Chapter 77 - Day of Sacrifice
Due to the disappearance of the eyepatch-wearing cat, Kairi, we can no longer casually inquire about the Evil Dragons or sacrifices from the beastkin as we used to.
The beastkin have become even more tight-lipped, and even if we could ask, we hesitate because we fear for the safety of the beastkin who provide information.
Furthermore, Brisken, who seems to have been requested by the elder, came to our hut and gently warned us.
「Tribal have their own tribal laws, you see. It may not be wise for outsiders like us, myself included, to interfere with different values...」
――Therefore, although we had to outwardly behave quietly, at this point, we had a rough idea of who the sacrifice was.
It was Ziruko.
Every time we met her, she pleaded for us to take Zunba with us, and her voice grew more desperate day by day.
She was probably concerned about Zunba being left alone after she became the sacrifice.
The fact that she wanted to entrust Zunba to us, rather than someone else in the village, maybe because she feared that Zunba would be chosen as a sacrifice someday.
And what was decisive was the phrase, "Zunba would also want to go with you."
With this phrase, I could infer that she would become the sacrifice before we set out on our journey.
If Ziruko were still alive, there would be no way Zunba would want to separate from her.
And finally, that day arrived.
The day before the carriage sent by Brisken arrived, in the evening, both Faran and I were confined to the hut.
There was no doubt that tonight was the day to offer the sacrifice.
The one who came to our hut to watch over us was Ganga, a beastkin with unusually large tiger-striped fur.
She was probably as tall as Tamara from the Royal Knights. She was about ten centimeters taller than me and muscular. At first glance, I could tell that she was quite strong.
「Tonight, you won't leave the hut. No exceptions.」
No matter what we said, she remained adamant. Judging from her halting speech, she didn't seem to be the type to be particularly clever, and as a result, she seemed inflexible.
While exposed to Ganga's watchful eyes sitting by the entrance of the hut against the wall, Faran and I embraced each other and lay down on the straw.
Of course, we had no intention of quietly accepting our fate. After all, today was undoubtedly the day to offer the sacrifice.
「First Tier: Sensory Enhancement (Sense Boost).」
I quietly activated an ancient language spell to enhance my hearing.
Actually, this spell was quite challenging to use.
If people were speaking loudly, your eardrums could rupture from the overwhelming noise. It wouldn't function properly unless it was a quiet night like tonight when not a single sound could be heard.
However, with my senses expanded several times over, I could grasp the situation outside as if it were in the palm of my hand.
I heard the cries of Grey Owls from deep within the forest and the creaking of the floorboards. Most of the beastkin were already inside their huts, and many were already sound asleep.
Brisken seemed to be in the elder's hut. Along with the sound of 'cheers,' a clinking noise of glass followed. I have never seen glass in this village before. Could it be Brisken's possession?
There are a total of four people outside.
Presumably near Ziruko and Zunba's hut. I can hear the sound of a young child's breathing, likely Zunba's. And now, including the person who just came out of the hut, there are five sets of footsteps outside.
There doesn't seem to be any particular exchange of words.
The five individuals head towards the gate and enter the forest.
I signal to Faran, trying not to be noticed by Ganga.
Let's take action――
I rise from the straw bed and call out to Ganga.
「Hey, I'm feeling a bit thirsty. Can I go fetch some water?」
「Don't leave the hut.」
Ganga shakes her head with a stern expression.
「Come on, please don't say that.」
While saying that, I approach her and, activating magic, blow my breath toward her nose.
「Hmm? Wha...t...?」
She suddenly seems bewildered, her eyes wide open, before trembling and falling forward.
Stun Cloud――a magic I used a while ago on Sister Ange as well. I created a small cloud infused with paralyzing poison between us and blew it toward her nose.
With this, she shouldn't be able to move for at least half a day.
「Alright, let's go, Faran!」
「Y-yeah.」
Opening the door wide, I call out to her, and she hurriedly gets up and follows behind me.
Using 'Enhanced Senses (Sense Boost)' to remain vigilant of our surroundings, we silently leave the village and step into the forest.
I conjure flames in my palm to light our path as I hold Faran's hand, hastening through the forest.
I could still clearly hear the footsteps of the five people who had entered the forest.
Fortunately, their movement isn't that fast.
「Hey, Oz...」
After walking through the forest for a while, Faran asks me with a puzzled expression.
「The magic you used to put Ganga to sleep earlier, it resembled the Earth attribute 'Sandman's Sand,'......but it wasn't an Earth attribute, and the spirits didn't move. What did you do?」
I thought I could deceive her to some extent with ancient language magic, but it seems that wasn't the case.
「Ah... yeah, I'll explain it properly later. After everything is over. Right now, it's not the time for that.」
「Yeah... well, okay, but....」
Of course, I have no intention of explaining things properly. I plan to leave it vague and unresolved.
And so, as we catch up to some extent, we follow them closely behind, keeping a moderate distance.
「They're going quite far.」
「True.」
After exchanging those words, we continue tracking through the forest for over two hours, and finally, the footsteps of the beastkin come to a halt.
「I... I'm tired. My feet hurt...」
「Faran... hang on just a little more. For now, let's hide in the shade over there.」
As one would expect, the physical abilities of the beastkin are beyond comparison to humans. I pull Faran, who refuses to move any further and peer out from the shade to observe the area where the beastkin are.
Beyond the gap in the forest, I saw what appeared to be the remnants of some kind of ore mining site.
There were five beastkin in total, as the sound of their footsteps suggested, and one of them was Ziruko, whose hands were bound with rope.
「Please don't hold a grudge against us.」
「...It's an unavoidable situation.」
After such an exchange, the beastkin not only restrained Ziruko's hands but also tied her legs and laid her in front of the largest mining tunnel on the mountain face. They then knelt down and began offering prayers.
During that time, Ziruko showed no signs of resistance, closing her eyes and remaining motionless.
After a while, the beastkin, leaving her behind, returned the way they came.
「They left?」
「Yeah.」
In the silent mining site, I confirmed that the sound of the beastkin's footsteps had receded, and we hurriedly approached Ziruko.
「Ziruko! Are you okay?」
Suddenly, Ziruko opened her eyes wide and struggled against her restraints.
「O-Oz-san!? Faran-san!? Why are you here? Y-You mustn't stay here. Run away from here immediately. The Evil Dragon will devour you too! Hurry!」
As she cried out desperately, I felt something move on the other side of Ziruko, within the largest mining tunnel.
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