Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

“You might have heard, but we’ve been granted permission to investigate the area where Arcane Power has turned into Demonic Energy!”

The day passed while I got caught up in the excitement and bickering of the two dumplings and Bers.

When evening came, everyone gathered for dinner to discuss the recent events; it was more of a briefing session about our future actions than a discussion.

Especially regarding White Wind, who was leading the Magic Tower’s forces.

“Unfortunately, the place where the Mountain Lord was born has already been Purified, so we can only go to the remaining location in the Jatav territory.”

“You’re talking about where they’re raising these snakes, Jahukaya?”

“Yeah! Besides, we must investigate where the Jatav got that cursed jar, so it’s two birds with one stone.”

“So, we’re going to the Jatav now?”

The Inquisitor raised her hand briefly in response to Wind Wind’s enthusiastic words. She glanced at Archmage, exchanging a brief look with him.

“I think it would be better if we didn’t go.”

“He thinks this isn’t the best idea!”

“Why…?”

Why not? This clearly smelled like a follow-up Quest.

Everyone focused on the Archmage, who opposed the idea, except for Bers, who was too busy chowing down on her dinner to care.

“There could be Demon Worshippers there, so why…?”

“Because the likelihood is very low.”

The Archmage gestured to White Wind, who understood him and smiled.

“According to the Jatav commander we’re interrogating, the jar was left behind by an outsider who broke into the chief’s house in the middle of the night.”

“He didn’t try to kill the chief and just left that behind? Then how did they know how to use it?”

“Because that outsider didn’t just leave. He talked with the chief.”

White Wind summarized the relevant points from the Jatav commander’s statement.

“The outsider waited for the chief to awaken and then started talking to him. The chief called for help, but no one heard him before the outsider subdued him.”

“Then… did they strike some kind of deal at that time?”

“Calling it a deal would be too generous. The outsider essentially just left it there. It’s just… they didn’t kill the chief despite having the chance to, which left him uncertain about the outsider’s true intentions, so he held onto it.”

“So, they decided to use it now to get rid of it.”

“Exactly! And apparently, the outsider said to use it if it seemed they wouldn’t get chosen during Katina. The chief didn’t believe his words and just used it now.”

“…Were they trying to kill all the chiefs?”

“Who knows? We can’t say for sure. But we can't see a clear connection from what we’ve heard so far.”

Indeed. From this information alone, it seemed the Jatav had merely been used. They might have committed some sins, but in this instance, they were more victims than anything else.

“But we can’t just blindly trust the commander’s words.”

As the Inquisitor said, was that a reason to step away from this? I fixed my gaze on the Archmage.

It was pretty unlikely that White Wind would’ve rejected going there, so I was sure this was solely his decision.

“You’re right, Inquisitor. However, this matter doesn’t necessarily have to involve you.”

“But…”

“I have already contacted the Temple. The Magic Tower also has sufficient personnel. But what about us?”

“What’s the problem with us?”

“This isn’t an immediate issue, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an issue. Have we even had proper rest?”

As expected, it had been the Archmage's decision. His reasoning was very sound as well.

“I’m not talking about a day or two of rest. I’m referring to the past few months of our journey. Have we ever had a chance to fully relax?”

Well… in a game, there was no need to include rest periods—the game itself was supposed to be a leisure activity during downtime, and the player could take breaks whenever they wanted—so I hadn’t really considered it, but realistically speaking… Yeah. It wasn’t like it wasn’t about time we took a rest, but rather, we should have taken one a long time ago.

Indeed, while brief breaks could help us manage our physical fatigue to some extent, we shouldn’t underestimate the mental strain.

Even our usual breaks were often insufficient to recover our stamina. Despite repeatedly risking our lives, we only ever rested for about three to four days at most.

Well, I heard I’d been sleeping for two weeks straight, but I couldn’t really count that as rest. It seemed those guys kept working non-stop during that time.

Also, there were many times when I actually didn’t get a proper rest, even if we took three or four days off. Whether I was forced to find something to do because of my character setting or an incident occurred that forced me to set aside rest.

Now, it really was high time for us to take a proper break.

“We need to rest so we’re ready to do things only we can do.”

The only problem was whether my character would cooperate.

“…I agree.”

At that moment, Deb was the first to vote in favor of resting. It wasn't that surprising since he had the most physical limitations.

“Berserk isn't tired. I like fighting better.”

“Wouldn’t it be better just to clean up the other village than continue looking for fights? We can even enjoy a nice drink afterward.”

“Then Berserk will go to the village.”

Berserk was easily swayed when drinks were mentioned.

