After a while…
“Phew! That was scary.”
Fortunately, the Plakio seemed to have low perception. It slowly plucked leaves from the nearby trees and leisurely wandered off. After it was gone, Ur and Shizuku crawled out from the crevice.
“We made it, huh?”
“Let’s not let our guard down yet. There aren’t many places to hide here.”
Ur shook his head at Shizuku’s words. This place was a narrow path sandwiched between towering cliffs. While the visibility was good, there were few places to take cover. If they encountered a faster, more perceptive monster than the Plakio, there’d be no way to escape. It wasn’t a place they wanted to linger.
“Let’s hurry and get out of here. We’ll rest once we reach an open area.”
“Agreed… It’s dangerous outside.”
“Without the Sun’s Barrier, this is what it’s like. Truly, we owe everything to the Sun God, Zeuradia.”
Through the narrow gap between the cliffs, they could see the sun, Zeuradia, illuminating the earth. They quickly offered a prayer for even a sliver of mercy before pressing on.
Whether their prayers reached the gods or not, they didn’t encounter any more overwhelmingly powerful monsters after that.
Once again, Ur stepped out onto the vast plains and took a deep breath. By then, the sun god Zeuradia was already beginning to set, signaling the end of its daily work.
When the sun god departs, the surroundings darken at a terrifying speed. Though the starlight of the spirits that watch over the sky in place of Zeuradia is gentle, it offers little comfort.
In the darkness, countless monsters roam freely. Fearful of them, people take turns keeping watch during this most uneasy and dangerous time of night.
For Ur, it was a melancholy time, but today he felt slightly better. The reason was simple:
“I see it. The satellite city-state of Alto.”
His destination had come into view. The city-state, surrounded by a massive solar barrier and thick defensive walls, was alive with the lights of human activity. Just the sight of it lifted his spirits.
And there was one more thing that brought Ur joy.
“It’s huge, isn’t it?”
“Yeah… that’s the Island Devouring Turtle.”
Not far from Alto, there was something resembling a small hill. However, its surface, illuminated by the evening light, was not made of earth or rock but the shell of an enormous creature.
Created to safely traverse the unprotected areas outside the city, the Island Devouring Turtle—a mobile fortress used to carry people and supplies—rested there.
With the goal in sight, it seemed like a straight path from here.
But of course, it wasn’t that simple. Though the Island Devouring Turtle’s size might distort one’s sense of distance, Alto was still quite far away. Misjudging the distance to the destination and failing to prepare for camping, only to be swallowed by the darkness of night—that was one of the common mistakes made outside the city.
Fortunately, nearby was a campsite used by wandering Nameless—a place called the “Perch.” Ur and Shizuku decided to spend the night there.
Though it was called a campsite, it wasn’t particularly well-equipped. It was just a small square surrounded by a fence to ward off monsters, with a simple hut. No one else was there besides Ur and Shizuku.
After thoroughly confirming that no one else was around and that there were no monsters nearby, Ur nodded.
“Alright, let’s get ready to camp… but first, there’s something we need to do.”
“Yes.”
“Cleaning.”
“Cleaning.”
Ur handed Shizuku a worn-out broom from the nearby storage hut. He picked up an axe and began preparing to chop firewood.
“Well, we’ll use it soon, and the sun’s about to set, so let’s keep it light. We’ll do it again before we leave.”
“Understood. It’s about manners, right?”
“Yeah. If you don’t do it properly, you’ll die.”
“Die?”
“Well, you’ll be fine as long as you don’t do something really stupid… Let’s finish quickly before the sun sets. Shizuku, just clean around the hut, okay?”
With that, Ur started chopping firewood. Shizuku didn’t ask any further questions. The area wasn’t particularly dirty, so she simply swept away some leaves and finished the task. Then, her eyes fell on a small wooden statue in the center of the square.
“What’s this…?”
“Ah, that’s the statue of the Traveling Spirit Loder.”
Ur, who was working nearby, answered. He gently stroked the statue, which was about waist-high.
“The priest of the Traveling Spirit Loder, despite being a high-ranking priest, regularly wanders outside the city-states and sets up these statues.”
It’s rare for a high-ranking priest, a member of the clergy, to leave the city-states, let alone wander the dangerous outer lands on foot. But Loder’s followers do just that. Perhaps that’s why Loder is popular among the Nameless, with many choosing the spirit as their guardian.
“Though, it’s questionable whether we Nameless can actually get any help from them.”
“But prayers aren’t something done with ulterior motives, right?”
