Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Lake-Side Settlement
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Rakrak was starting to think that he needed to practice shooting at moving targets as well.
Rakrak recalled the tips Owen had taught him.
'Hold your breath and keep your eyes fixed on the target right before releasing the string.'
At first, it had been hard to understand. He'd thought it was just fake advice.
Releasing the string was just a split-second action, after all.
In Rakrak's view, the advantage of the bow was rapid fire—drawing and shooting quickly.
But this tip was effective against targets far away or on the move.
Rakrak released the string.
The arrow left the bow and pierced straight through both of Shunen's ankles where they crossed.
Shunen fell in an unsightly heap.
"Aaaack!"
The brownish-gray Lizardmen, bulging their eyes in search of vengeance and swinging bloodied clubs, heard Shunen's scream as he collapsed.
"Shunen's over there!"
"Skin the bastard alive!"
"Gut his insides!"
"Keep him alive until we can pull out his brain!"
Soon enough, Shunen met the fate they described.
Rakrak watched the scene, then slammed his bow against his knee, snapping it, and tossed it to the ground.
Owen spoke up beside him.
"Why the bow...?"
"Sorry for breaking the gift, Owen."
"That's not what I meant. I was just saying it's a good bow that could last a long time."
Rakrak shook his head.
"We can make another bow. Until we learn a better way to craft them than what they used—at least for now—we'll make bows from the Froglins' back tendons."
"Rakrak... There's no need for that. They left behind plenty of bows already..."
"No. Owen, you taught me how to shoot a bow well. I need to repay the favor."
Rakrak extended a hand to Owen, who lay fallen.
Owen hesitated several times before reaching out.
"What's wrong?"
"...I have too many sins."
"Owen, take my hand now. While you still can."
A single light filled the empty space in Owen's chest.
Now Owen knew the world could change.
Today, Owen resolved to kill the swindler.
'Live out the rest of your life in atonement.'
Behind the burning Froglin village, a blue dawn was rising.
They had killed many Froglins, but even more had escaped.
Rakrak estimated their number at over a thousand.
There was a limit to how many thirty warriors and Lizardmen could kill in a single night.
Rakrak considered the possibility that the Froglins might wander the area, regroup, and return.
Jaol offered her opinion.
"It might be best to take the time to demolish all the huts. And have the warriors patrol steadily around the lake to keep the Froglins from approaching."
Rakrak worried at her words.
"The lake is bigger than I thought. There are warriors among the escapees. Our own warriors' fatigue will be considerable."
Jaol was about to agree that he had a point when Owen spoke.
"No. They won't linger around for long. If we destroy the huts and guard the perimeter, most of the Froglins will leave the lake before our warriors even feel the strain."
"Why?"
"Froglins lose their skin's luster and start drying out if they don't stay in water for long. They'll have to settle for small streams or puddles for now, but the only place around here to fully submerge is this lake. They won't risk the danger every time, so they'll head off to find other waters."
Rakrak checked if Owen's words held true.
For a few days, Froglins appeared frequently, but once the warriors patrolled and dismantled all the huts, most seemed to lose interest and left.
Of course, some without the means to leave, or with lingering attachments or grudges against the Lizardmen, stayed hidden in small groups, evading patrols around the lake.
Rakrak thought that was fine, but Owen raised another question.
"Why not drive them out completely?"
"They're hardly a threat now. They rarely attack us. Besides, we need them to make bows—at least for the time being."
Owen felt a chill at Rakrak viewing Froglins purely as bow-making materials, but he had another doubt.
"Then capture them and use them as slaves. It would make bow production easier."
"I won't do that."
"Why not?"
Rakrak stared at Owen as if to say, Don't you get it?
Owen took a moment to think.
Owen found the answer himself.
"Because the Froglins ultimately lost?"
"Yes. We stuck to our ways, they stuck to theirs. In the end, we won. Enslaving them would be convenient. If we'd won through battle, it might even be a rightful claim. But having seen them weaken firsthand, we can't take that path."
"Understood."
Owen realized it wasn't just because Rakrak's god was stronger.
'Rakrak would have fought the Two-Headed Abomination even without a god. He knew to stand against it even without miracles. I think Rakrak would have done the same even if he weren't tribal chief or warrior. No— that courage to stand firm at any moment might be what shaped him into who he is now.'
Rakrak approached not only the Froglins but also the brownish-gray Lizardmen with caution.
In his view, they had once been dominated by another tribe.
Indeed, once the heat of vengeance cooled, while they showed fervent goodwill toward Rakrak, they remained wary of his entire tribe.
'Perhaps because they've experienced the terror of being ruled by a larger group.'
But to Seong-un, Rakrak seemed to want to protect these brownish-gray Lizardmen and ultimately integrate them into his tribe.
'But it's different from with Viewe. These are a completely unfamiliar tribe. Only about two hundred in number. Their culture is quite different too. And simple goodwill can backfire after being exploited. What method should he use?'
Rakrak appeared deeply troubled by this, but unexpectedly, the solution came from the brownish-gray Lizardmen themselves.
