Reset Life – Chapter 114

Chapter 114: I’ve Been Waiting. Welcome (4)

“Heave-ho!”

The Magician’s Guild, or rather Lucy’s master, must have put a lot of thought into the staff he gave him.

That magician’s staff seemed very sturdy and magically potent. The former is certain, and the latter is somewhat doubtful.

As a result, Lucy was excitedly swinging his staff, smashing a Tiger Monster to pieces.

Hey, excuse me. Aren’t you a magician?!

I hope there isn’t a magic spell that makes him stronger in proportion to his absurd behavior.

Whack! Whack! Crack!

With each swing of the staff, the sound of the monster’s bones breaking could be heard.

Because of his large physique and the swinging staff, his attack range was comparable to Joey’s.

“Mwahahaha! Die―!”

Please, someone tell me that magicians are artists of knowledge. And that that guy, who’s brutally but effectively wielding his staff, is not a magician.

Lucy laughed ferociously, grabbed the end of his staff, and struck the Tiger Monster’s head as if playing croquet.

Whack!

I felt a momentary pang of sympathy for the monster. Because its head, flung back by Lucy’s brutal blow, was now aimed at Joey.

“Hrrraaagh!”

A resounding yell and a momentum that could cleave a mountain. My sworn brother, who truly deserved the word magnificent, swung his 2-meter greatsword engraved with a Giant Monster Divine Engraving.

Thwack!

In a split second, the Tiger Monster turned into a lump of meat.

Lucy, holding his blood-soaked staff, laughed triumphantly.

“Mwahahaha! Learn the consequences of challenging this future Archmage with your death!”

Hey! That’s not how a magician fights!

Just then, a relatively nimble-looking Tiger Monster suddenly sprang out from the shadow of a rock. Lucy, who happened to be laughing with his hands on his hips, was completely exposed to the attack.

Watching from the front, I shouted his name, though it was already too late.

“Lucy!”

Rip!

As I called his name, I also heard the sound of paper ripping.

Whoosh! Thud!

Something shiny cut through the air, and the monster, which was charging towards Lucy, was struck by it and flew backward.

Huh? What was that? A chunk of ice?

“Dangerous.”

Looking back, I saw Al discarding two pieces of torn paper. A Magic Scroll?

A disposable item specially made for non-magicians to use magic. Considering that Al was a mercenary, it wasn’t strange for him to have one, but……

“Hey, Lucy.”

“Ugh. What?”

“A magician getting help from magic?”

“Because I’m a magician!”

“Die.”

I casually picked up a pebble and threw it.

The fight was over. It felt like the roles were seriously reversed somehow, but since the result was good, let’s just move on.

But is it really okay to just move on?

“Al.”

“Hmm.”

Namias called out to Al and approached him, and Al, with an indifferent expression, extended his right hand. Looking closely, I saw that the back of his hand and wrist were sharply torn.

“Huh? When did you get hurt?”

“Just now.”

He probably got scratched by a bone while pulling out the monster’s heart. The monster’s blood had coagulated, making it hard to see.

“Nuna, how did you know that?”

“I saw it.”

Joey, who didn’t notice the wound just by looking, tilted his head and scratched his head. Right. Normally, you wouldn’t know.

They are truly alike.

Could they be siblings who were separated?

“This area seems to be mostly cleared. But the monsters really are getting stronger as we go further, so we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

Levidian said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Around her lay nearly fifteen monsters. Two Tiger Monsters and several Monkey Monsters.

I only managed to deal with about three. And one of them was with Levidian’s help.

Sigh, I still have a long way to go.

“Risel, you’ve gotten quite strong.”

“I-Is that so?”

Just before I could fall into self-deprecation, Levidian’s words saved me. She smiled brightly and said refreshingly,

“Yes. I told you before, didn’t I? That I would make you fight monsters, even if they were just monsters. You seem to be the type who improves your skills through actual combat. This place is truly the perfect training ground.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

The Sword King had returned to her role as an educator after a long time.

But her words made sense. I could gradually feel myself getting stronger, in proportion to the increasingly powerful monsters.

My senses were becoming sharper, I could assess situations instantly, and the time lag between thought and action was decreasing.

Although I hadn’t reached the level of Levidian, where my body moved as soon as I thought, I could feel that my movements had become considerably faster.

She said with a proud expression,

“As expected, nature is everyone’s teacher, harsh as it may be.”

“I agree.”

But it’s not as harsh as you, Levidian. Even nature would give up on harshness if it took you as its teacher.

I pushed aside the thought that I could never utter aloud and looked over the group.

There were no injuries, except for Al’s minor one.

For the past ten days, someone had sustained a major or minor injury almost once a day.

Naturally, with this group composition, the fact that there were injuries at all was surprising. It just meant that the environment here was that dangerous and harsh.

What would happen if these monsters crossed the Barrier and invaded Orknesia, and then the Empire?

The ancient legend, ‘All living things suffered,’ would descend upon reality. Ordinary people would be slaughtered without any resistance.

