Chapter 583 - Fifth Story: Third Investigation of the Secret Tome at the Mine Ruins
It's now late September. It's already completely autumn.
The Dragonewt Village, far from human habitation, is covered in a gradient turning into autumn colors. Occasionally, vivid reds and yellows act as accents and catch the eye.
After the investigation at the Regnentes mine ruins ended, the beastmen invited us to a banquet. It's the autumn of harvest. They apparently earned quite a bit. Since Lyudmila and Flora also participated this time to prepare for wintering, it was just right. We also called out the Four Great Spirits, and it became a grand banquet. By the way, Glory is being looked after by the triplets, Sianya, and Keira. I begged the bees that collected a lot of nectar in the summer and had them share a little honey. There should be enough for Glory to drink diluted.
The beastmen had apparently also called out to the 'disgraced prince' Sawein-sama, and he participated along with the scout unit of three led by Godwynn-sama.
At the banquet here, I am surrounded by the beastmen who were with me when we broke through the Gnome's cave and the cave of the secret book. Now the Wildcat Sister is next to me. However, for some reason, only the Otters come to greet me in turns, perhaps on a rotation system. This time, a young couple gave me not only crabs as a contribution to the banquet, but also two dried magic-mutated trout as a first-time souvenir.
The hole with the newly discovered crabs from before is apparently being used as a ranch as it is, and it became a good earner for the Otters.
"Bishop Jeanne-sama. Thank you for everything."
The young Otter couple is quite polite. I'd like a certain prince to follow their example.
"Jeanne is fine. Besides, I'm the one who should be thanking you. This is the third time, but every time the investigation ends, you invite me to a banquet like this, and I always receive contributions and souvenirs from the Otters. Thank you very much."
The Otters were curt when we first met, but recently they participate in the banquet in turns and greet me. Since there shouldn't be many households, I might have met everyone after one round.
"I've heard that Bishop Jeanne usually makes a living as a monster exterminator."
I don't mind being called without honorifics, but he added 'Bishop'. It's better than '-sama'.
"Yes. I do it as my livelihood."
"To humans, we beastmen are also monsters, right? So, why are you so kind to us?"
I don't recall being particularly kind to the Otters, but...
"Um, it's because coexistence and co-prosperity are the teachings of the Goddess."
"But, Bishop Jeanne, you aren't gaining anything, are you?"
"I'm being invited to banquets like this, and I received souvenirs."
"Is that enough?"
"Everyone is being friendly, and that's enough."
Making money isn't the only thing that is coexistence and co-prosperity. It's fine if everyone is friendly and can spend time together. What's important is helping each other when in trouble.
Here, I remembered something. The contents of the secret book kept at the Silver Mine ruins and the talk I had with Price-sama and the others after the second investigation. For the second time, we searched the table of contents and investigated the Demon Lord, Demon Race, humans, and beastmen first.
The secret book discovered at the Regnentes mine ruins had characteristics of various monsters described. Among them, the Demon Race, beastmen, and humans were also written about. In other words, in the classification of the secret book, humans are included among monsters.
I didn't notice during the first investigation. At the time of the second investigation, I noticed when Price-sama pointed it out. Price-sama apparently noticed during the first time, but humans fight and kill each other. In a sense, he also thought it wouldn't be strange if their strength and weaknesses were specially described as targets of battle. However, when he actually read the description regarding humans, the content was treated completely on par with other monsters, so he apparently felt certain.
Basically, monsters are existences that have undergone transformation due to mana.
In the legends remaining in the Dragonewt Village, a long time ago, an event that could be called a great disaster occurred where most of the living things in this world were lost. Those who survived at that time are the living things that are the source of those living today, and are existences that can be called ancestors. In the case of Dragonewts, dragons are the ancestors, and from there Amphipteres branched off, and finally, the current Dragonewts appeared, according to legend. In the case of beastmen, they are said to be existences that branched off from the same ancestors as the animals and magic beasts living now. And, humans are said to have developed high intelligence from a lineage that split off from among those, and as a result of developing science... which was likely just things like lighting fires in ancient times... rather than physical strength or mana, they built a highly advanced society. In other words, beastmen and humans have the same origin. In addition, in the human-side tradition, it is said that the Goddess felt pity for them being such weak existences compared to others and specially granted them holy magic.
