Skeleton Knight in Another World Vol. 5

by Ennki Hakari

  After healing the wounded on the battlefield, Chieftain Aene had brought us back to one of the houses in the camp, where I’d found even more injured people.

  At his request, I’d used my healing magic on all of the people in the room. One thing that caught my eye, however, was that the majority of the wounded were women and children.

  Apparently, they were the survivors of the initial attack.

  I brushed off what I’d done. “It wasn’t all selfless. We came here with our own reasons to speak to you and your people. If you’d like to return the favor, I’d be honored if you’d at least entertain my request.”

  Aene slammed his fist onto his knee and shot me a rather intense look. “That’s right, you mentioned that before. You’ve come this far to meet us, so I’d like to help you as best I can.”

  The warriors lining the room murmured at this, but another sharp look from Yugah quickly silenced them.

  It’s not like I was looking for some sort of doctor’s fee, so I figured I might as well get straight to the point. Upon hearing my request, Chieftain Aene, his wife, and all the other warriors in the room looked at me wide-eyed, and with more than a little suspicion. Ariane let out a slight sigh off to my left.

  To my right, Ponta played with Chiyome’s finger. Goemon was sitting on the ground, his eyes closed tight.

  “So…you mean to tell me that you came all the way out here in search of the red nail? And even brought driftpus across the great plains to accomplish this?”

  Aene burst out laughing. Then his shoulders slumped and he looked at the ground, his expression apologetic.

  “I’m sorry, Arc. Unfortunately, my clan does not have any red nail to offer you. You see, it’s grown by another, larger clan farther to the east. It’s not all that popular among us, so those who wish to obtain it go and barter for themselves.”

  Aene let out a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his head.

  “In that case, could one of your people take me to the clan that harvests the red nail?”

  A predatory look flashed across the chieftain’s eyes. “The giants you helped us defeat come from a place known as the Black Forest, down south of here. They very rarely venture this far, but lately they’ve been showing up more and more often here in the prairie. We’d heard warnings from the clan off to the west about this, but we never imagined that the giants would actually come to us. I’d like to take a band of my warriors to go visit the Ena, one of the largest clans.”

  Though he didn’t say it directly, I could tell what the chieftain was getting at—the driftpus we’d ridden in on were from the Ena clan.

  “Can we go with you? We can handle a giant or two if they come our way. I promise we won’t slow you down.”

  The chieftain smiled and gave a firm nod. “Really? That’d be great! There are still giants roaming around out there, and we’re a rather small clan, so I’ll need to leave warriors behind to fend off any attacks.”

  So, we’d just be their backup, if needed. Basically…mercenaries.

  This idea actually brought back fond memories.

  I glanced around at Ariane, Chiyome, and Goemon to gauge their agreement. Chiyome and Goemon nodded silently, while Ariane affirmed my decision with a gaze.

  Well, that settled it.

  We’d spend the night with the Whilee clan in a tent they prepared for us then head off to the Ena clan’s camp the next day. We would be accompanied by Chieftain Aene and ten of his strongest warriors.

  Even given the sheer fighting prowess of the tiger clan, they would undoubtedly suffer casualties if they had to fend off a dark giant attack alone. Making matters worse, they could only afford to send so many people to the Ena camp.

  However, now that we’d actually taken on a dark giant, I was pretty sure I had a feel for how they fought and felt assured that the next time we met it’d be much less of a one-sided battle.

  The only issue was whether we’d be able to safely make it to the Ena clan’s camp. I glanced over toward Ariane who was polishing the Sword of the King of Lions while deep in thought.

  Chiyome sat at the dinner table, expressionless, while she ate a spice-laden cookie that had been prepared for our dinner. She looked like a chipmunk with it stuffed into her cheeks. Goemon had stepped out earlier, saying that he wanted to observe how the tiger clan warriors trained.

