Chapter 552: A Village Close to Death
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 552: A Village Close to Death
Pushing through a primeval forest where even the weeds grew taller than a person, we came upon a massive boulder hidden by the trees. This magnificent rock, which would have earned a monumental name had it stood on a plain, was just another feature for vines and moss to grow on amidst the sea of trees. Beneath the boulder, where grass and moss grew like a wall, lay Piu Village.
“This is Piu Village. The village of those who die easily. They are vulnerable to beasts and disease, so we built them a village deep in the forest for their protection.”
Piu Village was quite different from the village of the Undying. It had proper fences, watchtowers, and even guards. On the surface, it was several times better equipped than the Undying's village.
However, the gravestones and scraps of the deceased's clothing visible outside the fence showed just how accustomed this village was to the pain of loss.
“She is a Piu, so she stays in Piu Village. But she's a tough one, you see.”
Rasch pounded on the gate with his fist. Recognizing Rasch's face, the guard quickly ran down from his post and opened the main gate.
“Mr. Rasch! You're here!”
“I am. Has anything happened?”
“Things are always happening in this village. How could they not, with Miss Callis around?”
“Is she well?”
“If by 'well' you mean 'the same as always,' then yes. If not... I'd say she's her usual self. Please, come in.”
And so the gatekeeper led us inside. Into a village full of Piu, accustomed to loss and sorrow, living in a space carved out for them by the Undying...
“Move it! We're falling behind schedule!”
“It's almost lunchtime! We need to finish this work before then!”
Creaking steel. Smoke rising from a large chimney. Boxy houses made of relatively modern alchemic cement. When a large wall clock sounded its alarm, people stopped what they were doing and headed for a steaming cafeteria.
This savage tribe, encountered in the distant wilds, had a strangely familiar air about them.
“…What is this place?”
The Regressor looked around, clearly displeased.
What we encountered in this unfamiliar place was a scene from the Military State we had left behind long ago. A village of iron and stone, clashing with the lush greenery and dense thickets, ground on with a creaking friction. Barbarians you'd expect to see in a primeval forest were clumsily mimicking the State's routines, dressed in rough approximations of its uniforms.
It was as if an artificial civilization had been dropped into the middle of peaceful nature. And at its center, a relatively slender, red-haired woman was commanding the people.
“You there. Halt.”
Lieutenant Colonel Callis, a Mage Officer of the Military State who, through one thing and another, had left with Rasch when the Abyss collapsed. Once an officer in uniform, she now wore incongruously practical, lived-in clothes as she singled someone out.
At Callis's call, a woman dressed in leaves flinched and cowered. Callis spoke in a high-handed tone.
“If you want to eat, get in line. There's no point in having rules if you don't follow the proper order.”
“I, hungry!”
“Wait a moment. You line up, and we distribute the food in order. That is the most rational way to ensure everyone gets fed.”
The woman was a handspan taller than Callis, with a thick neck and arms. She glared, ready to solve the problem with force if necessary.
But when Callis gathered her mana and sparked a flame at her fingertip, the frightened woman screamed and fled.
“A devil!”
“It's magic.”
“The devil's magic!”
“I've told you time and again that magic is a skill.”
Even out here in the wild, she can't shake off her officer habits.
After driving the woman away with her cold, rigid demeanor, Callis flicked the flame into a furnace, lighting it. The workers went back to preparing food as if nothing had happened.
The Mage Officer of the Military State was still playing the part of an officer, even in this village of savages. The Regressor clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“She's the same as ever. I guess a change of scenery doesn't change a person.”
“That's not true, boy. You'd be surprised how much she's changed.”
Rasch strode toward Callis. With his large frame, he was easy to spot. Callis saw him almost immediately, and her sharp gaze softened.
“Rasch!”
The Mage Officer from moments before vanished. Callis ran to him with a radiant smile. As she fell into Rasch's arms, she wrapped her arms around the back of his head and kissed him.
The Regressor, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events, staggered.
“Wh-what?”
The two clung to each other, sharing breath without a care for who was watching. It was a kiss so passionate it was embarrassing to watch, so much so that I wondered if this was how savages expressed their love.
The Regressor took a step back, a look of disgust on her face.
“What the hell are they doing all of a sudden?”
