Beyond the Ocean (4)
Beyond the Ocean (4)
Yetis spent the food-scarce winter in a state of half-hibernation. Now that it was spring, they had awakened and were in the midst of filling their bellies.
Eugene and his knights, charging in at this very moment, were a catastrophe unto themselves for the yetis.
"It eats quite ravenously, doesn't it."
Cassandra smiled as she watched Might tearing into a yeti carcass.
A World Charger was more than merely a swift steed. It made the rider upon its back something special.
Mounted atop one, you could look down upon every being on the battlefield. When it gave chase, none could shake it off, and when it wished to depart, none could pursue.
Cassandra, who harbored great longing for authority and power, felt a possessive desire for Might that rivaled her desire for the Wandering Castle.
Of course, she could hardly dare covet Eugene's horse. Nor would Might ever acknowledge any master other than him. So she contented herself with enjoying it vicariously like this.
"It is remarkably convenient that Might is a carnivore."
"It's good. Lets us dispose of the wasted meat without fuss."
When you waged war, you ended up with carcasses of livestock, including warhorses. When you subjugated monsters, you obtained the meat of the monsters in question.
During ordinary garrison times, they sometimes simply released him to hunt and feed on his own.
His method of hunting was brutally simple. When he spotted prey in the distance, he charged at full speed and rammed it.
-Bang!
Creatures like goblins, orcs, wolves, deer, and boars died instantly from the impact.
His mobility was so extraordinary that it was common for him to go 20 or 30 kilometers out to fill his belly and then return. To Might, such a distance was nothing more than a stroll.
"What uniquely shaped ear-covers those are."
"If you covered the entire ear, you would not be able to hear sounds from afar."
The ear-covers worn by Cassandra and her special forces female warriors were specialty items tailored for elves.
They were structured to leave the inner part, which collected sound, open while covering only the rest. Because of this, their shape had become exceedingly cute, much like a horse's ear.
"You look as though you are positively itching to touch them."
"I thought I was hiding it, but it showed, did it."
Cassandra gave a snort and tilted her head slightly toward Eugene.
"You are far too casual with our ears, Lord of the Castle. Originally, they are not a part one touches carelessly even among friends."
"Well, that is because you all permit it, isn't it?"
"..."
The adventurer who had inspected the yeti hides came to Eugene, his face full of emotion.
"All who dwell in this region will praise His Excellency's honor."
The yeti hides now fluttering in the wind numbered no fewer than eleven. Five were from adults, and six were from cubs or juveniles found in the nest they had raided.
"They were clustered together far too cozily for medium-sized monsters. Thanks to that, we managed to strip quite a lot of fur pelts."
"It is because this land is so harsh. Even here is nothing short of paradise compared to the north. Up there, it is nothing but barren ice."
"So it is a matter of huddling together to survive, for better or worse."
The adventurer nodded.
"Because there is plenty to eat in this vicinity, the monsters' physiques grow large and strong for territorial disputes. Those that dwell further north cannot recklessly challenge them."
"Then will the surroundings be safe now?"
Medium-sized monsters had a low population density per area. Having swept away this many, peace would likely last for a long while.
"You have wiped out the seed of the nearby yetis, so things should be peaceful for the next two years."
"Only two years? That is far too short."
"Where the tiger has vanished, does not the fox play the king?"
As if to console the drained Eugene, the adventurer added.
"It will still be much better than when those yetis held dominion. The monsters that descend anew will be too busy keeping each other in check. The local nobles will be grateful as well."
"Now that you mention it, you said you know the lord around here, correct?"
"He is of the same Hyangro tribe as I. His name is Hakon, and he is a man mad for wealth, so you will find him easy to handle."
The dog beastkin referred to themselves as the Hyangro tribe. It meant 'those who find their way by scent.' Since the word 'dog' carried the nuance of a lowly servant, this was no strange thing.
In contrast, the wolf and bear beastkin called themselves exactly what they were. The great beasts that featured directly on the banners of noble houses were a source of pride, after all.
Eugene's envoys finished their preparations for departure. Because it was a place difficult for riding horses, special mounts had been prepared.
These were none other than wargoats.
The young wargoats captured alive in the Shield Mountains of Gord had grown at a frightening pace. Though they had only just shed their juvenile forms, they had already reached a level where a person could ride them.
Their horns were magnificent, like those of a great elk, and from their chins, white hair a meter long cascaded like a waterfall.
Holding their heads high in such a state, their bearing appeared exceedingly haughty. For mere monsters, they looked almost like scholars brimming with self-regard.
