Bab 661: Reptil (4)
Tinggal di Forest of the Four Seasons dan menghadapi segala macam situasi sampai sekarang,
Aku bisa menyadari sekali lagi bahwa Forest of the Four Seasons itu seperti bawang.
Aku tidak mengira tidak akan ada kekuatan yang mirip dengan hobgoblin yang telah membangun peradaban mandiri di hutan ini.
Namun, kupikir kekuatan-kekuatan itu setidaknya akan menjadi makhluk yang memiliki tingkat kecerdasan tertentu, seperti goblin atau orc.
Bagaimanapun, di luar sana pun, orc dan goblin sering hidup dalam unit kesukuan.
"Hei, Lackey. Apa kau benar-benar tidak pernah melihat makhluk seperti mereka selama berkeliaran?"
"Aku sering melihat kadal besar, tapi ini pertama kalinya aku melihat kadal berjalan dengan dua kaki dan bahkan berbicara."
Coba lihat situasi kita sekarang. Sebuah ras yang persis seperti dari novel fantasi sedang memandu kami. Aku melirik mereka.
Sisik yang tampak seluruhnya tertutup pasir. Moncong yang menonjol dan deretan gigi yang rapat.
Siapa pun bisa tahu mereka adalah lizardman, dan mereka saat ini sedang mengawal kami.
[Mereka tampaknya tidak menyimpan niat bermusuhan terhadap kita.]
Seperti kata Cain, lizardman tidak bermusuhan dengan kami. Bahkan, bisa dibilang sebaliknya.
Karena saat pertama kali bertemu, merekalah yang lebih dulu memperlakukan kami dengan sopan. Kami tidak bisa memahami bahasa mereka, tapi kami bisa menangkap nada dan sikap mereka.
Yang terpenting, kadal yang merangkak ke perkemahan kami tadi malam juga ada bersama mereka. Bahkan sekarang, ia berjalan ppol-ppol-ppol tepat di samping kami.
ㄴHeavenly Demon) Manusia kadal, katamu? Aku belum pernah mendengar keberadaan mereka bahkan di antara beastfolk.
ㄴSuspiciously...) Seperti kubilang kemarin, tidak ada bajingan bersisik di antara kami. Lagipula, sulit untuk menggolongkan mereka sebagai beastfolk.
ㄴAllfather) Secara garis besar, mereka bisa termasuk beastfolk. Bagaimanapun, makhluk yang memadukan ciri hewan dan manusia disebut beastfolk.
ㄴStarlight Lady) Tapi selama ini, beastfolk hanya mencakup mamalia. Bukankah menemukan reptil berarti amfibi atau manusia ikan mungkin juga ada?
ㄴPassing Dwarf) Bukankah kita pernah bertemu manusia ikan zaman dulu? Aku rasa aku melihat hiu dengan lengan dan kaki.
ㄴAllfather) Sulit untuk menganggap mereka beastfolk. Kalau pakai logika itu, kita juga harus menggolongkan orc dan goblin sebagai ras, bukan monster.
ㄴDon't Abandon the Hero) Bagaimana kalau bertanya apakah mereka menyembah dewa?
ㄴPraise the Sun) Bagaimana kalau mereka melakukan pengorbanan manusia atau semacamnya ;;
Di tengah perdebatan yang silih berganti, usul Asella menonjol.
Biasanya, aku akan mengira dia berdakwah lagi, tapi ini ternyata poin penting.
Bukankah hobgoblin juga melakukan ritual, memperlakukan Ramuan Keabadian sebagai hadiah dari Tuhan?
Karena agama dan ritual berjalan beriringan, hal itu perlu diperiksa.
'Untungnya, mereka tidak menunjukkan niat bermusuhan...'
Aku mengalihkan pandangan dan melihat Tyranno. Sebenarnya, yang paling bingung di sini adalah Tyranno.
"#$%?"
"Ppik!"
Entah kenapa, lizardman sangat baik kepada Tyranno. Bahkan sekarang, bukankah mereka memberinya sesuatu yang mirip dendeng?
