Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 590



589 – The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons

A request for a leap sent by a stranger tied to an owl. My trust isn’t exactly strong, but there’s no particular reason not to. Regardless of the treatment, both Shea and I are in confinement. To break through this situation, taking the leap seems worth it.

“What do you think, Shea? I received this note.”

“Let’s go.”

Shea replied immediately.

“Even if we escape, the Nebida won’t kill you. If that’s the case, it’s worth a shot. It’s good to know who might be my ally and who might be my enemy here.”

“But Shea, you could die.”

“Hugh. I can die. I’m a regressor.”

So that means I shouldn’t die. The world would turn upside down.

“It’s a bit hard to understand.”

“It’s okay. Just don’t worry too much about my death. I’ll try to survive, but if there’s something to gain even in death, that’s enough.”

Shea left those words and immediately approached the owl. Then she realized her arm wasn’t moving yet and turned to me with a request.

“…Hold me.”

“How should I hold you?”

“Why are you asking! Just hold me however you like!”

“No, I need to hold onto the owl too, so I don’t have a hand free to hold you, Shea…”

If you have no hands, you must use tools. I wove vines together to make a sling. After securely tying Shei to my body, I turned towards the owl. The two owls, perhaps not expecting this, widened their eyes in surprise and puffed up.

“Hold on tight so you don’t fall.”

The moment I grabbed the owl’s legs while hanging from the window frame, it spread its wings and leaped into the air as if it had been waiting for this. In an instant, my body was stretched and pulled. I wondered if I could really hold on, but the owl didn’t resist my weight; instead, it picked up speed and steadied itself.

Whoosh. The wind brushed past my face, growing fiercer. It felt as if invisible feathers were slicing through my body.

We seemed to be falling quite a distance, yet the speed didn’t decrease. I glanced nervously at the owl, but it didn’t seem to be making any effort to overcome the situation.

“This isn’t flying; it’s falling, right? Could this be a suggestion for suicide?”

“…Huze. See you in the next round.”

“Have you already given up on life?!”

Should I seriously prepare for shock? As I worried and scanned my surroundings, I saw the owl pass by and ascend. Then, from behind, it began to match its speed and slowly approached.

“It’s an owl.”

Shei murmured.

The owl that had come close seemed to have made a promise, as it positioned itself on either side of me. Together, they clasped my shoulders and arms in unison. Though one might have been a bit lacking, with three of them, it felt as if my body was beginning to lift.

The wind gradually calmed, and the ground was now sufficiently close. The owls turned their direction upward and gently set us down.

“Whoo. Whee-.”

A short whistling sound was heard. The owls spread their wings and headed towards the source of the sound.

A group of people wrapped in cloth approached to welcome the owls. The owls, lightly perched on the fabric, affectionately rubbed their heads together and feasted on pieces of meat.

As I was about to set Shei down, a girl with an owl slung over her shoulder approached. She had her long hair pinned up with a hairpin, wrapping the cloth dyed around her shoulders and arms. Though dressed more for practicality than beauty, she still exuded a refined elegance that belied her efforts to conceal it.

The girl raised her arms to her face while staring intently at mine. Greeting me without bowing her head, she spoke in an old-fashioned manner.

“It is with great regret that I meet you, O King of Humans.”

“Regret? That’s not something to say to someone you’ve just met. I appreciate your honesty, though.”

I showed the note I had taken from the owl’s leg and asked.

“Did you write this?”

“Indeed. Time is of the essence, so you should leave at once.”

“Wait a moment. I need to know who you are. I can’t just trust and follow you without any information.”

“Then let us compromise; I will explain as we go. I will answer faithfully, so if you are not satisfied, you may jump off.”

How refreshing. In the end, it turned out as they wished, but it was true that I needed to escape as quickly as possible.

“Well, as long as you answer.”

“Please remain in my arms, dear companion. It would be better to be cradled in a familiar embrace.”

“I’m not really that familiar with it….”

She grumbled but adjusted her position again. Soon, a man with branches like antlers brought a large deer. The great-horned deer, with its grayish fur, had a saddle strapped to its back.

“Is it a trained beast?”

“It is a domesticated animal. It’s gentle, so as long as you don’t pull its fur, you won’t fall off.”

As I mounted the deer, it started moving without any command. The large antlers seemed like they would be a hindrance, but instead, they bent the branches and broke the leaves as it moved forward.

As we galloped along, a girl with an owl perched on her shoulder caught up beside me.

“If you have any questions, please ask.”

