I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Chapter 497
11-12. Rice Harvest
When I looked out at the clear sky, I saw several birds flying there.
Are they migratory birds?
They disappeared into the depths of the Oni territory, drawing beautiful arcs.
Early in the morning, the male Oni gathered near the rice fields with sickles in hand.
Everyone was filled with enthusiasm and making preparations for the rice harvest.
We were also present at the scene, watching their preparations.
The rice harvest is about to begin.
“Oh… it’s a nostalgic scene.”
“Ouren-sama, it’s about time. Do you need a sickle?”
“Can I use my skills to harvest?”
“Please save that for last. Everyone else wants to do it too.”
“Then shall we start after lunch?”
Uchikage handed me a sickle, but it seemed like I wouldn’t need it.
In the morning, the men would harvest the rice, and the women would prepare lunch and bring it to us.
It seemed that roles hadn’t changed from before, so the women would join in later.
Well… this rice field is so vast…
It seems like it won’t be finished unless everyone from the Oni village participates.
Even after harvesting the rice, there are still bundles left, and it takes time to bundle the large harvest.
It seems like the female demons handle that part.
The men do the heavier physical work.
“All right!! Let’s get started!!”
“”Oooh!!””
At Uchikage’s call, everyone descended into the rice field.
They were harvesting at a good pace, but with so many vast fields, it would still take time to finish everything.
This rice harvest had become a part of the festival, so it seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves.
Among them, I could see the figures of Theik, Thekil, Reizen, and Houen.
Thekil, in particular, had grown quite large.
He was using a magical tool he had created to harvest the rice…
Dacia was also there, but it seemed like she wasn’t participating.
“Are you okay?”
“Don’t mind me. I’m not that interested. If anything, I’d be interested in the drum performance.”
“You’ve never heard of it?”
“Unfortunately, no. So this is my first time.”
“Is that so?”
“The drum performance only started after Hiwa disappeared. Devils haven’t had any contact with the Oni village since then.”
“Why not?”
“In the first place, Atrak-sama and I were the ones primarily seeking communication. Both of us… were preparing to fight against the beings we fought. We didn’t have the luxury of time.”
“For five hundred years?”
“Well, yes. It was also because we lost many devils in the war.”
If it’s because they lost acquaintances, I can somewhat understand.
They erased memories of the war, so it seems like their contact with devils disappeared as well.
I don’t really understand that part, and Dacia doesn’t seem like she wants to talk about it.
I’ll refrain from asking.
I glanced at the rice fields, and I noticed that there were already several piles of harvested rice.
The efficient progress was probably thanks to Thekil.
The field he was responsible for was advancing at an extraordinary pace.
Actually, he was the extraordinary one.
That magic tool of his is amazing.
It looks like a pair of scissors, but it can harvest at a great speed.
It seems like it can’t bundle the rice, though.
“What an amazing magical tool. It seems like it could sell well if mass-produced.”
“I would be delighted if it could. But he’s quite secretive and declined for various reasons.”
“Ah… I can imagine that. Well, the magic tools he creates are usually dangerous. It would be troublesome if they were used in wars.”
“He understands that himself, I suppose.”
Perhaps, yeah.
Those magic power amplification devices are quite something.
They could change the way wars are fought on a global scale.
But Theik is using it, so as long as it doesn’t become widespread, it should be fine.
“…By the way, Dacia. Uchikage.”
“What is it?”
“Yes.”
“After this war is over, what are you guys going to do?”
I suddenly became curious about this while thinking about the war.
The war should end after we’re gone.
So, what will they do afterward?
The best thing would be for them to live peaceful lives, but you never know.
That’s why I wanted to ask them directly.
Before I go to sleep.
Dacia thought for a moment, but Uchikage answered immediately.
“The Oni will not participate in any wars from now on. We will dedicate ourselves to the prosperity of our village.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“It’s for Karna-dono and Yuuzen-dono. Without this village, we cannot fulfill our promise to greet them four hundred years from now. If we don’t engage in wars, the possibility of invasion decreases, and by making such a declaration, we can request assistance from other nations if necessary. Of course, we will defend ourselves if attacked.”
“So you’ll defend yourselves, but you won’t wage wars. It might be a difficult task, Uchikage.”
“I was prepared for it from the beginning. In any case, for the next four hundred years, we must protect the White Snake Shrine.”
The shrine was built about five hundred years ago.
It’s still quite old, but the Oni have been maintaining it for a long time.
If it starts to deteriorate, they are considering rebuilding it.
The most important thing is not the shrine itself, but the cave where it’s located…
I might visit it later.
As a form of sightseeing.
If I add an image to the place, it might be helpful for teleporting those two.
Then, Dacia crossed her arms.
With a serious expression, she finally answered my question.
“In that case, I will… protect the Oni.”
“Are you sure? I heard that the Devil Realm conditions are not that good.”
“Such problems will heal over time. We may not have a habitable environment right now, but in another hundred years, we should be able to set foot on the ground again.”
“Don’t devils have lifespans?”
“We were told that, but in reality, we don’t know. Human-defined statistics are riddled with errors. It’s better not to believe them too much.”
“I see… So, four hundred years from now, as long as we’re not killed, we’ll still be alive. If we are, we’ll do our best to help Karna and Yuuzen.”
“I appreciate that.”
All in all, Dacia is quite cooperative.
I had the impression that devils would do more cruel things or make contracts with humans, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.
Well, maybe it’s just in this world.
“But why would you go to such lengths for us?”
“Well, it’s not easy to say…”
“Come on, tell me!”
Dacia seemed to struggle with this question again.
After organizing his thoughts for a while, she began to speak slowly.
“Devils… we have no lifespan. Even if we make acquaintances with humans or oni, we eventually die without them realizing it. In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed; with a yawn, fifty years have passed; with a good night’s sleep, a hundred years have passed. They’re all figurative expressions, so don’t take them too literally.”
“I get that it’s figurative.”
“I see… In the next four hundred years, it’s highly likely that all races except devils will have died. But two individuals who lived in this era will reappear four hundred years from now. I’m looking forward to it from now on.”
“…Are you, by any chance, feeling sad?”
“Devils are that kind of race. Because we have no lifespan, we’ve experienced many partings. How wonderful it would be to die together… I’ve thought about it many times.”
With that, Dacia closed her eyes.
I didn’t expect Dacia to be thinking about things like this.
But, well… I understand what she wants to say.
I haven’t lived that long yet, so I don’t know, but I’m probably a species that doesn’t die.
I don’t have a lifespan like Oni.
I’m not exactly immortal, though.
“It’s surprising, Dacia. You have a lot of compassion.”
“That’s why I didn’t want to say it…”
“Hahaha, not having to die does have its own kind of charm.”
“Remember, Uchikage, it’s not as simple as it sounds. You’re going to live for a long time too.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
At that moment, Reizen, who was in the rice field, had finished harvesting the last of the rice in the field he was responsible for, and he shouted the news loudly.
Everyone responded, and they began walking to the next field.
“Hey, there’s a great smell!”
“They must have started cooking now. I think they’ll bring lunch to us by noon.”
“Alright, then I’ll join in too!”
“Remember, you can’t use your skills yet!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
I handed my haori to Uchikage and ran towards everyone with a sickle.
I’ll help out like this until lunchtime.