Ch.252Traces of the Water King Clan

“Well, shall we get going then?”

“I hope we can return safely without any trouble…”

It was June 25th, the Day of Light.

Having decided to accept Director General Geronimo’s request, we set out toward the ancient ruins located southwest of Westend Seventh.

“Did we pack enough food and supplies?”

“No problem! This box can hold enough to fill a decent hotel room.”

“The Box of Frozen Time… I’m glad we were able to get our hands on it.”

The “Box of Frozen Time,” which had been the prize for ten consecutive victories in the arena, was successfully transferred to Seti yesterday evening.

Although the match between Seti and Kasim ended in an incomplete form, once it was revealed that Kasim’s owner was the proprietor of Hell’s Garden, Kasim’s participation and slave liberation were considered “intentional interference with the match by the organizers”—in other words, fraud.

It’s a minor secret that behind this ruling were Director General Geronimo’s desire to have us investigate the ruins as soon as possible, and my request for the box to improve relations with the Beast King tribe.

“Attempting dialogue while offering food and necessities… certainly not a bad idea.”

“I hope they don’t get angry thinking we’re treating them like beggars. Or refuse to touch food from colonists.”

“Well… given our history, I should be prepared for some cold treatment. I don’t expect to elicit a friendly response from our first meeting.”

For this investigation, it’s enough just to confirm the existence of the Beast King tribe and convey that there are people among the colonists who wish to improve relations between the two races.

And if there happens to be an Arcane Word hidden in those ruins, all the better.

“I thought so, but… there’s nothing here.”

“Hmm. No matter how much I look, I don’t see any Arcane Words.”

“More like, this is just ruins. The tallest wall isn’t even a meter high.”

The ancient ruins located about 65km southwest of Westend Seventh were nothing but an empty lot with traces of old stone buildings.

Each building only had a floor area of about 3m×3m and was arranged in an X-shape. With no other artifacts or records discovered, it’s difficult to guess what purpose these buildings served.

On the other hand, we had no trouble finding traces of the Beast King tribe that were reportedly spotted recently.

Huge footprints well over 30 centimeters, remnants of campfires, fragments of wooden boxes that someone had apparently tried to burn but still retained their original shape.

Decisively, when Seti discovered Beast King tribe hair attached to a tree stump, the identity of those who had camped here became certain.

“I wonder what brought the Beast King tribe to such an empty ruin?”

“It doesn’t even have a roof to shelter from rain.”

Surely the Beast King refugees didn’t dismantle the ruins to use as building materials?

As I scratched the back of my head thinking this, time around me slowed down with a familiar sensation.

‘Ah… so they’ve shown up.’

Are they attacking outright despite our considerable numbers?

The attack seems to be coming from the 8 o’clock direction at quite a distance, probably more than 60 meters away.

Quickly drawing my revolver and looking in that direction, I saw a thick arrow flying from the distant forest.

To call it an arrow is generous—it’s more like a short spear with feathers attached.

‘Bang! Bang!’

Having confirmed the arrow’s existence in the slowed time, I checked if there were any other arrows targeting my party members.

If the Beast King tribe fired this arrow, their primary targets would be Jessica and me, the humans.

That prediction proved correct, and I was able to calmly shoot down the arrows flying toward Jessica and me with two magic bullets each.

“Everyone, battle formation! Iris, get inside the carriage!”

“Yes!”

As soon as I gave the order, Seti rushed toward the direction the arrows came from to take the front line, and as always, a cross formation centered on Mina was established.

I quickly reloaded my revolver and prepared for the next attack, but no more arrows came. After a brief wait, three Beast King tribe women emerged from the forest.

They were female warriors with faces and bodies painted with green pigment, bearing the heads of a black panther, a tiger, and a lioness.

“Hey there. Don’t know if you’re older or younger than me, but isn’t an ambush without warning a bit too rough?”

“There’s no reason to insist on a fair fight against vile colonists.”

