That's Enough (7)
"I don't know if you've heard, but we've been granted permission to investigate the zones where mana has corrupted into demon energy!"
They spent half the day swept up—or not quite swept up—in the high spirits of the two dumplings and Berserk. Then came the chance for everyone to gather for dinner and talk things over. Calling it a discussion was a stretch; with the incident mostly wrapped up and the conversation finding its course, it was closer to a briefing on what lay ahead.
Especially the will of White Wind, who led the Magic Tower contingent.
"Unfortunately, the place where Lord Sangun was born has already been purified, so only the spots remaining in Jatav are available."
"You mean the place where they breed those Jahukaya snakes?"
"Yep! We have to investigate where Jatav got the Curse Jar from anyway, so it works out."
"So we're heading to Jatav, then?"
At White Wind's fervent words, the Inquisitor raised a hand briefly. White Wind's eyes met the Archmage's for a moment at the question.
"I don't mind either way—!"
"In my opinion, it would be better not to go."
"And there you have it!"
"Why...?"
What the hell? It looks like a perfect linked quest setup. Why aren't we going?
Everyone turned their gazes on the Archmage, who was voicing the opposing view. Ah, leave Berserk out of it—she was busy eating dinner as if she couldn't care less.
"There could be heretics there. So why...?"
"Because that possibility is vanishingly low."
The Archmage shot White Wind a look. Her eyes curved into a sly smile as she took the cue.
"According to the Jatav commander we're currently interrogating, an outsider snuck into the chief's house under cover of night and left the thing there."
"Left it there instead of killing the chief. Then how did the chief know what it was and decide to use it?"
"It wasn't just left. The outsider spoke with the chief before going."
White Wind neatly summarized only the essentials from the commander's account.
"The outsider waited for the chief to wake, then tried talking the moment he did. The chief shouted for help from outside, but no one heard a thing. Only the chief was subdued."
"So... they made a deal in that state?"
"Deal's a strong word. It was closer to just dumping the thing and leaving, Hero. Only... the fact that the outsider could have killed him but didn't left the chief half-convinced it might not be an enemy, so he kept it."
"And then he dumped it on us this time."
"Bingo! For reference, the outsider said to use it if it looked like Katina wouldn't pick them. The chief didn't buy it and used it now."
"...Were they trying to kill all the chiefs?"
"Who knows. I don't either. But from what's been said so far, there's no clear connection that jumps out."
Fair enough. From this alone, Jatav just got used. Hard to call them victims when they'd done their own dirt, but still.
"We can't take the commander's word at face value alone."
Even so, as the Inquisitor said, was this really something to back away from? I kept my gaze locked on the Archmage.
White Wind didn't seem the type to refuse our involvement, so I suspected this was entirely the Archmage's will.
"The Inquisitor is correct. However, Inquisitor, this is not a matter that requires the Inquisitor herself to resolve it."
"That is..."
"We have already contacted the temple. The Magic Tower has sufficient personnel as well. Whereas we—how do we stand?"
"Is there a problem with us?"
"There is no problem at present. But neither is there none. Have we ever truly rested properly?"
As expected, the Archmage was the one opposing it. And for thoroughly reasonable reasons.
"I am not speaking of resting a day or two. I mean that in the months our journey has continued, we have never once been able to rest with complete peace of mind."
Well... in games there was no need to insert rest stories—after all, the game itself was a hobby for downtime, and players goofed off midway on their own—so I hadn't thought about it. But realistically... yeah. It wasn't "about time." It had been long past time to rest.
Physical stamina recovered with a day or two off here and there, but the mental fatigue that piled up couldn't be ignored either.
Besides, even the physical rest had been iffy. We'd been fighting with our lives on the line, yet the longest breaks never stretched past three or four days.
I might have slept like the dead for two weeks at a stretch, but that barely counted as rest. And those guys had apparently kept working through that period without a break.
Even those three- or four-day rests often weren't proper rests. Whether my concept forced me to go looking for work or some incident found us first and shoved rest aside.
Now really was the time for a proper break.
"To do the work that only we can do, now is the time we must rest."
Whether my concept would play along was the real question.
"...I'm in favor, y'know."
Dev cast the first yes vote without hesitation. No surprise, given his physical weaknesses.
"Berserk has no stamina problems. Fighting is better."
"Sparring back in the village would make cleanup easier, and we could grab a drink after, wouldn't it?"
"Then Berserk goes to the village."
Berserk folded instantly at the mention of a drink.
"I don't really understand, but..."
And the Inquisitor...
