Chapter 514: Natives (2)

Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 514: Natives (2)

No matter what world you found yourself living in, there would invariably be legends and old folk tales passed down from generation to generation, and Rafdonia was no exception. There were countless stories of adventurers who claimed that they had been saved by strange beings in the labyrinth who could communicate with them. Or who claimed they'd narrowly escaped getting eaten by such beings. Anecdotes like that had existed for as long as adventurers had. Of course, there'd never been any proof that any of them were true.

"I think everyone's thought up a story like that at least once during a quest."

Like Erwen said, this was a scenario everyone who had ventured into the labyrinth had entertained at least once. Since the labyrinth was filled with all sorts of mysteries and secrets, was it really all that strange to imagine you might find a monster capable of reason or speech inside?

"How interesting..." Unlike Erwen, who clearly didn't believe the group's story at all, Amelia's eyes gleamed as soon as she heard the words 'native people.' "Then what about the bodies at the entrance?" she pressed. "Did those monsters do that too?"

The woman tilted her head at the question. "Bodies at the entrance... What do you mean?"

"You don't know? There were three of them."

When Amelia filled them in on what we'd found, the woman flinched. "McHoldin, Princeton, Rick... Those were the three who were kidnapped during the first ambush... We didn't see them in the village we were brought to, but I never imagined that they would be..."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean by ambush? Tell me everything from after you split ways with the Hektz Clan. And go into as much detail as possible."

"What...? How do you know about that?"

"They were the ones who told us about this island."

"...I see." The adventurer muttered under her breath, grumbling that she should have followed them, before addressing my questions. "Well, after going our separate ways, we began to explore further inland."

They were the first to discover this area, on top of a few never-before-seen monsters. Since there was no information on the island's geography or its inhabitants, they ended up in several tight spots. However, they persevered through the danger, motivated by the prospect of having their names go down in history.

"Tentaculan, Diamont, Cavern Squirrel, Papagonas, Baylonta... Those were some of the new monsters that we found here. At first, everything was great. We were making discoveries that would be written down for generations to come."

Papagonas and Baylonta—those were monsters we hadn't come across yet. I made a mental note to ask them for information about them later on.

"But while we were making our way to the center of the island, we found something strange."

What they had found were footprints leading to the island's center. The footprints themselves were twice as large as the average person's, and there were quite a few of them as if a group of people had been traveling together.

"They were all different sizes, and the footprints themselves were flat like whoever made them was wearing shoes..."

The group of adventurers excitedly followed the trail, certain it would lead them to a new type of monster. As they marched on, the forest became even denser and lusher with greenery, and their occasional encounters with other monsters had ceased altogether.

"That's when the first surprise attack happened."

They were ambushed on all sides by monsters. They desperately tried to fight back, but three of them were kidnapped in the skirmish, including the lover of the clan's captain. Naturally, the Silver Lion Clan gave chase, heading even deeper into the forest.

"But there was only so much we could do. They attacked us a second and third time, and many of us ended up dying."

The biggest problem was that despite so many of them giving their lives in battle, they weren't able to kill even one of the monsters.

"I don't know why it took us so long to realize it, but the monsters were intelligent. They could communicate in their own language and use strategy."

When they finally caught on, the rest of the Silver Lion Clan turned tail and fled. The captain, whose lover had been kidnapped, was furious with his subordinates. However, recognizing that they couldn't handle this on their own, he had no choice but to retreat for now so they could try to find me and ask for help. But by then, it was already too late.

"They set up a trap on the return route. Since this was our first time on this island, we were forced to go back the same way we came. But this time, there was a trap on the path that hadn't been there before..."

After falling into the trap, they were all captured, blindfolded, and then brought to the village.

"Then how did you four escape?"

"Well... one of the monsters let us go..."

"Let you go...?"

According to them, this monster was much smaller than the others. It appeared to be a child.

"Did you build up some sort of rapport with them?"

"No. We couldn't even communicate."

"Then why would it release you?"

"We just... I don't know either. The monster came to the cage they locked us up in. It watched us all day and kept saying something, but that was the extent of our interaction."

I kept my mouth shut, but Amelia said what was on my mind without hesitation.

"It must have felt bad for you."

Erwen agreed. "Looking back on it, my younger sister did the same thing once. One time, everyone was preparing for a festival, and I remember she would constantly visit the livestock and talk to them. And the day before the festival, she helped them escape."

The adventurers grit their teeth in response to Amelia and Erwen's theory, but they couldn't argue with their logic. They must have already realized it deep down. They had been treated like animals, trapped behind bars, and the only reason they had all survived was thanks to the innocence and sympathy of a child.

