BSS 109

Chapter 109

“We leave for the city once we become adults. Then we choose between two paths: either accept the culture of the man you choose and abandon the jungle… or abandon the man and return to the jungle.”

“Then why not just bring the man with you? As a live-in husband!”

“There’s an old rule: only our bloodline can live in the village.”

It was well-known that jungle tribes were closed off to outsiders, but I hadn’t realized it was like this. Not that I’m a jungle-tribe researcher or anything.

“So, did you choose the latter, sister? You abandoned Kenta?”

“I did.”

“I can’t understand that. You liked him enough to have his child.”

“I did like Kenta, but not as a husband. I wasn’t fond of the city either, and I always missed the jungle.”

That was the second shock.

“…Wait, so you didn’t have to return to the jungle because of having a child. From the start…”

“I went out there to procure a man.”

That was a somewhat R-rated statement.

I had thought my sister, if she were an animal, would be a carnivore…

And suddenly, I felt a bit sorry for Kenta. In a way, he had been used for my sister’s second-generation plans.

The jungle won, Kenta!

“On the other hand, many choose to abandon the jungle forever. I think Eini will be that kind of child.”

“You mean your daughter?”

“Yes. Eini is a timid, gentle child. I worry she might not fit in the jungle.”

For a moment, my head was in a tangle, thinking about how my sister and Kenta were together, and that Kenta had been left behind with the city. But I quickly reminded myself it was someone else’s story. If my sister is happy, that’s all that matters. Kenta isn’t my concern.

I suddenly stopped walking, dug into my bag, and took out a compass.

“Oh, here. Do you want to try this, sister?”

While talking, we had circled the village and arrived at the square where the festival was about to start.

I had to check my sister on the compass before I forgot.

“It’s an unusual compass. You want me to touch it?”

“Yes. Just place your hand on the screen.”

She lightly placed her hand on the glass protecting the needle. Almost immediately, the needle spun rapidly.

Before long, it stopped, pointing in a different direction from before, as if it had found the next person.

“It’s like a magical tool.”

“Yes.”

“What does it do?”

My sister, sharp-eyed as always, seemed to realize it wasn’t a normal compass.

“It shows the nearest person who misses me. Isn’t it unusual?”

“That’s amazing. So it wasn’t entirely by chance that we met. I was curious how you got here.”

“I followed the compass, and there you were.”

“I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Eini is exactly like you at that age. She’s very different from you now…”

When my sister spoke about her daughter, she smiled, but there was a hint of bitterness in her expression.

Even though we had been in the village for a while, I still hadn’t seen that child.

Upon entering the square, someone placed a crown woven from branches on my head, decorated with bird feathers and animal teeth.

“It means we welcome you.”

“Thank you. I like it.”

The crown smelled strongly of unknown herbs, which surprisingly lifted my mood.

I adjusted the crown and turned toward the source of a delicious smell: a whole goat roasting over a fire.

It really was a feast. There were many people and plenty of food.

The festive atmosphere was so lively that it was hard to believe this tribe was supposed to be closed off to outsiders.

“Aren’t your people usually shy?”

“For a rare healer, it’s different.”

“But she’s a spirit user…”

“I know well enough. Hehe.”

Would the day ever come when a spirit user was properly honored?

I wandered around and found a spot near the bonfire to sit.

Immediately, a familiar tribe member ran up and acted friendly.

It was the woman who had fallen from the tree and hurt her leg—the first person to treat me.

“Eat!”

“Hmm? What is this…”

“Alcohol!”

“I’m not good with alcohol.”

“Alcohol! Drink it!”

The tribe members all seemed to know a little of the common language. They spoke as they pleased, but communication was effective.

“Jini, you don’t have to drink. They just want to give you something to show their gratitude.”

“Then just a little.”

At first, I only planned to pretend to sip, but the drink was incredibly delicious.

Sweet, tangy, and smooth—it clung to my tongue.

“Oh? This is tasty.”

“Right?”

My sister smiled broadly and poured me a little more.

