The Spearmaster and the Black Cat-Novel

Chapter 215: Village of the Ragni

When the villagers saw Helme settle down inside my left eye in the midst of them gathering around us, they became excited again and started to kick up a fuss.

“Wow! Inside the left eye…”

“It looks like he’s a holder of powers allowing him to manipulate various spells.”

“The two-eye hero-sama possesses a mysterious power like the evil domain monk or the spirit world knights.”

“It’s unclear whether even Evil Domain Monk Kile-sama of the Twin Swords would be able to defeat a deidan all by himself.”

“Yeah, either way, the two-eye hero is amazing. I sense mana in his black eyes.”

“The power of Quinn-sama and Rick-sama, the sacred spirits of our honored ancestors, might dwell in him despite being a two-eye…”

“Indeed. I’m sure he will kindly guide us…”

“So that legendary song depicted the truth, eh…?”

“How cool…”

A single old man stepped forward from among the villagers who were talking among each other while having astonished faces.

“…Two-eye hero-sama, thank you very much for saving us. Would you tell us your name if you please?”

It’s the village chief who asked me to rescue the village. He’s refined with his silver hair being swept back. His ears, which are shorter than those of elves, are slanted and pointed… While I only noticed now, I see that African-styled earrings made out of bones are beautifully piercing his earlobes.

“…I’m Shuuya.”

“Shuuya-sama…we won’t forget that name. The lancer who defeated the foolish deidan. The name of Hero Shuuya.”

Hero, eh? I didn’t help with that intention…

The village chief extended his hand after bowing respectfully. In response, I grasped his hand.

The other party is an old geezer, not a beauty, but the warmth of his palm feels as if it’s enveloping me. It’s a comfortable ritual between the one rescued and the rescuer that’s unrelated to races.

I let go of his hand with its conspicuous wrinkles which allowed me to experience something like a ceremony with an emotional expression, and frankly tell him my feelings, “…It’s great that I could save you. But, it’s just a coincidence.”

“Hero Shuuya-sama, those are kind words, but I don’t think so. I believe it has been the guidance of our ancestors.”

Ancestors, eh?

“Shuuya-sama, we can’t offer you anything but meager things, but I’d like to thank you. Won’t you please come to our village?”

If I were to unreasonably decline here, especially those, who had fallen, won’t be able to rest in peace, I think. Even if we stop for a short while in the village, our target is the magic treasure map’s treasure.

It’s not an aimless trip through the evil domain, but I suppose we will depart after checking out the lake for a bit and making sure to not come off as rude as much as possible.

“…We are in the middle of a journey, so we will only drop by for a short visit.” I accepted his request.

“Yes, of course. We won’t forcibly detain our heroic benefactor. This way please――”

Village chief Fardo started to walk quickly. Accordingly, I sent an eye signal to my chosen bloodkin. The girls nodded and followed us.

“Everybody, we will show our gratitude to the heroes who defeated the deidan for us! Oza, prepare a feast. Tyto, gather the survivors and check how many died. Take care of the families of the dead. The funeral will be at the time of the lake where the warriors gathered. We will carry it out at the altar as usual.” Fardo instructed.

“”Yes.””

The villagers, who heard the village chief’s directions, each decided where to assist, and dispersed. I could also see the families of the victims. Of course I don’t know whether it was their father or brother, but they openly showed their sadness over the deaths of their family members. It turned into an unbearable feeling, but I had no way to help them.

Since our group consisted of the two-eyed hero and two-eyed beauties, we were praised extravagantly. We followed behind Fardo while being surrounded by the villagers who approached us to happily chat and laugh.

My chosen bloodkin next to me smiled awkwardly.

“Shuuya, we will leave everything, including the negotiations, to you.”

“…Easily understanding difficult things said in an unknown language, master, are you also endowed with the knowledge of a language specialist?” Mysty asked.

“Nn, Mysty, Shuuya is our suzerain.” Eva replied to her.

“I know. I’m just slightly curious since it sounds like it’s relatively close to the dwarven language.” Mysty explained.

