Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 552



The Village Close to Death

As I pushed through the primitive forest where even the weeds were taller than a person, a massive rock hidden by the trees came into view. That grand rock, which would have been given a monumental name in a plain, was merely a terrain where vines and moss grew amidst the waves of trees. Beneath the rock, where grass and moss grew like a wall, lay Piu Village.

“This is Piu Village. The village of those who die easily. They are vulnerable to beasts and pests, so a village was built deep within for their protection.”

Piu Village was quite different from the village of the immortals. It had proper fences, watchtowers, and guards. By appearances alone, it was far better equipped than the village of the immortals.

However, the gravestones and the remnants of the deceased visible outside the fence showed just how accustomed this village was to the pain of loss.

“She is a Piu, so she is staying in Piu Village. However, she is a strong person.”

Rash knocked on the door with his fist. The guard, recognizing Rash’s face, quickly ran down from the post and opened the gate.

“Rash! You’ve come!”

“I have arrived. Nothing unusual happened, right?”

“Unusual? There are always unusual things in this village. With Kalis here, how could it be normal?”

“Is she doing well?”

“If by ‘doing well’ you mean the same as usual, then yes. If not… I suppose you could say she’s the same as ever. Please, come in.”

Then the gatekeeper guided us inside. A village full of Piu, accustomed to loss and sorrow, living in a space provided by those who do not die….

“Move quickly! We’re falling behind schedule!”

“It’s almost lunchtime! We need to finish before then!”

Creaking steel. Smoke billowing from a large chimney. A square house made of relatively modern reinforced cement. As a large wall clock rang its alarm, people paused their work and headed toward the restaurant, where smoke wafted lazily.

The savage tribe encountered in the distant wilderness bore a strangely familiar appearance.

“…What is this place?”

The returnee glanced around, seemingly uncomfortable.

The unfamiliar scene before him was reminiscent of a military nation long departed. A village of iron and stone, incongruous with the lush greenery and dense foliage, creaked and groaned as it turned. The savages, awkwardly dressed in the military garb of a bygone era, clumsily mimicked their rituals.

It was as if an artificial civilization had intruded upon the peaceful embrace of nature. And at the center of it all stood a relatively slender woman with red hair, commanding the people around her.

“Hey. Freeze right there.”

Colonel Calis, a military mage officer who had left with Rash when the Abyss fell, pointed at someone while dressed in an unexpectedly casual outfit, a stark contrast to her former uniform.

At Calis’s gesture, a woman clad in leaves jumped in surprise and hunched over. Calis spoke with an authoritative tone.

“If you want to eat, line up. If you break the order, then what’s the point of having rules?”

“I’m hungry!”

“Just wait a moment. Line up, and we’ll distribute food in that order. It’s the most rational way to ensure everyone gets a meal.”

The woman was a head taller than Calis, with thick neck and arms. She glared, ready to resolve things with brute strength if necessary.

However, when Calis summoned her magic and sparks ignited at her fingertips, the frightened woman screamed and fled.

“Demon!”

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“It’s magic.”

“Devil’s magic!”

“I’ve told you time and again that magic is just a skill.”

Even when placed in the wild, she couldn’t shed her officer’s demeanor.

With a cold and rigid attitude, Calis scattered flames to ignite the stove. The workers prepared the food as if nothing had happened.

The military mage officer continued to play her role even in this savage village. The returnee clicked his tongue, displeased.

“Things are the same here. Just because the environment changes doesn’t mean people do.”

“Not so, boy. You’d be surprised at how much she has changed.”

Rash strode toward Calis, his imposing figure quickly catching her attention. Calis spotted him and softened her sharp gaze.

“Rash!”

Gone was the image of the military officer; Calis ran toward him with a bright smile. Embracing Rash, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him directly.

The returnee stumbled back, taken aback by the unexpected scene.

“What, what’s going on?”

The two intertwined, sharing breaths without a care for anyone else. Their kiss was so intense it felt almost scandalous. Was this the way of love among savages?

The returnee stepped back with a look of disgust.

—

“What are they suddenly doing?”

“What do you mean, what are they doing? They’re about to get married, so this is just a bit of charm.”

“Charm, my foot! Doing something so embarrassing in front of everyone else!”

