Black Badger

It was that flute sound.

We looked at each other.

We weren't surprised or flustered. We'd already heard from the villagers how to deal with this phenomenon—what to do to avoid being enchanted by the flute sound.

Sing a song.

I said solemnly.

"Who's going first?"

"Doesn't it matter what it is?"

Kyle said, staring at the end of the canyon where the sound was coming from.

Nothing was visible at the end of the canyon, where darkness was beginning to settle. Just as the rumors said.

No one had ever found the source of the sound.

As long as we could escape this place, that was fine for us.

"I don't know many songs," Ray muttered beside me, and Kyle started singing.

It was a low, powerful voice.

"Under the red flag, the enemy's head lies. Blood on the sleeves and the scorched grassland. Hey hey. Advance, warriors. All the blood-soaked land is ours...."

"Wait!"

Was this guy insane?

Next to Ray, whose eyes were wide open, I shouted urgently.

Kyle, who had been singing calmly, turned to me with a puzzled look.

His yellow eyes blinked.

"Why?"

"Why?"

This guy really didn't know what was wrong.

"What kind of lyrics are those?"

"It's a song our tribe often sang when marching out."

"Don't sing something so ominous!"

Wouldn't you have gotten executed for singing that in the empire?

Unable to hide my astonishment, I covered Kyle's mouth as he said, "Any song is fine. This is the only one I know."

With my palm over Kyle's mouth, I turned my head toward Ray.

"Ray, you'd better sing."

"...Surprisingly, that seems right."

"Sing anything."

Ignoring Kyle, who was raising an eyebrow, I urged him on.

He must have learned some song in the count's house. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Ray, who had been looking ahead reluctantly, hesitantly opened his mouth.

Unlike before, a soft and emotional song flowed out.

"When the whole continent sleeps quietly, when the sheep and mice all sleep..., only the sound of wind brushing the grass leaves breaks the silence...."

"It's a lullaby?"

Kyle muttered, pushing my hand away.

A lullaby was way better than that brutal military song.

As I was about to retort, Ray flushed and snapped.

"I only know this one!"

"No, I didn't say anything."

"Hilde, you sing!"

Kyle held out his palm to explain, but Ray didn't listen.

I blinked and pointed to my chest with my finger.

Ray grumbled, his cheeks still red.

"You have to sing something too!"

Why was he getting mad?

I wasn't trying to dodge it because I didn't want to sing.

Kyle and I looked at Ray reluctantly. But thankfully, Kyle didn't say much, and I quickly nodded.

I only knew one type of song anyway.

I knew many tunes, but all the songs I knew were hymns. It was natural since I'd learned every song from the priests.

There was a priestess who was sincere about teaching me hymns....

Smiling wryly as I thought of her, I began to sing.

Since the two men didn't stop me, I kept singing until we escaped the canyon.

"What was that?"

The flute sound cut off, and I stopped singing too, when Ray's voice came right away.

He was peering into the settling darkness.

"Why do you sing so well?"

"Really? Thanks. I sang it every seventh day."

"It's sacred."

Kyle joined the conversation with a voice mixed with laughter.

"The archbishop would have made you a priest if he heard this."

Not to that extent.

I always got feedback from her. She was serious about hymns and always nitpicked mine. Make the sound rounder, don't use your throat—she showered me with endless nagging.

I only heard praise once.

When the temple was burning.

Even that probably wasn't entirely sincere. She must have sensed it was the end and just said something nice.

"Ah, I'm hungry."

I muttered, pushing away the surging nostalgia and sadness with hunger.

"We came out of the rock crevice, so let's find something quick to eat."

"Good suggestion."

Kyle grinned, his beast-like eyes curving.

"Oh God, we're finally escaping Redhorn," Ray muttered.

Matching their strides, I walked into the thorny forest ahead.

*

"Is that it?"

The ghost forest was so dense that sunlight stopped filtering in at some point.

We discovered the Ashen Cliff in the middle of that forest.

Atop the cliff grew a massive pomegranate stone.

"We just need to pick that, right?"

"Easier than expected."

I muttered beside Ray, who was pointing at the pomegranate stone.

"Is this the end?"

But didn't they say there were too many sacrifices or something?

Of course, the journey here wasn't easy. But if I asked if it was that hard, no, it wasn't. Any skilled adventurer could have reached here.

No need to send three knights.

So why....

As I was wondering, Kyle rummaged through his bundle beside me.

"They say poison gas comes out if you climb up there."

He straightened his waist and handed me a strange cloth.

"Wear this and go up."

"Me?"

I pointed at my face with my index finger and asked back.

Kyle nodded, holding out a plaid handkerchief and lumpy clothes like animal intestines.

Naturally?

"Since when did I get assigned the climbing role?"

"I'm not good at climbing cliffs."

Kyle's voice was brazen in response.

"You know. I'm from the plains. If something happens, I'll support you right away, so don't worry too much."

"And Ray."

"I'm not as good at it as you."

Ray's quick reply revealed his true feelings.

He'd die before wearing that plaid handkerchief and those animal intestine-like clothes.

"Especially not confident climbing that high cliff in unfamiliar clothes.... Hurry and go. The poison gas isn't that lethal."

"Who picked the plaid anyway."

"Kisis."

"That bastard."

"Hilde. You'll look good in anything."

Kyle answered calmly, and beside me, who was cursing, Ray smiled hypocritically.

"He's handsome."

Beautiful friendship.

Grumbling, I put on the baggy white clothes and covered my nose and mouth with the plaid handkerchief.

I had no idea how this was supposed to block poison gas.

