Chapter 53 – Farewells and the Goat People

※※※※

The curse had been lifted, and everything was over.

Both the thorns and Misha had vanished.

However, the rogue’s corpse remained, and something had to be done with it.

It couldn’t simply be hidden somewhere, nor could it just be left alone. It was easy to imagine that if it were discovered, a huge commotion would erupt.

A proper farewell had to be performed somehow.

Yet if anyone were to see what we were doing, it might well appear as though we had killed him.

This wasn’t a battlefield or a labyrinth, and the rogue wasn’t merely a common thief or bandit; I believed that no one would immediately grasp the true circumstances behind what had happened.

Therefore,

after a moment’s thought, I decided to discreetly toss the rogue’s corpse into the sea.

A water burial was far less likely to be discovered than the time-consuming preparations required for interment or cremation.

When I asked Ati for her opinion, she simply nodded and said, “I think it’s the safest option.”

Since the sun was rising, we had to hurry a bit—after all, the passengers and crew were bound to wake up soon.

Fortunately, no one spotted us, and the water burial was carried out in secret without incident.

We watched as the rogue’s body was swallowed by the vast ocean, slowly sinking away.

When I awoke, everyone except me was already up.

“Good morning.”

“Have you awakened, Master?”

“Uh, uh… good morning.”

A low grunt escaped me.

Scratching my head as I looked around, I noticed that all the luggage had already been neatly arranged.

Indeed, if the curse had been lifted, we were supposed to disembark and head for the next town.

But I never expected that, upon waking, everything would be so perfectly prepared.

“Selma took care of it.”

“Since I was assigned various errands—including household chores and cooking—I took the liberty of preparing everything in advance, anticipating what might be needed given the circumstances.”

Now that I think about it, I seem to recall her saying something like that…

Nevertheless, I was truly grateful that she had taken the initiative.

“Thank you.”

“That’s too kind of you.”

Selma relaxed her expression and bowed deeply.

Now that I consider it, perhaps I should explain the whole series of events to her? After all, given her role, she had been involved to some extent. I thought about it for a moment, then immediately shook my head. Everything was over now; there was no need. Besides, Selma herself wouldn’t have known anyway—and even if I told her, it would only cause trouble.

Carrying my luggage, I left the room and found many people aboard the ship astonished that the city’s curse had been lifted.

From their perspective, the curse had just disappeared without them noticing, so it couldn’t be helped…

“Naturally, it’s only to be expected that so many are surprised… By the way, aren’t you going to greet Vallen Myers and the others?”

“If I happen to run into them along the way, sure. I’m not going to go out of my way to seek them out.”

I had indeed become acquainted with Vallen Myers and Cecil. We even split into two groups during the curse incident, and even before that, we had been involved in various matters together. So, I did feel some sense of connection.

But we were also the kind of people destined to eventually part ways. Had it not been for the city’s curse, we probably would have separated earlier when the ship docked at this port town. If fate wills it, we might meet again someday. It may seem a bit too nonchalant, but for now, I think this distance is just right.

“Is that so? Aren’t you also going to greet Cecil?”

“Why?”

“Uh… no, sorry. I ended up asking something trivial.”

I hadn’t forgotten that last night, Ati had said, “I want you to look only at me.” So when another woman came up in conversation, a simple “So what?” was the best reply. Ati’s expression brightened ever so slightly—clearly, I’d chosen the right response.

※※※※

When we disembarked, I saw that people freed from the thorns were, like those on the Baresty, utterly bewildered.

“What—what is this?! I was cooking and suddenly everything spoiled! Why!?”

“Gah! Why has the top of the table become covered in dust all of a sudden!?”

“Ew! The toner’s contents have disappeared?! I just opened it to put on my makeup! Could it be I got scammed with a counterfeit product…?”

“All my livestock have become so emaciated they’re dead!?”

It seemed that the effects of the passing time were affecting a rather wide area.

Apparently, time had only stood still for humans, while everything else had progressed as usual.

This aftereffect was spreading.

We, too, were being affected quite significantly. We had planned to use a carriage to head for the next town, but were told none was available—every horse had perished.

It would likely take some time for the chaos to subside.

I knew it wouldn’t be resolved in just a day or two.

However, our travel funds were limited, so I wasn’t keen on being held up for too long.

So, we abandoned the carriage and decided to walk to the next town.

If the next town were far away, waiting until a carriage was available might have been an option, but from what I heard, it would take only about two days on foot.

It was a bit unsettling to be without a spear.

But given the hectic state of affairs—and the fact that we weren’t near a trading post—it seemed best to postpone buying one until we reached the next town.

By the way,

the information about the next town came from passersby.

Ati, though well-versed in the Western Continent, admitted she hadn’t ventured much in these parts…

“I’m sorry… It appears that this is the northern part of the Western Continent, but I haven’t been there very often. I only have a little knowledge about the local climate, and my grasp of the geography isn’t very strong…”

As she spoke with her eyes cast downward, one of her ears drooped slightly and popped out of her hat.

“I see. It’s alright. I don’t mind.”

When I gently stroked his ear, it twitched.

Adorable.

“It means a lot to hear you say that…”

Ati’s dejected expression looked somewhat novel.