Alright. Let’s see. What should I ask? First, I’ll gauge my opponent with mind-reading, then calculate what question will justify my mind-reading.

“Watcher Nehnyap. A disciple of Nebida. And a druid of the fallen nations, guardian of the forest of knowledge. Am I right?”

At that moment, she suddenly spoke up. It seemed to be a one-sided revelation typical of a regressor. I had a rough idea of what it meant, but I whispered softly for effect.

“What is it? Did you learn that through regression too?”

“Yes. It appeared briefly every time I fought Nebida.”

Perhaps they hadn’t expected to grasp their true identity so quickly, as a light stir of unease rippled through Nenyaf’s heart.

“…You have no reason to know us. It is indeed surprising to the divine beings. I intended to answer your questions, yet it seems I find myself in a position where I must ask instead.”

“Well, it’s good that we both have questions. But first, the self-introduction… was done by Mr. Shea. What is your purpose in bringing us here?”

“To protect you from Nebida’s hands.”

“No, not the process. I’m not asking what you intend to do with us, but rather, I’m inquiring about your intentions in allowing us to escape.”

Like any secret organization, Nenyaf was concealing part of their plans. However, thanks to Shea’s insight into Nenyaf’s identity, some of their intentions were revealed.

“The Druid’s purpose has always been singular. To tend to the World Tree and ensure that all things move according to the natural order. We have been watching over the Tree of Betrayal, preparing for the day when the sins of the past do not repeat.”

“Sins? Ah, is that what you heard from the Great Witch?”

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At this, Nenyaf reacted. A small sense of longing, a hint of guilt, and considerable resentment surfaced as they recalled the Great Witch.

“Did the princess ever mention it? What did she say?”

“She said that the Druids burned the World Tree and that she could not forgive them.”

“…Did she say that?”

Nenyaf muttered bitterly, still holding onto the emotions from earlier. Then, suddenly sensing a presence, they lifted their head to survey the surroundings.

Kyaaa–.

In the densely grown jungle, the wind hardly penetrates. Even fierce typhoons are split apart by the ancient trees that have withstood centuries, scattering into a mere whisper of breeze.

Yet now, an unknown wind was blowing from the source tree.

It felt as if the World Tree’s exhalation was stretching across the jungle. A damp and ominous air surged in from behind.

As the strange energy spread, a deer, frightened, kicked its hind legs. Amidst the disarray of the procession, Nenyaf swung their arm vigorously, sending an owl soaring into the sky.

“…It’s the princess.”

“Are you referring to the Great Witch?”

“Indeed. The child who was more intelligent and wise than anyone else now surrenders to rage, singing of revenge.”

Dozens, hundreds of beasts rush through the trees. The sight of the enraged creatures racing through the night was truly like a procession of a hundred ghosts. Dozens of pairs of eyes glinted as they turned this way.

Amidst this, a strange parrot’s voice echoed.

[You…! How dare you kill Polly?! I will tear your flesh apart!]

“It seems the owl is angry because it killed the parrot.”

“If you truly valued the beast, you should not have shared the cursed blood to make it a servant. That parrot was a creature that should have died decades ago. The owl merely followed the natural order.”

“No, it was you owls who killed it.”

Whether by natural order or not, one gets angry when their servant is killed. And yet, they act so shamelessly.

Despite being surrounded by beasts, Nenyaf calmly drew his bow. It was a makeshift bow, hastily crafted from a nearby branch. Nenyaf pulled the bowstring back with the stillness of an ancient tree, even atop the deer.

“Steady.”

I quickly ducked my head, holding onto Shay.

Whizz. Nenyaf released an arrow. The arrow flew almost in a straight line, embedding itself in the neck of a beast that was running in the distance. The shadow that had been galloping on four legs lost its balance and collapsed to the ground, rolling several times.

The destructive power that pierced through tough hide. The druid’s archery, adjusting the elasticity of the wood to shoot.

With Nenyaf’s attack as a signal, other druids followed suit, firing in unison.

“Fire!”

Arrows poured down like a torrential rain. Even while mounted on the deer, the druid displayed astonishing focus, hitting the beast’s vital points with precision. The fallen creature tumbled and blocked the path of other beasts. A true forest guardian’s skill.

However, most of the beasts struck by the arrows quickly rose and charged again. The druids were quite taken aback by their relentless momentum.

“Guardian of the forest. They aren’t falling!”

“They possess strange strength! That must be it!”

Nenyaf muttered as he selected another arrow.

“The princess’s children….”

[Nenyafuuu!]

