Chapter 371 - Episode Seventeen - A Certain Story of the Doom Tribe's Past (2)
Correction
There was a discrepancy with the previous setting, so in the previous story, Mea was referred to as the first child, but it has been corrected to the second child. (08/31/2018)
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-The hunt for the spirit beast was over half a day later.
“Fuh, fuh …… I didn’t expect them to keep popping up, no matter how many I kill. It’s a bit too abnormal for a magic beast disaster monster panic. But Melzef-sama, I’m sure it’s fine now. Why don’t you go and see your wives?”
Dafne, holding the wound on his shoulder, called out to Melzef.
“…… Dafne, have you seen a greenish sphere-like object?”
“Eh ……? No, I don’t think so ……? Um, what are you talking about?
“We had a child who claimed to have seen something strange mixed in with the Spirit Beasts. Apparently, he was delirious, so maybe he just mistook it for something else.”
Melzef said and stared towards the outskirts of the village.
Dafne, too, had caught on and followed Melzef’s gaze.
“Whoa! Instead, let’s go and check on the safety of your wife and son, Darrell-sama! Melzel-sama’s child might have been born now! We must hurry!”
Melzef was once again squinting and staring towards the forest while walking as if being pushed by Dafne.
At this time, Dafne had two concerns that he didn’t dare mention.
One was whether Nelea and the others were really safe, and the other was the matter of the “Red Stone”.
There was of course the possibility that Melzef’s new baby would be a “Red Stone”.
I’m sure that Melezef has already thought of that.
However, one of the rules that Melzef established after he became chief was that if a “Red Stone” was born, he had to kill it immediately.
As Melzef and Dafne were heading to the mansion, they saw a Doom tribesman rushing towards them.
“Me-, Melzef-sama! It’s a disaster! The house has been attacked by a spirit beast… ……! Darrell-sama is fine, but …… Nelea-sama and the wives have been hit by their claws. …… We’re treating them at the house now!”
Hearing the report, Dafne’s face turned paled deep blue.
Melzef kept his expression blank, but moved his chin to encourage him to continue.
“…… Fortunately, nothing serious happened, but …… Um, she seems to be a little upset …… and was wondering if she could meet Me-Melzef-sama …… Well, you see, your wife has also given birth now too ……”
He seemed to be having a very hard time saying it.
Even Melzef felt a bit dubious about the situation.
He passed Dafne and rushed towards the house.
Dafne also hurried to catch up with Melzef.
The inside of the mansion was in a terrible state.
The walls were torn apart by the claws of the spirit beast, and large holes had been made in the walls, probably after a body hit.
Inside, furniture and cupboards had been knocked over, and broken dishes and books were strewn across the floor.
“…… It seems that the spirit beasts were more concentrated than expected. Nelea’s in the …… back room.”
Melzef picked up human voices in his ears as he made his way through the mansion.
Dafne walked alongside him.
“My God, it’s really awful! Why didn’t you come sooner! How could you not have known about my condition! He hasn’t come at all also, what’s happening!”
In the back room, Melzef’s wife, Nelea, with her face bandaged, was shouting at the sorcerer’s around her.
“Ple-Please calm down, Nelea-sama. The concentration of spirit beasts in this area is really bad ……!”
“It’s none of my business! I don’t care about that!”
Dafne was puzzled.
Nelea had always been a gentle and quiet person.
She’s been a little unstable lately, in Dafne’s eyes, but she’s still acting strange today.
“Mo-, mother …… Uncle Begin helped me out in the garden, and um ……”
Darrell, who was just three years old and was the eldest child of Melzef and Nelea, also held the housekeeper’s hand and cringed, looking as if he were about to cry, as if confused by his mother’s condition.
The baby’s cries mingled with Nelea’s screams.
It seemed that the housekeeper was holding the baby instead of Nelea.
Dafne was relieved to see that the baby was safe.
“Madam, p-please calm down ……! The baby is also looking at Madam. Look, it’s a lovely child, just like Madam. Um, you should hold her ……”
“That stoneless is not my baby! And don’t tell me that I look like her!”
Nelea grabbed the figurine on the desk next to the bed and threw it at the baby.
The ornament fell to the feet of the housekeeper and broke.
When Dafne heard this, he rushed to check the baby’s forehead.
A fragment of blue crystalline stone powder was stuck to the forehead, but it had completely fallen off.
“Ah, ah ……”
As I continued to look around the bed, I saw scattered fragments of blue crystalline stone.
In the Doom tribe, a broken crystalline stone on the forehead is much more serious than a noticeable scar on the face.
There is a strong tendency to regard it as a pride and symbol of the Doom tribe, and those who possess a clear and beautiful blue crystalline stone are considered to have high magical power and a superior spirit.
For the daughter of the chief to be without a stone was not a good look.
“I-I’m very sorry …… If I had taken a stand and protected Lady Nelea and her children at that time, this would not have happened …… My legs, my legs cowered and I couldn’t move.”
One of the housekeepers, who seemed to be present at the time, sagged.
“That’s right! If you were dead, none of this would have happened! What are you going to do? That was my daughter, the daughter of the chief! Take responsibility!”
The words were so harsh that the air in the room froze.
“Nelea, just calm down.”
Melzef stepped in front of Nelea.
Nelea snickered as if to criticize him for coming so late.
“Yes, that’s right, let’s kill her! I’ve thought of a good idea! Let’s pretend she didn’t exist! She’ll be a bad influence on us so there’s no choice! Come on! We have Darrell, after all!”
“You …… do you have any idea what you’re talking about? I knew that you’d be confused, but there are limits.”
“The one who doesn’t understand is you, Melzef! If the Chief keeps that alive, she will be a bad example to the others! Someone will definitely say that someone must have cut it down because it was a red stone! Yes, yes, that must be it! I don’t want that! I don’t want to be pointed back at because of this girl!”
Nelea yelled at him, and then she burst into tears and got down.
Melzef was silent for a while, but then he straightened up.
“…… Kanon, follow me with the baby. I can’t leave the baby to her for a while.”
He then called out to the housekeeper who was holding the baby.
“Eh, ah, yes ……”
The housekeeper walks with the baby in her arms as Melzef follows.
Dafne also hurriedly followed Melzef.
While the three of us were walking down the aisle, Dafne frantically called out to Melzef.
“A-Are you sure about that!? Not saying another word to your wives!?’
“The damage caused by the spirit beasts, the injured, and the missing must be assessed as soon as possible. This was not a matter that should have been put off. But as for the girl, I’m glad I picked her up. I never thought that Nelea would say something like that.”
“It’s true that she’s been acting a little strange lately, but I didn’t expect her to go that far.”
The housekeeper said with difficulty.
“Well, I was too busy to look at her, so I didn’t notice.”
Dafne’s expression twisted as she listened to Melzef’s matter-of-fact reply.
“…… I never thought that the Madam would say such a thing. But I also despise your indifference, Melzef-sama.”
Melzef did not reply.
In the silence, only the sound of their footsteps reached my ears.
“…… I was told to at least think of a name for the baby before it was born, but it looks like I won’t get a chance to tell Nelea.”
Melzef said in a small voice, a little sadly.