11 – Episode 11. Maple Leaf Village (2)
Meh~!
I could hear the sound of a goat bleating from somewhere.
“It seems like you’ve come to the wrong place. Monsters don’t come down to our village. So, there’s no need to report anything.”
A firm refusal.
Surprisingly, Maple Leaf Village did not send a yokai extermination quest.
“That’s strange. The guild clearly said they received a request from this village. Are you canceling the quest? If so, you need to officially send a cancellation notice to the guild.”
Bonita spoke in a steady voice towards the man on the watchtower.
The man with a smooth chin and no beard stared down at us without blinking.
The village was sealed off by a massive fence made of wooden planks, making it difficult to see inside. But even standing at the entrance, I could sense the eerie atmosphere.
There seemed to be a secret that needed to be hidden, as a suspicious smell lingered in the air.
“We never sent a request letter. There has never been a single problem in this village. Please go back. The people are anxious.”
Looking through a small gap in the fence, I saw that instead of being anxious, all the residents were standing outside their houses in a stiff posture.
It was extremely suspicious how they all looked expressionless and stared only in our direction.
I focused, enhancing my hearing to catch even the slightest sound.
Soon, I could hear the sounds from inside the village.
“Mom, I’m hungry. I can’t wait anymore.”
“Shh, no. If we mess with the guild members, adventurers will come. Let’s endure it today. Instead, let’s eat the preserved meat from last time.”
There are three possibilities.
First, this town survives by robbing pedestrians.
Second, that gluttonous brat has a bad habit of picking fights with strangers when hungry.
And third, these brats are supposed to be yokai that eat humans.
But I didn’t feel the typical wickedness and strangeness of yokai.
This situation is confusing, even for me.
There is no rule that yokai must have four arms and six legs, but considering their inherent violent instincts as a species that craves human blood, it’s expected.
The people in the town remained strangely calm even with humans in front of them.
“If you insist that much… Ah, fine. Please send a cancellation notice to the guild later. It’s getting too dark, but can you at least give me a room?”
“Unfortunately, our town is off-limits to outsiders. It’s a long-standing tradition, and it’s for the sake of order. Please understand.”
“Even if there are no monsters, we came all the way here for the safety of the people in the town. I think we deserve at least that much.”
“I’m sorry. We cannot make any exceptions.”
Bonita shook her head, clearly exhausted. She turned her back. She looked completely worn out.
“Seems like talking won’t work. Since the forest is dangerous, let’s camp near the town tonight.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Yes, let’s.”
“Alright…”
“Nin-nin.”
Everyone seemed tired, their words short.
As Saetan was enjoying telling a ghost story that nobody was listening to, his voice suddenly became unusually faint and he stopped speaking.
The person who shouted so dramatically during the “Jina Shoulder Bread Snowball Incident” is hard to believe.
It was truly shocking at the time.
– Their effort! Their tears! The inevitable laws of fate they designed! Oh, oh, oh~ Did it really seem so light and easy for a mere mortal to change? ↗
Suddenly, I remember the musical I saw on Earth.
I wonder if there are musicals in this world too?
If there’s an Artists’ Association, there probably is. I must go see it later.
We settled in a place a little away from the village and set up tents.
Everyone unpacked quickly, and Jina had everything in her luggage, from snacks to a doll made of grass.
It seemed like a picnic with everything in it. Jina’s dad must have put a lot of thought into it.
Because of that kindness, Jina got slapped. This is the story of the old man and his horse.
“I wanted to see monsters… but it’s a shame. Coming all the way here feels pointless.”
Sae-tun whined like a brat.
But Bonita’s gaze as she looked at him was unsettling.
Is she tired of listening to Sae-tun’s nonsense because she’s been stressed today?
“Monsters… it’s better if they don’t exist.”
“Of course, but there could be good monsters, couldn’t there? If you travel around, you’ll definitely find at least one monster that doesn’t harm humans. Because the ancestors of monsters-“
“Good monsters.”
Bonita’s expression quickly darkened.
“There’s no such thing.”
“You, you’re so certain about that, aren’t you?”
Saturn, bewildered by the dark aura emanating from the party venue, tried to explain in a flustered manner.
Bonita looked down with deep eyes, and it seemed like the switch for recalling memories had been turned on.
“I once brought home a monster that was injured in the mountains. It looked like a cat, with ash-colored fur and sparkling jewel-like eyes. It was as gentle as a large cat, so much so that everyone in the neighborhood was deceived by its appearance.”
Unconsciously, I leaned in to listen.
Bonita’s words carried a different power compared to Saturn’s.
Is this the difference between speakers?
When Saturn talks, it all sounds like gibberish, but when Bonita speaks, everything seems to make sense.
“My sister even gave it a name, Dante. It was named after the mountain where it was found. Dante was very loyal to my sister, who took care of its wounds. It followed her wherever she went, protecting her like a knight. I still remember how excitedly we used to call its name, Dante, Dante.”
“A cat… um…”
Saturn tasted the words. He wouldn’t be imagining something ridiculous, would he? It’s scary.
“It was late at night. After my sister received sewing lessons from our grandmother, she excitedly gathered the whole family to watch her sewing work. Dante was sitting next to her. When my sister made a mistake and pricked her finger, blood flowed. Dante’s eyes turned red, and with a terrifying scream, it jumped up and bit my sister’s neck.”
