By Zephyria =======
“Do you want to ruin the prayer ritual? Where do you get off spouting words that would be cursed by the gods! What did you just say? Devil! You called them a devil!”
“I’m sorry, Silver! Actually, atheism is a huge trend among people my age in Atania… and you’re only recognized as a cool guy if you act like you’re spitting on the gods… These days, even little kids cry and throw tantrums because they don’t want to go to the temple with their parents…”
“I was just talking nonsense like I always do. I, I spoke in the Atania language, so maybe the long-snouted frog lord couldn’t understand?”
At Wolf’s words, Silver seemed to finally calm down.
“I’ll let it slide just this once. If you act arrogant during the prayer ritual, be prepared. The Stohl people do not forgive blasphemy.”
“Yes! Yes! I’ll be devout. I promise. Promise!”
After the commotion, the moon rose high in the sky. The three boys circled around the pheasants and rabbits Silver had hunted. Throughout the prayer ritual, Wolf’s heart pounded. Beneath a deep black robe hood, with only his lips visible and a torch emitting white smoke in his hand, Silver looked gloomy yet magnificent as he chanted the spells.
He wondered if actual black magicians were like that. Aside from the fact that the purpose of calling upon the god was for skin care, this prayer ritual was a special experience that one couldn’t buy even with money in Atania.
When they finished the ritual and were grilling the meat, Silver spoke.
“The moles won’t disappear instantly. If you wait, they’ll gradually fade and vanish one by one.”
“Since we’ve already done it, I really hope they go away. Actually, I was embarrassed by the moles on my hands and feet.”
Red Eagle muttered, glancing over the back of his hand. Wolf found it fascinating that lacking moles was considered unusual for a Stohl person.
“Hey, Silver. By any chance, was the reason you and Uncle looked at me so strangely at the hot spring because of the moles?”
“Yes.”
Silver admitted it readily.
“It was the first time in my life I’d seen a Stohl person without a single mole on their body. I even checked to see if there were any on the soles of the feet, and I was surprised to find none there either.”
“Ah, I see… Then are the tattoos of the Stohl people meant to cover up moles?”
“I don’t know about the origin, but probably? Stohl people also find them creepy and dislike them. Everyone gets tattoos where their moles are clustered.”
“Then, around your eyes, originally…”
At those words, Silver smacked Wolf across the head.
“I got this just to look cool! My face was flawlessly clean!”
After their hot spring bath, the three boys went to bed. Black Weasel did not return that day either.
* * *
From then on, the three boys spent their days immersed in play. One day, when they snapped back to reality and counted the days, it had been fifteen days since Black Weasel had left the cave.
“Why isn’t Uncle coming back? Did he not tell you where he was going?”
Wolf asked cautiously from his bed. Silver, lying next to him with his arm as a pillow, glanced at Wolf out of the corner of his eye.
“No. I know where he went.”
“Then you know around when Uncle will return?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Che. You’re not going to tell me why Uncle left the cave either, right?”
“Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I don’t know that part either.”
Silver shut his mouth and stared at the ceiling. His expression was blank, making his thoughts unreadable.
“…Well, given that Ice Armor Warrior’s reckless personality, it’s obvious what he’s doing. He’s either getting some woman pregnant somewhere or just drinking his life away.”
“Getting a wo-woman… pregnant?”
Wolf’s cheeks flushed at the explicit expression. Silver let out a short laugh.
“What are you so surprised for? Ice Armor Warrior bragged about it often. He said that in his prime, he must have gotten over fifty women pregnant. He said there were many times the women’s husbands bought him drinks to thank him.”
“What, how could a husband… Huh?”
Only then did he remember.
‘In Stohl, there is a custom passed down from ancient times called
Similar customs are found in various remote areas of Atania, and it seems Stohl also devised its own measure to avoid direct inbreeding. Not just anyone from another land is chosen as a partner; the man must be handsome and well-built—in short, “superior.”
“That’s the Dure custom, right? Wow, Uncle’s face really works in Stohl. I guess he’s a handsome man by their standards.”
As Wolf expressed his great surprise, Silver actually flinched.
“Ice Armor Warrior is decent enough to look at… Now that he’s old, his popularity has faded, but a few years ago, women clung to him wherever he went. But hearing you, it sounds like Ice Armor Warrior isn’t much to look at in the eyes of Atanians? Is the standard for a handsome man over there a pretty face?”