“It’s a bit much to call a kiss embarrassing. It’s not like they’re showing off their sleeping together.”

“Hey! Why are you bringing up sleeping together now!”

“Why are you getting angry all of a sudden? I’m just saying!”

As they bickered for a moment, Calis and Rash, having shared enough of a reunion, reluctantly pulled away. Calis looked over Rash’s body with concern and asked anxiously.

“Are you okay? If it’s the Blood Monastery, that’s where strategic vampires stay. Wasn’t that a bit reckless?”

“No. As the rumors say, the nun treats those who come empty-handed. I received word that the marriage ceremony would be permitted, and as a token, I was given this.”

“What is this?”

“It’s the wool of the King of Sheep. A precious item that can’t be pierced by any teeth or claws when worn as clothing. I received the nun’s confirmation and this token of the King of Sheep, so the elders won’t be able to refuse easily.”

“Rash. But to be recognized as one of them, you have to pass the ceremony.”

“You don’t need to pass it. As it’s said, it’s a custom of our tribe, so why should you, an outsider, have to follow it? Especially if you’re not an immortal, it’s difficult and arduous to pass. You could die.”

“But….”

“My lord. I can’t bear to see even a small wound on you. Humans who aren’t of the immortal race can easily die from even a tiny injury. Just thinking that I might lose you….”

“Rash….”

“My lord…!”

With a rush, they embraced each other again and continued kissing. I and the Regressor were left awkwardly as mere spectators. The Regressor, feeling uncomfortable just watching, grumbled.

“What happened that made you two unable to live without each other?”

“You were just complaining that nothing had changed, and now you’re asking why it’s different. A lot of time has passed; that can happen. Both Shea and I have changed a lot since the Abyss.”

“What are you talking about! I can live just fine without you!”

“Who’s saying that kind of relationship?! Relationships aren’t just one thing! I’m not a teenage girl, so why do you keep thinking that way!”

“I’m past my teenage years!”

Not that! Argue about the fact that I called you a girl! You’re dressed as a boy! I wish you would consider my perspective as much as I consider yours!

On one side, the kissing continued, while on the other, the argument raged on. Just when it seemed like Calis and Rash’s kiss would never end, it finally broke. Only then did they turn to acknowledge our presence.

“…You two. From the Abyss.”

“Hello? It’s been a while since the Abyss, hasn’t it?”

In the past, during the Abyss, Calis had infiltrated a secret organization to seize the dog king, Az. Ultimately, he failed and barely escaped with his life, living in the Abyss until it collapsed, then leaving south with Rash. I wasn’t particularly curious about the news, but seeing their faces, they seemed to be doing well.

Calis finished his brief recollection and said,

“I never expected to meet like this.”

—

“Well, it wasn’t a pleasant meeting, but isn’t it enough that we’re both still alive?”

“Perhaps that was true before you all arrived. What brings the heroes who would save the world to this place?”

Kalis spoke with a hint of caution. She seemed more afraid of the aftermath we might bring than of us ourselves.

“I heard you came to embark on an adventure to overcome the impending doom. What is it that’s about to happen here, or what are you planning to unleash?”

“Don’t worry. We’re here to take care of something. In fact, it will be more like we’re helping you.”

“What is it about?”

“They say it’s to purify an ancient evil that lies somewhere here. I don’t know what that is, though.”

“Ancient evil…?”

Kalis’s expression darkened as if she sensed something. She glanced around nervously for a moment before speaking.

“Are you really here to purify an ancient evil?”

The reincarnator crossed their arms and probed, observing Kalis’s demeanor.

“Do you sense something?”

“…It’s just a feeling, but.”

Kalis looked around at the faces of the people. Like those who had wandered and sought refuge in other villages, the people of Piou Village mostly bore deep wounds and sorrow.

And the number of them was far too great to be merely called refugees. Even a rough estimate of the number of refugees in Piou Village seemed to surpass that of the immortals.

“Recently, more people have been coming to Piou Village. Among them, some have shared strange stories.”

“What kind of stories?”

As the lover of the ‘Right Arm’ and a sorceress, Kalis had inadvertently become something akin to the village chief of Piou, and she relayed the tales she had heard from the villagers.

“They say that a malevolent deity has crawled out from beneath the earth.”