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Chapter 34
A vast field, reminiscent of the Serengeti plains I'd seen on TV.
Some barbarians riding past spotted us, exhausted and collapsed on the ground.
"You look like you're from another tribe. What brings you here?"
Unlike other tribes that seemed like a cross between barbarians and Native Americans, these people resembled nomads.
Not that they were ethnically Asian, but their general vibe and attire gave off that impression.
"I am Nyx, the Chief and High Priest of the Sky Tree Tribe. Is this the Golden Sun Tribe?"
Nyx, who was the least exhausted among us, asked.
"Chief Nyx of the Sky Tree Tribe, we are indeed the Golden Sun Tribe. What is your business?"
"The Loa has guided us here. This is Lord Mallak."
Nyx held up Totem No. 2.
I felt like Simba from The Lion King.
- Warriors of the Golden Sun Tribe. I am the Loa, Mallak.
"L-Loa Mallak? This divine aura! It really is Lord Mallak! Warrior Paku! Bring food and drink for them immediately!"
As expected, it's a free pass.
Nyx, still the most composed of us, explained the situation, and we were welcomed into the Golden Sun Tribe with the utmost hospitality.
The Golden Sun Tribe was simply on a different scale.
The size of the tribe alone was hundreds of times larger than the Blue Moss Tribe.
Dozens of warriors were all mounted on horses, and hundreds of other soldiers were armed with spears.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this a small nation.
They really are the top tribe. As expected of the Golden Sun... well, the Golden Sun Tribe.
They certainly deserve the two powerful words 'Golden' and 'Sun' in their name.
Nyx entered the Chief's tent, still holding Totem No. 2.
The Chief of the Golden Sun Tribe was a middle-aged man with a goatee.
He had a trained physique, but he wasn't an absolute unit like Kanto. More like Bruce Lee's lean muscle?
"Lord Mallak! I never imagined the day I would meet a Loa in person!"
What's with this? The middle-aged man with eyes as sharp as a hawk suddenly beamed a wide smile, approached Totem No. 2, and knelt.
A middle-aged man acting as happy as a child... honestly, I didn't want to see that.
"I am Tur, Chief of the Golden Sun Tribe and son of Matu and Ita!"
As soon as Tur finished his greeting, a masked man behind him rushed forward and knelt as well.
It was a mask that felt like something a voodoo shaman would wear, adorned with feathers, horns, and accessories.
"I-I am Bojak, the High Priest of the Golden Sun Tribe and son of Rami and Jarun! It is an honor to meet you!"
[Bojak has become a vassal.]
By his voice alone, he sounded like a man in his sixties or seventies. Perhaps he was slightly younger than or similar in age to Muri, the High Priest of the Brown Rock Tribe.
- Chief Tur and High Priest Bojak, thank you for welcoming the Sky Tree Tribe. I have heard much about the Golden Sun Tribe, and they are as magnificent as the rumors suggest.
Tur and Bojak. Together, they make Tur-Bojak.
"Ooh!!!"
"Lord Mallak!"
The sight of a middle-aged and an elderly man tearing up while looking at Totem No. 2... it was quite surreal.
It reminded me of an otaku geeking out over a character figure.
Truly a 'bias' totem.
"Ah, my father would have been so happy if he were here!"
"This craftsmanship... it's the work of High Priest Muri from the Brown Rock Tribe...! There is no talent like her when it comes to creating totems."
"Ah, High Priest Muri! It was her work! I received so much help from her when I was young! Hahaha!"
As the two men showed no signs of ending their commotion, Nyx stepped forward.
"I am Nyx, the Chief and High Priest of the Sky Tree Tribe. Thank you for accepting our tribe."
"Ahem. Chief Nyx of the Sky Tree Tribe, welcome to the Golden Sun Tribe. I heard your journey was arduous. I will hear the details tomorrow. For today, please get some rest."
A suddenly calm Tur ordered a warrior to guide Nyx to the living quarters.
I gave Tur and Bojak my introduction.
I explained that I descended to the surface at a great cost. Because of that, I lost much of my power, and to replenish it, they must diligently hunt demons.
I told them to build a large totem here. Then they could receive blessings even greater than those granted by Totem No. 2.
I warned them not to be too hostile toward civilized people or Holy Knights, as they are also essential for surviving the apocalypse.
Things like that.
I should probably create a manual later. I'm getting tired of doing the same thing every time I meet a new tribe.
"A totem... there is a good spot for one."
Bojak carefully lifted Totem No. 2 and headed outside. Tur, nodding as if he knew exactly where, followed.
The two men led me to a wolf totem that stood over two meters tall.
A Loa in the form of a wolf. That's Rakan.
I seemed to recall hearing that all the tribes living on the plains worship Rakan.
