kscans

CHAPTER 7 CHALLENGE TO THE LABYRINTH – Episode 2 Temperoid (Part 2)

4

The next day, the village was in an uproar. Early that morning, Godon, Karz, and Quinta had gone out hunting and brought down a Fallow Deer and a Giant Red Bear. Nearly all the men turned out to butcher and transport these oversized catches. Godon, Karz, and Quinta stood guard and provided protection during this time. Midway through the butchering, five Long-eared Wolves appeared attracted by the smell of meat and blood. Karz swiftly dispatched four of them, and after a hard struggle, Quinta took down the last one. The day before, Karz had also brought down mountain birds and rabbits. For some time, the entire village would have their fill of meat, and the furs would also be useful.

Away from this commotion, Bard, Taranka, and Carla were in Temperoid’s room. Carla re-examined the tea that had been left behind, feigning having drunk it.

“There’s the smell and taste of the poisonous Kurijiba weed. There’s no mistake about it.”

Taranka questioned Temperoid.

“The same person always brewed the tea, didn’t they?”

“Yes. A man named Zynga. This man had served my family home, the Condolia household. He was expelled from Shesa Village for some misconduct and arrived here in a pitiful state. He was surprised to learn that I was still alive. I was also surprised to meet an acquaintance in such a place, as I hadn’t expected it. This was two months ago. Since then, he has served me and taken care of my personal needs.”

Bard summoned the knight Garkus and informed him that Temperoid’s ill health was due to poisoning, and that the poison had been in the tea brewed by Zynga.

“Let’s call Zynga.”

When summoned by the knight Garkus, Zynga came trembling. Temperoid posed a blunt question to him.

“Zynga. This lady Carla present here is an apothecary. She says my poor health is due to poisoning. The tea you brewed for me contained the poisonous Kurijiba weed. Did you put the poison in it?”

Zynga crumpled to the floor there and broke down in tears. And then he confessed. His story about being expelled from the Condolia household for misconduct had been a lie. Seven years after Temperoid had run away, Temperoid’s mother learned of Temperoid’s whereabouts. That to the north of Shesa Village, near the Great Barrier, there was a village called Agis. And that the lord Temperoid’s true identity was Ousa, the eldest son thought to be dead. She had then given Zynga a bag of dried poisonous Kurijiba roots, ordering him to go to Agis Village and gradually give this poison to Ousa by putting it in his drinks. Remembering his long debt of gratitude, he could not disobey her order, Zynga said.

“I see.”

Temperoid, in a half-sitting posture on the bed, listened to this confession. And then he said this to Zynga.

“Zynga. I’m sorry for causing you such suffering. But I’ll settle this matter myself, so don’t worry about it. You may step aside and rest now. You can return to Shesa if you wish, but you may find it hard to go back. Otherwise, continue serving me as before. I won’t tell anyone about the poisoning.”

And without even posting a guard, he allowed Zynga to withdraw. He closed his eyes and sank deep into thought for a long while, but eventually doubled over and began to weep.

“Oh, oh. Ohhh. Mother. Mother. I loved you dearly. I wanted to be filial to you. You did not love me, but I at least wished you wouldn’t hate me any further. That is why I resolved to relinquish the family headship to my younger brother Filica, and left home pretending to be dead. I gave up everything. But you learned that I was alive. What doubts must have festered in your heart? You could not leave me be. Did you think that someday I would accumulate power and return to take everything from Filica? You sent an assassin after me. What an unfilial wretch I am, to drive my own mother to decide on murder. Ah, ah. Mother! Please forgive me. If it were just me alone, I could just let you kill me. I could have given you peace of mind. But I am the lord of this village. As lord, I cannot pardon your crime. To protect the safety and happiness of the people of this village, I must live on. Mother. Mother. Forgive this unfilial son.”

What profound affection. This soliloquy was a confession and oath to the gods. Temperoid’s feelings towards his mother reverberate powerfully. But what did he mean by saying he must live on? Bard realized. Temperoid had resolved to kill his own mother.