“…”
I covered my mouth with my hand.
It was a tragic story of someone possessed by a monster, and I also closed my eyes slightly.
“Then it attacked my startled mother, and then my father… If my grandmother hadn’t pushed me out of the window, I would have died too. I was so scared and terrified that I ran straight to the house of a former adventurer, a friend trusted by my father, with the sole thought of wanting to live.”
Bonita took a deep breath.
“I didn’t really like that type of person. They always smelled bad and were always drunk. The profession of an adventurer, who carried weapons, also felt repulsive to me.”
“…”
“But that day was different. The person who always sat with vacant eyes, after covering my shoulders with a fur coat, listened to me seriously. And then, armed himself and went out to kill Dante, who was slaughtering my family and screaming. That’s when I realized. Monsters are just incomprehensible disasters driven by instinct, and only humans can think and care for others.”
Bonita gently touched the silver adventurer badge, shining brightly.
“And I found something I can do. A monster is just a monster. Our family paid the price for realizing that simple fact too late, with their lives. I hope Saten-san doesn’t have to experience such a tragedy.”
“Hmm…”
Saten muttered with a serious expression he had never seen before.
Could a sincere plea reach even someone like Gwang-in?
There seemed to be a possibility that Saten could be redeemed.
“I apologize. I said terrible things without knowing anything.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I was also very agitated. Well, let’s stop here for today.”
After finishing his words, Bonita was the first to flip the blanket. We, who were exhausted, collapsed as if we were falling. The village kids, although damn suspicious, will bear with it today since we’re tired. Even if we are ambushed, I have the technique of the ninja. A man with a corner of belief is a strong law.
“Kee-eer-“
While listening to Saten’s snoring, we fell asleep.
***
“Fwoooorrr-“
The inside of the tent was filled with the sound of snoring.
Orpheus was awake. Her mind was still clear.
She didn’t know when she slept on the floor of the lodging for a few days, but sleeping outside was still difficult.
Sleeping in a place other than home reminded her of the memories of the abandoned mine.
“It’s been over a year since I endured so relentlessly.”
Orpheus grimaced at the man sleeping next to Saten, who was snoring uncontrollably.
567, Shinobin, Robin, and sometimes a runaway ninja.
When she first saw him, she thought he was one of those who had gone crazy due to the side effects of mana awakening.
– Status Window~!!!!!!
It was such a vivid memory that it couldn’t easily be forgotten.
567, who had terrified all the candidates, grumbled and tried to let out another bizarre scream.
If the instructor hadn’t come and subdued him, he might have really done it.
But now I know.
It’s just that the people from the Kingdom who came from far away, who don’t know Orpheus, have different ways of thinking and acting.
– Ninin.
– Wajabwet!
“…”
It still echoed in Orpheus’ ears, even though he had heard it so many times before.
“Is that really true?”
A rising doubt.
In fact, Orpheus knew the answer.
Whether he was crazy or not, it didn’t matter at all.
To survive, for the truth and revenge, and to gain more power and go back, Shin Nobin was the most necessary existence for her.
She hadn’t answered because she hadn’t been asked up until now, but if the time comes, would she be able to lay everything bare to him and ask for his cooperation?
Before that, can she be certain that he won’t change his mind?
It’s a difficult problem.
“…”
Her chest felt tight.
Orpheus stood up quietly, put on his coat, and stepped out of the tent.
He wanted to see the night sky after a long time.
“Ha…”
Maybe because it was chilly, a cold breath escaped Orpheus’ lips.
When he looked up at the sky, there were hardly any stars.
Orpheus could never see the dazzling display of stars he had seen with his parents again after that day.
As always, beautiful moments were short, and painful days were long.
During the grueling training he endured while being kidnapped by Sagal’s tail, Orpheus had only waited for the day he would die.
– The runaway ninja protects the people and opposes the Yakuzas, Yokais, Samurai, and corrupted ninjas.
In reality, if there hadn’t been Shinobin, he would have been used as a tool by the organization and met a miserable death.
Orpheus recalled the myth of the ancient hero who fought to save the world.
In ancient times, there was a hero summoned from another world as a plaything for the overseers who ruled the world.
The hero, who had honed his strength through countless battles in the arena, incited the inhabitants of the other world who were brought for the same reason to rebel. Soon, all the worlds united and successfully defeated all the overseers.
But the end of this story was cruel.
Not long after their victory in the war, the curse that the overseers had placed on the hero and the otherworldly beings was triggered.
The hero went mad, taking countless lives before self-destructing, and the inhabitants who had supported him fell into degeneration and became monsters.
Hidden within this tragic ending was a mixture of admiration and fear for the superhuman who defeated the overseers.
Admiration and fear, that was the emotion Orpheus felt towards Shinobin.
Who on earth could play around with so many instructors for seven months and still be able to kill them?
From Noble mtl dot com
Orpheus couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of being would be born if he were given more time and experience.
‘But he’s a good person.’
In the midst of the tears of the common people on the verge of massacre, Orphe fights against the assassins and smiles at the sight of a normal family living happily together. There is no way an evil person exists.
That was the only truth that Orphe could be certain of.
“…Adventurer.”
Lost in thought, Orphe was startled. He heard a small voice somewhere.
“Adventurer, over here.”
Through the gaps in the wooden planks of the village fence, a pair of shining orange eyes were looking at Orphe.