Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Tarhan, who looked at Kiyan, was silent for a moment. After thinking about it, he added while suppressing his anger.

“I thought Nervana Forest was a thoroughly independent tribe that didn’t care about changes in the surroundings. I don’t know what the change of heart is, but it looks like we’re holding the same arrow from now on, so please take good care of me.”

With his challenging words, Kiyan snorted and looked in Avisak’s direction.

“I would love to if we could. After the whereabouts of the ‘daughter of the forest’ became unknown decades ago, the situation in Nervana Forest hasn’t been that good.”

After listening quietly, Avisak opened her mouth with a meaningful smile.

“The daughter of the forest means a noble bloodline who is said to have inherited the lineage of the goddess who presides over Nervana forest.”

“It seems that Perugia did a lot of research beforehand.”

“Daughter of the forest…?”

Hearing their conversation, Tarhan raised one eyebrow and asked.

Then Avisak answered.

“Daughter of the forest refers to the clan that Nervana Forest has protected for generations. It’s kind of like the bloodline of the Nervana forest royal family. It is the pride of Nervana Forest that has endured for centuries against the skeleton spider, a cataclysmic monster that has taken root and lives in Nervana Forest.”

Kiyan, who had been listening to this, crossed her arms and spat out bloodily. It sounded uncomfortable as if she had given unnecessary explanations.

“It’s all a thing of the past now. The royal lineage, which is said to have the ability to handle the skeleton spiders, has long since been diluted and disappeared. Furthermore.”

Kiyan cast her gaze at Tarhan’s side and spoke again. Soon, her gaze turned to Enya, who was standing behind Tarhan.

“After losing the bloodline of the last daughter of the forest decades ago, Nervana Forest has also been regressing. We can’t control the rampaging skeleton spiders, so our livelihoods are getting smaller and smaller, and our wanderings in search of water and food continue…”

At that time, a woman who had been silent behind Kiyan, who looked very similar to her, took a step forward and spoke. She, too, like Kiyan, had her light-colored hair cut short, not reaching her shoulders.

“I am Yaru, Kiyan’s nephew.”

Introducing herself, Yaru spoke in a voice very similar to Kiyan’s.

“Nervana forest is also in a corner, even if it is not for the war right now. We didn’t want to show up like this either, but frankly, we’re both at the crossroads of life and death.”

Aquilea’s Servia, who had been silently listening to the words, briefly summarized the situation with a quiet voice.

“…It’s a problem that cataclysmic monsters attack them everywhere they go. Well, we should be glad that the forces to oppose Argon are increasing.”

Tarhan also sighed briefly while watching the Nervana Forest group.

“I will provide you with a place to sleep and something to eat to compensate you for your hard work fully. I hope you get rid of your travel fatigue.”

“Thank you, but we have our own way of life. Sharing some of your hunting grounds is enough.”

Kiyan and Tarhan’s eyes locked in the air for a moment.

“We’re independent, so we really won’t bother you.”

Upon hearing that, Tarhan nodded his head in satisfaction.

Then, as if he had nothing more to say, he watched as Kiyan led the forces of Nervana Forest back. After that, Enya was led back to the village entrance by Tarhan, but she inadvertently looked at their backs.

The journey of the Nervana Forest group started from that day.

As promised, they contributed to the Great Plains Alliance while providing their own food and shelter. Occasionally, they would come down to Aquilea’s village to get things they needed, but even then, they paid a fair price for the things they needed and got them in a short time, and went back.

“As I’ve heard, are they really proud or have a high nose…”

Ihita muttered with excitement about the people of Nervana Forest.

“The Nervana Forest is said to have intact traces of the times when humans and monsters coexisted, and it is almost the only tribe that has a very special ancient lifestyle. I recognize their idiosyncrasies.”

Old Lady Piache chewed a roll of tobacco leaves and replied indifferently.

“So they must have crawled out on their own feet because they were in danger of extinction.”

Ihita sneered and replied.

Wild honey that had been thickened by her hand was being poured into a jar. It was fresh honey that had just been collected that morning.

Old Lady Piache, who had given up on scolding Ihita, who kept licking her fingers through her work and humming, eventually left Enya and Ihita the job of putting the honey into the jar.

“Are you a dead soul that couldn’t eat honey? Ihita. There will be more honey on your tongue than honey in jars.”

“Who cares, Old Lady? We’re going to take at least one of the jars anyway, right? You have to pay for our hard work.”

