The Human Village (7)
After the funeral, I return home.
-Creak.
As I open the familiar door, a voice greets me.
"You're... you're back?"
"..."
I pause for a moment, startled by Neir's voice. Even though I knew she would be here, the fact that someone is waiting to welcome me home feels warmer than I ever imagined. The melancholy I felt while seeing off the other members seems to melt away.
Perhaps this is the special feeling that comes with being a married couple. She isn't entirely "my person" yet, but it felt as if I had finally gained someone who was truly on my side.
Of course, there is Adam. But there were things I couldn't tell him. As the captain, he carried enough weight of his own, and I had to hide my own burdens to avoid adding to his. I couldn't tell Neir about my painful struggles either, not yet... but a flicker of hope remains that perhaps, one day, I will be able to.
Honestly, it doesn't matter if I don't tell her everything. I was already satisfied just having another person who belonged to me.
Neir, wearing a cloth over her mouth and nose, was opening the windows and sweeping away dust with a broom. The scattered liquor bottles had also vanished. It seemed she had been working hard at cleaning while I was away.
"Yeah. I'm back."
I give her a belated reply. Neir's eyes curve into half-moons for a brief moment before she returns to her cleaning.
For the first time in a while, I look around my home. There are so many things I only notice now that Neir has pointed them out. It’s certainly a mess. There’s more than one or two things that need fixing.
I start by inspecting the damaged parts of the house. It seems right for me to handle the heavy lifting and repairs, while Neir handles the cleaning and organizing.
"Neir. Wait here for a second. I'll go grab some tools and materials."
"Okay. And... you don't have to tell me everything."
"Right. I'll be back."
-Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
After that, our house underwent a period of renovation. We tossed out the broken furniture without a second thought. We repaired the cracked floor. We tore out the old, rotting wood and replaced it with new materials.
At the same time, Neir cleared away all sorts of trash. She dusted every corner, wiped away grime with a wet rag, and hunted down the bugs that had been crawling around. Our space was gradually finding a new light.
As I became absorbed in the repairs, I started to feel hungry. I wiped the sweat from my brow and set aside the wooden hammer I was holding. I looked around. Most of what I could do for now was nearing completion. Perhaps it was time to stop for a moment and go grab some lunch.
Just as I was about to call out to Neir, I heard a voice.
"Eek!! Ah! Berg!!"
A scream, followed by my name. I immediately sprang to my feet and rushed toward her.
"What's wrong!"
I headed to the basement where she had gone down earlier. There, Neir was hopping around, trying to flee from something.
"N-no...! D-don't come near me!! Berg, help me!! Eek!!"
A giant rat with a tail as long as an earthworm was scurrying around the basement with her. Neir was frantic, screaming at the top of her lungs.
I hurried down the basement stairs and approached her. As I got closer, a terrified Neir leaped toward me, throwing her body into my arms.
"Eek! Aaaah!!"
I caught her with both hands. Neir clung to my neck, still screaming. The giant rat charged at her. Without changing my stance, I kicked the scurrying creature.
-Thwack!
-Squeak!
The rat flew through the air, slammed into the wall, and stopped moving.
I spoke to Neir, who still hadn't regained her composure.
"I hate it! Berg! Eek!"
"It's over-! It's over. Neir, calm down. It's finished."
"Haa... haa... huh?"
The tension in Neir's arms releases, and she carefully turns her head. Looking at her now, she really does seem like a noble young lady. I had briefly forgotten that, given how she’d been cleaning harder than any maid all day.
I can see goosebumps rising on her skin as she spots the dead rat. Her tail fur stands on end before settling back down. She quickly turns her eyes away and lets out a long sigh.
"..."
"..."
Then, our eyes met.
-Flop!
Neir instantly pushes me away and climbs down. Her lost gaze wanders here and there. Now that the situation has calmed down, I think back to how terrified she looked, and laughter bubbles up inside me.
"....Pfft, hahaha."
"..."
I chuckled, my shoulders shaking. Neir seemed to take it as mockery, and she furrowed her brows even more indignantly.
"...Stop laughing."
She said. But once I started, I couldn't stop. I laughed like that for a long time. Eventually, looking offended, Neir tried to brush past me to go upstairs. I grabbed her wrist to keep her from leaving.
"..."
Neir freezes the moment she's caught. I calm my laughter, wipe away a tear, and say,
"Let's go get something to eat. You're hungry, right?"
"..."
Neir nods. I already know she isn't actually angry. She's just pretending to be because she's embarrassed. Since she had voluntarily jumped into my arms, her embarrassment must be doubled.
"We could cook for ourselves, but there's a restaurant in the village, so let's go there. I'll show you around the village while we're at it."
Neir looks at me again and nods. I let go of her wrist and grab the dead rat. I hear Neir gasp. To make sure she doesn't get scared, I stay far away from her as I carry the rat out of the basement. After tossing the carcass outside, I wash my hands with the water we had drawn.
Only then does Neir, who had been keeping her distance, slowly approach.
-Tap.
"...?"
Neir lightly touches my back. She says,
"...Thank you."
I smile again and nod.
We strolled through the village. The members who saw our faces all offered their greetings. Still, they had lost their playfulness, so no troublesome jokes were thrown our way. Because of that, Neir followed me more comfortably.
"That's the stable."
I say, pointing to a large wooden building. Neir takes in my words one by one.
"That's the orphanage. If any of our fallen members had children, we take care of them."
