The God of Humans (3)

Is he not coming?

Kaiyak looked down the mountain path several times.

With still no sign of anyone, a strange uneasiness was troubling Kaiyak.

Was it reckless?

The James that Kaiyak knew wasn’t someone who would sell out his comrades just because of some wanted poster nonsense.

Though humans are a race that betrays, deceives, and swindles as easily as breathing, so it would be reasonable to doubt,

as far as he knew, orcs were a race that understood honor.

They weren’t a race that would do something like selling out their comrades, blinded by some trivial gold coins.

But as he waited for James who hadn’t come even as the night deepened,

the anxiety that maybe— yes, just maybe, something like that might have happened, raised its head.

“…Shall we leave?”

At Yona’s words, Kaiyak hesitated.

With a sniff, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and thought.

There’s still no particular sign, is there?

If James had informed on them, it should be quite noisy by now.

But it’s too quiet for that.

The sound of cold winter wind sweeping by.

The sound of tree branches shaking, unable to withstand that wind.

The sound of fallen leaves, barely clinging to those branches, falling helplessly and rolling on the ground.

It was a mountain filled only with a desolate scenery, overlapped with the sound of chilly wind.

“…It seems my hard work wasn’t in vain after all.”

Suddenly, it was Yona’s muttering to herself.

Kaiyak turned to see Yona staring down blankly at the sacred tree site.

The newly planted sacred tree had grown quite a bit, as if something had happened.

The new sacred tree, which had been as tall as Kaiyak even as a sapling, had now grown to the point where even Kaiyak had to look up at it.

The lushly spreading branches showed that the sacred tree had safely taken root and was growing.

Yona’s hard work was not in vain.

The new sacred tree had clearly taken root here, and its vitality had also firmly established itself.

That’s right.

Yona’s sacrifice was not in vain.

When spring comes soon, the sacred tree will spread new branches and sprout buds, and finally its life will push out leaves.

Yona’s sacrifice was not in vain.

Her sacrifice would be rewarded.

“…Let’s just go. There’s no point in waiting any longer.”

Kaiyak inwardly set aside his disappointment and stood up, dusting off his bottom.

As he was brushing off the fallen leaf fragments and dirt that had gathered, urgent footsteps were heard from somewhere.

“Shh.”

At Alec’s signal, Kaiyak and Yona immediately hid behind trees.

Just one set of footsteps.

The sound of stepping on fallen leaves, the sound of gasping for breath, the sound of rough bark being stripped off as it’s grabbed.

Amidst these sounds, they indicated just one thing— someone was approaching this place now.

Alec tightened his grip on the shield.

If necessary, he planned to strike with the shield and send them tumbling down the mountain ridge before leaving.

Finally, someone appeared at the sacred tree site.

Yona’s group had taken position on a hill overlooking the sacred tree site in preparation for any situation, so they could see the figure directly below.

In the clearing filled only with bright moonlight, a giant with green skin was entering while clutching some sort of bundle.

As if breathing roughly, the white breath rising continuously from his mouth painted an out-of-place winter sentiment in the situation.

“It’s James. Stay still.”

Kaiyak carefully held his double-axe askew and slowly descended the mountain ridge.

Every time he moved, the sound of rustling fallen leaves was made, and as if catching that sound, James also raised his head to look up at the mountain ridge.

“Kaiyak, my friend. Did you wait long? I’m sorry.”

Molars gleaming white in the moonlight.

A good-natured looking orc showing a grin with molars protruding slightly outside his lips.

James had arrived.

“I’ve heard all about you folks. They say you caused quite a big incident?”

Though he kept chuckling as if something was so funny, James was busy stroking Rubina’s hair who was sitting on his knee.

However, there was no response. Yona, Alec, and Kaiyak, who should have answered that, were too busy eating.

Instead of explaining why he came so late, James put down the bundle he was holding and unwrapped it.

James’ playful grumbling about being late because he was preparing this, and how hard it was to hurry here,

and gradually revealing from inside— several wooden containers full of home-cooked food.

As they were freshly made, the still steaming food was clearly made not long ago.

Thanks to this, it was natural for them to pounce on it excitedly, as they had been filling their stomachs with improper meals until now— fruits gathered from the mountains or roasted raw meat from hunted animals, occasionally fish grilled by Kaiyak.

So, they were too busy eating to respond to what James was saying.

Rubina was also busy munching on a pie, and James kept smiling good-naturedly while patting Rubina’s head.

“Well, it seems you’ve satiated your hunger now. Let’s talk in detail now. What on earth happened? First of all, I’m most curious about how Alec, that friend, grew hair.”

That was certainly true.

Though James recognized everything else, he seemed utterly unable to believe this person was really Alec.