According to Price-sama, in human society, it's not just that the strong in a combat sense simply survive; there are parts that grew larger by helping each other and living together, with the strong rescuing the weak. Of course, not everyone must have helped the weak. They were likely a minority if anything. Gradually, such movements spread, centered on church organizations. It's likely the result of living as if nestling together because they are individually weak. And, the weak repeated ingenuity and created various things to support the strong. Of course, the Demon Race and beastmen must also have such parts. However, the tendency is likely greater in the order of humans, beastmen, and then the Demon Race. Surely in order of weakness. As a result, in order of weakness, they create large groups of individuals such as settlements, villages, towns, and by extension, countries. Conversely, for the Demon Race and beastmen who are individually strong, the sense of nestling together daily with those other than those with deep relationships such as blood relatives might be thin compared to humans. Of course, it's not a matter of good or bad. They have their own characteristics. It's just a difference between each other.
"If I'm friendly with everyone like this, we don't have to be needlessly wary of each other, and the talk of trade is smooth, isn't it?"
If the other party were human, I might say something like, "If we can become friends and be friendly, it's fun, isn't it?"
"I see. That's certainly true. Until now, I've even been on reconnaissance duty at the river on the boundary line because it would be terrible if humans invaded. Since it's long, it was hard. But now, we meet often at the trading post, and they apparently always call out to the Fox in advance when crossing the river. Besides, even if they are in the village, if they are acquaintances, there's no problem."
"Right. Because having to be wary of people living in the neighborhood is really hard."
He agreed greatly.
Come to think of it, even humans are doing nothing but wars on a country scale. In short, it's likely just a difference in the number within the group. The essence is the same.
After that, it became small talk. The wife of the young couple apparently married in from a neighboring settlement. Even if it's neighboring, one must cross several mountains. It's surely the place the first King visited. When I said that, she said "That's right."
"I believe he was a person who came from the same Sertoria as Bishop Jeanne-sama. I was not yet an adult, so I could not even greet him, but he was a mysterious person even seeing him from a distance. Despite being human, he was strangely familiar with the adults of the settlement..."
The first King might be someone like a monster of communication. He isn't viewed as dangerous wherever he goes. However, unfortunately, he was unable to break through the Gnome's cave. It could be said he only succeeded in contacting the beastmen and made it known that the legendary light magic is still passed down.
"Somehow, the atmosphere is similar to Bishop Jeanne-sama."
I was told the same thing by Alex before. Moreover, it was at the first meeting. To be honest, I don't know where or how. However, it's certain that I'm striving to fit into the place, so it might be that.
Since she said she doesn't remember the first King well, I asked about the wife's settlement.
"My parents' home is further deep in the mountains, and there is a settlement by the river connected to a lake surrounded by mountains. It's as if every race is like an Otter."
There are no horses, and instead, there are many Otters. It seems the races are divided by terrain. Horses are many when there are grasslands, and Otters are many when rivers or lakes are close. It's the same as normal animals.
"Is there a lake too? Then, the fish must be big, right?"
If the water depth is deep, the magic-mutated ones become large. The lake where the Water Dragon is is extremely deep, so there are also super-large ones that exceed a human's height. Now we only have a trade agreement with this village, but the disgraced prince is also thinking about trade with other settlements. If they can be put on sale in the future, they'll fetch a high price.
"That is, they are too big. Even with everyone working together, we can barely catch two. Besides, people get injured. We are more on the side of swimming in shallow places, so we only fish in deep places about once or twice before winter."
They catch them by underwater wrestling. I see. They aren't floating ships and setting nets to pull them up like in Finis. However, in Finis, the Water Dragon is driving the large ones into the nets he set. There are likely such differences too. If a human dove, the fish might attack.
"However, Bishop Jeanne, you know various things well. I heard from my father and mother that making the trout magic-mutate in a preserve was also Bishop Jeanne's proposal."
"Because I have various acquaintances."
"Have you fished in a lake too?"
I explain how it is, blurring the place names and such.
"If you can become friends, you can also do such things together."
"I-I see."
His face is twitching a bit. The impact of the dragon was apparently strong.
The one who bit at the fishing being done with the Water Dragon was the young wife. It's likely because it's related to her parents' home.
"Could we do it too? Can we buy a ship?"
It shouldn't be impossible to buy one. They can just go up the river together with the ships that come to the trading post.
When I look at the Wolf Man, he is tilting his head.
"Even if we bought it, how would we carry it to the lake?"
He's stuck suddenly, but it's easy. We can just hang it with a medium-sized bowl. If the Horse Man is there, it can be done.
"A ship, huh. I'll ask."
The Wolf Man went to where the disgraced prince was. There is the Henry Party, who does pick-ups and drop-offs with the bowls. They talked for two or three words, but the disgraced prince came over here along with Godwynn-sama.
"Bishop Jeanne, are you planning to fish using a ship?"
There's no way I'm doing it. I'm teaching the Otters.
I explain how it is.
