Chapter 3

The Great Forest of Tob stretched across the southern foothills of the Azerlisia Mountains, which served as a natural border between the Baharuth Empire and the Re-Estize Kingdom. North of the forest was a huge lake. This body of water was shaped like an inverted calabash, split into an upper and a lower lake, with a diameter of about twenty-four miles. The deeper and upper lake was home to larger creatures, while in the lower portion dwelled smaller life-forms.

Where the lower lake merged with wetlands to the south, numerous buildings stood somewhere in the everglade. Each one had a foundation of about ten stilts set into the marsh. It was the type of structure people often built to live over water. The rough door to one of those buildings opened, and the master of the house came out into the sunlight. He was a remarkable specimen of the creatures known as lizardmen.

Lizardmen resembled a cross between a reptile and a human. More specifically, they were lizards that had clawed hands and feet and usually were bipedal, but they had almost no human features besides that. Most classified these creatures as subhumans, similar to goblins and orcs, and their civilization was less advanced than humans'. Though their way of life was often considered wild like animals', they still had their own culture, even if unrefined.

The average height of an adult male lizardman was a little over 2 m and their weight easily beyond 150 kg, not from fat but because they boasted fairly robust physiques with bulging muscles. To help keep them balanced, they had long reptilian tails growing from their lower backs.

Over the course of centuries of evolution geared toward ease of movement in the wetlands, they had developed broad, webbed feet. That did slow them down on land, but this was not a problem for their everyday lives. Their scales, ranging in all kinds of color froom green to gray, from reddish to black, were not like lizards' but harder, like crocodiles', tougher than the average human made armour.

Their hands had five fingers like human hands, though their fingers ended in short claws. The weapons they wielded with those hands were extremely primitive. Since they didn't have many opportunities to acquire metal ore in the marsh, most of the weapons they used were spears made with monster fangs or claws, or blunt stone weapons.

The sky was a single clear shade of blue, and the sun shone brilliantly near its zenith. The weather was nice, with only a wisp of white clouds like the brushstrokes of a painter over a clear view of the mountains thrusting up in the distance. Because lizardmen had such a wide field of vision, he, Zaryusu Shasha, could see the blinding sun without moving his head. Narrowing his eyes to vertical slits, he rhythmically descended the stoop.

He scratched the brand on his black-scaled chest. The mark indicated his position within his tribe.

The lizardmen tribes had created an organized caste society. At the top was the tribal chief. Their leaders were not elected or based on bloodline, but simply by who was the strongest fighter. The ceremony to choose the chief was held every few years. Then came the council of elders, made up of seniors selected by the chief. Beneath them, society consisted of the warrior caste and then common people.

Of course, there were those who did not fit into this tight hierarchy.

First, there were the druids. They supported the tribe by predicting the weather, healing both with magic and medicine they prepared, plus forecasting danger and chasing it away or fighting it with magic if necessary.

There were also hunting parties made up of rangers. Their primary role was fishing and hunting, but since regular lizardmen cooperated with them on that, their most important work was in the forest. Lizardmen were basically omnivorous, but fish made up 80% of their diet and they didn't eat many plants or fruit. The reason they still sent hunting parties into the woods was mainly to patrol and for lumber. Since the forest was dangerous and hard to walk through for inexperienced lizardmen, simply venturing into it to cut trees was a job for technical experts. These rangers were allowed a degree of autonomy in the field, but they were still under the chieftain and expected to follow his orders.

So, lizardman society was a patriarchy with strict role division. But there were some exceptions, beings completely outside the chief's command.

Travelers. That word might bring to mind outsiders, but visiting foreigners were completely unheard of. Lizardmen were isolationist, which was the main reason why the Supreme Beings had decided to crush them: nobody would even notice it since no man had ever set foot in that wild place. In there, accepting anyone from outside the tribe, even a fellow lizardman, was rare.

So then, who were these travelers?

They were lizardmen who wished to see the world.

Barring some kind of emergency, such as being unable to obtain food, these creatures would virtually never leave their birthplace. But a few rare exceptions longed to see the outside world. When travelers decided to leave their tribe, they were branded with a special mark on their chests. It signified that they were no longer under the tribe and its authority.

Most of those who set out into the world never came back. Perhaps they perished wherever they ended up, or they found a new life for themselves. Their fates were never certain.

But sure enough, every so often, they concluded their journeys and went home.