“Given that Master is skilled at the dark elf language, the gnome language, and the language of the underground world, he possesses knowledge as a language expert.” My secretary and assistant Viine explained in my stead when I stayed silent.

“That’s how it is.” I confirmed her words.

For an instant, I almost said “soy it is,” and used a potion bin, but I held my tongue. 1

“Rather than knowledge, it’s a special skill. That’s why I understand languages to some extent.” I casually confessed something important with a serious look.

“Amazing…that would make exploration work easy, not to mention translation jobs. I wonder whether you can also read the ancient scriptures of the Arzen civilization. You might get an invitation by the famous Adventure Minister Furjudo if he learns of your power since his country is putting some effort into sending out exploration teams across the southern ocean. Moreover, you might be able to tackle the Legend of the Ancient Sleeping Beauty said to sleep in the underground of the Great Pel-Heka-Line Corridor…or the characters on slates that have been excavated from unknown ancient ruins. The characters carved into the Tower of the Evil Cavern Lion in Fa Dyke, or the ancient documents said to exist on the Cursed Island of Black Fog Zeden rumored to be beyond the solitary island Amuross.” Mysty rattled down.

“…Cursed Island of Black Fog Zeden.” Yui murmured.

It looks like she already heard about this island. It’s an island included among the various archipelago nations located east of Zamalia, wasn’t it?

I remember the Adventure Minister Furjudo Mysty mentioned…he was present at the dinner party of Chardonnay, I think. He talked with Chardonnay about returning from the southern ocean and having met with a king or something like that.

“You might be able to investigate the Legend of the Ancient Dwarf Kingdom located in the Loshmale Ruin, the Giant Civilization of Rollorizza, or the Ancient Ruins of the Great Desert Goldix…” Seemingly excited, Mysty spoke enthusiastically while biting her nails.

I feel like she unleashed a chain of “Shit” at the end of her statement in a whisper, but I didn’t point it out to her.

She’s a teacher, but also an adventurer. It seems that her intellectual curiosity got triggered by my confession.

Come to think of it, there were descriptions of a giant civilization in the literary fragments Kuna had on her. A country called Rollorizza appeared in them as well, didn’t it?

Additionally, the same country name appeared during my labyrinth conversation with Zaji, the adventurer who took an arrow to the knee. Rollorizza was north of the Religious State Hesliphat, wasn’t it? That means it’s a country quite up in the north, isn’t it? Well it still enters the category of being close compared to distant countries.

I guess I will change the topic towards the nearby place Pel-Heka-Line which I have actually visited myself, “…I happened to go into the Great Pel-Heka-Line Corridor once.”

“Ah, I heard that Shuuya had been active as an adventurer in the east before.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I think it was in the area around the capital Fa Dyke of the Leften Kingdom.”

That Tower of the Evil Cavern Lion reaches high into the sky. I couldn’t see it when I went into outer space the other day, though.

Well, on top of being excited back then, I was also surprised to encounter an unknown space creature…

As we were walking and continuing our talk while I recalled past and recent events, a simple wall made out of wood and a village adjacent to a bluish-white lake came into sight. The wall was riddled with holes, and there were also traces of fresh blood on it.

“This is the Ragni Village.”

“Nyaa.” Rollo reacted by tapping my shoulder with a paw while meowing lightly.

The wings of her nostrils kept expanding and contracting.

What is it? Is she bothered so much by the smell that she feels like sniffing? Or does she want to use that wooden wall as a claw sharpener?

After lightly caressing Rollo’s head while smiling, I passed through the wooden gate, entering the village. I chased after the village chief who followed a track continuing towards the center of the shabby village.

On the right side a wooden wharf extended into the big lake with many fishing boats lining up alongside the landing stage.

Lights were floating above the lake like frozen stars that seemed to be clusters of living ice.

It was a lakeshore sight I have never seen before. But it made me feel as if I’m watching the scenery of a train window. The lake’s color seeped in as if penetrating through the window in my chest2 In front, there were wooden tables which had dried and opened fish placed on them, opened fish, squids, octopuses, horned archerfish, goosefish, seaweed, remains of nets which had been used for net fishing, fishing rods, big shields, and javelins.

