Chapter 557: Civilization vs. Savagery
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 557: Civilization vs. Savagery
Mugul had seized control of an entire tribe, enslaving them. Some served as his minions, oblivious to the fact that they were destined to be sacrifices. Including those locked in the underground prison, the total number reached a staggering six hundred.
After sending back those who could fend for themselves and still had homes to return to, three hundred remained. Three hundred refugees with nowhere to turn and no one to rely on.
In a jungle where people lived in tribal units, three hundred was an immense number—so large that few could even count that high. In this rough and unforgiving land, there was only one place that could immediately accommodate such a number.
Piu Village.
“Oho! I knew you’d do it!”
After a two-day journey, the Regressor and I arrived at Piu Village with three hundred people in tow. Rasch, who had been contacted in advance, came out with a few other Undying to greet the refugees.
“Two hundred sacrifices! What kind of horrific ritual was he planning? Teacher, boy! Thank you so much for helping, for treating this land as if it were your own, even though you’re outsiders!”
Rasch expressed his gratitude with complete sincerity, simply because we had saved the life of a Piu. However, the few Undying who accompanied him looked troubled at the sight of the refugees we had brought.
“Three hundred? One, two… ten. No, I’m out of fingers. Hey, how much is three hundred?”
“How should I know? It’s a damn big number! What’s this mean? Piu Village is going to burst!”
“They all look sickly. Can we even get enough food? Don’t tell me we have to provide for them?”
Piu Village was a kindness from the Undying, a place for the Piu who had lost their homes for one reason or another. But while the Undying could not die, they could not endure starvation. Even the Undying needed to eat to move.
Faced with the food crisis that the three hundred represented, the Undying grew pensive. Voicing the concerns of them all, ‘Left Leg’ stepped forward.
“‘Right Arm.’ Your guests have done a great thing. That cruel shaman would have surely extended his evil reach to our village someday, so your guests have helped our village as well.”
Rasch replied joyfully.
“See? Even people from beyond the plains know honor! If so, isn't it our duty to repay their honorable actions in a way that brings us no shame?”
“Ah, of course, ‘Right Arm.’ We naturally intend to recognize the people from beyond the plains as warriors and treat them as such. However…”
‘Left Leg’ looked over the three hundred refugees again and shook his head.
“My apologies to our guests, but we cannot accept them.”
“Are you serious, ‘Left Leg’?”
“Piu Village is a sanctuary we’ve prepared in a corner of our land. The moment they enter this village, they become our Piu, whom we must care for and protect. That is the way of the Undying, passed down since the time of Muhu, for living alongside those who die easily.”
“You know this, so why do you seek to abandon tradition?”
“That is precisely why, ‘Right Arm.’ We have to eat to live, too.”
‘Left Leg’ conveyed his refusal in practical terms.
“We’ve managed so far, even as the population of Piu Village grew. We just had to hunt a little harder, gather a little more fruit. But if we add three hundred more… we’ll have to hunt every single day without fail.”
“So what? We don’t get tired. We can go hunt all the way out on those distant plains and bring back three water buffalo! If not us, who will?”
“‘Right Arm.’ Not everyone in the tribe is like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we can’t just leave to hunt for days on end to feed the Piu. We have homes to look after, offerings to make, and children to raise, do we not?”
In this harsh jungle, even surviving was a struggle. Even if the Undying didn’t die, their other duties remained.
The most prominent issue was food. Hunting sounded easy, but competing with powerful and dangerous beasts to secure meat was arduous, even for the Undying.
“If we feed all of them, the animal population will be wiped out. The Piu are people who will leave someday. We cannot disrupt the balance of this land for their sake.”
“Hmm…”
Rasch, suddenly caught between the two, looked troubled. The Regressor and I were the ones who had defeated the black magician and saved these people. To turn them away in front of us would be a loss of face.
But as a resident of this village, Rasch couldn’t ignore the practical problems ‘Left Leg’ had pointed out.
The silence stretched on. The Regressor, who had been waiting patiently, finally couldn't hold back any longer.
“What? You gonna kick them out?”
“Please, wait a moment. There must be a way.”
“No, do what you want. It’s your village. I can’t say anything if you won’t take them in. I did my part, and you only have to do yours.”
‘Is killing that black magician really all there is to it? The mission's over, but it just left a troublesome mess to clean up. Aren't there any other revelations or something?’
Despite her cold words, the Regressor seemed quite displeased—so much so that even the magnanimous Rasch was walking on eggshells around her.
But faced with such a practical problem, there was no immediate solution. Reality is cold. ‘Left Leg’ spoke.
