Chapter 126

Chapter 126 - Struggle for Survival (6)

With his subordinates attacking properly, all the young Rakshasas perished in no time.

Surprisingly, Homi was the most brutal among them. It was because of Eugene's last words during his death sentence.

"There might be a time when the survivors among you grow up and come to harm my children... If so, that is your right as well."

Naturally, Eugene did not speak with the thought of truly allowing revenge. He used it as merely a conceptual expression.

However, Homi interpreted it differently.

She had seen Eugene communicating with the core of the Moving Castle to move the massive magical fortress, and granting the blessing of the Holy Communion.

In Homi's thoughts, her Lord was an existence who suited the word 'authority' more than anyone else.

Therefore, the words spoken by such a person felt like an ominous prophecy to her.

She swung her weapon as if to refuse leaving a single one alive, seeking to cut off the roots of that possibility. She even decisively severed the necks of those already dead.

It was a cruelty completely absent from her usual good-natured demeanor.

"Homi. Calm down."

Eugene grabbed her shoulder, which finally stopped her movements.

"They are already all dead."

Nod.

Eugene took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Homi's blood-splattered face. She docilely accepted his affectionate touch.

"It is a task that leaves a bitter taste even for experienced mercenaries. There should be no need for you to step up."

Although Eugene did not know it, Homi actually felt not even the slightest discomfort.

The dense wildness had not only granted Homi physical capabilities and the power of her roar in exchange for her voice. It had also bestowed upon her the heartless heart of a predator.

Just as a wild beast can become boundlessly cold-blooded toward creatures other than its family. Just as a lioness feels no agony when biting a cheetah's cub to death.

Executing young Rakshasas was an easy task for Homi.

She accepted Eugene's touch, tilting her head with her eyes closed. She felt relieved that his children were safe.

* * *

The relationships among Sain-folk represented a struggle of all against all. They preyed upon and plundered one another.

The Rakshasa tribe was a powerful, belligerent matriarchal society highly interested in adornment. Therefore, plenty of loot could be salvaged.

Accessories made of gold, silver, and jewels were obvious, and there were also many goods looted from merchant caravans on the trade routes.

"So this is a chess set carved from ivory."

Valda admired the white pieces and the chessboard while examining them.

"Do you like that more than the jewels?"

"Of course! You have no idea how precious this item is."

Lately, Valda had been sparring in swordsmanship with Eugene. They aimed to devise sword paths together to effectively use her thorn vine magic.

"When defending, hold your sword diagonally at more of an angle... That is advantageous for deflecting impacts."

"You mean like this?"

"Yes... You do not need to slash or stab the enemy with your sword, Lady Valda... You only need to maintain your balance... Then the thorns will squeeze the enemy tight on their own."

They crossed swords and sweated together. The pleasant impact felt in their palms represented physical interaction shared like dancing a waltz through sword dances.

It was an enjoyable time for Valda, a mage who did not dislike using her body.

Afterwards, she taught Eugene chess in return. It was a fascinating time connecting mentally while exchanging moves and spying on each other's intentions.

"Check."

"... Please let me take back just one move."

"No."

"Just once, please."

"It is not even checkmate yet... Try to put in a little more effort... If you form a habit of easily taking back moves, your skills will not improve."

"But the queen died."

"Pardon?"

"I do not want the queen to die."

"... Alright... Just this once."

Physical body and mind. The ivory chess set would lead their two-sided communication more elegantly. That resulted in a more joyous piece of loot than accessories bristling with jewels.

Valda also had no need to be greedy because the rare accessories and clothes brought from the mansion in the Emerald Forest were sufficient for her.

"Well... It would be hard to find something that suits you better than what you are wearing right now."

Eugene looked at the tiara Valda wore on her head. It was an incredible treasure crafted intricately with emeralds shaped like leaves and linked together.

"M-my ears are a problem!"

"Pardon? What did you say?"

Pretending not to hear, Eugene caressed her earring and ear together.

Its shape differed from common earrings that hook onto the earlobe and dangle down. It was sculpted like a flower wrapping around her long ear, conforming to elven physical traits.

All of them were artworks that most naturally cultivated the beauty of her, a fairy of the forest.

'Just what is Lady Valda's true identity?'

It was always a curious point.

Staying in the Emerald Forest, a territory far from elven settlements. Having a unique nanny like Dryad. Possessing incredible magical aptitude. Harboring a beautiful appearance proving her nobility without needing any explanation.

Even owning the Ether-crafted sword, The Last Autumn, which would serve flawlessly as the holy relic of a royal family.