While leading a patrol around the lake, Rakrak passed the brownish-gray Lizardmen settling into their new home and saw a young Lizardman child running toward him.
Being a child, it must have been one confined to the island huts.
Rakrak, unsure how to handle children, tensed up not knowing what to say, but the child silently handed him a small wooden statue from behind its back and ran off.
"Hey, that kid has no manners toward the chief... Shall I bring him back?"
As Rakrak quietly gazed at the statue, one warrior spoke awkwardly.
Rakrak shook his head.
"It's beautiful."
"Pardon?"
"It's a statue carved in the likeness of our guardian."
"Ah."
The statue depicted Slatis.
It had been intricately carved with an iron chisel and knife, full of detail.
"Looks like they practiced several times to make this. Whether that child made it or someone else, I feel like there are more such statues in the village..."
"Shall I send someone to look?"
"Yes. If someone wants to trade, pay a fair price from my share of goods. It's okay to take a loss. I'd like to have more of these."
"Understood."
Because Rakrak wanted it so, Slatis statues became valuable. Even in Rakrak's tribe, those who admired their beauty paid properly and acquired them.
The brownish-gray Lizardmen, who had received aid from Rakrak's tribe but were exhausted from rebuilding their village, soon brimmed with goodwill once they had surplus food.
Seong-un understood what was happening.
'People need full bellies to have leisure, after all. That doesn't mean Rakrak took a loss, though.'
Because the 'Slatis statues' they produced became a means to generate Seong-un's divinity experience and faith resources.
The more Rakrak and his tribe paid high prices for Slatis statues, the more producing them and infusing prayers into Slatis statues fostered faith in their 'Blue Insect God'.
'Considering the progress speed, it's plenty fast.'
Thanks to the Slatis statues, relations between the Lizardmen improved quickly.
Families began inviting each other over more often, and other exchanges arose.
Rakrak's warriors taught the young ones to hunt, or the brownish-gray Lizardmen, familiar with the surrounding forests and terrain, showed where medicinal herbs grew.
Soon after, a grand festival was held.
It celebrated fully dismantling the Froglin village and the brownish-gray Lizardmen restoring their own village by the lake.
Rakrak's tribe provided smoked meat from the Two-Headed Abomination, while the brownish-gray Lizardmen brought large quantities of fruit-fermented liquor.
The smoked serpent meat, mixed with spices from the new forest, had its gamey smell subdued, and those tasting fermented liquor for the first time were startled by the sourness but soon got thoroughly drunk.
The Lizardmen praised the Blue Insect God, recounting the guardian's ferocity and the Froglins' cowardice and weakness.
The tales soon turned to song.
Lizardmen who had only known each other by face embraced and bellowed along to the forest-shaking rhythm.
Many lovers were born that day.
Rakrak took aim at the rotting head of a bound Froglin.
It was a well-used target.
He stood still for a moment afterward.
Jaol, watching from behind, spoke.
"What don't you like about it?"
"I'm wondering if this is really the best."
"At least it flies as well as the Froglins' bows."
"We're stronger. We can draw harder. But we can't break bows."
"I understand. Still, their bows were the best that could be made in this forest."
"Hm, true."
Rakrak nodded.
"Then we can't stay in this forest forever."
"...Not just for better bows, right."
"Yeah."
He'd heard from Star Reader, but winters in these mountains were harsh.
Lizardmen could manage by building fires and wearing hides, even if they slowed down.
The problem was the water buffalo Rakrak's tribe had brought.
Rakrak knew the plains buffalo migrated to warmer areas with remaining grass to escape the cold in winter.
'Then there need to be people to herd the buffalo and leave.'
The buffalo had calved once and were adapting well.
As Yur had envisioned, in time, the herd would grow massive and become a steady food source for the Lizardmen.
As Rakrak pondered, an idea for better bows flickered in his mind.
"Rakrak."
Lost in thought, Rakrak turned at the voice calling him.
It was a Lizardman wearing a Froglin skull on his head.
But Rakrak knew who it was from the voice alone.
"Owen."
The brownish-gray Lizardmen had no warriors, but naturally, some had the qualities to become ones.
Rakrak had tested and selected them personally.
Owen had passed multiple trials and was recognized as a new warrior.
And it hadn't been a mistake—Owen's hide was quickly covering over with glossy black scales shinier than others'.
These new warriors insisted on using Froglin skulls instead of water buffalo ones.
Rakrak gladly permitted it.
"What is it?"
"A few days ago, you ordered us to track a small group of Froglins wandering nearby, right?"
"And?"
"We tracked them to a cave about half a day's travel from the lake where they were hiding. We killed them all without much loss, but the cave was strange."
Rakrak showed interest.
"In what way?"
"Deeper inside, there was another entrance that looked like someone had carved it from the rock. I don't know how they chiseled such hard stone..."
"We should check it out ourselves. Did you go in?"
"No. I thought it was something to report to you first."
"Good."
Rakrak took Jaol and Owen and headed down to the village.
Rakrak seemed to think it was worth verifying, but Seong-un knew what it was.
'An ancient ruin, huh? Can we go in already?'