It was a time to deeply realize why the Eastern Army consisted of 500,000 troops.

“Phew, but this truly is a barren land. Why can’t we even see any human bones?”

“I know, Hyung-nim. I wonder if the Gray Tribe even lives here.”

“They will. No, they must be living here.”

I gritted my teeth and replied to Joey’s words.

Two months left.

Two months from now, on October 14th, Silvan Harcian’s curse would burrow into Levidian’s heart.

But we hadn’t made any progress so far.

I could confidently say that we had entered quite deep into the Gray Forest, yet we hadn’t found a single trace of the Gray Tribe, not even a single bone of a gray horse.

Shadowed stones were rolling around endlessly in this area, but this couldn’t be what was referred to as the ‘Shadow Stone.’

“But really…… No matter how much I think about it, this isn’t a place where people can live. Even a cat would die if it encountered a monster more than once a day. How many lives do you need to have?”

Lucy grumbled as he wiped his staff.

People who lived in a place like this would probably carry spare lives and grumble whenever they died. ‘Oh, damn it. I died again.’

“Hmm, Risel, I just thought of something.”

“What is it?”

“If people live in a place like this, what would their lives be like?”

“Huh?”

“If people are living in this harsh environment, I don’t think they would be leading ordinary lives like we imagine.”

Levidian spoke hesitantly. And at her words, everyone except Joey stopped moving.

What she just said had accurately hit the nail on the head.

Lucy, Al, and Namias walked towards Levidian and me. Having instantly formed a conference-like atmosphere, we discussed the thoughts that had just crossed our minds.

“That’s right. To live in a place like this, you would need a special environment.”

“Survival.”

“Monsters.”

“Yes. It needs to be a place where you can avoid monsters and where survival is easy. They wouldn’t be living like the Kertman Tribe near the Arsaha Sea, would they?”

“To be honest, I was imagining something like that until just now.”

I had been picturing the barbarian tribe that lived in the warm southeastern region of the continent.

An open village in the forest. Houses made of intertwined trees and natives moving between them……

I thought the Gray Forest was just a bit peculiar in its color, but its living environment wasn’t that different from a jungle. So, it was inevitable that my perception would flow in a familiar direction.

However, this was a world of monsters.

A place where creatures that could prey on humans in the food chain existed.

Naturally, the way people lived here had to be completely different from what we imagined!

“Eh? Everyone, suddenly……”

Levidian seemed flustered, as if she hadn’t realized the implications of her own words. I briefly explained, and she finally seemed to grasp the concept.

The originator of the idea, once the concept was clearly established, quickly presented a new insight. She truly deserved to be called a pioneer.

“Ah, I see. Then, they would at least be living in sturdy castles or relying on walls comparable to them.”

“Judging from the monsters we’ve seen so far, the ones that walk on land are the most threatening. The nimble ones that climb trees are small, and the ones that fly in the sky don’t seem to be that numerous.”

“It’s hard to climb trees.”

“They’re too big.”

So, the most threatening ones are the land monsters. Thinking about it that way, the environmental factors that would allow people to live safely came to mind.

I synthesized the group’s words and drew a conclusion.

“The biggest prerequisite is the ability to avoid monsters, especially the ones that run on land. Thinking that way, a safe living space would be a high place, a place with a narrow entrance, or a place that’s difficult to access. At least, not an open place. Next, there should be a readily available water supply. This is a priority in any living environment. And this environment itself should be able to serve as a sturdy barrier.”

“Mountains, valleys, canyons, and caves.”

Namias succinctly summarized the candidates I had mentioned.

This was the conclusion. The four places Namias mentioned were the places we needed to focus on.

Lucy exclaimed in admiration.

“I see! That’s what it was! But why didn’t we notice this until now?”

“Too busy fighting.”

Al’s answer was truly on point. We were so busy fighting monsters that we didn’t even have time to think properly!

Ugh! Give us back our ten days!

“Um…… What are you all talking about?”

Meanwhile, only Joey, who was the only one who didn’t understand, tilted his head in confusion.

September 3rd, 375th year of the Imperial Calendar.

Even if we considered canyons to be slightly different, valleys and caves were commonly found in mountainous terrain.

It was as natural as water flowing downhill for our steps to be directed towards the enormous mountain range that lay before us.

The reason we hadn’t found the Gray Tribe until now was because we hadn’t gone near their habitat.

There was a possibility that our assumptions were wrong. However, the limitations of the conclusions we could draw based on our experiences and knowledge were clear.

If the Gray Tribe possessed some mysterious ability that we were completely unaware of, for example, if they could breathe underwater and lived in the water, we would never find them.

However, the Gray Forest, apart from its different base color and the high frequency of monsters, was no different from an ordinary forest on the continent.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to apply what we considered common sense to this situation.

Heaven helps those who help themselves.

We would do our best, and perhaps heaven, appreciating our efforts, would bestow upon us a bit of luck.

I, and we, engraved the natural belief that results would come to those who worked hard, and without giving up, we searched the mountains, scoured the valleys, and fought in caves.

