Chapter 68: Prophecy (7)
Chapter 68: Prophecy (7)
"My apologies for the delay."
"You were the first to arrive apart from the patrolling guards, so there is no need to apologize."
Eugene reassured the warriors and mercenaries who kept bowing apologetically while checking on Marbas's condition.
The hellfire had been extinguished, but the aftereffects of thirty years of torment could not be minor.
"Are you all right? I hope nothing's going to flare up again."
"No problem. I was born with a sturdy body, and I have never missed a day of training."
Marbas swung his arm and clenched his fist. The power in the motion looked as formidable as a warrior's.
"If you cannot stop the fire serpent inside from eating away at your flesh, there is only one solution: put on more muscle."
"True. I suppose a strong foundation is how you endured for thirty years."
No matter how strong his will, without that body he would have been reduced to skin and bone and driven mad.
Marbas had been strong in both body and mind, which was why he had endured until fate connected him with Eugene.
Marbas no longer had bandages wrapped anywhere on his body. He stretched his arms toward the breeze and let it billow freely through his habit.
"The world is full not of heat and pain, but of coolness and fresh air. I had forgotten that for far too long. I can never thank you enough for this grace."
"You can repay it slowly from now on, at my side."
"You are a quick learner."
There was no displeasure in Marbas's smile.
"And your squire is quick-witted."
His gaze shifted to Homi behind them.
She was prying the ruby from the golem's eye. She wedged the tip of her dagger into a gap, adjusted the angle, and tapped it with a war hammer. Tap, tap.
"May I keep this?"
"It should be fine in circumstances like these. When a warrior slays a monster, taking trophies from its corpse is a right ordained by God."
It was a right generally recognized everywhere in this age, but dark elf society respected it with particular force.
"Judging by the size of that ruby, it must be worth a fortune."
Eugene had risked his life out of nowhere; taking at least that much compensation only made the balance worthwhile.
"The original owner won't be able to object. If they did, every house that participated in the festival would condemn them. Besides, don't you have powerful backing now?"
"You mean the Black Hand House?"
Marbas nodded.
"Goodwill won through strength and words, and a spiritual bond forged by prophecy. You have effectively become their closest friend. They will be an even stronger connection than House Morad."
Onlookers surged in from all directions like a tide, eager to see the fate of the terrifying flaming monster for themselves.
From the other direction came a heavily armed elite force escorting the tribal shamans.
"We should leave as well. If we stay, we'll only be pestered with questions. The spectators and guards can explain what happened."
Eugene led the way, followed by his mercenaries, Rex, and the rangers.
They looked less like separate groups returning in the same direction than a single army following its lord.
The festival carried on as usual.
"After all that commotion, aren't they nervous?"
"What is there to worry about if the golem has been destroyed? The shamans have checked several times and confirmed it is safe."
Rex answered with a smile.
Nomadic peoples were accustomed to being attacked by all manner of enemies—and to killing them, then resting or eating beside their corpses.
"More importantly, are you all right?"
"I didn't take a single hit, so there's nothing to worry about."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
A young woman from the tribe approached carrying a bottle of liquor.
Bells hung from her ankles, chiming clearly with every step.
"I brewed this grain liquor myself, Sir Knight. Would you accept a cup?"
Eugene held out his empty cup, and it was filled to the brim with cloudy liquor. It took him less than a second to empty it.
Cheers erupted at his hearty display, and the young woman bounced up and down. Her ankle bells rang brightly.
"I meant, are you all right drinking it like that? That liquor is quite strong."
"Oh, is it? It just tasted sweet to me."
"It is the sweetest of our house's traditional liquors, but still..."
She bowed.
The young woman hurried away with quick little steps, her face flushed.
"Just how much can you drink?"
"I don't know. I've never been drunk."
Back in the tribe's section, Eugene had to accept cup after cup offered from every direction.
On the first day, when he had sat in the banquet hall, there had been no shortage of wary glances and even outright glares.
Things improved sharply after he crushed the warriors in sparring matches, then changed completely after he destroyed the golem.
"If anything, this may have worked out well. It will make the atmosphere much better when we proclaim the prophecy."
"The forest mage is right. No one will doubt that the knight is the one named in the prophecy."
Announcing the enormous crisis hanging over the tribe was a heavy burden even for the chieftain's family.
But if a warrior this powerful was bound to them by fate, it would also be a tremendous comfort.
"THOOM! THOOM! Every time the drum sounded, the bugbear turned blue, didn't it? You should all have heard it!"
"Two bandits got skewered on one javelin and rolled away together. That stopped the whole fight."
The drunken mercenaries chattered away about their adventures while drinking liquor poured by the tribespeople.
Amid the cheerful atmosphere, envoys from other houses arrived one after another.
"These are pearls from the eastern petty kingdoms, a specialty of the region. Thanks to you, Sir Knight, our warriors serving in the guard came through safely."
"This is our house's traditional liquor, brewed by the chieftain herself. Please accept it."
They had come to show respect for a mighty warrior and gratitude for protecting the festival.
"Truly, thank you, Sir Knight! If not for you, our house would have lost all face."
The head of the house that had displayed the golem came in person and clasped Eugene's hands tightly.
"If you do not mind, would you visit our house? Many of us would like to entertain such an outstanding warrior."
"I appreciate the thought. During this festival, though, this is the only place I intend to stay."
Unlike the disappointed house head, the Black Hand members nearby looked completely satisfied.
Among the visitors was a painter carrying a large canvas.
Even amid the chaos, his professional instincts had taken over and he had quickly committed the battle to canvas.