"Time you earned your keep for all the food and rearing, wouldn't you say?"
When Eugene pressed lightly on its horn, the wargoat bleated in good humor. Being a horn still in the midst of growing, the base was itchy, and the stimulation Eugene provided brought it refreshing relief.
"Homi. I leave it to you. Keep a tight rein on them so they don't run wild."
Homi, who was included among the envoys, nodded.
Though they had been tamed, a monster was still a monster. Only with Homi, the enforcer of discipline among wild beasts, accompanying them, could they exert 100% control.
* * *
Hakon and the majority of his domain's inhabitants were dog beastkin.
Living in such harsh weather, their lack of sweat glands and possession of a double coat were great strengths. Unlike humans, they could survive on a diet consisting solely of meat, excluding grains altogether.
Thanks to this, they had succeeded in establishing a faction of their own in the southeast, where growing crops was difficult.
"Woof-woof-!"
"Quiet down, you mongrels! This is no outing!"
At Hakon's scolding, the dogs pulling the sleds immediately shut their mouths.
In the southwest, where small-scale pastures existed and farming was possible, one could occasionally see horses. But in Hakon's land, dog sleds were the foundation of transportation.
Given they shared a common ancestor, commands far more detailed than what could be given to humans were possible.
When the tightly packed dwarf army came into view, Hakon clenched his teeth.
"Surely they haven't come here to conquer us?"
"No, Chieftain. Of all the many places there are, would they bring a great army to swallow up a dung-heap like this?"
"What did you just say?"
"Ah, n-no. What I meant was... hehe."
Under the chieftain's murderous glare, the subordinate scratched his head sheepishly.
The army Eugene had brought numbered only about 700, but even that was a tremendous military force in the Snow Country. What was more, these were not some half-baked troops but a heavily armed dwarf army.
"No matter how much you ransack this place, you wouldn't even make back those bastards' payroll."
An army cost money by its very existence. And this was a place that relied 100% on local supply.
If things went wrong, non-combat losses could multiply in droves in this dangerous region. There was no fathomable reason why they would bring such elite soldiers here.
"Chieftain, you must decide quickly!"
"We must send requests for reinforcements to the neighboring lords before it is too late!"
The subordinates already seemed to assume the other side had come with the intent to invade.
"Do not act rashly. The opponents are dwarfs. They are creatures who smash down and occupy castles built of stone. And you want me to let my manor become their battlefield?"
Even if they summoned the other lords, the fighting would inevitably take place on Hakon's domain, the front line. Come what may, victory or defeat, the future that awaited him then was nothing but ruin.
At that moment, Hakon's face brightened as he spotted the army's banners.
"Look there. Are they not carrying several white flags?"
"D-do you mean it?"
"This is no time to stand idly. You, hurry back and prepare to receive guests—"
Just then, Hakon and his subordinates all hardened their expressions. They had realized what the foreign army was carrying were not white flags.
"I-isn't that a yeti?"
"Good heavens!"
The white objects hanging from poles and fluttering in the wind were yeti hides.
At that sight, the muzzles of the previously discontented subordinates snapped shut. For picking a fight with an army that had butchered yetis in such a fashion was madness itself.
"You, you idiot! Why didn't you report that?"
Hakon pressed his steward. In an emergency like this, even a single scrap of information was crucial.
"Would you have believed me if I had?"
"..."
To be honest, he had nothing to say to that.
At that moment, the envoys approached. Under the pressure exuded by the wargoats, Hakon frantically restrained his subordinates, who were about to draw their weapons.
"I-I am Hakon, the chieftain who governs this region."
Normally, the outsider introduced himself first, but that was when the balance of power between the two was similar. Hakon dealt with them courteously, so as not to give the other side any cause to find fault.
"Count Meyer has come to this land with peaceful intent. As proof, he has subjugated the wicked yetis that threatened this area."
From behind Hakon, a murmur of 'It really was yetis!' could be heard.
"We wish to obtain provisions and information. If the chieftain welcomes us as guests, we, too, shall observe all courtesies as guests."
It was a statement promising no harm would be done if the custom of hospitality was observed.
"Count Meyer!"
"Oh, you know of our liege?"
"We make our livelihood trading with Britannia, so of course I know him!"
'Even if only half the rumors are true, he is a monster among monsters.'
Hakon knew well how the political situation was unfolding among his trading partners.
"I welcome the arrival of the great warrior in the Snow Country. I shall pledge the name of my clan and extend him our hospitality!"