“I don't know about this…”

And the Inquisitor…

“Ah, by the way, Inquisitor, one reason I want us to rest is to check if the Demon Knight is suffering any aftereffects from the poison and if the wound near his heart has fully healed.”

“What?! Poison?!”

“I-I think resting immediately is the right choice!!”

“Hey, buddy, when did you get stabbed in the heart?”

Hey.

* * *

* * *

Resting due to some severe injury rather than accompanying the team headed to the Jatav Tribe didn’t go well with my character setting.

Right. My character setting.

“Let’s go, Demon Knight!”

With all the Archmage’s threats disguised as persuasion—“Did you know that if you get seriously injured, the seal might break because your body needs to draw on too much power?”—and White Wind’s firm refusal—“What if the Demon takes over again? Let’s rework the seal properly first!”—along with my party’s firm insistence, even my character had no choice but to yield.

To be honest, I really wanted to yield, as well.

Anyway, we were talking about taking a break here! A real break! How could I possibly refuse when I’d been given no choice but to immerse myself completely in my character and not let my guard down even once all year round!

【Are you leaving?】

Thus, by the next morning, we prepared to return to Hudelen.

The warchief, the Serhan’s priestess, and the acting Vigabol chief came to see us off.

Akata, who had to go with us, was also there. With the important matters resolved, White Wind, saying he had been away from the Tower for too long, also joined our group.

> [Huh, you’re leaving already? That won’t do.]

The Mountain Lord, who’d returned to its swamp yesterday along with the priests, was also here. It had seemingly snuck out again using its unique ability.

> [Hey, you’re the only one I can talk to without using those priests as an intermediary. Can’t you stay just a bit longer? The priests keep going, ‘The Mountain Lord this, the Mountain Lord that,’ whenever I speak. It’s impossible to have a proper conversation like that.]

The wizards, sensitive to Arcane Power, glanced toward it but, having roughly guessed the identity of this presence, couldn’t really say anything.

Taking advantage of this situation, the snake rolled around before me, appearing bored. For a being titled the Mountain Lord, it certainly lacked any sense of grandeur. How could it not even match up to the warchief it had chosen itself?

【I-I still feel sorry that we couldn’t be proper hosts to you last time, and now you’re already leaving again so soon…】

Meanwhile, the wise and competent warchief from before seemed to have completely vanished.

Visibly anxious, cheeks flushed, and now looking every bit his age, the warchief stared at me, which felt a bit weird.

【We… are only going back so early because he needs to undergo a more thorough examination.】

【…I see.】

The boy appeared to have already adapted to his position and even took pride in it, so saying something like, “You’re still far too young to bear such a heavy burden,” would probably be an insult to him.

Yet, it was hard not to feel a little sad that this young warchief had lost the chance to enjoy his childhood.

【O Great Black Thunder Snake, recognized by the Mountain Lord.】

However, he was already the warchief.

【We will remember the kindness you’ve shown us and the efforts you put forth for our peace. Isn't that right, acting Chief of the Vigabol?】

【Of course.】

I turned my back to the warchief and the Priestess, who was translating for him.

My own life was already hard enough. I didn't have the energy to pity someone who was actually doing really well.

“Alright, let's go.”

After a while—less than an hour but more than ten minutes—the Archmage finally turned around, signaling that the conversation was over.

It was time to leave.

“When we return to the tower, we need to make a lot of antidotes. The poison of the animals here can be quite deadly if not treated immediately.”

“Wahaha. Berserk would never lose to poison. No need for any antidote!”

“Stop acting like you’re a different species or something. Know your limits.”

“It’s true, though… I got bitten by some spider earlier, but I’m fine!”

“…Why are you only telling us now, you lunatic!!”

“C-Come here quickly! I’ll give you the antidote!”

“Oh, my. What are you? Can I perhaps have some of your tissue for research??”

“Why are you suddenly so enthusiastic about research again?!”

“…Indeed. It seems returning to the tower to rest was the right decision. But more importantly, ahem 【Is there anything causing you discomfort?】”

【Ah… N-No, I’m fine.】

【Alright. Let me know anytime if you need anything.】

Since we weren’t going after a Demon, there was no need for me to take the lead. Besides, I didn’t really know the way, either.

So, I stayed at the very back, watching this procession of fools before me.

> [But you know, don’t you think our kid is doing quite well? He’s a bit young, but I’ll still be around when he grows up.]

Another reason was this snake, who’d tagged along because it said it’d have no one else to talk to if it stayed behind. Even though I never responded to it, it kept chattering. It was obviously quite bored.