“True. Let’s say a prayer, then.”
Ur and Shizuku both offered a prayer together. Whether their prayers were answered or not, no monsters appeared around the Perch after that.
“Alright.”
Ur finished chopping the firewood. Since it was the dry season, it would take time for the wood to dry, so he picked up some already dry logs and stacked the ones he had just chopped. Then, he started preparing to light a fire. With practiced ease, he soon had a fire going and began preparing dinner.
He planned to make the same dried meat soup as he had the past few days, but this time he added some wild herbs growing nearby. Though they wouldn’t last long, the meal would be a bit more luxurious tonight.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“Sir Ur.”
“Finished already?”
As they worked, Shizuku seemed to have completed her task as well.
“Yes. The place was already quite clean, so it didn’t take much effort.”
“Well, of course. I told you, you’ll die if you don’t.”
“Why would I die?”
“Other Nameless would kill you.”
When Ur answered, Shizuku made a slightly puzzled expression. It seemed she didn’t fully understand, likely because she had lived in a somewhat unique environment despite being a Nameless.
Ur nodded and began to explain.
“Once, there was a citizen who was exiled from the city-state and became a Nameless.”
“Yes.”
It was a story Ur had heard many times. Shizuku sat beside him and listened attentively.
“Well, for citizens, exile is pretty much the same as execution. The kind of person who gets exiled is usually the worst of the worst. And this guy looked down on the Nameless.”
“Of course.”
“He didn’t even try to learn the rules or customs of the Nameless.”
Though the clergy, citizens, and Nameless have different roles, there is no hierarchy between them.
Everyone knows that the temple’s teachings about equality are just pretty words. But this man had taken them far too lightly. He treated the Nameless as if they were his slaves or something.
“But outside the city-states, monsters are terrifying. So he settled in a Perch that was much better maintained than this one and used up all the resources there however he pleased.”
Of course, outside the city-states, there’s no solar barrier. You’re constantly exposed to danger, and you often have to work together to move to a new location.
But this man forced all the work onto the other Nameless.
“So, was he kicked out from there too?”
“No, no one complained. He got even more arrogant and continued living like that for a while.”
“Yes.”
“Then, one morning, someone broke both his arms and legs. The culprit was definitely someone from that Perch, but no one ever found out who it was.”
And without proper medical treatment, the man was carried out of the Perch and left in the wilderness, alone. Of course, he cursed and screamed, but no one listened.
“…What happened to him in the end?”
“Who knows? A few days later, all that was left in the spot where he had been was a pool of blood.”
The monsters must have torn him apart. Ur answered with a straight face, calling it an unfortunate accident.
“The reason the Perch is so well-maintained isn’t out of kindness or volunteer work.”
“Helping each other isn’t just a pretty ideal, is it?”
Outside the city-states, where danger is ever-present, failing to cooperate can mean life or death. Those who don’t do their part are a threat to themselves and their families. As a child, Ur had heard this story as a lesson from various Nameless. Shizuku seemed to take it seriously as well.
“Well, I’m not worried about you. You’re the type to do things without being told.”
As he adjusted the fire, Ur let out a sigh. At the very least, Shizuku was the polar opposite of the selfish type who only thought of themselves. That’s why, though he gave her the warning, Ur wasn’t worried about her.
What he was worried about was—
“Yes. I cleaned the entire hut.”
Shizuku smiled. Ur, who had told her to just clean around the hut, raised an eyebrow and glared at her.
“…Your feet?”
Shizuku remained silent, still smiling. Before she started cleaning, Ur had noticed something off about the way she moved.
“Show me your feet.”
“It’s fine.”
“You’re my property, aren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
As instructed, she exposed her feet. Seeing them, Ur’s face twisted in frustration.
“Your skin’s peeling off! What do you mean it’s fine?!”
“I’m sorry.”
As he pinched her cheek, Ur lost his temper.
They had been walking non-stop for several days since leaving the city. Though it wasn’t a life-or-death battle with monsters, the fatigue and damage from walking long distances were nothing to scoff at.
“Use healing magic. You still have mana left, don’t you?”
Because she showed no signs of pain, he hadn’t noticed until now. Angry at himself for being so careless, he said this while grimacing. Shizuku shook her head.
“I’m fine with this much. Besides, monsters might still appear.”
“Then use a healing potion. Actually, I’ll use it. Don’t move.”
“I’m really—”
“Shush.”
“Yes.”
Before she could say anything more, Ur poured a healing potion on Shizuku’s feet, and she writhed as the liquid stung her wounds.
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