It showed a knight standing firm before a monster shaped like a blazing red horse.
"Hehe, what do you think?"
The painter asked, rubbing his hands together.
The painting differed from the actual battle in several ways.
Eugene held a sword instead of a flail, and the warriors who had provided covering fire were gone. For some reason the sky had become full of dark clouds, and the golem's flames looked twice as large.
"You finished this in only one day?"
"Street painters work quickly. Some can finish a painting in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. He captured your dignity very well."
Rex looked impressed as well.
Homi liked it most of all. She had already pulled out her cute little purse and was paying for it.
"Thank you!"
The painter bowed repeatedly as he withdrew.
"You like it that much?"
Homi nodded twice.
Homi smiled, hugging the painting to her chest. Apparently this satisfied her in place of the golem's head, which had been smashed beyond recovery.
Ever since Eugene gained a domain, she had developed a strong fixation on trophies that could prove his achievements.
JINGLE.
Eugene took out a silver coin and dropped it into her purse.
"Mm."
"From now on, don't spend money on things like this. Use it on yourself."
Homi tried to refuse, insisting she could not possibly accept it, so Eugene patted her on the head.
Black Hand Chieftain Alessa and the elders had watched the entire scene from the seats of honor.
"He truly is remarkable. I understand why Rex is so taken with him."
Her gaze fell on the tribal warriors taking turns trying Eugene's flail.
They were all powerfully built, so lifting it was no problem.
"Nngh!"
"You fool! Where are you swinging that?!"
But the moment they tried to swing it, the flail took control away from them.
They floundered under its heavy, shifting center of gravity, sending everyone nearby scrambling for safety.
Even though no one could wield it properly, challengers kept stepping forward. They had all seen the golem lying shattered at the festival grounds.
It was the weapon that had brought down a monster none of them would dare face alone. No warrior could look at that and feel no urge to test themselves.
-Let them swing it as much as they like.
Eugene had generously allowed them to handle his weapon.
"Nngh!"
Only Helga, the large female warrior, could control it properly. Even she could never wield it one-handed with Eugene's unpredictable versatility in real combat.
The elders nodded at the friendly scene.
"Look at the position that knight has built for himself in only a few days. It's not as if he grew up here with us."
"I traveled all across the continent in my youth, but I have never met a man quite like him."
"I was honestly uneasy that our people could enter the Cradle only as guests. But if he is its master, I think we will be fine."
Dark elves were the proudest and most self-respecting people on the surface.
What if the master of the prophesied Cradle had been arrogant and unworthy of their recognition?
From the lowest-ranking members upward, they would choose to face their fate with honor even if destruction waited at the end.
But judging by what Eugene had shown during the festival, that concern seemed unnecessary.
The festival lasted two weeks. Eugene had expected at least a month, so the short duration surprised him.
"Isn't that short for a grand gathering of the whole race that happens only once every few years?"
"If it lasted a month, the tribes would end up in brawls. Even two weeks is pushing it."
"...I underestimated your people."
"It used to be much longer, but there was bloodshed every time. They kept shortening it until two weeks became the fixed length."
The Black Hand members had simply been warm toward Eugene. Dark elves as a whole were not a people naturally inclined toward harmony.
"Long ago, they say all the tribes once gathered to form a single kingdom. But that is only an old story."
After the festival ended, Eugene prepared to return to North Fork.
Marbas joined the party in his black habit.
"His joining us is a tremendous gain. Even a king would find it difficult to keep a summoner of his caliber by his side."
"But for me, Varda-nim will always come first."
Varda let out a quiet laugh at Eugene's flattery.
"I already understand how much you care for me. There is no need to say such things."
Despite her words, Varda seemed pleased; her long ears twitched twice.
'This is certainly not the kind of force a lord of one village should possess.'
There were three mages including the lord himself, all exceptionally accomplished in their respective fields.
And behind Eugene stood tribal warriors including Rex. He had not hired them with silver.
"Is it all right for a sub-chieftain to leave his post like this?"
"As I said, we are a matriarchal society. The tribe's affairs, great and small, run perfectly well without me. It is more important that I remain with the master named in the prophecy. The chieftain and council of elders were unanimous."
The fact that they could enter the Cradle only as guests also meant Eugene had become not merely a friend, but someone they were obliged to protect.
After the festival, Eugene and the Black Hand Tribe concluded a mutual-defense pact.
1. Eugene shall permit the tribe to build a base in North Fork and use it as a garrison.
2. In North Fork, the tribe shall obey the laws enacted by Eugene; violations shall be punished according to Eugene's judgment.
3. In North Fork, the tribe shall have the right to bear arms freely, conduct religious rites, and enjoy tax exemption.
4. If an external enemy invades North Fork, the tribe shall automatically join the fighting without separate negotiation.
5. If Eugene hires tribal warriors, their fee shall be the specially negotiated rate.
6. All of the above clauses shall also apply in any territory Eugene comes to rule in the future.
The pact granted benefits to both sides, though some clauses encroached on a lord's ordinary authority.
Eugene did not consider that a loss. He retained the crucial rights of judgment and punishment, and the pact included the powerful benefit of automatic wartime support.
"This pact is almost like marrying the Black Hand House itself."
Even Varda was surprised by how much stronger the alliance was than she had expected, but she viewed it favorably.
Eugene was capable enough as a lord, and his territory could grow as far as his efforts carried it.
But a capable, trustworthy army could not be built overnight.
"Even a fairly high-ranking noble house would gladly offer its eldest son or daughter if that were the price of forming this kind of relationship with the Black Hand Tribe."
It was such an enticing pact that even Varda nodded several times.