Tentu saja, karena Tyranno masih anak-anak dengan kewaspadaan tinggi, dia tidak menerimanya. Dia memalingkan kepalanya dan menolaknya dengan manja.
Sebagai gantinya, dia mengepakkan sayapnya, terbang, dan mendarat tepat di atas kepalaku. Wajahnya yang cerah berseri saat terbang adalah bonus.
Biasanya, siapa pun dalam situasi ini akan tampak kecewa atau murung, tapi lizardman itu tidak seperti itu sama sekali.
Sebaliknya, dia menatapku dengan mata penuh kekaguman, membuatku ikut merasa terbebani hanya dengan melihatnya.
[Sepertinya mereka memiliki kebiasaan memuja naga.]
"Mungkin mereka suka kadal bersayap."
Setelah menjawab seperti itu, aku memanggil saudara-saudara Sun Wukong.
"Lackey. Dolsoe."
"Ada apa?"
"Katakanlah, Tuan."
Mendengar panggilanku, saudara-saudara Sun Wukong menatapku.
Mungkin karena semua orang tidak familiar dengan situasi ini, mereka sibuk mewaspadai sekitar.
"Analisis bahasa lizardman itu sebisa mungkin di sepanjang perjalanan. Agar kita setidaknya bisa memahami maksud dasar mereka."
"Akan kucoba."
"Dipahami."
Dulu, saat Ggambu masuk ke tempat perlindungan kami, kami bisa mendapatkan informasi mengenai pemukiman hobgoblin.
Soal bahasa, komunikasi sendiri bisa dilakukan berkat kemampuan belajar Lackey yang luar biasa.
Namun, sekarang dengan informasi nol, ini seperti membenturkan kepala ke tembok bata, membuat informasi semakin mendesak.
Untungnya, dengan saudara-saudara Sun Wukong yang mahir bahasa, memahami maksud mereka tidak akan sulit.
"#$$ #$$."
"#$%$% #$$%%?"
Kami berjalan melewati padang pasir cukup lama. Mungkin karena sudah sampai di titik tengah, area sekitar menjadi agak ramai sesaat.
Aku ingin melihat ke depan, tapi penglihatanku terhalang punggung lizardman besar. Sebagai gantinya, aku hanya bisa melihat sesuatu yang menonjol ke samping.
Jadi aku dengan hati-hati menjulurkan kepalaku ke samping dan memeriksa ke depan.
"...Kadal?"
[Dan kadal yang sangat besar pula.]
Seekor kadal yang cukup besar untuk dengan mudah membawa sepuluh pria dewasa terlihat.
Ada tali kekang yang agak pas untuk kuda di mulutnya, dan seorang lizardman benar-benar berdiri menunggu sambil memegang kendali kekang itu.
"Tuan. Sepertinya mereka memanggil kami 'Kaum Tak Bersisik'."
"Saat ini, sepertinya mereka sedang berdiskusi mengapa mereka membawa kami ke sini dan mengapa mereka berniat membawa kami."
Setelah berbicara dengan lizardman lain sesuai instruksiku, saudara-saudara Sun Wukong menyampaikan informasi itu kepadaku.
Sudah pasti lizardman menaruh niat baik kepada kami, dan juga menjadi jelas bahwa mereka telah membangun peradaban mandiri.
'Meski aku tidak tahu apakah itu peradaban yang lebih maju daripada hobgoblin.'
Untuk saat ini, kami harus mengunjungi benteng lizardman. Mengikuti arahan lizardman, aku menaiki punggung kadal itu.
Saat kami naik, lizardman lain menatap kami dengan mata waspada, tapi aku berusaha sebaik mungkin mengabaikannya.
Bagaimanapun, kamilah yang menerima arahan, dan kami juga membutuhkan informasi di pihak kami.
"Hya!"
Dududududu-
Saat kusir(?) dengan giat mengibaskan kendali, kadal itu mulai melesat ke depan.
Tak perlu dikatakan, kecepatannya jauh lebih lambat daripada mobil.
