The Calcut range was full of mountains and valleys, leaving little in the way of open plains. This peak must have been the flattest land Chiyome’s people found in the area.
“Building a village this size so deep in the mountains is certainly praiseworthy, but I don’t imagine it could support many people.”
It seemed rather cramped compared to Lalatoya, Ariane’s hometown.
Sadness washed across Chiyome’s face, her azure eyes fixed on the village. “Ever since we rescued the enslaved from the capital, the population has grown to over a thousand.”
“That’s…that’s quite a lot.”
Back in my world, a thousand people wasn’t much, but that population would severely overcrowd a small settlement like this. Ariane nodded in agreement with my shocked assessment as we looked down over the village.
Ponta let out a loud yawn, lazing in Ariane’s arms and letting its large tail sweep back and forth slowly. It was good at noticing when food was around, but not much else. If we ran across a problem big enough to bother Ponta, that would truly be cause for concern.
After taking a look at the carefree Ponta, Chiyome broke into a broad smile. “Let’s go meet the twenty-second elder, then.”
I shifted the umbra tigris’s weight on my shoulders and followed her down the well-worn footpath into the village.
There were towers on either side of the entrance. The guards inside banged mallets on hanging wooden panels as soon as they noticed us—some kind of warning system, no doubt. The panels made a hollow sound that resonated throughout the village. Even from outside the walls, I could hear people murmuring inside.
After a few moments, the drawbridge door lowered, making a loud “thunk” as it hit the ground. The door was made of a double layer of thick logs. It must have been incredibly heavy.
“The sun’s about to set,” Chiyome said. “We should hurry up and get inside. More monsters will start appearing soon.”
Ariane and I followed her through the entrance.
No sooner had we set foot in the village than the door rose behind us. At the same time, the door to the inner wall lowered. That door, too, closed as soon as we were through.
I followed Chiyome toward the village’s tallest building, located in the center. I looked around, taking in as many sights as I could. A large crowd—mostly children—filled the streets, watching me with great interest. They represented a wide variety of species, various types of ears twitching with excitement as they pointed toward the umbra tigris over my shoulder.
Chiyome paid no attention. She stopped in front of the two-story building at the village center and motioned toward me.
“This is where Hanzo, the twenty-second elder of the Jinshin clan, lives.”
The building looked almost exactly like the shrine near the hot spring, although this one was much smaller. Despite its compact size, a lot of love had clearly been put into its construction. Intricate engravings covered its walls.
The surrounding buildings were also well-built. It didn’t seem as though the mountain people were doing all that badly for themselves here.
I followed Chiyome into the building, and found myself in a spacious entry hall, facing an elderly man with cat ears.
The man stood around 180 centimeters tall. Long white hair ran straight down his back. His thick, bushy eyebrows and long beard gave him the appearance of an old mountain hermit. His arms were crossed behind him, resting at his lower back.
The old man looked at me, raised a single bushy eyebrow, and turned his attention to Chiyome.
“Ah, Chiyome, you’ve returned. This man you bring with you, is he the one who comes from the same home as our great founder?”
“Yes. The armored one is Arc, and this is the dark elf Ariane.”
Ariane and I bowed our heads.
“Kyiiii!” Ponta introduced itself from Ariane’s arms.
The old man smiled. “We are honored that you grace us with your presence. I am Hanzo, the twenty-second to hold the name, and to be granted charge of the Jinshin clan. I know how much you two have done for us, and I offer you humble thanks on behalf of our people. Am I correct in assuming that your presence means you have agreed to help us once again?”
I set the umbra tigris on the ground and straightened. “I, too, am honored to meet you. I have come here at Chiyome’s request. I hear that your village finds itself in dire need. If there’s anything I can do to assist you, I will do it.”
I did my best to respond to Hanzo’s formal greeting in kind, although the whole thing felt a bit like a period drama.
Ariane bowed her head toward Hanzo. “My full name is Ariane Glenys Maple. I am a soldier of the Great Canada Forest. I’m here as Chiyome’s friend and Arc’s travel companion.” She smiled at Chiyome, who blushed in response.
What had she meant by “travel companion”?
Hanzo gestured at the umbra tigris. “And this monster next to you, Arc, may I ask what it is for?”
“We encountered it on our journey here,” I said. “Chiyome told me how valuable it is, so I’ve brought it as an offering to the village.”
The wrinkles in Hanzo’s forehead deepened as he smiled broadly. “We appreciate it greatly, and humbly accept your gift.”
Hanzo raised his right arm, and several people in ninja garb similar to Chiyome’s silently stepped from the shadows and carried the massive umbra tigris out of the building.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ariane tense up for a split second when the newcomers appeared. Apparently, even she could be rattled sometimes.
Hanzo smiled again. “You must be tired from your journey. I have already prepared rooms for you two, so please, settle in and rest your weary bodies. We can talk more later, over dinner.”
Two cat-eared women appeared.
“These two will show you to your rooms. I will call you once dinner is ready.”
Hanzo turned to leave. Chiyome jogged after him.
“Have you learned Sasuke’s whereabouts?” She spoke in a low voice, but I still caught what she said.
I hadn’t heard the name before, but I assumed Sasuke was another of the Jinshin clan’s top fighters.
Hanzo simply shook his head.
“Sir Arc, I will take you to your room.” A woman’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
I looked at her. “Ah, yes. Thank you.”
The women led us to the second floor, and down a hall to the two rooms prepared for Ariane and me.
Mine was relatively simple, lit during the daytime by sunlight shining through a slatted shutter on one wall. It contained a raised platform, about two meters square, covered in animal pelts. I assumed that was the bed.
Next to the platform was a gorgeous writing desk of elaborately carved wood, and a long, wooden chest for storing my things. Both looked well-made and built to last. An oil lamp, the room’s sole source of illumination, hung on the wall by the door. Its dim light cast long shadows into the corners of the room, causing my imagination to run wild.
“It seems like a ghost could pop out at any minute,” I mumbled.
“What’re you talking about, Arc?” Ariane called from behind me. “You’re practically a ghost yourself.”
“Wah!” I cried in surprise.
When I turned to tell Ariane off for scaring me, a green furball suddenly latched onto my face, plunging me into darkness.
“Kyii!”
“Mmmph! I can’t see, Ponta.”
I grabbed the fox by the scruff of the neck and pulled it away. It dangled, looking completely content and wagging its tail back and forth. It was probably thinking about dinner, since it had heard that word earlier.
Ariane watched Ponta absently. “Chiyome’s village is better-established than I thought it would be. Are they really going to throw this all away and move on?”
She had a point. The village’s defenses seemed more than adequate to keep forest-dwelling monsters at bay.
“Maybe they’ll explain over dinner. I’ll use teleportation magic to help them move, if they want. But it’s not my place to tell them what to do.”
“I suppose you’re right. Speaking of dinner, what do you plan on doing about…that?” Ariane pointed at my helmet.
I’d worn my armor ever since we arrived here, even during my introduction to Hanzo. I had shown Chiyome my skeleton body back in Lalatoya, but I hadn’t yet mentioned—much less shown—it to anyone else. Ariane was probably asking how I planned to deal with that. I didn’t really have a good way out this time, though.
“Don’t worry. I brought this with me.”
I dug in my bag and showed Ariane a leather waterskin that I’d tucked inside.
She caught on immediately. “Aah. Got it.”
The skin was filled with enough spring water to provide about two hours back in my body. If I drank it before dinner, I wouldn’t frighten anyone.