episode_0057

As the day darkened and the moon rose, a grand feast began.

“Alright, everyone, let’s down it in one go! To the great Mahdi Ulus (meaning tribe) and Kalia!”

“Cheers!!”

A banquet was held to welcome the family who had returned after a long time and to welcome guests.

Using the feast prepared by Mahdi’s wife as a snack, we drank our fill.

It was their traditional liquor, similar to mare’s milk, and it was subtly delicious with its sourness. The alcohol content was also low.

“It’s been almost five years, Kalia. You’ve grown a lot?”

“…..You’ve become quite robust as well, Brother.”

“I have to be this much to inherit the tribe. Although I’m still not as much as Father.”

“More importantly, tell me how you’ve been. Was the Ilaine Kingdom a good place to live?”

“….So-so.”

The attendees were mainly Kalia’s family.

Her adoptive parents, siblings, and a small number of tribe members.

The flow of conversation mainly consisted of teasing and making fun of Kalia.

Teasing her for being too big, or asking if anyone would marry her at that rate.

It didn’t seem like there was anything for me to interject, so I just watched from the side and smiled.

‘They must have a good relationship.’

Even though the content was subtly mischievous, there was no malice, so their relationship didn’t seem bad.

Usually, there are many disputes between biological and adopted children.

Is it because she’s not an heir, so there’s less room for fighting?

Well, if there’s no threat to their property or power, there’s no reason to hate her. Unless their personalities really don’t match.

‘That being said. This is the first time I’ve seen Kalia so docile.’

I’ve been with her for a year and a half, but this is the first time I’ve seen her so quiet and shy.

Instead of a stiff and business-like attitude, she’s using polite language in a small voice.

When Mahdi said Kalia was introverted earlier, I thought it was bullshit, but it turned out to be true.

‘She was like this when she was young.’

It was cute and nice to see. A precious benefactor showing that side only to her family. I saw something precious.

“The alcohol will get cold at this rate. Let’s have another drink before that.”

“Good. Ismael, was it? This time, you give the toast. Anything is fine.”

“Yes. Then…..to the destruction of the idiots who believe in goddesses!”

“Cheers!!”

The drinking culture of the nomads had similarities to that of Korea.

Especially in that they don’t just enjoy drinking, but pour and drink like crazy until they’re drunk.

Even if the alcohol content is low, alcohol is still alcohol.

The alcohol, generously absorbed into the body along with the greasy food, was enough to make people drunk.

“Oh dear, I’ll head out first. My stomach hurts….”

“I’m going to the restroom.”

As the remaining food dwindled, people left their seats one by one.

Some were sleepy, others had upset stomachs.

“I’ll excuse myself too, Father. I’m tired from the long journey.”

“Do so.”

Just as I was about to consider getting up from my seat, having lost interest after Kalia left.

Mahdi, who was the last one left, spoke to me.

“She’s a good woman, our adopted daughter. Don’t you think?”

* * * * *

A somewhat unexpected question.

However, since I wasn’t thinking straight due to being drunk, I answered without much thought, saying what came to mind.

“That’s right. It’ll be hard to find a beauty like her anywhere.”

“But her circumstances are terribly unfortunate. Poor thing.”

He poured new alcohol into his glass. And he forcibly poured me a glass as well.

“Do you know where that child was born? Artiom. A small village isolated beyond the mountains.”

“A hideout for the Mazoku.”

“Yes. It was their own land, untouched by humans.”

The Artiom Empire is a country with a vast territory but a very small population.

Internal control and management remain at a poor level, as does the density of its sparse population.

So much so that there are many communities living independently, hidden in the outskirts or backwoods.

Moreover, folk beliefs and primitive beliefs, rather than the Goddess Church, are still rampant everywhere.

The oppression of the Mazoku is relatively weak.

As a result, it’s also the country with the most Mazoku residing in large numbers on the continent.

But the fact that Mahdi is mentioning this means….

“They were attacked by someone, I presume.”

“You’re quick to catch on. You’re right. They were caught by some moronic humans and massacred.”

We both sighed at the same time.

No matter which group you go to, there are always assholes with messed up minds. Jirobo-sensei was right.

“Were they fanatics?”

“Similar. It was a moron and his followers who were inciting witch hunts in Ilaine and were kicked out.”

“As they came to Artiom, the target of their attacks increased from witches to the Mazoku.”

“They even had guns they got from somewhere and were heavily armed with armor.”

I can roughly guess what happened.

