Chapter 331 - Chapter Fourteen: Conversation with the Wyverns
The priest and the apprentice priest stood up and timidly approached the Wyverns. Although the restraints on their hands had been removed, ropes remained attached to their torsos and necks. They were essentially in a state like leashed dogs, but given they were currently perpetrators of treason, it was likely unavoidable.
Since Mel and Dune were interpreting, the Wyverns were lined up quietly.
Starting with those whose treatment was finished, I showed them my Firefly and stroked their snouts.
"Here, Priest-sama. Please pet them too."
I grabbed his hesitating hand and made him pet one.
The Wyvern narrowed its eyes as if it felt good.
"Oh! Th-the Wyvern is..."
While he was stroking the Wyvern with tears streaming down his face, he suddenly crouched on the ground and prostrated himself.
"Je-Jeanne-sama. I am terribly, terribly sorry."
No, the '-sama' is unnecessary, okay? Eowyn-sama alone is more than enough.
"Even if it was to protect the Wyverns, I will atone for this misconduct with my life. Please, grant me the death penalty."
After rubbing his forehead against the ground, he clung to my sleeve.
Strictly upright people really do go to extremes.
"A fine resolve. You shall naturally receive the death penalty. The charges are attempted murder of a state guest and treason against the nation."
It was Gwyn-sama. This was Finis. He would be judged according to the national laws of Finis. It wasn't something for a Stray Priest like me to interfere with. The charges were clear, after all.
"Haha! Thank you very much. Since I shall atone for my sins with my one life, I beg of you to please save the others who were coerced by me."
At this, even Gwyn-sama was lost for words. It would be difficult to apply the maximum penalty to those who were coerced by some means.
"Priest Jeanne. What do you think of this man's argument?"
Gwyn-sama asked in a formal tone.
From what I had experienced, there was no way they were being coerced. However, it could also be said that it wouldn't have happened if this priest hadn't exerted powerful leadership.
Surely, Gwyn-sama knew. That it wasn't coercion. However, this island had only just been subjugated. If the punishment was too heavy, it would buy resentment; if it was too light, they would be looked down upon. It was a difficult spot. A trial would be appropriate, but in that case, I would be a witness. He likely wanted to hear my thoughts beforehand.
"I have an idea, so could you give me a little more time?"
"I-I see. Understood."
First, I wanted to prioritize the purpose for which I came to this island.
Around this time, the two 'bowls' under Gwyn-sama's command arrived along with the scouts, and the siblings who had been tied to the altar in the cave were also rescued. The older brother moved via a Teleportation Circle and brought over the spirit stones and Black Stones along with the leather bags.
When I cast Thought Communication, a conversation was established between the siblings.
Both of them shed tears of joy and stroked the Wyverns together.
"So this is what it means for the Wyverns to become attached."
"Yes. Perhaps the Ancient Priestess got along with the dragons like this?"
(So that's why Priest Jeanne came to this island.)
I widened my eyes at the younger sister's words. That was careless. I hadn't noticed until now.
I see, the Wyverns know the Black Dragon Child. In other words, if the Black Dragon Child happened to be alive, my role was to come and inform them of that.
"Dune! Mel! Come here for a second!"
I called out to Dune, who was drinking sake with the Wyverns, and Mel, who was flying around everywhere, and told them what I had realized.
"Hmm. So there was a sequel to the story we heard from that child."
"I don't know for sure, but try asking."
The two went to the Wyverns and began a consultation with much 'gyaon-gyaon' squawking. All six Wyverns gathered around.
The two spirits and the six beasts were having a grand 'gyaon-gyaon' session, but it seemed they reached a conclusion.
They told me to come over.
The six Wyverns were all lined up. It was quite a sight.
"As I thought, these guys were originally dragons that were in Sertoria."
"I see, so they fled here."
"According to the Wyverns, everyone made the Black Dragon Child's cocoon together."
"So it wasn't made by the mother dragon alone."
"In the beginning, they all took turns protecting it."
"In the beginning?"
Creatures as great as dragons don't change easily, nor can they. To escape the dense magical power that gushed out, they took turns soaring into the sky and took refuge near the mountain peaks. However, eggs cannot be moved easily. They made a cocoon together. Thus, a child that could be called a hatchling was born. They took turns caring for it, but dragons began to appear who were affected by the magical power. Judging that the flock would perish at this rate, the dragons tried to flee, abandoning the hatchling that didn't seem able to endure long-distance travel. However, the mother dragon who laid the egg insisted on staying until the end, and eventually, that's what happened. And it seems that when they left the mother dragon behind, they remembered the Ancient Priestess and left word to find a human who uses Light magic. It hadn't been decided where the fleeing Wyverns would settle on a new home. If the mother dragon and her hatchling survived, the only ones they could rely on would be humans who could form a friendship with dragons, like the Ancient Priestess.
In other words, there was such a strong relationship of trust between the Wyverns and the Ancient Priestess.
At that time, the Wyverns apparently caught the scent of the Black Dragon Child on me.
They remembered the mother dragon they had left behind to protect that child. That's probably why they opened their hearts so easily when I showed them my Firefly. The Wyverns were waiting for a human who uses Light magic to come and inform them of the safety of the dragon child who had been contaminated by dense magical power.
I understood the reason why that child, who wouldn't stick to anyone else including the spirits, would climb onto my lap and cling to me so much. Whether that was the mother dragon's teaching or something instinctive, I don't know.
When I heard the story, I reflexively tried to sniff my own body's scent, but I was just laughed at by Dune and Mel.