I could feel several magic sources from the lake’s direction. Fish? Monsters?

『Since the whole lake is dotted with mana, it’s not only fish that are living in there.』

『Uh huh. It’s better to not go inside that lake.』

『Yes.』

Helme probably wanted to bathe or dance on the water surface.

At that moment Rollo tapped my shoulder.

“Rollo, eating that dried fish isn’t allowed!” I instructed her.

“Nn, nyaoa.” Rollo replied with a perfunctory meowing, but some throatiness was still mixed into it.

She had looked as if she wanted to sink her teeth into that dried fish, but for now I had her control herself.

Logs that were hung up with ropes could be seen on the left side of the village. Additionally, there were humanoid puppets which had been made with leather straps and bags. The village’s warriors are likely using those for training, but it’s certainly nostalgic…they make me recall the harsh training time on the 【Training Path】. The secret behind my evasion by rotating with my toes as axis is something I found during the intense training that used wood people, logs, and rope nets on the 【Training Path】.

Moreover, there were also houses on the left side. Their entrances had been decorated with fish heads impaled on branches.

You can say, faith is mysterious, but it looks like this area has a peculiar belief.

I could also see something like a smelly trash can with the ground around it being dirty.

There were many straw-thatched-roofs, but it was obvious that they had used wood as wall material. Especially the thick pillars were imposing.

It was clear that they had expert lumberjacks and carpenters in the village. However the wall continuing from the village’s entrance to its edges is…

Just as at the entrance, many new holes were riddling the wall here as well. Since there were also spots that were destroyed quite a bit, I felt uncertain about the village’s defense capability. Furthermore, there were places with protruding fences. It had the ambiance of an old-styled village…

There was a stone platform with a dignified altar on top in the center of the village. The altar was a beautiful stone stand with violet and white hues. Once I stared at it through Magic Observation, let alone sensing mana from it, I could verify a band of mana similar to a curtain or an aura spreading from the altar itself while slowly swaying towards the huge lake on the left side.

…It’s mysterious. It might have some kind of connection with the lake.

There were no child spirits to be found, but if this altar existed on the surface, Sera, many child spirits might have gathered around it. Something like purple icons were placed on the round stone altar equipped with several candles.

However, that doesn’t mean that they were worshiping those icons. Between the icons, there existed a big depression in the altar’s center. Judging by the size of the depression…the treasure we stole from the goblins belonged there. It seemed to have the same size as that violet-white crystal ball.

“…The depression in the middle of that altar, you can say it’s easy to see, but most likely…”

“Yes, it’s highly possible.”

“Nn, Shuuya, you’re going to return it?” Eva asked.

“Probably. However, only after I heard their side of the story.” I answered.

We walked behind the village chief while having such a meaningful conversation.

If it was the deidan’s treasure, which we obtained, that belonged on that spot, I will give it back to the village chief later. However, bringing back that treasure to the surface might allow us to use it in some kind of way as strength for my bloodkin or me. Well, that’s nothing I would do, though.

Yet, a world line with a future where I chose that option might exist in some of the quantum worlds…

Overlapping quantum particles, MIW hypothesis, choices existing in infinite parallel worlds…

It was inevitable to consider it as a global hypothesis, but just as I was pondering about such things, the village chief stopped in front of a huge house, and turned around.

“Come, it’s this house. Please enter inside, heroes.” He donned a gentle expression with the outer corners of his three eyes lowered.

The eaves of the entrance in front of the house he indicated were long. I don’t know whether it’s for religious reasons, but oblong bone decorations, not fish heads, were placed on the eaves. Bluish-black stones similar to nachiguro3 covered the ground’s surface. Since the stones looked glossy, they also appeared to be like gems.

Going by this entranceway, it might be the biggest and most luxurious house in this village.

As we advanced through the entranceway with its blowing wind, we were greeted by small flower beds planted on terraces to the left and right, and a small rosewood-colored wood stairway.

