kscans

CHAPTER 6 FYUZARION – Episode 3 Bracelet of Yana

1

Being alive is wonderful, Bard thought from the bottom of his heart. The Goriora Empire, compared to Parzam and Gaineria, is abundant with greenery. No, it’s not just green, it’s more of a deep blue. The leaves of the trees that stretch straight up to the sky and the lush grass in between all have a soft bluish-green color. The water is also plentiful. Stepping into the primeval forest, the sunlight is gently filtered, and the scenery is like a painting.

After parting ways with the bridal procession near the spring close to Cobushi Castle, Bard and his companions headed towards the forest. They didn’t stop in many towns, instead opting to camp in the wilderness and only occasionally staying in villages. Although they had to pass through some towns, the medallion they received from Marquis Fafarlen served as a formidable pass. They were allowed entry through the gates wherever they went.

They weren’t in a hurry, but the three of them naturally moved at a swift pace. The swiftness with which they obtained birds, animals, and fruits was unmatched by any knight accustomed to camping. Their skill in preparing and cooking the food they obtained was truly masterful. They effortlessly coordinated their actions without any prior discussion.

Delicious. How can a simple grilled fish sprinkled with salt taste this good? The smoke from the grilling oil is strangely pleasant. The grilled sake is also undeniably delicious. The fragrance of the blowing wind. The soothing sound of the stream.

Ah, this is what a journey is. Riding in a splendid carriage and staying in a knight’s mansion at night is not a journey; it’s just transportation. This is what a journey truly is.

However, Bard thought. However, food is a strange thing. Take this Bantz fish, for example. It’s an ordinary fish found in any river. Humans eat it after grilling it. By doing so, humans can nourish their bodies. What a mysterious thing. It would make more sense if it were pork or lamb. Their meat is closer to that of humans. But even when you cut open a Bantz fish and look at its grilled meat, it bears no resemblance to that of a human. Eating only Bantz fish doesn’t make one’s face resemble a Bantz fish. No, no. Bantz fish are still on the better side. For example, these Shirsh leaves. They are a vegetable that grows wild in the mountains, but the Shirsh in the Goriora forest is thin and tender, and incredibly delicious. It’s hard to understand how eating these Shirsh leaves can nourish a human body. There are no green parts like this in the human body. There are no such soft parts. If we were to forcibly find a similar part, it would be the hair and beard, but there are no stories of someone eating only vegetables and their hair and beard growing excessively. In fact, in poor households in the frontier, people live by eating only Pod potatoes and round leeks. Yet, they don’t waste away and die. It’s strange. But one thing is clear. If humans don’t eat, they gradually waste away and die. In other words, humans can be said to be made of food. There are countless types of things in this world that humans can eat. There may even be unknown foods waiting to be discovered by humans. Being able to choose what you like, obtain it, cook it, and eat it is such a happy thing! Bard closed his eyes and instinctively clasped his hands tightly together, offering a prayer of gratitude to the gods for the meal in front of him.

Since then, Bard began to close his eyes and pray before meals. Karz and Jurchaga also started doing the same.

2

And now, Bard is in front of the Queen of Manuno. It’s strange that Jurchaga, in particular, remains calm. What kind of experiences has this man had?

“Human Bardoroen,”
“It’s strange,”
“I can feel your affection for me.”

Of course. Bard couldn’t dislike the Queen of Manuno, who had saved him from such a predicament and allowed him to have an enjoyable journey. This murky lake, the lush branches and vines, the giant Yambagalpa tree, everything is dear to him. Moreover, the Queen of Manuno, if you only look at her upper body, is nothing less than a divine beauty. Bard feels like he wants to approach her and embrace her.

“Even the humans who came with you,”
“I don’t fear or hate them,”
“They are unusual humans,”
“I see,”
“I understand why the sword housing the great spirit recognized you.”

There are not many humans who wouldn’t feel fear upon seeing the Queen of Manuno. Moreover, it’s rare to find a human who can remain calm upon seeing the Queen embraced by the depths of the forest in Yambagalpa. Suddenly, Bard noticed that a Manuno was approaching. She extended a long tongue from her mouth. At the tip of her tongue was something. It was presented in front of Bard. It was a bracelet. It was a very old-fashioned bracelet with intricate patterns carved into it. However, the patterns seemed somewhat familiar. Later, Bard realized that it resembled the patterns carved on the hilt of an ancient sword.

“I entrust this to you.”

Following the Queen’s words, Bard took the bracelet. When the Queen of Manuno released the bracelet, her tongue briefly licked Bard’s finger. It sent shivers down his spine, half disgust and half a strange pleasure.

