Chapter 47: Dive Into Madness
On the way to Starfell.
I was expecting the mood in the group to be a little more sour following what happened between Elynthys’s two goddesses, but I’m glad to be wrong. On our way to Starfell, things took a surprising turn as Ori decided to play mood-maker.
“Although it’s kind of old, I used to do a cosplay of this ‘Book of Life’ character. It’s old but gold. The fabric for this was a bit expensive.”
“Wow! How pretty! This gives off the image of a maiden corrupted by darkness!”
“I would have to agree. What should I say? She seems… very ‘cool’! Am I using the word right?”
“Yeah, she’s pretty cool at first glance. But she’s actually quite a ditz.”
“What is a ditz?”
Is it just a universal trait for women to like nice, pretty clothes so much that they can talk about it for this long? Not that I’m complaining. I just find it almost impressive, that’s all.
I don’t think I can ever find myself turning chatter about clothes into a full-blown conversation piece. I’m the kind of guy who just grabs whatever article of clothing I can find out of the closet.
I usually don’t give a shit if I come out looking like NPC number fifteen. But maybe that’s because I don’t go out often, being a NEET and all.
No, Ori’s a self-identified NEET too, but she dresses herself like a doll whenever the heat and the cold aren’t out to get her. Maybe I’m just the weirdo for not understanding the ‘dress-to-impress mentality’?
Whatever the case, Ori was carrying the team hard today, keeping things chipper. Though things were starting to turn in an unexpected direction once again.
“You two… want me to design clothes for you?”
“Now that I have seen much of your portfolio, I simply must have your help!”
“I would really appreciate having your talents in designing clothes for me!”
“Uh…”
Those were quite the unexpected requests to make. No, maybe this was inevitable given how interested the two have been in Ori’s hobby?
“Wow. Would you look at that? Commission requests from the Goddesses of Elynthys themselves! Your reputation really prece–Ow.”
“Quit it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Not all cosplayers make their own cosplay. But Ori was among the ones who did. Though she wasn’t especially all that great with the needle, she was very creative. Fitting for someone who makes BL fan art in her free time.
The parts she couldn’t make, she’d commission from others, and the ones she could, she’d put together herself. What she lacked in technical skill, she made up for with brilliant creativity—not to mention excellent camera work.
“Why not take this opportunity to do some networking, Ori? Constellations might make for quite the lucrative customer base.”
“Vell, please do not do this.”
“Ori, would you please consider lending me your aid? I would be more than willing to reward you generously for your talents!”
“Me too! If I trade my leaves for money on Earth, then–”
“Graille, don’t.”
“Aw…”
After giving Graille a short but stern warning, I gave Ori a knowing look.
This might as well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Dealing with constellations could be frightening, but these two in particular seemed to like her plenty. They’d no doubt come to her defense if things ever went south in her future dealings—should she choose to pursue some divine networking, that is.
“Come on. It’s not every day that a mere human gets to receive commissions from constellations.”
“You’re one to talk. You’re a hu–”
“EMULATION ATTAAAAACK!”
“AGH!”
Before Ori could let the truth slip, I folded two fingers on each of my hands and drilled them into her temples, stopping her in her tracks. After I finished twisting her brain cells with my hand drills, she returned the favor with a swift punch to the gut.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
“You fucking ass! What was that for?”
“I-I was simply e-enlightening you on what you did wrong!”
“What did I do wrong? What the fuck is that supposed to– Oh.”
“Oh,” my ass, woman. You almost let the truth slip. Now the constellations in the group are looking at you funny.
I have to get things back on track.
“Won’t you please consider their requests, Ori? I’m sure, after you’ve come to know them these last few weeks, you know that they do sincerely mean what they say. Besides, what better customer is out there that could outclass a constellation of all things? Do give it some thought.”
“I– Umm… Yeah… You know what? Sure. Alright.”
“Really? You will consider my request?”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you, Ori!”
“You’re… welcome? Ugh. My head’s a mess now.”
It seems that my EMULATION ATTAAAAACK! was more effective than I first expected it to be. Maybe I should use that more often?
“What would you even need cosplay for? If it’s for the pretty dresses, then there are better options out there besides me.”
“No, Ori! I simply must have you design some clothing for me! I dare say your vision surpasses that of others in the so-called ‘online space,’ from what I have witnessed!”
