"Careful, or I'll sue you for slander!"
Aaron forcibly resisted the urge to roll his eyes, then took his hand off his holster.
Clark Das, utterly unaware that he'd just danced a waltz right in front of the Death God, sighed. "Still... Green Forest City was once the birthplace of the Sothoth Family. Many nobles of the Fabri Dynasty chose to be buried here after they died. They weren't qualified to enter their family tombs, but they left behind a great many secret ruins out here..."
"I've settled here for good because I want to find those ruins and gain some of the abilities possessed by those Purple Eyes nobles..."
As Aaron listened, he nodded to himself.
My choice was right after all. The family tombs out in the open are too easy to target. If I want to bury myself, I need to find somewhere hidden...
Using his cane as a hiking stick, he followed behind Clark Das with vigorous strides.
Bruce Field, wearing a hiking hat and carrying a large pack, was soon panting with exhaustion, but stubbornly refused to complain or admit he was tired.
Three or four hours later, as the sun set and dusk lit up the forest, Clark stopped. "Tata Village... We're here."
Aaron emerged from the forest and, in the dim light, saw a desolate village nestled among dead vines and weeds.
It wasn't large, with only a few dozen scattered wooden buildings. Most had rotted away, leaving nothing but their foundations.
"Tata Village was a settlement of hunters. I suspect they were descended from the ancient Headhunter Tribe. That people liked to settle deep in the mountains and occasionally go hunting. The number of fierce beasts' heads they brought back was used to judge a warrior's merit... Of course, human heads counted