We, who had observed Daitas Village from above, landed in the forest a little distance away from the village. After setting Soleil down from the sky, countless small yellow lights appeared in the forest.
“Hey, Soleil. What are those lights?”
“They are the spirits of the forest. It seems they are welcoming us.”
As we were discussing this, a particularly large light approached us from deep within the forest. Upon closer inspection, it was a small woman enveloped in yellow light.
“I am the guardian spirit of this forest, Cradle. I welcome you, who have received the blessings of the gods. If I may be so bold, please allow us to guide you within this forest.”
“I am Soleil, blessed by the divine dragon, servant of Lord Sairius. I humbly request your guidance through this forest.”
“Understood.”
“We ask that you guide us to Daitas Village. Also, this is my master, King Linos of the Agarta Kingdom, and his beloved horse, Illymo. We hope you will be gracious and that no mishaps occur.”
“I understand.”
Cradle disappeared in an instant, and the forest spirits lined up in a row, indicating the way to Daitas Village.
“Soleil, this is incredible…”
“Of course. I am contracted with the divine dragon, one of the highest-ranking spirits. It is natural for the other spirits to hold us in awe.”
“The divine dragon isn’t just a child with a sweet tooth, huh?”
“Master… You might anger the divine dragon with such remarks…”
Soleil looked at me with exasperation. Indeed, I lacked the sense to understand the greatness of the divine dragon, who possessed enough power to make even Ferris, who was usually unshaken, wet herself in surprise.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Prompted by Soleil, we proceeded through the forest.
We soon arrived at Daitas Village. At the entrance of the village, there were strong-looking young men standing guard. When they saw me, they hurriedly ran towards me.
“Could it be King Linos?”
“Yes, that’s right. You can just call me Linos.”
“Oh, Lord Linos! I can’t believe you actually came! We’ve been waiting for you. Please, come in!”
The young men of Daitas Village politely guided me, and I entered the village. Upon closer inspection, I noticed they were the men who came to Agarta with Village Chief Jinbi. When they led me to Jinbi’s house, he was on the verge of jumping with joy.
“Oh, Lord Linos! Is it really you? I can’t contain my excitement. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you, thank you!”
Jinbi kneeled down and repeatedly bowed.
“Please, rise, Jinbi. I came on my own accord. Don’t bow so much. Well, I was a bit curious, so I came to visit. After I’m done, I’ll leave right away, so don’t worry about me.”
“No, it can’t be like that! Please, come inside!”
Following Jinbi’s insistence, I sat down in front of the hearth.
“I will gather the villagers. Please wait a moment!”
As I sat by the hearth, I looked around Jinbi’s house. Being the village chief’s house, it was spacious, but there was nothing extravagant. There were bows and arrows, spears that seemed to be used for hunting, and a stack of firewood reaching up to the ceiling… There were only the bare essentials needed for survival.
“Master… This is Hawan fur.”
Suddenly, Soleil let slip her words. Her gaze was fixed on the mat we were sitting on. Indeed, it was fluffy and very comfortable to sit on.
“Hawan?”
“It’s a creature resembling a deer, covered in warm and lightweight fur. It’s very wary, making it difficult to hunt. This mat… it’s an extremely high-quality item.”
“I see. That means we are considered important guests.”
While we were discussing that, Jinbi entered the house accompanied by a large group of villagers.
“Everyone, please have a seat… The person here is none other than the genuine King Linos of Agarta. He is the one who saved our village from dire straits. And now, he has graciously come all the way here, showing concern for our village. Please express your gratitude as well.”
The villagers expressed their gratitude one by one. It seemed they were mostly elderly people, women, and children. There were a few young men, but they were quite scarce.
“So, how is the food situation in the village?”
Jinbi sighed and shook his head.
“Due to this heavy snow, we are practically unable to move. The provisions we had were running out soon.”
“I see… I’m glad I came. I was worried. Considering the food Jinbi brought back was almost depleted, and no messengers came, I had a hunch.”