An unspoken rule existed where neither Eugene nor Valda asked about each other's past, but he felt it might be fine to ask soon.

"Is that... enough now?"

"Just a little longer."

It was because she did not get angry even when yielding her ears, the pride of an elf, to this extent.

* * *

Afterwards, Eugene also checked on his subordinates roaming around and looting.

Trade goods, including crafts, piled up in the warehouse, but the Rakshasas wore the jewels and accessories on their bodies.

"Looting is fine, but make sure to stab them in a vital spot once before rummaging through them. They might pounce on you pretending to be dead."

"Haha! Do you think we have only handled this business once or twice? You do not have to worry."

Everyone consisted of highly experienced individuals. Nothing would be more unfair than dying absurdly in a situation where they had won everything and only needed to harvest.

Stab!

After confirming their kills on the fallen Rakshasas, the subordinates stripped off their accessories.

In Homi's case, she possessed an appearance nearly identical to humans, except for her slightly rough, long tongue and tail.

The Rakshasas, on the other hand, collectively remained much closer to beasts. Only the areas from their chests down to their abdomens were smooth like those of humans.

Because of that, a small incident also occurred.

"What are you groping right now... you little bastard?"

"W-wait! It is a misunderstanding!"

The mercenary pulling off four piercings connected by a gold chain recoiled at his comrade's disgusted gaze. It was a crisis where he could be framed absurdly.

"The Rakshasa tribe has a culture of piercing... It is a method frequently used when a female in estrus seduces a male."

"Hah! They really do all sorts of things."

Thanks to the adventurer nearby defending him, the misunderstanding was quickly resolved.

The trade goods stored in the warehouse belonged to Eugene's share. A chest containing pearls, silk fabrics brought over from the south, a barrel full of pepper, and ceramics priced higher than their weight in silver.

However, what he liked the most was something else entirely.

"What is this?"

Marbas brought over a staff woven from the bones of various races. A bizarrely shaped religious symbol hung at the tip of the staff. It truly looked fitting as the holy relic of a pagan priest.

"It is an item acquired after chasing the fleeing Rakshasas... They were a priest and its escort... It must be a holy relic precious enough for them to try and smuggle out even as their tribe falls."

A fierce mystery lingered within the staff. However, fitting a Rakshasa relic, it carried a violent aura completely incompatible with humans.

"It is a precious item, but... We cannot use it, and selling it somewhere would also be awkward. People of the church will foam at the mouth if they see it."

"Offer it to Goddess Vanas."

Marbas spoke as if he had been waiting.

"You mean another god's holy relic?"

Eugene thought of the goddess statue enshrined in the Moving Castle. To think of offering the legacy of a Sain-folk religion, tempered with blood and slaughter, to the human goddess governing tolerance.

"It is an era where various faiths coexist peacefully now, but in the past, they exchanged fierce struggles."

"I know that much... Although I might look like this, I was raised in a monastery."

"Did you also know the victorious order would plunder the defeated order's holy relic and offer it on their altar?"

"... I did not know that."

It was a ruthlessly cruel act just thinking about it.

"Offering the symbol of a defeated faith becomes the greatest tribute... It is a method that fattens a god and drenches them in joy far more securely than the faith of countless believers... Even the religious orders that formed large factions today devoured weaker faiths in such a manner in the past."

"I am fairly knowledgeable about religious orders, but this is a story I am hearing for the first time. They must have erased the records."

"Of course, since it is a shameful history to reveal to the public."

Eugene examined the skull staff in his hands from various angles.

Neither gold nor silver, let alone precious metals functioning as mediums, were visible. Yet it remained an item containing this powerful a mystery despite consisting solely of bones.

It must be a result transmuted purely from the blood, agony, and death of countless sacrifices over a long period.

'Is it like a top-tier cuisine taking hundreds of years of devotion despite using cheap ingredients?'

It truly befitted a Sain-folk holy relic.

"What will Goddess Vanas offer in return if I offer this?"

"Well, I am not sure... But few are as thorough in their transactions as a fallen god... If you offer a highly nutritious tribute, she will undoubtedly return something commensurate."

"Although the ones enjoying that might be the residents going to pray to her rather than me."

Marbas crafted an awkward expression having not considered that part.

"Since they reside in my castle, they are my people anyway. If they receive blessings, that will soon become my strength... Thank you."

"Don't mention it... Just allow me to observe at the spot when you offer the tribute."

