Chapter 131 : Where Are You, priest!
Where Are You, priest!
Thrag-big bro was unusually quiet today.
Big Bro, we're not on bad terms, right? I slowly approached the brazier, holding a pouch called the "dust of honor."
Even as I neared the flame of the brazier, Thrag showed no reaction at all.
"Chieftain."
Just in case, I asked.
"What happens if I fail the Journey of Proof?"
The chieftain leaned his head back and let out a hearty laugh in response to my question.
"Kuhahahahahaha!"
His laughter was so loud the air in the tent trembled, and even the wolf skull hanging on the wall rattled.
"Dmihtan! The great warrior who beat my son at the barbarian coming-of-age ceremony and became the champion! Surely you would not have failed the Journey of Proof! It's certain that you'll become a barbarian recognized by Thrag!"
Isn't he trusting me a bit too much?
Moreover, everything the chieftain just said was pretty much wrong.
Did I beat Barkal? No, we just took down the dungeon master together.
Has Thrag recognized me?
At first, he tried to kill me. Crazy god.
Am I a barbarian?
That goes without saying.
"Still, just in case, let me tell you what happens if the fire does not flare up."
After stroking his chin for a moment, the chieftain spoke up.
"You must undergo the barbarian coming-of-age ceremony again!"
Wait a minute.
I couldn't hide my shock at the chieftain's words.
Do the coming-of-age ceremony again?
"Again?"
"That's right!"
The chieftain nodded matter-of-factly.
This is insane!
I brought back the heart, barely got past the priest's suspicions, and now they want me to do the coming-of-age ceremony again?
I just can't accept that!
Thinking so, I stood before Thrag's flame.
I trust you, big bro. Even if you're just quietly standing there, I trust you.
After a brief moment of prayer, I reached out to the object called the "dust of honor."
A faint scent wafted from within.
The smell of ash, bone, and something that had been burned.
When I put my hand in, it felt cold.
It felt like I was touching bone dust. It was soft, running smoothly through my fingers.
"Dust of honor," huh.
Surely, it isn't actually made of bone dust, right?
"Thrag."
I spoke towards the brazier.
My voice came out calmer than expected.
"I, Dmihtan Elvar, have returned after completing the Journey of Proof."
I slowly brought my hand above the brazier. The swirling flame remained calm.
"I have uplifted your honor and reached this place."
With those words, I opened my palm.
Pasaak.
The gray dust scattered into the flickering flames.
Chiiiik.
There was no sign of anything.
Thrag-big bro, are you serious right now?
"Hmm?"
Just as I was complaining inwardly about this stingy god, the chieftain's surprised voice reached me.
I turned my head. The chieftain's face had hardened.
The eyes visible beneath his helmet were trembling.
"Strange."
The chieftain muttered.
His gaze was fixed on the brazier. The brazier that showed no reaction at all.
"This is the first time there's been no reaction. I've never seen anything like this before."
Silence followed.
The chieftain's face grew darker and darker. In the end, just as he couldn't contain his curiosity and reached toward the brazier—
Hwaaaaaruk!
The flames containing Thrag's fire erupted upward in an explosion.
"Oh, ooh......!"
It looked as if a dragon was ascending to the heavens.
The fire from the brazier reached all the way to the ceiling. Reds, oranges, yellows, all sorts of colors swirled together, but luckily the tent did not catch fire.
"This is the first time such a powerful reaction has ever happened!"
The chieftain's voice trembled. Whether it was awe or excitement, I couldn't tell.
I figured it must be both.
"Of all the warriors who have completed the Journey of Proof so far, you are the greatest!"
Through his skull helmet, the chieftain's eyes met mine.
"You are the greatest barbarian recognized by Thrag!"
The chieftain, who didn't know a thing, recognized me as a barbarian. Well, it didn't matter. Now that Thrag had done this, there was nothing to fear.
* 〈Thrag is watching over you.〉
Ra-big bro!
I knew I could believe in you!
I knew you would come through!
If you appeared in front of me right now, I'd want to blow you a kiss!
Despite my praise, Thrag only spared me a brief glance and showed no further reaction.
What's the matter? He looked like he wasn't feeling well.
* 〈Thrag has identified a vile presence in the village.〉
A vile presence?
* 〈Thrag warns of an unclean ritual.〉
* * *
Having received Thrag's recognition, I left the tent.
The sunlight stabbed at my eyes, and I squinted as I looked around. Outside the tent, Serena, Barkal, and a crowd of tribesmen had gathered.
All sorts of barbarians.
There seemed to be at least dozens. Of course, kid Boulder and Gor were among those eyeing the scene nervously.
It looked like all the barbarians who hadn't gotten sick had gathered here.
