Chapter 64
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer 64
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The severed Ballurator was loaded onto the palanquin and carried away as the area was hastily cleared up in disarray.
The Liyaya people's "Falling Ritual" seemed to have ended in a way contrary to their intentions.
Returning to the grasslands, a long table adorned with Nepeta flowers stretched out endlessly, and everyone who hadn't participated in the ritual was already seated.
The Butchery Squad was escorted to the frontmost seats.
Sitting next to Dane was Prawan, who was already there.
She smiled as she spoke.
"Well done with the ritual, I see."
She wiped the corner of Dane's mouth with a handkerchief. A bit of Ballurator blood stained the white cloth.
"......"
Bankers chuckled softly, while River and Priscilla studiously pretended not to notice.
Dane asked.
"Is it time to eat?"
"Yes."
"Do you always gather like this to eat together?"
"All Liyayans come together without exception. Under Avaris-sama, we are all one."
Even calling it the entire nation, there were only a few hundred at most. It was barely the size of a large root village.
His thoughts began to chain together.
They'd been independent and isolated for a long time, but the population was far too small.
What about the outsiders who'd come in? Were they still living here?
Why had they fed him the raw liver?
It was called the first ritual, so what would the next ones entail? Was it right to keep going along with this?
Dane was lost in thought, so Prawan didn't speak to him.
The priests, including Gurbannan who had led the ritual, were huddled together with grave expressions, exchanging opinions, so the meal didn't proceed, and the Butchery Squad was left pretty much ignored.
Bankers whispered.
"They must've expected us to keel over in shock or something. From the looks of it, even the Liyayans eat monster meat."
His comrades subtly nodded in agreement, glaring at the innocent table.
Everyone's mouths were watering; they just wanted the meal to continue soon.
The table held only alcohol, drinks, and simple vegetable dishes, but they hoped the dismantled Ballurator would come out as the main course.
River said.
"We found people who eat monster meat sooner than I thought."
Dane thought the same.
The world was vast, so he hadn't assumed there were none at all. In this delta beyond the elves' reach, it was entirely plausible.
'Maybe that's why they reject outside interference and maintain such a closed society.'
With that in mind, Dane stared intently at Gurbannan.
Feeling the gaze belatedly, Gurbannan returned to the center seat at the table with an awkward smile.
As the empty spots were filled by those who had participated in the ritual, Gurbannan lightly tapped the table.
"For the outsiders who have tasted fresh monster raw liver for the first time, it is no exaggeration to say they now share souls with us Liyayans. We welcome you as true members of the cycle."
He recited it like a scripted line.
'They must've noticed it wasn't our first time...'
It seemed meant to avoid giving unnecessary information to the populace who didn't know the details.
"Let us share the precious monster bestowed upon us today and pray for tomorrow's blessings."
As his words ended, small plates began to be served across the table—one per person. On each plate sat a single piece of roasted meat.
While the Liyayans murmured in prayer, the Butchery Squad was disappointed by the size of the meat.
Dane quietly asked Prawan, who had opened her eyes.
"Is this all we're getting?"
Prawan put on a mechanical smile as she replied.
"It's just sharing as much as was bestowed. If you grasp the will of the god today, greater joy will come tomorrow."
It was a platitude laced with mystery. His eavesdropping comrades grumbled.
"With one Ballurator split among the whole nation, no wonder it's this little."
"Sounds like that's all for today's meal, anyway."
"Give us more."
Priscilla's wish didn't come true.
The Butchery Squad cut the small piece of meat like the Liyayans, slicing it tiny and chewing bit by bit. Even cutting it to fingernail size, they didn't manage more than five bites.
"The raw liver was more filling, honestly."
Bankers sighed softly.
The modest meal concluded with a group prayer, leaving the entire Butchery Squad smacking their lips in regret.
* * *
The official schedule for the festival's first day was over. The grasslands were quickly cleared, and people dispersed in all directions.
One priest approached the Butchery Squad, stepping forward to guide them to their lodging. Dane's group entered a massive wooden building.
Bankers marveled.
"Whoa... this is some facility."
It was a bizarrely overwhelming sight.
An enormous number of beds were arranged in perfect order. It reminded them of a gymnasium where disaster evacuees had temporarily gathered.
The priest said.
"In Liyaya, all citizens are equal. We create no private property and live together in communal spaces, helping one another."
Just like at the meal. The identical buildings they'd seen upon entering the grasslands were surely all for this purpose.
'It seems to pursue natural simplicity, yet it's rigidly structured on the other hand.'
Group meals, communal living, people in identical attire. Forcing rituals on visitors in the name of the god's will—it all felt self-contradictory.
"We've prepared beds for you over there. You're free to move about until the bedtime bell rings."
Four empty bunks were visible. Dane nodded, and the priest gave a light bow before leaving.
The Liyayans already settled in were chatting among themselves or passing the time. No one paid the Butchery Squad any mind, perhaps their interest already waned.
