Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED: 

“That’s the ‘squid’ they’re talking about.”

“You mean the one eldest brother Youngblood brought?”

“It stayed hidden in the sea, making its body invisible!”

Leeha surveyed the surroundings while looking at the NPCs who had come to the prison. The village in the middle of the forest, made up of massive trees that looked like barriers, was in a strange balance with the trees.

The village was constructed using 100-meter-tall trees that rose high enough to block out moonlight and starlight, creating a harmonious composition. Both on the ground and in the air, the small houses seemed like ant nests, using the forest as their territory.

But that wasn’t all. Even among the prisoners being dragged out, there were NPC children who glanced at Leeha. All of this, revealed by the appearance of the red goats, made Leeha feel something strange.

Despite launching a surprise attack and growling as if ready to face enemies, there was something inexplicably messy or, perhaps, friendly about them.

It was unlikely that a perfect disposal had already taken place. Leeha knew that they wouldn’t fully accept the members of the New Continent Expedition. However, there was still an opportunity for conversation, a chance to persuade. That was something Leeha found comforting.

“It’s huge…!”

“Red goats! Shut your mouth! This is the dwelling place of the Guardian Deity! It’s not a place for the likes of squid to open its mouth!”

“Yes, App!”

Observing the NPCs reacting intensely to a single exclamation, Leeha felt like bursting into laughter. The roaring momentum was fearsome, but, as expected, it was also somewhat sloppy!

‘The Guardian Deity? They just gave me a hint—probably the place where the tribe leader is. Great, it’ll be easier to talk to someone important from the beginning.’

Leeha had vaguely heard about the leader of the tribe from the little ones on the way. The name of the red goat who remembered Leeha’s scent was Youngblood, and he was probably holding a significant position, perhaps a title like ‘eldest brother.’ If they weren’t all siblings, then they were likely a family.

The exact size of the tribe couldn’t be determined, but it certainly wasn’t likely to exceed 500 members. In a place like this, resembling a primitive tribe, being referred to as ‘eldest brother’ wasn’t a low-ranking position.

“Maybe that person is the tribe leader.”

Leeha ascended the stairs, which were embedded in a giant tree trunk, and spiraled around it. Even though they could have installed sharp-hooved stairs for someone in the form of a goat, they chose to build stairs for human-shaped beings. Was it for the convenience of those in goat form or a deliberate effort to maintain a mysterious atmosphere? Leeha couldn’t help feeling more curiosity and wonder than anxiety. It was a kind of trained courage.

Crossing the Dawn Sea and witnessing the vast world known as the ‘Dragon Palace,’ Leeha considered that whatever awaited them here wouldn’t be as terrifying.

Only now, the red goat NPC covered Leeha’s eyes with a blindfold and led the way to the door.

“Red goat! We’ve brought the leader of the squids, the giant squid!”

The door automatically opened. What Leeha felt was a sigh, the echoing wind, and the sound of footsteps.

Thump, thump, thump. 

Leeha could now clearly sense the considerable size inside.

“Good job. Have a seat there.”

“Red Goat!”

Even while being forced into a seat, Leeha couldn’t help but think, ‘Did they really have to say it like that instead of just “Yes”?’ 

Nevertheless, that was the extent of Leeha’s leisure. As the blindfold was finally removed, what appeared before Leeha’s eyes was a presence that could dispel the playful atmosphere from earlier in an instant.

“Wow, wow-“

“Red Goat! Can’t you be quiet?”

Despite being forcibly seated, Leeha couldn’t focus on that. Instead, Leeha was captivated by the huge eyes staring at him.

The overall form was certainly that of a goat. It was exceptionally large, and features like the long, round-tipped horns on its head and the beard under its jaw resembled those of a goat. However, the eyes staring at Leeha weren’t on its face.

“What kind of eyes are… attached to its back?! And it’s huge enough to cover the entire back!”

The goat’s peculiar rectangular eyes, characteristic of goats, were situated on its back, making Leeha feel perplexed. Not to mention the tail?

Compared to the white fur covering its faceless body, the goat’s tail was red. However, it wasn’t a normal tail; it had nine of them, making it far from looking normal.

“Tribe Guardian Deity…?! No, it’s more like this—”

In the dwelling of the Tribe Guardian Deity, there indeed lived a guardian deity, but Leeha wanted to classify it more as a monster than a guardian deity.

“I’ve heard the story and was curious. You’re truly a ‘human.’ Well, you couldn’t have been a squid.”

The goat’s mouth opened. Leeha was already accustomed to such surprises, having adapted well to Middle Earth. However, when the goat’s mouth opened, it wasn’t clear whether Leeha should look at the goat’s mouth on its face or the eyes on its back.

Inside, it was even more spacious than it appeared from the outside. There were no household items, and the ceiling was bare.

Apart from the goat’s strange appearance, sitting with its front legs bent, its odd but slightly scary eyes, and the nine tails that were clearly not normal, the interior resembled a hall, except for the goat sitting in the center.

“I-I am honored to meet you for the first time. I am Ha Leeha, coming from across the sea.”

