391 – The Jungle Island, Ideope’s Tears #3
True to its archipelago nature, Ideope is home to many islands and numerous tribes.
Among them, the gentle Nox Child Tribe and the brave Tatari Tribe are said to wield the most influence.
“Don’t think the Nox Child Tribe will stay quiet forever!”
A captive girl from the Nox Child Tribe spoke defiantly.
“It’s time for us to fight back!”
As she struggled in her bonds, Garuru, the chief of the shallow Naraku Tribe, addressed her.
“Regardless, according to the island rules, you’re now a prisoner. We’ll have to demand food as ransom from your tribe, or perhaps some strong men from the Nox Child Tribe.”
It seems the Tatari and Nox Child Tribes have long engaged in such disputes, plundering each other’s goods and taking people captive to demand their value.
“This is a form of exchange in its own right.”
Elpride observed their actions and concluded that this was the islands’ diplomatic method in its own way.
“Calling it a war, but no one really sees bloodshed. It’s a way to exchange men to prevent inc*st. Compared to the savages of the continent, this is relatively peaceful.”
It did sound reasonable. Indeed, it was impressive that this girl, who reads a lot, could make such judgments in this situation.
I recalled a documentary I had seen long ago.
I remembered how certain Indian tribes fought without causing deaths or serious injuries.
The pink-haired girls living on Ideope Island give off a similar vibe.
Still, the pink ponytailed Nox Child girl, tightly bound, snorted.
“Peace? That ended last year! The Tatari brats killed one of our Nox Child people! You were the ones who broke the agreement!”
Killing someone was mentioned, and at this, the tribe members, including Garuru, stirred restlessly.
Murdering the sisters of the island is a forbidden act, one that no one seems to think likely.
It appears that everyone heard this news for the first time.
Is the pink ponytailed girl lying, then?
Although she seemed genuinely furious, so it’s unlikely she’s fibbing.
When Garuru shushed the others, the unrest continued like ripples in a wave.
“Why are you telling a lie about our Tatari Tribe killing one of yours?”
“It’s not a lie! This was your war first! Even if you don’t know your faction, the deep Naraku Tribe living on the hill island are up to no good!”
“Hill Island… Indeed, there are grim folk there who handle necromancy, but even so—killing among sisters…?”
Clan leader Garuru muttered, puzzled. The ponytailed girl cut her off and yelled loudly.
“With food supplies suffering from curses and becoming scarce across all the islands, are you really willing to do such monstrous deeds just to survive? The Nox Child Tribe has decided not to sit idly any longer! Just you wait!”
I’m an outsider.
Someone who lived in the 21st century, and even now, I am very much an outsider in the Gaia Continent.
Nevertheless, even to me, it’s clear that these pink-haired girls are going through their own serious issues.
They look so cute; if only they could just get along.
War, huh.
What’s happening on this island, and is it connected to Luna being stranded here, sending me cryptic SOS messages?
The Ideope Archipelago consists of Crescent Island and Hill Island, facing each other, along with several small islands encircling them.
Crescent Island, with its relatively abundant resources and lush vegetation, is home to a large population of the Nox Child Tribe.
On the other hand, the dark and barren Hill Island, filled with venomous insects and swamps, is inhabited by a smaller but courageous Tatari Tribe.
The distance between these two islands is about 100 meters or so, close enough to cross with a raft or a simple buoy.
In fact, standing on the shoreline, the dense jungle of the distant island seemed almost within reach.
Of course, there was no need for a raft or buoy right now.
“Wow, there’s a path through the middle of the sea.”
As I murmured in admiration, around lunchtime, the sea level mysteriously dropped, revealing a naturally formed pathway wide enough for a person or a carriage.
“Really, we can walk across the sea.”
Elpride observed this with her slender gaze and commented.
Indeed, her hair had been adorned with numerous flower clips and jewelry given to her by the pink-haired girls, making her look like a primitive-tribe elf.
“See you later, Hassan. Thanks for chasing away the honey bee sorcerer!”
“Be sure to visit our tribe again!”
After lunch, we were waved off by the villagers of Garuru’s tribe as we crossed the sea toward Crescent Island.
Squeak, Squeak—.
Though the land was originally wet sand, making it slightly muddy, it was significantly easier to traverse compared to walking through a swamp with eyes closed.
Under my feet, creatures like crabs, clams, and turtles that had failed to retreat with the tide wriggled on the ground.
“Elpride, look at that. A crab. It’s huge.”
“Yes, crabs.”
Elpride just shrugged indifferently.
If it had been Luna, she would have jumped around in excitement, but in this aspect, her reactions were always amusing and scattered.
Deciding to catch one, but since we had eaten well at lunch and were not hungry, I decided to leave it be.
Swish—.
Swish—.
As we nearly reached Crescent Island, I suddenly sensed an odd presence just before landing on the island’s shore.
Grim masks emerged from the bushes.
You there, stop right there.
This is Crescent Island. Do not approach carelessly.
Halt!
In their mouths, they held what seemed like flutes, and for a moment, I thought they might play some tune to welcome the visitors.
Whoosh—. Puff—.
Then sharp darts pierced the ground in front of us with a slicing sound of the wind. It was no flute, but instead, blowguns.
Could this be some sort of customs checkpoint for Crescent Island?
The female youths hiding in the bushes continued their interrogation.
Who are you? Why are you traveling from the Blue Rock Island?
You don’t seem like one of Garuru’s tribe.
Identify yourselves! If any suspicious actions are detected, you’ll taste poison darts imbued with curses!