“It’s inconceivable for someone like us, from such a small village, to receive your concern…”
Tears streamed down Jinbi’s cheeks.
“Well, there’s no need to worry. I brought enough food. You won’t go hungry for a while. Rest assured.”
Cheers erupted from the villagers.
“Your Majesty, may I ask something?”
A voice spoke up from the crowd, and I turned my gaze in its direction. It was a girl around middle school age who stood up.
“Lilith! Stay quiet! It’s disrespectful to the King of Agarta!”
“It’s fine, Jinbi… You said your name was Lilith, right? What is it that you want to ask me?”
Lilith, as she was called, lowered her gaze for a moment, but then mustered her courage and spoke.
“Why would you provide us with food in our village? We have nothing here. What do you intend to take from us?”
“Lilith!”
Jinbi’s voice echoed through the spacious room. Lilith involuntarily closed her eyes and shrunk in size.
“…That’s right, Lilith, you’re right. I think so too. Well, it’s as you said. I don’t understand it either. I don’t know why I wanted to support you with food. After all, from your perspective, we are enemies. It’s not easy to ask an enemy country for food support. But I felt Jinbi’s determination as the village chief, his willingness to set aside pride and protect the villagers. Well, you could say I felt the need to repay Jinbi’s spirit.”
Lilith stared at my face for a while but eventually nodded slightly.
“I understand. I’m sorry for asking something strange.”
I smiled at Lilith. Jinbi seemed relieved for a moment, but soon his expression turned tense.
“Lord Linos, I apologize for the inconvenience, but we would like to discuss something with you.”
“What is it?”
“After receiving food from you, we had numerous discussions. And we have come to the conclusion that we want to serve Agarta in the future. Lord Linos, we humbly request to be under your command. We prostrate ourselves before you.”
Jinbi and everyone else gathered there were kneeling before me.
“Stop, stop! There’s no need for that… If you’re willing to join under the name of Daitas Village, it’s fine, but if that happens, Lamaron will attack, right? If that happens, this village will be trampled. What about that?”
“No need to worry about that. Outwardly, we will follow Lamaron.”
“Oh?”
“However, we will provide you with all the information about Lamaron. Some of the young ones among us are in the Imperial Army. We will gather information from them and relay it to you.”
“So, you’re going to be spies?”
“Yes. We have no other choice for our survival. We have some plans to evade the Empire’s pursuit.”
“Hmm…”
I groaned as I looked up at the ceiling. Then, when I returned my gaze, I noticed that the eyes of all the gathered villagers were focused on me. At that moment, I sensed a slight unease.
Where I directed my gaze, there was a young woman sitting. She looked like a villager in every way, but something felt off. I silently continued to stare at her. The woman, aware of my gaze, stared back at me without flinching.
“…Lord Linos?”
I signaled Jinbi to stay calm. And at that moment, the woman swiftly escaped through the villagers.
“Don’t let her escape! Capture her!”
Hearing my command, the young men who were standing by immediately chased after the woman. Jinbi also joined the pursuit. The sudden event caused a commotion in the room.
After a while, the woman was brought back, escorted by the men.
“Hey, Jifiro, why did you try to escape?”
Jinbi spoke to the woman.
“Oh, so your name is Jifiro?”
“Yes, I am the wife of Marof, a man from our village. I never expected…”
“It seems she’s not an ordinary wife.”
“Jifiro! Did you deceive us? Say something!”
“… “
Jifiro remained silent, bowing her head.
“Jinbi, it’s pointless. If she won’t talk, she won’t make a good spy.”
“Spy… Lord Linos… Why would this woman be a spy?”
Jinbi asked with a puzzled expression.
“Ah, while listening to your words, the villagers’ breathing was heavy. It’s natural, considering that their lives are at stake. However, this woman’s breathing wasn’t agitated. It’s only natural to find that suspicious, right?”
Jinbi kept his eyes wide open, staring at me.