"Ah, for reference, we are also requesting rest to examine whether the Demon Knight has any lingering aftereffects from the poison, and whether the wound near his heart—where he was stabbed—has fully healed, Inquisitor."
"What?! Poison?!"
"Th-then resting right away is the correct course!!"
"Huh. Comrade, when did you get your heart stabbed through?"
Hey.
I'd rather have tagged along to Jatav than rest on the concept of having been badly hurt.
Yeah. That was the concept.
"Let's go, Demon Knight!"
Between the Archmage's every sly persuasion—threats dressed as persuasion: You do realize that if you're badly hurt and draw on mana, the sealing sphere shatters, don't you?—White Wind's refusal—What if the demon goes berserk? Let's remake the sealing sphere properly first!—and the party's ironclad stubbornness, even the concept had no choice but to lose.
Honestly, part of me wanted to lose anyway.
Come on, they said rest! They were giving me a day off! How was I, stuck in 365-day immersion where I couldn't drop my guard, supposed to refuse?
【Are you returning?】
So the next morning found us packing to head back to Hudelen.
Seeing us off were the Great Chief, the priestess of Serhang, and the interim chief of Bigabol.
Akata had to come with us, so she was there too. White Wind, with the important matters settled and complaining she'd left the Magic Tower empty too long, joined our group as well.
[Aww, you're already leavin'? That won't do.]
Sangun, who had returned yesterday to the swamp he lived in with the priestesses, was a bonus. He'd slipped out using his unique abilities.
[Aw, the only folks I can talk to without goin' through the priestesses are you guests. Can't ya stick around a bit longer? Them priestesses, any little thing and it's 'Lord Sangun this, Lord Sangun that'—can't get a real conversation goin'.]
The mages, sensitive to mana, kept glancing that way, but they seemed to have roughly guessed the identity and didn't call it out openly.
In the gap, the snake rolled around in front of me complaining of boredom. For the Mountain Lord, he had not a scrap of dignity. How was he worse than the Great Chief he himself had chosen?
【I... I was unable to properly receive you last time, and I never imagined you would return so quickly this time either...】
Meanwhile, the Great Chief who had been handling affairs so competently and resolving situations wisely seemed to have vanished.
He stared at me restlessly. His flushed cheeks looked so much like a child of that age that it felt oddly strange for a moment.
【He simply requires a more precise examination, so we are returning early.】
【...I see.】
This kid already seemed adapted to his position and even took pride in it, so calling him out for carrying a heavy burden at such a young age would only be an insult.
Still, the fact that this Great Chief had lost the time he could have spent as a child was simply unfortunate, no way around it.
【Black Thunder Snake, one recognized by Lord Sangun.】
Even so, he was already the Great Chief.
【The kindness you have shown us and your efforts for peace—we will remember them for a long time. Is that not so, interim chief of Bigabol?】
【Of course.】
I turned away from the one offering dignified courtesy and the priestess interpreting the words.
My own life was rough enough; I had no energy left to pity someone who was doing well.
"All right. Let's go."
At any rate, a good while later—not a full hour, more like ten minutes or so—the Archmage finally turned. The conversation was completely wrapped up.
Time to leave.
"Once we're back in the village, I'll make the antidote first. The poisons around here will drop you in a hurry if you don't treat them fast."
"Uwahaha! Berserk does not yield to poison! No need to give me any!"
"Don't act like you're a different species. There's a limit to cockiness."
"But it's true... I got bitten by a spider earlier and I'm fine!"
"...Why are you only saying that now, you crazy woman!!"
"H-hurry closer! I'll detoxify you!"
"Good heavens. Are you even human? Can't you just give me a tiny bit of your body??"
"Why are you suddenly burning with research zeal again!!"
"...Well now. Choosing to rest in the village seems to have been the right call. More importantly, ahem, 【Is there anywhere that feels unwell?】"
【Ah... I-I'm fine.】
【Good. Speak up anytime.】
Unless we were heading out to catch a demon, there was no reason for me to take the lead. I didn't know the path either.
So I stuck to the very rear and watched the idiots advance.
[Hey, our kid seems pretty good at this, don'tcha think? He's a bit young, but I'll still be around till he grows up.]
Well, part of it was the snake who had insisted on tagging along out of boredom after saying he'd have no one to talk to once I left. He was chattering nonstop beside me even though I hadn't answered once—must have been truly bored.
[Hmm. Still bothers me a little. That Great Chief post—he can't even throw a tantrum there. Hope he'll be all right. I'll step up and back him, so no need to worry about other fools actin' up.]
Then, all of a sudden, something I'd left behind came to mind.
