Chapter 584: Harvgova
The day of the promise with the Earth Folk had arrived.
To reach the venue at the Black Iron Pit, I first had to navigate through a complex valley and a series of winding tunnels. Normally, I would just use Teleportation to shortcut through the valley, but today, I decided to take the long way from the start.
The stone Gamri gave me was guiding me to the Black Iron Pit. I realized it might be a Traveler’s Stone, and I felt a surge of curiosity to use it again.
The smooth stone in my palm was a deep gray, marked with a white arrow. The white seemed to dance within the dark gray, reminiscent of air bubbles moving through frozen water.
It felt like a small Spirit resided within, but it didn’t speak or show any expression. This Spirit had an almost inorganic quality, so I couldn’t ask it what it was.
I followed the arrow as I walked through the valley. I had memorized the path, so I could manage without it, but watching the arrow move was oddly enjoyable.
The valley was deep, casting shadows in many places where sunlight barely reached. Mist gathered at the valley’s bottom, limiting visibility.
My mental image of a valley was usually either a radiating fan shape or a straight line, but the valleys of the Northern Lands were different.
They twisted and turned, with short cave-like sections here and there, giving it a peculiar feel. The Spirits around me seemed to be directionally challenged.
Or were they trapped in this valley? The Spirits themselves appeared to be in good spirits, so perhaps it was just their nature.
“Oh, the sun is over there! Huh? Which way is it?”
One Spirit flitted about, turning its back to the sun and drifting toward its companions.
“This way! Is it this way?”
They bumped their heads together, and with that jolt, they spun away from each other, heading in opposite directions.
Their giggles echoed as they disappeared somewhere. I had once pointed them in the right direction, but it seemed they found more joy in wandering aimlessly.
It wasn’t the destination that excited them; it was the journey itself. They seemed to enjoy the thrill of getting lost, finding trivial destinations along the way.
The Stone Spirits at the valley floor, the Rain Spirits, and the Cliff Spirits were all the same.
“This way—”
“—No, this way!”
“This way, I tell you—”
“—No, this way!”
And the Mist Spirits were always leading me in different directions.
“Let’s confuse them!”
“Let’s make them dizzy!”
The Wind Spirits swirling through the valley tossed the other Spirits around, changing their orientations. And just like that, the Spirits would follow the new direction they were pointed toward.
“Hey, I’ll mark it with a circle!”
One Rock Spirit declared, creating a triangle as a marker.
“Hey, I’ll mark it with an arrow!”
Another Rock Spirit said, producing an arrow pointing the opposite way.
Suddenly, the impressions of the rocks and walls shifted dramatically. They no longer seemed like the same stones I had seen before.
Well, this valley was a maze, with all the surrounding Spirits lost and leading others astray, so anyone who ventured inside would inevitably get lost too. It was a lost-people factory.
I wasn’t affected, though. I wondered if this guiding stone was truly a Traveler’s Stone; maybe I should have Letze take a look at it later. Or perhaps it would be better to consult the Great Sage?
With those thoughts in mind, I finally arrived at the Black Iron Pit at the promised time.
“Hey! You made it! Welcome!”
“Hey! You made it!”
“Hey! Welcome!”
The Earth Folk were as lively as ever, but today there were more of them. Oh right, they mentioned inviting Earth Folk from various places.
“I’m Soleil from the Island!”
“I brought the Great Tree of the Goddess!”
“I brought Dragon Scales and Bones!”
“I brought delicious sake!”
“Soleil from the Island!”
The Earth Folk were in high spirits.
…Wait, are they introducing me to Earth Folk I’ve never met? This is a bit embarrassing.
“The feast is this way!”
“Come over here!”
“This way!”
I was being led deeper into the gathering.
“Now, Soleil from the Island! Enjoy Harvgova!”
“Enjoy Harvgova!”
“Harvgova is delicious!”
So, what exactly is Harvgova?
…It’s a whale. How they managed to bring it here is a mystery, but a massive whale-like creature was seated in the vast underground chamber.
Not just any whale, but a demonized whale. Instead of a rubbery skin, it was covered in large scales. I guess here, it’s considered a fish.
The cavern was adorned with multiple candelabras, and bonfires flickered, providing a decent amount of light. Still, the ceiling loomed dark and invisible, and the opposite wall was shrouded in shadows.
Upon closer inspection, the whale—Harvgova—had been partially disassembled. Its skin, bones, head, and tail were cleverly arranged to resemble its original form.
“Now, eat up!”
“Come on, eat! Harvgova meat!”
“Dig in! First, try the sautéed Harvgova meat!”
Dishes piled high with food were passed around.
“The dishes from the Iron Pit’s Wood are exquisite!”
“The dishes from Sulfur Valley’s Mode are also superb!”
“The dishes from Red Silver Valley’s Deed are terrible!”
Wait, terrible?