Chapter 150
Bibi pushed aside her seaweed-like hair that covered her back and revealed her bare body. Then, a black stain incongruous with her pure white back became visible.
Looking closely, it wasn't a stain. Strange pattern tattoos were engraved, and they were slowly moving by themselves. It was like a moving picture etched on a person's back.
"...What is this?"
"It's the mark of a failure. Evidence that god abandoned and cursed me. From ancient times, it was called Kundaranos, which means 'magic circle that calls forth destruction.' In the past, children born with this magic circle were killed on their day of birth, and their entire village was burned with them."
"Is there a reason you were born with it?"
"If there was such a reason, it might feel less unfair. The Goddess' blood flows through me, but my body can't properly contain it. For those who can't handle it, the Goddess' blood is like a curse or plague."
The Goddess' blood flows—what could that mean? Is she saying she was an incomplete Holy Maiden?
"What happens when you can't accept the blood?"
"Life ends around thirty. You die painfully, vomiting black blood from every hole in your body. That's the fate I'll meet in ten years. Perhaps I'll spread god's anger throughout the world, as in the legends."
Seeing how the half-mad knights had muttered about “Goddess' blood”, it was clearly related to why the phantasmal beast wanted Bibi as a sacrifice. Though I didn't know what power that blood held.
"Why did you show this to me?"
"...The gods abandoned me. Your blessed life might get entangled in this curse. No, perhaps it already has. Even so, do you still want to stay with me?"
It was meaningful how she described me as having a blessed life. Her display of misfortune was so unsightly that I let her imagine whatever she wanted.
Though I felt sorry for Bibi, the curse itself didn't move me much. One didn't need strange patterns on their back to be cursed. Life itself was a continuous series of pain. What else could that be but a curse? We just suffer in different ways.
"Whether god curses you or throws you into hell, that's not important to me."
"..."
"I'll simply do what I can do. I can't do other things, but I can protect you from this land's threats."
Bibi trembled slightly while keeping her back to me, as if experiencing some change of heart. Then she put her clothes back on her shoulders and spoke in a resolute tone, "I will remember that oath until the day I die... And since you've staked your life on me, I, too, will entrust everything of mine to you."
***
All we had left were our two bodies. No drinking water, no food, no spare clothes. Only some of my combat equipment and potions remained.
We couldn't even determine our location, having been swept so far. Though the rain had temporarily subsided, the sky was covered in dark gray clouds, making it impossible to determine direction by sun or stars.
"Where are we heading?"
"Wherever we move, we'll eventually reach the same place."
"...?"
Literally true. If this really was a circulation system, there was no need to put much effort into determining location. Wherever we went would lead to the phantasmal beast's throat.
The only way to head toward Barbisia's center was to submit to this land.
We continued moving to higher ground before more rain fell.
Everything around was just black trees, swamps, and fog.
Bibi, following behind me like a drowned rat, suddenly expressed doubt.
"But why... are you fine?"
I considered explaining everything about the Soderton circulation system but decided against it.
"I received medicine when we visited the slash-and-burn farmers' village. Probably the same thing you drank, Your Grace."
"Ah, I see... So thanks to that unknown herb, only we remain like this."
"How is it walking on your own feet?"
"...Still manageable."
No sooner had she spoken than one of Bibi's legs sank into the swamp up to her thigh.
"Kyaa!"
She struggled and strained but, having lived a life without ever needing to use strength, couldn't get out by herself.
"This damned thing!"
She angrily pounded the swamp bottom with ineffective fists. She seemed even more furious that she couldn't sentence the swamp bottom to hanging.
I sighed and lifted her by the armpits. Her eyes wavered subtly after being pulled from the swamp.
"Come to think of it, you're quite casual about touching a woman's body."
"...?"
"Just saying."
"You're high-maintenance, Your Grace, so I'll have to get used to it quickly."
"I'll entrust my body to you, but I'd prefer not to be treated like a child."
Bibi had many things to adapt to. Damp bedding, dirty clothes, marching until blisters formed on her feet, and meat from things that weren't livestock.
We prepared camp in a narrow gap under a large rock.
Bibi seemed unwilling to just be served, rolling up her sleeves and stepping forward.
"I'll... gather firewood."
"It's dangerous. You must stay with me."
I couldn't let Bibi act alone.
We stripped wet bark from trees to find dry firewood, caught two snakes and a fish, and returned to camp.
"Do you know how to use fire magic?"
She shook her head as she crouched waiting for warmth.
