Chapter 646 – Hidden Village in the Rock

While listening to Irmhild and the others’ rehearsal, our destination gradually drew near. It wasn’t that I had no interest in learning about the village’s lifestyle and culture, but forcing Dominique to discuss unrelated matters while we were delivering her wouldn’t be beneficial for her position, so I deliberately refrained from asking.

If the villagers accepted us, I could always ask about those things on the spot later.

As we continued, Dominique eventually stopped both her singing and talking, staring intently at the scenery outside through the crystal panel.

Outside were snow-covered mountains. Even so, from high above, distinguishable terrain features like ridgelines and river flows remained visible. While I was calculating our current position by cross-referencing our traveled distance and direction with data while transforming Caduceus, it seemed various locations were becoming familiar to Dominique.

It appeared… there was no longer any doubt that our destination was Dominique’s hometown.

“I think it’s about time to stop the Sirius,” I said, bringing the Sirius to a halt at our planned distance while observing Dominique’s reaction. To avoid unnecessarily alarming the residents of Dominique’s hometown, we should explain the Sirius’s proximity step by step. For now, the ship remained invisible thanks to Light Magic Camouflage.

After that, we all went out onto the deck. Accompanied by Sheila, Irmhild, Justia, and Cyrille, Dominique took a deep breath to ease her tension.

“Ah… I’m so nervous I feel dizzy, like I might collapse.”

“Hmm. If that happens, I’ll carry you on my back.”

“Then I’ll help too,” Sheila said, and Justia nodded in agreement.

“Ahaha, thank you,” Dominique laughed at Sheila’s comment, which could be taken as either a joke or serious given her usual expression. Her tension seemed to ease somewhat. Well, if it came to that, I thought Sheila would probably follow through.

“It would be better for me to remain as ship guard. A floating weapon is unusual. It might provoke unnecessary caution,” Maxwell said.

Perhaps Belius shared similar thoughts, as he glanced at Claudia and Helvorte after Maxwell’s words. Claudia nodded quietly.

“Then… could Belius and the others guard the ship?”

“While Belius guards the ship, I will protect Her Highness.”

“If the talks go well, I’ll explain about Maxwell and Belius so we can introduce them to the villagers later.”

“Hmm,” Maxwell flashed its core in response to my words, while Belius grinned, lifting the corners of his mouth. Thus, the animal group would remain on the ship for now.

Dominique, along with friends Justia and Cyrille, plus Princess Stephania and her group would head directly to the village. My role as Otherworld Ambassador, with party members as non-combatants and the princess’s escort.

“Well then, we’re off,” I said, disembarking from the ship as Lindwurm, Alpha, Corulis and the others saw us off from the deck. Perhaps because her tension had eased somewhat from the earlier exchange with Sheila, Dominique even had the composure to wave to the animal group and Maxwell.

To make it clear she had returned, Dominique released her Humanization Spell and walked through the snow-covered mountains with everyone at a slow pace that wouldn’t startle the harpies. If we all flew through the air, it might be misinterpreted.

Our destination was the snow-covered rocky mountain visible straight ahead. The surroundings were completely snow-covered mountains – a silver-white world. Since we were above the tree line, visibility was quite good.

The human village… was located down the southern slope. Currently, we were on the northeast-facing slope of the mountain where Dominique lived. When viewed from the human village below, this rocky area would be hidden in the mountain’s shadow, making any activity here invisible.

As we walked cautiously while monitoring our surroundings, a voice called out from further up the slope.

“Stop right there!” a woman’s voice shouted.

Looking up the slope toward the voice, I saw a woman peering out from behind a rock, holding a bow at the ready. She wasn’t alone – there were several armed individuals. They were likely using Humanization Spell, as they covered characteristic parts with fur pelts in various places.

This made gender difficult to distinguish… but their builds were slender. When those in the back row took deep breaths and showed signs of beginning to sing a Cursed Song, Dominique spoke up first.

“Everyone! It’s me! Dominique!”

“Dominique!? You, how…!?”

They seemed to recognize Dominique. The woman at the front who had been aiming an arrow at us let out a startled cry upon confirming Dominique’s appearance, hurriedly lowering her nocked arrow.

“I came back! A demon kidnapped me with magic, but Theodore-kun and the others saved me! Then the Spirit King helped me too, and now everyone has brought me back!”

Dominique spread both arms as if to protect us while facing the harpies.

We had already detected the harpies’ movements when the group emerged from the rocky mountain and came around. We could see their life signals’ light, and Sheila and Irmhild had been walking while aware of their positions.

Moreover, we had anticipated this kind of reaction from the harpies as one possibility. We’d made similar assumptions when delivering Justia too. Well, with Grantios, things were easier since they had trade relations with the duchy.

