I heard overlapping voices. It wasn't that my ears were malfunctioning. The words 'Mouth' intended to say, and the words it actually spoke. The two were reaching my ears separately.
In short, 'Mouth's' mouth was moving independently of her. Like a puppet manipulated by a dark magician.
'O Offering God. Speak through my mouth.'
If there was a difference from a puppet, it was that 'Mouth's' consciousness existed. And that 'Mouth' was lending her mouth to someone not present here.
Rash hastily raised his right arm toward the Offering God's shrine maiden and bowed his head.
"O Offering God. I will heed 'Mouth's' will upon the right arm I received from you."
"O Right Arm. My power, my skill, my most precise extremity. Last time, when the Right Arm wished to see knowledge beyond the grasslands. I permitted all of it."
Come to think of it, Rash was an exchange student from the Military Nation, right? Since the 'Right Arm' seemed to hold a more important position than I thought, he probably received permission when he left too.
"Since the Martial Empress, people from beyond the grasslands have come to this land with mysterious power. The Right Arm's mate is one the Right Arm brought from beyond the grasslands. I have permitted the union of the Right Arm and its mate."
I roughly read through 'Mouth's' memories but nothing changed. Just as reading a puppet's memories doesn't reach the puppeteer's memories, reading 'Mouth's' memories gave me no clue what this entity called the Offering God was.
However, by how the puppet moves, one can indirectly guess the puppeteer's emotions. I read 'Mouth's' memories and roughly deduced what the Offering God wanted.
"The wedding shall be held soon."
"This is my will, and there shall be no extremity that opposes it."
The Offering God... seemed to want Rash and Kallis to be joined.
Compared to the Undying who disapproved of Kallis, they had no intention of stopping the marriage itself. This must be the result reflecting the Offering God's will. Hmm. I understand.
...And now I'm slowly starting to see the outline. What this entity called the Offering God is.
"O Offering God. My will is also the same as yours, so I declare that it is something that must happen upon my right arm."
When Rash thumped his chest, 'Mouth' smiled with satisfaction and continued speaking.
"Now I shall speak of the will that the Right Arm's mate has put forward—to set fire to my forest."
"Gasp."
Perhaps the Offering God was also a bit uncomfortable with this, as the tone was forceful. I can't read thoughts, but I could feel the Offering God's subtle emotions.
"My Right Arm shall point to where to burn. Without a single inch of deviation, fire must be set only to that place. Not a single grain of ash shall fall outside of it."
"Oh! If that's the case...!"
"It is not yet over."
Cutting off Rash's words coldly, 'Mouth' spoke toward beyond the tent.
"Offer ten sacrifices to me."
Even Rash was greatly surprised by that statement. Rash stuttered upon hearing a demand he hadn't expected at all.
"T-ten sacrifices?"
"For extremities to increase, I must swell. Ten. Choose ten and offer them to me."
'Mouth' said only that much and firmly shut her mouth. As if there was nothing more to say. 'Mouth' felt the connection with the Offering God severed and took out a veil to cover her mouth.
"This is the will of the Offering God. The Right Arm must step forward and serve it."
"I, the Right Arm of the Offering God. I shall carry out its will."
Though confused, Rash raised his right arm and bowed his head. 'Mouth' smiled with satisfaction and slowly retreated as if her business was done.
Seeing Rash not thinking of getting up, I asked.
"Ten sacrifices? Does that mean to offer the people we just saved from the dark magician as sacrifices? Like a dark magician?"
"No. Offering to the Offering God is different from sacrifices. This is not offering life, but being granted eternal life."
"Granted?"
"Yes. If you offer your body to the Offering God, you gain immortality like us."
Hmm. Must be because it's a god—it's different from sacrifices offered by ordinary dark magicians. Perhaps to be called a god, one must have at least that level of ability.
Perhaps... what distinguishes a god from a dark magician is not their rank or origin, but solely their ability?
"By immortality, you mean becoming an undying body like Mr. Rash?"
"Yes. It requires a process of offering one's flesh to become one with a great soul, but if one endures that process, they become Undying like us."
"Gaining immortality by offering just a part of your body? That's an incredibly profitable deal, isn't it? The severely weakened refugees would actually welcome it?"
There are about ten people just waiting to die anyway. The numbers match perfectly.
"Honestly, from an outsider's perspective, the Offering God's intentions are suspicious though."
"The Offering God is not an evil god. Quite the opposite. It is a great will that shares power with our tribe and gifts powerful vitality—how could it be evil?"
"Right. Whatever the intention, it's human nature to rejoice when good things happen."
They permitted slash-and-burn, and they seem willing to accept the refugees. Good enough is good enough.
"Hm? My right arm is twitching...! It must be pointing to where to burn!"
Rash grabbed his right hand that was twitching on its own and quickly got up. Rash's right arm is the Offering God's. Normally it's his faithful right arm, but sometimes it moves regardless of its owner's will. Right now, Rash's right arm was moving Rash to realize the Offering God's will.
"Rash. Come with me. We need to accurately survey and mark the area you point to."
"That's a good idea! Follow me!"
Kallis followed after Rash. Seeing Rash naturally wrap his arm around her waist when going out as a couple was unpleasant. They went to survey, but they might end up surveying each other's bodies instead.