“The conclusion has been reached. We will share some of our food, and then they must return to where they came from…”
“Wait. We’re not done.”
Just then, Callis appeared from the other side of Piu Village, leading the local watch. After ordering the villagers to look after the refugees, Callis stepped in between Rasch and ‘Left Leg’.
“‘Left Leg.’ If there is a way to solve the food problem, may I take them in?”
Callis spoke to ‘Left Leg’ with her chin held high and arms crossed. ‘Left Leg’ replied, a clear sense of aversion and unease in his voice.
“…‘Right Arm’s’ partner.”
Oh? Now that’s a strange reaction. ‘Left Leg’, who was always relaxed and cool-headed like a true Undying, seemed inexplicably tense in front of Callis.
“Are you talking about the method you mentioned before?”
“That explanation is not precise enough. Slash-and-burn. We burn the forest to make fields.”
“You mean to set the devil’s fire in this land ruled by the Sacrificial Vessel?”
“It is neither the devil’s fire nor the land of the Sacrificial Vessel. This officer… no, I will simply burn a part of the forest that can be burned, under firm control.”
Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve encountered this kind of Military State thinking. If you can’t support the population, just increase the number of fields. The Military State's mindset, solely focused on achieving its objective, presented an answer that was clear but difficult to accept.
Is this civilization’s response to savagery? Callis explained succinctly.
“We section off a part of the forest and set it on fire. We till the soil mixed with ash and twigs. Then we plant seeds and grow them. Done properly, it takes some time, but combined with Standard Magic, this entire process can be rapidly accelerated to see results.”
“This land, where the Sacrificial Vessel resides, is damp every day. It won’t catch fire so easily.”
“I can use alchemy to turn wood into fuel.”
“Alche… what?”
“Let’s just call it a witch’s secret recipe. Though it’s less mysterious and more systematic than that.”
“Such absurd talk…”
“No, Mr. Left Leg. It’s possible!”
This was getting interesting, wasn't it? I jumped right in to support Callis’s claim.
“As long as the wood is cut, I can perform Instant Alchemy. Look. Separating the moisture from the wood to create firewood and drinking water is a simple matter!”
While I was at it, I broke off a log and used Instant Alchemy to separate its moisture. Seeing the water droplets drip from the wood, ‘Left Leg’ frowned.
“Hmm. How long would it take to change this entire vast forest in such a way?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Ms. Callis is a former Mage Officer of the Military State, so she has quite a lot of mana. And I can help if need be.”
My assurance made ‘Left Leg’ twice as troubled. I met his irritated gaze with a bright smile.
It wasn't that I particularly wanted to help Callis. It's just that it would be a waste to let them reject the Military State's brutish yet rational propagation of civilization simply because they ‘can't believe it’. I’ll just give them faith, just a little faith.
“You reap what you sow. Even if you make a field, what is there to plant in an empty field?”
“The Military State provides Chimera Bean seeds to field-grade officers on missions so they can be self-sufficient during independent operations. I have them as well.”
“You carry seeds with you? Hmm…”
“Wow. I’d heard about that, but to think you actually carry them! I’m sure of it. These are Chimera Bean seeds!”
Think it's fake? The Military State does it. Fearing they might not believe her, I stepped up to vouch for it. ‘Left Leg’ and the other Undying hesitated as they looked at the seeds Callis presented.
“There aren’t that many. How long will it take to grow and eat them?”
“Don’t worry. Chimera Beans also absorb the essence of other plants. Once they grow beyond a certain size, they can be grafted to multiply. It will take a little time, though.”
“They can be multiplied? If it were that easy…”
“Oh, and I have the power of a druid. If there’s a field, I can help them grow to some extent.”
While I was at it, I made leaves sprout from a dry branch. The Undying reacted even more strongly to that.
The people of this savage nation might not know about magic or alchemy, but they knew Druidism. When it came to plants and trees, you couldn’t doubt a druid.
The logic for opposition was growing weaker. Now, ‘Left Leg’ was just nitpicking like a fussy old man.
“What if the fire spreads?”
“Ah, I’ll stop that. If I isolate the air with Chun-aeng and sever the ground with Jizan, there’s no way the fire will spread, no matter what.”
The Regressor, perhaps worried they wouldn’t believe her either, gave a demonstration. When she swung Chun-aeng toward a nearby bonfire, the flames flickered unnaturally, as if blocked by an invisible wall.
Any worries or counterarguments from the Undying were now moot. And since the Regressor and I were taking this side, they couldn't just ignore us. The Undying were now left with only a choice.
Either send the refugees away or accept them. I wonder what they’ll choose.