Probably because we were heading straight for the rocky mountain as a group, clearly different from those from the foothills, they had taken measures like pretending to be humans to send us away. Even if not particularly aggressive, this was understandable if they were protecting their village.

Therefore, even though Dominique said she wanted to explain things, if they judged that Dominique who went outside was being controlled by magic or something similar, and we weren’t trusted, we might be attacked along with her. That’s why Caduceus was attached to Dominique for her defense.

“De, demon…? Spirit King…? N, no, if that’s true, then those people would be benefactors, but…”

“Theodore Gartner, Otherworld Ambassador of the Kingdom of Verdugal.”

“I am Marl. Humans call me the Water Spirit King.”

I stepped forward and bowed, then Marl also stepped forward to greet them.

We would hold off on introducing Princess Stephania and the others for now. If too many titled individuals introduced themselves consecutively, it might overwhelm their capacity to process things due to mental preparation.

“Sp, Spirit King, you say…”

Marl, with her hair tips and dress hem turning into water, was easily recognizable as a water spirit from her appearance.

“May I go over there?”

“…Yes,” the woman who seemed to be the leader nodded quietly to Dominique’s inquiring words. Those waiting behind also watched breathlessly.

Receiving permission, Dominique stepped forward. The woman also came forward alone, approaching close to Dominique.

“Are you… injured?”

“No. I’m fine, see!”

Saying this, Dominique smiled brightly. Spreading her wings and spinning around as if to show every part of her body.

That smile and gesture displayed Dominique’s characteristic innocent cheerfulness.

“Ah—. It’s true. I’m glad.”

Saying this, she narrowed her eyes as if looking at something dazzling, released her Humanization Spell, and embraced Dominique with her wings.

“You’ve… returned safely. When you suddenly disappeared, everyone was worried.”

“Yes, yes! I’m home, Ramona…!”

Dominique buried herself in Ramona’s feathers and chest, but soon began sobbing as if overcome with emotion. Perhaps triggered by this, the harpies waiting behind also threw down their bows, released their Humanization Spells, crowded around Dominique, and embraced her as if jumping on her.

“Welcome home, Dominique!”

“Welcome back!”

Watching this scene, Justia teared up and murmured with relief.

“That’s good… Dominique.”

…Right. There was the possibility that those who went outside might not be accepted. If Dominique was accepted by the village harpies, surely everything else was trivial.

Everyone smiled or cried along while quietly watching Dominique and the harpies’ reunion.

“My apologies. I’m sorry for the rudeness of pointing arrows at you first.”

The harpies embraced for a while, but when things eventually settled down, Ramona bowed her head as if representing everyone. The other harpies also bowed their heads following her example.

“Not at all. If the village is nearby, that’s only natural. Please don’t worry about it.”

After responding, I proceeded to introduce everyone.

Princess Stephania and the others were finally introduced here.

Hearing about the Verdugal royal family, Silvatoria royal family, Baharzard royal family, and Grantios’s Water Guardian as representatives of each country’s king, Ramona’s eyes widened.

“Since this is outside national borders, we asked the ambassador to accompany us more with the thought of negotiations if problems arose with human lords. Please don’t pay too much attention to our titles.”

“Of course, as far as our countries are concerned, we believe nothing would be better than maintaining friendly relations with you.”

In response to Princess Stephania’s words, Ramona straightened her posture respectfully and bowed.

“Not knowing this, please forgive my repeated rudeness. I am Ramona, a warrior of our clan.”

Then the members of Ramona’s interception team also introduced themselves one by one.

Apparently, Ramona and the other harpy warriors sometimes use Humanization Spell, disguising themselves as hunters to go down to nearby human villages for information gathering. Therefore, they had heard that Verdugal was tolerant of different species.

Incidentally, the bows were apparently for disguise. If they were truly intent on fighting, they would fight in harpy form, so that was merely a warning.

They can fly through the air, and can throw feathers like darts. Their claws are sharp and they’re quite strong. Moreover, they have Cursed Songs, so when fighting as a group, harpy combat power shouldn’t be underestimated.

Well, I thought we wouldn’t suddenly be put to sleep since we had countermeasures against aggressive Cursed Songs and Cursed Melodies.

Anyway, as long as they were giving warnings with bows and such, the harpies still weren’t serious yet. They really did seem to have gentle dispositions.

“Not inviting benefactors to our village would bring shame upon our species. However, our village has never welcomed so many guests at once. I would be grateful if you could allow us time to explain the situation to everyone in the village and mentally prepare.”

“I understand. We’ll wait here.”

“Then, please give us a little time.”

Saying this, Ramona took flight and headed toward the small rocky mountain before us.

