Pioneering the Apocalyptic World - Chapter 37
Chapter 07: I feel an uneasy atmosphere
The fence is about one meter high and its tip is sharp, so to a small monster would be difficult to climb over it. It covers the village all around, and at least it the residents won’t be in a pinch so easily due to an attack from the outside.
The houses that can be seen through the gaps are also made of wood, and the ones built on the ground look normal, but the ones built high up are different, some of them looking like treehouses while others look like they hollowed a tree and used as a house, with their appearance looking like they were fused with the trees.
Other than that, there is a lot of greenery around. As expected, the road part was cut short, as if it’s taken care of, but in others place it grow in all directions, ivies are hanging down from various places, some of them looking like are being used as ladders, being tied and connected to others ivies.
Oh, they are also using some really big mushrooms. It really look like a fantasy elf village.
But… As expected, the overall colors seems to be faded off. Considering the season, it’s too early to them start withering.
It doesn’t look like it’s going to rot right away, but if you’re an elf familiar with the forest, it’s even look even more uneasy to look at it.
“I will talk with the guards, so please wait a moment.”
Fricka said so and walked over to the two elf men who were standing by with bows and staffs at the part where the fence was cut off??it was probably the entrance to the village?? Of course, the staff in this case is not an aid for walking, but to be used as magic aids or in martials art that use a staffs as weapons. Elves are naturally gifted in magic. I am so envious of them.
“Thank you for your hard work. This is today’s holy water.”
“Huh? Ah it’s Fricka, thank you for your hard work.”
“Ah, I certainly received the holy water.”
She is handing over the holy water that she took out from her item box. I wonder if someone else will do the spraying part. Well, the village is quite large, so it should be more easy to split up in groups to sprinkle it around. Even I am taking it the easy way and just having the automatic device do its work, if I really tried to spray the all of my base on my own, it would be so troublesome that I will probably give up halfway.
After that, I thought that he will continue to talk about how things were outside or things that seemed necessary for security but…
“So your daytime work over? It’s about time for my shift end, so can we have a meal together??”
“Wait a minute! The last time you also??”
……She was being hit on. Well, I don’t know what the standards are for elves, but from my point of view, Fricka is an amazingly beautiful girl……By the way, the guards are also quite beautiful guys. If it was from the standards of Japan, they would be at the level of an idol. Although compared to Fricka’s beautiful girl level they look plain.
But is it really all right? She seems to have been raised by the elders to become a miko’s wife… Well, I don’t plan on taking her?
Perhaps Fricka was used to it, she didn’t panic and responded calmly.
“I’m sorry, today we are having a guest.”
“…A guest?”
“The two behind you?”
It seems that they finally noticed us when she said that.……Is it really okay to guard being like that? If I was an enemy, they would been already stabbed with a surprise attack…?
And Even before that, if it’s Uru, it might be possible to end them with a throw from out of their sight range, but that’s aside. We don’t have to do it……. We don’t have, right?
“Yes. The God of Creation miko-sama and her companion.”
“”What…!””
They became surprised and stared at me, so I waved my hand at them for the time being.
Then… They narrowed their eyes in suspicion… For some reason, there was an atmosphere of not being welcome was being emitted by them.
“A young child who doesn’t even look like an adult?”
“That hyuman(human) looks like a woman. Isn’t miko-sama a man?
… Putting aside the fact that I look like a child and made then feel uneasy at it, is it really that much of a problem for me being a woman? Or rather, since when did the story of miko = man became a fact?
Even in the game, you could freely choose the gender of your avatar. Men can use female avatars, and women can use male avatars. There are no gender differences in abilities or story changes because of it.
That’s why I don’t think it’s possible that there were only been men mikos from the start. And In the first place, this body of mine was created by the Creator God herself.
Well, from Fricka’s point of view, such questions were expected, she easily answered to them.
“I have confirmed it with my own eyes. That person is definitely a miko-sama.”
