The Vegan Troll's Cabin, Part 17
Billy had been right. By the time they reached the village, the sun had already sunk more than halfway below the horizon.
"Well, look at that. We actually made it back before total darkness," Yohan remarked sarcastically, looking up at the sky as it slowly bruised into a deep indigo.
Still, unlike the journey out, the return trip hadn't required them to keep their guards up, which made the walk far less exhausting. There were barely any wild beasts in the area to begin with, and the only real threat—the man-eating trolls—had been completely wiped out by Yohan's own hands.
As the party approached the outskirts of the village, the locals spotted them and began to gather, trickling in one by one. Yohan scanned their faces. Even though he had done it to save their lives, he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious about how harshly he had yelled and cursed at them earlier.
"Everyone, gather 'round!" Yohan called out.
"They're back? And they're alive?"
Fortunately, the villagers didn't seem to care about his rough language. To them, the only thing that mattered was whether the man-eating trolls had actually been dealt with. It made sense, considering they had spent their entire lives living under that constant shadow of terror.
Soon, not only those who had been outside but even those who had already retired to their homes came pouring out, surrounding Yohan's group.
"Did you really kill them?"
"You didn't just run away, did you?"
The village, which had been as silent as a tomb just hours ago, instantly erupted into a clamor.
"Alright, alright, calm down. Take a look at this first," Yohan shouted over the noise. He reached out and took a large, cloth-wrapped bundle from Falco's arms.
As Yohan began to unwrap the cloth, the gathered villagers watched with bated breath, their faces tight with tension. The moment the severed head of the Troll Chief was fully revealed to the world—
"Eek!"
Starting with one woman's gasp, a wave of terrified shrieks swept through the crowd in an instant.
"It's—it's a t-t-t-troll!"
Children burst into tears, and several elders and young women collapsed to the ground, their legs giving out from sheer fright.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down! Look closely! It's just a dead bastard's head!" Yohan yelled, struggling to quiet the panicked crowd. Honestly, considering they had lived under the reign of terror of the man-eating trolls for generations, it was a miracle they hadn't all fainted on the spot.
"Is it really... is it really dead?"
Despite their shock, the villagers were still plagued by doubt. An old man asked Yohan repeatedly, his voice trembling.
"I'm telling you, it's real." Yohan clicked his tongue and kicked the Troll Chief's head, sending it rolling onto its side. "If you don't believe me, come over and check for yourselves. You can even touch it if you want."
The villagers exchanged hesitant glances. After a long, tense silence, the old man who had spoken up first took a trembling step forward.
"Take a good look. See if this is the bastard who led the trolls that hunted you down." Though there's no way it isn't, Yohan muttered to himself as he stepped aside to give the old man room.
The old man nodded and peered closely at the troll's head. After a thorough inspection, he stood back up, turned around, and faced the crowd.
"It's really him. They actually did it."
"Whoooaaaa!"
The moment the old man finished speaking, the villagers erupted into a deafening cheer. The roar was so loud that Yohan instinctively covered his ears.
"We're free!"
"Curse those wretched cannibals!"
Some wept tears of pure joy, while others spat curses at the now-destroyed troll tribe that had tormented them for so long. The clamor went on for quite some time, until someone finally noticed a glaring omission.
"Wait a minute. Where's Jack? Where is Jack?" asked a man who looked to be about Jack's age. At his words, several villagers paused their celebrations and turned their attention to Yohan.
Sigh. This was exactly why he had told the man to stay put in the village. Yohan let out a heavy sigh and glanced at Billy, who had been quietly waiting for his cue.
Billy nodded silently. He gently laid Jack's body down on the ground and pulled back the cloth wrapping him.
"Ugh..."
The man who had asked gasped instinctively at the sight. After a brief freeze, he knelt down, bringing himself level with Jack's body.
Although Jack's eyes were closed and his expression was peaceful, his physical injuries were horrific. His legs had been completely torn away, and one of his arms was twisted at an unnatural angle. Because his lower half was missing, the villagers hadn't even realized that the bundle Billy was carrying was Jack's body until the cloth was removed.
"He insisted on going, only to die such a dog's death..." the middle-aged man muttered under his breath. Yet, his expression showed he wasn't actually blaming Jack. It was a mixture of regret, sorrow, and deep grief.
"It wasn't a dog's death," Falco said, stepping forward as if she understood the man's true feelings. The man's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the profound sorrow etched onto her face.
"From what I saw, Jack cut down at least five trolls. He fought to the very end, and he died saving me." His death was no meaningless waste. He had fallen in battle against the man-eating trolls. It was a noble sacrifice, a true act of devotion.