  Having already finished its own dinner in record time, Ponta was sleeping on my lap, rocking back and forth like a ship adrift at sea.

  It all felt like just another peaceful day. Everything seemed right with the world.

  ***

  We left early the next norming while the sun was still barely cresting the horizon and made our way northwest toward the Ena camp.

  Thanks to the incredible speed of the driftpus, the whole journey took less than two days, just as Chieftain Aene had said. The outlines of the camp came into view at the edge of the horizon around noon on the second day. Off in the distance, I could make out the distinctive shapes of the yurts.

  According to Aene, over 400 members of the Ena clan lived in the camp. This was a bit of a surprise to me at first, considering it was the largest clan on the prairie. However, upon reflection, it made sense. After all, with dark giants and other monsters roaming the land, it wasn’t easy to grow and spread your population. Only the strongest survived.

  The tiger clan were nomadic. They survived by hunting, though I also spotted some domesticated animals near the homes. These goats—or something like that, but they lacked the distinctive horns of a mountain goat—were covered in long, white fur. Aene called them uumoh. Their long fur was used for weaving, and it was especially valuable in bartering. But with all the recent giant sightings, they’d been unable to bring much back to Fobnach in the east.

  After filling us in on the Ena clan, Chieftain Aene led us into the camp.

  No one took much notice of our sudden appearance. I got the sense that most of the people around here were already aware that Aene was the chieftain of the Whilee clan.

  This wasn’t true for all of us, of course. Ariane, a dark elf, and I, in my full suit of armor, stood out like sore thumbs, drawing all sorts of stares.

  However, there was something else about the general vibe of the camp that caught my attention. Everyone seemed to be on edge. I wondered if it was just my imagination as I examined the faces of those who’d gathered outside to watch.

  As we approached the center of the camp, Aene recognized someone and hopped off his driftpus, approaching the man with a large smile on his face.

  “Houwe! How’ve you been? To think that the Ena chieftain himself would come out to meet us. How did you know?” Chieftain Aene greeted the large, tiger-like man standing in the clearing at the center of camp.

  “I heard reports of your impending arrival. I see that you’ve brought quite an…eclectic group with you.” As he spoke, Houwe looked over at me with great wonder in his eyes, as if he were sizing me up.

  This man was by far one of the largest and strongest-looking members of the tiger clan I’d seen yet. He was just shy of three meters, standing about a head taller than Aene. His entire body was covered in bulging muscles, almost like a form of fleshy armor, and his skin was marked by countless scars. Houwe had clearly seen many battles in his day.

  Goemon started glowing slightly as he summoned up his spirit magic, as if unconsciously challenging the hulking mass that stood before us. Aene, however, seemed to take no notice of the tense atmosphere and asked Houwe about the recent goings-on at their camp. Then he turned the conversation back to us.

  “Two giants appeared near our camp a couple days ago.”

  Chieftain Houwe raised an eyebrow at this and nodded gravely. “So, they’re starting to move farther east. Did you take any casualties?”

  He cast a glance at the warriors behind Aene, apparently aware of what kind of fighting abilities they could bring to bear.

  Aene told Houwe of the battle between his clan and the two giants, and how we show
ed up just in time to lend a hand.

  Chieftain Houwe let out a loud, exasperated sigh, much like the warriors back in the Whilee camp had.

  “I’m glad you were able to make use of this healer, but to accept the help of someone outside the clan on the field of battle…”

  The disappointment was clear on Houwe’s face. However, Aene simply laughed it off and smiled.

  “My men said the same thing, but Yugah put them all back in line.”

  Houwe seemed taken aback by this and averted his gaze. “I-I see. Well…uh… Please don’t mention what I just said to her.”

  Seeing the powerful man in front of us go wide-eyed at the mere mention of Aene’s wife brought to mind an image of the burly woman. She had quite an influence on people.

  Sensing my gaze, Houwe cleared his throat and took on a serious look once more.