The air was so humid that it seemed a bit much for my small spirit, but we had no other choice.
I summoned the spirit to my palm. The little one flew up immediately upon being called, but instead of heading toward the firewood as I intended, it flew toward Bibi's head.
It seemed angry, flapping its wings roughly, and started pecking at Bibi's crown.
"Cute spirit... kyak!"
Bibi curled up and waved her hands above her head fearfully.
"Ppiyak!"
"...?"
This was the first time I'd seen my spirit get angry and attack someone.
"Why is this thing... Quick, get rid of it!"
I hurriedly cupped the spirit in my hands to isolate it. It was still fuming inside my palm.
"It has a violent nature... I'm sorry."
"...Didn't you order it to do that? If you dislike me, just say so honestly. I'm prepared for it."
"This one doesn't even listen to me well."
Seeing it still fluttering in my hands, Bibi seemed to accept this somewhat.
"...It has exactly the same temperament as its master."
Tears slightly welled in her eyes, seemingly hurt at being mistreated even by a spirit.
Her trials didn't end there.
"Is this... edible?"
When mealtime came, Bibi held up a snake meat skewer with distaste.
"There are no other options. If you don't like that, we'll have to eat larvae or ants."
Bibi squeezed her eyes shut and bit into the snake meat. Her expression twisted, seemingly filled with regret at having to eat such meat after living on beef, fine cheese, and wine.
Her teary eyes still hadn't dried.
"How... are you so used to such things?"
"There was a time when I had to eat anything to survive."
Bibi looked at me with a complicated expression.
"Didn't you say Silveryn took you in? She raised her disciple heartlessly."
"It's because Master took me in that I could live a life where I didn't have to eat such things."
"...Is that so? What did the woman demand in return for taking you in?"
"She demanded nothing."
Bibi shook her head as if she couldn't believe it. Then she spoke as if probing my thoughts, "Mages are a jealous lot. They never create situations where they lose. Why do you think that woman chose you among other orphans? She must have thought she could harvest much when you grew up."
"I hope that day comes soon. Right now I've received too much to repay."
There was no need to exaggerate my relationship with Silveryn. The truth was enough.
"...Quite a close relationship, I see."
What could she be thinking?
A lonely air briefly passed over Bibi's face.
"If I had someone like that..."
She trailed off and continued eating the snake meat. Even after finishing, she didn't speak. Our conversation ended there as Bibi's mood suddenly sank.
That night, she made her bed deep in the rock crevice and tried to sleep with her back turned to me.
While keeping watch, I could occasionally hear muffled sobbing. Our conversation had stimulated a painful part of her heart.
That was beyond my ability to help.
***
"Kyaaaah!"
The next morning, I woke to Bibi's scream. This was more intense and stronger than what I'd heard before.
Thinking a magic creature might have appeared, I reflexively gripped my wooden sword and assumed a battle stance as soon as I came to my senses.
But I couldn't sense any magic creature.
Bibi covered her mouth with one hand, breathing heavily, and pointed to one spot.
There was a stump where I had cut wood for firewood.
And on it sat a human head.
Looking closely, it was the head of the old woman who had been beheaded while cursing Bibi.
It watched our camp as if mocking us, showing a smile soaked in madness.
Is it an illusion?
Since both Bibi and I could see it, it wasn't a hallucination.
I approached with my wooden sword and slightly prodded the head. With a stench, some waterlogged flesh peeled off. It was definitely a dead person's head.
Black feathers were scattered around it. It seemed to be the work of crows rather than humans.
Interesting. The master of this land was personally keeping a close watch on our movements. I decorated the head with leftover snake bones from yesterday and tried to calm Bibi.
She looked like she might foam at the mouth any moment.
"We can't have you fainting already when worse things are yet to come."
Bibi spoke with a thoroughly disgusted expression, "Can't you speak more nicely?"
Just as she said that we sensed something behind us.
I turned to check.
A blue deer, or more precisely, something in the shape of a deer emitting blue light, stood on the water's surface watching us.
"What's wrong? What appeared?"
"You can't see it?"
"...Do you want to mock me in this situation? Like with yesterday's spirit, if you're holding grudges about what happened with the guard, just say it directly. I-I'll take your venting myself."
It seemed Bibi couldn't see this clearly strange spiritual being.
If so, it meant I was seeing hallucinations, but perhaps I was resonating more deeply with the circulation system after eating animals from this land.
However, this hallucination seemed somewhat different from what Bibi's guards had seen.
That deer's ethereal color was exactly the same as what had come from the Blue Soul Herb.