“Won’t I dry up before reaching the Knight Country or such, if it’s like this?” (Hifumi)
He feels that even the horse’s steps are somewhat heavy.
Although Hifumi pondered for a while, he decided to return temporarily after gathering his thoughts. He thought that he would at least need a guide to lead him until a city becomes visible.
Since it isn’t a game, he doesn’t want to waste his time until he stumbles upon one by wandering around aimlessly either.
Changing his direction, he heads the way, where the forests were, and even the horse’s pacing took a turn towards the better.
As he is heading towards the woods, which faintly came in sight, Hifumi’s sense feels a presence after a long time.
“Yo, yo, it’s been a while.”
“You, eh?” (Hifumi)
What appeared in front of Hifumi is the figure of the shinigami, which is no more than a floating head.
“Why is it only your head?” (Hifumi)
“Oops. How impolite of me.”
The shinigami, who showed an exaggerated surprise although only on his face, revealed his full body from within a thick fog.
“At the time I appeared in front of Prime Minister-san, it has only been hair as ‘my power won’t recover since Hifumi-san isn’t using darkness magic’, you know.”
“In reality, if it is a world where killing people is this common, I will become happy in reverse.” Hifumi doesn’t even look at the shinigami, who sticks out his tongue, and advances on his horse.
“So, what business do you have with me that you even purposely come to such place?” (Hifumi)
“Something like distance has no influence on me. Though my power isn’t at the level to span over the whole world, as expected. Was it ancient magic? It was something great allowing gods and people to leap in one go.”
The shinigami, who keeps up with Hifumi staying at his side while floating in mid-air, displayed a large nod.
“I don’t particularly care about your interests. Rather than that, how’s the development in the capital?” (Hifumi)
“Good grief, what rude person to use a god as errand boy. Prime Minister-san became aware of the aforementioned magic. He hasn’t reported it to the lovely queen, but he will likely decide to use the magic in a not so far future.”
The shinigami says that in absolute satisfaction.
“At any rate, I didn’t believe I would risk getting killed once again meeting you again.”
“Besides, that the time will come that I have to earnestly apologize to a human opponent”, the shinigami showed a bitter smile.
Actually, the shinigami, intending to poke fun at Hifumi, who had become alone at some point, turned up on one occasion. At that time Hifumi slashed at him by suddenly drawing the katana and attacking in the same stroke. The shinigami had to completely surrender as its arm was sent flying.
The current shinigami is moving around as Hifumi’s underling.
“However, thanks to Hifumi-san causing a war and killing a lot, I became very lively as well. For the time being, I will report to you while en route. I will cooperate with you to my utmost ability for things to reach the climax you desire.”
“Therefore, please kill a lot more, okay?” Leaving those words, the shinigami vanished.
Without replying, Hifumi proceeds on his horse while quietly showing a thin smile.
☺☻☺
“So, you are telling us to show you the way?” (Helen)
“Gimme a break!” Helen threw those words at Hifumi.
Reni, next to her, is all shook up.
“You might not know, however the beastmen, who were close to human countries, are all gone. There’s a rumour going around that they have been caught and went through a bitter experience.” (Helen)
“For weak types of beastmen it is impossible and dangerous to get close to humans”, Helen clearly refused him.
“B-But, Hifumi-san is troubled…” (Reni)
“Reni!” (Helen)
The excited Helen’s attack turns upon Reni.
“You, just because you received a little amount of sweets, you are trusting a human far too easily! Certainly, those were sweet and delicious, but… this and that are different!” (Helen)
It looks like even Helen was pleased with Caim’s handmade baked sweet.
“Will there be a proper reward?” (Reni)
“A human will probably use money or such to express their gratitude, right? Even if we received such thing…” (Helen)
What Hifumi took out under the nose of Helen, who was in the middle of talking, was that fruit, he had excessively harvested in the vicinity of the spring.
“This is the fruit I told you about!” (Reni)
Due to Reni getting excited and going “Amazing, amazing”, Helen folded her arms and snorted.
“Hu-Humph! Us risking our lives for a human just because one such fruit is…” (Helen)
Taking out one after the other, he piles up red, ripe fruits in front of Helen and Reni. They emitted a sweet aroma.