Meski begitu, angin sejuk yang menerpa wajahku terasa enak. Anehnya, kualitas berkendara juga sangat mulus.
'Ada unta juga di sini, kenapa mereka tidak beternak unta?'
Aku ingin bertanya, tapi saudara-saudara Sun Wukong belum sepenuhnya menyelesaikan analisis mereka.
Aku tidak bisa terus-menerus menyerahkan tugas bahasa kepada saudara-saudara Sun Wukong setiap saat.
Aku juga berusaha semaksimal mungkin di pihakku untuk berkomunikasi dengan mereka.
"Apa ada tunggangan lain selain yang ini?"
"#$ $%$#?"
"Kau tahu, yang mirip ini. Punuk di punggungnya..."
Bahkan jika bahasa kami berbeda, mencampur isyarat tangan dan bahasa tubuh memungkinkan komunikasi kasar.
Lizardman yang berbicara denganku juga tampaknya menangkap maksudku dan membalas dengan antusias.
Sayang nadanya agak kaku karena hidup dalam kehidupan kesukuan, tapi itu justru membuatnya semakin disukai.
Karena tidak seperti aku yang hanya menggunakan tangan dan kaki, dia menggunakan ekornya juga.
"Apakah Tuan juga memahaminya?"
"Kira-kira? Dia bilang mereka tidak bisa beternak unta karena sifatnya terlalu galak."
"Kalau mengingat yang kita temui waktu itu, masuk akal juga."
"Kalau kalian? Bagaimana kelihatannya?"
"Sepertinya mereka menganggap kita sebagai sosok yang kuat."
Menganggap kita sebagai sosok yang kuat, ya. Lalu apakah mereka menginginkan sesuatu dari kita?
Menduga itu adalah prioritas utama, tapi sayangnya, lizardman tidak memberi tahu kami.
Mereka hanya menyatakan bahwa begitu kami tiba di sana, mereka akan menceritakan semuanya. Karena mereka tidak mencoba mencelakakan kami, aku membiarkannya.
Tentu saja, itu tidak berarti aku menurunkan kewaspadaan sepenuhnya. Berharap pendekatan yang sama persis dengan hobgoblin adalah hal yang mustahil.
Terus terang, bagaimana kalau mereka membawa kami dengan menganggap kami sebagai daging? Kemungkinan pengorbanan manusia juga tinggi.
"...Tuan."
"Hah? Ada apa?"
"Lihat ini..."
Dan ada bukti yang membuktikan hipotesis itu. Yakni, barang yang diterima Lackey.
Dia menerimanya dari lizardman yang terbuka untuk mengobrol dengannya sebelum lama; sekilas terlihat seperti dendeng biasa.
Aku berpikir dalam hati bahwa makhluk ini bahkan tahu cara membuat dendeng. Namun, setelah mendengar kata-kata Lackey, wajahku sedikit mengeras.
"Ekor ini... dibuat dengan memotong ekor mereka sendiri."
"...Mereka memotong ekor mereka sendiri dan menjadikannya dendeng?"
"Benar."
"..."
Saat mendengar kata-kata itu, aku memeriksa ekor lizardman. Ekor tebal mereka semuanya utuh.
Lalu apakah mereka memotong ekor lizardman lain dan memakannya? Apa yang terjadi dengan lizardman itu?
Frasa 'pengorbanan manusia' terlintas di kepalaku, tapi belum ada yang terkonfirmasi.
"...Karena lingkungannya keras, mereka mungkin memanfaatkan mayat. Jadi jangan terlalu larut memikirkannya."
"Mmm... Dipahami."
Bukti yang agak meresahkan muncul, tapi tidak perlu bertindak tergesa-gesa.
Tidak ada kata terlambat untuk bertindak setelah bukti yang lebih pasti muncul. Untuk sekarang, kita ikuti dengan tenang.
Yang penting, setiap kali aku sesekali memeriksa pelacak, kami semakin dekat ke tujuan.
Mungkin pesawat angkut itu ada di pemukiman lizardman.
ㄴAllfather) Karena ekor kadal beregenerasi meski dipotong, mungkin mereka memakannya dengan cara itu.