“It’s a treasure called Bracelet of Yana,”
“It was made by a great human king,”
“Humans fought over it,”
“So we were entrusted with it.”

What could the fighting be about? Is there some kind of power imbued in this bracelet?

“Wearing that bracelet will strengthen and stabilize your heart,”
“It can prevent any attempt to manipulate your mind,”
“However, only humans can wear this bracelet to gain its effects.”

The Queen said something astonishing. Then, she said something unexpected.

“You have caught the eye of the King of Evil Spirit,” (t/n: 悪霊の王 -> Akuryou no Ou, King of Evil Spirit / a bit different from Maou 魔王 demon king)
“There is no way to fight him,”
“But with Bracelet of Yana, you can avoid being controlled.”

“Who is the King of Evil Spirit? Could it be the one who said, ‘I’ve found you’?” Bard asked.

“That’s right,”

“What kind of being is it, where is it, and what is it after?”

“It is a vile, abominable, and deranged being,”
“But it does not die, it does not weaken, and it possesses immense power,”
“It is in a place other than this land,”
“It desires the sword housing the great spirit,”
“The reason is unknown.”

“Do you know a human named Lugurgoa Geskas?”

“I have not met him, but I know of him,”
“He is a minion of the King of Evil Spirit,”
“Since the King of Evil Spirit cannot come to this world on his own,”
“He creates minions,”
“The despicable lizards are such,”
“And the human Lugurgoa Geskas is one of them.”

“What are these lizards?”

“Torii (トーリ->humans) call them Nada Torii (ナーダ・トーリ->Dragonoid),”
(t/n: the term used is 竜人 ryu+hito. if you see the kanji used, it depict the western dragon, which if you squint your eyes, 竜 will seems like a silhoutte of Charizard. not the 龍 which is commonly chinese dragon which is snake-shaped, like in Dragon Ball. just kidding. the 竜 is the kanji that is normally used to say ‘RYU’)

Nada Torii (Dragonoid)! Do such creatures truly exist? Bard thought they were creatures from fairy tales, but it seems they actually exist. Giant lizard monsters with a human-like appearance. They have a sturdy body like a rock, are ferocious and brutal, and live a long life. It is said that no subhuman or human could match the Dragonoid. The Dragonoid were not only the rulers of the land. They freely controlled flying dragons and roamed the skies. But one day, they perished. Their actions incurred the wrath of the heavenly god Corama, and their country vanished overnight. The “Wazaka Hollow” to the west of the Mercano Temple Autonomous Region is said to be the remains of the Dragonoid’s capital, Majnubec. Bard had thought it was just a fairy tale, but it seems that wasn’t the case. The Dragonoid did exist. Moreover, it seems they are still alive and active.

That’s right. Come to think of it, the Queen said that the lizards took away the stones, so they can no longer create demonic beasts. Can they create demonic beasts? What are these stones?

“The stones are just stones,”
“They brought in large quantities of them,”
“And made demonic beasts,”
“They manipulated my heart.”

“Manipulating the heart of the Queen of Manuno! Is that even possible?”

“One of them that came here,”
“Was an especially powerful one,”
“It was not an ordinary lizard,”
“It might be able to manipulate the hearts of many humans,”
“Human Bardoroen,”
“You must not part with Bracelet of Yana,”
“Since the sword has awakened,”
“I can tell where you are,”
“And so can the King of Evil Spirit,”
“You must not part with Bracelet of Yana.”

3

The meeting ended abruptly. The Queen sank into the lake. Bard still had things he wanted to discuss, so he called out, but there was no response.

“Human beings,”
“Leave this place immediately,”
“If the Queen resurface,”
“You will die.”

A voice echoed in Bard’s mind. It felt as if not just one Manuno, but many Manunos were speaking to him simultaneously. Bard wanted to ask something.

“The Queen’s breath,”
“Drives humans mad and kills them,”
“She was suppressing the poison to talk to you,”
“The poison has now spread through the Queen’s body,”
“Leave here immediately,”

“So, is it okay to move forward instead of retreating? This is the deepest part of the forest, so perhaps the sacred mountain Fyuza is just beyond.”

“Here is already Fyuza.”
“But even if you proceed further,”
“You can only go to the Wind Hole.”
“You can’t go up or sideways.”
“You are not ready to enter the Wind Hole yet.”
“So turn back.”
“Quickly.”

4

Reluctantly, Bard and the others hurriedly left the place. It was only after they had left that they realized they had forgotten to ask about the Patarapoza calendar. There were many other things they wanted to ask, but it seemed unlikely they would be welcomed back now. Bard had originally been traveling with the intention of reaching the sacred mountain Fyuza, and since they had come so close, there was no way they could silently turn back. Besides, at this point, there was nowhere else to go.