“Then why reveal yourselves instead of running away? The ambush failed and you’re outnumbered—wouldn’t it have been wiser to retreat and wait for another opportunity?”

The Beast King female warriors could only grimace without answering Phyllis’s point.

It seems like there’s some circumstance, but they don’t appear to be in the mood to explain…

‘…Huh?’

During the brief standoff with just a few steps between us, I caught a subtle sense of discomfort from the Beast King warriors’ appearance.

It was a discomfort I would have noticed sooner if I were facing the more human-like Felinoid or White Rabbit tribes.

“…Hey. Have you all been starving lately?”

“What…?”

“This isn’t my first time seeing Beast King women, and even accounting for individual differences in physique, you’re nothing but skin and bones.”

The Beast King women I met in Nidavellir were generally more slender than their male counterparts, but these three could only be described as wild animals on the verge of starvation.

Emaciated bodies with dull, lifeless fur, sunken eyes, and upon closer inspection, even patches of hair loss.

Above all, judging by Seti’s nodding in agreement since earlier, my guess about their poor nutritional state seems to be accurate.

“I’m amazed you could even draw a bowstring in that condition. Honestly, I’m speechless…”

“…What do you think you’re doing?”

“Huh?”

“Putting away your weapon and dropping your guard—are you mocking us!?”

The Beast King female warriors were outraged seeing me holster my revolver, but I deliberately turned my back to them and approached the carriage while speaking.

“I have good reason to put away my weapon. We didn’t come here looking to fight the Beast King tribe, and if you were after our food, there’s no need to fight at all.”

As I said this, I opened the “Box of Frozen Time” installed in the carriage and began taking out the food we had brought. The Beast King female warriors could only watch with wide eyes.

“Which would you prefer: a large amount of food that comes to you safely, or a small amount of food that you have to risk your lives fighting for?”

The rumbling sound from someone’s stomach was the answer to that question.

~ ~ ~ Forest Area South of the Ancient Ruins ~ ~ ~

The three Beast King female warriors, having eaten their fill for the first time in nearly three months, each carried large sacks on their backs as they crossed the forest area south of the ruins.

“You’re sure no one is following us?”

“Yes. They didn’t apply scent-masking paint like we did. I’m certain.”

“We got lucky. How long has it been since we’ve had meat?”

The three women were heading to their hideout, each carrying a backpack filled with smoked meat, flour, canned goods, and more that Will’s group had brought.

It’s been 13 years since some of the Beast King tribe survivors left Riverside and settled in this area.

After being driven westward several times by colonists, they finally thought they had found a suitable place, but for the past 2-3 years, continued epidemics, pest infestations, and mysterious deaths of wildlife had made the Beast King tribe’s life increasingly destitute.

In the midst of this, not only were they given a large amount of food for free, but they were promised ten times more if they arranged a meeting with the tribe’s highest authority.

For the Beast King tribe, who had long suffered from famine and disease, this was truly welcome news.

“Don’t let your guard down too much. Even though they travel with elves, dwarves, and Felinoids, they’re still with the colonists. We need to thoroughly check if there’s poison or strange medicine in the food.”

“But they ate this food in front of us!”

“Idiot, haven’t you heard the village elders say that humans can use magic to neutralize poison?”

The tiger-headed Beast King, the leader and eldest of the three warriors, scolded her black panther companion for her carefree attitude.

She was sixteen years old this year, while the other two were fourteen.

Due to the Beast King tribe’s characteristic tall stature and build, they appeared to be adults to other races, but in reality, they were still young girls who hadn’t experienced the Riverside War.

This meant that their values regarding colonists had been formed solely through the village elders.

“Vile colonists, whatever scheme you’re plotting, we won’t let you have your way.”

Sometimes hatred based on education can be deeper and more blind than hatred based on experience.

The existence of a new generation indoctrinated with hatred toward colonists was undoubtedly the first obstacle that colonial society would have to face.