The old summoner's eyes sparkled with anticipation. He harbored much larger interest towards this rather than loot.

Eugene also prepared gifts for Homi and Cassandra.

"It is a comb made of onyx... Do you like it?"

Nod nod!

Homi nodded fiercely with sparkling eyes.

Unlike a fully grown maiden, she displayed no interest in adornments like earrings, necklaces, or pretty clothes.

However, there was one exception. It was regarding combs. Over fifty comb collections existed in Homi's room. Because it served as an essential tool when grooming her tail, her pride and joy.

Eugene stood before Homi holding the comb emitting a black luster.

"Now, tail."

Pop!

When Eugene extended his hand, a long, thick white tail popped up and settled on his palm.

Swish.

Swoosh.

He gently massaged the tail while simultaneously stroking it with the comb along the direction of the fur. Consequently, Homi's normally neat face melted into mush.

"Uuuung."

Her legs, initially holding an attention posture, twisted back and forth before becoming disorganized into an hourglass shape.

"I will continue doing this later when it is just the two of us."

Doing more than this was difficult as many subordinates' eyes surrounded them. He needed to preserve Homi's dignity as well.

Homi turned around with a satisfied face holding the box containing four types of onyx combs.

The last gift prepared for Cassandra was a coral necklace.

"What kind of jewel is this?"

Her violet eyes widened round with curiosity.

"Is this your first time seeing coral?"

"Ah, so this was coral... It is truly beautiful."

She truly befitted a race far removed from the ocean. Although in this era, it was common for inland dwellers to never see the ocean until they died anyway.

Cassandra slightly extended her neck with her eyes closed. She held a soft smile on her lips.

Grasping her intent, the corners of her mouth rose further as Eugene placed it around her neck.

"I hear the distant ocean floors are full of corals like this to the point of being kicked by your feet? Like a submarine garden."

"It resembles a flower garden sculpted from colorful stones... Fish as brilliant as butterflies frolic amidst it, and the sea surface casts a swaying shadow... The scattering sunlight almost gives the sensation of strolling inside a rainbow."

"Haa... It must truly be a magnificent sight."

Cassandra sighed, as if just imagining it made her dizzy. She had always yearned for foreign oceans.

While strolling by the ocean Samur bordered was enjoyable, what she truly desired existed in a much further place.

"If you sail southeast from the Samur sea for over several months, islands warm all year round appear... There lies a coral cluster called the Garden of Gods beneath the ocean there... There are even islands comprised entirely of coral."

Cassandra remembered the story a merchant told her in the past without missing a single word.

"It wouldn't be bad to go on a vacation to a foreign uninhabited island with all our castle family members someday."

"Ahahahaha!"

Cassandra collapsed clutching her stomach laughing, imagining that scene. Because while it represented an absurd luxury and a dangerous journey by the standards of this era, the story changed if it was with the Moving Castle.

"You are right... There would be nowhere the Lord could not take us... I should soothe my heart looking at this until then."

Cassandra preciously fondled the coral resting near her chest.

"Thank you for the gift... I will cherish it for a lifetime... Although I will have to take it off during combat."

Now, their business here was concluded.

"Are these enough as proof of subjugation to present to the city?"

"They are perfect."

The adventurer nodded before the severed heads of the matriarch and the males.

"The heads of the males will be an even more definite proof than the matriarch... Because they are bastards protected in the safest location... Killing this many is impossible without massacring the corresponding Rakshasa tribe."

At those words, Eugene immediately ordered preparations for withdrawal.

Both he and his subordinates had accumulated fatigue, and above all, they were in a state where they could not carry any additional loot. Fighting further yielded little profit.

Moving any further away from the civilized sphere was also dangerous. Because overstaying in a place where an army could not receive supplies was recklessness, no matter how powerful the army.

However, he needed to wash the rescued people before departing. Because their entire bodies were covered in filth. While their health was important, they could also transmit diseases to Eugene's accompanying army.

Because the survivors were so severely weakened, he could not wash them with cold water, which took quite some effort.

"Do not be too terrified... Do you think we would boil you people as is?"

"W-we believe you."

"Absolutely! You are individuals who saved our lives."

The survivors inside the heated cast-iron pot rolled their eyes terrified.

Because they had seen this exact pot brewing Smallfolk just a few hours ago.

Watching that sight made Eugene also want to return quickly and submerge his body in warm water.

He had invaded deep outside civilization to massacre the largest faction among the Rakshasa tribe, and burned down other Sain-folk settlements located on his path.

This much should have well surpassed his contract's worth.