Poison darts imbued with curses.
Certainly, that was an ominous threat.
Elpride and I exchanged glances.
“….”
“….”
Even without words, we instantly agreed to cooperate as the others had suggested.
“My name is Hassan. I’ve come from the mainland to find someone from the Nox Child Tribe.”
Someone? To search for a person?
Is there anyone on Crescent Island familiar with the dark-haired man?
What about the white-haired girl next to you? She’s beautiful.
Maybe I’ll ask for a strand of her hair? It could be used for making talismans.
At our arrival, voices whispered behind the bushes, and eventually, someone called out again.
Who’s the person you’re looking for? What does he or she look like?
“About my chest height with pink hair tied in two pigtails, clear emerald-colored eyes, and a mole beneath her right eye.”
Luna’s face immediately came to mind when I closed my eyes.
Her lively toothy grin when she brushed her teeth, her face drenched with sweat while foraging for herbs, her look gazing down at fighting ants as if they were on TV, and the wide eyes filled with excitement as she loudly announced the discovery of small creatures like spiders, toads, or squirrels held in her tiny hands.
“Her name is Luna. Luna Noxdotty. She must be on your island.”
Luna? Do you mean Lady Luna?
Seems accurate if including the mole by her right eye. Appears that you know her from the mainland.
What shall we do? Outsiders shouldn’t be brought to the island easily. Should we consult the elders?
That would be wise.
The murmurs grew louder. They probably don’t realize I’m hearing their conversation.
Stay there!
“Alright, let’s wait.”
After a few minutes, large-masked girls emerged from the bushes, gesturing for us to follow.
“Come along. The Nox Child Tribe is in the deep center of the island.”
Swish-swish, they then disappeared rather quickly, forcing Elpride and me to chase after them in slight bewilderment.
“What’s with this speed?”
Elpride’s bewildered exclamation indicated that our guides were moving astonishingly fast, tearing through leaves and vines.
It seemed like they possessed cat-like agility, darting between branches like pumas or cheetahs, almost engaging in 3D maneuvers.
Whoosh—.
Some of them even swung across canyons or deep ravines by grabbing vines protruding from trees, much like Tarzan.
“Seriously, are you telling me to leap across using that vine?”
Elpride, however, looked quite flustered and incapable of grasping the vine easily.
Swish-swish—.
Under her feet flowed what appeared to be a river—deep and swift currents of water, making it uncertain whether to call it a stream or a valley.
It was then I remembered Elpride’s fear of deep water. She had struggled even in knee-deep, shallow seas.
Swish-swish, swish-swish—.
Ahead of us, the guides had vanished far into the distance, showing how difficult it would be for this island to conduct tourism effectively.
“Hey, let’s go before we lose Elfride.”
“How am I supposed to cross this? What if it snaps mid-crossing? Let’s look for another way.”
But Elpride was quite stubborn.
If we stayed here too long, we might easily get lost in unknown parts of this island.
I ultimately decided to cradle Elpride’s waist with one hand and leaped into action.
“Huhuh—what—?!”
My other hand clung to the vine, and like a pendulum, I swung us swiftly to the other side. Just as my feet were about to touch down—
Crack—.
The vine, unable to support our weight—or perhaps designed for single-person use—snapped, causing us to plummet toward the ground.
Splash—.
Fortunately, I landed in water, which, surprisingly, was shallower than expected, reaching only up to my waist due to the murky, yellowish color.
The current was not particularly strong.
Pluff pluff ploosh—.
“Whew, huwaah—. Huwaah—!”
But Elpride, seemingly losing balance, thrashed her arms and legs wildly, resembling a bird bathing in a fountain.
“Save me! Huwaah, pffftt, phhhh—!!”
“Hey, stay still!”
I wrapped my arms under her armpits and lifted her up with great effort.
Splash, splash—.
Though somewhat cumbersome due to her frantic movements, I managed to pull her along, finally reaching the opposite side.
“Ugh, guh, really, really dying, Hassan—.”
Elfride spat out muddy water and quickly spun her staff to ignite a strong flame. Her soaked body dried rapidly.
“Hey, sorry. I didn’t know the vine would snap.”
“….”
Elfride glared at me silently. Her fear of water seemed even greater than my fear of spiders.
After chasing our guides’ tracks for dozens of minutes, we eventually noticed rooftops with smoke rising into the air.
Basic thatch houses, made of wooden planks, grass, and vines.
What was notable was that all the houses were built on high platforms, accessible only through ladder-like steps.
Elfride commented, “Hassan, the village smells like you.”
“What kind of smell?”
“The boiling herbs smell. An aroma deeply imbedded within you.”
Was she teasing me for being the son of a health center?
Indeed, the chimneys emitted the same peculiar smell I had been exposed to since childhood.
It brought back old memories.
Is this Luna’s hometown?
“Look over there.”
“Who’s come?”
At that moment, pink-haired inhabitants turned toward Elfride and me with a mix of tension and curiosity.
Young children hid behind the legs of their apparent mothers.
The relatively younger ones gripped their sticks or torches tightly, maintaining a grim expression.
Unlike Garuru’s tribe, there were also men scattered among the crowd.
Mostly elderly or children under seven.
“There are certainly plenty of kids who resemble Luna.”
Just as Elfride said, there were many children resembling Luna. But soon, I spotted the face I was most eager to see.
Among the adorable pink-haired girls, her bright, flawless skin shone like white sand, radiating an unparalleled presence all on its own.
“Luna!”
“Whaaat?!”
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