Volume 2 - CH 36

Chapter 2-36. Question

I was watching with the onis from the first and second shifts, but it was too early to replace with the third shift.

I was worried from beginning to end, but if there was no problem, I would draw thumbs up with a hand made of water.

The time is probably around 2 o'clock in the middle of the night, but for some reason I don't feel sleepy at all.

If this is the case, I can do this all night easily.

In the worst case, I should sleep on the princess's shoulder later.

I'll work hard as the watchmen with the onis today.

The onis seem to tell me in advance when they change their shift.

Now they don't have to worry about being surprised when I show my emojis.

They are smart people.

"White snake-sama"

It was Tenda's who took turns.

Even though he heard about it in advance, it seems that he is really surprised that I'm here.

However, he doesn't seem to say, "Please take a rest and leave the place to me."

"I was impressed with the white snake-sama."

Kuhh ... I may not be so open-minded, but I'm also a former human being.

I think I know the fear of dying.

I couldn't really understand their feelings because I saw people die in the war, but when I saw them in person, I wanted to take care of them.

In this current situation, I'm wondering if it's best for me, the object they worship, to work for everyone, but ... this may also be a relief.

But, just doing nothing left a bitter feeling for me.

I just wanted to do what I could, though I'm not sure I'm good at some things.

However, if you live in this world ... the people's death may become a daily occurrence.

I don't really want to think about it.

"White snake-sama. Are all the people of my village a good person?"

I nod to his question.

He will understand me just by my response.

Even though I met them for a short time, they are so kind that I think they are good people.

But ... there is something that I don't understand.

"... are you wondering why we can laugh so much knowing that we lost our comrade?"

I nod again.

That's exactly what I don't understand.

Tenda showed a hatred gaze in front of me, like he was in pain.

That is quite normal.

Can you forgive yourself when you left your companion that died unreasonably?

But he didn't show any such feelings in front of others.

So do the others.

No one gave off such a sign of anger.

I have felt this question once before.

That was when I met Alena.

Alena was always more worried about her sister, Satella, than herself.

She was taken to a slave trader, but she wasn't trying to get revenge.

Even though her parents were killed, she didn't seem to have such a way of thinking.

I still don't understand that.

"We onis ... laugh and see off the deaths of our friends. Even if we're gone, if the living onis are laughing, we'll be relieved that they will overcome our death and move on to the next world. It is said that if you shed even a single drop of tears, the dead will be worried that their child will be possessed and approach the oni. Therefore, our tears…..  we can't show it no matter what."

It was good to hear his story, but ... it was a heavier story than I had imagined.

Onis who can't show their tears ... I think all the onis here are like that.

"Of course everyone wants revenge. They're still there. They behave as if nothing had happened because there are still dead people near us. The dead are still here for a month after they die. It is said that they will not leave our side, so we will not take action during the month. After that ... we will slowly build up our strength and go to kill those who robbed our village. "

...... If it is true, does he want to go to kill his enemy as soon as possible?

It seems that these guys are different from Alena.

I was a little relieved.

If that response is normal, including Alena's case, I wouldn't be able to tolerate the death of someone nearby.

These guys are strong.

In many ways.

"Haha. It was a bit of a noisy story."

But his determination was conveyed.

But ... how could a slave trader hire so many soldiers?

They wouldn't do something this big if there isn't anything big on their side.

However, they dispatched the soldiers like this.

Was the number of people who attacked Tenda's village about a thousand personnel?

There is no way that they were unnoticed with that much numbers.

Or rather, do they have no intention of hiding it?

I don't know the place where Alena was in the first place, so I don't know the reason for her village being targeted.

There may have been some cause, but ...

I'm not sure why they aimed at the village of onis.

Since onis are classified as sub-humans, was it the behavior of those who did not think well about sub-humans? *(Human supremacy)

I don't know where the soldiers are coming from, but ... no matter how well they are prepared, they don't come up with good intentions.

First of all, it is clear that slave traders are involved.

And there is a high possibility that the merchant is also involved.

If the merchants ask the adventurer, the adventurer will start moving without any hesitation.

But when it comes to slave hunting, the story is different.

An ordinary adventurer wouldn't do that.

It seems that a person who hunts slaves is not a bright person.

So where is those over a thousand soldiers come from?

There are as many things I can think of.

The first is a soldier who get a reports directly from the slave trader.

I don't know if it's possible to own more than a thousand escorts and soldiers, but this is probably the easiest possible reason.