This was a moment in which the intangible power of fame exerted itself. At the mere name of Meyer, a lord in a distant foreign land resolved to offer a respectful welcome.
Though Eugene's overwhelming strength had also vaporized any thought of mischief, the widespread reputation that he dealt with others through tolerance and fairness was a great comfort as well.
* * *
"That man is Hakon."
The warriors of the Snow Country wore the pelts of the beasts they had hunted, according to tradition. Each of them wore the heads of wolves, seals, or bears like hats, making them appear like barbarians.
'Look at the enemies we have felled!' It was a tradition of showing off.
It did not end merely as a display of style; it also functioned as a tool for mediating disputes between warriors.
They would compete over who had taken a more ferocious beast or monster, or, if the species was the same, whose kill was larger in size.
As even war was a luxury in the barren environment, it was the result of a developed culture that settled scores through indirect means without crossing swords.
In Hakon's case, he possessed pelts renowned throughout the region, but his match was a poor one.
"Hup!"
For the Hydra leather armor worn by Eugene and his guard knights had no equal in this kind of psychological contest.
The tyrant's aura coiled within the viper patterns was beyond comparison to the wolves or bears they had taken.
"Chief Hakon. I thank you for your hospitality."
"I have only done what was natural. We must help one another to survive in this barren land."
"You must have been quite startled by our sudden visit. As an apology and a greeting, would you accept a gift?"
Eugene received a yeti pelt from Homi. The volume was so great that even a single piece had to be folded into quarters and bound with rope.
"Are you truly giving away something so precious?"
Hakon asked in a trembling voice.
Not even a great chieftain could obtain a yeti pelt this intact. If he hung it in the lobby of his clan hall, every visiting guest would send glances of admiration.
"My army has no base in this region. Though it is hardly a substitute, I would ask for your goodwill in the form of supplies and information."
Hakon promptly accepted the yeti pelt from Eugene and nodded his head repeatedly.
"Count Meyer's renown has reached even this place. If I can host you, the honor is mine."
It was a situation where he would have to hand it over obediently anyway if the other side tried to take it by force. If he could receive a gift and build a friendship, there was nothing more he could wish for.
"But may I ask just one thing?"
Realizing that Eugene truly had no intention of fighting, Hakon carefully broached a question. There was a matter he had been dying of curiosity about since the moment they met.
"Anything. You are the host and I am the guest, so please ask freely."
"How in the world did you come down from the north? Beyond there is abandoned land, and no ships can dock there. It is not one or two men, but you brought a force of this size... how on earth...?"
Frankly, he was more curious about this than the fact that they had slain over ten yetis.
* * *
A banquet was held in Hakon's domain.
It was fundamentally hosted by him, but Eugene also enlivened the mood by bringing out the wine and fruit he had brought.
"Oh, come on. What kind of bolt from the blue is this on a feast day?"
"They'll leave some for us, right? Right? Please..."
While everyone else enjoyed the banquet, two unlucky hunters chosen by Hakon had to set out to scout the place where the Wandering Castle was located.
-Seeing is believing. It is difficult to explain in words, so it would be best to send a swift-footed hunter to see for himself.
That was because Eugene had answered the question of how he arrived with the above response.
-Chieftain, even you likely considered an army that slaughtered over a dozen yetis a tall tale until you saw them with your own eyes. The means by which I crossed into this land is a step beyond that.
Even if he said he had flown here on a Magic Castle, the people of the Snow Country would consider it a lie. It was easier just to show them the castle sprouting up where there had been nothing.
-Indeed! This too shall be an entertainment!
Hakon readily laughed and agreed, as if he too was anticipating the fun of waiting.
"The fare is humble, but please, everyone eat your fill!"
Sizzle.
A large cut of meat sizzled as it cooked. As befitted a barren region, the menu was not as lavish as on the continent, even when serving honored guests.
But the story changed when the main dish was a whale that filled the table by itself.
"There was a fish like this too!"
"Strictly speaking, it's not a fish. It's a mammal that gives birth to live young and nurses them with milk. But Homi, are you really going to waste one of your rare words on this?"
However, Homi did not look as if she considered it a waste at all. For the whale dish before her eyes was worth it.
"We caught a whale calf yesterday, and it was heaven's sign to host honored guests. Especially the boiled slices made from this fellow's tongue are a delicacy unique to this place. The mother raises her young in the coastal waters near here."
The boiled tongue slices were placed only before Hakon and Eugene, who sat at the shared head of the table.
