CH 27

The day after the picnic, in the forest outside the village.

It was there that Seto told Ryodou about the discovery of the previous day.

[Ahh, yeah. The mayor told me about it. That was probably the place where they used to worship the Wendigos.] (Ryodou)

[Is that so?] (Seto)

Around noon, Seto asked Ryodou about the details as they returned to the village while carrying their catch.

He told him how an indigenous tribe known as the Yellers, who once lived in this land, established a number of ceremonial sites there.

Many of them had been lost over the course of their long history, but that one had remained almost completely intact.

There was no doubt that that place was of particular importance to the Yeller tribe.

[They don’t fear death. In fact, they believe that life itself is something we’re all borrowing.] (Ryodou)

[Borrowing? From whom?] (Seto)

[The one they believe to be the absolute being. …The Wendigo of Death, Ahas Patel.] (Ryodou)

[Ahas Patel… So the one they believe to be the absolute being is death itself?] (Seto)

[That’s right. Their teachings say that every life in the world is a temporary loan from the Wendigo of Death that must eventually be returned to him. …You can learn more about this by visiting a man in the village named Gendar. He’s an eccentric fellow who lives on the west side of the village. …If I’m not wrong, he’s a shaman of Yeller descent. He might know something.] (Ryodou)

[Got it. I’ll go see him this evening.] (Seto)

[He’s even more of an eccentric than I am. So watch out, ’kay?] (Ryodou)

[Hahaha, sounds rough.] (Seto)

A gentle breeze blew through the sunlight filtering through the trees.

The chirping of birds and the faint sound of small animals moving about could be heard from between the sky and the trees.

The two men walked through the silent order of the forest, laughing.

A peaceful sanctuary never recorded in the memories of wars between humans and demons.

And it was in this sanctuary that men entered and hunted.

Humans had long made their way into the unique food chain created by the forest.

Nowadays, a single mistake could destroy that food chain and order.

Some animals become extinct due to poaching and over-hunting.

But in order to survive, humans had to feed on living beings.

The Yeller tribe of old paid their respect to that food chain.

They carved their testimonies of that on totem poles.

It was their way of saying that humans lived in harmony with nature too.

By introducing legends and mythological elements now and then, they created a more natural and symbolic link between the past and the future.

But Satis stated that the totem poles we saw were different from any others. …I’ll have to inquire about those faceless totem poles. (Seto)

The two were almost out of the forest and close to the village when Ryodou mentioned something.

It seemed that the news about it had reached the village yesterday when Seto and Satis had gone on their picnic.

[By the way, did you know, Seto?] (Ryodou)

[Eh? Know what?] (Seto)

[Something I learned yesterday. …The Hero’s party that was dispatched to defeat the Demon King has gone missing.] (Ryodou)

[…Wha?] (Seto)

Despite the awkwardness he felt as someone who used to be associated with them, the news made the boy gasp unconsciously.

Not even in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that those people who were so passionate about bringing peace would go missing.

[Where were they last seen!?] (Seto)

[They were last seen in a town close to a lake. Apparently, no one has heard from them ever since. Why’re you so curious about it?] (Ryodou)

[Erm… No reason.] (Seto)

It was on the shore of the lake beyond that town that Seto’s banishment was declared.

If no one had heard from them since then, the cause was most likely related to the monsters.

[It wouldn’t be surprising to assume that they were done in by monsters. But… The thing is, there’s another strange rumor going around.] (Ryodou)

[A strange rumor?] (Seto)

[The closures of national borders have forced traveling peddlers to return to the cities. And in the midst of all this, there’s been an increasing number of cases where peddlers and caravans are attacked.] (Ryodou)

[…You don’t think that the missing Hero’s party is behind those attacks, do you? Are you sure it wasn’t the work of some kinda bandits?] (Seto)

[Could be. It’d be a national disgrace for the Hero’s party to be playing bandits.] (Ryodou)

Ryodou snickered a bit, but Seto was taking in this story with mixed feelings.

Still, nothing could be done about it at this point.

No matter how worried he was about the future of the country, there was nothing Seto could do about it anymore.

He had already made up his mind that the happiness he had now was the thing he should protect.

[Alright, we’ll go back to the forest after lunch.] (Ryodou)

[Sure. I wanna try and catch a boar.] (Seto)

[A boar, huh. Then we’d better lay a trap for it.] (Ryodou)

After returning to the village and eating lunch, they went back to the forest.

Then after completing all of their work, they returned to the village.

By the time they arrived, the village was basking in a madder red light, and the mountain range in the background was also dyed in that color.

Evening had come to the forest, and the animals were preparing to welcome the night.

[Welp, that’s enough for today. Gendar’s house is on the west side of the village. You know which one it is, right? It’s a very distinctive house, you’ll recognize it right away.] (Ryodou)

[Got it, thanks. I’ll be on my way.] (Seto)

He did not want to worry Satis, who was probably at home cooking dinner.

Still, he had to know no matter what.

Seto went to the house of the shaman named Gendar.

He had a clear memory of his house from the first time he was shown around the village, as it was full of impressive decorations and statues.

[Excuse meeee…!] (Seto)

Right after knocking once, the door flew open.

An old man adorned with feathers and animal bones came out.

That man was Gendar.

Silence fell between him and Seto, who jumped back with much vigor.

He stared at Seto, then he finally opened his mouth, which he was keeping closed in a straight line, and spoke.

[…I knew you would come, boy of Destruction and Storm.] (Gendar)

[Huh? H-How do you…] (Seto)

[Come on in. I’ll make you some tea.] (Gendar)

Gendar walked into the room at a slow pace.

[So this man is Gendar…] (Seto)

Tilting his head, Seto did as he was told and entered.