Back in the Western Continent, she had been quite confident—so perhaps now she feels a hint of embarrassment.

But these things do happen.

It isn’t anything odd or shameful.

Just understanding the common sense and customs of the Western Continent is more than enough.

Anyway, we left the town just like that.

After walking for a bit, I looked back and gazed at the port town.

That town would gradually regain its former everyday life.

However, it wouldn’t be complete.

At least, Rogue and Misha would never return.

After all, they were also the cause of the curse.

From the town’s perspective, perhaps it was a good thing that such troublesome ones had disappeared.

But when I thought about their past—even in fragments—it felt a little sad to dismiss them so easily.

As far as Ati knows, the current season in the northern part of the Western Continent is autumn.

That dry, cold wind must be because of that.

※※※※

While walking along the highway, I noticed silhouettes up ahead.

I wondered if there were about ten of them.

Squinting, I saw that every one had horns like a goat’s.

They were demi-humans.

Some were sitting atop felled trees, while others lay sprawled on the ground.

I had heard from Ati before that demi-humans weren’t particularly rare in the Western Continent—but what on earth were they doing in the middle of the road…?

“What on earth… what is that?”

With a “hmm” look, Selma tilted her head,

“…They’re the Goatkin tribe of Reiyou-Man.”

Ati answered.

“The Goatkin?”

Curious, I interjected, “The Goatkin form tribes based on families and are often scattered across various regions. They may seem affable on the surface, but their kinship is very strong, and they are extremely wary—hardly ever opening their hearts to other races.”

Just as Ati finished speaking, the Goatkin noticed us and simultaneously directed their gazes our way.

After a few seconds of staring, one of the Goatkin began approaching us.

It was a woman.

She had neatly cut semi-long black hair and looked lively. Her almond-shaped eyes were striking, and she was quite tall for a woman—about as tall as I am.

“What are you guys? Where did you come from?”

“Where from? Well… from that port town up ahead.”

“From the Sleeping Town?”

“Sleeping Town?”

“I mean, from the town that was once encircled by brambles.”

Ah, I see.

So that port town, when it was wrapped in brambles, was called the Sleeping Town, huh?

“Yeah, well…”

When I nodded, the woman rested her hand on her chin and let out a thoughtful hum.

“Are there still brambles?”

“No, they’ve already vanished.”

It’s the truth—so there’s no need to hide it.

After I nodded briefly, the woman spun around and called out to the other Goatkin,

“Everyone! The town’s brambles are gone!”

“Um…”

“Hmm? …Oh, right—I haven’t mentioned why we’re here yet. We came to check on the Sleeping Town. It’s for work. If it looks like it can be resolved, then resolve it; if not, just investigate and report back. …But if it’s already been sorted out, then there’s nothing more for us to do. Well, we’ll send a few of our younger siblings out to keep an eye on things, just in case.”

I see… Well, if an entire town is shrouded in brambles, it’s not surprising that—unless completely isolated—it would become a hot topic in other regions as well.

“Then why were you in the middle of the road…?”

“We assumed no one would show up, so we just took a breather before reaching the town. …I had noticed your presence a little while ago, but since your pace was slow and you didn’t seem like a threat, we didn’t feel the need to break our break to set up an ambush—instead, we decided to assess the situation once we saw you.”

Her manner of speaking was as friendly as Ati had described.

Despite it being our first encounter, the sense of distance was nearly nonexistent—it was almost endearing.

However, her eyes were unyielding.

Her friendly tone was only skin deep; there was an aura about her, as if her heart were locked tight.

“Um?”

Then, the woman sniffed slightly.

“It kind of smells nostalgic… Hey, haven’t we met before?”

I shook my head—I had no such memory.

To be honest, I’ve hardly ever interacted with demi-humans…

I only saw them occasionally back when I was on the Northeastern Continent.

I figured she must be mistaken.

“I see… or maybe it was just my imagination. My apologies.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

With that settled, we exchanged a brief nod and proceeded, slipping past the woman and alongside the Goatkin.

As we passed by, the Goatkin—wearing friendly smiles—waved at us.

However, there was still something unyielding about them, as if their eyes weren’t truly smiling—

“Hey? He smells just like that man. Could it be that my voice is reaching him?”

I thought I heard a man’s voice.

Surprised, I looked back and saw some Goatkin nonchalantly yawning.

Not one of them seemed to have spoken a word.

When our eyes met, they all offered the same friendly smile and waved.

However, there was one exception.

A middle-aged Goatkin man, who appeared to be the eldest among them, had an exceptionally warm smile.

Strangely, his eyes seemed completely devoid of any wariness.

“Harold-sama…?”

“My lord?”

“No…”

“Perhaps, did someone say something to you?”

“Huh?”

“The Goatkin are a species that excel in vocal communication for maintaining close contact with their comrades. They should be able to modulate their voices so that only a specific person hears them… Did someone speak to you?”

“I don’t know anything about that. Seriously.”

I desperately denied it, not wanting to be suspected of anything odd.

Though he gave me a slightly dubious look, Ati soon said, “Understood,” as if satisfied.

I’m relieved that the suspicion had been dispelled.

“…My lord, you’re the type who would get caught cheating immediately, aren’t you? Well, though you don’t seem like the sort to do such things in the first place…”

“Gyaah!”