“Hmm, Atania has strong regional characteristics, so the standards for beauty differ. But regardless of the region, Uncle probably… wouldn’t be very popular. People in Atania, regardless of the area, prefer a bright impression. Someone who looks good with a wide smile.”
Wolf put his finger to the corner of his mouth and gave a wide, toothy grin.
“I guess it’s a characteristic of people from warm southern lands? A relaxed and joyful impression that suits white sunlight, blue seas, and palm trees. Those kinds of faces are popular.”
「Like your face, right?」
Silver spoke without taking his eyes off Wolf. Wolf leaned in toward Silver.
“Huh? What did you say?”
「You’re probably popular with women.」
“What does that mean? Say it in the Atania language, Silver.”
“It meant that kind of face isn’t popular in Stohl. Now go to sleep.”
Silver abruptly pulled the blanket over himself. He seemed somehow cold, leaving Wolf feeling awkward. He also felt that Silver had suddenly become a stranger. This was probably because he recalled the fact that, along with the Dure custom, the Stohl people were sexually very promiscuous. Silver must have… d-d-d-d-d-done it too, right? No, why am I stuttering?
It’s nothing, so why am I like this? Even in Atania, people who are virgins after fifteen are treated like mythical fairies, regardless of gender. Since Silver is a Stohl person, he obviously must have d-d-d-done it. Damn, I’m stuttering again. There’s no one to eavesdrop, so why…
Let’s just sleep.
Wolf closed his eyes and counted sheep. Only after enough time had passed for two segments of a candle to burn down did sleep finally wash over him.
Was it a dream? He heard Silver’s voice.
「Attendant. Your father is a good man, right?」
Even in his sleep, Wolf thought: Please, say it in the Atania language…
* * *
“Wolf. Silver is absolutely not the type of guy to be a slave.”
The next day, it was just as Silver had left for hunting and Wolf had just begun practicing climbing the cave walls. Red Eagle spoke up suddenly.
“You’ve noticed it too, right? Silver hates taking orders. He’s willful and good at playing tricks.”
“That’s true, Prince.”
Wolf stopped climbing and nodded.
“He’s the type of son’s friend that mothers hate the most. Though he’s probably popular with people his own age.”
In the common expression of commoner boys, he was “a guy who lives however he damn well pleases.” Silver’s mischievous nature was fully revealed during their role-playing games. When he was the assault captain, he occupied the ship and looted the liquor cellar first. When he was the captain, he faked an illness because he didn’t want to lead the fight. When he was the strategist, he played a prank by secretly putting a bug in the captain’s sleeve.
“That fellow Silver has started calling us ‘you guys’ at some point. He’s accepted me as his friend too. I think it’s about time to slowly persuade him to join our side. Should I do it today?”
“Well…”
Wolf, who had been responding enthusiastically, suddenly hesitated. The back of his neck felt chilly, as if a cold blade had touched it. Red Eagle took a step closer.
“Wolf, what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
After a moment of silence, Wolf jumped down.
“Prince. It’s strange.”
“What is?”
“With that personality, why would Silver be a slave? If he put his mind to it, he could run away right now. He doesn’t have a master.”
“Ah…”
Red Eagle swallowed audibly. Wolf clenched his fists. He felt pathetic for only realizing this obvious fact now.
“What do you think, Prince? Why wouldn’t Silver run away?”
“Perhaps… because running away would only be to his own detriment? Because he’d suffer great harm?”
“Not that he doesn’t run away, but that he can’t run away?”
Wolf thought of the piles of firewood stacked in the cave. Thinking about it again, it was puzzling. With Silver’s personality, would he do all that hard labor just because a master told him to?
“Could Black Weasel be holding his family hostage? If he runs away, his family dies. Looking at Silver’s personality, I can’t think of any other reason.”
“Then… even if we persuade him, Silver won’t switch sides.”
“In international diplomacy, hostages are a powerful bargaining chip. Silver must have no choice… Damn it! How pathetic!”
Suddenly, Red Eagle spat out a curse. Wolf was startled.
“Prince, what’s wrong? What do you mean, pathetic?”
25 – Hell Execution Order