Chapter 57

“…A god?”

I blinked a couple of times and asked again.

“The path belongs to a god?”

“To be precise, the entire valley, including that path, belongs to one. The nearby villages seem to have been worshiping the owner of the Rubeko Valley as a god for a long time.”

“I don't know how to take this……”

I then let out a hearty laugh.

At first, I thought it was just a joke, but Helena's face showed no hint of humor.

“Whether he's a real god or not, it's certain that a very powerful and ancient being rules that valley.”

I stared blankly at Helena's scarred face.

She wasn't joking.

I couldn't believe it, but realizing I had to, I touched my lips.

“…Still, it's strange.”

I tapped my foot a couple of times.

My tone was as if telling her to think about whose territory they were standing on.

“This is Cordis.”

Cordis.

A human empire that did not tolerate gods.

The Empire strictly forbade all kinds of beliefs and all kinds of worship.

Even if it was directed towards the master of the Empire, the Emperor, it was no different.

The Empire demanded obedience and loyalty from everyone, but it resolutely refused to accept them under the name of worship or belief, and even suppressed them.

“Whether real or not, a monster called a god is claiming land rights in the territory of the Empire, isn't it?”

It was not an easy thing to claim land rights in the territory of the Great Empire of Cordis.

However, there were three cases where this difficult task was tolerated.

First, naturally, was when the right to rule was legitimately granted by the Imperial Family.

The Cordis Imperial Family was not so crazy as to pick a fight with the rights they themselves had granted.

At least not yet.

Second, was when the claim to land rights had no effect or basis whatsoever.

A barn owner in Reto Colles, for instance, belonged to this category.

He often made bold statements that the Sheho River belonged to his family and that if one drank its water without permission, he would demand a fair price even from the Great Emperor Continua, but he had never succeeded in collecting money even once, nor did he even try, so no one paid any attention.

The third case was the troublesome one.

To dare to claim a piece of Cordis's territory as one's own without permission.

But there was enough power to back it up, various interests and traditions were intricately intertwined and on top of that, the land they were trying to acquire was completely useless.

In this third case, the Empire sometimes, very sometimes (more precisely, about three times in a thousand years), implicitly tolerated such claims.

The owner of the Rubeko Valley, the horned white serpent Lacrosha, belonged to this third case.

“When I visited before and asked the local residents, they said he established his territory in the Rubeko Valley during the Hotus era.”

“…If it's older than Cordis, it must be at least a thousand years old.”

“I suppose so?”

“…Do we really have to pass through a path where such a monster lurks?”

At my question, Helena waved her hand.

“It's alright. He doesn't come out to the village and doesn't harm anyone. He hasn't asked for any tributes either.”

“Then why do they call him a god?”

“They say he appeared and helped them several times when there were floods or the like.”

“…A very human-like monster.”

According to her words, there seemed to be no problem.

However, there were some uneasy points.

The fact that I had never heard of it particularly bothered me.

Still, it was too appealing to ignore.

More so than breaking through the checkpoints blocked by the Special Operations Unit or crossing the mountain in a child's body.

‘Then again, I can't know everything.’

I was a regressor.

But I couldn't know every story from every corner of the Empire.

In the first place, I had spent more time in the West than in Cordis.

‘…I can't let that fortuneteller bastard catch me.’

The thought of the man who was probably still glaring with his jade-green eyes and chasing me made my chest feel cold.

Considering that the man chasing me was the fortuneteller Amethus, it was not a time to be picky about means.

I had no choice but to tolerate even a very slight element of uncertainty.

“Alright, let's hurry.”

***

Before entering the valley, I bought a few boxes of salted meat from a nearby village.

It was said to be for when they might encounter the owner of the Rubeko Valley.

He said he really liked salted human meat.

We prepared and moved on.

I was at the front of the procession, next to Vice-captain Helena.

Helena always kept me by her side, and none of the members thought it strange.

They just thought she had reached an age where she doted on children.

I, Shion Pollinglight, was holding a small birdcage.

Inside, three birds were chirping.

Henry Horbi stroked his pipe and stealthily approached, asking.

“Shion, what is that… no, what is it?”

Henry Horbi, who had almost spoken respectfully without realizing it, received my cold gaze and hastily lowered his tone.

Henry lowered his eyes, and I, as if I had never glared at him, smiled faintly and replied.

“It's a birdcage, mister.”

“…I know that, but I was wondering why you're holding it.”

“Didn't you hear from the vice-captain? I think she mentioned it during mealtime.”

“I don't remember hearing anything about a birdcage.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Why did you say this path can't normally be crossed?”

“He said it was infested with poisonous snakes. The only exception is between the twelfth month and the second month, when the snakes are in hibernation.”

“You know a lot. However, not all poisonous snakes have the same hibernation habits, so it seems people were occasionally bitten by snakes until about two hundred years ago.”

Although few had died, they usually had a very terrible experience.

I recounted the story Helena had told me.

“So the ancestors of these people asked the owner of the valley for a favor.”

“What favor?”

“Since no birds live in this valley, if bird songs are heard, they would know that people are passing through and the poisonous snakes would hide.”