Meanwhile, the other harpies continued happily embracing Dominique in a circle.

After a short while, Ramona and several others appeared from between the rocky mountains, flying back through the air.

“Father! Mother!”

Dominique rushed out. Dominique’s father appeared like a large bird… but when he landed on the ground and released his spell, he took on a form resembling a person with a bird’s head.

Harpies can have children with humans too, and regardless of the parents, apparently mostly female children are born, but sometimes male children with that appearance are also born.

Compared to female harpies, the human-like parts are reversed. Well, they’re quite different from humans since they have feathers growing on human-like limbs. They’re different bird-people from the winged species like the hawkmen who have wings growing from their backs. They’re somewhat similar to the Beast Knights at Claudia’s castle, perhaps.

“Oh, Dominique!”

“Ah. To return safely…!”

Dominique’s parents held their daughter, tears appearing as they rejoiced at the reunion. Dominique also happily clung to her parents, acting affectionate.

“I’m home, Father! Mother!”

With eyes already red from crying, Dominique embraced her parents and sobbed.

Being able to fulfill the promise this way, I felt relieved too, and Dominique properly reuniting with her family… was good, I thought.

The rest… depends on the village’s intentions. Ramona watched Dominique’s family reunion with gentle eyes. Judging from that appearance, the village’s intentions didn’t seem too bad. When I looked over, perhaps noticing my gaze, she looked our way and spoke.

“Thank you for waiting. The clan leader says she definitely wants to welcome guests. However, our village might be somewhat dangerous for those without wings.”

“Thank you. Then, once Dominique and the others have settled down. We can fly through the air using magic tools and such, so please don’t worry about that.”

“The men of our clan cannot fly through the air unless they use Beast Transformation Spell. At that time, their power weakens too, so—”

Ramona explained while flying toward the rocky mountain.

That’s why in harpy society, women take the warrior roles. Meanwhile, men work as craftsmen making various items, or serve as escorts when working on the ground using Humanization Spell.

It’s probably similar to how Irmhild’s power weakens when using Humanization Spell. The Beast Transformation Spell might have been developed as an application of Humanization Spell.

“I see.”

“I thought you might not know about our clan’s men, so I explained. Among humans, there seem to be rumors about us kidnapping human men and such.”

“Ah. Yes, there are legends like that.”

So this explanation was likely to reassure us.

Indeed. Harpy villages are distant from human settlements, and aside from information from Dominique, we don’t know the customs of those other than Labyrinth Village residents. The adventurers who get involved would be what are called fallen harpies.

“Well… it’s not that stories about falling in love with human men don’t exist. Since our appearances differ greatly between males and females, there are always some among us who, to a certain extent, cannot feel partner appeal unless it’s with human men.”

“In those times…?”

“Mostly, they leave the village to travel and search for partners… Using Cursed Songs to find compatible partners… If they settle down, they sometimes create new villages. Or depending on the partner, they might be welcomed into the village they left. Currently, there are no such couples in our village, but—”

Various interesting things. Stories I hadn’t heard from Dominique.

While having such conversations, the aforementioned rocky mountain drew closer. It appeared as if large rocks protruded from part of the mountain slope. The rocky mountain didn’t seem like a single mass, but rather several rocks clustered together… The harpies entered between these rocky mountains without hesitation. Proceeding through the narrow gaps between rocks, we suddenly emerged into an open space.

It was a spacious area. The lower part had been hollowed out, forming terrain like a steep valley.

Dwellings were carved into the cliff face, passages constructed, bridges made from vine-like plants spanning gaps, and railings installed along pathways.

It had the appearance of a settlement built between cliffs. To think… they had built all this. Grantios’s underwater city was impressive, but the Harpy settlement also had an atmosphere of being the culmination of a different culture.

“It’s an amazing town.”

“Truly… It’s astonishing.”

Grace and the others widened their eyes at the sight. Everyone seemed speechless, captivated by the Harpy Hidden Village. Seeing their reactions, Dominique made a happy expression.

“Was this town dug by hand? Or through Magic Construction?”

“Using Cursed Songs with everyone’s help, we create this terrain and houses by borrowing the power of Spirits. So you could say it’s a form of Magic Construction.”

Ramona answered Ashley’s question. I see… They probably ask the earth spirits for help.

“Fascinating. What’s blocking the top… A giant mushroom?”

Rosemary spoke. What made the entrance appear blocked was a giant mushroom growing above the town, with a cap that had a rock-like texture.

As everyone stared in amazement, looking up at the giant mushroom rooted in the rocky area, Ramona explained that too.

“Did you know? That’s a species called Rock Fungus. We cultivate them – the small ones are used for food, and when they grow large, they harden. If we raise them properly and thin them out systematically, they can become building materials or scaffolding.”