Returning travelers were valuable for the knowledge they brought back with them. They were outsiders when it came to the tribal hierarchy but gained respect in a different way.

Truth be told, there were those in the village who disliked Zaryusu, but in general, he was well regarded. Not just because he was a traveler, but due to his impressive fighting skills earning him one of the Four Great Treasures of the Lizardmen.

He stepped off the last stair into the marsh and the trusty weapon slung at his waist clinked a bit against his scales. The pale blade glowed faintly. It had a strange shape, where the blade and grip united into something like a three-pronged club. But past the handle, the blade tapered to points only about as thick as a piece of parchment. There was not a lizardman alive who didn't know this weapon. All the members of every tribe knew of powerful magic items known as the Four Great Treasures, and Zaryusu's sword was the one named Frost Pain.

He set off at a casual pace. He had two destinations, and he made sure to take a gift to leave at one of them. His presents were four huge fish, each over three feet long. These were the staple food for his people, and he carried them on his back. The smell didn't bother Zaryusu or anyone of his kind. On the contrary, it made them extremely hungry.

I wanna just eat them! He snorted a couple of times to clear his mind and splish-splashed his way into the Green Claw village.

Some children with still-vibrant green scales ran past him, laughing "shaa-shaa," but stopped in their tracks when they noticed his cargo. The smallest children, peeping out from the shade of their dwellings also focused on the fish. Their mouths were slightly open, probably all filled with drool. Even after he had moved on, their gazes followed him: the children wanted a snack.

He cracked a smile and walked on, pretending not to notice them. He'd already decided who these fish were for. Unfortunately for those kids, it wasn't them. Zaryusu was happy that the glint in their eyes wasn't real hunger, though. The village was in good times. With those yearning eyes on his back, he passed the houses standing here and there, until the hut he was aiming for came into view. This was by the edge of the village: just a little farther ahead was where the marshes did begin to deepen into more of a lake.

The hut close to this subtle boundary line was sturdier than it looked and much bigger than Zaryusu's house. If there was anything strange about it, it was definitely the structure's slight tilt. Half the house was underwater, but this wasn't due to decay as it had been intentionally built that way. Zaryusu approached the hut, making loud sploosh-sploosh noises in the water. When he'd gotten closer, he heard an affection-seeking cry from inside, perhaps because the smell of the fish had wafted over.

A snakelike head poked out of one of the building's openings. Once the dark-scaled, amber-eyed head confirmed it was Zaryusu, it stretched its neck out to wrap itself affectionately around him.

"There, there." Zaryusu pet it with a practiced hand. The snake smiled at the sensation, narrowing its eyes. It had eyelids besides the protective coating over its eyeballs. The scales felt nice against Zaryusu's hand, too. This creature was Zaryusu's pet and friend. Its name was Rororo.

Since Zaryusu had been taking care of it for most of the pet's life, he felt they could even have conversations. "Rororo, I brought you some food! Eat up, okay?" He tossed through the window the fish he brought. A noise like a splash, or maybe a splat, sounded from inside. "I'd like to stay and play, but I have to go check on the fish. See you later."

"As if he could understand what was being said, the snake rubbed against Zaryusu a couple of times, reluctant to let him go, and then withdrew into the hut. After that came the sound of clutching and chewing. Figuring from Rororo's enthusiasm that he was in good shape, Zaryusu left the hut.

Zaryusu's next objective was also a bit removed from the village, at the lakeshore. He pattered quietly through the forest with pleck-pleck sounds. Traveling by water would have been faster, but it had become a habit of his during his walks to see if there were any problems on land. Still, the low visibility due to the trees was a strain on even Zaryusu's mind.

Eventually, though, his destination was visible through a gap in the woods. He sighed with relief that nothing had happened. Then, slipping through the trees, he closed the rest of the distance with quick steps. After ducking under the last of the jutting branches, Zaryusu widened his eyes in surprise: he did not imagine he would see that familiar figure here. It was a lizardman with black scales like his own.

"Brother—"

"Oh, it's you." The lizardman turned around and focused his eyes on Zaryusu to greet him.

This was the chief of the Green Claw tribe and Zaryusu's elder brother, Shasuryu Shasha. He had been victorious in two contests to decide who would be chief and maintained rule for the current term without needing to fight. The most distinct feature of this lizardman was his physique. Next to him, Zaryusu, with his average build, looked small. Old scars ran white across Shasuryu's black scales, like lightning bolts through a dark cloud. On his back he carried a huge sword: a thick and rugged thing about 2 m long. The steel sword, ancient treasure of the Green Claw tribe, was proof that he was chief and it had long ago been enchanted with magic that prevented rust and made it sharper.

