Chapter 3: The Guardian

The wet and humid conditions of the rainforest didn't affect the coolness of the pool beneath the waterfall. After a day of labor, one of the great pleasures of the Tiacauh Tribe women living in the Acahualla region was playing in the pool below the waterfall.

The rainforest was never short of rivers and waterfalls, thanks to the coastal terrain and the low-pressure climate.

Gavial stood in the pool, washing her short green hair. Sometimes, she wondered if she looked too much like a boy and whether growing her hair longer might be better. But long hair was inconvenient for fighting, and she didn't know how to tie it up.

"Gavial, Gavial, I want to wash my hair too."

"Then, be careful with your tail and don't wave it around."

"Okay."

Tomimi happily nodded. She liked Gavial the most, and Garde was her second favorite. If the three of them could stay together forever, it would be perfect.

"Hey, Tomimi, did you smell something just now?"

"A smell?"

"Yeah, there was a salty and damp smell."

Gavial looked towards the direction where Garde had been. Had someone else come here?

"Tomimi, wait here, I'll go check."

"Huh?"

Tomimi quickly put on her clothes when she saw Gavial leaving, and followed her.

"Gavial, wait for me!"

After coming ashore and dressing, they crossed the bushes by the pool. However, they only found Garde standing by the river, grinning like a fool.

"Garde, what are you grinning about?"

"Gavial?"

Startled by Gavial's sudden appearance, Garde looked at her with a hint of unease.

"Was there someone here just now?"

"N-no."

Garde turned his head away and laughed nervously.

"You've been hiding for so long, and everyone in the tribe should have dispersed by now. I'll head back first."

Saying this, without waiting for Gavial's response, he quickly ran off.

'This guy, is he hiding something from me?'

Gavial frowned, feeling a bit displeased. Then she noticed the clothes on the rock, already washed and wrung dry.

Looking back at Garde, she realized that he had disappeared.

The Tiacauh Tribe in the Acahualla region was a collective term for various tribes living in the area. These tribes included the Blaze Tribe, the Scar Tribe, the Giant Wood Tribe, and the Wilderness Will Tribe, among others.

Garde belonged to the Wilderness Will Tribe.

Here, strength was highly respected, and regardless of age or gender, anyone with enough strength could challenge the current tribe leader and become the new chief.

To Garde, the people living here resembled a group of green-skinned individuals ready to "waaagh" at any moment. Of course, he didn't mean that in a derogatory way.

After all, he was part of the tribe too.

However, making Garde, a civilized person from his previous life, join in their "waaagh" activities felt quite challenging.

To avoid the tribe, Garde would sometimes sneak out the back door of his house, bypassing the large display of "bridal dowry" in front of his house.

The "bridal dowry" was the tradition of placing items for marriage in front of the bride's house, but in Garde's case, it was just a representation of his betrothal to the tribe.

Garde entered his home, which was constructed from assembled pieces of wood. It wasn't large, merely one room, with a bed on the left side, a desk on the right, a dining table near the front door, and a hearth made of mud at the side.

The room didn't look spacious or luxurious, and one might even say it was rudimentary. However, it was the place where Garde had lived for over a decade. It was also the only legacy left to him by his parents in this world.

The people living in the Acahualla region didn't usually have long lifespans, with reaching their thirties or forties being considered relatively old. In such an environment, minor illnesses could often be life-threatening. The tribe's shamans also practiced bloodletting to cure illnesses, and when children had fevers, they had to endure them or try random herbs that might work.

Ignorant and backward, that was Garde's impression of his tribe and their way of life.

Once, he had thought of trying to change things, but then he remembered the heroic template within him.

Unless he found a way to control his anger, joining in with the tribe's "waaagh" was just too difficult for him.

Garde came to his desk and sat on a chair without a backrest. He put on a pair of glasses to make himself look a bit more refined.

Even though the living conditions were primitive, it didn't mean that this world was entirely backward. To Garde's knowledge, the Acahualla region where he lived was a part of the Sargun Empire. The Sargun Empire, more than a nation, was a vast region similar to the Acahualla area.

Apart from the nominal emperor, various tribes and cities were ruled by kings and Padishah. The Acahualla region was more or less a neutral zone. Becoming the Great Chieftain here would mean gaining the support of all Tiacauh people in the Acahualla region, which wasn't an especially difficult task.

Garde opened a fashion magazine and gestured with his hand. Making clothes for himself was a tedious task, but he couldn't avoid it. After all, he was not particularly good-looking to begin with, and if he didn't know how to dress himself, he might scare children when he went out.

Despite the men in the tribe generally looking like him, he might even be considered one of the more attractive ones among the Tiacauh men.

Thinking of a certain little shark that had swum away, Garde's face once again showed the silly smile he had by the river. When would be the next time they'd meet?

...

Like a continuous line of golden coastline stretching for an unknown number of kilometers.

A figure emerged from the river mouth and swam gracefully, resembling an agile fish. Ahead of her was the vast expanse of the sea.

"Captain, were you waiting for me?"

Laurentina looked towards the rocky outcroppings near the sea entrance, where a quiet figure stood.

"Did you see him?"

The tall woman looked over, and Laurentina hesitated for a moment before revealing a smile.

"Yes."

"Let's go. This mission will be lengthy, and our next meeting might be a long time away."

The woman picked up a massive circular saw and tossed it in front of Laurentina.

"Also, don't forget to bring your own weapons next time."

"Sorry about that, I want to play the role of a good mannered and delicate girl in front of him."

Laurentina complained as she picked up her weapon, a tall one that felt almost weightless in her hand.

"Is he not good at fighting?"

"Not really. He claims to be the best fighter in the whole tribe, despite not looking like it. He can write poetry, tell stories, sing songs, and even do woodwork... The only downside he has is that he can't dance."

"That's indeed a shame."

"Indeed, he's very strong. I even lost to him in arm wrestling. To compete with his strength, we would need to bring the people from the Third Squad. Skadi would definitely not lose to him."

"Oh? no wonder you hold him in such high regard."

"Moreover, I think he might be like us."

"Hmm?"

"He said that his tribe aren't naturally inclined to live in a primitive environment, unwilling to develop their technology, and instead, they're there to guard something at the end of the continent."

Laurentina looked at her captain.

"Captain, do you know about the Foehn Hotland?"

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