BXBX NOVEL Vol. 11 - Chapter 587 - Albahar Village
They had been able to see how thick the walls were from the air, firmly encircling the village to fend off any attacker.
(Maybe it\'s to defend from ghosts. There were a lot on the way here.)
Allen\'s group had seen plenty of ghosts roaming the wilderness on their way there.
"It looks like there\'s regular beastmen keeping guard, hopefully they\'ll let us in."
The heavy defenses looked excessive compared to Allen\'s past life, but places like Kurena Village or Rodan Village, and Gravdvelle were also rather fortified. Cecile had been born as a noble, so such fortifications looked normal to her. But she also felt like it was more reinforced than usual because of the gatekeepers, a tiger and rhinoceros beastmen who glared at them with clear hostility.
"Stop there!!"
"Humans?! Why have you come to the Village of Primordial Beasts?!!"
The two gatekeepers pointed their spears at them and asked with thunderous voices.
(They\'re suspicious of us then? But Shea should\'ve arrived here a month ago. They shouldn\'t be against people visiting the village.)
"I-I\'m really sorry."
While Allen analyzed their reaction, Sophie took a step forward and apologized. She gently pulled back her hood, revealing her long high elf ears and silver hair.
"Hm? A woman?! That\'s a weird hair color, but are you human too then?"
(Oh? They don\'t know of elves?)
Their spears were still pointed at Sophie, though their demeanor seemed slightly softer.
"Hold up, what\'s going on here?"
Allen felt like their treatment of humans and elves was strange, but there was a fourth person there. Lepe quickly approached the gatekeepers.
"A beastman? Why are you together with those humans?"
"Me? I came here to greet the Beast God Garm. I\'m pretty sure my friends are already in the village too."
Lepe showed no fear even when the spears were pointed at him. He simply walked forward until the spears were about to poke his eyes and confronted them.
"What…are you with the group that arrived here before then? But we can\'t possibly let humans into the village…"
The two gatekeepers finally pulled their spears back thanks to Lepe.
(I\'ve only been to the Dragon God\'s Village in the Garresia Continent. So this is Albahar Village. I never got to visit the Beast Kingdom of Albahar in the human realm, but I wonder if they would\'ve received us the same way there. They keep glaring at us.)
1000 years ago, the tyrant emperor had heavily oppressed the beastmen. That led to a deep rooted hatred towards humans in most beastmen, and it seemed that applied to the divine realm as well. Allen tried to use his overwhelming Intelligence to figure out why they did not know high elves though, and came up with various theories that needed testing.
(Still, we have to get in somehow. Maybe I can use Tacos\' [Mimic]? Though that\'s better as a last resort.)
He was also analyzing their current situation.
[Ways to enter the village] -Negotiate -Use the Fish A summon\'s Awakened Skill [Mimic] -Break in -Give up in entering
As he debated which option would be the best, he felt like the ground started to shake as something enormous and heavy approached the village gates.
"L-Lord Luvanka!!"
The Sacred Beast Luvanka\'s gorilla face popped up behind the wall and looked at Allen.
\'...Let them in. They are qualified.\'
After a short moment to find the right words, Luvanka gave them permission to enter.
"Yessir!!" "Yessir!!"
The two gatekeepers quickly replied and pushed the large and heavy gates open. They did their best to suppress their hatred and let Allen\'s group enter the village.
"Thank you very much for letting us enter."
Allen looked at Luvanka\'s 10 meter tall body, which was muscular and covered in fur. Luvanka looked largely like a gorilla, walking on 2 feet, and with two pairs of arms, two crossed in front of his chest and the other two hanging.
\'Hmph, it\'s only because you possess the Divine Compass. The beastmen you brought before are training. Go greet the village chief, the Mythical Beast Albahar first. That\'s our custom, unless you want to be attacked by the villagers.\'
Luvanka seemed to dislike talking much, so he just told Allen everything he needed to know and walked away.
"I guess that means we should follow."
"Probably. We should try to do everything he said."
(I\'ll have to obtain more information from the village chief then. Also, I already have Kuwatoro and Makris as summons.)
Cecile quickly ran after Luvanka, while Allen took out a Sacred Beast Stone from his Grimoire. Merus had told Allen about Sacred Beasts, mentioning there were 3 famous ones. They were Kuwatoro, Makris, and Luvanka. Apparently Luvanka had been in Albahar for a long time, and only recently came to the divine realm. Allen ran up to Luvanka and pushed the Sacred Beast Stone against him.