Zaryusu stood next to his brother on the lakeshore.

"What are you doing in a place like this?"

"I should be the one asking that, brother. The chief doesn't need to bother coming all the way out here."

"Mph." At a loss for words, Shasuryu answered with his characteristic grunt and looked towards the lake.

Sturdy poles jutted out of the water to surround the area, with extremely fine nets strung between the poles. The setup was immediately recognizable: a fish preserve.

"You didn't come to sneak a bite, did you?"

"Shasuryu's tail jumped and slapped the ground a couple of times. "Mph. I wouldn't do that. I just came to see how the breeding is going."

"Hmmm…"

"Zaryusu, do you really think of me that way?!" he said with force and loomed a step closer. The pressure he gave off was like a wall closing in, making it so even the traveler and veteran fighter Zaryusu felt the need to back up a couple of steps.

But he had the perfect comeback. "So, if you only came to look in on the breeding, then I guess you don't want any, huh? That's too bad, brother. Once they have grown well, I was going to give you some."

"Mph." The slapping noise stopped and Shasuryu's tail drooped.

"They're real tasty. Nice and fat because they've been getting proper nutrition. They have more fat on them than the normal fish you can catch."

"Oh?"

"When you bite into them that quality fat just oozes out. And when you tear a piece off, it melts in your mouth."

"Mmmmph." The slapping started up again, but more intensely than before.

Zaryusu eyed his brother's excited appendage and said half-teasingly, "Your wife says your heart's in your tail."

"What? How dare she mock her husband. Besides, what does she mean by that, anyway?" he answered, looking over his shoulder at his now motionless tail.

Zaryusu wasn't sure how to respond, and a dry "ahh" was all he could muster.

"Sheesh. She's so… If you got hitched, you'd know how I feel."

"Oh, I can't get married."

"Ha. Nonsense. You mean because of that mark? It doesn't matter what the elders say—you can just ignore them. Plus, I don't think there's a single female in the village who would hate getting proposed by you… They'll take anyone with a good tail."

Lizardmen stored nutrition in their tails, so larger ones were appealing to the opposite sex. In the past, Zaryusu might have preferred thick-tailed females, but as a male who had grown up and seen the world, he'd rather avoid them now if he could.

"I'm not that into the fat-tailed females in the village now. If it came to it, I'd choose a skinnier one. Personally, your wife's size is fine for me."

"That may be, given your personality, but stay away from the taken ones. I'm not participating in any pointless bloodshed. Hmm, but you should know the pain of marriage. It's not fair if I'm the only one."

"Whoa, whoa. I'm gonna tell your wife."

"Mph. There you go—this is one of the pains of being married. I'm the chief of the tribe and your elder brother, but you can blackmail me so easily."

Their happy laughter echoed out over the lake for a few moments.

When it stopped, Shasuryu observed the fish preserve with some emotion. "This is really something, though. Your…"

When he couldn't find the word, Zaryusu gave him a hand. "Preserve?"

"Yeah, that. No one has ever done something like this in our tribe before. And news of your success has already spread far and wide. At this rate, all the people watching, envious of your fish, will start to imitate you."

"It's thanks to you, brother. I know you talked to everyone about it."

"Zaryusu, all I did was relay the truth. I just chatted with them. What's significant is that you worked hard and raised these delicious-looking fish here."

At first, the project met failure after failure. Of course it had. He'd just heard explanations on his travels and tried to build it based on those. Even building the fence was a string of failures. After a year of trial and error, the preserve was built, but that wasn't the end.

He had to take care of the fish. He had to feed them. How many times had the fish died on him as he threw in different foods to test what would be best? There were times monsters ripped through the enclosure nets and made all his hard work for nothing.

He was criticized for "playing" with fish caught as food. People had even called him stupid. But now the fruits of his labor were plain to see.

The shadow of a big fish swimming by floated below the surface of the lake. It was fairly big, even for the fish that could be caught in the area. No one would believe he'd raised it from a fry, except for his brother and sister-in-law.

"It's really something, Zaryusu," Shasuryu murmured again as they stood watching the scene together. His words were filled with emotion.

Zaryusu's words were just as heartfelt. "It's part thanks to you, brother."