I’m a little surprised to hear this coming from a nature goddess. I imagined nature deities would care less about aesthetics and focus more on natural, earthy looks—things like leaves, twigs, hides, and stone. Though now that I take another look at her, Graille’s dress does have a somewhat more modern design.
Then there’s Graille’s statement about Ori. I suppose her statement isn’t really wrong. Ori does have a knack for bringing out the details in a cosplay’s design.
Where others preferred simpler, serviceable designs that emphasized their own features rather than emulating those of the character they were cosplaying, Ori always chose the opposite. She went all-in on decorating her pieces, doing her best to faithfully imitate the character’s image.
In that sense, her vision of cosplay is a league above many others.
After Graille spoke her thoughts, Esphera followed up with hers. Her reason was surprisingly pragmatic.
“Though it may sound obvious, I believe the right clothing can greatly amplify the impression one leaves on others. What I want from this is not clothing for myself, but attire that elevates how those beneath me are perceived.”
“Oh?”
“I have recently learned that individuals of religious influence often wear attire that symbolizes the beliefs of their respective faiths, with some emphasizing frugality while others highlight sacredness and purity.”
So what Esphera is after is a Charisma build rather than upping her own style points. Certainly, different preacher roles across various doctrines each have their own uniforms, embodying the core beliefs of their religions.
Hell, some have even been stylized to fit more modern aesthetic values for broader appeal, though you’d usually see those in fiction more than anything. Stuff like mini-skirt shrine maiden attire, or super sexy side skirt slit nun outfits.
It seems like Esphera’s gunning for the more traditional route of doing things, which would give a stronger identity to her shamans… err, is it priests now? Anyway, it would give them a stronger identity going forward. I wonder what sort of appearance she’ll go for when dressing up her shamans?
“What about you, Lord Yvell? Should you not also consider having Ori prepare something for yourself?”
“Hm?”
Graille chipped in as well.
“I think you could dress a little better, Sir Yvell. Your practice of emulating the human form is one thing, but should you not dress to better suit your noble constellation title?”
“I suppose you are not wrong there, but it is quite a bit of an effort to–”
“Vell, they do have a point. As you are now, you’re dressed like a sleep-deprived professional sun-avoider going to an Eleven-o-Seven late into the night for an energy drink. Those cargo shorts are the pinnacle of lame.”
Oi, I actually take offense to that. Cargo shorts are the best combination of practical utility and comfort.
“You could look a lot better, you know. And… Hm…”
Suddenly, Ori started giving me an up-and-down look, carefully scanning my body with her eyes. What’s with her all of a sudden? This feels weird.
“Hey, Vell.”
“What?”
“Have you ever considered… putting on a maid outfit?”
“...!”
“...?!”
“WHAT?!”
What the fuck is this woman suddenly on about?
“I mean, when I look at you, I get the feeling that you’ve got this really slender build about you, and a fairly androgynous face? If we could just draw attention away from your broad shoulders with the right accessories and dress, and have you put on a choker, I think you could make for a pretty convincing maid crossplayer.”
“Oog?”
“W-What is a crossplayer, Ori?”
“Y-Yes! I, too, am curious!”
“Hold the fuck on.”
Let’s not get into THAT territory, PLEASE.
“Ori~ I would reeeaaally appreciate it if we could stop this conversation here right now~”
“Boo fucking who~ I’m gonna keep talking anyway~”
You bitch.
Fuck. I need to divert the conversation right now.
Oh, look, there’s a convincing thing I could use to distract them!
“Look over there! In the distance! It’s the town! It looks like we’re pretty close now!”
“You are right, Lord Yvell! The town is… Mhm? There seems to be something going on by the outskirts.”
“Oh, hey, you’re right. They look busy with that… No, what the fuck? Is that…”
Wait, what’re they seeing? I don’t see any…
…
Wḥ̶̢̮̦̗̜̫̞̠̈́̈́̑̊at are thë̷̺̑̆̀͗̏̀͑̾͘͝y doiǹ̴̡̡̦̲̭̮̺̰̝̓̌̉̊͋̾̒̈́̑́͆͗͜͠g?
After Snide’s anger subsided, a lingering sense of dread remained. The very idea that his fellow brethren could even suggest trimming their numbers was horrifying—but what weighed on him most was that Lune would be one of the targets of such a merciless plan.