Reni gets excited. “Although there should have been plenty of tiger beastmen”, she is eagerly interested.
“So? What will you do?” (Hifumi)
Even Helen surrendered to the words of receiving more once they finish Hifumi’s job.
“Can you wait a bit? If I go slight far away together with Reni, we have to go tell that to our mothers.” (Helen)
Although the two carried fruits away, it didn’t take much time until they came back empty-handed.
“Since I told them that we will go harvesting slightly far away, it will be alright for a while. Apart from that, you will properly protect us, if other beastmen appear, right?” (Helen)
“It will be fine, Helen. Hifumi-san is strong after all.” (Reni)
For some reason, Helen, who saw the state of Reni having full trust in Hifumi, drooped her ears in worry.
Thus, Hifumi, who gained the two as guides, headed towards the Knight Country once again.
Chapter 87: Walking Disaster
Hifumi, who walks holding the reins matching the two beastgirls that can’t follow the pace after all, leaves the forest and advances into the blazing sun of the wastelands.
“So, what are you going to do once you reach the human country?” (Helen)
Helen looks up at Hifumi, who’s a head taller than her.
“First I will have a look. After looking? I will crush it? Well, I will decide it at that time.” (Hifumi)
“Crush it, you say…” (Helen)
Watching Helen’s stunned expression, Reni continued her words with a wry smile,
“Hifumi-san, you came from a human country in the other direction, right? Aren’t you afraid to travel the wastelands by yourself?” (Reni)
“Correct, I’m not afraid.” (Hifumi)
Due to Hifumi replying nonchalantly, Helen shakes her ears and leaks a snort through her nose.
“Unlike with the tigers, how did it work out with the wolves? As it seems that they come attacking in groups, isn’t it impossible for a single person to oppose them?” (Helen)
“If it’s wolf beastmen, I killed several tens of them. Sneakily following me without even striking up a conversation, several of them came plunging at me. Rolling on the ground after having their noses systematically beaten, I stepped on their necks and broke them.” (Hifumi)
“Aren’t these fellows able to speak human language?” Hifumi says seemingly pouting.
“How amazing.” (Reni)
“Though I don’t think that’s the issue here…” (Helen)
Compared to advancing through the wastelands, where it’s survival of the fittest, they welcome the evening of that day in a relaxed mood.
With Hifumi taking out several dishes from within his storage, the three of them eat their dinner in a circle. Their dessert is that red fruit.
Apparently it is called by the name “Bodan.” Many beastmen like to eat it, but since it can’t be found anywhere but at places with cle
ar water, they apparently treat it as a feast once they stumble upon it occasionally.
Currently those are casually being piled up in front of the girls.
“They are delicious, after all.” (Reni)
Reni laughs delightfully, but the area around her mouth is bright red with fruit juice.
“Eat them in a bit more refined manner. You are a glutton.” (Helen)
Even as Helen says so, she spills a smile due to having bodan after a long time.
“From tomorrow on we will pass through the areas of the bear and leopard tribes, however… stay docile, okay? I’d like you to excuse us from getting involved in your fights.” (Helen)
Once her stomach bulged, Helen called out to Hifumi.
The wastelands, which are in-between the human countries, have the areas of the strong tribes at the outer edges, fairly close to the locations where humans live on both sides of the wastelands, and the centre of the wastelands, which are inhabited by the weaker tribes.
At the edges there are many forests and rivers. But, although there is also the reason of the nature being abundant in the east and west controlled by the strong beastmen, there is likewise the reason that the weaker tribes avoid human habitations, because in case humans discover one of them there are cases of them being caught as slaves.
“Up to this point there are still many tribes, like us, who don’t like to fight, but tomorrow we will enter a dangerous area.” (Helen)
“I see. Well, then it’s fine with you guiding just that far. Once you tell me the direction to head for afterwards, I will go by myself.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi consented easily with her.
Even though Helen showed a facial expression that it was only natural, Reni had a lonely look.
“Then tomorrow will be goodbye?” (Reni)
“I will have to pass through the wastelands on my way back anyway. We might meet again if you have good luck.” (Hifumi)
“Humph. Before that, do your best to not get killed by the bears and leopards.” (Helen)
“In the first place”, Helen continued,
“I wonder why a human like you wants to crush a human country? You are a weirdo.” (Helen)
“A reason, huh? Let me see…” (Hifumi)
Pondering about it for a while, Hifumi shook his head.