We, who had observed Daitas Village from above, landed in the forest a little distance away from the village. After setting Soleil down from the sky, countless small yellow lights appeared in the forest.
“Hey, Soleil. What are those lights?”
“They are the spirits of the forest. It seems they are welcoming us.”
As we were discussing this, a particularly large light approached us from deep within the forest. Upon closer inspection, it was a small woman enveloped in yellow light.
“I am the guardian spirit of this forest, Cradle. I welcome you, who have received the blessings of the gods. If I may be so bold, please allow us to guide you within this forest.”
“I am Soleil, blessed by the divine dragon, servant of Lord Sairius. I humbly request your guidance through this forest.”
“Understood.”
“We ask that you guide us to Daitas Village. Also, this is my master, King Linos of the Agarta Kingdom, and his beloved horse, Illymo. We hope you will be gracious and that no mishaps occur.”
“I understand.”
Cradle disappeared in an instant, and the forest spirits lined up in a row, indicating the way to Daitas Village.
“Soleil, this is incredible…”
“Of course. I am contracted with the divine dragon, one of the highest-ranking spirits. It is natural for the other spirits to hold us in awe.”
“The divine dragon isn’t just a child with a sweet tooth, huh?”
“Master… You might anger the divine dragon with such remarks…”
Soleil looked at me with exasperation. Indeed, I lacked the sense to understand the greatness of the divine dragon, who possessed enough power to make even Ferris, who was usually unshaken, wet herself in surprise.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Prompted by Soleil, we proceeded through the forest.
We soon arrived at Daitas Village. At the entrance of the village, there were strong-looking young men standing guard. When they saw me, they hurriedly ran towards me.
“Could it be King Linos?”
“Yes, that’s right. You can just call me Linos.”
“Oh, Lord Linos! I can’t believe you actually came! We’ve been waiting for you. Please, come in!”
The young men of Daitas Village politely guided me, and I entered the village. Upon closer inspection, I noticed they were the men who came to Agarta with Village Chief Jinbi. When they led me to Jinbi’s house, he was on the verge of jumping with joy.
“Oh, Lord Linos! Is it really you? I can’t contain my excitement. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you, thank you!”
Jinbi kneeled down and repeatedly bowed.
“Please, rise, Jinbi. I came on my own accord. Don’t bow so much. Well, I was a bit curious, so I came to visit. After I’m done, I’ll leave right away, so don’t worry about me.”
“No, it can’t be like that! Please, come inside!”
Following Jinbi’s insistence, I sat down in front of the hearth.
“I will gather the villagers. Please wait a moment!”
As I sat by the hearth, I looked around Jinbi’s house. Being the village chief’s house, it was spacious, but there was nothing extravagant. There were bows and arrows, spears that seemed to be used for hunting, and a stack of firewood reaching up to the ceiling… There were only the bare essentials needed for survival.
“Master… This is Hawan fur.”
Suddenly, Soleil let slip her words. Her gaze was fixed on the mat we were sitting on. Indeed, it was fluffy and very comfortable to sit on.
“Hawan?”
“It’s a creature resembling a deer, covered in warm and lightweight fur. It’s very wary, making it difficult to hunt. This mat… it’s an extremely high-quality item.”
“I see. That means we are considered important guests.”
While we were discussing that, Jinbi entered the house accompanied by a large group of villagers.
“Everyone, please have a seat… The person here is none other than the genuine King Linos of Agarta. He is the one who saved our village from dire straits. And now, he has graciously come all the way here, showing concern for our village. Please express your gratitude as well.”
The villagers expressed their gratitude one by one. It seemed they were mostly elderly people, women, and children. There were a few young men, but they were quite scarce.
“So, how is the food situation in the village?”
Jinbi sighed and shook his head.
“Due to this heavy snow, we are practically unable to move. The provisions we had were running out soon.”
“I see… I’m glad I came. I was worried. Considering the food Jinbi brought back was almost depleted, and no messengers came, I had a hunch.”