Because of the stairs, I wondered whether I should lift up Eva, but she smiled like an angel, lifted her slender hands, and said, “Nn, I’m fine.”

Then she emitted violet mana from her whole body. Once her magic wheelchair was enveloped by her mana, it floated up, and she moved through the air. After a short while, she landed by touching the wooden wheels down on the polished, wooden floor of the corridor continuing deeper inside the house, and proceeded onward.

I wonder if she would be happy if I were to develop gum. However, there might somewhere exist a reincarnator who looked for gum trees and turned the gum into a product already.

“Jeez, you’re sure kind to pay attention to such details, aren’t you?” Rebecca’s cheeks puffed up cutely.

In my mind I thought, ‘Don’t ask me,’ but the other chosen bloodkin laughed at Rebecca’s usual reaction.

I climbed the stairs while watching the back of Eva, who had gone ahead. Following the wooden floor surrounded by walls that looked like old sliding doors, we were guided to a big hall with a ventilation hole at the ceiling that could apparently welcome a great number of guests.

Bone ornaments were decorating the big hall at various places. There apparently lived a skilled sculptor in the village.

“Everyone, please sit down and take a rest here. We shall serve drinks right away.”

“Okay, let me accept your kind offer then――” I confirmed the village chief’s words.

After signaling my bloodkin to sit down, I sat down myself. My bloodkin, who saw my sign, read the mood, and followed my example.

At once alcohol poured into wooden cups was carried into the hall. While bringing my cup to my mouth and tasting the drink, I listened to the drawn-out stories of the village chief about the connection between this Ragni Village and the lake, their ancestors, the mysterious ghosts related to the lake, the dispute between the demons and the evil races, an insane two-eye who insisted that they had fought against someone at the level of a demon king in the New World, and other cities.

At the time when Fardo-san was about to finally talk of the treasure, young servant boys with three-eyed young ladies in the lead carried in fish dishes served in porcelain while holding them at chest height.

Fish and egg pie? The pie is soft, making me fall in love with it. It has bread crusts as topping. It seems to be the unique cooking of this village. My tension is going through the roof.

Not only fish dishes, but also warm wine in bins, violet vegetables, boiled cow’s tongue, and a steak which apparently used the delicious beef, which we had eaten in the plains, as ingredient were brought in.

“This meat comes from the plains, doesn’t it?” My eyes were glued on the cow steak lined up on the table as I asked this.

“Ooh, as expected, you know of it, don’t you? It’s cooked tongue and grilled meat of the Guniguni, the plains’ blessing.” Fardo explained.

The huge cows, which strode across the grassland area as if they owned the place, were called Guniguni, eh?

“You mean those huge beasts?” I tried to make sure.

“Yes, just as you say, the guniguni are those huge beasts. Dozens of warriors are required to hunt a single of them…it takes time and effort to bring them down. Not only the meat, the bones also become a precious source of income for us. The Ragni bone decorations, like the ones you can see in my ears, are slightly famous.”

African bone decorations and precious meat dishes, huh?

Something similar to a transparent oil sauce covered the meat’s surface, and a chrysanthemum-like flower had been placed on top. However, I can’t retort with “You think this is sashimi!?”

“Serving us such a meat dish…” I said.

“Don’t mention it. It’s our thanks towards you heroes. Normally it’s an offering during festivals, and we hardly ever eat it. It’s a meat dish showing you our appreciation.” Fardo explained.

“Got it. Allow us to dig in then.”

I almost bowed my head on reflex, but as it would also make the other side fuss over us, I didn’t bow, and merely smiled in an acceptable manner. The village chief replied with a smile, and drank some of the wine.

I said in the human language, a language the village chief wouldn’t understand, “Everyone, you might be tired of this meat by now, but it seems to be the best meat dish in this village. Won’t you politely accept their heartfelt feelings?”

I prompted everyone, who had stayed silent, to eat the delicious-looking meal.

“Okay.”

“Good appetite.”

“Okiii. It’s not like I’m particularly tired of it anyway. Recently I noticed that I’m not gaining weight even if I eat a lot, you know?” Rebecca looked at Eva while smiling complacently.