And finally, heaven bestowed luck upon us.

A little too much, perhaps.

“Should we call this a jackpot?”

“No way.”

Al simply denied Lucy’s words.

I, too, couldn’t agree with Lucy this time.

“Will we be able to communicate?”

Levidian whispered, leaning her back against mine with her sword in hand.

Personally, I didn’t think those people, painted entirely in gray, would use the Common Tongue of the continent.

“Nuna, don’t fall.”

“Okay.”

Joey held Namias in front of his chest and raised his sword in front of her. It was a unique formation that only Joey could pull off, a living, breathing protective wall.

By the time we realized we were surrounded, nearly thirty members of the Gray Tribe were already aiming their bows at us.

The bows, made of an unknown material, were undoubtedly composite horn bows, and the poisoned arrows were aimed at five different points on each person. Except for Joey, that is.

I decided to try talking first.

“Do you perhaps not understand the Common Tongue? Hmm…… Legos Rastiang? Kotutz! Bon Fre! Ahisha!”

“Risel, I’m suddenly having deja vu.”

“Shut up.”

I bit my lip and looked around at those who still weren’t reacting.

Their eyes gleamed emotionlessly, and their hands, holding the drawn bowstrings, didn’t budge an inch. If it weren’t for the gray paint covering their entire bodies, they wouldn’t look much different from ordinary people.

The others were also cautiously observing their surroundings. They were probably each focusing on different things from their own perspectives.

“Wow, but they’re really handsome. That woman over there is stunningly beautiful too. Does the Gray Tribe have a high average beauty rating?”

That was a very Lucy-like observation.

Just as I was thinking about whether I should move and smack the back of Lucy’s head, even if it meant getting attacked by them, the bushes in front of us rustled, and several figures emerged.

A truly dazzlingly handsome man appeared.

Powerful eyes, a smooth jawline, a high-bridged nose. His eyelashes seemed a bit long. His white skin was unpainted, and he wore loose clothing made of thick fabric.

Most impressive of all, his shining blonde hair and his odd eyes, that looked like they were inlaid with obsidian and emerald, were incredibly striking.

Good heavens. This is the first time I’ve seen a man look so beautiful.

The man, who resembled a statue carved from white jade, spoke in slightly awkward Common Tongue.

“Are you outsiders?”

“Wow! It worked! Nice to meet you, handsome mister!”

“Lucy, please shut up.”

Despite our (Lucy’s) foolishness, the handsome man spoke calmly, in a clear voice.

“Omit the colloquialisms and honorifics. I don’t understand them.”

He mixed up the polite and formal speech levels. He sounded like a student just starting to learn a foreign language. I lowered my sword and spoke in a friendly tone.

“Are you of the Gray Tribe?”

“You outsiders call us that. We are the ‘Guard.’”

Guard? Didn’t that mean ‘protector’ in the ancient Eastern language? I tilted my head at the title, but soon greeted him politely.

“My name is Arisein. I come from the outside. And it’s ‘you’ instead of ‘thou,’ and ‘we’ instead of ‘us.’”

“Ah, you, we…… Understood. Thank you.”

I smiled slightly at his awkward use of language.

Despite his awkward Common Tongue, this handsome man seemed to be quite respected. The surrounding members of the Gray Tribe, the Guards, were looking at him with admiration.

“What is your purpose? Answer.”

“Before that, what is your name?”

“Me? Achitaenajacheasasohma. I know your name. You know my name.”

Is that a name? It’s a name that could make you bite your tongue while trying to read it. (Lucy actually bit his tongue trying to imitate it.)

And his last words…… Was he saying that he would tell me his name if I told him mine?

I had to think for a moment.

Hmm, should I tell him? I don’t think our family has a very good relationship with this place……

No, thinking back to a certain incident that happened before I died, I didn’t think they would be that hostile.

“Herduke, Arisein Herduke.”

The surrounding Guards all widened their eyes in surprise. It was the reaction I expected.

“Herduke? Lavera Kanahas?”

“Herduke! As Kanahas!”

I didn’t understand what they were saying, but it was certainly getting noisy. Achitae…… whatever his name was, also seemed slightly surprised. He raised his hand slightly, and with that single gesture, the commotion ceased.

He spoke to me.

“Are you truly a Herduke?”

“I am.”

I raised my sword to show him the family crest. Although I wasn’t sure if they would recognize it.

Achitae…… whatever his name was, examined the crest carefully and then nodded. He looked around and shouted,

“Ja Mer As Kanahas Herduke! Rekovrehsa!”

I didn’t understand what he was saying, but I understood the meaning. The Guards all lowered their bows at once.

The handsome Guard with the long name extended his hand to me.

“We have been waiting for you. Welcome. All of the Guard are pleased.”

“You’ve been waiting for me?”

“Yes. Summeor is always right.”

Summeor? What was that?

I had no idea what was going on, but I didn’t refuse his welcoming gesture.

“I don’t quite understand, but…… Thank you for welcoming us.”

I took his hand and shook it.

Huh? What’s going on?

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