  “Actually, the timing of your arrival couldn’t be better. The other chieftains will all be gathering here so we can discuss the giant situation. Some of our camps have been laid to ruin at their hands, so we’re putting together a plan to wipe them out.”

  Aene let out a heavy sigh. “I see… Given how far they’ve roamed, I thought that this might be a possibility, but—”

  Before he could finish, Houwe interrupted him. He’d been staring at me for some time. “By the way, where did your new friends get these driftpus they’re riding?”

  Houwe’s face was tense. I told him the same story I’d told Aene the day before.

  “Ahh, I see. Two members of our clan went out on patrol and never returned. I suppose these are their mounts.” Houwe let out a groan and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he looked back at me. “Arc, was it? These driftpus are invaluable to our warriors. Would you be willing to return them to us?”

  I returned his gaze and raised a single finger in the air. “I have no problem returning these two mounts. However, I would like to make one request of you, as chieftain of the Ena clan.”

  Houwe’s whole body perked up at this, as if a bolt of lightning had just run through him. “Hmm, how interesting. You plan to make a request of me, chieftain of the Ena, one of the six great clans of the prairie? What, pray tell, is it?”

  A broad grin spread across his face as Chieftain Houwe shot me a steely glare. Right as I was about to discuss my terms, however, a loud ruckus broke out near the entrance to the camp. Everyone turned to see the source of the noise.

  An injured driftpus was crashing through the camp.

  Houwe’s eyes went wide. His voice boomed as he shouted out orders. “I want all women and children to get out of the way! Men, subdue that driftpus!”

  As soon as the orders were given, several people—likely warriors—took off in a run after the driftpus as it frantically wound its way through the camp. Before they reached it, however, the driftpus slumped down, apparently exhausted, tossing its young rider to the ground.

  Houwe made his way over, shoving onlookers out of the way as he tried getting closer.

  Being outsiders, Ariane, Chiyome, Goemon, and I decided to stay back and watch as the events unfolded. Meanwhile, Ponta summoned up a gust of magical wind, sweeping it high into the sky, where it could get a better look at what was going on before drifting back down.

  “Kyi, kyiii kyiii!”

  Ponta offered up a report on what it had seen as soon as it landed atop my helmet, though, unfortunately, I couldn’t understand a word of it.

  Chieftain Houwe’s voice boomed out from the crowd. “Someone get Bauh the healer here at once!”

  Several people responded, stumbling over each other as they rushed off deeper into the camp. Presently, a hulking figure pushed their way roughly through the crowd toward the young person held tightly in Houwe’s arms.

  The rider’s breathing was labored, and their left arm appeared to be cut quite deeply, judging by all the blood.

  Aene nodded in my direction. I nodded back and immediately summoned one of my spells.

  “Please excuse my interference. Heal!”

  A warm, bright light formed around the injured person’s left arm, then into the wound. It was almost like watching a film in reverse as the bone mended itself together and the flesh closed over it. Then the light disappeared, and the wound was gone.

  The crowd let out loud cries of surprise as the scene unfolded. No one was more surprised than Chieftain Houwe, though. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he looked back and forth between me and the young member of his clan. Slowly, the boy’s eyes fluttered open.

  “You’re awake! What happened? Do you remember anything?”

  The young boy was startled by the chieftain’s voice and looked around, confused. He stood up slowly.

  “Huh?!”

  Apparently, even this this was too much exertion, and he teetered about for a second before collapsing to the ground again.

  “Though his injuries are healed, this spell cannot return the blood he’s lost. He will need to rest for now.”

  The chieftain nodded and waved over two men standing nearby. He instructed them to bring the boy back to his house. However, right before they took him away, the boy’s eyes fluttered open again, and he spoke to Houwe in an unsteady voice.

  The boy’s voice became weaker and harder to hear with each word he rasped out. The chieftain perked up his ears and leaned in close.