"Haha... kids are all the same..."

Whatever the case, that was their story.

From there, I asked them to tell me more about the monster they encountered. What did it look like? How strong was it? How many were in the village? I tried to get as much information out of them as I could so I could decide on our plan of action.

"Based on what you've told us, I think we can continue our expedition."

Considering the size of the village, it would be impossible to take them all on. However, their story also suggested that the monsters living there varied significantly from individual to individual, much like a human society, where not everyone was a warrior or knew how to fight. The main issue was that, unlike us, they had the advantage of being accustomed to the island's terrain.

But that's not enough of a reason for us to give up now.

"Guide us to the village," I commanded.

"Y-You're... really going there?"

"We came here to explore, so why would we not?" I put my hand on one of their shoulders, waiting for their response.

"But there was only so much we could do. They attacked us a second and third time, and many of us ended up dying."

The biggest problem was that despite so many of them giving their lives in battle, they weren't able to kill even one of the monsters.

"I don't know why it took us so long to realize it, but the monsters were intelligent. They could communicate in their own language and use strategy."

When they finally caught on, the rest of the Silver Lion Clan turned tail and fled. The captain, whose lover had been kidnapped, was furious with his subordinates. However, recognizing that they couldn't handle this on their own, he had no choice but to retreat for now so they could try to find me and ask for help. But by then, it was already too late.

"They set up a trap on the return route. Since this was our first time on this island, we were forced to go back the same way we came. But this time, there was a trap on the path that hadn't been there before..."

After falling into the trap, they were all captured, blindfolded, and then brought to the village.

"Then how did you four escape?"

"Well... one of the monsters let us go..."

"Let you go...?"

According to them, this monster was much smaller than the others. It appeared to be a child.

"Did you build up some sort of rapport with them?"

"No. We couldn't even communicate."

"Then why would it release you?"

"We just... I don't know either. The monster came to the cage they locked us up in. It watched us all day and kept saying something, but that was the extent of our interaction."

I kept my mouth shut, but Amelia ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠said what was on my mind without hesitation.

"It must have felt bad for you."

Erwen agreed. "Looking back on it, my younger sister did the same thing once. One time, everyone was preparing for a festival, and I remember she would constantly visit the livestock and talk to them. And the day before the festival, she helped them escape."

The adventurers grit their teeth in response to Amelia and Erwen's theory, but they couldn't argue with their logic. They must have already realized it deep down. They had been treated like animals, trapped behind bars, and the only reason they had all survived was thanks to the innocence and sympathy of a child.

"Haha... kids are all the same..."

Whatever the case, that was their story.

From there, I asked them to tell me more about the monster they encountered. What did it look like? How strong was it? How many were in the village? I tried to get as much information out of them as I could so I could decide on our plan of action.

"Based on what you've told us, I think we can continue our expedition."

Considering the size of the village, it would be impossible to take them all on. However, their story also suggested that the monsters living there varied significantly from individual to individual, much like a human society, where not everyone was a warrior or knew how to fight. The main issue was that, unlike us, they had the advantage of being accustomed to the island's terrain.

But that's not enough of a reason for us to give up now.

"Guide us to the village," I commanded.

"Y-You're... really going there?"

"We came here to explore, so why would we not?" I put my hand on one of their shoulders, waiting for their response.

"Then... we'll tell you where it is, so you can go by yourself..."

"Yes! We'd only get in your way if we came with you!"

Their enthusiasm for this plan made it clear that they really didn't want to go back under any circumstances.

"Do you have a boat of your own?"

"Yes! We'll be able to summon a boat, don't worry."

"I see. Okay, got it. You can go, then."

"...What?"

"What's wrong? If you're confident you can make it back to the coast, summon a boat, and escape the island all on your own, then you should get going."

The average rank of the monsters we had encountered on our way here had been three or four. Thankfully, as we were all adventurers, they quickly picked up what I was putting down.

"...We'll show you to the village."

"Great."

As it seemed we'd be working with each other for a while, I asked them for their names so I could commit them to memory.

Marina, Chen, Kryan, and Dennis.

Dennis, the one holding the spear, had been a member of one of the smallish-sized parties. The other three were members of the Silver Lion Clan.

Even though it seems that clan might not exist anymore.

"Yandel, I'll take the lead from here."

For some reason, Amelia pushed me aside and took my usual spot at the head of our formation.

"Emily? Why?"

"Did you not hear them say that there were traps in this forest?"

