Guided by Blue Moon, I arrived at the village, but was spotted by a sentry.
Afterward, I was taken in by the hunters who had arrived. Two wolf cubs were frolicking at my feet. I wondered if they were someone’s spirits as well.
Indeed, the village was well-maintained, and everyone wore clothes and lived their lives. Ryoku was just too much of a wild child. Just like with the Yukidango Tribe, the villagers were looking at me, a figure they had never seen before, with great curiosity. It was like a small sideshow tent.
Incidentally, I wasn’t just walking around. My arms were properly bound.
At that moment, a man with a well-built physique approached. Although he was short, his muscular shoulders and chest exuded an intimidating presence. But what was most terrifying was the man’s spirit. A large tiger was somehow attached to his back.
A part of its fur was fluttering like an aura. Moreover, its color was different from that of a normal tiger. I wondered if spirits changed from their original forms when they became spirits.
“What is it, Kiba? What’s with this big guy?”
“I apprehended him while he was walking alone. His objective is unknown.”
The small girl with the wolf spirit apparently was named Kiba.
“Um, I have something to discuss with the Chieftain. Just a word is fine.”
As soon as I spoke, the tiger that had been waiting behind me glared at me. It was as if he were saying, “I’m not asking you.”
“The Chieftain, you say? What do you want to talk about?”
“Then I will state it clearly. This village is contaminated with Dark Elf poison. Am I wrong?”
The moment the word “Dark Elf” was heard, a cold shadow fell over everyone’s expressions. The wolf cubs also stopped running and returned to their hunters.
“That’s right, but what exactly are you…?”
“I’ve been waiting for you. It’s you.”
At the voice that came from behind the man, everyone turned around all at once. Even the tiger, which had been standing imposingly, rose and cleared the path.
There stood a woman with several spirits in tow. There was a deer, a wolf, and even a small bird. I didn’t quite understand the rules, but I wondered if one could possess any number of these spirits.
“Chieftain, why are you here?”
“This child told me.”
Saying so, the Chieftain pointed to a bird emitting a faint light.
“Now, please come this way. I have something to tell you as well.”
I never expected the Chieftain herself to come to greet me. This was lucky. While everyone tilted their heads, I followed the instructions and walked. Behind me, her spirits followed like sentries.
The destination I reached was probably her home. As expected of a Chieftain, it was spacious enough for me to enter without any issue. I’m sure many people gathered here for meetings.
“Please have a seat. Ah, before that, I must untie you.”
A wolf spirit approached and untied my ropes. A male and female deer sat beside their master. The sight of her commanding so many spirits was truly befitting of a Chieftain. She seemed to possess a power that set her apart from other Harpies.
She quietly began to prepare tea. It felt as if I had become a guest. Huh, was I being entertained? Reflecting on everything that had happened so far, perhaps they were not as exclusive a race as I thought.
I couldn’t help but compare them to the Yukidango Tribe, who looked similar but would try to kill anyone they saw. Especially the women, who tended to have a fierce temperament. Seeing her quietly pouring tea before me now, that didn’t seem to be the case. However, the fact that the Chieftain was a woman might indicate a female-dominated society.
Just then, a man suddenly entered from the entrance behind us. He lifted something like a sudare and walked in without particular concern.
“You were here. Here, I bought some.”
He sat down next to the Chieftain and opened the basket he was holding. A warm, pleasant aroma wafted out with white steam. Without paying me any mind, the man took out something that looked like a meat bun and began to eat it.
“Um, what is your relationship?”
“Forgive my tardiness, he is my husband. Please, have some if you like.”
The Chieftain offered me tea and the meat bun.
“Thank you. Ah, excuse me, my name is Hiroaki.”
“I see, Hiroaki-san. I apologize that my companions were rough with you.”
“You’re right, they were probably just the guards, right? They’re so cold.”
The Chieftain’s husband was noisily eating the meat bun. It would be rude to say this, but was it okay for him to be her husband? Why on earth was marriage permitted in the first place? Perhaps he was very rich? Even the deer sitting behind seemed somewhat annoyed.
“By the way, how did you manage to come all this way?”
“Hiroaki-san is one of the chosen people. It was they who revived the Spring of Life.”
“Oh, is that so? Thank you, Hiroaki.”
“Oh,” was all I could say, but was he still the Chieftain’s husband? He must have been very wealthy or from a good family.
“We have heard everything about your achievements. This is a problem that we should have solved ourselves. However, we have reached a point where we can no longer afford to be lenient.”
