36
Chapter 36
"What—what is it!"
"Barbarians are coming!"
"Why are they suddenly here!"
The civilized survivors were terrified upon seeing the Golden Sun Tribe.
Do they think they've come to attack?
Since civilized people and barbarians have a long history of hostility, it's a reasonable assumption.
"Oooooh!"
"Aaaaah—aaah!"
Tur and the cavalry charged toward the rear of the infected horde, letting out strange battle cries.
Slash!
The infected fell, sliced down by the cavalry's single-edged swords.
I studied them.
In the center of the horde, there was a Boar Infected as large as a truck.
Is it on the verge of becoming a Low-tier Demon? That one looks dangerous.
I used the 'Zombie Control (Mid)' blessing on the fallen infected.
Groooar...!
Five infected suddenly snapped back up and began biting their own comrades.
I can now control about five of them.
Of course, I can't be precise; I can only give simple commands like 'attack' or 'retreat.'
In the end, it seems I can only maintain detailed control over a single individual.
The infected's attention shifted toward the zombies.
As expected of zombies. They make reliable tankers.
While the tanker drew the aggro, the barbarian cavalry rampaged even more fiercely.
Groooowlll!
The Boar Infected, which had been watching calmly from the center, finally stepped forward, perhaps sensing a threat.
A monster boar whose sheer size was nearly that of a Low-tier Demon.
If a beast of that size runs wild, many barbarians will lose their lives.
My precious barbarians. I can't let a single one of them die.
To cripple its mobility, I commanded the zombies to bite its legs.
When it crushed the head of a zombie biting its front leg, I commanded another zombie to bite its hind leg.
There are plenty of zombies, and I can control five at once.
Squeeeal!
Its hide was too thick to suffer significant damage, but I succeeded in annoying it.
"You bastard!"
Tur swung a weapon similar to a glaive, slashing the boar's eye as he passed.
Having lost its left eye, the boar snorted and charged straight at Tur.
The beast kept moving forward, seemingly indifferent to the zombies biting its legs.
Well, everything was already prepared anyway.
"Throw them!"
I mean, the barbarians' preparations to hurl their throwing spears.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Throwing spears flew toward the Boar Infected. The sharp tips pierced through its hide.
The number of spears embedded in its body continued to grow.
Groooar...
Eventually, unable to withstand it, the Boar Infected collapsed.
A Low-tier Demon would have held out longer. It's a relief it hadn't reached that level yet.
"We won! A landslide victory!"
"Lord Mallak! We dedicate this victory to you!"
The barbarians, having wiped out the remaining infected after the leader fell, cheered in victory.
"Mallak! Mallak! Mallak!"
Everyone is chanting my name. Even though that's not my real name, I can't help but feel a sense of pride.
The barbarians. At first, I just thought of them as NPCs who farmed experience for me.
Like tools I needed to find my way back home.
But watching them up close, I started to feel an affection for them.
That affection may have started as something a pet owner feels, but it's different now.
Those who follow and trust me, struggling to survive in the midst of ruin.
They are simply highly aggressive, yet fundamentally human.
The barbarians have become precious to me.
I'm not sure if I could sacrifice myself for them, but I want to see them happy.
Tur and Bojak stood at the front and surveyed the group of civilized people.
Around thirty civilized people exchanged anxious glances.
I wonder if they can understand the barbarian language.
A man stepped out from among the whispering civilized people. It was the middle-aged knight who had been leading them.
"Thank you for your help, brave warriors. Is there something you desire?"
The knight spoke the barbarian tongue quite well.
- Let's take them back to the tribe for now.
"Follow us. We will treat your wounded."
Tur said this and turned his horse around.
"He says they'll treat the wounded. I think we should go. Refusing might be seen as rude."
The knight said to his group, glancing warily at the barbarians.
"What do you think?"
"We have no food and nowhere to go. Let's go."
The civilized people exchanged glances and cautiously followed the barbarians.
It'll take a few hours to get back, right? I'll check the community for a bit.
I organized the information I got from Harry and posted it, saying 'I heard this from a passing mage.'
I wonder if anyone left any comments?
[Corrupted Power Knight: thx for the info]
[Melee-type Spy: FR???]
[Not a Netkama: This is really great info. Thank you.]
Seriously... Hanna. I told you to leave comments without making it obvious, and here you go again.