"Then that's all the more reason why I should—"

"Yandel, you're our leader. If you get injured or killed, what will happen to the rest of us? Who will lead us then?"

Amelia then added that she was confident in her ability to spot the traps before we could even set them off, so it was better for her to take the lead. Her logic was sound, so I decided to step back and let her guide us for now. However, as a tank, it was strange to be standing behind someone instead of the other way around.

Still, the feeling of being protected... isn't all that bad...

After about two hours of travel, we finally arrived at our destination.

"This... This was definitely the place. It was right under this tree here... What?"

We went over to the tree, but the roots of it were completely sealed off. There was no path leading underground like the four of them had claimed.

"What's going on here?"

"I-I don't know."

"Did you bring us to the wrong place?"

"No! That can't be. You saw them too, Your Lordship! The footprints leading here!"

It didn't seem like he was lying.

I checked the other nearby trees, in case they were just wrong about which one it was. However, even then, we couldn't find an entrance.

Does the entrance only open and close with a trigger?

We had no way of knowing how anything here worked. The only thing we could say for sure was that their village was probably hidden somewhere underground.

Rustle.

Suddenly, I spotted what looked to be a child walking a short distance away.

"I'll take the left."

"Then I'll take the right."

The second it emerged from the foliage, Erwen and Amelia gave chase. They quickly cut off its escape route and wrestled it to the ground.

It had blue skin and large eyes, with large fangs protruding from its mouth. The top of its head bulged out a bit like an alien's.

"Kyaaak!"

The monster thrashed violently against their grip with a beast-like howl. Of course, we didn't let that go on for long.

"Quiet."

Concerned about the amount of noise it was making, Amelia quickly pulled out a dagger and held it to its throat. The monster immediately stopped fighting back and slowly looked up at me.

"(D-Don't kill me...)"

It spoke the ancient language.

***

It seemed that not only was I able to read and write in the ancient language without issue now, but I could even converse in it. It felt kind of strange rolling off my tongue, but that was the least of my concerns at the moment.

"Was it you? The kid who helped the four of them escape?"

When I spoke to him, the monster's eyes went wide in astonishment. Why was he suddenly not saying anything? He'd just been begging for his life a second ago.

"Are you not going to answer me?" I asked.

"Y-Yes... I helped them escape. The four of them."

"Why?"

"Because... I felt bad for them..."

I couldn't help but think that sounded kind of cliché.

A kind-hearted child tries to do the right thing with irreversible consequences. I feel like I've heard this story countless times before.

"Yandel, what is it saying?"

"He was the one who helped them escape. And the reason he did it was because he felt sorry for them."

Even though I was speaking to Amelia, the group of four we'd picked up overheard us and looked livid.

"How dare that filthy monster..."

"Your Lordship... will you tell it this for us? We're not thankful for what it did in the slightest. Did you think we would thank you after you monsters so ruthlessly killed our comrades?"

It went without saying that I didn't translate a word of that. Wasn't this officially the first time anyone had ever conversed with one of the labyrinth's monsters? I needed to make it warm up to me so I could squeeze as much info out of it as possible.

"What are... What are those guys saying?"

"They're saying thank you for saving them."

"O-Oh... Okay..."

Surprisingly, the kid easily bought my lie. It probably struggled to read my facial expression and tone of voice because our appearances and languages were different. However, instead of being afraid of these differences, this little monster kid was rather curious. It seemed that children really were the same no matter the species.

"But how can you speak our language if you're a monster?"

"Monster...?" It was nice that he was more comfortable talking to me now, but it was hard to ignore what he had just called me. "Why are we monsters?"

"Because... Because you don't look like us. B-But I guess you can talk like us..."

Was that it? Just because we looked different than them?

"I see," I said. Then, with an ironic smile, I asked, "Then if we are monsters, what are you?"

His answer was immediate, like this was a simple matter of common sense.

"We're... We're human."

Somehow, this was turning into a very philosophical conversation.

"Then... we'll tell you where it is, so you can go by yourself..."

"Yes! We'd only get in your way if we came with you!"

Their enthusiasm for this plan made it clear that they really didn't want to go back under any circumstances.

"Do you have a boat of your own?"

"Yes! We'll be able to summon a boat, don't worry."

"I see. Okay, got it. You can go, then."

"...What?"

"What's wrong? If you're confident you can make it back to the coast, summon a boat, and escape the island all on your own, then you should get going."

The average rank of the monsters we had encountered on our way here had been three or four. Thankfully, as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we were all adventurers, they quickly picked up what I was putting down.

