Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 18 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

One Job Among Many

HER NAME WAS Angelique Curenttale, or Angie for short. She was born at the western edge of the King Dragon Realm, in a village bordering a dense forest. Since her parents were both apothecaries, they naturally educated her in their field as they raised her. Alas, before she reached adulthood, the two of them were attacked and killed by a monster. It was a story not altogether unusual for those in her village. Saddened by the loss, she held a funeral for them with the other villagers’ help, then inherited their house and followed the same career path.

Angie had one person she could call a close friend, and that was Pham Haindora, a girl born into a local hunting family. Like Angie, Pham lost her parents early; her mother died from illness before she reached adulthood, and her father was killed by a monster… Or rather, her father was actually the escort for Angie’s parents when they ventured into the forest to retrieve some herbs. He sadly lost his life in the process, unable to protect his charges or himself.

All of this resulted in Pham feeling guilty for what happened with Angie, and Angie in turn resenting Pham. The two fortunately made peace with one another after a number of quarrels. Presently, the whole village knew just how close-knit the two were. This year, both girls had turned twenty-one.

“Tsk, tsk… Aren’t there any decent guys out there anywhere?” Pham muttered to herself. She was wearing a well-tanned fur vest and snug, cropped leather leggings. Her boots were made of thick fur and a mountain knife hung from her hip, a quiver and bow thrown over her shoulder. She looked like a brigand and she was covered head-to-toe in dirt, but that didn’t detract from her attractive facial features.

“Well, there sure aren’t any around here,” Angie replied. Being an apothecary, she wore pants that were easy to move in and a tanned leather top. Instead of having a sword at her hip, she had a hatchet. The most significant thing that separated her from her friend was the enormous basket she carried on her back. It was half-full of herbs and fruits.

The two were currently in the forest as Angie was collecting ingredients to make medicine.

“Rich boys are the best. Gorgeous but ignorant of the world and no experience with women. All you gotta do is hold their hand and their cheeks go bright red,” said Pham.

“I’d be fine with a normal guy. Don’t care if he’s got money, I just want him to be nice.”

“Ugh, Angie, can’t you dream bigger?”

“Maybe you should consider coming back to reality instead, Pham.”

There weren’t many eligible young men in their village. Most were already married. There weren’t many followers of Millis among them, but per village rules, only the chief was allowed to take more than one wife. The current chief was closing in on fifty, and he already had five wives. It wasn’t likely that he’d take on another one at this point.

“Reality, huh?” Pham sniffed. “The only guy round here I’d have a chance of marrying is probably Docchy.”

The man in question, Dochil, was the son of the village chief and the same age as them. Alas, he was promised to someone the moment he was born, and had already married them. He even had a son to act as his heir. There was talk that he’d soon be succeeding his father as chief. Once that happened, he’d no doubt take himself another wife, as was custom for a new chief. Naturally, the topic of the town was who his second woman would be. Their village had far more unmarried women than it did married men.

Pham shook her head. “Nah, he’d never take me as a wife.”

“Well, it’s true you always used to bully him.”

“In that case, maybe he’d pick me out of spite. That way he could have his way with me and pay me back during our first night together.”

This time, it was Angie’s turn to shake her head. “No way. He’s still terrified of you even now.”

Since the two girls were close in age, they often played together as kids. There were seven other children of similar age in the village, and Pham had acted as their leader when they were kids. Back then, she often picked on Dochil, bringing him to tears. Angie had been a part of their group and naturally assumed she’d wind up marrying one of the others, but it didn’t work out that way. Three of that group left the village, leaving only Dochil and three girls behind. One of those girls was his betrothed, so she’d already gotten married. That only left Pham and Angie.

“But you still have a chance, Angie. You’re a cutie.”

“Huh? Nah, no way. I mean, I’m the only apothecary in this village. I wouldn’t be able to keep working if I got married, and that’d leave everyone in a pinch.”

“Guess so. Well, maybe you’ll get lucky, as a reward for your hard work this time around.”

“Ahaha! That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Angie laughed.

In truth, she was actually thinking about something completely different. Marriage, huh? Guess my Prince Charming isn’t coming. 