As Dane scanned the people, River nudged his shoulder and asked.
"What, looking for that woman?"
Dane reflexively shook his head.
"No... I was just wondering if we'll ever get a moment alone."
At Dane's response, Bankers laughed and said.
"Haha, since when has our captain cared about anything but meat?"
River was glad to hear it, but not entirely pleased. Reading the mood, Bankers cleared his throat unnecessarily and said.
"We ended up here somehow, but it's a damn strange place. Uh... look at those paintings."
Where his finger pointed, vibrant murals on the walls, windows, and ceiling seemed to connect into a single story.
They resembled the wall paintings they'd seen in Harac Bar.
Dane said.
"Looks like they've depicted Liyaya's history or Avaris's doctrines in pictures."
The Butchery Squad read the murals sequentially from the entrance. Though paintings, the content was intuitive enough to grasp at a glance.
"Hoo... isn't that the flower gate we saw coming in?"
Their experiences were depicted in order, so it was no surprise.
Starting from the flower gate: people wearing flower crowns, rows of people with happy expressions, the solemn elder on the palanquin, the elder chased by the monster and the beast plunging off the cliff—all captured in successive panels.
"Pulling out the liver."
"And eating it."
"While crying."
"Hmm... that's weird. It wasn't that tasty to cry over."
After the back-and-forth, Bankers tilted his head seriously, finally drawing a smirk from River.
A typical guest might have followed the narrative as painted. It was only because it was Dane's Butchery Squad that elicited a different reaction.
But the evolving abstract style made precise meanings harder to discern.
"Doesn't look like the story flows peacefully, anyway."
Dane continued.
"There seem to be rituals during the festival. If it doesn't go their way, they'll probably resort to force."
"They pretty much tried that earlier."
"Looked like they were shocked by the unexpected."
Bankers and River agreed.
Dane noticed Priscilla fidgeting hesitantly.
"Got something to say?"
"The flowers."
"What about them?"
"They were blooming before too."
"We've never been to Liyaya before."
"Inside the country."
River interpreted the cryptic words.
"You've been near here before... and the flowers were blooming then too?"
"Yes."
"So the three-day bloom story is..."
"A lie."
Dane took over.
"The special guests or festival tales too..."
"Might be made-up."
Bankers chimed in.
Their interest deepened.
For some unknown purpose, Liyaya lured outsiders in and deliberately fed them raw liver.
What connected Avaris, monster meat, and Liyaya?
"For now, let's keep watching. We can figure out up to the next painting."
Dane said, gazing at the mural.
In the next one, the man who had chewed the raw liver and shed tears was butchering a monster before onlookers.
* * *
Dane's Butchery Squad returned to their wagon on the edge of the grasslands. Sleeping in communal quarters was fine, but they couldn't go along with enforced fasting.
They'd only said they were grabbing their luggage, so the Liyayans didn't interfere.
But the heavy guard presence around the wagon suggested they had no intention of letting them leave Liyaya.
The Butchery Squad filled their bellies with the smoked jerky River had prepared. That was the end of the preserved meat in storage.
Dane said.
"We'll stay and watch until tomorrow, but if the meat stays this scarce, we might have to move."
No specific plan on how, but the squad members weren't particularly worried.
Even if the Liyayans tried to take down the Butchery Squad, it didn't seem feasible.
* * *
The next day, the Butchery Squad awoke to lively music.
Despite sharing the dorm with over a hundred and knowing they were being watched, they slept soundly without issue.
No worries meant good sleep.
As the squad stepped outside, Liyayans gathered around the platform. It felt like an outdoor concert venue.
"Busy from morning, huh."
Bankers said through a stretched yawn.
Before they could assess the situation, the Liyayans led the Butchery Squad to the front of the platform. The musicians shifted from light tunes to heavier ones.
High Priest Gurbannan greeted them with a beaming smile, chanting like an incantation.
"Now we cast ourselves into the ring of the cycle. Rejoice that blessings have descended for following its providence. Embrace yesterday's hunger with joy and give thanks for today's harvest with tears!"
"Nimbelle!"
The ritual kicked off abruptly.
People suddenly wailing like zealots. The squad was baffled by the sobbing cries. A plot twist out of nowhere.
In the meantime, a long procession of carts came into view from the path below the cliff, heading toward the platform.
"Dane! Look at that. Those are all monsters!"
The tall Bankers spotted the carts' contents first.
About ten small-to-medium and medium-sized monsters were loaded on, legs bound. Some familiar, but more unknowns.
In Dane's projecting gaze, the monsters' glowing parts flooded in chaotically.
Moreover, not a single one was dead. They all appeared asleep or unconscious.
How had they captured and brought so many? Could they even live-capture such ferocious beasts without killing them?
Even Dane couldn't.
While the Butchery Squad gaped in astonishment, the monster-laden carts lined up neatly behind the platform.
Gurbannan shouted.
"We will now hold the second offering for Nimbelle—the Proof Ritual!"