Chapter 118
Chapter 118
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Chapter 3-1. Black Tree Tribe
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Spirit? Judah cracked a wry smile, surprised that even she would use such a term. She returned a bittersweet smile of her own as she met his gaze. It didn't seem like this would be a short conversation, so he pushed aside the blanket covering him and sat up. She stared up at him plainly.
He picked up the blanket, moved two steps to the side, and politely made a request.
"Would you mind waiting a moment? I'm no patient, so I can't just lie here chatting. If you head to the living room, I'll get ready and join you shortly."
Isabel silently watched Judah before nodding. The clothes he was wearing now weren't the fitted leather armor she'd seen before but simple, comfortable attire suited for lounging. She rose from her squat and stepped outside, at which point Judah shook out the blanket to straighten it and changed clothes. Thanks to the code's self-cleaning ability, the [Black Wolf Leather Armor Set] he'd left in the corner was spotless.
'Hmm, feels like a school uniform.'
He mainly wore one outfit anyway, so maybe that's why it felt that way, but not having to agonize over what to wear was a real blessing. After roughly changing, Judah noticed one of the three dagger sheaths at his waist was empty. Remembering how he'd thrown a dagger at an orc only for the body to fall into the river and prevent recovery, he opened his <Bag> and pulled out a spare to refill it. Once prepared, he headed to the living room and saw Isabel sitting awkwardly at the low table alongside Jeanne and Arhil.
"You're late."
"Well... this is pretty quick on my part..."
A glance at her outfit made it understandable why she'd think that. The tribe members here just draped leather over themselves casually, so they might not grasp how long changing took.
"...I'll come out faster next time."
"Heh heh, good. Oh? Ho!"
She let out a satisfied chuckle at his response before suddenly exclaiming in admiration. She seemed startled by the sight of him reaching into thin air to pull out items. The fruit smoothies from Aslan and the special sandwiches from Serenia Castle looked mouthwateringly delicious just to behold. He'd stocked up plenty of local goods in his <Bag>, so entertaining like this was no burden at all.
"You've got some special ability, huh. You're not really a spirit, are you?"
Judah smiled and distributed smoothies into cups for her skeptical gaze. It was dinnertime anyway, so he'd pulled out generous portions—more than enough even if they ate heartily.
"Food from outside? These look exotic—first time seeing anything like them."
She stared at the bowl and cup Judah pushed toward her, hesitating to reach out. Only after seeing Arhil and Jeanne pick up sandwiches with their hands did she grab one herself. She'd apparently been observing how to eat it. Forgetting her purpose in coming, she took a bite and her eyes widened.
"Delicious...!"
The initial softness gave way to the crispness of fresh lettuce, and as she chewed further, the salad flavors filled her mouth. The shock on her face at this novel food was evident. To her, who'd thought all food tasted the same, it was a massive revelation. Not the usual meat or fruit. She shoved a whole piece into her mouth. Chewing with eyes closed, she looked like she'd received divine revelation.
"Impressive. Is this what outsiders eat?"
She seemed to have completely forgotten why she'd come. After answering her initial question, she bombarded him with queries—from how sandwiches were made, what ingredients were inside, their price and availability, to whether something similar could be made here—pondering each response seriously. Judah, who'd planned a light chat over snacks, found himself deep into sandwich talk and various cuisines. Mercenaries from the Empire or elsewhere must have visited to hire help, but apparently never shared their food. She knew basics like fruit jam, so Judah shared what he could within his knowledge.
"I see. Valuable info. Next time Empire envoys come, I'll demand a chef and ingredients too. I thought outside and here were no different, but I need to rethink that. Strengthen external exchanges, you know. What do you think?"
Judah wasn't sure how to respond to her suddenly proactive stance on outreach, sparked by mere cuisine. Opting to steer back to the main topic instead, he cautiously broached it.
"Um, but... you didn't come to talk about food, right?"
"Oh? Ah, right. Forgot my purpose entirely. This sandwich is so good, I got carried away. Sorry."
"No need to apologize."