“Nn, sweets king Rebecca. You completely ate the egg sweets I brought with me all by yourself, and yet you didn’t get fat.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Or rather, Eva, didn’t I give you some of it as well?” Rebecca replied.

“Nn, I forgot.” Eva smiled.

Now that she mentioned it, Rebecca had been secretly eating something as if wolfing down potato chips while walking across the plains.

My chosen bloodkin ate the dishes while holding such a conversation. Since I thought that Rollo would of course eat tasty-looking meat and fish dishes placed on the table as well, I cut some of it and shared it with her.

“Glutton Rollo-san, you’re going to eat as well, right?”

“Nya～” After meowing atop my shoulder, she got off on top of the table, sniffed her share of the fish dish by moving her small nostrils, and ate it. “Nn, nyao, nyaa.”

She didn’t transform, but while inclining her head to the side in order to use her molars, she chewed the meat with crunching sounds.

Haha, she really looks as though she’s enjoying it.

I also brought the grilled guniguni meat, which I expected to have a simple flavor, to my mouth. As thought, it’s the meat we ate in the plains. It has the same consistency, but the meat becomes soft on the second bite…

The taste, which I considered to be very simple, was different. It seems to be the meat sauce that made me sense some kind of thick, mellow history behind it. Given that it was transparent, I didn’t know what it was, but there might exist unique spices in this area.

Even though it used the same ingredient, the dish changed so much due to the way it was prepared.

The boiled cow tongue is yum, yum! Delicious!

From the first bite it was fluffy and tender. A food texture allowing me to eat the tongue with just my tongue. I think the sauce is vegetable-based, but it’s delicious and has a taste completely different from the steak.

Next up, the fish and egg pie. It looks like they have used the fish after removing its bones. Eggs and some kind of dried fruits? I don’t know the spices. There’s also a strong cream flavor. It has been served in a porcelain container, fitting the dish perfectly.

However, they can be called unknown dishes, and it’s difficult to look down on the culture of the Evil Domain Hellrhone.

Tasty…I’m happy. Everyone else is smiling, too.

Rebecca was repeatedly chanting “Delicious~” while holding her cheeks with both hands.

I drank the unrefined sake, and also ate the vegetables and meat. Once my wooden cup became empty, a three-eye beauty wearing a dress came next to me, and refilled it. Her appearance as she ordinarily poured the sake reminded me of Sherry, a waitress in my past. I wonder whether she’s doing her best in Hekatrail. Besides, the friends of Quiche are…

Her short, green, braided hair. From the impression how her hair jutted out, I recalled the tall, pretty elf. I’m curious whether she managed to rebuild her home town.

I continued to chat with the beauty while smiling and remembering the looks of my friends with whom I parted in the past.

“Tonight, please share a bed with me…” The three-eye beauty asked me, but I refused.

I won’t put the moves on her because we’re in the middle of a celebration. I heard the devil’s voice in my mind, telling me that I should piously accept her for the Boobs Research Society, but I endured.

Besides, it won’t crown a beauty with even greater glory, but there are plenty of beauties at my side. The beauty, who cast her face down in disappointment, showed off her white, springy bare feet, and left my side. In exchange, Viine, who possessed an equally springy skin, poured sake for me.

“Master, even though I have scruples…tonight I will sleep in your bed.” She whispered, showing that she had apparently heard the three-eye beauty’s previous words.

I became slightly horny because of her courageous words and her moist, silver eyes…

It’s definitely not Monsieur Muramura, it’s not Monsieur Kamaya○ either. I really got turned on. 4 However, patience is the only way as this is a celebratory occasion.

Moreover, as if to compete, Yui, Rebecca, and Mysty also came over to pour me sake. They are lovely girls who are easy to understand, but seeing the perverted faces of Rebecca and Yui, who possess especially tight, slender waists, enchanting, womanly faces, and gorgeous auras…my horniness booted up again.

As we continued to chat harmoniously while I somehow managed to endure, I decided to ask the village chief, whose face had become red when watching us, about the continuation of the previous topic.