Those trashy bastards are a group of brain-damaged people who hate and despise the Mazoku.

They must have been wandering around, claiming to purify the world, and happened to discover a Mazoku village.

Then, they carried out a massacre, using their superior numbers and weapons.

Even if the physical abilities of the Mazoku are superior to those of humans, it would have been difficult to stop a group of psychopaths swarming in.

“I happened to be passing by nearby for business and witnessed the incident from afar. But I didn’t interfere. I thought it wasn’t my business anyway.”

“How cruel.”

“I was being realistic. My group was small anyway, and it was clear that getting involved would be a loss.”

Clicking his tongue, he drank his alcohol in quick succession.

Almost to the point of emptying a bottle in an instant.

“After the rioters left, I looked around the ruined village. I wondered if there was anything useful left. Then I met a child. A child with deep wounds and a haggard appearance, wailing in front of her parents’ corpses.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t dare to interrupt Mahdi’s bitter confession.

“I ignored her at the time. I thought she would die soon anyway, and I wouldn’t see her again.”

“…..”

“But a few months later. When I visited the city to deliver goods to a trading company, I met that child again. She was wearing rags and rummaging through the trash, picking up food.”

He let out a hollow laugh and looked at me.

“Can you believe it? She had stubbornly survived all that time without dying. A young child had lost her family and home, but desperately clung to life and survived. In an environment where even adults couldn’t survive.”

I didn’t know she had suffered so much hardship as a child.

Is that why she always cares so much about food and meals?

“Admiring that sight, I took the child in. I adopted her as my youngest daughter and gave her a new name. Kalia.”

“So that’s why Kalia called you Father, Chieftain.”

“That’s right. Although I wasn’t a very good father.”

He drinks another glass of alcohol.

He looks at me with interest, his face almost completely drunk.

“Kalia was a quiet child. As her past was her past, she never opened her heart to anyone else. She often screamed in her sleep from nightmares of her biological parents dying.”

That makes sense.

Her family, with whom she had lived for years, was massacred before her eyes, and even if she wanted to forget, she would never be able to.

“But she’s different with you.”

“Yes?”

“You were talking to her kindly on the way here. I was so shocked to see that. I’ve raised her for over ten years, and that was the first time I saw Kalia smile.”

I knew that Kalia was especially kind to me and different from her usual self.

But she was that exclusive?

To the point where she wouldn’t even properly talk to others?

“You saw it earlier, didn’t you? When her siblings were teasing her, she blushed and accepted it. She wouldn’t have been able to do that in the past. The flow of conversation wouldn’t have been established.”

Mahdi grabbed my hand.

His wife, who was next to him, joined him.

“So, I’m asking you a favor. Please continue to take good care of Kalia in the future. There’s no one else I can ask.”

“…..Is that why you mentioned being a son-in-law and having children as soon as we met?”

“Yes.”

Mahdi’s head hangs heavily.

“I said it half-jokingly, but the other half is serious. You’re the only man in the world who I can entrust that child’s life to. It’s difficult to find and connect her with another Mazoku because she has two pairs of horns…..”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Ah, that was a slip of the tongue. Don’t worry about it if you don’t know.”

Is having two pairs of horns a significant difference?

I don’t know because Kalia is the only Mazoku I’ve ever met. I’ll have to look into it later.

“I understand.”

I bowed to the two people who had told me an important fact.

With as much respect as possible and a bit of apology.

“But I can’t give you an answer right away. I don’t know if she’ll accept my confession, and I have other circumstances.”

“What is it?”

“It’s difficult to tell you.”

How am I supposed to explain this? The terrible relationship between me and that damn goddess.

It would be a relief if they didn’t call me delusional for telling them.

I can’t do anything until that’s sorted out.

“However, I will definitely clarify my relationship with Kalia-yang as soon as it’s resolved. I can swear to this much.”

“….I see. Please hurry as much as possible. Neither I nor Kalia are very patient.”

“Of course.”

I said my goodbyes and got up from my seat.

I wasn’t in the mood to drink anymore, and I thought the atmosphere would only get more awkward if I stayed.

“Hoo.”

The wind was quite cold outside. Is it because it’s winter?

“I should go to sleep too.”

I remembered where the ger that was assigned to me was and started walking.

No, I was about to.

“……Ismael.”

“Kalia-yang? I thought you went ba–”

“Shut up and follow me. You indecisive coward.”

Before I knew it, Kalia, who had appeared from somewhere, grabbed me by the side and kidnapped me to the bed.