862 The Eleventh Day of the Silver Moon ② - Ritual of Mountain Entry

My chest remained rattled even as Ryta unpacked her back and prepared to enter the mountain.

Whatever it is, it is welcoming the wolf of Valve, the legendary being, and the serpent of Madarama, before its eyes. One of them, we once came across in the river of Rant, and even then, we were to beat him with stone and repel him - but still, after all, we couldn't forbid the marvel.

Besides, this madalama seemed even more gigantic than anything I had ever encountered.

I think that madalama was about the size of a rugby ball and the thickness of my torso was about my foot - more than that, it would be huge around the lid. The head is bigger than a human, and the thickness of the torso is likely to be about the waist of an eye-fa. The blue and black scales shine very brightly, and the black eyes glow inorganically. No matter how I showed up, I didn't think I could defeat this kind of madalama.

(Plus, the madalama I had with me was all scratched up. I'm sure, like Tia, she's been mocked by upstream torrents and flushed all the way to the woods. Still, it was such a monstrosity that normally I couldn't have repelled Madarama)

And the wolf of the other valves was also rolling.

This one, anyway, has a big body. It would be as close to a gauje leopard as our cute dogs. He was about my height, and besides, his hair was blocked, so much so that he looked bigger than Gauje's leopard.

Its body hair is grey-brown and its eyes are yellowish like Zida's. It also seemed like a very deposited and resourceful face, but the giant felt a rough sense of life.

"... you there are a man named Asta who has a bad relationship with Tia?

And - the red people, who are not the lighters, spoke to the lid.

Somewhere, it is a voice that contains laughter like you ate a person.

"Seems a lot eager to compare Madarama to Valve, but what are you so afraid of? Unless you break the sanctuary code, Madarama and Valve will never rip their fangs off, okay?

"Oh, no... nothing like that..."

When I called it that, Tia, who was silently eager to see how Lyta was doing, raised her voice.

"Asta is a hunter. Wouldn't it be natural for a hunter to fear Valve or Madarama?"

"Hmm. I can tell with one eye that he's not a hunter. But if you don't feel like breaking the code, why are you afraid of Madarama and Valve?

"So he says that if you're a hunter and you're not, you deserve to be afraid, even for no reason.... I knew you wouldn't mind, Luja."

Looking back, Tia was making her mouth squirm adorably.

In return for that adorable face, the hunter called Ruja laughs inclusively.

"You're the one who's been out there for six months, and you don't seem to have changed at all. I'm glad to hear that, Tia."

"Even if I please you, Tia's not happy at all"

Apparently Tia wasn't very comfortable with this Ruja.

But I also don't know why. This man, Luja, was wrapped in pitch-black fur rather than madalama scales as a hunter's coat. It showed that he was a clan hunting the wolves of the Valve.

Is the back length and physique about the same or slightly above that of the lighter? Hair and skin are dyed by bright wine red, and the reddish brown eyes are the same as the lighter - although the pattern engraved on the cheeks and back of the hand felt a lot different in design.

He has a slightly larger eye and a thin laugh on his mouth. Such a look was also separated from the seemingly honest Lyta.

Neither is this one carrying a bow or arrow, just a big dagger down his hips. I don't see myself in the sheath of a tree skin so I'm sure it's a knife made of black stone just like Tia owned it.

"… the person is Ruja-Holua-Razma. He was the eldest brother of Razma's chief, Hola, and was to serve as a guide with Ryta."

That's how the lighter who sorted the baggage that hit the ground explained it to me.

"And I am the brother of Hamra, the chief of Namkar, and the eldest brother of my mother Mira, Ryta. Namkar is a madalama hunting clan, and Razma becomes a valve hunting clan. If the four of us had acted together, no other valves or madalama would accidentally attack us. And if another beast seems to attack, let's get rid of the four of us properly."

"Wait. Are there other dangerous beasts lurking in this land, Valve and Madarama?

As Ai-Fa raised her voice sharply, Ryta tilted her nipple wonderfully.

"There are many beasts lurking in Morga. Particularly common are Lionne and Nacha and Payfay. But it's rare for Payfay or Nacha to come close to themselves, and even if they run into a bunch of starving Lyonnes, the Writers won't take a lag"

"... well," Ai-Fa tied his mouth.

Writa wakes herself up with a nod of "um".

"The ritual is ready. First, let me purify the tip of my hand with holy water"

Lyta's got a strange object in her hand, and she's getting closer to us.

Oval, palm fruit. From around the heavenly side, thin tree branches stick out.