Angie had insisted that her friend come back to reality, but from a young age, she’d heard a bard’s tale that had absolutely inspired her. It was a story about an adventurer with blue hair who traveled alone from the Millis Continent to the Central Continent and shot to the Guild’s A Rank in no time. 

Still, although Angie’s heart sang when she heard of it, she chalked it up to being a tale from a distant land and gave it little more thought than that. It wasn’t until the events a decade prior that she stopped dismissing it so readily.

One day, a certain adventurer wandered into their village. The person in question had left the dense forest on their way to Westport and was making a brief stop at their village on the way, or so they said. As fate would have it, she was short and had blue hair. She also had a witch’s hat, white robes, a long staff, and a square rucksack hooked over her shoulders. She was exactly as the bards had described her. What had once seemed like a fantastical tale was now reality before Angie’s eyes.

The girl stayed only one night in their village, but she regaled the ten-year-old Angie and the other villagers with accounts of her journeys. It was unbelievable; the girl who sounded like nothing more than a fictional character was there in the flesh, retelling her very real adventures.

Pham and the others lit up when they heard the story about her taking down a boss in a labyrinth, but what made Angie’s heart soar was the girl’s reason for entering that labyrinth in the first place. She claimed she explored labyrinths hoping to find a dashing male partner. Alas, she’d conquered said labyrinth without fulfilling that intended goal, but the memories of her tale had a lasting impact on Angie. From that day onward, the adventurer’s tale inspired a deep yearning in her. A yearning that, some days, dragged her into an ocean of fantasy. She imagined herself cornered suddenly by a monster, only for a dashing prince to swoop in and save her! Naturally, as a way of thanking her savior, she would offer her own body as a reward. Eehee! she giggled inwardly. 

But as much as she gushed, she knew it wasn’t realistic. Dreams were just that—dreams. Delusions didn’t magically become reality. Angie was perfectly aware that such a convenient love story wouldn’t happen in real life. When they spoke of marriage, she would fantasize, but those fantasies were no more than fiction inside her head. Something she yearned for. She had her eyes focused on reality for now. Not that she had any other choice; when she was orphaned five years ago, she’d been forced to face the facts whether she liked them or not.

“Angie, be careful,” said Pham. “We’re entering you-know-who’s territory now.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The two had made their way close to a cave deep within the forest, and it was there that Angie paused to set her basket down. The two had come here looking for ingredients to make medicine—specifically, a special tonic to treat an illness common to this region, known as Ibri Syndrome.

“We gotta save Docchy.”

“Yeah, we do.”

The village leader’s son, Dochil, had recently come down with the syndrome. Those beset by it experienced high fevers, developed a rash across their entire body, and would die within ten days if they didn’t imbibe the necessary medicine. That said, you could combat the illness with a special tonic, and it could also be cured with Intermediate-tier detoxification magic. It couldn’t be transmitted from person to person, either. That was the main reason people in the cities didn’t consider it very dangerous. 

The same couldn’t be said for Angie and those who lived in her village. For them, it was a terrifying sickness with a high mortality rate. The closest mage capable of Intermediate-tier detoxification magic was more than ten days away, even if they made good time on the road and pushed themselves to make it there quickly.

It was unfortunate that Dochil, their childhood friend and future leader of their village, had taken ill with it. Ibri Syndrome was partly responsible for the deaths of both girls’ parents. Pham’s mother had come down with it, and Pham’s father and both of Angie’s parents had set out to gather ingredients for the medicine in the forest. That was how they met their grisly ends. Thus, both of them had fateful ties to the disease which now threatened the life of someone else close to them. That was the force that drove them to collect the necessary ingredients for a tonic.

Silence stretched between them as they moved cautiously forward. The ingredient they needed was the Eant Flower, which grew at the base of the cliffs just ahead. Since they only needed enough tonic for one person, five or six petals should suffice.

The two gulped audibly as they came out of the trees and into a meadow which stretched before them. It was a vast field right in the middle of the forest, bursting with blue flowers—a pure field of Eant Flowers.

Again, they swallowed hard. Their expressions remained rigid despite the beautiful sight before them. Angie stretched out a trembling hand toward one of the flowers, pulling off a single petal.

“Grooooaar!” Like a crack of thunder, a deep roar ripped through the air.

“Angie, run!” 