“To put it simply, since I have the principle that it’s just normal to crush an enemy, that’s the way it is.” (Hifumi)
“Enemy? Isn’t it only natural for humans to fight back, if they are attacked?” (Reni)
“No, it’s different from that.” (Hifumi)
He quickly denies Reni’s words.
“After getting attacked is too late. There’s plenty reason to kill them, if they appear as if they want to attack.” (Hifumi)
“Isn’t that slightly… excessive?”
“Don’t say such foolishness. You might get killed without the time to counter-attack after getting attacked. It’s important to decide whether to kill or not as fast as possible.” (Hifumi)
“You are the same”, Hifumi points at Helen.
“I am?” (Helen)
“Don’t you have the habit of judging in an instant whether you should run away once you determined a sound you heard? If you were just a little bit late in your judgement, that would lead to your death.” (Hifumi)
“Uhh… certainly.” (Helen)
“Because I have the power to fight, I kill without fleeing. That’s the only difference there is.” (Hifumi)
In the time while Hifumi was talking to Helen, Reni brooded over something, but suddenly lifting her head, she stared at Hifumi.
“Strength to fight is necessary after all?” (Reni)
“Not really?” (Hifumi)
The two girls stare blankly due to Hifumi saying this forthrightly.
“If you want to fight, you train and use your head, though you might have to put in great and desperate efforts to kill. I don’t particularly believe that everyone in this world should possess military power.” (Hifumi)
“However, you say to kill if it’s an enemy…”
“It’s only me who does this. For a fellow, who knows they can’t fight or has no interest in fighting, it is the height of idiocy to oppose someone they can’t win against. If you feel like making an enemy out of someone and fight them, you probably shouldn’t complain about getting killed either.” (Hifumi)
With these words Hifumi lies down on the spread-out cloth.
Before anyone noticing, even the horse had entered a pose of sleeping.
“… If that’s the case, you wouldn’t complain, if you someone were to kill you, either?” (Reni)
Hifumi answered Reni’s words, she told as a tease, without turning his sight towards her.
“Of course. Above it being the giving and taking of life, it’s just natural for me to always think that it’s fine even if I die any time.” (Hifumi)
“Go sleep quickly as we will walk tomorrow, too”, Hifumi shut his eyes.
Reni and Helen, who looked at each other, were confused about the strange ways of human thinking.
☺☻☺
The reason it was called “Knight Country” was that this nation, Swordland, originated from a knight order, which became alienated from Orsongrande and had immigrated.
At the time of founding the nation it was a poor village, but by building a sturdy bulwark, the commoners, who followed the knights, began to gradually get familiar with hunting and farming. It took a century for it to establish the system of a nation.
Above all, with the knight order from the time of founding possessing considerable might, far from being able to equally compete with the beastmen, they completely repelled the beastmen, who came to attack, on countless occasions.
The person with the highest position among the knights becomes king and each of the other knights supports the king as nobles. That’s the shape of the governmental system.
Although it might be called a nation, it is nothing more but a single, large city. With the centre of the city being surrounded by high walls, the circumference had agricultural land spreading out.
The knights, with their great might, captured beastmen at the time they saw them, had them obey and chose to employ them as labour force. The commoners, who originally likewise engaged in the mortifying manual labour of reclaiming the wastelands, were comforted in their hearts by watching the beastmen doing more dangerous work than themselves and being discarded after abusing them without even giving them proper food.
And even now the system of catching and enslaving beastmen still exists.
“Tsk. Ain’t there anythin’ but brats?”
Spurring on his horse, the man spit out while his armour made clinking sounds.
The soldiers, who are in the vicinity, are cautious of their surroundings wearing plain leather armours and spears.
“It’s still better than returning without results, but at this rate it will effect my records.”
There was a two-horse cart pulling a load-carrying tray without cover at the place the man turned his sight to.
On top of the load-carrying tray an iron-made cage is placed. Within there are two small, completely exhausted beastmen. It’s the older brother and younger sister, who met Hifumi.
Summoned Slaughterer - Book 5 Page 12
