Chapter 291: In the Midst of It All
The blue sky, the blue sea.
A [Teleportation] from the dreary Fortress City to the Island. With winter approaching, the days in the Fortress City had been overcast, so this sense of liberation was refreshing. The Island is hot in summer and mild in winter.
The view from the tower is splendid. I’d love to lounge around in my room, but I’m holding a basket with chickens, so that’s not happening. While wandering around the Fortress City, I came across a rather fine-looking rooster, so I decided to buy one male and two females. I’ll mix them in with the livestock in the Livestock Shed.
As I stepped out of the tower, I locked eyes with a child.
The child stood up and faced the main building, dramatically spreading out a handkerchief. What’s going on?
“My lord!”
“Auro, what’s happened?”
I asked, observing the child’s triumphant expression as he stood there with the handkerchief. He looks well-dressed, but I recognize him as the fisherman’s child I’ve played with before.
Auro suddenly appeared out of nowhere to speak to me, but I brushed it off since I’m used to dealing with Rudil and Spirits.
“That child was sent by Lord Soleil. Kiel will come to fetch you soon—two priests have been dispatched from the temples on this island.”
Kiel is coming to fetch me? Isn’t Auro supposed to be the one doing that? I guess the honorific for Soleil means outsiders are now allowed in.
“Is it a hassle?”
I’d prefer to leave all the troublesome matters to Soleil.
“They want you to formally request a blessing from the temple regarding the ‘Spirit’s Branch’ placed here. There’s a power struggle between the temples that worship the Sea God and the God of Commerce on the Talia Peninsula.”
So they’re saying not to just place the ‘Spirit’s Branch’ without permission?
“Is it not Marina?”
“Marina is the real deal.”
Now that I think about it, if we don’t put in the effort, it could affect the branch. So it’s humans that are fighting after all.
“Approaching the ‘Spirit’s Branch’ or the Office will get you caught up in this, so I came to inform you.”
“Thanks. Do you think it’ll be alright?”
“Well, whichever option you choose will be troublesome, but we must choose one if the branch turns out to be fake. Without a blessing, it would just be treated as a mere imitation.”
Auro seems to recognize the branch I set up as genuine. How did he manage to determine that? I’m worried about Auro’s instincts, to be honest.
“Why did you come at this timing?!”
Kiel approached quickly.
“Ah, yeah, yeah. Don’t mind me; I’m just hiding out in the Livestock Shed.”
“Hmm, did Auro tell you? But why on earth did you set up something so ridiculous? If only you had at least a black-and-white branch, you could have claimed it was a temporary setup and bought some time… And now the residents are saying they’ll be moving around at night.”
Kiel hurriedly expressed his concerns before heading back.
There’s no point in coming if it doesn’t mean anything.
I crossed the bridge toward the Livestock Shed, with Auro following me. I wonder if the priests are alright. Well, if they’re genuine, there shouldn’t be any issues for the temple to exploit.
The eastern end, where the main building and tower are located, is a steep, independent rock formation. The essential functions are placed there, while everything else is across the bridge. The area beyond the bridge is also surrounded by walls, making it part of the castle.
The castle walls are structured so you can walk on top, and various facilities face the plaza inside. One of those is the Livestock Shed.
“Oh? Fewer than I expected.”
“We’re raising them with feed we’ve ordered, but when we take them out for exercise, they tend to eat the greenery around. Until the trees grow, they’ll keep the numbers down and adjust accordingly.”
Here, there are methods for keeping livestock in confined spaces or letting them roam freely to forage. Some even release pigs into the sewers like Kanum…
At the entrance of the Livestock Shed, a pig is sprawled out inside the fenced area. Next to it is a goat, and the chickens are leisurely pecking at the ground outside the fence. It seems the cows are being taken out for a walk by the livestock caretaker.
I set down the basket I was holding and released the chickens. Unlike the chickens around Naruadeid, these have more of a fighting cock impression and are deliciously flavorful. I hope they multiply quickly.
Currently, the city is restricting the raising of livestock other than chickens and ducks. It seems they’re sourcing meat from Naruadeid. The island’s land is limited, and it’s still in the process of greening, so it can’t be helped.
In front of the Livestock Shed, I listened to Auro talk about the island. The fields are thriving thanks to the black soil, and the areas where seeds were sown are taking root much better than before, with grass growing abundantly.
The only ones allowed to settle in the city are the original residents and essential craftsmen—though it seems they’ve been managing on their own or going all the way to Naruadeid until now. Next are the dyers and farmers who will contribute to the island’s industry.
It feels unsettling that the innkeepers, bakers, and bathhouse owners catering to tourists are all changelings, but it’s not my fault. Auro keeps smiling and reporting, “I’ve added more of my loyal followers,” but it’s not my doing.
…Where is this island headed? When I’m told, “Don’t worry, there are human loyal followers too,” what am I supposed to feel reassured about?
“It’s real…! It’s really real…!”
“That’s… that’s unbelievable! All three of them!”
As I was about to explore the town, I noticed a well-dressed but somewhat disoriented pair of men and women coming from the castle gate. Faramia and two guards followed behind them.
“Looks like they finally understand it’s real. They should have just come to the scene first instead of playing games in their room.”
Auro smiled, but it felt like he was scolding their incompetence—could that be the rumored priest?
“The senior priest is in the reception room. Those two seem to be their children, and they were hoping to extract some gold and establish themselves as priests on this island.”
Auro informed me, but please stop reading my thoughts.