Chapter 70
"Is this the entrance? It's just a big tree, isn't it?"
When Yuurai asked, Lipia smiled proudly.
"To enter our village, you need a little password. ...Our guardian god Uranus, your child has returned. My name is Lipia. I am a descendant of the hero Yurelias Savidnan Rudia Gedint. Please let me pass."
As Lipia chanted, a strong wind blew. Yuurai closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, a hole had opened in the large tree. Beyond it was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.
"Whoa... it's got a vibe. But is it really safe to go in? I feel like there could be an Evil God in there or something."
"It's fine. I've always passed through here. And while it might look like just a dark hole to you, Yuurai, to me it looks like a clear space. You should try closing your eyes and using the power of the ring to sense it."
"Ah, okay. Got it."
The ring Lipia gave her was always on her finger. That didn't mean she used it all the time, so she closed her eyes again and used its power.
With her eyes closed, of course she couldn't see anything with light. But she could now sense everything in all directions—front, back, left, right, up, and down.
"Huh... so that's how it works..."
Just as Lipia said, the hole in the tree was filled with clear magic. Visually, it was just a black hole, but when she sensed the flow of magic, it felt like a sanctuary. However, not enough to repel evil entities.
"Just finding this tree is hard for anyone outside the Eyeless Tribe. There's a confusion spell cast around here, and unless you follow the faint magic flowing from the tree, you can't get close. Also, the space beyond here—if you're not from the Eyeless Tribe, you'll easily lose your footing."
"Lose your footing?"
"Well, you'll see when we go! Yuurai, don't stray from me!"
"Okay. ...Claire. I'll probably be fine because I have the ring, so don't stray from me."
"Got it."
Claire moved behind Yuurai and hugged her tightly. It was honestly a bit too clingy.
"...It's kind of hard to walk like this."
"If I don't do this much, I'll be scared."
"...Don't step on my feet, okay?"
"I'll be careful."
Yuurai didn't dislike being hugged by Claire. But she could tell Lipia was looking a bit displeased.
"Lipia. Lead the way, will you?"
Yuurai gently flowed some magic into Lipia.
"Nnngh," Lipia let out a slightly sultry moan and nodded repeatedly.
(...Is my magic like a drug to them? I hope it's more like sweets than a narcotic...)
With Yuurai trying to keep her in good spirits, Lipia began walking.
Once inside the hole, nothing could be seen with the eyes. But by sensing the flow of magic, she realized they were walking on a narrow path. The path was about a meter wide. It twisted and turned, and some parts had fragile footing. For those who could only perceive their surroundings visually, it would be a very hard path to walk.
(What is this place? It's probably not inside the tree. Maybe it's connected to a different space? Could it be space magic? There really are some mysterious spells out there...)
After walking for about five minutes, the path came to an end.
At the end of the path was another hole, and when they passed through it... light returned again.
And before them, the village of the Eyeless Tribe spread out.
"This is my village."
"Wow... there really is a village."
"It's beautiful..."
What spread before them was a village that blended into the forest. Some houses were like treehouses built in the trees, while others were large trees that had been converted into homes. Perhaps because it was cold, there weren't many people around, but according to Lipia, the population was around a thousand.
While Yuurai looked around curiously, Lipia was slightly looking down. Since becoming an Undead, she believed she had become an unwelcome presence in the village, so she was probably nervous.
"...Lipia, how is it? Returning to your hometown after so long."
"...I'm a little nervous now, but I'm okay because you're here, Yuurai."
"I see. Well, I'll always be on your side, Lipia."
"Yeah."
"...Um, by the way, it's not just the Eyeless Tribe here, huh?"
"Yeah. Other demi-humans sometimes stay here too. They say our village is comfortable."
Most of the people they saw were from the Eyeless Tribe like Lipia. No eyes on their faces, blue-gray skin, and black hair. Among them, there were also a few others of different races. Some looked like cats and were cute... but the ones that looked like human-sized mantises gave even Yuurai a bit of the creeps.
Squeeze.
Claire, still clinging to Yuurai, tightened her grip on her arm.
"Claire, is something wrong?"
"...It's nothing. Or maybe not nothing... Um... I probably shouldn't say this too loudly, but..."
"Okay."
Claire brought her mouth close to Yuurai's ear and whispered softly.
"I'm scared of bugs."
"Ah, I see."
"Even normal bugs scare me... and at that size..."
"Well, I get how you feel. But since there's a chance you'll live in Grimoire someday, I'd like you to slowly get used to it."
"If that's an order, I'll try..."
"...Yeah. I hope you can manage somehow."
"Okay... If I do my best... I might want a reward."
"It's rare for you to say something like that, Claire. I'll prepare a reward."
"Yeah... thank you..."
Claire's voice was faint. Even though she was composed on battlefields where death was close, she was scared in front of harmless demi-humans.
(I guess that's kind of girly. It's... kind of cute.)
While Yuurai was quietly feeling soothed, the villagers began to stir.
They were surprised because Yuurai—in other words, the Demon King—had come to the village.
"Sorry, Lipia. I guess I did end up startling the villagers."
"...I knew this would happen. Yuurai is a kind Demon King, but the villagers don't know that. Still, if we talk to them properly, they'll understand."
"...Yeah. Let's hope so."
Led by Lipia, Yuurai and the others headed toward the village chief's house.
On the way, a woman in her forties came running up.
Her facial features resembled Lipia's, and her long black hair was tied into a single ponytail.
"Lipia...!"
"...Mom. I'm home. It's been a while."
Just as she looked, it seemed she really was Lipia's mother.
Since becoming an Undead, Lipia hadn't returned to the village, so this was their first reunion in several months.
Generally, Undead are shunned, and aside from Lipia's mother, others kept their distance from Yuurai and the others.
But Lipia's mother alone approached her, cupped her cheeks in both hands, and gave her a very lonely smile.
"...You've changed a little. So this is what it means to be an Undead..."
"...Yeah. I'm Undead, but I'm still alive."
"That's right... You're alive. Lipia is alive..."
Her mother hugged Lipia.
Undead are considered beings that shouldn't exist in this world. That may be the general view, but she couldn't think the same way about her daughter.
Whether the Eyeless Tribe could accept the Demon King was still uncertain. Their goal of becoming friendly might not be achieved.
But Yuurai felt that coming here had been worthwhile.