“What about the villagers during the surprise attack by the godolin?” I inquired.

“Several were killed, but as they seemed to be a specialized raid unit, they immediately withdrew after stealing their targeted item, the deidan’s treasure.”

It looks like the leader of the godolin with the handsome face had been an excellent commander.

“We tried to quickly chase after the godolin that stole our treasure, but a foolish deidan, living in the Igni Lake, appeared from the lake as the power of the treasure had vanished, and attacked out village…”

“So that’s why you had been confronting the huge monster.”

If we had been late…they might have suffered a different fate.

“Indeed. If your party hadn’t come along by coincidence back then…around now, a terrible outcome might have…” The village chief faltered.

However, it’s great that we saved them. It allowed me to eat this delicious, unknown cooking.

“Given that the treasure is gone, I don’t know when a deidan monster will appear from the lake again…” The village chief lowered his face, grimacing.

Somehow it’s difficult to mention, but I guess I will talk about the treasure.

“I’m sorry, but I have to tell you something important in regards to this matter…”

“Something important?” The three-eyes village chief looked at me quizzically.

“Yes, indeed――”

He might get surprised, but at that point I took out the object that seemed to be the treasure from my item box.

“Oooooooooooh.”

As I had expected, the village chief’s eyes widened. He extended his arms to the sides, and pulled off a mimic that would put any reaction comedian to shame.

“Village chief! The deidan’s treasure!”

“Whaaa!”

“I will give you back this violet-white crystal ball.”

“T-Thank you very much. U-Unbelievable, for you to have even recovered the village’s treasure from the godolin…Shuuya-sama, tell us how we can ever thank you…” The village chief’s hands trembled and he was crying, apparently out of gratitude.

Even the young servant boys at the sides teared up. Fardo-san accepted the crystal ball, the deidan’s treasure, together with the young men, but it was heavy. The young lads carried it with several of them. They treated it very carefully, despite every single of them straining himself with all three eyes being bloodshot because of the weight.

“…Please don’t mind it. We just obtained a beautiful jewel after joining a battle of those godolin by coincidence.”

Yesterday is yesterday, today is today. It was just by chance.

“…Then I shall keep quiet…it’s the thought that counts. What an honest gentleman you are.” The village chief cried once more.

However, he passed on such strong feelings that the embarrassment felt somewhat painful.

“…Well then, we have our own objective to achieve.” I stated reservedly, and stood up.

My chosen bloodkin also left their seats.

“…Already? I wanted you to listen to the songs filled with our feelings, but it can’t be helped. Since I’m going to return this treasure to the altar, I will accompany you until then.” The drunken Fardo smiled faintly even while being unhappy.

The young men carrying the treasure left the house together with us, and after the village chief joined them, they all transported it together. They raised the heavy-looking treasure while yelling full of vim and vigor.

One appeared within the crystal ball, but I didn’t point that out.

The villagers severally shouted some chant along the lines of deidan gadollo aro as if worshiping a god. The eye inside deidan’s treasure was placed in the center of the altar…as if perfectly matching the depression there. It fit exactly and completely.

In the next moment a dazzling flash of light originated from the altar. While converging, the dazzling light headed towards the sky? Not the lake? As I wondered about that, the light transformed into a wobbling, violet-white flame. The flame expanded in the air while creating a plane vortex like a revolving Catherine wheel that had been ignited. Once its rotation gradually slowed down, something like a magic crest, which I hadn’t really seen so far, with the violet-white flame as border was completed.

It was different from the ancient magic I knew of. A circular magic crest that looked like a fractal.

Moreover, three spiral mana strings extended from the treasure to the magic crest in the sky, connecting both with each other. The place showing the direction and the magic crest’s symbols were tied together.

“Shit, shit, shit…that’s very interesting.” Seemingly getting excited after seeing the unknown magic crest, Mysty drew the design and characters of the magic crest on a parchment while continuously muttering her trademark word.

The bundle of parchments tied together with a string while hanging at her waist had already turned into a thick book.

“A mysterious magic crest…ancient magic?”