It was when the village was just about to vanish completely from sight.
"...? Where are you going?"
"I left something behind."
"I'll come with—"
"Go on ahead."
"...All right. Do that."
[Huh? What'd ya leave? Want me to fetch it?]
It wasn't something material, so telling him was useless.
I gave the snake a pointed look and spun around without another word. The idiots noticed my U-turn late and tried to follow, but the Archmage reined them in nicely.
In the meantime, I hurried back toward the village with quick steps. Even after we left, he hadn't moved; I spotted the Great Chief trudging back in a daze.
【......? Ah.】
"Black Thunder Snake. Is something the matter...?"
I'd been thinking it for a while—Black Thunder Snake was the nickname they'd given me, huh.
Cool enough that I liked it, I mused as I stepped between the Great Chief and the priestess.
"If you find the Chest Protector, bury it in the ground."
I wasn't even sure these people had taken it, and even if they had, getting it back was a lost cause, so I might as well leave a warning.
That was something ordered to save others, not an item crafted to hurt them.
I explained a bit more carefully to the priestess who asked what a Chest Protector was. I didn't mention it was a bomb.
It had been made just strong enough to destroy a heart, so even if they only dug about a meter down, it wouldn't turn into a big problem.
"And..."
I hadn't come just to say that.
I had one more reason for being here. I reached into my inventory.
"Take this."
I'd already handed over all the shiny, pretty things, but that didn't mean everything left was unfit to give away.
I placed the item I'd picked out on the way into the Great Chief's hands. A flute carved from wood.
On the way here I'd scraped it quickly with a dagger so a snake shape was lightly engraved as well. Since they served Sangun, I figured they'd like snakes, so I carved that pattern.
"This is..."
[Heheh.]
【A flute...】
The snake had said this would make a fine enough gift, so it should be okay. He'd overheard that the kid, uh, had wanted to talk with me.
More precisely, it wasn't just talk—he'd wanted to see me fight with mana wreathed around me, or hear stories about it—but that was the gist.
"It's a gift from the snake."
[Eh. It ain't from me—it's from the guest.]
But was this concept the type to chat gently?
So be satisfied with this. Of course, if I gave it myself it'd break character, so I'd use Sangun as the excuse.
[Mm. Well... no harm done. Heheh.]
I turned my body again while listening to the snake's sly chuckling.
Now I was really leaving.
【Ah, wait—!】
Bang!
The black mana coiled around my body swept through the forest like thunder, like a gale.
【He's gone...】
【...It's only the second time I've seen it, but it's still astonishing.】
Meanwhile, those left behind wore blank faces at the one who had come like the wind and left like the wind. They couldn't help it.
The warrior who had left such a massive mark on this Great Forest—his appearance, his deeds, even his departure—had all been completely willful.
【Another story will be added to the legend of the Black Thunder Snake.】
【Indeed.】
But that was exactly what made him more mysterious.
The priestess watched the place of a being who would be elevated into legend over generations.
【This Great Chief... there will never be any talk of legitimacy. You must be pleased, Priestess Bibia.】
【Of course.】
The Black Thunder Snake who had appeared so suddenly had saved the people of Serhang, saved his tribe, removed the troubles of the influential-yet-problematic Jatav and Bigabol tribes, and in doing so saved those two tribes as well while proving they were unfit for the Great Chief's seat.
Lord Sangun, intervening in that situation, had made the chief of Serhang—whom the Black Thunder Snake had saved—into the Great Chief.
And even the Black Thunder Snake, before leaving, had left something with the chief of Serhang. An object engraved with a snake, no less.
A snake pattern that none but the Great Chief could possess.
【Are you happy?】
【...Pardon? Yes?】
The priestess glanced at the snake engraving that looked utterly black from the shadows inside the flute.
If this was passed down, would anyone dare stir up strife over this story?
Would anyone dare ignore the choice of their faith, Lord Sangun, and of the Black Thunder Snake whom Lord Sangun had ordered them to treat as they would him?
【Do you like the gift?】
【Ah... yes. I like it so, so much.】
With this, the Great Chief would be able to exercise the strongest authority of any era.
And if it was the Ekuya she knew, he would lead the people more wisely than anyone.
Prosperity would surely come. An age of prosperity that could advance into the future.
【It's as happy as the day Mother gave me a gift.】
But even if all of that meant nothing, it wouldn't matter.
Bibia quietly smiled herself as she looked at the child smiling so brightly, as if he had set everything down for the first time in ages.
The value of that flute was more than enough with Ekuya's smile alone.