“Surely, they are just joking, right? Right…?!”
Though he tried to convince himself that they would not be capable of such cruelty, deep down, he knew that reality was rarely so kind. He knew that, when backed into a corner, men would do anything to maintain some semblance of peace. He, too, was the same, after all.
“If they were to present this option before the chief, he would surely refuse. His heart is as vast as the sky above—and his own daughter…”
A line Fallen Star had uttered while watching Spotter ravenously devour his meal resurfaced into his mind.
(If only it were that simple…)
“No… No, he cannot. He must not…”
Would Fallen Star be so cruel as to sacrifice his own daughter if it meant ensuring the continued survival of the tribe? This question took hold of Snide’s mind, throwing him into a trance.
Wh̷͍̭͇̐͊̽́͐̚͝y wơ̸̞̩̟̳͎̙̳͉̖̬͓͇͇͙̲͆̾͗̓̽̃͋͆̋̈́̍͠uldn’t he? He’s a ma̷̡̡̡̜̟̣͉̥͈̻͉̥̍̄͋̎͆͒́̐̏͋̔̇̐̉n who̵̙͌̂ loves hì̸̧̢̨̧͎͖̥͙͈͍̰͓̹̱̘̍͗̈̍͑̈́̈́͘͘͠s people—pro̵̙͌̂bably mơ̸̞̩̟̳͎̙̳͉̖̬͓͇͇͙̲͆̾͗̓̽̃͋͆̋̈́̍͠re than a̷̡̡̡̜̟̣͉̥͈̻͉̥̍̄͋̎͆͒́̐̏͋̔̇̐̉ny ch̷͍̭͇̐͊̽́͐̚͝ieftain whơ̸̞̩̟̳͎̙̳͉̖̬͓͇͇͙̲͆̾͗̓̽̃͋͆̋̈́̍͠ came befo̵̙͌̂re hì̸̧̢̨̧͎͖̥͙͈͍̰͓̹̱̘̍͗̈̍͑̈́̈́͘͘͠m. Given the chơ̸̞̩̟̳͎̙̳͉̖̬͓͇͇͙̲͆̾͗̓̽̃͋͆̋̈́̍͠ice, wouldn’t h̷͍̭͇̐͊̽́͐̚͝e a̷̡̡̡̜̟̣͉̥͈̻͉̥̍̄͋̎͆͒́̐̏͋̔̇̐̉lways cho̵̙͌̂ose the path̷͍̭͇̐͊̽́͐̚͝ that brì̸̧̢̨̧͎͖̥͙͈͍̰͓̹̱̘̍͗̈̍͑̈́̈́͘͘͠ngs the fewest losses?
Unintelligible words filled his mind, though the message was clear to the young man lost in cruel reality. The chieftain would forsake his daughter if it meant acting for the better good of his people.
“I-If she gets healthier, then it will not be a problem. Yes! I-I have to find something… anything to feed her. Then she will regain her strength. Then she will be safe.”
Words resurfaced in his mind again. Words voiced by his lover, Lune.
(Do not dare.)
“Tsk!”
Despite her words of warning echoing in his mind, he clicked his tongue and ran.
Snide desperately ran forward. Somewhere around this area was a lake he and Lune used to frequent as kids. She used to love eating the fish they caught there, especially the one with whiskers and four eyes.
Surely, if it is fish that he will give her, then she would reconsider her stance. She loves fish, after all. Just a little should do wonders for her health. Did the shaman not say that fish was good for the body?
But when Snide arrived at the location where the lake would be, it was…
“The water… There is barely any left.”
The water levels were significantly low. Perhaps not low enough to prevent drowning if one wasn’t careful enough, but it was still a big change.
Enough so that it made him worried that there would be no fish left in what was practically a mere pool now. But, at the corner of his eye, he noticed some ripples in the water.
“There!”
He dove in without hesitation. Spear in his hand, his keen eyes spotted something moving rather sluggishly, hiding amongst the rocks below.
It was a fish with whiskers—young, small, and perhaps weak. With the water levels so low, the poor creature might have been slowly dying from lack of oxygen, or from the stagnation of the lake now that it had lost its connection to the once strong-flowing river.
He quickly took action as he swam toward the fish with surprising speed. The blade of his spear glided through the water like an arrow cutting through the air and…
STAB!