No. This young man cannot be allowed to kill his own mother.

“Lord Temperoid,” Bard addressed him.

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Temperoid wiped away his tears and opened his reddened eyes, looking towards Bard. Bard asked how far it was from Shesa Village to this village of Agis.

“Well, it must be quite far, perhaps a hundred koku-ri?”

In response to those words, Bard said, “That’s your first mistake. It’s certainly difficult to get here from Shesa, having to pass through forests of thick trees, cross over mountains and rivers, and go around the Misty Valley. But in terms of distance, it’s at most only about forty koku-ri. While forty koku-ri is not exactly close in the remote frontier, it is a distance where news could potentially reach here under certain circumstances. Lord Temperoid. You pretended to be dead in order to avoid being hated by your mother and abandoned your hometown. That resolve is admirable. However, you should have gone somewhere even farther away. That shortcoming is your mistake, which made your mother determined to kill her child.”

“Indeed, perhaps so. Well then, Lord Bard, what should I do?”

Bard said it would be better to move to an even more distant place.

“But that is not possible. I and Garkus could do it alone. However, while this village is small, there are sixty people living here. There are very few places in the remote frontier where so many people could survive. The fact that this place was found is almost a miracle.”

Then Bard told him about Fyuzarion, that a new town had been established in the northern outskirts of the eastern frontier. That there was a vast, fertile, and safe land there where salt, cloth, and farming tools could be obtained.

“Near the foot of Great Fyuza? If it’s that far away, rumors likely won’t reach Shesa for sure. Garkus, what do you think?”

“It sounds like a good idea. In any case, living here is becoming increasingly difficult. If we stay, we’ll only slowly perish. If there’s such a prosperous place that will accept us, we should relocate. But let’s also hear the opinions of the village elders.”

So Garkus brought three men. The three men listened to Temperoid’s explanation, then discussed among themselves for a while.

“My lord. Sir Knight Garkus. We don’t understand complicated matters. But if you two hadn’t come, we would have died long ago. You protected us, built up the village, and gave us hope. If you say we should relocate, we will obey. But there is one thing we’re concerned about. What will happen to you, Lord Temperoid, when we move to this town of Fyuzarion? We will not go there if anyone other than Lord Temperoid becomes our lord. You, Lord Temperoid, are our only lord.”

Even Temperoid looked troubled by this. Fyuzarion has its own order and customs, which they would have to accept and follow, or else Fyuzarion would not accept them – this perceptive youth realized. But Bard said, “That’s understandable. Then let’s relocate near Fyuzarion and build a new Village of Agis there. Fyuzarion will interact with Agis and provide aid.”

Even Temperoid was surprised by this proposal. Could there really be such a convenient arrangement? It was natural to be skeptical. However, after gazing at Bard’s face for a while, he seemed to decide to trust Bard. He got down from the bed and bowed deeply. The knight Garkus and the village representatives also bowed to Bard.

The journey from Agis to Fyuzarion would be a long one, since they could not cut across the mountain range like Bard and his group did. They would have to travel west along the Havel Road, then head for Fyuzarion from Himaya. Bard drew a map for them and wrote letters explaining the situation, addressed to Jurchaga and Doriatessa, just in case they arrived in Fyuzarion before Bard’s group returned. From now on, Temperoid and his people would begin preparations to move. They would need many cart horses and had to stockpile food supplies. They could not depart until Temperoid regained his health. Their departure would be in about two months, with the journey itself likely taking about the same length of time. They had few horses. It would be a difficult journey. But it would be a journey of hope.

While everyone else had expressions of relief at how things had turned out, Taranka alone had a stern look on his face.

6

After dinner, Bard invited Taranka out to view the moon. They walked to the edge of the village, and Bard spoke to Taranka. It seemed there was something he wanted to say.

“Lord Bard. Is it truly alright to welcome Lord Temperoid near Fyuzarion?”

Bard smiled inwardly. That was it, as expected. He wanted to hear out carefully what Taranka felt and thought. Receiving Bard’s silence, Taranka continued his words further.

