17
Chapter 17
Rake leaped onto a nearby rooftop and began moving from roof to roof.
At this point, she was more of a ninja than a Barbarian.
"I'm coming in."
Rake landed on the roof of the house presumed to be the lower demon's lair and swung her Curved Sword with a flourish.
Sshink-!
A clean cut appeared on the roof before it collapsed inward, instantly creating a hole large enough for a person to fit through.
I can't even be surprised anymore.
Infiltrating through the hole, Rake scanned the interior with dynamic vision far superior to a human's. She quickly spotted the lower demon.
The house was filled with a chilling aura and oppressive silence; a giant snail-like monster leaned against a bookshelf in the study, looking down at us.
It was a hideous thing, with gruesome tentacles sprouting from various parts of its shell.
Gurgle...
The creature slowly rose, making a strange sound.
- What a repulsive thing.
So this is a demon. It certainly doesn't look friendly toward humanity.
"I'll make this quick."
Rake approached the creature calmly, her posture agile and cautious.
The snail demon lifted its head-like appendage high. Long tentacles sprouted in clusters from its slime-covered head.
A useless thought crossed my mind: I wonder if those could be implanted into the heads of bald people.
Oh, for heaven's sake, get it together!
In that moment, Rake moved first, swinging her Curved Sword at the creature's torso—specifically, its shell.
But isn't that the hard part? Wouldn't it be better to cut the soft tentacles first and then go for the head...
Slash!
With a single strike, the snail demon's shell was sliced open, and green blood sprayed everywhere!
The snail demon recoiled in panic, and Rake didn't miss the opening, diving straight in.
Then came dozens of rapid slashes.
Thud!
The creature died with its head butchered, unable to put up any real resistance.
"He was quite pathetic, even for a lower demon. He would have been a pain for someone with a duller blade, but now... shall we wait for Kanto and the Warriors?"
Rake slowly sat down in a nearby chair with an air of complete confidence.
She didn't even spare a single glance at the giant snail, which was still twitching.
Gurgle...
The snail demon shuddered one last time before crumbling into ash and vanishing.
Is this 'strength'? Or the composure of the strong?
- Good job. You are an impressive warrior.
"I am Lord Mallak's sword. I have to be impressive."
Rake spoke with confidence.
Rake... is actually pretty cool. Is this what they call a 'girl crush'?
"H-his voice has gone silent!"
"Something must have happened to him!"
"How can this be!"
"Hurry and check on him!"
This was when the Worshippers, sensing the death of the lower demon, rushed toward them.
"Enemies of Lord Mallak! Kill them all and offer them to the altar!"
Kanto smashed through the village's main gate with his double-bladed axe.
"Waaaaagh!"
Barbarian Warriors armed with various weapons stormed the village. Since Warriors from the Brown Rock Tribe were mixed in, there was no uniformity at all.
"O-oh gods!"
"What are we to do...!"
"I can't hear his voice anymore!"
The panicked Worshippers were swept away like a receding tide.
Despite having physical abilities superior to humans due to the demon's modifications, the Worshippers were slaughtered like a disorganized mob.
The battle ended in an overwhelming victory for the Barbarians.
[There is a blessing you can acquire!]
A massive influx of points came in instantly. Perhaps because of the lower demon Rake killed and the dozens of Worshippers, the stagnant score exploded.
I acquired the blessing and checked its information.
[Binding Totem: You may dwell within totems other than the Descended Totem. You can use blessings while in that state. However, it must be a totem created specifically to worship you. Furthermore, the quality of blessings you can grant to Believers varies depending on the size of the totem or the amount of shamanic power used in its creation.]
A Binding Totem, not a binding band? Are you going to make a Binding Totem Band later? Can we please stop with the totems already?
Still, this is good. It's a useful blessing.
The description is long, but the gist is simple. If High Priests make a Mallak Totem, I can dwell within it. While the overall quality might drop, I can grant blessings to the Barbarians.
Then if I make a huge totem packed with shamanic power, I could use it as my new main body?
This is a better blessing than Divine Descent.
Divine Descent. After using it for a while, I can tell for sure—it's far too inefficient.
It consumes too much of my mental energy to maintain the blessing. Perhaps it's because I'm possessing someone else's body, regardless of them being a Vassal.
I feel like I also experience the fatigue felt by the Vassal receiving the Divine Descent.
Anyway, my third blessing looked excellent based on the description alone.
I could set up a new totem in this conquered village to use as a surveillance point... no, I just had a better idea.
Maybe I'll gather the High Priests tomorrow and tell them.
