“This is…”
“The divine beast people’s village.”
The place where Luna brought us is a village in an opening in the forest. It feels like a rural village.
I was thinking of something more fantastical, like houses on top of trees, and just an overall feeling of coexistence with nature. But apparently I was way off.
That said, their houses are made of wood, and they all look big and nice.
I’m sure it’s all made based on the knowledge they’ve accumulated from living in this place.
“Hey Arata. You’re here.”
“Ah, Elga.”
“And Reina too. Welcome.”
“Livia.”
Elga and Livia call out to us, as we stand by the entrance and look around.
They take us inside, because apparently they’re our guides.
I feel eyes on me from time to time, and when I turn to look, I see beast people working the fields. They all stop working to look, because I guess they don’t normally have visitors.
I can’t sense the same immense power that I feel from Elga and Luna.
I’m careful not to scare them, as I ask Elga questions about the village.
“We divine beasts inherited the power of our grand ancestors that lived a long time ago, in a big way. A lot of people here are very proud too.
And that means your average beast person doesn’t hold a candle to us.”
“That difference exists even in the same village?”
“Ah… I can’t say it doesn’t. Actually, everyone here is a normal beast person, and we divine beasts live on that hill over there.”
Elga points to a few houses on the hill, that stand tall like they’re looking down at us.
People with high social standings in society living in high places is nothing new, and apparently that’s how it works here too.
“It’s like nobles and commoners.”
Reina says bluntly, but she’s right.
I come from modern day Japan, where we didn’t have a system like that, but I understand that it’s inevitable that the ones with power stand on top and the ones without it fall to the bottom.
But if that balance of power leads to terrible things happening, that’s not going to make me feel good.
“It’s not like we want to be worshiped or anythin’, but… They just decided to treat us like gods on their own. That’s a real pain.”
“…Hn?”
“Ahn? What?”
“Well, don’t divine beasts look down on regular beast people?”
Asks Reina.
“Ah? Why’d we have to do that? They’re the ones thinkin’ we’re gods.”
“…I see. Hum, I’m sorry.”
Reina bows, because it looks like she was misunderstanding.
Looking at them more closely, it doesn’t actually seem like their lifestyles are as different as it looks at first glance.
“We were just born with power, so why’d we care about that sort of thing?”
From what Elga says, it really sounds like the regular beast people are the only ones who are hung up on that.
Regular beast people can’t survive alone on this island, so while it looks like the divine beasts are protecting them, it doesn’t mean they treat them like they’re beneath them.
“We hunt in the forest and bring food, and they grow rice and vegetables and stuff. We just have different roles.”
“I see. So things flow smoothly because everyone has their role.”
“Yep.”
I think that’s how Elga really feels. That said, I understand how the regular beast people feel too.
They don’t have the same power, and wouldn’t survive here without the protection of the divine beast people.
And so they worship, revere, and place themselves under their protection. That’s one way to survive this harsh world.
“Here we are.”
The houses on top of the hill look nicer and sturdier than the ones down there. The big mansion in the back looks particularly solid and stylized.
“What’s that?”
“Ah, that’s the elder’s home. We divine beast people were born when we received the power of divine beasts, but the elder’s been living for way longer.”
“Eh… So like Wilhelmina?”
Elga makes an annoyed face when I bring up that name. I think he’s been holding that grudge for a long time.
“Well, I guess. It’s said that they used to fight a long time ago.”
“Grandma’s really strong! We couldn’t beat her even if we all ganged up on her!”
“That’s… Incredible.”
Reina looks a little scared, but I think that’s natural.
Elga and Tiltue can cause her to suffer from magic energy intoxication just by releasing their power, and it looked like she was feeling pretty bad too.
It goes without saying that hearing about someone even stronger isn’t going to be nice for her.
“The elder told us to take you to the mansion. Will you come with us?”
“Yes. We’re here to say hello in the first place.”
“Yes.”
Reina nods strongly, not wanting to appear weak, but it’s clear even just from the way she’s standing that she’s acting tough.
I brace myself to protect her if anything happens, and we follow Elga to the mansion.
What awaits us in the room we are guided to is a young woman with long hair that’s so red, it looks like it’s burning.
She’s wearing a red men’s kimono and black innerwear, and that combined with the sharp golden eyes looking down at us reminds me of an old-timey yakuza.
She’s incredibly beautiful, but she has too much presence, and so the scary feeling I get from her overpowers it.
“So you’re the people from outside the island Elga was talking about. Eh… Interesting…”
She raises one knee and starts puffing on her pipe.
I was thinking she looks like a yakuza, but now that I’m in front of her, she looks more like a general from a period drama, with the way she’s sitting on a slightly elevated position in this room covered with tatami.
In any case, the woman in front of me is the boss of the divine beast people, and truly a phoenix.
“Well then, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about me, but I should introduce myself anyway. I’m Phoenix, and I’m the one ruling over the divine beast people.”
“…I’m Arata, and this is…”
“Reina Mistral. We have wandered into this island, and Elga and Luna have been a great…”
“Ah, sure sure. I don’t like this formal stuff. You’re guests, so relax. I’ve heard a lot from Elga too.”
Says Phoenix while waving her hand, sounding like this is all really tiresome.
“I used to be called divine bird, undying bird, and stuff like that, but now I’ve taken this form, and I’m going by Suzaku. Call me that too. Elder kind of annoys me too.”
She says while glaring at Elga, like she’s saying she’s not old, but he doesn’t seem to care. But she keeps on glaring, and eventually he gives up and responds.
“Well you are the elder. You’ve been alive since way before any of us were even born, so accept it.”
“Ahh… That little snot-nosed Elga grew up to be so foul-mouthed. Who do you take after?”
“Well you raised me, so I guess you.”
Apparently Elga and Suzaku are like mother and child.
They’re two completely different races, so there’s no way they’re blood related, but I do feel like there’s a relationship of mutual trust here.
“Well, he’s like that, but he’s not a bad guy. Keep being his friend.”
“Y-yes…”
“Yes…”
She sounds exactly like a mother talking about a kid that tries to hide his feelings. The scary air around her that was there before is now completely gone.
“And Luna told me a lot about you too. She’s pretty attached to you people, so I get that you’re not bad. We’re welcoming you here today.”
Suzaku says while getting up, and suddenly firing a small fireball. It happens very suddenly, but I manage to react and crush it with my hand.
When I grab it, the flames release an incredible power in my hand. But it can’t burn this body made especially for me by god, and it quickly goes out.
Suzaku gives me a little whistle, like she’s impressed.
“Not bad… Moving this body of mine for real isn’t bad once in a while, but…”
“Hey elder, what are you doing to our guest!?”
“This one here won’t shut up, so I guess that’s all for me today. Elga, there’s a banquet tonight, so show them around the village ’till then.”
Says Suzaku, before leaving while laughing.
That leaves us here, looking at Elga and not knowing what to do.
“Sorry ’bout the elder.”
“Well, I’m getting used to that sort of thing, so don’t worry.”
“But it did sound like she welcomed us here.”
“You two really have nerves of steel, don’t you?”
We don’t have a choice, we have to adapt to our new environment. And we definitely don’t.
I say that, but neither Elga or Luna look like they buy it.
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