?"
"Yes."
They rose cautiously, watching his face.
"Why do you see me as a spirit?"
The man stared as if wondering why he'd ask something so obvious, then hurriedly bowed again.
"Pure black hair and eyes are the mark of our Black Tree Tribe's spirit."
Black Tree Tribe! Judah's face lit up. Rigen hosted countless tribes, a few dominating the rest. The Black Tree Tribe was one. Skilled with bows and daggers, honest to a fault, unable to lie. One Judah had created, trustworthy. Normally he'd suspect such goodwill, but spirits were gods to them—they wouldn't exploit that with lies.
'Still, better stay cautious just in case.'
Judah sheathed his dagger in the leather belt at his waist.
"But what now? Regrettably, I'm not the spirit you think... just an ordinary adventurer come to these lands."
"...? Ah. Yes. That's fine. I understand what you mean."
He clearly didn't. Judah thought the man hadn't grasped it. He invited Judah to visit their tribe, and Judah gladly accepted. Jeanne and Arhil eyed them warily, but lore said they didn't practice cannibalism, so they followed Judah carefully.
After about an hour, what they'd seen of Rigen so far seemed like a lie: a clean stream flowed, wooden fences stood, and sturdy log buildings dotted a settlement. The houses had unique structures—built on platforms held by four thick logs, elevated 1 meter off the ground, requiring stairs to enter.
And the villagers were far cleaner than Judah expected. The hunters guiding them wore beast hides, bodies etched with mysterious tattoo-like patterns and odd smells, but the villagers had almost no tattoos, their skin smooth and glossy.
Yet they too knelt on one knee upon seeing Judah, bowing respectfully. Whispers of "Spirit..." echoed everywhere.
"Nice, huh? Getting the royal treatment? Hehe."
Arhil, sticking close behind Judah, teased in a small voice. Royal treatment indeed—they halted their work to bow as if a king had arrived. The guiding hunter stopped Judah before a large house, asked him to wait, and slipped inside alone.
"The chief's house?"
"Probably. In a place like this, house size signals status or wealth."
Arhil asked, Jeanne answered. Since meeting the hunter, her voice had brightened, her words flowing again. Eavesdropping on their chat eased Judah's mind. Soon, the bear-hide hunter emerged.
"The chief wishes to meet the spirit... er, the guest. Will you enter?"
No real choice. Planning to rely on them here, greeting the chief early wasn't bad. Judah nodded, leading Jeanne and Arhil up the stairs and inside.
The moment he entered, Judah's eyes widened.
'Papered doors? Trading with Baekje or something?'
They lacked the tech or materials for that locally—likely from a mercenary dispatched outward. Far from isolated primitives, it seemed. Following the hunter across the wooden floor, he saw people inside bowing hastily to him.
'Oh, right—the chief... maybe her?'
Judah tilted his head, opening his Memo to check Rigen info. The Black Tree Tribe's chief in his memory was Isabel, a beauty leading a great tribe with a tough personality and expert archery. A popular NPC who gave sweet quests to players. Fans had protested her not being recruitable... As he pondered the chief, they reached her room.
"Chief. I've brought the spirit... no, the outsider... sorry. The outsider."
"Is that so? Let them in. I want to see their face."
"Yes."
The hunter told Judah to go in and stepped back. Taking it as open the door himself, Judah gripped the papered door and slid it open side to side.