“…So you’re using the caps like props to block off the top of the town?”

“Though they look like stone, they’re actually light, so a few people can move them. We can completely seal the entrance, and we actually do that at night. Sunlight is brought deep into the settlement through those mirror mosses, you see.”

Mirror moss, huh. Parts of the cliff walls caught the sunlight and shone, filling the valley with bright light. The angles of the walls and the locations for growing the mirror moss were probably carefully calculated. The living environment was maintained through mushrooms and moss.

The entrance was inconspicuous. The interior was spacious. Yet it had a bright atmosphere and was hard for enemies to find… It seemed like quite a comfortable environment.

The resident Harpies were flying between the cliffs, watching us from behind railings or from windows, looking very curious.

Some seemed somewhat wary, while others appeared to be Dominique’s friends or acquaintances among the Harpies, calling out to her. Dominique happily returned their greetings as they welcomed her.

Seeing that some wore linen clothes in addition to fur, they might be growing flax somewhere, or perhaps it grows wild in the mountains. Fur clothing is durable, so it’s possible the Warriors who go outside the settlement prefer it.

“Dominique, big sister!”

A particularly small Harpy called out with a bright expression. The way her feathers grew was different. The fluffy, soft-looking feathers gave the impression of a Harpy chick.

“I’m back, Lily.”

Dominique answered happily. The Harpy girl called Lily smiled brightly, vigorously flapping her still-small wings. Everyone watching the scene relaxed their expressions as if seeing something heartwarming.

“This way. The chieftain wishes to express her gratitude.”

Where Ramona and the others were heading was – a particularly impressive stone house built on a plaza carved out about halfway up the cliff. Probably the chieftain’s house.

When we landed in the plaza, several Harpies and bird-people were already there to welcome us. The most impressively dressed Harpy standing at their center, wearing a Necklace and other decorations, stepped forward to greet us.

“Welcome, guests. I’ve heard from Ramona. First, I wish to express thanks for saving Dominique and apologize for our mishandling. I am Vera, the chieftain.”

The Harpy who introduced herself as Vera used the Humanization Spell.

In an instant, she was enveloped in light, and her limbs became human. Vera said “Hmm” while opening and closing her now-human hands.

“This form might be more acceptable to you all. Now, come inside. We shouldn’t welcome our benefactors standing around talking.”

We were shown deeper into the house. She gave the impression of being quite calm and collected, but… while guiding us into the mansion, she spoke to Dominique with a gentle expression.

“Dominique, I’m glad you returned safely.”

“Thank you, Chieftain-sama.”

At Dominique’s smiling face, Vera quietly smiled and nodded.

I had wondered what a Harpy’s house would be like… but the interior was relatively ordinary.

…No. The round tables and chairs made by flattening and processing Rock Fungus caps were unique to this settlement.

Such furniture might be for the men – the bird-people – but anyway, it was helpful that there was furniture we could use too. There were also fluffy sofa-like pieces of furniture, but their construction somewhat reminded one of bird nests. Those looked comfortable in their own way.

Once everyone had settled down, drinks were served.

“First, let me express my gratitude once more.”

After drinks had been distributed to everyone, Vera bowed deeply. Then Vera introduced our party members.

As expected of a chieftain, she was composed, though she showed a slightly surprised expression at hearing about the Spirit King and the representatives of various kings.

After finishing the introductions of our party members, I decided to explain the situation as our representative.

“First – may I explain the detailed circumstances that led to this? It will be a somewhat long story.”

“Of course.”

Vera nodded.

“Well then,” I began, and proceeded to tell the story. Though it was long, I picked out the parts related to Dominique and Justia and explained various things.

About the Demon and noble’s human trafficking plan and the subsequent series of incidents involving the Demon group’s covert activities. About being protected by the Adventurer Guild and helping with work using Cursed Songs. About the Boundary Theater and locating Justia’s hometown. Then about obtaining cooperation from the Spirit Kings and pinpointing the settlement’s location, and so on.

“…I see. That explains everything. I was also curious about the matter with the Spirits from Ramona’s report.”

Vera had listened quietly to my story until the end, and when I finished, she quietly spoke.

“Explains everything?”

“For some time now, the Spirits have been agitated. Unfortunately, I’m not sufficiently attuned to the Spirits to hear their voices or read their thoughts… but I could sense through intuition that they seemed to have something they wanted to convey, and that it definitely wasn’t bad news.”

I see… So the impression that they relatively easily believed us and let us into the settlement was because Chieftain Vera herself had that kind of intuition.

It was probably also a result of the heralding by the responding Spirits. At those words, Marl happily relaxed her expression.