After a long moment of contemplation, ‘Left Leg’ squeezed out a final answer.
“…This is not a matter that can be decided easily. We must speak with the priestesses of the Sacrificial Vessel. ‘Eye,’ ‘Nose,’ ‘Mouth,’ and ‘Ear.’”
Postponing the answer. The most chosen option since the dawn of time, and also the one that has produced the greatest results. Clichéd, but effective.
But time was not on the side of the Undying. Postponing meant maintaining the current state of affairs. They couldn't just send away three hundred refugees when no conclusion had been reached.
Callis smiled a victor's smile.
“Then we’ll have to take care of them in the meantime. Until your discussion with the priestesses is over.”
‘Left Leg’ clicked his tongue loudly. To anyone watching, the winner and loser were clearly decided.
And that’s what makes it so interesting.
The Callis I knew back in the Military State was a cold-blooded woman who wouldn't hesitate to do any dirty deed for power. In contrast, Rasch was a kind and generous Undying.
That should have been the case, but now Callis was trying to protect the refugees. Instead, it was the generous Undying who were showing reluctance.
I grinned and read her thoughts.
‘My own standing will rise only if the population of Piu Village increases. I followed Rasch here, but I can't just live doing nothing. The standards here are too low, too savage. I have to raise the civilization of Piu Village to at least the level of a Military State border town.’
Callis hadn't abandoned her lust for power. The direction it was aimed had simply changed.
‘I've introduced the standard drills. Education is going well. The savages who lost their homes and settled in Piu Village admire my movements and attire, and are actively learning. What Piu Village needs now is strength, and the ability to be self-sufficient. That's all.’
A change in environment doesn't erase one's past life. Callis, drawing up a clear blueprint and executing it like a military operation, clearly possessed the Military State's way of thinking.
‘And that way, the child I'll have someday… won't have to live the life of a savage.’
Though it wasn't purely for the sake of power.
And the Undying, including ‘Left Leg’, vaguely sensed Callis's intentions, though not as clearly as I did.
Callis's ambition wasn't the entire reason they refused the refugees, but it was certainly a part of it.
“‘Right Arm’s’ partner.”
‘Left Leg’, who had read the situation better than anyone, called out to Callis quietly. Not by name, not by title. Simply with the implication that she was nothing more than Rasch's companion.
“Don't overstep your bounds. You may be ‘Right Arm’s’ partner, but in the end, you are a Piu. A… friend who dies easily, under our protection.”
It didn't matter if she was Rasch's partner or the chief of Piu Village; Callis was just a Piu. ‘Left Leg’ warned her, pointing to the red armband on her arm.
Rasch shouted, “‘Left Leg’!”
“‘Right Arm.’ If you are one of us, then look after your partner well. What we gave the Piu was a sanctuary where they can protect their lives in peace, not the right to command us. Not everyone who comes from beyond the plains can become a Muhu.”
Hoh. So that's how you're going to play it? Well, territorialism is a right, I suppose. Though it was a bit of a cheap shot for someone lording their status as an Undying over her.
I was watching like it was none of my business when ‘Left Leg’ suddenly saw the armband on my arm and spoke.
“And you there. The one from beyond the plains.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yes. If you are also a Piu, then take my words to heart.”
Wait, why me all of a sudden? I'm not going to live in Piu Village; I'm a traveler who will leave someday.
“‘Left Leg,’ that's enough.”
“‘Right Arm,’ we also—”
“No. Not for my sake, but for yours. It is your freedom to challenge, but you should not be dismissive. Teacher is…”
I appreciated Rasch's sentiment, but I also understood where ‘Left Leg’ was coming from. I cut Rasch off.
“It’s alright, Rasch. I was the one who overstepped a little.”
“Teacher. I apologize. After all you’ve done to help…”
“No, no, no. It’s not that I’m offended or anything, I mean it literally. It wasn’t my place as an outsider who will leave someday to meddle. I just casually mentioned that I could help, but I believe the decision is entirely up to you all.”
That’s right. I’m just the person who shoves the choices in their faces so they can’t look away.
If they close their eyes, I’ll hold their eyelids open. If they cover their ears, I’ll grab their earlobes and shout into them. If they refuse to think, I’ll touch their deepest heart and force them to confront it.
I respect any choice that comes from that.
“Alright, alright. Shall we stop here for now? We need to rest, and you Undying have some ‘talking’ to do.”
As I clapped my hands to wrap things up, the meeting ended as if on cue. ‘Left Leg’ went with the other Undying to see the priestesses, and Callis led the Piu Village watch toward the refugees.