"It seems one of the Priestesses was in what is now Sertoria. That Priestess became friends with the dragons and apparently had banquets with them."
"Renata was left out of the banquets, then."
"Yeah. Basically, the dragons seem to have maintained neutrality in the war between the Demon Lord's army and humans. Besides, the Priestess? It seems humans also thought they shouldn't enter the Dryad's Forest carelessly. That's why the Wyverns didn't go to the other side of the mountain."
Renata's forest is on the north side of the mountain in the Northeastern Forest. The Wyverns' nest apparently faced southwest. However, since the north and east of the mountain are close to the sea, it's not forest as far as the eye can see. The Wyverns likely wanted to be active mainly in the west.
As for the Priestess, since there were Elves to the east and Dryads to the north, it must have been better to have the Wyverns keeping an eye on the west and south, which would be the territory of monsters. Until the outflow of dense magical power began, they apparently lived in peace.
The reason the Elves were left out of the banquets is something I can somehow understand, since we leave them out too.
"They're saying they'd like to take in the Black Dragon Child if possible."
"But that depends on that child. He needs to study common sense a bit more."
According to Mel and Dune, they don't know what would happen if such a powerful three-year-old... actually five thousand years old... was thrown into a flock and worshipped by his kin. On the other hand, as long as he's in the Northeastern Forest, they probably think they can keep him in check because they themselves frequently show their faces and keep an eye on him.
"If it's okay with Jeanne, I think it would be better to discipline him a bit more first."
Since the two Great Spirits are saying the same thing, I don't think my intentions matter much.
In the end, it was decided to tell the child himself and let him decide. The Wyverns also seemed relieved to hear that he was spending time with spirits so that neutrality could be maintained. Perhaps it would be okay to bring him here sometime soon.
Separately from that, I tried talking to the siblings about what I had been thinking while I was tied to the shutter in the cave altar.
"In other words, the Wyverns and humans will hunt together?"
"Yes. Wyverns like sake and wild boars. So, we'll have the Wyverns lure the wild boars into traps, and the humans will finish them off. We'll carry that meat and sake to the altar."
Wild boars aside, only humans can make sake. It seems they do it three times a year now, but if it's a reasonable amount, maybe they could do it once every two weeks.
"I agree, but I think it would require the cooperation and understanding of the hunters and villagers, and above all, the consent of the Wyverns."
Well, that's true. However.
"As for the human side, wouldn't forced labor be fine for the beginning?"
I looked at the bound priest faction.
"I see. You've thought about it."
(Isn't it good, Brother? Let's talk to everyone.)
I immediately spoke to Gwyn-sama.
"Hmm. Hunting with Wyverns as forced labor. Not bad. Actually, of the three villages on this island, there's a possibility that one entire village was involved in Jeanne's kidnapping. Of course, they weren't directly involved, and only a handful of people grasp the full scope of the incident. However, even if they didn't know everything, the whole village was helping with various tasks, and there were signs they had a vague inkling."
It's likely the village where the priest serves as the church head.
The village furthest north on the island... in other words, the one closest to the forest. There should be many people who make a living by hunting. Many hunters are devout. There are likely many who revere spirits and Wyverns.
It seems that if a strict investigation were conducted, there would be too many people involved, and they might have trouble dealing with it.
"Is the priest's death penalty certain?"
"Yeah, because he's the ringleader. I can't forgive him. Also, the guy who first sent Jeanne flying with Teleport. He was the planner of the kidnapping, and he apparently actively encouraged the priest to kill Jeanne, who holds the title of Dragon Killer. He's different from a mere collaborator. He's just a fanatic."
The apprentice priest who suggested the seal-watching insisted on the immediate killing of the Dragon Killer, who would likely use powerful magic. And in response to that, the priest rejected it, saying an interview should be conducted before performing the Ritual of Purification, which resulted in that strange trial. The strictly upright priest tried to create a semblance of form, at least. I should say thanks to that, I ended up being rescued. When comparing the charges, it's a delicate area, but I have no choice but to leave that judgment to them.
I heard from the older brother later that the priest apparently didn't look kindly on making me, who uses Anti-Sepsis and Thought Communication, into an offering. However, he always strictly argued for what was right. He was hit with that 'right' argument by the fanatic—the right argument of protecting the Wyverns no matter what—and apparently couldn't counter it.
Having received Gwyn-sama's approval, I asked Dune and Mel to ask the Wyverns.
Since they would be able to drink sake while eating wild boar meat once every two weeks, they seemed keen.
"They like wild boars, but they say they can't catch many."
According to Mel, the Wyverns are having their own difficulties.
"Are there few in number?"
"Actually, it seems there are plenty. However, they're in the steep parts of the mountains. Look, Wyverns have large bodies, right? And the mountains on this island have steep valleys. Unlike a flat forest, even if they try to catch a wild boar, if it escapes into a valley, they'll hit the mountain slope, so it's difficult to catch them. Usually, they fly down to lower elevations to hunt, but it seems there are few in number there. So, they're saying it should be easier to catch them if humans, who are more maneuverable, cooperate in the mountains."
I heard something good. If we consult with the captured villagers, it might be okay.
I asked five villagers who had been active as part of the priest's faction.
"C-can we hunt together with the Wyverns?"
They bit. They're fans who are so over-enthusiastic they'd dip their hands into crime to protect the Wyverns. They must have yearned for it after hearing stories of the Water Dragon.
"However, since it's treated as forced labor, there will be no profit for you all until your sentence is over."
"That's fine. Please let us do it. But how on earth do we do it? I can't talk to Wyverns."
That's the problem.