"One at a time, I want your hands in front of you"

Lyta stood in front of Donda-Lou at the right end and pulled out the branches of that tree.

The tree branches are snugly wet with red liquid and the tip area is loosened up like a brush. Perhaps it fills the shells of fruit that have crept through the contents, with holy water and dots.

"It looks like the liquid that is dyeing you. You mean we can dye the tip of our hands in that color, too?"

"Uhm. But this holy water is so diluted that in two days it will disappear. It's unacceptable to bring Morga's grace to the outside world."

Donda-Lou nodded one thing and offered a thick back of his hand to Lyta.

Writa uses a tree branch like a brush to draw a pattern like eight letters on the back of Donda-Lou's hand. This shape simplifies the prints on the back of the lighters' hands to the extreme.

"I think it will dry while I count ten, so I want you not to touch it until then"

With you saying it that way, Ryta went through one ritual after another.

Did Dayton, who once stepped into the sanctuary of the Blue People, also perform such a ritual? Lyta's gesture was utterly unproductive, but I knew I was being aroused by solemnity.

Eventually, a tattoo will be drawn in holy water on my hand as well.

The holy water smelled strange. It smells like a blend of vanilla-like acidity, fruity sweetness and a hint of earthy odor.

"Hmm, looks like this holy water is mixed with some grigi fruit."

To Dan-Rutim's words, Ryta nodded "um".

"You guys are wrapping grigi fruit around your wrists. Outside Morga, is Grigi growing?"

"Uh-huh. We keep the poisonous bugs away with this grigi fruit."

"Right. This holy water is supposed to keep all calamities away. I guess the poisonous worms are in it, too."

Thus, all ten were to be cleansed with holy water.

Writa nods, "Okay," and holds her new package. It was like spreading a plain plank of wood.

"Then give us the 'sealed mask', which is the testimony of the Guest. Now I want you to cover your face and tie it tight so you can't take it off"

Lyta started handing out one piece at a time like that wood plate to us.

When I measured the item handed to me, it did have a pattern painted on the convex surface, which was just about the size of a human face. I guess I should tie this behind me because there's a spreading grass around my ear.

What is depicted was quite a humorous human face.

The eyes and mouth are a single line across, and the nose is two dots. Even though they are children's graffiti naive touches, the cheeks are painted in wine red with a fine print. Both the lighter and the ruja have different designs, but they all look like the same lineage.

However, the mask also has elements that are not covered by the mask.

The eyes, nose, and mouth were just painted, and the holes and the like were not empty.

"... can't you see before wearing something like this?

When Raylis spoke in a modest voice, Ryta nodded "um" without incident.

"Guests entering the sanctuary are allowed to block their eyes and mouths until they reach where we allow them. Seeing Morga or uttering words is contraindicated. We'll take care of the guidance, so we don't have to."

"No, but... we're going to climb the mountain of Morga, aren't we? The greenery is deep around here, and isn't it hard to move on without looking under your feet?

"Unless we overcome that difficulty, we are not allowed to step into the sanctuary, the chiefs say. If there are those who do their best along the way, I want others to carry them but move on. … so if we all seem to be doing our best, I think we will deliver the hand of salvation"

Raylis shook his head in the way he perceived it and regained the mask of his hand.

"If that is the code of the sanctuary, obey it. I beg you to forgive me for speaking so inexplicably."

"I don't mind. I remember the confusion as great as the Guests because Writa has never known such a practice existed."

That's how Ryta took her last package.

I think it has twisted the grass, and it is one fine rope. The length was likely to be more than ten meters.

"On the road, have this in your hand and move on. The lighter grabs the end ahead, so the guests won't even hit trees or rocks. I just want you to watch your step."

"Hmm, that's quite a rare lesson! But if I kick you in the roots of a tree or something, you're going to raise your voice unexpectedly, but is that also unacceptable?

To Dan-Rutim's words, Writa shook her head "No".

"What is supposedly contraindicated is an exchange of words with the other person. But I want you to stick to words that make sense, even when you're alone."

"Admitted! Then there's no problem."

Dan-Rutim was delighted to put a 'sealed mask' on his face.

But Dan-Rutim's big face doesn't seem to have the size, and his fuzzy cheeks and mandible are sticking out all over him. Moreover, the masked expression depicted with naive touch on Dan-Rutim's sobering physique was indeed a mismatch.

"That's good! Yeah, but now we don't even know where the rope is!

"Sounds like it. If everyone wore a mask, I'd give it to you."