The shout didn’t register; Angie’s feet were already frozen with fear. Pham pulled an arrow from her quiver and nocked it while yelling, “Angie! Hurry!”

“Ah!”

An apparition appeared in the meadow, at the top of the cliffs—an enormous lizard, at least ten meters long, with plum-colored skin. It was the ruler of the forest: the Ibri Lizard. It was a wingless reptile, similar to the enormous lizards which inhabited the Begaritt Continent.

You might wonder why it’s called the Ibri Lizard. That was because Ibri Syndrome ran rampant in whatever lands these lizards inhabited, and also because the flowers necessary for the special tonic to treat it were always close to the lizard’s territory. A scholar theorized that the Ibri Lizard spread the Ibri Syndrome so that humans would come to gather flowers for the cure, thereby providing the lizard with easy prey. Whether that is true has yet to be proven. Nonetheless, these past five years their village had been plagued both by the lizard and the sickness that seemed to follow it.

This culprit was the culprit who killed both of Angie’s parents and Pham’s father.

“Aaaah!” Pham let out a howl, trying to pump herself up as she let her arrow fly. It soared toward the Ibri Lizard, finding its mark with a dull sound as it pierced the creature’s scales.

In that same instant, the lizard made its move. It scaled down the cliff wall as quickly as a gecko. It didn’t seem as though Pham’s arrow had affected it at all.

“Angie! I’m begging you, stand up! Run!”

Thanks to Pham’s encouragement, Angie finally found her feet. I have to run! I have to hurry! Panic gripped her, causing her feet to trip, but despite her stumbling she somehow managed to scurry away. Pham joined her in retreat once she was sure Angie was up and moving. 

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

“Grooooooaaar!”

With impressive speed, the Ibri Lizard closed in, catching up to Pham. Its gleaming, jagged teeth clamped down on her leg.

“Gaaaaah!”

The creature lifted her like she was a rag doll, and flung her through the air. Pham let out an unladylike howl as she went flying, crashing into the flowers carpeting the meadow.

Angie had seen it all. Her eyes had met Pham’s as the latter sailed through the air. She’d had a look of sheer terror on her face. Having witnessed that, Angie hesitated, thinking she had to save her friend. But before she even knew what was happening, the Ibri Lizard was right in front of her.

“Ah…”

I’m going to die, Angie realized.

In the past, she’d dreamed of someone jumping in to save her in such a situation, but those were nothing more than delusions. The reality is that when someone is in a real crisis, there’s no time for anyone to jump in and help. Death arrives in an instant. That’s simply how the world works.

That was precisely why what happened next had to be nothing more than a dream.

Something slammed into the Ibri Lizard from the side, sending it hurtling.

“Huh?” Angie couldn’t believe her eyes. The very thing that was about to kill her, that should have been too large and heavy to be sent spinning through the air, was flying off in an odd direction.

“Grrr…” snarled the creature. Blood spilled out of its mouth when it finally landed. It raised its head, glancing across from where it had fallen. 

Angie followed its gaze to find a man standing there in a mouse-gray robe that flapped the wind. Beneath that, he wore black armor, and held what appeared to be a tube in his left hand. His light-brown hair fluttered as he strode toward the Ibri Lizard.

“Graaah!” The Ibri Lizard launched itself at him with such agility it was hard to believe it had been grievously wounded in the attack. Its enormous fangs closed around the man, sinking into him. It appeared as if the creature had bitten him in half, but that was only a hallucination on Angie’s part—he was perfectly alive and well. Somehow, the man had managed to stop the Ibri Lizard’s head with his right hand, gripping its enormous nose and holding it in place. He languidly lifted his left hand, aiming the strange tube at its head.

“Shotgun Trigger!” shouted the man. 

Something discharged from the tube he was holding. Angie couldn’t make out what it was, but it shot out at an incredible speed. In the moment she blinked, the Ibri Lizard’s entire head was blown off. The impact was almost like an uppercut, jerking its long neck upward, its entire body flopping. 

Despite its enormous size, the sound of it collapsing was strangely quiet. It was hard for Angie to believe what she was seeing, but bright red blood steadily flowed from the creature’s severed neck.

“Phew.” The man let out a breath and extended his right hand toward the creature’s corpse. Flames swallowed it up seconds later, the fire crackling as it devoured the natural oils from the monster’s body. The smell of burning meat filled the area.