It's a wide flat-bottomed boat with a water tank to keep the caught fish in. If it were humans, ten or more grown men would line up on one side to pull up the net, so it would be of a corresponding size. Two of those. Also, a sturdy and large net made of something like rope would be necessary.
"Are the trout in the lake large enough that the difference is clearly visible?"
According to the young Otter wife's answer, compared to the disgraced prince, who is a normal size for a human, ones that are one head shorter are common. Large ones exceed the prince, but they are apparently few in number. I don't know how deep the lake is, but it's likely deep enough.
"Why don't we go explore once? If we make the bowl into a spherical shape, go inside and dive into the lake, and illuminate it with Light, you can see the actual swimming ones live."
These words seemed to work. He replied immediately that he would go.
I asked Eleanor-sama and had her fly the medium-sized bowl. Those riding were a total of thirteen people: from the Henry Party, Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, and Wilson-san; plus Phillips-sama, Sianya, Lyudmila holding Flora's basket, the young Otter couple, the young couple's father, the Elder, the Horse Man, and me. If the Regnentes side rode, it would exceed the capacity. I had Sawein-sama follow in another bowl along with Godwynn-sama and the three scouts.
Even if it's crossing several mountains, it's quick with the bowl. Flying over the mountains as if following the river, after crossing one waterfall, a lake that looked like water had pooled in a space suddenly opened in a valley came into view. The shore was forest as it was, and there were no plains. The settlement was apparently on both sides of the river flowing in on the opposite shore. We flew over the lake just like that and landed on a narrow shore at the river mouth.
Beastmen have been going back and forth with each other since long ago. Recently, it seems the Horse Man has been flying around various settlements in the bowl he operates, and beastmen from other settlements have also been showing their faces at the trading post. Full-scale interaction with humans is apparently a bit later, but that's when humans frequently visit the settlements; there's likely no problem with beastmen coming to the trading post.
While making one round over the settlement, the Elder and the Horse Man showed their faces and called out. Thanks to that, at the time of landing, quite a number of beastmen had gathered.
The beastmen temporarily gathered around Sawein-sama. The prince had apparently shown his face not only in the settlement in the Silver Mine area, but in all the settlements. Sawein-sama also seems to be more at ease with the beastmen, who do not have fine etiquette as a habit, and they are calling out to each other in a friendly way. If only he could do that between humans, there would be nothing more to say. However, honorifics are dropped, and they say things to each other without mercy, so as a prince, I wonder about that.
After that, we dove deep into the water in a sphere with Fireflies attached to the outside, and had them actually see the large trout in the deep places. The depth of the lake itself is not as deep as the lake where the Water Dragon is, but it was no problem for the trout to become larger than a pool, and we were able to see magnificent ones swimming, although their numbers were certainly few. As a result of having Dune examine it, she reached the conclusion that if it's up to about five fish once a month, they won't decrease. However, it's better to keep the maximum-sized ones to one. Otherwise, the ecosystem would likely change.
Prince Sawein was watching as if sticking to the sphere. It seems it was the first time he saw a scene deep underwater, and while listening to the Otters' explanation, he was frolicking like a child along with the beastmen, pointing and shouting everywhere, enjoying himself without hiding his excitement.
Having them actually see the live appearance of the giant trout had a great effect, and Sawein-sama promised to order two ships and two large nets actually used when fishing with the Water Dragon by inquiring with Finis. The fee was to be paid by taking one-third of the harvest for the time being, and once fully repaid, they would become the beastmen's property. Also, repairs and new construction were to be done by the human side. The payment in that case is, of course, the same.
Since it's a drive-in fishery, the Otters have no choice but to work hard to drive them into the net. Regarding that point, it was decided they would chase them while brandishing harpoons made of silver-white, which monsters fear. Humans would make the harpoon tips for the ones in charge of driving, and they would be paid for with the money from selling the harvest. The Otters will suddenly shoulder a debt, but regarding that point, Sawein-sama said there was no problem.
"I am managing all the products obtained through trade with the beastmen settlements. And, they are all being exported toward the mainland where they can be sold at high prices. Five or six silver-white harpoon tips should be recoverable immediately."
The Otters are overjoyed. When those Otters said they would divide the reward by a simple head count even for the beastmen of other races who helped with the pulling-up work and other related tasks, the whole settlement was in an uproar. It's better to have strong Bears, Boars, and Wolves than just small Otters. Dexterous Foxes and Deer are also better at repairing nets and processing fish. This will likely enrich the whole settlement.
"Bishop Jeanne, you seem to think about other races more than I thought. Peace with the beastmen is something my father and uncle also wished for our country. Including such meanings, I will say thanks for this matter for now."
Without bowing, he said it in a tone as if spitting it out with an expressionless face, and went toward the beastmen. His face was a bit red.