A resounding success. He had managed to pierce the fish with his spear.
After leaving the pool of water, he was drenched from head to toe. Hanging from the tip of his spear was his prized catch. What he hoped would be his lover’s dinner for the night.
Carefully, he tried hiding the fish under his primitive clothes when a small figure appeared from the bushes.
“... Snide, tell me what you hid under your cloak.”
“Spotter, please do not do this.”
“Show me what you are hiding right now.”
He had been caught. However…
“Mercy… Mercy… Please.”
“You will not speak of this to anyone.”
“Yes… Of course… I shall not…”
Snide spat on the ground before turning his back on the incapacitated gnome, heading in the direction the gnome had arrived from. In his hand was a half-torn fish, lightly covered in dirt.
“Just a little more… She will recover with just a little…”
“YOU FUCKERS!”
“VELL! WAIT!”
The young man bolted toward the group with no hesitation. Fists clenched, he lunged at the men, who were kicking a small, collapsed figure on the ground. One of the young men, who was far more physically fit than his surprise attacker, dodged his fist with ease.
“Whoa! Easy, friend. What was that sudden att–UGH!”
Though weak and slow, the young man wasn’t the type to play fair. Granted the opportunity, he swung at his target’s family jewels, debilitating him in an instant. This prompted the other men surrounding the small, collapsed figure to take action.
“You dare hurt our brother?!”
“Are you defending this ill-born!”
“Hold him by the shoulders!”
The young man wasn’t a fighter. If anything, he would’ve been better suited for a desk job. So when the men, who were trained and experienced hunters, gathered around him and took hold of him, there was no escape.
THUD!
“UGH!”
“How did that feel?”
Another swing.
THUD!
“AGH!”
The young man felt blood pool in his mouth and run down the corner of his lip. Taking this opportunity, he spat at another’s eyes, blinding him with his blood.
“MY EYES!”
“THIS BASTARD!”
THUD!
“UGH!”
The young man’s stamina was quickly fading. At the corner of his vision was the collapsed figure from before, wearing a familiar-looking glow-in-the-dark diaper, beaten black and blue.
“B-Benefactor…”
“Ugh…”
His body was aching all over.
“What do you mean she…?”
“It was a miracle that she lasted this long. But all leave for the spirit world eventually. I apologize for your loss…”
Snide fell to his knees before the entrance of the mudbrick building.
Sitting by an unmoving figure on a bed of hay was a grieving father. Beside the father was the shaman he spoke to seconds before, consoling the poor man.
Though they were both better fed than most in the town because of the value of their work throughout the famine, they too showed signs of malnutrition, just as Snide did.
Outside the building, the gnomes were visibly emaciated, much like most of the townsfolk, but they were eating far larger portions than those around them—people who simply sat in the shade, quietly waiting as if for death.
Then, Snide’s eyes returned to the figure on the bed of hay. Lying still, like a doll.
“...Lune…”
Like a stiff, unoiled joint, Snide’s neck snapped around to watch the gnomes eating outside again.
A fire was lit in his heart. A flame fueled by madness.
“Ha… Hahaha… Hahaha…”
He felt gravity dragging him down, as if the weight of the world had settled onto his shoulders. He struggled to stay on his knees, bracing himself with his hands against the ground.
The words he had spoken not too long ago echoed in his mind.
(But… can he not hold himself back some more? There are many others who need the food more than him.)
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Tha̷̛͙̞̭̭͋̽̿̑̔̋̃͂͘͝͝t’s rȋ̴̩͇̰̯̠͎͍͛̉̉̋̓͒̂̑̕͝ght. Give ȋ̴̩͇̰̯̠͎͍͛̉̉̋̓͒̂̑̕͝n to the ma̷̛͙̞̭̭͋̽̿̑̔̋̃͂͘͝͝dness… Let ȋ̴̩͇̰̯̠͎͍͛̉̉̋̓͒̂̑̕͝t consumę̸̭͇̦̣͕͙̝̍̐̈́̐̀̏̉͌͂̕͝͝ you.
I'll ha̷̛͙̞̭̭͋̽̿̑̔̋̃͂͘͝͝ve so̸̧͎̪͇̜̼̝̼̾͐̕ much to feę̸̭͇̦̣͕͙̝̍̐̈́̐̀̏̉͌͂̕͝͝d on.