We were supposed to wear masks, too.

Vision is completely closed and breathing is harder said to be more comfortable. Now climbing the mountain seemed like quite a test.

(But you can't throw up weak noises about this)

When I thought of it that way, I could hear Ai-Fa coming from right around the corner.

"Will the beginning of this one be Donda-Lou?

"Hmm? Right. It would be more desirable to lead the castle townspeople."

We were aligned side-by-side, Donda-Lou at the right end and Gemd at the left end.

The voice of Ey-Fa, corresponding to "Well," moved from right to left.

"Then let me follow Asta. I put my family behind me because I was restless."

"Then," he raised his voice, was Berdu-Fou.

"It's me and Chim-Sudra walking at the end, and Leiris and Gemd will have them follow me behind I-Fa. I guess you don't have to be careful with the beast, just in case."

When the order was thus determined, he eventually grabbed his wrist by his warm fingertips. And a rope of spreading grass is given up on the palm of his hand.

As soon as I grabbed hold of it, my fingertips quickly left.

I wonder if the i-fa's are grabbing this rope too, and that's all that makes me feel comfortable. It was still quite disturbing to be blocked from sight in such a deep forest.

"Now the ritual is complete. Those of you will see you in the midheavens tomorrow."

"Oh, nice to meet you."

It was felt that the Rudd-Loux and the others stepped on the bushes and moved away.

Then a while later, Lyta says, "Okay."

"Well, I'm going to leave. I want you to be careful not to utter a word from the next time you step out until you get to where you promised."

"Speaking of which, what kind of punishment can you inflict when you have offended contraindications and come off the face or uttered words?

"In doing so, bind your hands and feet and let your eyes and mouth be further blocked to your mind. And you will have that figure until tomorrow at Jomtien when you return to the outside world. Of course, I want you to be careful because you will no longer be able to provide water or meals"

"I can't stop thinking about that! Let's just say we're careful at best!

That's the last thing Dan-Rutim said, we were supposed to shut up.

Try to be pulled by the rope you hold in your right hand and step out. He needed to walk with his knees up as high as possible because of his uncomfortable foot.

I have no idea where or how you're walking.

But now we have finally set foot in the sanctuary of Mount Morga. Because of the blindfolding and so on, it was difficult to hold a real feeling.

Only the retreat and the tone that tramples the bush sound strangely clear. Maybe if I imagined Valve or Madarama walking right next to me - and so on, my heart went pounding in vain.

"... Laita of Namkar, don't you need to keep quiet this way?

And Ruja's voice flew in from such a rear.

Then, from as far ahead as you can hear Lyta.

"There are ten of us in between, so we need to raise our voices like this if we are to exchange words. Until then, there's no reason to exchange words with you."

"I don't have any business with you either. But I haven't talked to Tia enough yet."

"... even Tia has no business talking to you"

And, from around the unexpected, Tia's voice was heard. Tia was walking right next to me.

"Don't you say things that are a lot more tedious? How sad do you think Ruja has been these past six months?

"Hmm. I thought your friend Madarama ate Tia? Then there's no reason for you to be sad."

"No. When you disappeared, Ruja asked the nearby Madarama if she had eaten you from one end. But I couldn't find the madalama that I ate you, so I was in jeopardy if I'd gone out there."

After a few seconds of silence, Tia said in a disloyal voice.

"Why did you have to do such an imitation? Madarama is your friend, so you can't complain about eating a tier."

"I didn't mean to complain or anything like that. But the person you wished for the wedding was gone, so it would be natural to try to figure out why?

I didn't think so, I almost gave you a surprise.

Tia's voice sounds increasingly grumpy.

"Are you still saying what you did? You haven't changed a thing after six months."

"Wait. What are you talking about wishing for a wedding? Rita hasn't heard anything like that, has she?

"Look, didn't Writa make a scene? Don't make ridiculous jokes."

"I'm not kidding. Ruja is serious and wants to give Tia and her wedding. You disappeared the day I told you all that. Don't be sad about it, it'll be a lame story."

Freshly stating those words, Ruja laughed with her throat ringing.

From the front, Writa's angry voice flies.

"There is no such thing as the namkar of Madarama hunting and the rasma of Valve hunting joining the edges of blood! You're the son of Razma's chief, and you don't even know that?

"All right, Ruja says. You're the ones who don't know anything."

Right next to me, there were signs of Tia sighing.

And furthermore, I can hear Tia.

"I want you to be careful not to respond to anyone.... be careful not to scratch your legs as your roots stick out to your right."