“Lord Temperoid is no ordinary person despite his young age. I was amazed by the depth of his affection. Moreover, he seems prepared to sacrifice even that affection before his duty as a lord. At that time, Lord Temperoid seemed resolved to confront his mother directly, and even kill her if necessary. His resolve was extraordinary. And yet, he came to this village later and was asked to become a lord, they say. I have never heard such a tale. Furthermore, he is so adored by his subjects. Lord Temperoid is truly a hero to be reckoned with. For such a person to come beside Fyuzarion, while retaining his lordship, means holding a small independent territory, without becoming a vassal of House Orgazard. Frankly, I cannot understand your decision to permit this, Lord Bard.”

Bard asked what he was worried would happen if Lord Temperoid came.

“Is it not obvious? He is such an extraordinary person. There may appear those among Fyuzarion’s people drawn to his virtue. That would threaten the authority of House Orgazard. A country cannot have two suns.”

Bard asked if he thought Jurchaga and Doriatessa were inferior to Lord Temperoid.

“I am not questioning that. The issue is the time after Lord Jurchaga and Lady Doriatessa pass away. Lord Temperoid is far younger than them.”

So he means after Arflaenoxylin, Bard asked.

“Whether Arflaenoxylin or not, I refer to whoever will succeed House Orgazard after Lord Jurchaga and Lady Doriatessa.”

Fufufu, Bard laughed. Interesting. Taranka is truly interesting. Bard turned to face the forest. The frontier’s depths were shrouded in deep darkness. Layer upon layer of mountains were wrapped in night fog, their vast skirts overlapping to obscure the view. It was an unknown world filled with rugged life, wondrous creatures. With his back to Taranka, Bard muttered, the frontier are gloomy.

Well, Taranka. The frontier are gloomy. Do you not think that to illuminate this darkness, two lights are better than one? It is fine to dimly guard a single light. But it is better still for two lights to spur each other on (cut and polish) to become a great light. Do you not think so?

There was no reply from Taranka behind him. He must be pondering Bard’s words. After a while, in a small but clear voice, Taranka asked.

“But will the one to succeed Orgazard have the capacity to vie with Lord Temperoid?”

An astonishing statement. It was at the very limit, or beyond, of what a vassal could say. Bard turned to face Taranka. Taranka looked straight up at Bard’s face. His eyes shone with a strong light. Bard met Taranka’s gaze and replied.

“If he don’t have it, then forge it.”

Taranka’s eyes flew open. Then joy surfaced on his face. Next came bewilderment. And finally, resolve surfaced. Taranka bowed to Bard, and returned to the lodgings with resolute steps.

Bard turned back towards the forest, gazing at the frontier’s night scenery with a deep smile. Interesting. Taranka is interesting. That youth can see thirty years, forty years ahead. He can see Fyuzarion’s path of development. As a knight of Fyuzarion, as a vassal of House Orgazard, he has a firm grasp of the future. He is considering what he can do after those currently leading and guiding Fyuzarion are gone.

The joy that surfaced in his eyes was in response to Bard’s words, “Then forge it.” No matter who Orgazard’s successor is, Taranka is resolved to serve that person and wield his strength. That person will be his unassailable lord. In other words, Taranka has grasped where his knightly loyalty lies. But Bard commanded Taranka to forge that person. Not only was he ordered to obey commands as a vassal, but Bard also commanded him to stand in a position where he could watch over that person’s growth, scold and discipline him, and forge him into a better person. The joy that surfaced was at being granted that role.

The bewilderment that followed was whether Taranka himself had the substance to forge that person. He does not. One cannot say he does. The current Taranka is but a half-baked servant, with no knowledge, strength, or experience.

The resolve that surfaced next was the oath to first forge himself, to be worthy of the commanded role, to be able to fulfill the commanded role. He must first rigorously temper himself. Thus Taranka resolved.

Bard could not help but laugh aloud. It was delightful. The frontier are gloomy. But their future holds light.