"Hahaha! Brave Warriors of the Blue Moss Tribe! Strong Warriors of the Brown Rock Tribe! We did it! We have defeated the demon and its Worshippers!"
Kanto praised the warriors while swinging his Double-edged Axe around. The guy is truly first-rate when it comes to performance and showmanship.
- Tell Kanto it's time to head back.
"I understand."
I'm starting to feel tired. I used Divine Descent for too long.
"Now, let's go and have a feast! Warriors of the Brown Rock Tribe! Look forward to it! Our tribe's traditional liquor is incredible!"
"Ohhh!"
Following my command, Kanto led the men out of the village like an American football quarterback. He's a textbook alpha male.
- I'll go and wait for you all.
Taking advantage of the moment, I naturally withdrew the Divine Descent.
I didn't want to feel like I was going to throw up again because of Rake, who is as fast as a cheetah.
***
After the injured warriors were treated with my 'Totem of Healing (Mid)' blessing, a grand feast was held.
It was a celebration to welcome the newly joined tribe and to commemorate the subjugation of the lower demon and its worshippers.
Thanks to Kanto's powerful push, more than half of the poor chickens living in the House of Feathers—which was basically a coop—became appetizers for the Barbarians.
Paya looked displeased, but she seemed to accept it, understanding the situation.
"...And then I split the thing's head in half with this Double-edged Axe—!"
The loudest man in both tribes, Kanto, could be heard all the way from the Altar.
This brat is drinking again and bragging about his exploits. He's a total young old-timer.
I was listening to the noisy feast from afar, where children's laughter, women's clapping, and men's cheers all mixed together.
"Would you like a drink? Do you have a part that acts as a mouth?"
Rake, the only Barbarian who didn't join the feast, shook a wooden cup in front of me.
- I cannot drink.
"That's a shame."
I'm disappointed too. Back on Earth, there was a certain joy in buying a can of beer after my convenience store shift and drinking it while watching YouTube.
By the way, why is this woman drinking alone next to me?
- Why didn't you join the feast? You're the one who killed the lower demon. You could have shared your own story.
"Isn't it pathetic to brag about one's own exploits?"
Kanto just got roasted. She really can't stand him.
"And besides, I have never shared a table with the tribespeople."
Maybe it's not just Kanto-hate, but general misanthropy?
- Why is that? You're the Chief.
"Well..."
Rake smirked.
"We're not on the same level. They are different from me in every way."
What's with this superiority complex?
"I didn't take the position of Chief out of some great sense of duty or responsibility. I'm simply far superior to them, so this was inevitable."
Since she's a hybrid of a god—essentially a demi-god—she's naturally become arrogant.
After taking a sip of liquor, Rake spoke again.
"They don't think of me as one of them either. Have you heard the rumors about me?"
- To some extent.
"Did you hear that no one believed my mother when she said she met Lord Rakan in her dreams and shared a love with him? And that she was tormented because of it?"
- That's the first I've heard of it.
Rake smiled bitterly.
"No one tells those stories. They'd say things like 'a civilized whore is secretly selling herself'... they said such things right in front of my pregnant mother. Only High Priest Muri believed her."
Discrimination and exclusion. Everywhere people live, it's all the same.
"My mother passed away after giving birth to me. She had a short life because a human body cannot withstand Rakan's energy. I was alone from the moment I was born. A boring story, isn't it?"
Rake didn't call Rakan 'Lord'. Nor did she call him 'Father'.
- I wasn't aware of those circumstances.
She wasn't just a simple supremacist.
"It's alright. It's all in the past. I'm not alone anymore... I'm starting to feel the alcohol. May I lean on you for a moment?"
- I don't mind.
Rake leaned against the totem and softly closed her eyes.
Rake must have had it hard too. She went straight to hunt a demon after a grueling march.
I've been through a lot today as well... Feeling Rake's warmth, I drifted off to sleep.
Or rather, I almost did.
"Wh-what are you doing here! Chief Rake of the Brown Rock Tribe! You should be sleeping inside!"
Before I knew it, Paya had arrived at the altar, carrying a water bucket and a towel, screaming at the top of her lungs.
Ah, was today the day for polishing the totem?
"You're noisy. I was just closing my eyes for a bit because I'm tired."
Rake opened her eyes slightly.
"I am the High Priest of the Blue Moss Tribe! Chief Rake! Please use proper honorifics!"
"You're making me tired again. I'm staying here."
"I-I'm going to call Oppa—no, Chief Kanto!"
"Go ahead."
Rake closed her eyes again, trying to get some sleep.
She really isn't the type of person suited to be a Chief.