"Mph. What did I even do?"

Sure, Shasuryu hadn't done anything, but in only the most technical sense.

When the fish weren't doing well, a priest would suddenly appear. When it was time to gather fence-making materials, there were helping hands. When the catch of the day was distributed, healthy, live fish came his way. There were also hunters who brought fruit as fish food.

It was never revealed who had asked for these people to help him. But even a total fool could tell who was behind it—and that he didn't feel like being named. It wouldn't look good for the chief to support a traveler who had deviated from the tribe's caste system.

"Brother, when they get bigger, I'll bring some to you first."

"Heh. I'll be looking forward to it." Shasuryu spun on his heel and began walking away. Then he murmured, "See you later then."

"Aye, brother."

Zaryusu watched as Shasuryu headed into the distance along the edge of the lake.

After confirming everything was all right at the fish preserve, Zaryusu wss returning to the village, but he suddenly felt something strange and looked at the sky. It was clear, an endless stretch of blue with the mountains breaking through a wisp of cloud to the north.

The usual scenery, Nothing seemed different. Just as he figured his mind was playing tricks on him, he noticed a strange cloud. Everyone in the village noticed it at the same time: a solitary dark mass blocking the sun, thick and heavy like a rain cloud.

The priests had said today would be clear all day. Their weather forecasts were magical and, thanks to their knowledge from long years of experience, extremely accurate. Everyone was surprised they'd gotten it wrong.

But the odd thing was that aside from the single dark cloud over the village, there were no other rain clouds. It was as if someone had summoned a cloud to hang directly and over only the village.

Then things got even stranger.

Swirling around the center of the village, the mysterious cloud started to spread out. It encroached on the blue sky with tremendous speed.

This was abnormal.

The warrior caste hurriedly went on guard. Children practically dove into their houses. Zaryusu lowered his center of gravity and reached for Frost Pain as he scanned the area.

The darkness blocked out almost the entire sky now. It was possible to see some blue far in the distance, so the cloud was truly hanging over the village.

In the midst of this, the center of the settlement was in turmoil. The wind from that direction carried shrill, abrasive cries that made full use of the lizardman vocal cords.

The din was a warning. It meant there was a dangerous threat nearby, perhaps one that warranted evacuation. When Zaryusu heard it, he raced through the marsh faster than most lizardmen could manage.

He ran, and ran, and ran.

It wasn't easy to move in the marsh, but he kept his balance by twisting his tail. At a speed pretty impossible for a human, for lizardmen had feet geared for places like this, Zaryusu arrived at the source of the alarm.

There, he found Shasuryu and the warriors in a circle, focused on the center of the village. Zaryusu followed their line of sight and glared at the object of their attention as well.

At the place where their many gazes crossed was a monster like wavering black fog. Inside the fog, a multitude of horrifying faces formed and dissipated a moment later. The variety of creatures and peoples had one thing in common: all of their expressions spoke of eternal pain. Anguished sobs, resentful voices, tortured screams, dying gasps and more formed a chorus that rode on the wind.

A spine-freezing hatred pressed in on them and the horror of it caused Zaryusu to shiver. This is bad… Brother and I should let the others go and take care of it ourselves. But… This was a powerful undead that could frighten even Zaryusu, considered a top-class warrior among the other tribes dotting the area. Zaryusu and his brother were probably the only ones who could put up a fight. What's more, Zaryusu knew the monster's special ability.

He glanced around and noted that although there were only warrior-caste lizardmen present and that almost all of them were breathing hard, like frightened children.

The monster didn't budge from its position above the center of the village.

How much time passed that way? The tension was so thick, even the slightest trigger would cause an explosion. It was evident from the way the warriors slowly huddled closer together. In order to even move, they had to desperately struggle against the mental pressure.

Noticing Shasuryu draw his weapon in his periphery, Zaryusu followed suit and silently assumed a fighting stance. If there was going to be a fight, he meant to charge faster than anyone else. They should not consider it overstepping my bounds if I let everyone know what this thing's special ability is…

The air, stagnant with accumulated tension, thickened even further and suddenly the resentful clamor stopped.

The voices from the monster mixed together to form one. Unlike the incomprehensible curses, this voice conveyed a proper meaning. "Hark, we are servants of the Great One. We come as a forewarning." "Everyone stirred and looked at one another. Only Zaryusu and Shasuryu kept their eyes fixed.