ㄴPassing Dwarf) Bukankah itu energi gerak abadi?
ㄴStarlight Lady) Biasanya, kalau dipotong 2 sampai 3 kali, mereka tidak beregenerasi lagi. Lagipula, kehilangan ekor menyebabkan masalah besar pada indra keseimbangan mereka.
Di sepanjang jalan, pengguna tetap juga melontarkan penjelasan mengenai ekor kadal. Punya begitu banyak orang berpengetahuan benar-benar nyaman di saat seperti ini.
Terlebih lagi, ini adalah Forest of the Four Seasons, jadi jumlah kemungkinan regenerasi mungkin lebih tinggi.
Sambil menyimpan pikiran rumit seperti itu, aku tidak berhenti berbicara dengan lizardman.
Aku ingin mendapatkan lebih banyak pengetahuan yang berguna, tapi sayangnya, hambatan bahasa sangat parah.
Sseuk-
Lalu, tiba-tiba, bayangan jatuh di atas kepalaku. Sesuatu telah menghalangi matahari.
Satu-satunya entitas yang bisa menghalangi matahari adalah objek terbang. Saat itulah aku mengangkat kepalaku ke atas.
[KkIEEEEEE!]
Tiga atau empat burung raksasa terbang di langit luas.
Chapter 661: Reptile (4)
Living in the Forest of the Four Seasons and facing all kinds of situations up to now,
I was able to realize once again that the Forest of the Four Seasons was a place like an onion.
I hadn’t thought that there wouldn’t be forces similar to the hobgoblins who had built an independent civilization in the forest.
However, I thought those forces would at least be beings possessing some degree of intelligence, like goblins or orcs.
After all, even on the outside, orcs and goblins frequently lived in tribal units.
"Hey, Lackey. Have you really never seen guys like this while roaming around?"
"I have seen many large lizards, but this is the first time I have seen a lizard walking on two legs and even speaking."
Just look at our current situation. A race straight out of a fantasy novel was guiding us. I glanced at them.
Scales that looked entirely covered in sand. A protruding snout and densely packed rows of teeth.
Anyone could tell they were lizardmen, and they were currently escorting us.
[They do not seem to harbor any hostile intent toward us.]
Just as Cain said, the lizardmen were not hostile to us. In fact, it was closer to the opposite.
Because when we first met, they were the ones who treated us politely first. We couldn’t understand their language, but we could catch their tone and demeanor.
Above all, the lizard that had crawled into our campsite last night was also with them. Even now, it was walking ppol-ppol-ppol right beside us.
ㄴHeavenly Demon) Lizard people, you say? I have never heard of such beings even among beastfolk.
ㄴSuspiciously...) As I said yesterday, there are no scaled bastards among us. In the first place, it’s ambiguous to define those guys as beastfolk.
ㄴAllfather) Broadly speaking, they could be included under beastfolk. After all, beings that blend animal and human features are referred to as beastfolk.
ㄴStarlight Lady) But up until now, beastfolk have only included mammals. Doesn’t finding reptiles mean that amphibians or fishfolk might exist too?
ㄴPassing Dwarf) Didn’t we meet merfolk back in the day? I feel like I saw a shark with arms and legs.
ㄴAllfather) It is ambiguous to treat those as beastfolk. If we go by that logic, we would have to classify orcs and goblins as races rather than monsters as well.
ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Would you like to ask if they worship a god?
ㄴPraise the Sun) What if they end up performing human sacrifices or something;;
Amidst the back-and-forth debate, Asella’s suggestion stood out particularly well.
Normally, I would have thought she was proselytizing again, but this was surprisingly an important point.
Didn’t the hobgoblins also perform rituals, treating the Immortal Herb as a gift from God?
Since religion and rituals go hand in hand, it was necessary to check.
’Fortunately, they aren’t showing any hostile intent...’
I turned my gaze and looked at Tyranno. In fact, the most bewildered one here was Tyranno.
"#$%?"
"Ppik!"