"...We'll show you to the village."

"Great."

As it seemed we'd be working with each other for a while, I asked them for their names so I could commit them to memory.

Marina, Chen, Kryan, and Dennis.

Dennis, the one holding the spear, had been a member of one of the smallish-sized parties. The other three were members of the Silver Lion Clan.

Even though it seems that clan might not exist anymore.

"Yandel, I'll take the lead from here."

For some reason, Amelia pushed me aside and took my usual spot at the head of our formation.

"Emily? Why?"

"Did you not hear them say that there were traps in this forest?"

"Then that's all the more reason why ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I should—"

"Yandel, you're our leader. If you get injured or killed, what will happen to the rest of us? Who will lead us then?"

Amelia then added that she was confident in her ability to spot the traps before we could even set them off, so it was better for her to take the lead. Her logic was sound, so I decided to step back and let her guide us for now. However, as a tank, it was strange to be standing behind someone instead of the other way around.

Still, the feeling of being protected... isn't all that bad...

After about two hours of travel, we finally arrived at our destination.

"This... This was definitely the place. It was right under this tree here... What?"

We went over to the tree, but the roots of it were completely sealed off. There was no path leading underground like the four of them had claimed.

"What's going on here?"

"I-I don't know."

"Did you bring us to the wrong place?"

"No! That can't be. You saw them too, Your Lordship! The footprints leading here!"

It didn't seem like he was lying.

I checked the other nearby trees, in case they were just wrong about which one it was. However, even then, we couldn't find an entrance.

Does the entrance only open and close with a trigger?

We had no way of knowing how anything here worked. The only thing we could say for sure was that their village was probably hidden somewhere underground.

Rustle.

Suddenly, I spotted what looked to be a child walking a short distance away.

"I'll take the left."

"Then I'll take the right."

The second it emerged from the foliage, Erwen and Amelia gave chase. They quickly cut off its escape route and wrestled it to the ground.

It had blue skin and large eyes, with large fangs protruding from its mouth. The top of its head bulged out a bit like an alien's.

"Kyaaak!"

The monster thrashed violently against their grip with a beast-like howl. Of course, we didn't let that go on for long.

"Quiet."

Concerned about the amount of noise it was making, Amelia quickly pulled out a dagger and held it to its throat. The monster immediately stopped fighting back and slowly looked up at me.

"(D-Don't kill me...)"

It spoke the ancient language.

***

It seemed that not only was I able to read and write in the ancient language without issue now, but I could even converse in it. It felt kind of strange rolling off my tongue, but that was the least of my concerns at the moment.

"Was it you? The kid who helped the four of them escape?"

When I spoke to him, the monster's eyes went wide in astonishment. Why was he suddenly not saying anything? He'd just been begging for his life a second ago.

"Are you not going to answer me?" I asked.

"Y-Yes... I helped them escape. The four of them."

"Why?"

"Because... I felt bad for them..."

I couldn't help but think that sounded kind of cliché.

A kind-hearted child tries to do the right thing with irreversible ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠consequences. I feel like I've heard this story countless times before.

"Yandel, what is it saying?"

"He was the one who helped them escape. And the reason he did it was because he felt sorry for them."

Even though I was speaking to Amelia, the group of four we'd picked up overheard us and looked livid.

"How dare that filthy monster..."

"Your Lordship... will you tell it this for us? We're not thankful for what it did in the slightest. Did you think we would thank you after you monsters so ruthlessly killed our comrades?"

It went without saying that I didn't translate a word of that. Wasn't this officially the first time anyone had ever conversed with one of the labyrinth's monsters? I needed to make it warm up to me so I could squeeze as much info out of it as possible.

"What are... What are those guys saying?"

"They're saying thank you for saving them."

"O-Oh... Okay..."

Surprisingly, the kid easily bought my lie. It probably struggled to read my facial expression and tone of voice because our appearances and languages were different. However, instead of being afraid of these differences, this little monster kid was rather curious. It seemed that children really were the same no matter the species.

"But how can you speak our language if you're a monster?"

"Monster...?" It was nice that he was more comfortable talking to me now, but it was hard to ignore what he had just called me. "Why are we monsters?"

"Because... Because you don't look like us. B-But I guess you can talk like us..."

Was that it? Just because we looked different than them?

"I see," I said. Then, with an ironic smile, I asked, "Then if we are monsters, what are you?"

His answer was immediate, like this was a simple matter of common sense.

"We're... We're human."

Somehow, this was turning into a very philosophical conversation.