He even got excited saying that if this was true, wouldn’t that mean the Celestine Church was worse than demons.

“If it’s difficult to talk about, it can’t be helped…”

It wasn’t that, but where to start from.

Looking back, so many things had happened that it was more of a concern where to start from.

In the end, Yona slowly began the story from right after parting with James— that is, from when Berbaria had settled in her.

“Huh. So that’s how it happened.”

James kept nodding while stroking his chin.

His face was very serious, and he didn’t seem to be doubting Yona’s explanation.

“…Do you believe me?”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

Yona hesitated for a moment.

Until now, no one had properly believed Yona’s words.

Everyone said Yona was lying, and even the hero didn’t believe her.

Bigrind— perhaps, Bigrind.

She might believe her.

She might.

“…Given that the Celestine Church has put up wanted posters to this extent, they must have made me out to be someone worth killing, so I wondered if you… believe me.”

“Ah, that’s what you mean.”

James kept nodding and grinned.

Those protruding molars gleamed in the moonlight.

“What do I know? It’s obvious the Celestine Church will say whatever suits them. What they say is their side of the story, but well… I believe what I’ve seen. Between a Celestial God I’ve never seen, and Miss Yona whom I’ve seen directly. It’s obvious which one I should believe. Besides, seeing that Kaiyak has been traveling with you all this time, I thought you must have been framed with something like false accusations.”

“Mr. James…”

“But it’s not exactly false accusations. You did actually destroy the Celestine Church headquarters, didn’t you?”

At James’ words, Yona’s neck shrank with an “urk” sound.

The sight of Yona shrinking like a turtle’s neck was quite amusing.

“Well, anyway, isn’t the Celestial God just the god of humans? I hear they’re even proselytizing to beastkin these days, but I haven’t converted yet. Well, you must have had some reason to destroy it, right? My, the hero and saint must be having quite a hard time mentally.”

James’ hearty laughter — pahaha — echoed late into the winter night sky.

Yona also felt something in her heart loosening up.

Until now, Yona hadn’t received proper belief from anyone.

Knowingly or unknowingly, Yona had been carrying a lot of emotional baggage.

But now, hearing words of trust from James, saying he believes her, it made her feel strange.

“So, what are you going to do from now on?”

It was James’ question.

Yona suddenly felt her throat tighten and hesitated, unable to answer,

Noticing this, Alec hugged Yona’s waist and answered James instead.

“We’re planning to go to Evian.”

“Evian, Evian… Well, you’re planning to go on a long journey. There’ll be a lot of people coming and going, so it won’t be easy to approach, what are you thinking of doing?”

At those words, even Alec was at a loss for words.

“…Um, we were thinking of climbing over the back gate of Evian or something like that.”

“And the way there? You guys are the ones who get lost even while looking at a map, aren’t you?”

“The way…”

No, it doesn’t seem to be that bad.

But it’s a bit hard to say it’s not like that at all.

Is it right to say we’re good at finding our way in front of an archer?

So Alec hesitated, unable to answer.

“You people. You could just ask for help, couldn’t you?”

James grinned,

but the others couldn’t laugh.

“Well, no matter what, James, you have a wife and children, don’t you? It would be a big problem if you got involved trying to help us.”

“Then why did you come looking for me? Wasn’t it to ask for help?”

“…Well, um.”

It’s not that there wasn’t such a thought.

Generally, there’s no one better at erasing traces and sneaking in secretly than an archer.

Moreover, given James’ job characteristics as a shadow archer, he had excellent skills in infiltration and concealment,

so Kaiyak had his own calculations.

But when he actually saw his face, he couldn’t bring himself to ask for help.

To ask such a thing of James, who has a wife and children, which could lead to more than just big trouble if he got involved wrongly.

“Well, it’s fine about the wife and children. They’re in a place where the Celestine Church can’t do anything no matter how much they raise hell… I mean, cause trouble.”

“What does that mean? Did something happen?”

“No, no. It’s not like that.”

James stuck out one finger and waved it gently.

With a smile all over his face, it seemed that nothing bad had happened.

“I sent them to study abroad. All the children. I sent my wife too, to look after the kids.”

“…Study abroad?”

“I sent them to study at an academy in the clan-state alliance of us orcs, the Alliance of Eight Brothers. No matter how much the Celestine Church rages, they can’t touch a finger there. This is all thanks to the freedom… I mean, the opportunity given to the children with the gold coins earned thanks to Miss Yona, so I should repay it at this point, shouldn’t I? I don’t want to be called an orc who doesn’t know gratitude.”

“Well…”

Kaiyak’s exclamation flowed into the mountain covered by the quiet winter.