Since I'm already here, maybe I'll read some other posts.
[3-Lifts 500: Does everyone know about this?
Two days before I was possessed, they created something called a superconductor in Korea.
Basically, it's a kind of metal that floats in mid-air?
They say it's a massive discovery that changes human history.
What a shame. I could have witnessed a historic moment.]
A floating metal? What is this, gravity metal or something?
[I Trusted the Monkey Uncle: Skynet, explain what a superconductor is]
This guy is causing trouble again.
[Skynet: A superconductor is...]
Skynet actually answers_ But no matter how much I read, the explanation was completely different from the superconductor 3-Lifts 500 was talking about.
[Shotgun Attack: Skynet, did you come from a different multiverse on your own? Why do you keep talking nonsense?]
└ [I Trusted the Monkey Uncle: Actually, maybe we were all dragged here from different multiverses.]
└ [Bramanda: Who was the 16th president of the United States?]
└ [I Trusted the Monkey Uncle: Portgas D. Ace.]
└ [Bramanda: Seriously?]
└ [Dino Punch: That's a manga character.]
└ [Bramanda: You're a real lunatic.]
└ [I Trusted the Monkey Uncle: haha, how would I know the US president? Maybe if it were Korea.]
└ [Not a Netkama: It's common knowledge that the 16th US president was Abraham Lincoln. Did you not go to school?]
└ [Melee-type Spy: The 16th US president was Adolf Hitler.]
It's a literal paradise of nonsense.
- ...
After experiencing such serious things in a ruined fantasy world, looking at the community... how should I put it?
It's as if the things that happened earlier, like taking down the infected with the barbarians, all feel like a lie.
I even start to wonder if I'm actually in a very long dream.
A long, meaningless dream that I'll forget everything about once I wake up.
I'd probably just shake it off as 'some weird dream,' wake up, wash up, and go to my part-time job.
I'd probably spend my time organizing new stock, dealing with nightmare customers, and ringing up purchases.
With the permission of my flexible manager, I'd take some expired food, eat it with beer while watching YouTube, and end my day.
I'd lie in bed and think this:
"It was a very ordinary day."
...We're almost there. That's enough daydreaming for today.
***
"Th-thank you. I thought we were all going to die."
"...We survived thanks to you. Thank you for the warm welcome."
The group of civilized survivors expressed their gratitude upon arriving at the tribe.
"Direct your thanks to Lord Mallak. He is the one who ordered us to save you."
After hearing the knight's translation, Bojak nodded and held Totem No. 2 high in the air.
Now it's my turn to step in.
- I am Mallak, the Loa of these people.
I went on about sacrificing a lot to save the surface and so on. I just stuck to the same old repertoire I always use.
Once my introduction ended, Bojak spoke again.
"If you wish to remain protected, and if you wish to end this apocalypse, you must serve Lord Mallak.
By becoming part of the Tribe Alliance, you will not be discriminated against for being civilized. We reward those who work."
It's basic proselytizing.
The more points my believers earn, the stronger I become. If these civilized people become my believers, I'll be able to gain even more points.
Harry and Luna have also become my believers, 'for now.'
It's a bit ambiguous since it doesn't show up on the status window like a vassal does, but I saw them swear their oaths with my own eyes.
There couldn't be some rule saying civilized people can't become believers, right?
"Very well!"
"We shall do so!"
"If all we have to do is believe, then..."
Hearing the knight's translation, the civilized people enthusiastically agreed.
I knew this would happen. While I was on the community, I eavesdropped on their conversation.
They had argued over whether to join or just express gratitude and leave, but in the end, the side wanting to join won.
They chose the barbarians over the infected. I suppose a human is better than a monster.
"Good. Now, show your respect to Lord Mallak."
Bojak held Totem No. 2 'even higher.'
As the civilized people knelt one by one before Totem No. 2 with their hands clasped, a nun who remained standing spoke up.
"I am a faithful servant of Lady Ishtania; I will not kneel before a foreign god."
A sudden curveball.
"What did that woman say?"
"Uh, well..."
"Tell the truth!"
Overwhelmed by Tur's intensity, the knight translated the nun's words exactly.
"...!"
The barbarians' expressions twisted into scowls in an instant.
Well, I figured something like this would happen at least once.