For some unknown reason, the lizardmen were endlessly kind to Tyranno. Even now, weren’t they offering her something resembling jerky?
Of course, since Tyranno was a child with a strong sense of vigilance, she didn’t accept it. She whipped her head around and rejected it coyly.
Instead, she fluttered her wings, flew over, and landed right on top of my head. Her bright, beaming face as she flew over was a bonus.
Normally, anyone in this situation would look disappointed or somber, but the lizardman was not like that at all.
On the contrary, he looked at me with eyes full of awe, making even me feel burdened just watching.
[It seems they have a custom of revering dragons.]
"Maybe they just like winged lizards."
After replying like that, I called over the Sun Wukong brothers.
"Lackey. Dolsoe."
"What is it?"
"Speak, Master."
At my call, the Sun Wukong brothers looked at me.
Perhaps because everyone was unfamiliar with this situation, they were busy staying alert to their surroundings.
"Analyze those lizardmen’s language as much as possible on our way. So that we can at least understand their basic intentions."
"I will try."
"Understood."
In the past, when Ggambu trespassed into our shelter, we were able to obtain information regarding the hobgoblin settlement.
As for language, communication itself was possible thanks to Lackey’s outstanding learning capability.
However, right now, with zero information, it was like slamming our heads against a brick wall, making information all the more desperate.
Fortunately, with the Sun Wukong brothers who were proficient in languages, grasping their intentions wouldn’t be difficult.
"#$$ #$$."
"#$%$% #$$%%?"
It was while we were walking through the desert for a long time. Perhaps because we reached a midpoint, the surrounding area became briefly noisy.
I wanted to see ahead, but I couldn’t see well due to the large lizardman’s back. Instead, I could only see something sticking out to the side.
So I cautiously poked my head out to the side and checked ahead.
"...A lizard?"
[And a tremendously massive lizard at that.]
A lizard large enough to easily carry ten adult men came into view.
A bit fit for a horse was strapped to its mouth, and a lizardman actually stood waiting while holding that bit’s reins.
"Master. It seems they call us the Scaleless Ones."
"Right now, it feels like they are discussing why they brought us here and why they intend to take us along."
Having spoken with the other lizardmen according to my instructions, the Sun Wukong brothers passed the information along to me.
It was certain that the lizardmen harbored goodwill toward us, and it also became clear that they had built an independent civilization.
’Though I don’t know if it’s a more advanced civilization than the hobgoblins’.’
For now, we had to visit the lizardmen’s stronghold. Following the lizardmen’s guidance, I mounted the back of the lizard.
When we boarded, another lizardman glared at us with wary eyes, but I tried my best to ignore it.
After all, we were the ones receiving guidance, and we needed information in our own right.
"Hya!"
Dududududu-
As the coachman(?) vigorously snapped the reins, the lizard began surging forward.
Needless to say, its speed was significantly slower than an automobile.
Even so, the cool wind hitting my face felt good. Surprisingly, the ride quality was also remarkably excellent.
’There were camels here too, so why didn’t they raise camels?’
I wanted to ask, but the Sun Wukong brothers had not yet fully completed their analysis.
I couldn’t just leave language-related tasks to the Sun Wukong brothers every single time.
I also made every effort on my part to communicate with them.
"Are there any other mounts besides this guy?"
"#$ $%$#?"
"You know, guys that look like this. Humps on their backs..."
Even if our languages differed, mixing hand signs and body language allowed for rough communication.
The lizardman conversing with me also seemed to grasp my intent and replied enthusiastically.
It was a pity that his tone was a bit stiff due to living a tribal life, but that made him all the more likable.
Because unlike me, who only used hands and feet, he used his tail as well.
"Did Master understand as well?"
"Roughly? He says they couldn’t raise camels because their tempers were too nasty."
"Come to think of the guy we met back then, that makes sense."
"What about you guys? How does it look?"
"It seems they perceive us as powerful figures."
Perceived us as powerful figures, huh. Then do they want something from us?
Fathoming that was top priority, but unfortunately, the lizardmen didn’t inform us.