Tur gazed at the Rakan totem with a complicated expression and called out to the nearby warriors.
"What are you standing around for! Move Lord Rakan to another location!"
How should I put it? It was a look filled with love and hate.
"Understood!"
The ordered warriors bound the Rakan totem tightly with ropes and dropped it.
Not directly on the ground, but onto something like a cart.
Rake's dad figure collapsed helplessly.
"C-Chief. Is this really alright? He is the Loa who has protected our tribe for hundreds of years."
A woman watched the Rakan totem being hauled away on the cart with an anxious look.
Tur shook his head.
"It would be disrespectful not to give this spot to the one who descended to this land personally for our sake."
...I think I get it.
Tur was probably disappointed in Rakan, who remained silent despite repeated pleas for help.
The faces of the warriors who took down the Rakan totem were also clouded with bitterness and regret.
Somehow, I ended up stealing Rakan's followers. I'm the 'Golden Sun' here, not them.
Well, I consider it all Rakan's karma.
Rake hated Rakan intensely as well. After all, she was ostracized by the village and never got to see her mother's face because of him; there was no way she'd like him.
In human terms, Rakan was the kind of guy who would rape a girl he'd been eyeing as soon as she hit adulthood and then vanish. The woman suffered and died after childbirth, but he never once showed his face.
As that woman's daughter, it's only natural for Rake to hate Rakan.
Thinking about it again, he really was a total beast.
Because a bastard like that was a Loa, people like Karon the Necromancer—victims who became perpetrators—were created.
"This is a sacred place passed down from ancient times. We shall erect Lord Mallak's totem here. With the help of other priests, we can make it truly magnificent!"
High Priest Bojak shouted with confidence.
"As for why this spot is the perfect location...!"
Ah, I'm so exhausted from acting as the Sky Tree Tribe's GPS for the past few days.
Grandpa, I'm tired.
***
The long and grueling presentation finally ended.
I decided to visit and help the Golden Sun Tribe—which has now become the 1st Branch of the Tribe Alliance (it's a secret that it's larger than the headquarters)—every now and then.
Just in case, I told them not to provoke the demons too much and to attack nearby areas one by one.
At any rate, I can now gather points from other places as well.
I've essentially turned the Sky Tree Tribe's crisis into an opportunity for our Tribe Alliance.
Afterward, I shared my heroic exploits with Rake, Kanto, and Paya.
Lord Mallak will recover his strength even faster. That's a relief. Dreaming of seeing the real Lord Mallak might actually become a reality one day.
Hahaha! As expected of Lord Mallak!
'Maybe one day we'll get to meet people from other tribes, too?'
I felt proud because the reactions were so positive.
Grandma Muri was recuperating, so I couldn't call her in front of Totem No. 1. Since she's quite elderly, regaining her stability is the priority.
She's already done her part by crafting two mini-totems for me.
Now I've returned to Totem No. 3 and am observing the leadership of the Tribe Alliance share a meal.
"It's been five years since the demons appeared in this world. The Empire, having lost its capital, collapsed in less than a year."
Harry stabbed a well-cooked lizard with his fork.
"Grandfather and I spent four years in a private shelter."
Having said that, Luna popped a scorpion from the stew into her mouth.
I call it a meal, but it was more like an intelligence-gathering session about what Harry and Luna had endured.
Rake sat quietly, picking at her food while stealing glances at me, as if she didn't want to interrupt, while Kanto focused solely on eating.
"Chomp. It's even more tender and soft today."
This bastard Kanto has absolutely no intention of listening. He's just like those athletes you see in school who sleep through every class.
His brain must be the size of a cracker. A total airhead.
Paya, seemingly fascinated by the conversation, listened with sparkling eyes.
- Then you wouldn't be well-acquainted with the events of those four years.
"I exchanged letters via magic with professors from the same university and Golem Scholars like myself, so I'm not entirely clueless. Even those connections were all cut off after two years, though."
- Do you know why the demons appeared in this world?
Harry's expression darkened.
"I heard they were summoned during some kind of experiment in the Empire. ...I have some suspicions, but they're all just my guesses."
- Tell me.
"At the time, the Emperor of the Empire didn't think highly of Goddess Ishtania or the Cathedral forces that served her. He believed that the power and authority that should have been concentrated on him were being dispersed."
"So, I suspect he opened a dimensional gate to find a force to keep the Goddess in check, and in doing so, summoned the demons."
Did he aim to use one enemy to fight another, only to end up being acquired in a hostile takeover?
Stories of countries that collapsed after being backstabbed while bringing in a third party are common in Earth's history too.
- Is it true that the demons will destroy themselves if the dimensional gate is closed?
Now we get to the main point.
I need to find out if the information George's Raid Party discovered at the end is accurate.