"...Ah."
"That's the cafeteria, and if you follow this path, you'll find the warehouse."
"...Warehouse?"
"The food storage."
"..."
Neir freezes for a moment. I turn back to look at her.
"...Why?"
"O-oh, it's nothing."
Then she follows me with quick steps.
"We've looked around enough, shall we go eat?"
"What's that over there?"
Neir points to the tallest building in our village. I remain silent for a moment before answering quietly.
"...A place where they worship the gods. Wolf-kin... don't believe in the 'Five Gods,' right?"
It was a fact I learned back when I was in my previous mercenary group. Unlike humans and other races, the wolf-kin do not believe in the Five Gods. Neir replied,
"...Yes. We have our own local gods. The power of our shamanism comes from them, too."
As someone who doesn't particularly like gods, I didn't want to introduce that place to Neir. I thought it would be meaningless to show her a god she didn't believe in.
"Come on. Let's go."
I turn back toward the cafeteria.
"Can't you show me around there just once?"
But Neir makes a request.
"..."
I shut my mouth at the unexpected suggestion. I think for a moment. It’s not something I want to do, but it’s not a difficult request, either. I nod and start walking.
As we enter the building, Neir raises her voice in wonder. Inside, cloths embroidered with four different symbols hang from the ceiling. Neir says,
"The Hero's party was chosen by these gods, right?"
I nod. The four pillars of light that descended from the sky seven years ago flash through my mind.
"...That's right. Though I'm not sure if it's a story worth believing."
Neir's eyes glisten with interest.
"...Actually, I was very interested in this, but I never had a chance to ask anyone. Since we only believe in our local gods... it was hard to bring up. And I didn't have any close friends, either."
"..."
After looking around the interior for a long time, Neir says,
"Could you explain the Five Gods to me...?"
A cautious request. I let out a deep sigh inside and steel my heart. Then, I begin to explain.
"...The round symbol on the far left is Nikal. The God of Harmony."
"Who was the person chosen by them?"
I recall the information I had buried in my memory, one by one.
"I heard it was some elf. I don't remember the name. Anyway, they said she was highly skilled in magic."
"...Magic... I'd love to see it once."
Neir says with curious eyes.
"It's nothing special. It's just a support role in battle."
"Have you ever seen magic?"
"I've seen it once or twice."
Neir's tail begins to wag gently. It's an uncomfortable topic, but I'm glad she's happy.
"What's next?"
Neir points to the symbol next to Nikal. A symbol depicting a sword, a shield, and a spear.
"The God of War, Dian. It's the god our mercenary group believes in the most."
"Ah. I think I've seen a few people with it tattooed on their bodies."
"It's common."
"Do you believe in Dian, too?"
"I don't believe in gods."
Neir looks at me for a moment, then nods.
"I see. So, who was the person chosen by Dian?"
"I heard it was some centaur. The name... I forgot."
Neir examines Dian's symbol for a long time. Just as wolf-kin males consider battle sacred, perhaps Neir respects that as well.
"What's that fist-shaped one next to it, Berg?"
"The God of Courage, Mand. The one chosen was a dragon-kin. The person people call the Hero."
Neir's eyes widen.
"Ah! I think I've heard of that. So they were chosen by that god. Do you know the Hero's name?"
"...No. Baran probably knows. Ask him if you're curious."
Since the title "Hero" is more widely known, I don't really know the name. Neir nods and looks ahead. She points to the last of the four symbols hanging there.
"What about that one?"
A symbol resembling a flower.
"......."
I remain silent. My mouth doesn't open easily. Like Neir, I stare at the symbol for a long time.
"...Berg?"
Only after Neir calls me do I break my long silence.
"...The Goddess of Purity, Hea."
Neir waits for me to continue my explanation.
"..."
But my mouth won't open properly this time, either. I take a breath and say,
"...Shall we go back?"
"...What is it, Berg? It was just getting interesting..."
Neir is visibly disappointed. I eventually shift my eyes back to the symbol. It's a symbol that appeared in my nightmares countless times a few years ago.
"...Tell me who the chosen person is."
At Neir's urging, I force my mouth open and let the words spill out.
"...The one chosen is a human. The name is..."
"..."
"...Sien."
A name that leaves a bitter aftertaste.
"...Oh? You know the name this time?"
I struggle for a while before answering.
"...Because she's a human, like me."
Neir examines the symbols again with interest. Then, she raises a question.
"Berg. But there are five gods."
"...Yeah."
"Then why are there only four symbols hanging here?"
"The last god doesn't have a symbol. And nobody really worships them, anyway."
"Who is it?"
"The God of Solitude, Lin."
"The God of Solitude?"
"It's a god for people who don't believe in the Five Gods. They say the god takes care of those who don't believe... but in the end, it's just a proselytizing policy. Because if you say you don't believe in the Five Gods, they can nag you, saying Lin will look after you."
"...I see."
"You might hear about it often, too. Since you believe in local gods, not the Five Gods."
"Does Lin have a champion, too?"
"I heard it's a lizardman. I don't know the name."
Neir nods. She catches her breath and looks at me.
"Let's go back now, Berg. I am getting hungry. I think it's better to eat quickly and go clean the house."
"Yeah. Let's do that."
I welcome her suggestion. Neir starts walking away first. I follow her slowly, then look back.
The symbol of the Goddess of Purity, Hea, catches my eye.
"..."
....In the end, I turn my body away once more.