"We announce your deaths. The Great One has mobilized an army that shall destroy you. Though that be so, in his generosity, he will grant you time to put up a frantic, futile resistance. Eight days from today, you will be the second of the lizardman tribes around this lake to be sacrificed."

Zaryusu's face twitched into a scowl, and he bared his teeth to growl threateningly.

"Put up a desperate resistance so that the Great One may delight in ridiculing you. If you entertain him enough, some of you might even be spared."

Like smoke and its constantly shifting shape, the monster distorted and warped as it floated up into the air. "Don't forget: eight days."

And it flew through the sky undisturbed in the direction of the forest. Among the many lizardmen watching it as it went, Zaryusu and Shasuryu gazed silently at the far horizon.

The largest hut in the village served as a meeting place, but it wasn't used much. Since lizardmen had a tribal chief with absolute authority, it was rare to hold meetings, save for some traditional rituals. But that day there was some unusual excitement in the air.

There were so many lizardmen inside that what should have been a spacious room felt small. Of course the warrior caste was there, but so were all of the druids, hunters, elders and the traveler Zaryusu. Everyone was seated cross-legged facing Shasuryu.

The chieftain announced the beginning of the meeting, and the first to speak was the head of the druids, an old female with strange symbols written on her body with white dye. All these designs had meanings, but Zaryusu didn't know them. Not that he cared for it right now, he was interested in the wise woman's words.

"You remember the cloud that covered the sky? That was magic. As far as I know, there are only two spells that can manipulate weather. One is a legendary tier-six spell called [Control Weather], so it couldn't be that. Casters who can use tier-six spells are the stuff of myths. The other is the tier-four Control Cloud. Still, only an immensely powerful caster could use this. Only a fool would bare their fangs at such an enemy."

The similarly painted druids lined up behind the head druid nodded in agreement.

Zaryusu knew what a feat tier-four magic was, but the doubtful groans of many who didn't echoed throughout the room.

The look on the head druid's face showed she wasn't sure how to best explain it, but she singled out a lizardman. He looked perplexed in turn and pointed questioningly at himself.

"Yes, you. Could you win in a fight against me?"

The lizardman hurriedly shook his head.

He would probably be confident he could beat her if they were fighting using only weapons, but he had close to no chances if magic was allowed. A slim chance that, as a warrior, was practically not worth considering.

"And yet I can only use up to tier two."

"So our enemy's twice as strong?" someone asked.

"Sighing at the question, the head priest shook her head in lament. "It's not that simple. Someone using tier-four magic could probably kill even our chief with no trouble at all." Finally, she said, "Of course I can't say for sure, but the possibility exists," and closed her mouth.

Once everyone understood the awesome power of tier-four magic, silence descended on the room until Shasuryu's voice sounded again. "In other words, head priest…"

"I think we should run away. Even if we fight, we can't win."

"What are you saying?!" roared a large lizardman in a deep voice as he leaped up. In terms of sheer brawn, he—the leader of the warriors—was probably on par with Shasuryu. "You mean we should run before we even try to fight? Because of that little threat?"

"Do you have any brains in that head of yours? If we're fighting, it means it's already too late!" The head priest stood to meet the head warrior's stare. Emotions were running high, and they unconsciously made threatening sounds at each other.

As the words touch-and-go situation came to everyone's minds, a cold voice rang out. "…That's enough."

The warrior and priest turned to look at Shasuryu as if he'd woken them up with a bucket of cold water. Then they both apologized and sat back down.

"Head hunter, what's your opinion?"

"…I can understand the head warrior's view, as well as the head priest's. They both make sense." A lanky lizardman spoke in answer to Shasuryu's question. Though he was lean, he wasn't lacking muscle—just extremely slim in a pared-down way. "So I think since we still have time, we can see how things go. It said there'll be an army. They'll need to pitch camp and whatnot, so isn't it fine to observe them and decide what to do after that?"

Several voices agreed that it didn't make sense to say this or that now, when they lacked so much information.

"Elder…"

"I can't say anything more. Everyone's opinions feel correct. All that's left is for you to decide."

"Mph…" Shasuryu shifted his gaze, and Zaryusu felt their eyes meet across a few other lizardmen. The elder brother nodded without moving his head.

With the feeling like he'd gotten a gentle push from behind—although it may have been off a cliff, Zaryusu raised his hand to speak. "Chief, I'd like to give my opinion."