They are the ones who aren't doing the good deeds anyway.

Their weapons may have been procured from behind-the-scenes organizations rather than regular route.

The other is a coalition of debt slaves and criminal slaves.

If there is magic in this world, it is not strange that there is cursed magic that forces slaves to work.

It's possible that the magic was used to force slaves to attack the village, but ... it's too inefficient for slaves to hunt slaves.

It's possible, but this idea isn't very practical.

The last is the worst case scenario.

If the country allows slave hunting.

Slaves can act without worrying about anything.

The country will help you with all the soldiers and weapons.

It's no wonder that a thousand soldiers are in motion if this idea is dispatched.

It's possible that slave traders are implying something into the aristocrats and royalty to take action, but ... I don't know how they do that.

But whether this idea is right or wrong, the slaves is neither a prisoner of war captured in the war, a person who cannot pay back their debt, or a person who has no place to live since childhood.

It should be treated as a illegal slave as it is commonly called.

It is by no means an acceptable case.

I know that slave traders are assh*le ... I can't help it if the royal family is rotten too.

"White snake-sama"

Tenda breaks into my thoughts on a sudden.

It's a one-sided conversation, so it's unavoidable that this happens ...

I mean, I completely forgot about Tenda.

"There is one thing I would like you to know about the princess's father, the Great Lord."

By the way, I have never met him.

It feels like we are going somewhere from the conversation, but ... there's no sign of coming back.

What are you going to do when you arrive at Zenki-village?

"The Great Lord has been killed in the previous battle."

...... Hah?

Err?

Say what again! ??

No no!

The princess said "What about my father?" before!

Hold the lizard's tail for a sec. Now you are telling me that he is dead! ??

Then why do you bring his name in this conversation in the first place?

"It wasn't this battle that Tenma-sama died. It was a battle about five years ago. I won't go into details ... At that time, when it was reported that the lord was killed, the princess was crying. Since then, the princess who had a lot of recovery skills has lost them all. Instead, she has a huge amount of magical power and a skill that she has never seen before. She suddenly gets that unknown skill. Perhaps the lord possessed his own daughter, the princess. This is just a prediction, but the princess is step by step going to be like the Great Lord Tenma-sama ... "

...... It seems in folklore that when a demon cries, the dead attach their soul and approach the living oni is not a mere folktale.

Maybe he guessed it because the princess's skills were gone.

However, when that happens, anyone can think that something has happened to the princess.

The skills won't just disappear unless a considerable amount of skill remains, but it's not like that.

"Therefore"

That kinda surprising me.

Uchikage-kun, the hell you're coming from again.

Isn't Tenda also surprised?

"Therefore ... we are not denying the princess is looking up at the lord, and we are talking as if he is still in the world. She is no longer a princess walking on the path of onis. We have to protect her from now on. Tenda and I  have vowed that way since five years ago. "

"Whenever the princess turns herself into a demon, she almost always uses her skills. It seems that her magical power increases each time she uses it. We have never seen an oni that becomes a demon, is that possible or not? I don't know if she is going to be a complete demon. The folklore didn't have any detailed reports in such cases. "

The two oni have difficult faces.

Nothing will be as difficult and cautious as dealing with an unpredictable situation.

The lord's wife probably knows this.

And maybe the princess knows about this demonization.

The other day, there was a time when I was about to get in touch with an adventurer who was escorting the mapper.

At that time, when I got things done, the princess suddenly said, "I didn't have to fight."

I don't know how much she knows, but she is aware that every time she uses her skill, her amount of magical power increases.

I wonder if her magical power output is also increasing ...

But there is no doubt that it is a skill that she does not want to use.

I'll keep that in my mind.

I mean, it's not MP but magical power.

Well, the only thing that I understand is you must not let your MP to zero point.

"White snake-sama ... just a little bit, please protect the princess. I think she is fine with you because she looks like she is enjoying herself like how she used to be."

That's true.

Well, I hope she doesn't need to use her skills. Let's remember it.

"By the way ... Uchikage. You haven't taken any sleep yet, have you?"

"No problem if it's about three days"

"The last time you sleep is when we are still in the village right? Don't overdo it, okay?"

"I'm the only one who has good night vision. It's for everyone. I'm a little bit overwhelmed to be honest. Instead, I'll have a good rest at Zenki-village."

"Alright then."

As expected from siblings

I think they are on good terms.