A massive bird of prey appeared before me, flapping its wings as it raced through the darkness. Its wings seemed to cover the world, and its beak was curved like a hook; it was a black eagle. The fierce creature, meant to gaze down upon the earth as the ruler of the skies, fixed its piercing eyes on me… and Nenyaf.

Clutched beneath its talons was a dead owl.

Nenyaf offered a brief tribute to her owl and then spoke.

“Princess, have you been well?”

A parrot with feathers different from Pero’s landed on the back of the black eagle. It squawked, seemingly filled with rage.

[What face do you have to come here!]

“I have come to serve the human king. Please allow me to pass.”

[Ha! Did you think you could reveal yourself before me and leave unscathed?]

The deer, which had already been slowing down, finally came to a halt. It wasn’t merely out of fear. It had reached a point where it could go no further.

Before my eyes, the familiar minions of the great witch slowly revealed themselves. A pack of beasts with sharp teeth and claws had managed to outpace us and now blocked our path.

Even against true beasts, the odds were slim; these were the minions of the great witch, her loyal followers. The great witch, who had obtained the blood of the ancients, had created her own limbs in place of kin. Even a druid would find it hard to guarantee victory.

Yet, Nenyaf calmly dismounted from the deer and greeted the parrot.

“Princess, do you intend to repeat the events of that day?”

[What? You dare to speak of that day? You, who betrayed me and abandoned the kingdom?]

“Though I may have betrayed the kingdom, I did not forsake the heavenly order. And, Princess, did you not… in the end, also fail to forsake the heavenly order and aid us?”

‘Aid us? The great witch, a druid?’

Nenyaf remained composed even in the midst of the hundred spirits’ procession. While druids tended to live in harmony with nature, following the rivers and the woods, Nenyaf was filled with a different kind of conviction.

As if she had grasped someone’s weakness.

Nenyaf glanced at me and began to speak.

“It seems the princess has told the human king only one thing and kept the rest hidden.”

[What more is needed? You burned the World Tree, destroyed my country, and killed my mother!]

“…Did we not explain why we burned the World Tree, why countless tribes of the world rebelled, and what sins the late king committed? Did you say nothing at all?”

[That is not a sin! There is no such sin in this world! Let alone you, who feasted on the country’s bounty! You have no right to judge the deeds of the dead!]

“It has nothing to do with my position as Taesa. It has nothing to do with my being a druid. If I were merely a human, I would have had no choice but to oppose the late king to avoid being dishonored.”

Leopards, hyenas, jaguars, parrots, hawks, owls, cats, squirrels. Dozens of beasts stared at us as if entranced. Nenyaf continued speaking without a hint of fear or caution, even with his predator nearby.

“Do you not know? You saw it with your own eyes, did you not? That is why the princess can no longer face humans directly, is it not?”

[You, you…!]

While the parrot struggled to speak, Nenyaf turned to me.

“O human king, do you know how beastmen were born?”

Suddenly prompted to respond, I answered.

“Yes. It was said that Agartha bore them in relation to the beast king.”

“The late king inherited the powers of the sovereign through generations. That power connects with humans… The one who captivates all, the late king, was able to communicate deeply with the beast king in human form. With that power, the late king conceived not a human, but the child of another beast.”

I had heard this in Ende and learned more here. I had understood to some extent while reading the heart of the great witch. Honestly, it was shocking and bewildering, but I thought it was somewhat strange. It’s common for those in power, who enjoy many things, to become eccentric in their search for stimulation.

“If that were all, it would not have been against the natural order.”

However, Nenyaf was not speaking to me. He was merely using the form of speaking to me to dig into the painful memories of the great witch.

“There is but one who gives birth. The late king bore several beastmen over generations, but that number is like a mutation that appears and disappears suddenly. They either do not survive or vanish by mixing with other humans. Perhaps a small tribe could be formed, but…”

There were beastmen who struggled to survive, clinging to their ancestors like centaurs preserving their lineage. It was impossible to know whether some beastmen had completely vanished or not.

Yet, unlike them, some beastmen thrived.

So very much.

“One, the meaning of Muhoo was not that. Muhoo intended for the beastmen… to form a single race. To become the king of the beastmen.”

The number of beastmen is vast. They are becoming a single humanity, transcending tribes and races. A number that defies common sense. It hasn’t been thousands of years since their numbers split, nor do they breed like true beasts, giving birth to many at once. It is far too many to have originated from just one human.

“The flesh fruit created by the princess with good intentions. A discovery to feed the many. Muhoo stole the essence of the World Tree, and in that fruit of betrayal… he bore people.”