Everyone's eyes fell on Zaryusu. Most of the lizardmen were expectant, but some were frowning.

"You're a traveler! There's nothing for you to say. You should be happy you're even allowed to be here," said a member of the council of elders. "Step—"

A tail whacked the floor with a bang. The sound cut off the elder's comment like a sharp knife. "Quiet!" It was Shasuryu, with unpredictable emotion in his voice. He spoke half in the growls lizardmen made when agitated. No one could interrupt him if he was like that. The tension in the hut grew at once, and the heat of the excitement suddenly cooled.

In that strained atmosphere, one of the elders opened his mouth to speak—without noticing the unspoken urge from many others to let sleeping dogs lie.

"Chief, you can't give him special treatment just 'cause he's your little brother. Travelers are—"

"I told you to be quiet. Didn't you hear me?"

"Gngh…"

"Right now, we're allowing everyone with knowledge to take part. It would be strange not to listen to the opinion of a traveler."

"Travelers—"

"I'm the chief, and I say it's fine. Are you really still objecting?"

The elder silently averted his eyes, and Shasuryu looked at the others.

"Head druid, head warrior, head hunter, do you agree he's not worth listening to?"

The first to respond was the head warrior. "I think Zaryusu's opinion is worth hearing. There is no warrior who would ignore the opinion of the one who possesses Frost Pain."

"Agreed. There's plenty of reason to listen," came the head hunter's jocular reply.

Finally, the head druid shrugged. "Of course I'll listen. Only a fool ignores one with knowledge."

A few of the elders scowled at the scathing sarcasm. Shasuryu nodded at the three after they had given their opinions and gestured with his chin to Zaryusu that he could proceed.

Zaryusu remained seated and began to speak. "If it's between running and fighting, I'd choose the latter."

"Hmm, why is that?"

"It's the only choice."

If the chief was asking a question, a proper answer was required, but Zaryusu, with an attitude that said, That's it, didn't seem like he was going to elaborate.

Shasuryu rested his jaw on a fist and sank deep into thought. What! Did you figure out what I'm thinking? Brother…

Zaryusu was troubled, although he didn't let his inner thoughts show. Then the head druid asked no one in particular, "…But can we win?"

"Yes, we can!" the head warrior shouted energetically, to dispel their anxiety. But the head druid just squinted.

"…No, the way we are now we can't have much of a chance." It was Zaryusu who verbally disagreed.

"…What do you mean by that?"

"Head warrior, our opponent must have gathered intelligence on us, what kind of fight we can put up. If they didn't, they wouldn't be able to talk with such an air of superiority. That means that even if we fight well, victory must be impossible with our current strength."

Then what should we do? It was the question on the tips of everyone's tongues.

Zaryusu, still keeping his true intentions hidden, answered before they asked. "So we need to mess up their plan… Do you all remember the last war?"

"Of course," someone replied.

It had been only a few years ago; no one was so far gone that they would forget it so quickly. No, even if they'd gone senile, it would be impossible to forget that war.

Back then, there had been seven tribes in the great wetlands: Green Claw, Small Fang, Razor Tail, Dragon Tusk, Yellow Specter, Sharp Edge, and Red Eye.

But now there were only five. They had participated in a war where so many lizardmen died that two tribes were wiped out. It all had started with a string of poor catches of their staple fish. Green Claw's hunting parties began to extend their reach over a wider area of the lake. Of course, the same could be said of the other tribes.

Eventually, the hunting parties began to clash over fishing spots. Their respective tribes' food was on the line, so they couldn't back down.

It didn't take long for arguments to turn into fights and for the fights to turn deadly. Eventually, warriors began to move in as backup for the hunting parties, and a fierce food war broke out.

Five of the seven tribes joined the conflict, which evolved into a three-on-two struggle: Green Claw, Small Fang, and Razor Tail joined forces to face Yellow Specter and Sharp Edge. Entire tribes participated: not only the warrior caste, but also regular adult males and females as well.

After several all-out battles, the three allied tribes that included Green Claw won. The other side had lost so many members they couldn't maintain their two tribes and they scattered, although most were later absorbed by Dragon Tusk, who hadn't participated in the war.

Ironically, the decrease in lizardmen living on the marsh had solved the food issue. There was enough of the staple fish to go around once again.

"What about it?"

"Remember what it said: we're the second, so that must mean it's going around to other villages besides ours."

"Ohhh…" Some voices went up in understanding."

