kscans

Chapter 282 - The Three Skinheads and the Neighboring Okita Village

Famu led us down a mountain path that was little more than a beast trail, and soon, a wooden watchtower came into view. Atop it, two dog-eared men with shaved heads stood guard. They seemed to have noticed our approach and were reaching for their bows.

Their muscular bodies were adorned with shoulder pads, from which countless iron spikes protruded. The studs glinted in the sunlight.

Perhaps the surrounding villages had hired mercenaries after Famu's was attacked. The way they glared down at us with hard eyes suggested they weren't exactly high-born.

Famu turned back to us. Seeing that we had stopped in our tracks before the intimidating guards, she tilted her head in confusion.

"What are you stopping for? Let's hurry to the village."

She took Marmi's hand, who was closest, and gave a pull.

"...N-no! I'm not going!"

Marmi dug in her heels, resisting.

"Why not?"

"...Those men look like they want to kill us. I'm just going to hit them with a lightning bolt!"

"Don't be ridiculous. They may be crude, violent, and barbaric, but they're nicer people than you, Master."

Famu tried to drag the struggling Marmi along.

"Hey, what's that about them being nicer than me?!"

Hearing my protest, Famu let go of Marmi's hand and spun around to face me. Suddenly released, Marmi stumbled backward and fell on her backside.

"When Sameim and I visited this settlement, these men treated us to spare ribs!"

"How does that automatically make them nicer than me?!"

"They don't have lewd, ulterior motives like you do, Master!"

"Ugh... Fine. If you know them, I guess it's okay. So, what are their names?"

I wasn't convinced, but starting a fight in front of the guards seemed like a bad idea, so I calmed myself down. On the one hand, I was relieved, but on the other, I was realizing that Famu has a tendency to be swayed by food. I thought I was the only one she did that with, but apparently not. I'd have to warn her not to go trotting off after anyone who offers her a meal. It also occurred to me that if Famu's own village had guards with such menacing faces, it might never have been attacked in the first place.

"Um, well..."

Famu averted her gaze.

"You don't remember the names of the people who treated you to a meal?"

"They have an older brother, and his name is Erne!"

"Knowing their brother's name doesn't help! How could you not know?"

"I think... it's Mr. Hyahha."

What a strange name. What kind of parent would name their child that? Or maybe it was a common name among the dog-eared race. As I pondered this, I noticed Mizuki, Myra, Marmi, and Nephi all wrinkling their brows.

"Which one is Hyahha, and what's the other one's name?"

"The other one is also Mr. Hyahha."

"..."

Seeing Famu's complete lack of tension made me think it was probably fine, but I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Just then, Famu helped the still-seated Marmi to her feet and began pulling her toward the village again. Marmi seemed to have resigned herself to her fate.

We followed behind the two of them as they trudged along.

As we drew closer, the skinheaded men descended from the watchtower. I'd thought they looked similar from a distance, but up close, they were practically identical. They brandished clubs studded with countless headless nails.

"Hyaaaaah-ha-ha-ha! Welcome, welcome!"

"...Eek!"

Marmi flinched and tried to flee, but Famu had a firm grip on her hand, so she could only turn her back to the men, her face pale. One of the skinheads grabbed her by the collar and turned her around to face him.

"Huh? Ain't you the horny little brat...?"

The man's words made Famu lower her eyes.

"Sameim is in the city of Miglutt. Right now, she can't bring herself to be brave, even if she wants to."

"Well, as long as she's safe, that's all that matters. If she's in the city, we'll go see her ourselves."

In response to Famu's somber words, the man twisted his mouth into what might have been a forced smile and replied nonchalantly. His appearance was that of a textbook villain, but perhaps Famu's assessment was correct—they might actually be good people.

At that moment, Marmi's leg swung back in a wide arc.

"...Hmph!"

Her full-force kick sailed directly into the man's groin.

"Ugh!"

The man let out a muffled cry that was almost a scream and crumpled to the ground. Seeing that, my own groin instinctively clenched in sympathy.

The now-free Marmi scurried over and hid behind me, but to be honest, she was the scarier one.

Nephi, who had been watching the whole thing, cast a cool gaze in our direction.

"Not much difference between Mash and that guy, is there...?"

She muttered it under her breath, and I made a silent vow to teach her a lesson for that later.

Putting that aside, I looked back at the man. The other guard was patting him on the back, trying to help. I glanced at Myra.

"Myra, could you heal him?"

"You don't have to look at me with such pity... I'll try, but will healing magic even work on a man's... you know?"

As Myra walked over to the man, another man emerged from the village, heading our way. He, too, was a skinhead. But unlike the two guards, he was distinguished by his dark skin.