As Leeha offered a polite greeting, the eyes on the goat’s back, which were separate from its face, curved like a crescent moon. Faced with the creature’s distinctive appearance, Leeha’s spine couldn’t help but shiver.

“I know where you’re from. I heard the whispers of the demons who fled here from there. I also learned about another land beyond that sea for the first time during that chaos. There are creatures there, called ‘humans,’ much like the ‘Paleos’ here, but slightly taller and without tails.”

The goat’s voice was quite lively, not as solemn as one might expect from a Tribe Guardian Deity. In fact, it seemed less dignified. The Paleos NPCs scattered around Leeha and the goat listened attentively with solemn expressions.

‘Paleos, huh? But what about the demons? Could it be the Bluebeard?’

Leeha pondered over the goat’s words. Although there wasn’t much to respond to, the goat, as if suddenly remembering, laughed and opened its mouth again.

“Right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Aibex. I’ve been living here, protecting the ‘Red Wood’ since the moment when God and Devil clashed. The Red Wood and paleos are like my home and family.”

“Red goat! Your words are honorable, Guardian Deity!”

“Haha! Being called a Guardian Deity is all thanks to my abilities. Whether God played a prank or the Devil played a trick, I have the ability to prevent all fires. The fact that Red Wood has survived without burning until now is all thanks to my power.”

Aibex, the goat who introduced itself, simply responded to the praises of the Paleos with an amused smile. However, Leeha couldn’t easily brush it off. If what Aibex was saying was true, it meant that it had been living since the moment when God and the Devil were separated!

‘Age surpassing that of Ancient Dragons! It might not be Ancient-class but maybe close, something like Platinum Dragon Bahamut.’

It seemed neutral, like a creature that had lived for a long time in a manner similar to spirits. Leeha simply nodded, listening to Aibex’s words.

“So, why did you cross that sea? Tell me. Why did the person who made Youngblood say ‘there is a great squid’ come here?”

“Um… You’ve mentioned seeing the appearance of those demons fleeing to this place. The humans from that continent, us, have had two conflicts with the Demon King’s Fragment.”

Leeha cautiously opened his mouth, looking at Aibex’s eyes. If the goat and these beings called Paleos were on the same side as the demons would result in immediate death. But it wasn’t yet clear with 100% certainty.

“Um, yes, that’s right. So? Did you cross the sea just to exterminate the remnants?”

Aibex’s ‘back’ shook. Leeha could tell it was a gesture typical of a creature making a light-hearted joke.

“No, we didn’t come here to exterminate their remnants. We came chasing someone, to prevent the third conflict.”

“Is there someone worthy of that? Le, Pyrot Cocri, and Ghibrid are probably still asleep. The last time they were awakened, energetic Paleos were about to rush out. They’re annoying little fellows, but they were stopped just in time. They must still be in a weakened state, but if they were provoked again, it would be troublesome.”

Leeha felt somewhat embarrassed by how casually the creature treated the Demon King’s Fragments as if they were old friends in the neighborhood. Nevertheless, it gave Leeha confidence. It seemed unlikely that this beast(?) boasting and gossiping like this would be on the side of the demons.

But Leeha couldn’t easily ignore the information Aibex was sharing.

“No, Bluebeard, Le, has awakened. And he came from the continent across the sea to this place. We are here chasing after him.”

“What!?”

“Red goat! You scoundrel! What nonsense are you talking about to the Guardian Deity!”

As Aibex was startled, the paleos standing behind Leeha immediately thrust their spears forward. In the moment when the swift attack was about to be blocked by a gelatinous barrier, Aibex shouted first.

“Stop! Halt, my children. I was just a little surprised. Don’t act hastily.”

“Red goat!”

Leeha felt a bit bewildered as he watched the Paleos step back.

‘A being… is it appropriate to call it a spirit? In any case, it seems to be a Guardian Deity that has endured tremendous ages, ruling itself as a concept akin to a tribe chief.’

The feeling of inadequacy couldn’t be easily erased. While Leehawas contemplating Aibex, the eyes on the giant goat’s back remained closed.

“So Le came here after awakening…? Well, well, if that’s the case, it makes sense. Le is the one who contaminates and corrupts beasts, after all.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Le left our continent, corrupted the water spirits in the underwater palace deep in the sea, and came here. If we don’t find him soon, it could pose a threat to Aibex-nim and the Paleos as well.”

Leeha cautiously interjected, breaking into Aibex’s soliloquy. The goat didn’t particularly react to this information. Should he provide more ‘keywords’? Leeha pondered this while facing Aibex.

“However, finding and dealing with Lé is beyond our capabilities alone. Therefore… I would like to propose to Aibex-nim. If we are given a location to build a mana relay tower that can connect our continent and here, and if the safety of that tower is guaranteed!”

A gulp.

“Summoning the humans from across the sea to this place, we could eliminate all the Demon King’s Fragments before awakening Ghibrid and Pyrot Cocri. I speak of this before Bluebeard awakens them.”

Leeha spoke with strength in his voice.

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