I’d rarely had the chance to drink, so I had never considered whether I liked it or not.

I had died before I reached drinking age, and this time I had been too focused on training to even notice my age.

Sitting by the warm fire, sipping alcohol, and watching the moon… I realized I quite enjoyed it.

It was a rare moment of leisure.

“Ah… this is nice. This too.”

The fact that I was already an adult and alive made me feel both tired and satisfied.

When Magi caught me, I had fully expected to die.

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

“But I feel a bit drunk.”

“Even though it’s smooth, it’s strong. Our tribe’s traditional liquor is famous for its taste. Other tribes trade bear pelts just to get it.”

Ah, so it’s a regional specialty.

I nodded and continued sipping, thinking I should enjoy it while I could.

“Outsider! Eat! Meat!”

“Alcohol! Pour more! Pour!”

The tribe gave me well-cooked goat meat, refilled my cup, and showed constant attention.

“Everyone here speaks common language well, huh?”

“I teach them regularly. You can’t live only in the jungle anymore.”

It made sense. My sister spoke fluent common language, almost native-level, making it hard to tell she was from the jungle if you didn’t know.

“You really can do anything, huh?”

“Oh, you flatter me.”

“Isn’t it true? Your swordsmanship is top-notch… Later I realized you were all elite mercenaries.”

I hadn’t realized it as a child, but my sister, Kenta, and Captain Shabel were all elite mercenaries.

Elite mercenaries were a rare group, only 3,000 in the continent, highly skilled, strong, and valuable.

Thinking about it, the Shabel Mercenary Corps, with three elite mercenaries, was a small but formidable team.

It was amazing they protected a child like me for free.

“I wrote you a letter once, sister.”

“Did you? Where?”

“I didn’t know your address… So I asked the Mercenary Central Association and sent it to the Shabel Mercenary Corps headquarters, addressed to Annelia of the Shabel Corps. I thought if I was lucky, it would reach you… But you never got it, right?”

Talking about my very young self over drinks made me feel like I had grown up.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“I thought so.”

“I quit the mercenary corps less than a month after parting with you. Even if the letter reached the headquarters, I wouldn’t have been there.”

This world had many inconveniences.

Letters could take months, and the chance of them being lost was ridiculously high.

“But we met like this, right? Thinking about how remarkable this connection is, you should thank God…”

“Oh, him.”

That damn god.

If a god were assigned to me, it would surely be the god of misfortune—or trial!

I drank boldly, making an irreverent face.

A single shot lifted my mood slightly.

“Ha! My mouth says thank you, God. This will never happen again.”

“Did something bad happen?”

“Too much to count.”

Enough to fill a book, probably.

“I’ll stop here… There’s no need to dwell on it! One thing is certain—I have less faith than anyone in this jungle tribe.”

Most nobles were devout, especially those close to power, as they were educated to be so from a young age.

The farther from power or city life, the less likely one had deep faith.

“God can’t watch over everyone.”

My sister comforted me and refilled my cup.

I had already had five cups, my face was flushed, and I was feeling tipsy.

So this is what being drunk feels like.

My emotions were all over the place.

“You don’t have to heap all misfortune on me!”

“Ah, seems like you’ve had a lot piled up.”

“There are exactly two beings I want to grab by the collar if I meet them—one is God, and the other…”

“The other?”

“…Exists. An unlucky man you don’t know, sister.”

Robenin Pedri.

To erase his name from my mind, I had to fight and win.

Just being concerned about someone like that bruised my pride.

“By the way, what’s this liquor made of? Could it be made in the city?”

“Do you like it? It could be made, but the mixing ratio is secret. Even if you know the ingredients, it won’t taste the same.”

“What are the main ingredients?”

“Fruit and detox herbs… The main ingredient is—”

Why the pause?

My sister stayed quiet while I sipped.

Then, when she removed the cup from my lips, she smiled and gently said:

“Snake.”

“……”

[…….]

Pfft.

[Ugh! Annel, I hate you!]