\'You can turn the Sacred Beast Luvanka into a Beas S summon. Requires Luvanka\'s consent.\'
Silver letters appeared on the black Grimoire.
(Alright, now I also know how to unseal my Beast S summon.)
Allen updated his notes in the Grimoire.
[Ways to unlock S Rank summons] -Insect: Currently sealed, no information -Beast: Currently sealed, Luvanka potential candidate -Bird: Unsealed, Kuwatoro -Grass: Currently sealed, will grow from the seed Rosen is watching after -Stone: Currently sealed, no information -Fish: Unsealed, Makris -Wraith: Unsealed, Graham -Dragon: Currently sealed, Magra potential candidate -Angel: Currently sealed, no information -Unknown: Currently sealed, no information
(Now that I think about it, Lupto has actually been helping a lot, maybe more than Merus.)
\'That\'s not the case at all.\'
Allen\'s thoughts were Shared with Merus, so he replied.
(But you never say anything unless I ask specifically, and sometimes even then you don\'t reply.)
\'That\'s because I\'m a summon.\'
Merus was talking directly to Allen\'s mind. Lupto had provided plenty of information to Allen about S Rank summons. She had also mediated the fight with the Spirit God Easley, even though she knew Allen\'s plan. Lupto had also looked into the matter with Mara and Isiris while being a First Angel.
When they had first met, Lupto seemed to hold a deep resentment towards Allen, but that was likely out of care for her brother Merus.
(Alright, I guess it\'s time to convince him to become my summon.)
"Hey, Allen. There\'s beastmen with weapons too."
Cecile clung to Allen\'s elbow. The beastmen of the village held their weapons ready while baring their fangs, clearly angered with Allen\'s group presence. After all their past fights, she obviously knew they could win a fight, but it was still strange to be so unwelcomed.
"That\'s why we\'re going to greet the village chief, right? Let\'s just keep going. Grrr!"
Allen decided to growl back at the villagers.
"Hey, why are you doing that!!"
\'What senseless fools… This is Albahar\'s mansion, mind your manners.\'
Luvanka stopped next to the entrance, Allen\'s group would have to enter alone.
(Oh, I just missed my chance to talk him into being my summon. I hope that wasn\'t a flag needed to start the quest.)
Because of his exchange with Cecile, he had missed his chance to talk to Luvanka. They were in front of a reinforced wall, with a tiger and lion beastmen standing guard. Past the gate on the wall was an old mansion, which looked like an old Japanese house. The gatekeepers glared at the group, but said nothing as Luvanka was with them. The group entered the mansion, and a lion beastman spoke to them.
"Lord Albahar is waiting for you. Follow me."
"With your permission."
"Hmph, humans."
(They really aren\'t the most hospitable. I\'m about to beat all of you up.)
Allen was getting fed up with the attitude of the guard, but he did not let it show. The corridor had many doors on both sides, and the beastman opened one. Another beastman seemed to be sitting inside.
"You must be the village\'s chief Albahar. Thank you very much for inviting us here."
(Hm? Something feels off… Ah, he\'s just really big.)
Allen had gotten so used to enormous Temples, and even summons like Graham, so it took him some time to register that the village chief was also big.
(I hate that I can\'t check his stats without Kuwatoro. He looks hostile, but I don\'t think he\'ll just attack us out of the blue.)
Allen knew there was no true safety in this world, so he was always ready to fight.
\'I can\'t believe humans actually came to this village, and Luvanka let you in. But I\'m Albahar, the chief of Albahar Village.\'
"I appreciate the cordial greeting. I\'m Allen, a friend of Shea who arrived before."
\'Why did you come here?\'
(Luvanka called him a Mythical Beast earlier, I guess he\'s a step above Sacred Beasts.)
Merus had once explained that Sacred Beasts eventually became Mythical Beasts, and then Divine Beasts. Luvanka was a Sacred Beast, serving the Mythical Beast Albahar, who was a step away from becoming a Divine Beast. Albahar\'s fur was white from age, and looked more beastly than most beastmen.
"We\'d like to see if we can help with Shea\'s training in any way. But we also came to meet the Beast God Garm."
\'Oh? So you seek an audience with Lord Garm? Now that\'s a big dream.\'
Albahar exerted force into his body to stand up.