"So you think we should form another alliance, huh?"

"…You gotta be kidding."

"No, I think we should."

"Like during the war…?"

"If we do that, I think we have a chance at winning."

Neighbors whispered to one another, and before long, the voices had transformed into a surging conversation. As everyone in the hut considered Zaryusu's idea, only Shasuryu remained silent and made no move to speak. Unable to bear his deeply penetrating gaze, Zaryusu couldn't meet his eyes.

After it seemed like they'd had discussed enough, Zaryusu spoke again. "Don't misunderstand me. I mean with all the tribes."

"What?!" The second one in the room to grasp his meaning, the head hunter, gasped.

"Zaryusu looked straight at Shasuryu. The lizardmen standing between them involuntarily parted.

"I propose we ally with Dragon Tusk and Red Eye as well, Chief."

This caused a huge commotion: Zaryusu might as well have thrown a bomb into the room.

Dragon Tusk and Red Eye were the two tribes who hadn't participated in the war. Green Claw had no contact with them whatsoever and since Dragon Tusk had taken in the surviving members of Yellow Specter and Sharp Edge, there had to be some deep-rooted resentment. But making an alliance with them would mean a coalition of all lizardmen.

If they could do it, they certainly might have a chance.

As everyone imagined this faint hope, the chief suddenly spoke. "Who will be the messenger?"

"I'll do it."

Shasuryu didn't show any surprise at Zaryusu's immediate reply. He knew his little brother well, so he'd probably expected it.

The surrounding lizardmen made admiring noises. They felt there wasn't a better choice since that was his idea. Only one person seemed to disapprove. "A traveler?" It was Shasuryu, shooting an icy look through Zaryusu.

"That's right, Chief. This is an emergency. If they won't listen to me because I'm a traveler, they're not worth allying with." Zaryusu had no trouble shrugging off the icicle glare.

They stared at each other for a few moments and then Shasuryu cracked a bitter smile. Was it because he'd given up? Or because he knew nothing he said could stop his little brother? Or maybe he was inwardly smirking at himself for accepting that Zaryusu was the right choice? It was a pained smile. "Bring me the chief's mark."

The mark meant the bearer was the representative of the chief. It wasn't something that could be given to a traveler. The council of elders was about to say something, but before they could, Shasuryu hit the ground with his tail and the words died in their throats.

"Thank you." Zaryusu bowed his head.

Then Shasuryu spoke. "…I'll be choose the messenger to the other tribes. First…"

In the evening, a cool breeze blew. Since the area was a marsh, the high humidity combined with the heat made the air stifling, but the wind cooled it off enough to be a little chilly. Of course, the change was nothing to the lizardmen with their thick skins.

Zaryusu splish-splashed through the marsh toward Rororo's hut.

He still had time, but it was possible some unforeseen incident could occur. There was also the chance their enemy wouldn't keep their promise or that they would disrupt his travels. Considering all those things, it made the most sense to ride Rororo across the marsh.

His waterlogged footsteps slowed and then stopped. His heavy leather pack jerked on his back. He'd stopped because a familiar lizardman had come out of Rororo's house.

Their eyes met. After cocking his head at the puzzled Zaryusu, the black-scaled lizardman moved closer.

"I always thought you should have been chief," Shasuryu began after coming to a stop just a few steps away.

"What are you talking about, brother?"

"Remember the war?"

"Of course I do."

It had been Zaryusu who had brought it up at the meeting; there was no way he didn't remember it. Then it dawned on him that that wasn't what Shasuryu was trying to say.

"…After it ended, you became a traveler. I regret branding you so much. I should have stopped you, even if I had to thrash you."

Zaryusu vigorously shook his head. His brother's expression back then was still a thorn in his heart. "… Because you let me go, I learned how to farm fish."

"You'd have figured it out still here. A wise man like you should be the one guiding the village."

"Brother…"

"Things that happened in the past couldn't be undone, and there was no point in saying, But if only… It had already happened. So were they thinking that way because they were weak?

No, that wasn't it.

"…Let me say this not as your chief but as your brother: I'm not going to ask if you'll be okay on your own. Just come home safe. Don't try too hard."

Zaryusu replied with a cocky smile. "Of course. I'll do a perfect job of it and come back fine. For me, it'll be a cinch."

"Mph." A grin naturally spread across Shasuryu's face. "Then if you fail, I'm gonna eat whichever of your fish has the most fat on it."