The man then finally turned to Angie. Silhouetted by the flames, he spoke to her as casually as if he were asking the weather. “Hello there. You’re Angelique Curenttale, yes?”

“Huh?” Angie blurted out, dumbfounded.

“Or are you Pham Haindora?”

He’s asking for your name, she realized. But for whatever reason, her tongue couldn’t form the words for a response, so she just quickly shook her head and then bobbed it in quick succession.

“I came here to rescue you.”

When the man in the mouse-gray robe said that, her heart suddenly beat louder. 

This stranger introduced himself as Rudeus Greyrat. While Angie battled with her thundering pulse, he made his way over to Pham and began healing her. It was almost instantaneous. She didn’t regain consciousness, but her leg, which had been nearly torn off, was reattached, the bone unbroken, and the skin no longer bruised purple.

Rudeus explained that someone had asked him to come to their rescue, but he wouldn’t name their secret benefactor. For her part, Angie had no clue who could have possibly put him up to this.

“Regardless, I am simply glad I made it in time,” he said. “That was a close call.”

“Y-yes!”

Rudeus carried the unconscious Pham on his back as he walked through the forest. Angie, meanwhile, was hauling a basket now full of Eant Flowers and incessantly smoothing her hair.

I just know my hair must be a rat’s nest, and my clothes are covered in dirt. No doubt my butt is, too. I bet it’s all over my face as well. Ugh, what should I do? Wait, I guess the more problematic thing here is my attitude, isn’t it?

Each time Rudeus glanced over his shoulder at her, her cheeks lit up and she had to avert her eyes as she followed behind him. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to pay her strange behavior any mind. He actually kept his eyes focused ahead most of the time, almost as if he thought it wrong to look upon her face. He did not break the silence as they walked. Occasionally he would glance back at her, but very infrequently and only to confirm she was still behind him. Angie wished she could get a better look at his face.

Oh no… We’re about to reach the village. Once we do, he’ll be a hero. He defeated the lizard, after all, and saved our village. What should I do? If that happens, there’s no way I’ll be able to get a word in with him after that.

Finally, her eyes landed on Pham, who was still slumped against his back. Her full breasts were pressed flush against him, and Angie couldn’t help but be a bit jealous.

“Uh, um, Mister Rudeus!” Angie blurted.

“Yes, what is it?” Rudeus glanced back at her, his expression blank.

“Ph-Pham! I m-mean, isn’t Pham heavy?”

“Not at all.”

“B-but,” she stammered, “we’ve been walking all this time. You have to be exhausted, right?!”

“No. I have trained my body enough not to be worn out by something like this.” As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeve, flexing his arm. It was impossible to see the muscle beneath his black armor, but Angie was nonetheless impressed. He really does work out!

Rudeus smacked his fist against his open palm as he said, “Ah, I get it. My apologies for not realizing sooner.”

“Sorry?”

Realize what? Angie wondered. She stared blankly at him, and he smiled at her, his pearly teeth glimmering.

“Miss Angelique, you must be tired. Shall we take a small break?”

Incidentally, his teeth glimmering was a mere hallucination on Angie’s part.

After a long pause, she finally stuttered, “Oh, r-right, yes! I’m exhausted. Sorry, but please let me rest a bit. Also, feel free to call me—ahem, I mean, please, call me Angie, if you don’t mind!”

“All right, Miss Angie. In that case, how about right here?” 

Rudeus slowly lowered Pham to the ground, propping her against a tree while he settled down on a nearby stump. There were two such stumps, both V-shaped, and Rudeus had positioned himself perfectly out of consideration for her, making sure there was a short distance that separated them. Angie, however, realized this was her chance.

Here goes! Angie purposefully plopped down right beside him. 

Rudeus visibly flinched, his shoulders jumping. 

Did I…upset him? Angie snuck a glance at his face. He looked uncomfortable, but at least he didn’t look obviously disgusted. It was more like he was confused. Angie quickly came up with an excuse.

“S-sorry, I was just so scared, you see. I-I still am, so do you mind if I sit next to you?”

“Huh? Uh, sure. Be my guest…”

Things were proceeding smoothly between them, and Angie intended to ride that wave however far it would take her.