> [Hmm. But I do worry a bit. The warchief is in a position where he can’t even act like a child. He’ll be fine since I’ll have his back, but still…]

Then, when the village was almost entirely out of view, I suddenly remembered something I had left behind.

“…? Where are you going?”

“I left something behind.”

“I’ll come with—”

“Go ahead.”

“…Okay. I’ll do that.”

> [Huh? Did you forget something? Should I fetch it for you?]

It was intangible, so telling the snake to get it wouldn’t help.

I hinted at this by shooting it a glance before swiftly turning back. The others realized I’d left slightly after and tried to follow, but the Archmage managed to hold them back.

In the meantime, I hurried back to the village. It seemed the warchief hadn’t left right after we did, as I could see him wandering around.

【…? Huh?】

“Black Thunder Snake. Is there something you need…?”

I’d been thinking about this since earlier, but it seemed “Black Thunder Snake” was their nickname for me. It sounded cool, so I didn’t mind.

I stepped between the warchief and the Priestess.

“If you find a chest protector, bury it in the ground.”

I wasn’t sure if they’d taken it, but if they had, I should at least give them some advice.

After all, that item was created to save lives, not to cause harm.

I explained to the Priestess what the chest protector was without mentioning that it was essentially a bomb.

It was designed to blow up just my heart, after all, so burying it about a meter deep would be sufficient to avoid any major issues.

“And also…”

There was another reason why I’d come back.

I reached my hand into my inventory.

“Take this.”

Though I had already given away most of the shiny and pretty items, there were still some things worth giving away.

I placed the item I’d chosen into the warchief’s hand: a wooden flute.

On my way back, I’d quickly etched a snake design into it with a dagger. Since they served the Mountain Lord, I thought they might appreciate the motif.

“This is…”

> [Hehe.]

【A flute…】

The snake had said this would make for a fine gift, so it should be alright. It was because, erm, I’d overheard that he wanted to talk to me.

More precisely, it was more like he wanted to see me in action, wrapped in my Arcane Power, and talk about that. To sum it up, he just wanted to make contact with me.

“It’s from the snake.”

> [Hey. This is from you, not me.]

However, would my character even be able to hold a friendly conversation?

So, he should be content with this. Of course, to avoid breaking character, I also claimed it was from the Mountain Lord.

> [Hmm. Well… whatever. Hehe.]

I turned away, hearing the snake snickering behind me.

This time, I really was going to leave.

【Ah, wait—!】

Boom!

The dark Arcane Power surged around me, and I passed through the forest like thunder.

【He’s gone…】

【…This is my second time seeing this, but it’s still incredibly impressive.】

Meanwhile, those I’d left behind stood dumbfounded, watching this person who’d come like the wind and left just as quickly. It couldn’t be helped.

* * *

The warrior had significantly impacted this Great Forest in everything he did: his entrance, exploits, and even his exit. They were all unique to him.

【Surely, this is another story to be added to the Legend of the Black Thunder Snake.】

【Indeed.】

Yes, this only made him seem more mysterious.

The priestess watched as this person, destined to become a legend told for generations, became engraved in everyone’s hearts.

【This time, the legitimacy… of the new warchief certainly won’t be questioned. You must be pleased, Priestess Vivia.】

【Certainly.】

Appearing out of nowhere, the Black Thunder Snake had saved the people of the Serhan tribe, her tribe, resolved the issues of the Jatav and Vigabol tribes, both strong candidates for the next warchief but with various internal problems, and proved them unfit for the role.

At that moment, the Mountain Lord had intervened and appointed the chief of the Serhan, whom the Black Thunder Snake had saved, as the next warchief.

Moreover, before departing, the Black Thunder Snake left something with the Serhan chief: an item engraved with a snake.

A pattern only the warchief could possess.

【Are you pleased?】

【…Huh? Huh?】

The priestess glanced at the snake engraving on the flute, which was almost black due to its shading.

Would anyone dare challenge this story once it spread?

Would anyone dare ignore the choice of their deity, the Mountain Lord, and the Black Thunder Snake, whom their deity had commanded they treat with reverence?

【Do you like the gift?】

【Ah… Yes. I love it very much.】

With this, their current warchief would hold the strongest authority in their history.

And knowing Ekuah, he would lead the people more wisely than anyone else.

Prosperity would surely follow. An era of prosperity that could finally bring them forward into the future.

【I’m as happy as the day my mother gave me a gift.】

However, even if all of this held no further meaning, it wouldn’t matter.

Seeing that child smiling so brightly, as if he could finally let go of everything after such a long time, Vivia also gently smiled.

Ekuah’s smile alone made this flute valuable.

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