“What do you mean? They're getting married. A little kiss is nothing.”
“Affection, my ass! Doing something so shameless right in front of everyone!”
“It's a bit much to call a kiss shameless. It's not like you caught them sleeping together.”
“Hey! Why are you bringing up them sleeping together now?!”
“Why are you suddenly so angry? I'm just saying!”
While we bickered, Callis and Rasch, having had a sufficient reunion, pulled apart with slightly regretful expressions. Callis looked him over, asking worriedly how he was.
“Are you all right? The Monastery of Blood is home to a strategic-grade vampire. Wasn't that too reckless?”
“No. As the rumors said, the nun treats those who visit empty-handed with respect. I received her permission for our wedding, and she gave me this as proof.”
“This is?”
“The wool of the King of Sheep. It's a precious material that, when woven into clothing, cannot be pierced by any fang or claw. With the nun's blessing and this wool as proof, the elders won't be able to refuse so easily.”
“Rasch. But... to be accepted as one of them, I have to pass the ritual, don't I?”
“You don't need to pass it. It's a custom of my tribe, so why should an outsider like you have to follow it? Besides, it's difficult and arduous for anyone who isn't Undying. You could die.”
“But…”
“My dear. I can't bear to see even the smallest scratch on your body. Humans, who are not of the Undying race, can die from the slightest wound. The thought that I might lose you…”
“Rasch…”
“My love…!”
Whump. They embraced again and resumed their kiss. The Regressor and I were suddenly left standing there like decorations, completely ignored. The Regressor, uncomfortable with just watching, grumbled.
“What happened to them that they can't live without each other now?”
“A minute ago you were complaining that she hadn't changed, and now you're complaining that she has. A lot of time has passed; things like this can happen. You and I have changed a lot since the Abyss, too, Shei-ssi.”
“What are you talking about! I can live just fine without you!”
“Who said anything about that kind of relationship?! There's more than one kind of relationship, you know! You're not some pubescent girl, so why does your mind always jump to that?!”
“I'm past puberty!”
Not that! You're supposed to object to being called a girl! You're disguised as a man! For God's sake, I wish you'd be as considerate of your disguise as I am!
While a kiss continued on one side and an argument on the other, the seemingly endless kiss between Callis and Rasch finally ended. Only then did they have a moment to look our way and notice our presence.
“…You two. From the Abyss.”
“Hello. It's been a while, hasn't it? First time since the Abyss.”
Back in the Abyss, Callis, then a member of a secret organization, had infiltrated the prison to get her hands on Azzy, the Dog King. She ultimately failed and barely escaped with her life, living in the Abyss until it collapsed, at which point she left for the south with Rasch. I wasn't particularly curious about what happened to her, but seeing her face, she seems to be doing well.
Callis finished her brief recollection and spoke.
“I never thought we'd meet again like this.”
“Well, we didn't exactly part on good terms, but we're both still alive, so isn't that what matters?”
“Perhaps that was true before you arrived. What brings the heroes who will save the world to a place like this?”
Callis spoke with a hint of caution. She seemed less afraid of us and more of the storm we might bring with us.
“I heard you were on a journey to overcome the coming doom. Your presence here... does it mean something is about to happen, or are you about to make something happen?”
“Don't worry. We're here to take care of something. In fact, it will probably end up helping you.”
“What is it?”
“We're here to purify an ancient evil that's supposed to be somewhere around here. Though I don't know what it is.”
“An ancient evil…?”
Callis's expression darkened as if something had occurred to her. She glanced around nervously for a moment before speaking.
“Are you really here to purify an ancient evil?”
Seeing Callis's reaction, the Regressor crossed her arms and pressed.
“You know something?”
“…Something I've heard, yes.”
With a grim look, Callis surveyed the faces of the people around her. Like most who wandered before finding refuge in another's village, the people of Piu Village carried deep scars and sorrows.
And their numbers were far too great to be considered mere refugees. A rough count suggested there were more refugees in Piu Village than there were Undying.
“Lately, more and more people have been coming to Piu Village. And some of them have told strange stories.”
“Like what?”
As the lover of the 'Right Arm' and a mage, Callis had unintentionally become the de facto chief of Piu Village. She relayed the stories she had heard from the Piu.
“That an evil god crawled out from beneath the earth.”