“The flames bordering it – despite being of a different color – might be similar, but…I think it’s different.”

“I don’t feel that much mana from it…”

Rebecca and Viine muttered while being puzzled.

“Nn, maybe it has the effect of subduing the deidan living in the lake?” Eva asked while watching the magic crest as it was gradually vanishing.

“Maybe.”

Certainly, the aura-like mana, which connected the altar with the lake, was disappearing. At the same time as the magic crest vanished, the three mana strings extending from the treasure vanished, too. In the end, I didn’t feel any mana from the altar at all. I couldn’t feel it to an unnatural extent, as if the ley line had been sealed.

I felt like I caught a glimpse of the reason why the godolin king and the spider god, mentioned by the godolin, wanted to get their hands on this treasure. I was worried about the future of the Ragni, but our objective was the treasure of the magic treasure map.

Farewell, Ragni. Keep your soul as your own.

“…It’s time to depart towards the map’s location.”

…I signaled everyone with a slightly strict look.

“”Okay.””

“Nn, nya.”

“Nn.”

“Together with milord.”

“Let’s go.”

With Viine’s words at the end, I started to walk ahead.

“Hero-sama! Please wait.”

“Mmh?”

I was stopped by the village chief, “To where are you headed?”

The map’s direction is just north from this village, isn’t it?

“The northern forest. I guess right before the mountains.” I answered while remembering the drawings on the magic treasure map.

“Mountains…forest…demons possessing four eyes have been living inside the forest for a very long time. It’s a place said to house madmen. Please be careful.” The village chief warned me.

Madmen, eh? No matter what enemy stands in my way, I will cut them down, and shake their hands if they are friendly.

“…Thanks for your kind advice.”

“You’re most welcome. I will pray to deidan’s treasure for your safe travel.”

“I see. I’m wishing for the Ragni’s prosperity. Ra Kelarda!” I use the words I inherited from my master.

He looked at me with a lack of understanding what I meant with those words, but I ignored it.

“Thanks. Let us sing a traditional song of departure at the end――”

Once the village chief’s sombre voice started to sing, the men, the women drying the laundry, the children searching for shells, and the elderly who came to see us, all of them stopped working, gathered close to the altar, and started to sing as if lured in by the village chief’s voice.

We started to walk away from the village chief. It was a short track until the village’s entrance, but the singing voices reverberated as if pushing our backs. It felt like a musical movie. The lyrics appeared to be a legend about the large Ragni Lake…

A story of the close and affectionate Quinn and Rick, the three-eyed childhood friends. Quinn and Rick ended up dying to protect the treasure from the godolin that came to steal it. However, their spirits were transferred to the warriors of the next generation, and after fighting off the deidan that came to attack the village, they took back the treasure from the godolin. It was a refined song overflowing with heavy bass sounds.

…Thanks, everyone of the Ragni Village.

Once I looked at their girls’ faces as they were singing frantically while crying, their gratitude towards us was fully transmitted.

Strangely I feel like I gained some courage. At the edge of my view, I saw the deformed Helme staring at something with her back turned towards me, but I didn’t ask her about any details. Maybe Quinn’s and Rick’s ancestral spirits have appeared.

Note:

1. At first Shuuya said “そういうことだ” (souiu koto da) aka “That’s how it is,” but then he considered saying 　”しょうゆこと” (Shouyu koto) instead which sounds similar but talks about soy sauce. It’s a gag originally started by Murakami Shoji. Another variation: “Douyuu koto? Shouyuu koto!!” (correctly spoken Douiu koto? Souiu koto!! – What do you mean? That’s what I mean, but in this case it’d be “Copper? Soy sauce!!”). Basically it’s a play on how things are spelled and spoken out. :-)

2. Song Lyric referring to Friendship by Hoshino Gen – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyQjlLky_cY

3. A type of candy sold in the Wakayama prefecture

4. Muramura(ムラムラ) colloquially means getting horny/turned on…and it also means villages. The author is playing with the word here…Monsieur Muramura is an old gag anime, whereas Monsieur Kamayatsu was a Japanese Jazz pioneer