Chapter 56: 28 Performance Art

Chapter 56: 28. Performance Art

In Naggaroth, weakness is despised. When a Druchiir dies, his companions rarely care about the shell he leaves behind.

But these Druchiir soldiers, who fought until the very last moment, are worthy of respect. Their shells deserve rest, rather than becoming fodder for Harpies or Cold Lizards.

In this world of gods and monsters, eternal rest can only be obtained by being buried in an obsidian sarcophagus; thus, cremation is the only option.

The bodies of the Druchiir soldiers were laid out in rows on wooden racks. Their faces had been tidied, and their blood wiped clean. No coins were placed over their eyes to serve as passage for the River Styx—the Druchiir had no such tradition.

Every Druchiir in the settlement who could stand had come, lining up in the plaza. Dakus raised a torch and looked back at the orderly ranks; a few days ago, there had been five hundred Druchiir, but now there were fewer than two hundred in total.

Dakus did not deliver a speech or an oration. Instead, he turned back and lit the bonfire. A burst of flame erupted suddenly and spread rapidly. The smell was not overly pungent, as scented oil had been applied beforehand, and the firelight flickered in his eyes.

"May their souls return to the embrace of Aes Hayae," Dakus said. Having finished, he took out the Echo Drum from his lower back and began to strike it with slow, heavy beats.

The Fearmongers struck the ground with their spears in time with the drumbeat, the Gloomswords beat upon their shields, and several nobles, beastmasters, Black Guard crossbowmen, Reaper bolt thrower crews, and Dark Riders stomped their boots against the ground.

The funeral was solemn and filled with ritual.

Whatever filth they had committed in life was wiped clean at this moment.

The sky grew colder, and the days passed in such a mundane fashion.

His dear brother Maranuel still had not come to the lumber camp to visit his dear brother. Of course, the dear brother Dakus had not returned to the city to visit his dear brother either.

However, Maranuel had attempted to find Dakus several times using a crystal ball. The daughter of the Soul Eater family refused to leave the city, seemingly intimidated by the recent unrest. But the Black Ark *Wrathful Bulwark* of the Soul Eater family returned at the last moment before the Sea of Malice froze over. This small Black Ark, two kilometers long, was heavily damaged and required major repairs. It was said to have encountered the flagship *Carandian*, a dragon ship belonging to the Sea Lord of Assur, Islin; after a battle, they were outmatched, and their only black dragon was slain. They only managed to escape thanks to the desperate distraction provided by raiding ships under the cover of night.

Maranul arranged an "accident," killing one of Wote's brothers who was serving in the military. Upon hearing the news, Wote mourned his dear brother for exactly one second before handing over a document recovered from his brother's estate. It marked a tomb of a Fear Lord outside the city of Krakalond, where Elerril the Cursed was buried. Legend had it that the mythical Soul Dagger vanished after his death, possibly buried with him in an obsidian sarcophagus.

"Good heavens, what a Druchiir grave robber."

Dakus studied the map closely and discovered the tomb was located directly beneath his brother's estate outside the city. He tucked the document away, having no immediate intention of tomb raiding. He would need Annasara to assist him with such a task; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to handle it, as it involved souls and dark magic.

Dakus also had Wote take an inventory of the slaves in the lumber camp. Most of the slaves were Norscans, Hungs, a small number of Druchiir, humans, and a few halflings.

Most of the Druchiir slaves were criminals, mercenaries, thugs, or bankrupt nobles. Some were simply unlucky souls, snatched off the streets by city guards looking to meet their quotas; if they had bail, they were released, but if not, they were left to their own devices.

Most of the human slaves were Batavian peasants—may the Moon Goddess Lilith bless them. There were also war-hound mercenaries and farmers from the southern city-states. Those few pitiful halflings had been captured on their way from the Empire's Mut Territory to join the Lumpin Krupp Cockfighting Troupe; they were currently practicing their culinary skills in the kitchen. There were no alchemists or apothecaries among the slaves, which disappointed Dakus slightly.

Dwarves among the slaves were extremely rare and precious. They were usually used for constructing spires, castles, fortresses, manors, and forging weapons and machinery, and they were treated very well.

As for Greenskins? They were chaotic and could not be made to obey like the Orc laborers of another world. Long ago, an unlucky soul had captured a batch to present to the Witch King, but most of the Greenskins broke their shackles and fled to the northern mountains and wilderness. The Greenskins adapted to the climate and environment there, seemingly growing straight out of the earth. They frequently attacked armies traveling between Nagarythe and Gorund in large packs, and were now known as Frostwild Orcs—though their skin remained just as green.

That unlucky soul had been executed by the Witch King for his failure. His shell remained forever on the plaza of the Black Tower of Malekith, amidst the tombs of the Fear Lords who had attempted to usurp the throne of Malekith; he had the honor of being mixed in among them.

Since then, the "Greenskin" option had vanished from the list of choices for the slave-raiding gangs of Naggaros. Now, Greenskins, Hungs, and Chaos Warbands were collectively known as the Three Great Scourges of the North.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Dakus; life here remained peaceful and quiet.

In the morning, he conducted martial arts training. After lunch, he went to see the Allosaurus and the Big Guy. A thick layer of dry hay had been laid in the enclosure. The Allosaurus had been modified by dark magic; its shell was beginning to turn black. Perhaps it now had magic resistance? Or perhaps it had unlocked a new ability? Dakus didn't know; he had no status panel to check. As the weather grew colder, the Allosaurus and the Big Guy became increasingly lethargic, only regaining some spirit when they saw Dakus. It was clear the Big Guy had not inherited the frost resistance of the northern bloodline.

In the afternoon, he inspected the lumber camp and the sentries. The Shadow Tribe had descended from the mountains twice, and both times they failed to gain any advantage, fleeing after dropping a few corpses. Dakus ordered the corpses to be planted head-first into the snow.

By the next day, they stood stiffly upright in the snow. Dakus called it "Performance Art!"

After finishing his patrol in the afternoon, Dakus began practicing archery at the barracks' range alongside the Black Guard crossbowmen. Perhaps due to the blessing of Morayge Heg, Dakus showed high talent in archery, improving rapidly every day. Bayne, watching from the side, told him he needed to begin practicing mounted archery and long-distance shooting in the wind.

After practicing his aim, Dakus would visit the armory to disassemble Cathayan Dragon Bolts, Druchiir repeating crossbows, and harpoon crossbows. Several Druchiir nobles gathered to study how to combine the power of the harpoon crossbow, the rate of fire of the repeating crossbow, and the range of the Dragon Bolt. After researching for a while, they realized they lacked the specific expertise required and abandoned the project.

After dinner, Dakus would hold "friendly talks" with the Druchiir soldiers, accompanied by several nobles.

They would select only one soldier at a time to discuss their home situation, family relationships, faith, current needs, future aspirations, and whether they had any desire for land.

After entering the room and saluting, the soldier would sit stiffly on a chair three sword-lengths away and begin the classic question-and-answer session, progressing from initial nervous stuttering to eventually speaking quite freely.

At first, Dakus would ask, Wote would record, and the three Takaya siblings would look as if their souls had left their bodies, wearing expressions that said, *Why am I sitting here? What am I even doing?* As for Bayne? He simply didn't show up.

Later, Franes took over the recording, Rayne began asking the questions, and Dakus and Wote would reflect. The nobles would discuss it several times, but everyone ended up confused, unable to grasp Dakus's true intention.

Though the discussions ceased, the recording continued.

In Marus's novels, this tomb was located in Kalond Kar.

(End of Chapter)