Then what I need to do is... choose the ten who will become Undying? I'm not exactly the refugees' representative, but I'm the only one here who can choose ten. Jobs create work. Right now, I was the Offering God's envoy selecting the Undying.
"Um, sir. Earlier, I heard we could become Undying..."
Around me, the refugees who had eavesdropped on 'Mouth's' words approached. Their eyes gleamed with the desire to become Undying.
People who nearly died as sacrifices now volunteering to become sacrifices—how amusing. Offering critically ill humans as sacrifices could save their lives, but the desire to become Undying was painting over such calculations.
I read their desires with interest and asked.
"Now. Who here doesn't want to die?"
***
"Phew. I didn't stay here just to do odd jobs..."
"Woof, woof woof."
From the consecutive work, even the Regressor and Aji showed signs of exhaustion.
It wasn't because their bodies were tired. Neither the Regressor nor Aji complains from working a few days of overtime. The reason the Regressor and Aji looked tired wasn't a physical problem but a mental one.
"Setting fire is easy, but keeping it from spreading requires concentration. Meanwhile, I can't let people get hurt. It's nothing but bothersome work either way."
"Mouth, lots! I, busy!"
The Regressor put up barriers to prevent the forest-burning flames from leaking outside. Using Cheon-aeng's power, it wasn't a difficult task, but it was quite tiring. Even if the fire was started with magic, embers smoldered silently in the ashes. It took a full day to firmly pack it down to ensure no embers remained.
Meanwhile, Aji tried to help by bringing back birds and wild boars like a hunting dog. Even if he's the king of dogs, a dog is a dog. Bringing one at a time, the meat disappeared like snow melting. Then Aji would look at the meat-eaters as if watching gluttons and go out hunting again.
The efforts of the Regressor and Aji were significant in making Piwoo Village prosper. Even if they were tired.
"There aren't many able-bodied people in the village, so it feels like more work keeps piling up. How long do we have to keep doing this?"
Aji, sensitive to human emotions, and the Regressor, an ordinary person, were both influenced by their surroundings. Being among injured and sick people, one unknowingly becomes sensitive and tired.
'Mayel's blessing will guide me on the path to help... Is this right? I'm assuming helping the village is the most natural flow for now.'
The Regressor wasn't normally someone who would work while enduring her own fatigue, but trusting the saintess's blessing, she was obediently serving for now.
Perhaps the greatness of the Heavenly God isn't in revelations but in moving the Regressor.
"Anyway, we've finished our mission, right? Has there been any contact from the saintess's side?"
"Right. I'm wondering too. It was resolved too easily for something called an ancient evil, and the absence of the expected revelation is suspicious."
"Do they think we're their underlings? If they tell us to wait, we just keep waiting? Let's go confront them right now."
The Regressor stopped me from standing up abruptly.
"Let's stay a little longer for now. There's still work left."
"Work left? What more is there?"
"That. Their wedding is still left."
"Ah, that."
You can't do slash-and-burn farming right after burning. You need a period to plow and let the scorched earth rest. And with the Offering God's permission granted, it was time for Rash and Kallis to hold their postponed wedding.
Kallis, a Military Nation person to the bone, decided to efficiently run two projects simultaneously.
"You're going to stay underground while the land rests, right? Just like a Military Nation person would."
"Military Nation or not, it's efficient. And while buried, they asked us to dig tunnels so they can move freely. You know too, right?"
"I know. I suggested it."
The calculation was that they could efficiently use their time by occasionally slipping out to manage things while the field rested. I suggested it, but it's really harsh.
"No wonder. It seemed oddly petty to say they came up with it themselves."
"Hm?"
"Yaaawn. Then let's stay a little longer... dig some tunnels... I should get some sleep."
The Regressor let out a big yawn and left the tent. Aji had already claimed the best spot and was dozing off.
Well, it seems like things are roughly wrapping up. Then I should also slowly do what I need to do.
I got up from my seat, stretched, looked around the tent, and quietly stepped outside. Coming outside, the smell of burning carried from afar tickled my nose.
The people of Piwoo Village gathered around the burned forest were enjoying a festival. They roasted potatoes in the embers and washed their bodies with lye. They smeared ash on their faces and drew pictures to play. Where the forest burned, only humans remained.
However, slash-and-burn is still burning things. Burning trees and grass and growing crops from their corpses yields good harvests for the first few years, but once the nutrients are depleted, the land quickly becomes barren. For people who will leave soon, it doesn't matter, but for those making this land their home, it's an unpleasant thing.
Amidst this strange tension, I headed toward the group of barbarians awkwardly gathered in one corner. Belonging neither here nor there, they were waiting only for me. Those who had been nervously wiping their hands with leaves spotted me and approached with beaming faces.
"Is it time?"
"Yes. Now, when attention is directed toward the burning forest, is the perfect time."
Those who volunteered to offer their bodies to become Undying. They were the Offering God's sacrifices.
A few refugees who eavesdropped on 'Mouth's' proposal kept it secret from the other refugees and monopolized this opportunity. Their reasoning was that knowing more would only add confusion. It was an obviously transparent excuse, but I valued their intentions and decided to take them to the Offering God. It didn't matter who it was anyway.
Smiling the smile of an accomplice at them as they smiled awkwardly, I said.
"Let's go. To offer your bodies to the Offering God."