They had no intention of returning to Parzam. They had wanted to see the face of King Wendelland and had things they wanted to say, but there was nothing they could do if he was already dead. They had seen enough of the state of Parzam and the capital. They had witnessed the splendid kingship and growth of Julelan. It was a prosperous country with many talented individuals. Under Julelan’s rule, it would only continue to prosper. Someday, if Julelan had a child, Bard felt like he would want to see them. However, if they were to return immediately, they might be taken back to the Goriora Empire.

With these thoughts in mind, they headed east. For some reason, Bard felt an intense desire to climb Fyuza. After a while, the large trees became scarce, replaced by strange, indistinguishable plants and grasses of various kinds. A green, giant snake-like plant protruded from the ground, standing upright and swaying towards the sky. It had no leaves, but its tip was swollen and had a poisonous green color. It was easily five times the height of a person. Other peculiar-shaped plants were also sprouting. The ground was moist, making it difficult to progress through the overgrown grass.

At that moment, Jurchaga, who had been leading the way, turned back and said they couldn’t proceed. The ground was gradually turning into a swamp, and the further they went, the deeper they sank. If they went another five hundred steps, both them and the horses would be swallowed up, and there would be no way to return alive. That’s what Jurchaga said.

So, they had no choice but to head south. After descending south for about three days, they noticed a large river to the west. They decided to advance towards it with their horses.

It was the Ova River. The Great Ova River, which flowed from Fyuza, nourished the earth, and was said to flow into the underworld. The Great Ova River was right before them, to the west.

This meant that they had unknowingly crossed the Ova. During their journey from Parzam to Goriora, Bard and the others had been far to the west of the Ova. They had not crossed the Ova until they reached the the Queen of Manuno’s domain. However, now they found themselves on the east side of the Ova.

What could this mean? Perhaps the source of the Ova did not flow down from Fyuza’s mountainside in the way they had thought. The water stored underground might seep from the foothills, gathering to form the river. It might even be connected to the the Queen of Manuno’s lake. It was hard to believe that such a vast amount of water originated from the earth, but it was indeed the truth. It could be said that the abundance of water in the Central Plains and the frontier was all thanks to the Ova. The Ova was not originally a river. It was born from the sea of forest, the territory of Manuno, the bottomless swamps that swallowed people, and various other things. Humans might be sustained by being connected to various things they thought were unrelated.

5

They continued south along the marsh for another three days. While they intended to climb Fyuza, they were gradually moving further away from it. Bard suddenly felt as if Fyuza was telling him not to come any closer. They eventually emerged from the forest, and finally found the end of the marsh. Then, the whole picture came into view. It was more accurate to call it a vast wetland rather than a marsh. The great wetland was said to be located to the west of the forest, but there was also one on the east side.

And there it was, the majestic presence of the sacred mountain Fyuza. Its overwhelming presence covered the entire field of vision. The vast forest was nothing but a tiny green patch in the eyes of Fyuza. How many people had actually laid eyes on such a magnificent Fyuza? Just looking at it seemed to steal one’s soul. That day, they made preparations for camping early and gazed at Fyuza to their heart’s content.

The next day, as a precaution, they decided to head southeast for half a day and then head north towards Fyuza. It was a moonless night, but even as the sun set, the heat from Fyuza’s mountainside glowed faintly in the darkness. While gazing at the scenery, Bard remembered something important.

He had separated the lovers who cared for each other. Overwhelmed with joy at not having to go to the imperial capital, he had completely forgotten about Karz and Doriatessa. He had to do something about it. By separating them like this, they would never have the chance to confess their feelings to each other. What should he do? Once they found a place to settle down, he could send Karz to the imperial capital with an excuse. Since he had been there before, it should be fine this time as well. He might end up cutting down a statue if he saw one, but that was fine. If there was something he didn’t like, Karz could cut it down. Anyway, Bard wanted Karz to be happy with Doriatessa, something he couldn’t achieve himself.

6

All three of them woke up early in the morning. They quickly finished their meal and set off. Just as they were considering turning their course northward, Bard’s eyes caught something. For a moment, he couldn’t comprehend what it was. As his brain gradually accepted the true nature of the object, a chilling fear crept up his spine from the depths of his heart. It was a fear he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“This. This is.”

The vegetation covering the area. The grass growing to fill a small mountain.

“What in the world is this?”

At that moment, Jurchaga muttered. Different from his usual carefree demeanor, with a voice filled with uncontainable hatred.

“It’s Goliosa. A lot of it. It means there’s a mountain of Geriadra growing nearby.”