“…I see. If you, a priestess, say so…”
It felt like he said it reluctantly, but I’m glad it seemed like they ended agreeing smoothly??but they didn’t ended here.
“No, wait! The black-haired kid next to she… She is a lizard!”
“What did you say!?”
In an instant, they stood up and pointed the tip of the staff that they were holding in their hands to us.
While letting out a sigh, I move Uru to my back to not let them to target Uru.
I could hear Uru’s confused voice, but I glanced sideways and smiled lightly to reassure her.
“You’re always protecting me when it’s the time to fight. So when it’s not, it’s my turn to protect you.”
“… Umu.”
I felt a tight grip on the hem of my clothes. This make my protective instincts tickle, okay?
……Cough.
That said, if I were hit with magic, with my current equipment even if I didn’t die it would still hurt a lot.
How I can calm them down… But before I could think about it, there was an another figure blocking their line of fire.
“Please stop. That person is a friend of the miko-sama.”
It was Fricka .
Even though she was scared at first…… She easily trusted us quite a bit.
Was it because I was a miko, or because she did open up to us even though it was for just a short time? I would like if was the latter case.
“B-But…!”
“You can’t believe in miko-sama words?”
“Ugh… We can’t make this decision on our own! Somebody call the head elder here!”
It seems that there was another resident watching from afar before we knew it. I heard the sound of a guard calling out to them and a rushing off sound.
After about fifteen minutes of waiting, an elf with with long hair and a beard, was he an handsome man when he was young? an elf with a good-looking face for an old man, accompanied by a group of attendants appeared.
……Everyone has a cane. They might be escorts, but… Even if they couldn’t be called bloodthirsty they seem to be quite vigilant toward us, I can fell a atmosphere so tense that you could cut it with a knife.
“Are you a miko?”
“That’s right.”
The head elder elf stares at me with a blunt gaze, as if to judging me.
When I saw it, I thought, “Oh, this might not going to work.” Even though nothing has started yet, I feel like giving up.
His eyes, are too different from Fricka’s.
She showed just a little of gloom, but she was bright green like a symbol of spring.
However… this elf elder looked terrible. He’s an old man, so maybe he’s got an eye problem? It made me wanted to escape reality for a second, but it wouldn’t be the case.
With eyes clouded with greed and suspicion. Darker than winter, a thing that was coated in darkness.
Even though he’s an elf, even compared to Uru, who is a lizard, he is a much like… No, even comparing them would be rude. There was such great difference here.
“Can you prove it?”
“…Creation (Making) [Creation God’s Stone Statue]”
In response to the request, I took out a workbench and a stone block without saying anything unnecessary, and activated a skill that only a Miko could use.
The surrounding elves became in a state of turmoil so great that they unintentionally lowered their staffs, but the elf head elder only twitched his eyebrows.
“I’m very sorry, miko-sama……. But how are you going to explain about the lizard behind you?”*
For the time being, he seems to have accepted that I am a miko, and his tone has changed, but somehow it’s shamelessly fake. I didn’t feel like saying ‘You don’t need to honorifics with me.’ to him.
……Because there is not a bit of respect put in his words.
To such a person, no matter what kind of explanation I give, they will not be satisfied with it.
So I decided to simply push my way through with brute force.
“In the name of Promethia, the God of Creation, I, Rion, her miko, will guarantee her safety.”
All people living in this world believe in the Creator God.
To swear an oath in the name of the creator god… Is like to risk one’s life.
…… Well, setting aside the fact that only the gods, including the creator god, can actually punish me as a miko.
In a different kind of commotion than when I used the skill, The elf head elder opened his mouth sternly.
“…Let’s believe I’m you. It’s a bit late, but I’m the head elder Zagi. Thank you very much for coming to our village Alness.”
Just… I can’t just forget. That the corners of his mouth were slightly distorted with ridicule.
*Translator note: The head elder was speaking to Rion with a informal tone but changed it to a formal/polite tone. I don’t know how to translate it to an english formal-like tone.