"Our brother, Dmihtan Elvar, has been recognized by Thrag!"
The chieftain followed me out of the tent.
He reached out with a massive hand and gripped my shoulder.
"He has passed the Journey of Proof! As of today, Dmihtan is one of the great barbarians!"
Waaaaaah!
As the chieftain shouted, the gathered tribe members all broke out in cheers and applause.
Thump, thump, thump.
Someone struck their weapon on the ground. The other barbarians began to follow suit.
"Dmihtan, Dmihtan!"
"Dmihtan!"
Voices chanting my name.
"A great warrior!"
"Blessed by Thrag!"
"Sage Dmihtan!"
"Little Giant, Dmihtan!"
Of course, Barkal's voice was included in those shouts as well.
With his characteristic wide stride, he came up to me.
"Brother, as expected, you have been recognized!"
Barkal yelled in a buoyant voice, wrapping me in a hug. Hey, I can't breathe! I'm going to die!
"B-Barkal...!"
"Congratulations, brother!"
I was about to tell him to let go when two more voices chimed in.
Kid Boulder and Gor.
"Sage! As expected, our faith was not misplaced!"
"Congratulations, Dmihtan!"
The two giants joined the hug.
Other barbarians began to climb the steps and approach, one by one.
After that, as if it were a traditional rule, each of them grabbed a part of my body and shouted.
"Congratulations!"
"Thrag's warrior!"
"Little Giant!"
I could hardly breathe.
I thought I might actually die like this.
So, for quite a while, I found myself buried under the boisterous welcome of the barbarians.
* * *
After the welcome was over, the barbarians dispersed for their own affairs.
The first to approach us was the chieftain.
"Congratulations, great barbarian Dmihtan."
Perhaps he had come to congratulate me one more time on my successful journey. In response to his words, I simply nodded.
After that, the chieftain approached Barkal.
"Barkal, how did the funeral go?"
In truth, this must be what he wanted to ask most. But he was the chieftain. He had to conduct the tribe's rites before his personal feelings.
Barkal closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke.
"Thanks to my brother's help, the funeral is over."
Barkal spoke calmly and then began talking about Darsan's funeral.
Lagmor Mountain and the dungeon.
And the "tendon" discovered in the Abyss.
The chieftain listened to Barkal's story in silence. I could see his huge hand trembling slightly.
"...... So Darsan wasn't killed by a necromancer?"
"That's right."
"Tendon... I know what that means. I too have conquered the Abyss dungeon."
A brief silence of grief followed.
"Still, that's a relief."
Though I didn't quite know all the connections, the chieftain looked relieved.
Despite his massive and imposing physique, his voice trembled. What came out was not a warrior's voice, but a father's.
"The fact that Darsan did not betray his brother. That alone is enough for me."
Tap.
The chieftain touched Barkal's shoulder.
"Good work, my son."
At the word "son," unexplainable emotions flickered in Barkal's eyes.
But that touching reunion lasted only a moment, because I remembered there was something I needed to ask the chieftain.
"Chieftain, where is the priest right now?"
"The priest?"
The chieftain was visibly flustered by my sudden question.
"At present, the priest is performing a purification ritual. The disease spreading in the village may be due to Thrag's anger, so he is investigating that."
I'd already heard that. The question now was: where is the priest?
"Do you perhaps harbor any ill will toward him?"
The chieftain was sharp. He realized that my feelings were anything but positive.
"Although the priest defiled your honor when you departed on your journey, priest Rugar would not bear any grudge."
No ill will?
But such a person ordered the Disguiser to have us assassinated?
"Chieftain, priest Rugar is not what he seems."
This time, it was Barkal. He began telling his father, the chieftain, everything that had happened so far.
That Priest Rugar had commissioned our assassination. When he heard this, the chieftain's eyes narrowed.
"The priest?"
"Yes."
"Impossible. Priest Rugar has served as shaman for the tribe all his life. He would never do such a thing..."
The chieftain muttered to himself, looking troubled.
"Is that information certain?"
It was certain.
Miriam had heard it directly from the Disguiser, so it had to be true.
If this was a lie... well, then we'd have to hunt down Miriam.
"That's not all."
"There's more trouble related to Priest Rugar?"
The chieftain's eyes widened in surprise. Truthfully, I hesitated to divulge information about the Seven Abyssal Brands.
The assassination commission was something we actually experienced, but the Seven Abyssal Brands was something I only heard from the prince, so it was still just suspicion.
But just earlier, Thrag said he sensed an "unclean ritual."
That "ritual" must be related to the priest.
So I decided I had to say it.
"...... Perhaps, this plague is connected to the priest."