Akatsuki Translations

The cry of the Houjo birds circling overhead caught his attention, and he looked up at the sky. These birds, native to the Abyss, were migratory creatures that traveled in flocks, constantly seeking temporary shelter.

Their small gray wings with black spots flapped desperately as they repeated short flights, moving with the changing seasons in search of warmer air. However, their appearance was far more pitiful than that of birds soaring high in the sky.

With round bodies and short, unsightly feathers, these birds scattered their cries that sounded like “houjo”—almost like a scream. It was only recently that Shuou had learned why people traveling through the Abyss disliked them.

They said the Houjo’s cry resembled a human scream, attracting the rabidaemons that lurked in the Abyss. But Shuou couldn’t agree with this. The Gray Forest’s monsters weren’t foolish enough to mistake a bird’s cry for a human’s.

When he heard people disparaging the Houjo, Shuou thought they might only be interested in one side of things. After all, they didn’t know how delicious the meat of these ugly-sounding, shabby-looking birds could be.

*

Shuou leaned against the cargo in the wagon, listening to the lazy creaking of its wheels. He closed his eyes as he felt the smooth breeze carrying the early scent of summer on his cheeks.

Though the Abyss was covered in gray, devoid of seasonal colors, time steadily marched forward. It was the end of spring and the beginning of summer—a time that felt caught in between, tickling the senses.

Day by day, the sky grew higher, and the white clouds spread like a flock of grazing sheep, growing thicker. The birds flying in groups changed, and the night air filled with a mixture of insect songs.

The seasons brought changes to the lives of creatures, and humans were no exception. As the pleasant weather made one acutely aware of the passage of time, the movement of traveling merchants along the Alabaster Road that crisscrossed the world like veins became as lively as pulsing blood.

On his way back to the royal capital, Shuou had stopped at a post town and, after some negotiation, secured a seat on a merchant caravan’s wagon.

The wagon he boarded shook violently and was uncomfortable, but it was preferable to walking. However, there was another problem.

“GUUUGAAAN GAAA!”

It was a thunderous snore that reminded one of rumbling earth.

The merchant driving the wagon turned back and complained, “Hey, give us a break… We’re getting complaints from others because of that guy’s snoring.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll wake him up right away,” Shuou apologized profusely and flicked the forehead of Shiga, the large man lying next to him.

The giant of a man, sleeping carelessly, didn’t even try to open his eyes.

Ga Shiga, a man from the South with deep brown skin, scratched himself vigorously and mumbled something incomprehensible. Then, he started snoring again, his throat producing a sound that seemed to tear through the air.

The horses pulling the other wagons in their group whinnied, perhaps frightened by the snoring.

In the quiet journey through the Abyss, it was no wonder they were drawing disapproval.

“Hey, wake up!” Shuou shouted, slapping Shiga’s cheek hard, but there was no reaction at all.

Shuou had learned about Shiga’s deep sleep when they first stopped at a post town after receiving orders to return to the royal capital. When Shuou had seen Shiga rampaging in anger at Uzumi, his face had looked fierce. But as it turned out, there were many gaps in his character. He was absent-minded, shallow in thought, emotional, and extremely proactive in fulfilling his desires. That was the kind of man Shiga was.

It was now understandable how he had managed to get himself captured at Uzumi Castle, formerly Coral territory.

Unable to bear the silent protests from the gazes directed at them, Shuou decided to use his trump card. He would stop Shiga’s breathing, which was producing this concert of snores.

First, he reached out to pinch Shiga’s nose. But just before his fingertips could touch it, Shiga skillfully avoided it with a twist of his head.

Even after two or three attempts, Shiga managed to escape the evil hand trying to disturb his sleep.

“You’re not really asleep, are you…?” Shuou muttered suspiciously.

“Gugogogogo—ngo!” Shiga replied with a snore, looking blissful as he drooled.

Shuou turned back to the merchant driver, who was watching the situation, and shook his head to indicate that his strategy had failed.

The man grumbled in an exasperated tone, “This measly fare ain’t worth the trouble…”

Shuou apologized once more and slumped his shoulders.

Oblivious to others’ feelings, Shiga continued to snore loudly and contentedly. Due to his height, his long legs dragged along the moving ground, his heels scraping the surface.

Shuou sighed as he looked at the contents of the purse tied to his waist.

The money that had been plentiful when they left Adulelia and reached Ode was now almost gone. While he had spent generously to gain the support of the rough men he needed as subordinates, the biggest blow to his finances had been Shiga’s appetite.

Perhaps to maintain his giant frame, Shiga ate voraciously. Accompanying him, Shuou found himself ordering piles of dishes every time they stopped at an inn. Combined with the alcohol that disappeared like water into dry sand, their spending knew no bounds.

Shuou felt responsible for Shiga, having said he would employ him. However, as he watched his purse shrink day by day without having paid a single wage, his desire to retract his words grew stronger with each passing day.

In a moment of frustration, Shuou shoved the flattened purse into Shiga’s wide-open mouth.

“Mmph!” Shiga grunted.

Frowning at the foreign object but soon beginning to chew on the purse, Shiga’s reaction made Shuou heave a deep sigh. His exhalation was as dark as the muddy bottom of a swamp, tinged with the color of regret.