While Piache and Ihita were arguing, as usual, Enya also paid the price for her hard work.

Occasionally, the bees that accompanied the hive climbed up on the hands of the person who had ruined their home and buzzed menacingly. Enya stirred the bees with her hands and began diligently squeezing the hives into the jar.

Suddenly, a man’s voice that she had never heard before reached her ears.

“Hi. Honey.”

The voice was playful. Enya turned her head to the voice. Sure enough, at the entrance to Piache’s herbal workshop, two men and a woman she hadn’t seen before were leaning over and watching them.

Judging by the color of their hair, which was whiter than that of the Aquileas and less pigmented, they immediately recognized that they were from the Nervana Forest.

“I heard that you can get honey here.”

She raised an eyebrow as the man, whom Enya called ‘honey’ at first sight, glanced back at them with her hand in the jar.

“Yes, but it’s true. As Kiyan said, they really look alike.”

Piache and Ihita also stopped what they were doing and looked at the Nervanas, who suddenly went to their workshop.

They began to converse in words that only they could understand. It seemed to be an independent dialect of the Nervana Forest. Soon, the only woman among them spoke in the common language of the Great Plains, with which she was very proficient in.

“I’m here to get some honey. Can I just get one?”

Enya recognized her at a glance. She was Yaru, a woman with short hair that didn’t even reach her shoulders, who introduced herself as Kiyan, the chieftain of the Nervana Forest’s nephew.

“Ah, the honey is still in the process of refining so it might take some time.”

Old Lady Piache stepped in front of them, wiping her hands.

“It doesn’t matter. I will pay for it now.”

Then, Yaru pointed to the jar of honey Enya was working on and said right away.

“I think one jar will do. When do you think it will be finished?”

“One, one jar…?”

Ihita widened her eyes in amazement and murmured. Meanwhile, Yaru’s gaze was still fixed on Enya.

“I think it will be finished by tomorrow morning, so please come back then. Please pay the price then.”

Old Lady Piache answered simply and clearly.

Even after hearing that, the Nervana Forest people did not think of leaving the place.

Enya continued to wander around the entrance as she looked at them curiously as they watched the inside of the workshop. To be precise, they were discussing something in an incomprehensible language among themselves, not at Piace or Piache, but at themselves.

Enya, who was accustomed to hearing whispers in front of her and receiving such explicit gazes, was displeased with them though she continued to work with her gaze on the jar in silence.

However, the peace in the workplace was soon disrupted by the young man who spoke to her first.

“So, are you Enya?”

He also spoke the common language of the Great Plains with ease.

The large-built man with an attractive cheerful expression had an impressive hairstyle with long black hair pulled back into one ponytail.

His fairer skin than the people of Aquilea was white and transparent as if he had never been exposed to the sun in his life. The muscles that filled the upper body, the bumpy belly, and the wide shoulders that were exposed differently looked as intimidating as Aquilea’s chief hunter.

“You don’t have to look at me with those wild cat eyes. I never came here to threaten you.”

As she glanced up at the man without answering and instead glared with a suspicious look, another man behind him opened his mouth in a quiet voice.

It was a man with long hair hanging behind his shoulders, who had been standing heavily behind Yaru as if escorting her. He, too, was white, but he had the appearance of being as tough and strong as the warriors of Aquilea that Enya had seen.

As well as the two men, the woman, Yaru, was also muscular and had different markings on her forearms. Each sign seemed to have a meaning.

“I’m Nihitan. I am the chieftain of the Lehijin horde, recently allied with Kiyan’s tribe. For now, just consider me as one of the members of Nervana Forest.”

Saying so, he reached out one hand to Enya and asked for a handshake in a polite and heavy tone. It was the first time she had ever had someone ask her to shake hands.

Because of that, she was so flustered that she held out her hands without even thinking of wiping them. Even so, the man held Enya’s hand lightly and shook it with the same polite attitude as the first time.

When the handshake was over, the somewhat flirtatious-looking man, who had first called her honey, changed his facial expression abruptly and then came forward with a wheeze.

“What is this Nihitan? What a player? I want to shake her hand, too.”

Soon, he really came in front of her and held out his hand in the same way, with his eyes shining as if he had found a rare wild animal. With her eyes wide open, Enya unwittingly reached out her hand as before.

Unlike the man named Nihitan, who simply shook hands, this relatively young man grabbed her hand and did not let go.

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