"Brother, I don't care about that. That's not the kind of thing you should be saying now, though."

"…Mph."

"They quietly laughed together. Eventually, although neither of them in particular made the move, they found themselves facing each other with serious expressions again.

"So is the alliance really your only aim?"

"…What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" Zaryusu squinted and thought, Crap. Considering how perceptive his brother was, he couldn't react like that.

"The way you were talking in the hut, manipulating everyone's opinion, you seemed reluctant." Zaryusu was at a loss for words, and Shasuryu continued. "… One of the reasons we had that war was simply that the lizardman population had grown too large due to the lack of smaller-scale fights."

"Brother…we'd better leave it at that." Zaryusu's steely tone confirmed Shasuryu's theory."

"Aha…I see. You realised that too…"

"It's the only way…if we don't want a repeat of that war," Zaryusu snapped. It was an ulterior motive even he knew was no good. It was underhanded. He hadn't wanted his older brother to find out, if at all possible.

"…Then what are you planning to do if the other tribes won't form an alliance? We won't be able to stand up to them later with just our selected survivors and runaways."

"Then I guess…we'll have to crush them first."

"You're saying we should destroy one another first?"

"Brother…"

Zaryusu was about to try to convince him, but Shasuryu laughed it off. "I understand, and I agree with you. As the leader of the tribe, I need to be thinking about its survival. So don't worry about it, Zaryusu."

"I'm glad. So… should I bring everyone to this village?"

"No, if what they said is true, we're second in line; I envision the first village as the battleground. Normally I'd say we should gather in one of the later villages or one with good defenses, but things will be tough afterward if entire villages get burned down. We should block them at the first village, so can you go straight there when you're ready? I'm going to ask the priests for magic so we can share information."

"Sure thing."

The magic his brother mentioned was hard to use for a large volume of text, and if the distance was too great it wouldn't reach, but Zaryusu figured it would be okay for this trip.

"And for food, we're gonna take your fish."

"Of course. Just leave the fries. It seems like we've gotten into a good groove. Even if we have to abandon the village, they'll come in handy."

"Okay, I promise. How much food do you think there is?"

"…Counting the dried stuff, probably a thousand rations."

"Okay, then there's no immediate issue."

"Yeah, I know you'll take care of things. Okay, brother. I'll be off now… Rororo."

In response to Zaryusu's voice, a snake head appeared through the window. The pale moonlight reflected off its scales with a wet gleam. The way each individual scale sparkled when they shifted created a beautiful optical illusion. "Let's go. Can you come over here?"

Rororo gazed at Zaryusu and Shasuryu for a few moments and then pulled in his head.

There came the sound of something heavy splashing through the water and some gurgling.

"So, brother, there's something I wanted to ask you. I wonder if you have the answer yet. Did you decide what to do about the number of people? Depending on how things go, I may use it to negotiate."

Shasuryu hesitated slightly before answering. "…Ten from the warrior caste, twenty hunters, three druids, seventy males, a hundred females, and kids… only the strongest."

"I see… Got it." Zaryusu fell quiet before Shasuryu's exhausted smile.

A splash broke the heavy silence. The two of them looked in the direction it had come from and then smiled at each other out of nostalgia.

"Mph… He sure has gotten big. I was surprised when I went in the hut before!"

"Yeah, me too, brother. I had no idea he'd get this huge. He was so little when I found him."

"I'm not sure I believe that. He was pretty big already when you brought him back to the village."

As they reminisced about how Rororo used to look, four snake heads poked out of the water a little way from the hut. The four heads moved in the same way, pushing through the water toward Zaryusu and Shasuryu.

Suddenly the heads lifted high, and something huge came out of the water. The four reptilian heads on long twisty necks were attached to a giant four-legged body: Rororo was a magical beast called a hydra. When Zaryusu gave him fish, the chewing sounds proved he wasn't an usual snake. He moved his huge body with surprising obedience and went to Zaryusu.

Zaryusu scrambled up with the lightness of a monkey climbing a tree.

"Get home safe! It's just like you not to use your head and passionately shout that you won't let a single person die, the way you used to."

"…I guess I'm an adult now."

Shasuryu snorted. "The little scamp is all grown up… Well, that's fine. Take care! And if you don't come back, we'll know who to attack first."

"I'll be back. Wait for me, brother."

For just a little while, they gazed at each other, full of emotion. Then, without other words, their shadows moved apart in the night.