9
Chapter 9
"This is the Blue Moss Tribe. It's not far from the altar where Lord Mallak is worshipped."
The view of the tribe through Paya's eyes... wasn't beautiful or impressive, not even remotely.
Should I call them tepees? Houses made of unknown animal hides draped over triangular wooden frames, with a thick central pole for support.
It looked more like a tent village, with houses clustered in a circle.
"Quite lovely, isn't it? Everyone is working hard."
I could hear the pride in Paya's voice.
- I see.
If I said something like 'Why didn't they work harder?', Paya might burst into tears. I'll just let it slide.
I guess people don't always have to be honest.
"H-High Priest! One of your eyes is glowing blue!"
"Are you all right?"
A few tribal warriors rushed toward Paya.
"I am fine. Lord Mallak is with me right now."
"Ah... I see!"
"Have you received the Divine Descent?"
"I have. Now, I must show the tribe to Lord Mallak, so please excuse me."
Paya nodded and left.
So, the eyes of those who receive Divine Descent glow blue.
Wait, one eye glowing blue?
This is just like... wow, Sanz... Sigh, no one would get that joke anyway.
Suppressing my urge to joke, I observed the tribe with Paya.
The protective fences were tightly woven, and there were areas for livestock and something like fields... but to a modern person, it looked like a primitive era themed park.
- Hmm?
There was one peculiar place. Unlike the other triangular hide tents, it was a square wooden building.
- What is that place?
"Oh, we built it this year. Would you like to see it?"
- Sure.
As I entered the building, a pungent animal scent hit me. A raw, primal smell.
Munch, munch, munch, munch, munch, munch, munch~!
Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck~!
The sound of the animal I ate most often back on Earth.
- Hmm.
A place where colorful birds were busily laying eggs inside wooden boxes...
What, it's just a chicken coop.
"This is the House of Feathers. It's a space optimized for gathering bird meat and eggs. It was built under my direction."
House of Feathers?
- Isn't it just a chicken coop?
"You... could see it that way. I admit I was inspired by the chicken coops used by civilized people."
It wasn't inspired by a chicken coop; it just is a chicken coop.
"...But I designed it with my own interpretation and the geographical traits of the Blue Moss Tribe, so it's not entirely a chicken coop."
But it is a chicken coop. Why can't she just admit it? She's stubborn in the strangest places.
She understands the necessity of technology used by civilized people, but because she hates them, she can't bring herself to accept it easily. I think I understand this complex emotion.
I've seen many people shout for a boycott of a certain company while diligently using that company's products at home.
- All right. We've seen enough of the House of Feathers.
Let's just consider this confirmation that there's a way to consistently supply nutrients.
"Yes. Is there anything else in particular you'd like to see?"
- I want to see the children. Healthy children, if possible.
This might sound strange, but my intentions are pure.
There's a rule for advertisements that always succeed called the 3B rule.
Baby, Beauty, and Beast.
These are the three elements best suited for touching people's hearts and earning favor from most. Naturally, they work on me too.
As you know, I needed to develop an affection for this world and the tribe I must protect.
Since they're a barbarian tribe, I don't expect much from beauty and beasts, but I have a simple hope that the children are growing up cute even in this environment.
Above all, nothing evokes the word 'protect' better than a child.
For the sake of my own motivation, I need to see the children.
"Children! I know a place Lord Mallak would enjoy."
The place Paya led me to was in the center of the tribe, a circular area filled with sand. For some reason, it reminded me of an old elementary school playground...
"Yah!"
"Hiyah!"
Wait, what...!! Those kids in the playground are throwing axes at each other?!
- What on earth are they doing!
I was so shocked that my internal monologue sounded like an exclamation.
"These are children who will grow into warriors. Once they complete their coming-of-age ceremony, they will roam the mountains shouting Lord Mallak's name."
No, still. Is it really okay for children this young to train like this?
- Isn't this training way too dangerous?
I almost mentioned that it might be bad for their growth plates, but I stopped myself. Such a trivial concern would be beneath a god.
"It's not training; it's a game. By throwing and catching axes, they develop trust and a sense of balance."
How is that a game? Trust? What, a bond with the axe? Are they using soul weapons?