“Aha… the owner of this valley is quite a decent monster……”

Henry Horbi nodded his head.

He didn't know the name of the bird in my birdcage, but he knew it was a kind with a rather loud voice.

They would release that bird to make the poisonous snakes hide.

“And also, it's for checking if there's any poisonous fog left, even if there are no snakes.”

“That's a cruel story for the birds.”

“But you can't send yourself, mister.”

“……”

Henry fell silent and shivered.

I smiled like a mischievous child.

The entrance to the valley was visible.

It was filled with a gloom that suggested many snakes lived there.

Helena lowered her voice and called me.

“Shion, release the bird.”

She acted like a superior.

I scurried out like a subordinate.

It was natural in front of the members.

I opened the birdcage door at the very front and released one bird.

Its brown feathers fluttered as it flew up, looking quite cute.

Chirp, chirrrp-chhirp- sounds disappeared into the fog.

Despite its cute appearance, its voice was loud.

Since it echoed all the way to the corner of the valley, the poisonous snakes would hide.

Even after quite some time, a chirp sound could be heard from inside.

“It seems safe.”

“Drive the carriage.”

Helena's Juet Acrobat Troupe started moving.

There were over seventy of them in total.

There were six carriages carrying only luggage, without people.

Since there was acrobatics equipment and tents, there was a limit to how much they could reduce the number of carriages.

The path through the valley was not that wide.

People could pass easily, but carriages required hands-on help in various places.

Especially due to the gloomy atmosphere, the horses easily got scared.

However, none of the acrobat troupe members felt any difficulty.

They were all trained operatives.

Their physical bodies far surpassed the ordinary, and since there were no human eyes watching, they even felt refreshed, saying they didn't have to conserve their strength as usual.

A strange feeling propelled them.

“Ah, it's so comfortable not having to care about human eyes. Vice-captain, let's take roads like this often in the future.”

Henry Horbi freely blew his pipe.

A leopard made of smoke emerged.

Henry, perhaps too lazy to walk, plopped down on it.

Even if it was a smoke leopard, a beast was a beast, and a few horses were scared and stopped.

Pen-Houchil bared her teeth and said fiercely.

“Henry! You couldn't even help… I can't live like this!”

Pen-Houchil had a small build, so much so that she looked like a girl.

However, she shook her head with a shiver and then transformed into a giant werewolf, strong enough to easily carry two horses.

As the werewolf carried the exhausted horses, Poltel the strongman laughed heartily and stepped forward.

“Why are you making such a fuss over this? I'll just pull it.”

Poltel pulled the carriage without difficulty.

Alone, even, pulling what two horses had pulled, and even faster.

The twins Roten and Rite also swelled their numbers and vied to carry the luggage.

Their march was twice as fast as usual.

‘They're a welcome sight.’

I let out a faint smile.

The Juet Acrobat Troupe was still the same.

Even in the future I had returned from, they often laughed and chatted like this.

As I walked, Henry, who was riding the smoke leopard, casually approached and spoke to me again.

“Ahem, is it alright to use respectful language now?”

“Yes. You won't be heard. Why?”

“Well, it's about Pen.”

“Pen? Pen-Houchil?”

I pointed at the wolf woman who was carrying a fainted horse.

Henry Horbi moved his head in agreement.

“She calls you Henry.”

“Yes, Pen and Henry, doesn't that sound good?”

“Very like you.”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“What do you think?”

Henry looked sullen, and I waved my hand dismissively.

“Anyway, why her?”

“Actually, after I escorted the elder to Gentium… I plan to propose to her.”

“Huh? What?”

“I'm going to propose to Pen. It's not uncommon for operative couples, after all.”

“…Do you really have to say that at this point?”

A remote valley, thick fog, something that seemed about to jump out at any moment, and a place that was truly teeming with snakes in normal times.

But Henry Horbi paid no mind and continued.

“I feel like it's something I can't say if not now. I've even prepared a ring. As soon as this mission is over, I will……”

“Aghhhhhh!!! I can't hear you!!”

“Don't worry about me! I'll follow behind!”

“Quiet! Ominous!”

I shouted and left.

Henry snickered.

It seemed he had grown comfortable after spending a few weeks together.

To even joke like that.

I tried my best to shake off the ominous feeling and stood next to the twins.

Roten and Rite opened their lips.

“By the way, perhaps……”

“Perhaps, over there……”

“Can we acknowledge you later, even after we return?”

“Will you play with us again?”

It was strange.

The twins asked as if it were the end of their lives.

I shook my head.

‘What's wrong with these brats now?’

I hastily turned around, but there were many muttering voices.

The members were all saying something, and it was strangely stuck in my ears.

“It's a cleaner valley than I thought, isn't it?”

“The owner of the valley? Does he really exist? …Huh, what was that just now? Something long……”

“It must be a delusion. Don't mind it.”

“…Oh, that tree! That tree……!!”

My breath caught.

“This, what the……”

The ridiculous words were not ridiculous.

Even Vice-captain Helena was uttering things like, "Ah, Father, I understand now…," her eyes dazed.

Only I, Shion Pollinglight, raised my blue eyes.

“…Ah, damn it.”

Fog was beginning to form.

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