I was conscious and was supposed to shake my right knee up even louder.

After a while, I can hear Tia again.

"All went too far through the roots of the trees. It's so green from here, you have to be careful not to take your legs off."

"Humph," Ruja snorts.

"Such caution should be exercised by those who walk in the lead. Totally unfriendly."

"Shut up! Is Razma selling fights to Namkar?

"There's no way Ruja, wishing Tia a a wedding, would sell a fight to Namkar.... Tia, I want Ruja to know how you were spending your time in the outside world"

"Such stories shall be made to the chiefs. There's no reason to talk like this."

"But by the time we arrive at the conference venue, the sun will also be leaning heavily. In the meantime, are you gonna keep your mouth shut all the time? Before you talk to the Chiefs, why don't you talk to Ruja and sort your head out?

"... there is no need for that. Tia's been thinking in her head about what to tell the Chiefs. There was as much time as there was."

After closing his mouth often, Ruja raised her voice and laughed.

"You are, after all, a man around your head. Besides, he has a strong heart and a clean soul. That's why Rujah set you up as his companion among a few of his compatriots."

"Oh, it's really weird already. Tia's about to be tried as a sinner, isn't she? By the sheikhs' judgment, they will return their souls this evening."

"Such a thing, Ruja won't let it.... of course, if you haven't committed an unforgivable sin in the outside world."

Ruja's voice felt just a little serious.

"Now put the wedding thing aside, you're one of the sanctuary's compatriots. Even if the person you're friends with is different, it doesn't change that fact. Would it be strange for Ruja to wish she knew how you were spending your time in the outside world?

…………

"I'm sure Madarama, Valve, and finally your blood family will feel the same way. The Rujahs sincerely hope that you have not committed an unforgivable sin. That leaves plenty of time, so could you pluck the anxiety of our compatriots, Luja?

"You're a really, really angry person, Ruja.... then I'll be listening to Tia for a while."

That's how Tia talked.

How was Tia spending the last six months? In the dark, moving our feet so hard that we could hear it together.

Now it's like they're letting me chase down the days I spent with Tia. When I heard Niya sing "Kamado-no-Asta by the Forest," I came to the same mood - this time, I was going to rebel more intensely against the divided period of six months.

In the settlement of Fou, he faced a slightly wet tier, after which he was about to be snapped in the neck. Tia was weeping carelessly when she was informed that this was not the mountain of Morga, but by the woods at the foot. Then, also face-to-face with Ai-Fa, he was taken to the settlement of Luu, where he would also exchange words with Donda-Lu - Tia was allowed to heal the wounds by the woods with the permission of Marquis Marquis Marstein of Genos.

I bite off all sorts of emotions as I climb up the increasingly rugged mountain path. How innocent and desperate Tia was, crushing her heart so that she could be righteous as a people of the sanctuary - as soon as possible, I couldn't wait to tell the chiefs of the sanctuary.

If you notice, your breathing is getting rough. Not once or twice did I almost fall, and Momo and the like were strained on my breasts.

The outfit wrapped around him is also completely wet with sweat. It was as comfortable as a rough breath filling the mask and being pushed into a steam bath only from the neck to the top.

"... once I think I should take a break"

And around the time the story even went to Hurricane Party, Tia said so to the lid.

"We still have a long way to go, so we will need a break. Guests are not used to walking in the mountains."

"Hmm. The hunter-free humans seem to be breathing up. So, let's take a break."

We were allowed to sit back on the spot.

When I get to the ground, I can flatten my hand with one on my back. The palm of his hand traced his back and eventually grabbed my left shoulder.

While I breathe, I take the rope to my left hand and let it lay its own hand over Ai-Fa's hand. The words remained unspoken, and it was as if Ai-Fa's love were flowing in from it.

"Laita, aren't guests even allowed to drink water?

To Tia's words, Ryta returned a solemn voice: "Uhm."

"It is unacceptable for the Guests to remove their masks until they reach their intended location. There seems to be no way to drink water without removing the mask"

"Is it also unacceptable to shift the mask slightly?

"Unacceptable. When I'm done, I want you to follow the method I told you first."

Ey-Fa's fingertips are making me feel better.

I put the thought of "I'm fine," and let him grip my fingertips.

Think for Tia, this kind of ordeal is nothing like it.

And I wasn't even going to slight the other hand until this body's strength ran out to the last drop.

In my head remembered like that, the mountain wild birds made a mild noise out of place and looked like they were crossing the sky.