  “Near…the camp… Giants. Thirty…maybe more… They’re… I saw them at…”

  Now well and fully spent, the young boy slumped back, his arms dangling limply at his sides. Houwe sent the two men off. His rage was readily apparent. His eyes flashed, and a vein in his forehead throbbed, making the man look almost like a demon.

  “Call all the chieftains! I want any warriors not dedicated to camp defense to prepare themselves for the hunt!”

  His voice boomed. The silence of the camp was shattered as the clan let out war cries and began preparing for battle. The children were quickly pushed indoors while the warriors’ spouses helped them don their armor. The warriors cleaned their weapons to prepare for the hunt.

  Amid all this chaos, Houwe approached us. “I’m sorry, but…”

  I put up a hand to stop him.

  I wasn’t exactly sure what the chieftain was going to say, but I figured it had something to do with the aftermath of the upcoming battle with the giants.

  After all, the clans didn’t seem too keen on asking outsiders for help.

  Not only would my request be put aside until the giants were slain, but there was also the risk that the tiger clan could be wiped out by the incoming horde.

  If that happened, I’d never get my hands on the red nail.

  According to the boy, there were around thirty giants approaching.

  Seeing as how the tiger clan, a group known for their fighting prowess, had struggled to defeat even two giants, it seemed all too likely that there would be massive casualties if they faced off against thirty. Was I supposed to stay here in the camp, despite all I could add to the fight? I had to say something.

  As someone famous once said, “You’ll never get what you don’t ask for.”

  “Can we join in the hunt?”

  If I ever wanted to get my hands on the red nail, I’d need to make sure that this battle ended in victory.

  Chieftain Houwe looked me straight in the eye. After a moment of holding my gaze, a slow smile formed on his lips and he slapped my chest.

  “Whatever it is you seek, I promise that I, chieftain of the Ena clan, will do what I can to repay you!”

  With that, Houwe turned on his heel and went off to prepare himself for the upcoming fight.

  Ariane, who’d been watching the negotiations, let out a heavy sigh. Before I could say anything, she put a finger up to stop me.

  “I’m going with you. I’ll do even better than last time.” Her lips curled into a smile as she gazed off to the west.

  Apparently, she still couldn’t shake off what had happened in the last battle.

  I’d originally i
ntended to join the tiger clan alone, but when I turned to look at Goemon, it was clear from the smile on his face that he also wanted to be in the fight. He looked ready to unleash death on his enemies.

  Then I turned to Chiyome, who was standing silently at his side. She responded in her usual, simple manner.

  “Same here.”

  It looked like the whole party was ready, blood pumping excitedly through their veins.

  Being a skeleton, I didn’t have a drop of blood in my body. But on the battlefield, I’d still look out for those who did, and make sure that none of it was spilled.

  ***

  Less than an hour later, the tiger clan warriors had assembled for battle and were marching out of the Ena camp.

  Aene and the other chieftains had offered their own warriors to join the emergency giant-hunting party, bringing the final count to around 150 warriors, all mounted on their own driftpus. The warriors formed a long trail heading toward the camp the boy had come from, the one recently destroyed by giants. The heavy footfalls of the driftpus caused the ground to rumble underneath us.

  I followed the train of warriors ahead of me, but I had little clue which direction we were actually moving in at this point.

  Off in the distance, I spotted several mountains rising from the horizon, but everywhere else I looked there was nothing but endless grass and rolling hills.

  An hour or so after we left camp, Ariane started shifting around, muttering about how her back was sore. Something about the upcoming battle was making her anxious.

  “You’re going to fall off if you keep moving around like that, Ariane.”

  I glanced over my shoulder only to find Ariane’s snow-white eyebrows raised, her voice imploring.

  “Aaaarc, can’t we take a break? I can’t feel my butt anymore.”

  The jostling of the driftpus made Ariane’s large chest bounce as we moved. She looked like she was almost at her limit. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice where my eyes were focused.