Rex and Varda and others were standing by at the Wandering Castle. As the land was so inhospitable, an able commander had to remain to sortie in support in case of emergency.
Hakon's vassals and Eugene's knights, seated in rows on the left and right respectively, raised their knives and forks.
"Now this is a man's meal."
They each sliced a chunk of flesh from the whale laid horizontally across the table and brought it to their plates. It was a wild and enjoyable experience.
"But is it permitted to take the calf?"
"Is there a reason it should not be?"
Hakon asked back with a puzzled look.
A little distance away, Cassandra was tasting a king crab laden with eggs.
'Truly, it was a comfortable era for a gourmand.'
With no concepts like closed seasons or protected species, those in power could savor delicacies to their heart's content.
"What is the true reason a hero like the Count has come to this desolate land? The feat of slaying so many yetis is truly great, but you would not have come so far for that alone."
"I came here seeking a picture."
"A picture...?"
It was a tale Hakon had never even considered.
"Chieftain. I am convinced that there is another continent far to the west. I have heard that explorers of the Snow Country have long dared to venture beyond the ocean."
"There is nothing stronger than a parent's desire to leave a warm and fertile land to their children. The souls of countless heroes slumber beneath those cold seas."
Throughout the banquet, Eugene praised the pride of the Snow Country's ancestors.
With the sweetness of the Morad family wine added on, Hakon's goodwill toward Eugene welled up.
"In such a long history, surely someone must have gone and returned. Is there anyone who has drawn a picture of that place? If there is, I wish to purchase it at a fair price."
"Ah, well, that is..."
Hakon looked as if he knew something, but he hesitated.
"It is because goods of that sort are so often counterfeit."
If Eugene were to receive a fake and fly into a rage, a bloodbath might ensue. But Eugene nodded readily.
"Is that not natural? To find a single gold mine, one must turn over a hundred useless caves."
"Then go to Dry City. It is the only port city in the south. Those who challenged the ocean beyond in the past always departed through there and returned through there."
Relieved, Hakon went on with a detailed explanation: the road to the city, where to search there, and so on.
Thus the banquet was a success. Eugene was satisfied, having gained more detailed information and supplies than he had initially expected.
He gave Hakon pepper, silk garments, and two barrels of wine. Though unable to match their value, Hakon reciprocated with gifts to the best of his ability.
* * *
Afterward, the march to Dry City was smooth.
"It was worth catching the yetis."
Eugene looked fondly at the yeti pelts hanging from the poles.
The fact that an alien army was suddenly crossing the Snow Country was bound to alarm the lords along the route.
Yet none abandoned their domains and fled or locked their gates and hid.
-It is an army that slaughtered the yetis! As benefactors of the region, they must be properly hosted!
-If even the yetis were dragged in and taken like that, what use would it be for us to hide?
For whether for positive reasons or negative ones, everyone had come forward cooperatively.
However, the closer he drew to Dry City, the darker Eugene's expression grew. It was because the more he spoke with the local lords, the smaller his hope of finding a picture of the new continent became.
"Those seeking a new route cannot sail directly west. If they did, they would enter the Sea Serpent's habitat."
"Sea Serpent?"
"They are known as descendants of the sea dragon, and they are large enough to swallow a shark in one bite. Ever since our ancestors first put ships to sea, the beasts have never once permitted a passage."
The lords spoke of the various threats barring the ocean.
"Then I suppose we must go by a long detour to the south?"
"The south is not safe either."
"Is there a Sea Serpent there as well?"
"No. To the south is Mermaid Sea. They lure sailors into the water with their song."
"..."
"One must proceed safely only along the established sea routes."
All manner of dangers lay in wait: the Sea Serpent habitat, calm zones, Mermaid Sea, kraken spawning grounds, and more.
Compared to this, the warm and isolated Mediterranean Sea of the Apen Peninsula and the shallow North Sea near Britannia were no different from playgrounds.
"Will there truly be a picture in Dry City? Listening to what the lords say, I doubt whether anyone has ever properly reached the new continent."
It was just as Cassandra said.
Simply making the round trip across the open ocean was already a tremendous undertaking, and the obstacles were far too many.
-Still, the Mermaid Sea is better than the Sea Serpent habitat. You simply hire a deaf navigator and entrust them with the helm. It is safe as long as you lock up the rest of the crew only while passing through the Mermaid Sea.
-That is interesting.
Perhaps it was a consolation that the listening itself was entertaining.
End
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