They merely stated that once we arrived there, they would tell us everything. Since they weren’t trying to harm us, I let it slide.
Of course, that didn’t mean I dropped my guard completely. Expecting the exact same approach as with the hobgoblins was preposterous.
To put it bluntly, what if they were taking us along treating us as meat? The possibility of human sacrifice taking place was also high.
"...Master."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Look at this..."
And there was evidence proving that hypothesis. Namely, the item Lackey had received.
He received it from a lizardman who had opened up to talk with him before long; at first glance, it looked like ordinary jerky.
I thought to myself that these guys even knew how to make jerky. However, upon hearing Lackey’s words, my face stiffened slightly.
"This tail... was made by cutting off their own tails."
"...They cut off their own tails and made jerky out of it?"
"That is correct..."
"..."
The moment I heard those words, I checked the lizardmen’s tails. Their thick tails were all intact.
Then did they cut off another lizardman’s tail and eat it? What happened to that lizardman then?
The phrase ’human sacrifice’ lingered in my head, but nothing was confirmed yet.
"...Since the environment is harsh, they might have made use of a corpse. So don’t get too bogged down by it."
"Mmm... Understood."
A somewhat unsettling piece of evidence had surfaced, but there was no need to act hastily.
It wouldn’t be too late to act after more definitive evidence appeared. For now, we follow quietly.
Crucially, every time I sporadically checked the tracker, we were getting closer to the destination.
Perhaps the transport aircraft was at the lizardmen’s settlement.
ㄴAllfather) Since lizard tails regenerate even if severed, they might be eating them in that manner.
ㄴPassing Dwarf) Isn’t that perpetual motion energy?
ㄴStarlight Lady) Usually, if cut 2 to 3 times, they no longer regenerate. Moreover, losing a tail causes major issues with their sense of balance.
Along the way, the regular users also brought up explanations regarding lizard tails. Having so many knowledgeable people around was truly convenient at times like this.
Moreover, this was the Forest of the Four Seasons, so the number of possible regenerations might be even higher.
While harbouring such complex thoughts, I did not stop talking with the lizardmen.
I wanted to gain more useful knowledge, but unfortunately, the language barrier was severe.
Sseuk-
Then, suddenly, a shadow fell over my head. Something had blocked out the sun.
The only entity capable of blocking the sun was a flying object. It was when I raised my head upward.
[KkIEEEEEE!]
Three or four massive birds were flying in the vast sky. I narrowed my eyes.
I frowned due to the sunlight leaking through intermittently, but confirming their appearance wasn’t difficult.
’What’s that? Pterosaurs?’
Outwardly, they looked like pterosaurs. The issue was that those pterosaurs were gradually descending.
They weren’t approaching us, but thanks to their descent, I could examine them in more detail.
"Master. Someone is riding on that bird’s back."
"Is that... right?"
Surprisingly, someone was riding on the pterosaur’s back. It even had a bit in its mouth.
The pterosaurs weren’t ordinary pterosaurs either. They possessed the appearance of winged lizards.
To be precise, their appearance was that of dragons, much smaller in size and lacking forelegs.
ㄴAllfather) It is a Wyvern. Seeing that it is fitted with a bit, it appears they are raising them...
ㄴHeavenly Demon) Is it possible to tame a Wyvern?
ㄴSword Matstar) I heard they attempted it several times in the past and gave up. I heard even approaching a wyvern’s habitat is difficult.
ㄴStarlight Lady) Theoretically, it’s impossible. To raise a wyvern, you have to go to their habitat, but if you approach their habitat, they end up perceiving you as an enemy.
ㄴPassing Dwarf) Can’t you just snag them with a lasso while they’re flying?
ㄴStarlight Lady) Do you really think that’s possible?
ㄴPassing Dwarf) I feel like that human over there could pull it off though?
ㄴStarlight Lady) That’s only possible because he’s Grylls-nim...
ㄴPraise the Sun) From what I see, that buddy will shoot down a flying wyvern with an arrow.
At the fact that they raised wyverns, the regular posters began sharing their respective opinions.
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