Chapter 3 – The Price of Life
In the empty lot where odorous smoke still blew, a figure moved.
The huts that had been standing closely together yesterday, were now burned down to ashes.
Eventually, the rain would pour, wind would carry away, and every trace of the small creatures that once lived here would be erased from the world.
It was in the midst of this destruction that Sheto dug out his friends.
Kobold bodies were small and brittle. The corpses had been subjected to the power of blades and flames. There were few skulls that he could pick up that were still intact.
Still, he carefully gathered every finger bone and every tail he could find that had not been burned.
A short distance away from the village, near the foot of the mountain, there was a place where they buried their dead.
The walls of fire were only meant to prevent their escape, and so they had not reached the graveyard.
The wild grass still grew strongly, in spite of having felt some of the heat of the fires.
He used a wooden plank to dig the small holes. There, he buried the remains of the villagers.
Even though he was simply covering the sparse remains with dirt, it still amounted to fifty.
And then, he dug a hole that was deeper than the others. In spite of being terribly burned, the body of his most beloved had miraculously maintained its shape. Sheto placed her into the hole, and then stared at the object in his hand.
The blue stone.
A color that made him think of the sky, his beloved, and the most hated enemy.
He clutched it tightly in his hand, and then swiftly attached it to some vines, which he tied around his neck.
“I’m sorry.”
He said as he gently filled the hole.
“One day, I’ll come back and give it to you.”
When he was finished, Sheto slowly walked towards the river.
His clothes were mostly burned. Aside from one sword, he had lost everything.
However, he was alive. There was a terrible scar on his chest, but aside from that, he was the same as before.
‘So the funeral is over.’
Whispered the voice, as Sheto stood at the river bank and watched the flow of water vacantly.
“You’re still here.”
‘Of course, I am! You are the one who told me to be silent until you were finished! Really, what an insolent monster you are.”
“You. You’re talking is hard to understand.”
Sheto was more annoyed than anything. Still, he thought back on her appearance.
Indeed, he was alive. A blade had pierced through his back, and yet there was no pain or burns. Regardless of what kind of god she was, her power was real.
However, there were so many things he did not understand.
“I…have questions.”
‘What? Ask anything you like. I am a goddess, and will answer anything.’
“…You. Why did you choose me?”
‘…Wh…what?’
“I am…a monster. You are god. Different things. Why help me?”
Monsters were a plague on the world, and the enemy of the gods. Even if Kobolds were not the most intelligent, they still understood this.
‘Then let me ask you this, did you want to die back there?’
“What?”
‘In that moment, you made a wish. To overcome death and get revenge on that Hero. Had I not picked you up, you would have died in the fire, and turned to ash, and no one would mourn you.’
It was all true.
However, she had not answered his question.
“I know. But a reason that is not.”
‘Gah… You are a very obnoxious little monster! Well, would you like to die right now then?’
“…Die?”
‘I gave you a chance to live, and this is how you react. It seems like you do not appreciate the gift. If you do not like me, then I should just kill you immediately.’
The increasingly overbearing words were making Sheto even more annoyed.
In those flames, he had been enraged over the fact that his own life and death were at the mercy of others. But now, he was a play thing for the goddess who saved him.
“…Then…do it.”
‘…Huh?’
“The Hero, I will kill. I want to kill. But you saying such things to me…makes me angry!”
‘F…fool! You would die over a reason like that!’
“You are like the Demon King! You do everything you want! Kobolds have no freedom! I am done with that! Being flung around by the gods! Enough!”
‘Ah…’
“Kill me if you want! But I will no longer listen to orders!”
He was glaring up at the sky now. He supposed that was where the gods were. And so he bared his teeth and shouted.
He was mad at himself too. For being able to do so little. But it was better than nothing.
“You let me live. But…it was because you thought to use me! Is that wrong!?”
‘Th…that’s…it is true.’
“Then I don’t need this life! I give it back! Take it and go!”
‘As-as if I could do that! Miracles are irreversible…’
“Not my problem! Take it! Now!”
Strangely, he was not afraid. He had already died once. Besides, the rage of that time had remained in his head, and he felt rather savage.
The goddess became silent, and all he could hear was the wind blowing along the river. Was she ignoring his glare now?
Eventually, his neck grew tired, and he lowered his head and sat down. He picked some wild grass, chewed and swallowed it. Now that he thought about it, he had not eaten anything since yesterday.
After what seemed like a long time, the goddess broke the silence awkwardly.
‘Well…you…’
“…”
‘Hey.’
“…”
‘…Are you listening to me?’
“…”
‘You! …Uh…um…’
“…Sheto.”
‘Hey…Sheto.’
The voice sounded a little embarrassed.
‘I am sorry.’
“You are a god. Strange to apologize.”
‘Re-really?’
“Yes.”
What a strange one. Sheto mused as he turned over a rock, and picked up the beetle under it before tossing it into his mouth. As the hard shell was crushed in his mouth, the smell of soil filled his nostrils. It was still better than nothing. But he wanted something that was more filling.
“Do as you like. You. Could move me if you wanted.”
‘It does not work like that. Gods cannot do whatever they want.’
“Hmm.”
Sheto muttered as he reached for his belt. While relying on the sensation against his fingers, he found what he was looking for and pulled it out.
A fishing line and hook he had saved. He used some of his hair to add to the length, and then tied it to a tree branch.
“So. You. Why help me?”
‘…Indeed. I suppose I must tell you that. It is true that I wanted your life for a certain purpose.’
“Purpose? What kind?”
He hooked a bug and cast the line into the current. Even if he was small, bugs were not enough for food. While listening to the goddess’s words, he focused on the fishing rod.
‘Sheto. I am like you. I too want to kill the Hero.’
“…Strange one.”
‘Really?’
“You are a god. Heroes. Chosen by the gods. Wanting to kill him is strange.”
He only had one line and hook. Making new ones would be difficult. And so he focused his attention on the presence of the fish.
Poke-poke-poke.
It was nibbling on the bug. Around here, the village children often fished for fun.
Poke-poke-poke.
You had to match its timing. Thinking this, Sheto’s arm…
Poke.
He sensed the fish pulling back, and so he swung up his arms.
“Mmmph!”
It broke through the river’s surface, a fish with a silver belly glimmered under the sun and danced through the air. He quickly caught it with one hand, and then used his index finger to dig into the gills.
‘Oh! Impressive!’
“…This is nothing.”
‘No, no. You did it with precision, and without a float. It is no easy feat.’
She sounded oddly happy about it. Quite different from the oppressive tone from earlier. It was as if he could see something different now.
“You. Still very strange.”