She smiled naturally, reaching for the remaining sandwich in her bowl—only to grasp empty air. It was gone already. Shifting her gaze to Arhil and Jeanne's bowls, she saw theirs empty too. Her eyes lingered regretfully on the lone piece left in Judah's bowl as she tried to return to her earlier request. Seeing this, Judah offered her his bowl. He could easily get more once out of Regen anyway.
"Thanks. Hmm... Did I mention the village was massacred by orcs?"
"Yes."
"But it might not have been orcs."
"Pardon?"
He stared at her, face full of confusion. Something was off about her words.
"When I arrived, no orcs were left. Of course, there were orc corpses. And tribesmen's corpses too. But they all shared something in common. Slashed clean in one strike by something sharp. Right at the waist, precisely. Not just waists either—heads, diagonals, all kinds."
"......"
"It was human work. Some beasts whip tails to slice things sharply, but if they'd done it, no bodies would've remained. They'd have eaten everything. Assuming orcs did it is suspicious too—they even cut down the women. Know why that's odd?"
Judah nodded.
"Orcs don't kill human or other-race women, right? For breeding."
"Exactly. They rarely slaughter women who can't resist. And stranger still... while I was there, another orc pack showed up—just a step too late."
"Why was that?"
"No idea. Maybe someone framed the orcs for wiping out the tribe. Or a prodigy orc swordsman appeared. Either way, not good news. Even a small tribe—it's still a tribe wiped out."
Her eyes sharpened.
"And they touched our Black Tree Tribe. Unforgivable. If another tribe stirred trouble between Red Bear and Black Tree, that's unforgivable too. If an orc with sword talent emerged, we can't ignore that either."
"Hmm—"
This was getting headache-inducing—troublesome. Guessing what she'd ask, Judah looked troubled. He knew her quests came with decent rewards, but his real reason for Regen was to check if the Red Bear Tribe still held the [Thirteenth Fragment ? Yakal of Wrath] safely, or if Cain had taken it. If not, he'd seize it by any means.
He'd vowed patience watching the flag tournament in Phloria's capital Aslan, but now here, he itched to confirm ASAP.
'Play along a bit, then turn the tables with my own request?'
She seemed favorably inclined toward him, so leveraging that could work.
"So, what exactly are you asking of us? Mind sharing?"
"I hadn't planned this request originally. But seeing you handle that orc pack yesterday, you're prime talent. So... scout the orc tribe? You don't know the terrain, so I'll assign a tribesman who does. Can you?"
"Seems less daunting than expected. Just scouting, right?"
"Asking outsiders like you is laughable itself. It's our job normally—no such requests. But letting someone who fearlessly soloed an orc pack sit idle? That's laughable too, no?"
If usable, use it—that was her. Judah nodded, appreciating her candor.
"Got it. Happy to help."
Accepting her request triggered the quest.
「Chief Chachaung Isabel's Request 1 - Orc Village Reconnaissance」
[The Black Tree Tribe's chief 'Chachaung Isabel' suspects foul play in a tribe's overnight annihilation.]
[Doesn't seem like beasts... and orcs don't quite fit either—not just one or two issues.]
[She suspects a third party sowing discord between Red Bear and Black Tree Tribes.]
[But orcs did descend on the village, so investigate them first.]
[Check nearby orc tribes for any exceptional orcs.]
Just info from their prior talk. Judah skimmed the quest and dismissed the window.
"I'll send someone tomorrow morning. Sorry for dropping by unannounced at dinner. And that was a fantastic meal. If you're having these sandwiches tomorrow morning too, invite me."
She left voicing her personal hope. After she departed, Judah regretted changing into leather and switched back to casual wear, chatting lightly with Jeanne and Arhil through the night.
========== Author's Note ==========
1) Whew, back to school. Not sure if the scenes I'm writing will satisfy you all. As you know, this'll be my second time writing this one^^
2) Thanks to everyone, especially those who left comments saying they enjoyed it. Lately, school assignments mean late uploads or skips—sorry, please bear with me.
3) Always grateful for coupons. Thanks to those who comment or quietly drop them off.