But it definitely looked ridiculous. Kyle laughed without restraint at my prepared appearance.

"Funny?"

The man like a black lion couldn't even lift his head, buried in the tree.

At least Ray was decent. He was at least trying to hold back his laughter.

Though his flushed red face scratched at my nerves.

"You two handle meals for a while."

Grumbling, I climbed the cliff.

I felt the unique texture of the cliff. It was strangely soft rock. Maybe saturated with moisture, making it spongy? They said poison gas came out up top—maybe related to this odd texture.

Thinking that, I climbed diligently.

The knights' gazes kept sticking to my back.

Kyle whistled sharply.

"Looking good!"

I suppressed the surging violent impulse.

"Relax your expression! Not much left!"

Ray's voice didn't comfort me either.

When I got down, I'd pay back this humiliation for sure. The cliff was high but not hard to climb. I finished the climb sullenly.

Even the top of this cliff was strangely soft. Stepping on the spongy ground, I approached the massive pomegranate stone.

A gem as tall as my lower body.

Just cut it off, right?

I examined the red pomegranate stone this way and that, then drew my sword.

At that moment, a long scar on the flat surface near the pomegranate stone caught my eye. A long, deep gash in the ground.

Was the poison gas from here?

I poked the long arc with the tip of my sword.

Nothing happened.

The arc was too perfect, so I poked a few more times, but no change.

Probably a mark from some beast or magical beast dragging its foot.

Turning my gaze, I cut the pomegranate stone with my sword.

Red smoke rose.

"You okay?"

Kyle and Ray shouted from below.

To show it was nothing, I waved my left arm. It was poison gas, but as Ray said, not serious. My eyes stung a bit, but no problem with my body.

It wasn't continuously emitting, so waiting would let the wind carry it away.

Once it dissipated, I'd go down.

Holding the pomegranate stone, I waited for the smoke to scatter and disappear.

While taking off the white clothes whose necessity was questionable.

I didn't have to wait long.

"Good job!"

Kyle's shout.

"Ditch the handkerchief and come down!"

Smiling at Ray's words, I tossed the handkerchief aside.

Preparing to descend while holding the massive pomegranate stone.

At the same time, the scar beside the pomegranate stone's root deepened.

"Huh?"

I blinked at the widening scar.

"...Huh?"

Why was the scar growing?

Why... why was smooth ground appearing under the scar? And why did it keep growing?

Why was the ground unnaturally white? Not dirt or rock, but like covered in a membrane?

As if this soft ground had been enveloping that membrane.

Like an eyelid covering the eyeball...?

Ah.

This was bad.

The moment I realized the reality, I jumped down from the cliff.

"This is bad."

I said, running toward the men who were giving me puzzled looks.

"This isn't a cliff."

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"Let's run."

I declared, weaving between Kyle, who was raising an eyebrow, and Ray, who was blinking.

We had to run and see.

If the eye was that big, then what?

"I poked the eye."

"What eye?"

"The cliff's eye."

"Huh?"

How big was the main body?

"The cliff has an eye?"

"You poked the eye?"

"Damn, it's awake!"

I felt a heavy presence moving.

Without stopping my run for a second, I shouted.

"It's not a cliff, that thing!"

Desperately.

"It's a living creature!"

Kraaaah!

A roar shook the forest.

I ran without looking back. I heard Kyle and Ray gasp in shock behind me. But as skilled as they were, they didn't freeze.

The two quickly caught up to me.

Ray ran on my left and shouted.

"What the hell is that!"

That was what I wanted to say.

"What the hell!"

"One hit and we're dead?"

Kyle glanced back at the rock-like creature moving heavily.

He was running on my right.

His black hair whipped wildly behind him.

"What did you do to wake it up suddenly?"

Because I poked the eye....

I couldn't even think it was an eye. My excuse didn't become sound. No, I didn't have time to voice it. We ran madly through the dense forest. I didn't know what it was, but instinct told me to put distance first.

Instinct gained from countless battles.

Clutching the pomegranate stone until it might shatter, I cursed inwardly.

Kisis, that damn bastard!

"Uwaaak!"

Thud!

One step.

Whatever limb—arm, leg, or something—hit the ground, creating a massive crater.

The shockwave from behind nearly sent us tumbling forward.

Thankfully, all three of us quickly regained balance and ran.

The thick greenery flashed by quickly behind.

Grass, tree, grass, tree. Massive tree! I nearly collided with a huge tree trunk multiple times.

I shouted toward Ray and Kyle, who were clearing the obstructing trees ahead.

"Let's get out of the forest first!"

Movement would be freer.

"If it follows that far, we counterattack together!"

"Sounds good! Please!"

"At least its speed isn't fast, thank goodness."

Ray agreed, and Kyle glanced back and muttered.

"I don't want to get hit by that and die."

Same here.

I didn't want to die in the first place. Especially not so stupidly. So Kyle, Ray, and I crossed the forest like mad, emerging from it with considerable distance from the giant creature.

With the trees gone, the barren wasteland spread out in the open view.

A small village at the end of the wasteland, and an oasis.

"We can't let it toward the village!"

Kyle shouted urgently.

"Lure it to the oasis!"

"Wise judgment."

I dashed toward the oasis.

Tucking the pomegranate stone securely at my side, running steadily without once looking back, I shouted.

"It probably won't follow that far!"

I was wrong.

It followed us all the way to the oasis.

Slow but enormous, closing in with massive strides per step.

Rock-like creature....

"Listen."

Looking at it approaching us, who were standing side by side with swords drawn, I muttered lowly.

"Let's do this."