Hearing Falco's words, the man turned to look at Yohan. Yohan glanced down at Jack's body and gave a firm nod. "Well, what matters is that we won."
Yohan looked down at the man, then scanned the rest of the crowd. "Now that you've all got your lives back, why not throw a feast to celebrate? And while you're at it, you can sell us some food." Yohan added a playful, mischievous grin.
"Yeah. Jack wouldn't want us moping around either."
"Exactly. Now that those cannibals are completely gone, let's just enjoy tonight!"
At that, the villagers, who had been cast into gloom by the sight of Jack's body, finally let out relieved smiles.
There was no longer any need to live in fear of the man-eating trolls. Having confirmed this truth with the Troll Chief's severed head, the villagers threw a feast, their faces brighter than they had ever been.
Of course, the feast itself was nothing grand. Since they were a small, isolated village cut off from the outside world, their entertainment was limited to home-brewed alcohol and slightly more generous portions of their usual food. However, the news of the trolls' total annihilation served as the ultimate pairing for their drinks, making the atmosphere livelier and warmer than ever before.
"Let's see here..."
While Falco, Billy, and the majority of the villagers gathered to enjoy the food and drink, Yohan visited Jack's now-empty house with a few of the village elders. They were there to select some personal belongings to place in his coffin before the funeral.
"The door was unlocked, so we just walked in, but I'm not sure if it's right to go through a dead man's things like this."
—If it were Jack, he would likely prefer that someone else live in this house instead.
The Goddess's voice echoed in his mind, but with the elders around, Yohan couldn't reply out loud.
"Everyone, look at this."
After searching the house for a while, one of the elders suddenly called out to the group. Yohan and the other elders gathered around him.
"Is that..."
"It's a will."
So he knew he was going to die, Yohan thought, clicking his tongue. As far as Yohan could remember, Jack had grabbed his weapons and joined them the moment Yohan declared the subjugation of the troll village. He hadn't had a single spare moment to write a will. This meant Jack had penned this document long before Yohan's party had even set foot in the village.
"You should read it. It's only right that you do," said the elder who had found the will, handing it over to Yohan.
"Y-yeah, go ahead."
"Ahem." Yohan cleared his throat as he took the paper. He scanned the contents of the will before beginning to read it aloud.
"I do not have the confidence to kill those demonic beasts with my strength alone. I do not care what happens to my own life, but I worry about the retaliation the villagers will face afterward."
This was exactly what Jack had said when he was alive. Realizing this, the elders sighed with heavy hearts.
"If anyone should come to the village willing to lend their strength to defeat those demons, I will immediately go with them to strike the beasts down. And I hope to die fighting alongside them."
—I see. He had resolved himself to his end from the very beginning, the Goddess murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"If anyone is reading this will, it means I have already died fighting them. Therefore, through this will, I leave instructions regarding the disposal of my belongings and my log cabin."
Yohan and the elders exchanged quiet glances. Not only the elders, but even Yohan couldn't help but marvel at Jack's meticulous preparations.
"I wish for all my possessions, including this house, to be distributed equally among the villagers. If the house cannot be easily divided, it may be given to a new resident, or if that is not feasible, it may be dismantled and used as firewood to prepare for the winter."
To suggest dismantling a perfectly good house for firewood... Jack had truly abandoned all lingering attachments to life. And he had done so long before writing this will. He had spent his days waiting for someone to slay the man-eating demons, and he had already marked that day as the day of his death.
"Please, keep reading," one of the elders requested, swallowing a sigh. Yohan nodded and resumed reading.
"Lastly, regarding my body. If my remains are never found during the battle, so be it. Even if you manage to recover only a part of my body, there is no need for a lavish funeral. You may bury me directly in the dirt, or place me on a high rock to feed the birds. That is all."
Jack's final wishes were simple yet clear. He had anticipated his end from the start and planned out everything that would follow.
"Still, to ask to be buried like that, or just left out..."
"He died fighting to save us all. Shouldn't we at least give him a grand send-off?"
The elders murmured among themselves, discussing the will. Yohan watched them, lost in thought.
"No. It doesn't matter how we feel about it. In times like this, it's only right to honor the wishes of the deceased," Yohan said, organizing his thoughts. The elders looked surprised for a moment, but they soon bowed their heads in agreement.
"Yes. It seems right to follow Jack's will, just as the young man says."
"He had already let go of everything. Holding a grand ceremony would only be for our own satisfaction, wouldn't it?"
Hearing their words, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Yohan's mouth.
"Instead... I have a specific place in mind for his burial."
"A place you have in mind?" one of the elders asked. Yohan nodded, his expression more serious than ever.