"Erne!"

Famu cried out and ran to the man. They shook hands firmly. Erne walked around the two guards, ignoring them, and came straight to me.

"You must be Famu's master."

Does this village only have skinheads? Is Lily into bald guys? If so, I should have shaved my head before coming here. As these thoughts ran through my mind, I took the proffered hand. It was large, the skin hard and warm.

"Famu just calls me that on her own."

Erne shook his head slightly, a wry smile on his lips.

"It's fine. Among the dog-eared race, there are those who consider it an honor to find someone to whom they can devote their lives. But many never find a master worthy of their service. She is a judge. I trust her choice."

"A judge?"

"She can perceive matters accurately and make the correct judgments. Every dog-eared person living in this region knows that. It has been a while since I last saw Famu, but she doesn't seem to have changed."

Famu, standing beside Erne, smiled shyly. Regardless of what Erne and the other dog-eared folk thought, I had to wonder if I was really the right master for her. I was just a guy who happened to be there when she was in trouble. But even if she found another master, I knew I couldn't just let her go with a smile. I would use any means necessary to stop her, even if it meant she would come to hate me for it.

"In any case, she is a respected figure in our settlement. We welcome your visit."

I responded to Erne's words with a vague smile. Just then, Mizuki nudged my arm with her elbow.

"This isn't really the time to be so carefree, is it?"

"You're right!"

My reply seemed to snap Famu back to reality as well, and she looked up.

"Erne-san, please let me see the village chief. I have to tell him what just happened in my village!"

Just as Famu shouted, the very ground seemed to warp, and a violent tremor rocked the village. We crouched down, bracing ourselves against the shaking, as the ear-splitting sound of splintering wood echoed loudly.

I shifted my gaze toward the sound and saw the watchtower, already leaning precariously and about to collapse. And beneath it was Nephi.

"Nephi, above you!"

My shout didn't seem to reach her. She just stood there bewildered, her trembling eyes darting around, oblivious to the danger overhead. She seemed to have no experience with earthquakes, just pure confusion.

I broke into a run toward her, but the heaving ground stole my footing, and I couldn't make any progress. It was as if I were stuck in a swamp; my body wouldn't move as I wanted. At this rate, I wouldn't make it.

"The tower's falling! Get out of there!"

My words finally registered, and Nephi looked up at the shadow bearing down on her. The tower, which had been tilting slowly, was now accelerating as it fell. She could only stare at it, frozen.

Just then, a dazzling bolt of lightning shot out from behind me and exploded against the tower. The impact momentarily halted its fall. Marmi's lightning magic. The scent of ozone filled my nostrils, and a wave of heat washed over my back.

Taking that as my cue, I sprinted forward, tackled Nephi, and scrambled out from under the tower. An instant later, it crashed to the ground with a deafening roar. I shielded her with my body, gritting my teeth against the pain of raining debris.

Nephi, pinned beneath me, stared up at me with wide eyes.

"Why? Why did you save me?"

"Well, of course I'd save you, wouldn't I?"

"That was close. One wrong step and you would have been caught in it too. Levante is a party centered around you, Mash. The other party members should be the ones moving to protect you."

I tried to push myself up, but my hand landed on her chest. Since I was already in position, I decided to give it a squeeze. She let out a soft, breathy gasp but didn't resist.

I had been about to answer her question, but the soft feeling of her chest drove it right out of my mind. So, I decided to just keep groping her until I remembered. There was no sign of resistance. No anger, no rejection. Just a faint blush on her cheeks. To me, that was the stranger part. Was she used to this sort of thing?

As my fingertips traced their way toward the bud, I was struck from behind. Mizuki grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Are you an idiot? In a village you've just arrived in, no less."

She glared at me, then her eyes darted around awkwardly. She seemed more concerned with our surroundings than with me.

The earthquake had stopped at some point. The rumbling had ceased, and the violent shaking from moments before felt like a lie. Following Mizuki's gaze toward the village, I saw that many villagers were now outside. They had been hiding in their homes, wary of us, but the earthquake had driven them out. Some were checking for damage to their houses, while others stared at us with curiosity.

Every one of them had dog ears and a tail, just like Famu.

Should I say something to greet them? I helped Nephi to her feet and glanced at Famu, only to find her staring past me, her mouth agape. I realized several other villagers were doing the same, standing frozen as they stared at something behind me.

I turned around. Beyond the mountains that encircled the village stood a giant. It was so colossal that it towered over the peaks. It was cloaked in something like a black miasma, making it seem as intangible as a mirage.

"Wh..."

I heard someone gulp, but it might have been me.