“It’s inconceivable for someone like us, from such a small village, to receive your concern…”
Tears streamed down Jinbi’s cheeks.
“Well, there’s no need to worry. I brought enough food. You won’t go hungry for a while. Rest assured.”
Cheers erupted from the villagers.
“Your Majesty, may I ask something?”
A voice spoke up from the crowd, and I turned my gaze in its direction. It was a girl around middle school age who stood up.
“Lilith! Stay quiet! It’s disrespectful to the King of Agarta!”
“It’s fine, Jinbi… You said your name was Lilith, right? What is it that you want to ask me?”
Lilith, as she was called, lowered her gaze for a moment, but then mustered her courage and spoke.
“Why would you provide us with food in our village? We have nothing here. What do you intend to take from us?”
“Lilith!”
Jinbi’s voice echoed through the spacious room. Lilith involuntarily closed her eyes and shrunk in size.
“…That’s right, Lilith, you’re right. I think so too. Well, it’s as you said. I don’t understand it either. I don’t know why I wanted to support you with food. After all, from your perspective, we are enemies. It’s not easy to ask an enemy country for food support. But I felt Jinbi’s determination as the village chief, his willingness to set aside pride and protect the villagers. Well, you could say I felt the need to repay Jinbi’s spirit.”
Lilith stared at my face for a while but eventually nodded slightly.
“I understand. I’m sorry for asking something strange.”
I smiled at Lilith. Jinbi seemed relieved for a moment, but soon his expression turned tense.
“Lord Linos, I apologize for the inconvenience, but we would like to discuss something with you.”
“What is it?”
“After receiving food from you, we had numerous discussions. And we have come to the conclusion that we want to serve Agarta in the future. Lord Linos, we humbly request to be under your command. We prostrate ourselves before you.”
Jinbi and everyone else gathered there were kneeling before me.
“Stop, stop! There’s no need for that… If you’re willing to join under the name of Daitas Village, it’s fine, but if that happens, Lamaron will attack, right? If that happens, this village will be trampled. What about that?”
“No need to worry about that. Outwardly, we will follow Lamaron.”
“Oh?”
“However, we will provide you with all the information about Lamaron. Some of the young ones among us are in the Imperial Army. We will gather information from them and relay it to you.”
“So, you’re going to be spies?”
“Yes. We have no other choice for our survival. We have some plans to evade the Empire’s pursuit.”
“Hmm…”
I groaned as I looked up at the ceiling. Then, when I returned my gaze, I noticed that the eyes of all the gathered villagers were focused on me. At that moment, I sensed a slight unease.
Where I directed my gaze, there was a young woman sitting. She looked like a villager in every way, but something felt off. I silently continued to stare at her. The woman, aware of my gaze, stared back at me without flinching.
“…Lord Linos?”
I signaled Jinbi to stay calm. And at that moment, the woman swiftly escaped through the villagers.
“Don’t let her escape! Capture her!”
Hearing my command, the young men who were standing by immediately chased after the woman. Jinbi also joined the pursuit. The sudden event caused a commotion in the room.
After a while, the woman was brought back, escorted by the men.
“Hey, Jifiro, why did you try to escape?”
Jinbi spoke to the woman.
“Oh, so your name is Jifiro?”
“Yes, I am the wife of Marof, a man from our village. I never expected…”
“It seems she’s not an ordinary wife.”
“Jifiro! Did you deceive us? Say something!”
“… “
Jifiro remained silent, bowing her head.
“Jinbi, it’s pointless. If she won’t talk, she won’t make a good spy.”
“Spy… Lord Linos… Why would this woman be a spy?”
Jinbi asked with a puzzled expression.
“Ah, while listening to your words, the villagers’ breathing was heavy. It’s natural, considering that their lives are at stake. However, this woman’s breathing wasn’t agitated. It’s only natural to find that suspicious, right?”
Jinbi kept his eyes wide open, staring at me.
