III
After she’d finished with the imperial soldiers, Olivia set off again for the capital with a spring in her step. Other people she passed along the way gasped and stared. It was a perfectly normal reaction—Olivia was, after all, still covered from head to toe in blood. Upon seeing a young girl in such a state, it wouldn’t have been unusual to ask what had befallen her. In fact, several of those she passed did think of calling out, but no one did in the end. As though afraid of what consequences might await them if they did, they only averted their eyes and stood aside to let her pass in silence. It was obvious why: inevitably, their eyes were drawn to the bloodstained scabbard that hung at her waist.
There was one other reason too.
“I wonder how much further it is to the capital...” Ignoring the stares she was getting, Olivia glanced back at the large hemp sack that she dragged along the ground, secured by a rope over her shoulder. The bottom of the sack was stained a dark red.
It’s not that heavy, but I’m getting kind of sick of this, she thought. For a brief moment, she considered the idea of just throwing it away. If she left it in the weeds over there, some beast would happily carry it off, no doubt about it. Without anything encumbering her, she could use Swift Step. It consumed a lot of energy, so she couldn’t use it frequently, but it would allow her to reach the capital without wasting any more time. But then she shook her head. “No, I can’t,” she muttered to herself. One of Z’s lessons played in her mind:
Do you remember how, long ago, I told you that humans are violence-loving and cruel?
“Yeah, of course I do,” she’d said.
Good. Let me give you an example. Humans often take the heads of their enemies.
“Why? Do they taste good?”
They do not eat them. Except in the most desperate of circumstances, humans almost never eat other humans.
“Huh. Then what do they do it for?”
One reason they do it is to show off their prowess in battle.
“Prowess? What’s that?”
How should I put this... In other words, they want to show others how strong they are.
“They cut each other’s heads off just for that?”
Yes. They are a cruel race indeed, are they not?
“Hmm. So, what about the other reasons?”
It pleases their allies to receive the heads of their enemies. Sometimes they might even get a reward for it.
“A reward? Like nice food or books?”
I do not know the answer to that myself.
Z said that humans are pleased by the heads of their enemies. I guess it was pretty lucky that those imperial soldiers attacked me. I don’t get what’s so good about a head, but I bet if I give it to someone from Fernest, they’ll be pleased. Then they’ll definitely hire me as a soldier.
Olivia smiled to herself and clenched her fists. Then she hoisted up the rope that had been threatening to slide off her shoulder and pressed on with renewed determination.
Around the time she left the Canalia Highway, she stopped seeing other humans. Instead, she caught glimpses of small animals in the undergrowth of the verdant plateau she found herself upon. They were probably drawn to the smell of blood. But when Olivia turned to look back, they fled with a start.
They all ran away... I’m not going to eat you. I’m not even hungry right now, she thought. She pressed on, her footfalls light as she journeyed beyond a field of flowers and descended a gentle slope, coming to a wide, shallow river at the bottom of the hills. She refilled her flask in its waters before following the river downstream for a time until she caught sight of an enormous fortress in the distance. The mighty castle was surrounded by wall after wall after wall.
“It’s huge!” gasped Olivia. It was far, far larger than the Gate to the Land of the Dead. Gazing up at its parapets, she saw a great red flag billowing majestically there. She craned her neck to get a better look at it. In the center of the flag were two lions, gold on one side and silver on the other, holding up between them a silver chalice.
A silver chalice... Gold and silver lions... Olivia tried to remember where she had seen this crest before. Then, she remembered.
Oh, right! That’s the flag of the Kingdom of Fernest. She felt pleased with herself for remembering, but then looked back at the sack. The breeze had carried with it the faint scent of decay.
Oh no, she thought. What if they rot before I get to the capital? She looked back at the fortress, crossed her arms, and thought hard about her options.
“Okay, that decides it. I’ll stop off at this fortress and give them these heads as a present. I mean, if they rot too badly no one will be able to tell they were imperial soldiers...”
Olivia nodded to herself, then set off for the fortress in high spirits. At this rate, she’d make it there before sunset.
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