"Oh, the training is about to begin. Lord Mallak, please witness the bravery of these aspiring warriors."
The children tossed their axes aside and drew sharp bone daggers from their sash-like belts.
"You filthy civilized person! Die!"
"I'll cut off your head and offer it at the altar!"
"Rip and tear!"
"I'll kill you and drink your mother's blood!"
"Then I'll bring your ancestors back from the dead just to kill them again!"
"I'll rip you limb from limb and feed you to the wolves-!"
Whoosh. Swish. Swish-swish-swish. Whoosh. Swish-swish.
A whirlwind of blades unfolded in an instant.
I nearly lost consciousness.
***
In the end, the 'Let's Get Friendly with the Blue Moss Tribe' project was hardly a success.
There is still a psychological distance between us. Not that I don't understand them.
It's a barren land where demons can appear at any time, so training children is the right move. I can understand that.
But regardless, the shock was too great for me, having grown up suckling the warm teat of 'modern society.'
Seeing middle-school-aged kids glaring at each other and swinging blades... it's not easy to get used to.
And the way they grew frenzied at Paya's shout that 'Lord Mallak is watching!'... they were the definition of terrifying barbarians.
I think it'll take some time to adapt to this culture.
"In that sense, Lord Mallak is special. Born from water, crawling on land, and ascending to the sky—your divinity differs from other Loas. You do not settle in one place, but roam through many."
- I see.
Divine Descent consumes quite a bit of mental energy, so I deactivated it a while ago. I returned to the Dragon Totem.
Now it is time for the lecture of Paya, which I am listening to while half-out of it.
Although I was the one who told her to give me various pieces of information since my memories are incomplete, Paya provided truly miscellaneous details.
I listened carefully at first, but realizing most of it was useless to me, I started tuning her out.
Most of the talk by Paya was about how amazing I am and what it means for a Loa to descend upon this land for the first time in centuries.
[Enter Community]
Click.
Perhaps entering the community was also an inevitable result.
Since using Divine Descent, I have been able to move my arms and legs. Not the arms and legs of the Dragon Totem, but those in this virtual space.
It is practically an invisible body.
I wonder if a virtual body was created because I once manifested a human form through the physical body of Paya? That was just my own theory.
Since I spent a week diligently reading past posts, let us look at the newest ones.
[Skynet: I am Skynet, an AI and supercomputer from the 23rd century.
I will provide answers to your questions using my perfect quantum artificial brain.
Please ask me anything.]
Oh, a funny one has appeared.
Is it a user playing an AlphaGo concept? The nickname Skynet fits perfectly.
I checked the comments.
[Not a Netkama: Another concept enthusiast has joined. There are plenty already, so I wish a normal person would come along.]
[Love Death Nyan: (Watching the newbie with curiosity) Nyan nyan nyan...!]
[Holy Holy Knight: Hi hi, AI friend~! Just please do not try. To. Conquer. The. World~!]
[Shotgun Attack: Explain Survival as a Holy Knight.]
└ [Skynet: The game Survival as a Holy Knight is an RPG survival genre game.
This game provides an experience where the player takes on the role of a Holy Knight and survives by fighting dark forces. Players perform adventures and quests, level up, and improve their abilities and equipment.
Players explore various regions such as cities, villages, dungeons, and forests to complete quests and gain experience and rewards through battles with monsters. In this process, the protagonist strengthens their abilities by acquiring various weapons, armor, and magic items, and develops the character combat skills and traits.
Additionally, the game provides various content to offer players different challenges and enjoyment. For example, through activities like dungeon exploration, boss battles, PVP matches, and events, players can obtain more powerful equipment and rewards through competition or cooperation with other players in the game world.
There may be several endings depending on the player choices and actions, and the player decisions can affect the flow of the story and the surrounding NPCs. The player strategy and role playing ability will influence the game outcome.]
└ [Shotgun Attack: Yep, a typical brain dead AI answer~ Are you 23 years old instead of being from the 23rd century? I am an idiot for expecting anything.]
└ [Ghoulle: LOL, is this the first time? Anyone who comes here to roleplay a concept is always like this.]
Wait, it was not AlphaGo, but ChatGPT?