“Erm, uh, thank you so much for what you did,” she squeaked.

“Not at all. It’s part of my job,” Rudeus responded curtly, looking down at her. For some reason, his eyes kept darting back and forth. Angie followed his gaze, not thinking much of it until she noticed her clothes which had at some point caught on something and ripped, leaving her chest exposed.

Angie gasped and immediately tried to hide herself, hands across her breasts. Honestly, she intended to see this dream through to its steamy conclusion, however far off it might be, which was precisely why she sidled closer to Rudeus. He promptly pulled away, putting more distance between them. Angie closed the gap again, only for him to retreat. She pursued him until he was backed onto the edge of the stump, and she pressed herself against his arm.

“Um, Mister Rudeus?”

“Y-yes, what is it?”

Rudeus’s gaze kept wandering to her breasts, prompting her to swallow hard. She wasn’t as well-endowed as Pham, but she was larger than most girls in the village. Pervy old men often harassed her with sexual comments such as, “Didja boil this medicine in the valley between those nice big mounds ya got?” In the village, they were objects that people teased her about, but right now something inside her screamed that it was time to employ them as a weapon.

“Perhaps, it really is just a job for you, as you say, but that doesn’t change how grateful I am that you saved my life,” said Angie.

“W-well, you’re welcome.”

“If—I mean, that is, assuming you don’t intend to return home right away once we get back to the village, then…please, stop by my house. I’d love to find a way to repay you.”

“No, I must return home promptly. I have another job lined up.”

That took the wind right out of her sails, but not enough to persuade her to give up. After all, Angie was in this for the long haul. She wanted to continue this adventure to its natural conclusion, until her long journey brought her to the eternal city of happily-ever-afters.

“Then, well, in that case, please…let me show you my appreciation now. I don’t have anything to offer, so I’m afraid…all I can give is m-my body…” Angie’s face burned bright red as her hands traveled up her torn shirt, ready to pull it all the way open. Rudeus’s gaze was firmly glued to her chest as she started to expose herself, but then he abruptly stood up. 

“Um…Mister Rudeus?”

“My apologies, but I have a chronic disease that’s threatening to flare up, so I need to take some medicine.” Even as he spoke, he didn’t peel his eyes away from her chest.

Nonetheless, hearing the mention of medicine brought Angie back to her senses. She was an apothecary, after all. Hearing that the man before her suffered from a chronic illness reflexively made her want to help.

“Uh, um! If it’s medicine you need, I’m an apothecary. As soon as we return to my house, I can brew you something,” she offered.

“No, I brought my own with me,” Rudeus replied, slipping a hand into his pocket. He produced a small bundle of white cloth. Angie watched, spurred on more by curiosity of what this medicine could be than romantic interest. This was likely in part to being too obsessed with her work.

Rudeus was an incredibly strong warrior. He had armor and sported enough muscle to stop an Ibri Lizard in its tracks, on top of being able to use offensive magic. He was clearly a high-ranking mage warrior. Additionally, he’d used some pretty high-level healing magic on Pham as well. Angie had heard that most people learned healing magic and detoxification magic together, which meant he was presumably proficient in the latter as well. Naturally, she had to wonder what chronic illness could possibly plague a living legend like him and what medicine he used to combat it. If it was something new to her, she wanted to get a good look at it.

“Is it a tonic?” Angie asked.

“Yes, well, something like that.” Rudeus spread out the folded fabric. Angie held out her hand, to catch the medicine, but to her surprise, there was nothing. Not a pill, not a packet of powder. The fabric had been holding nothing, literally. So where was this supposed medicine?

Angie didn’t have long to wonder because as she looked up, she was puzzled at what she saw—girl’s underwear.

Rudeus was suddenly holding panties in his hands—ones that looked like they clearly belonged to an underage girl, judging by the size.

What…when did…where… Why is he holding those?

It was strange. Moments ago he’d been holding a bundle of cloth containing his medicine…no. This was the cloth he’d been holding. The underwear had simply been folded up. Huh? But why?

Utterly perplexed, she could only stare. “…Wha?”

“Pheew…” Rudeus let out a big exhale, ignoring her confusion. And then he buried his face in those panties, inhaling deeply. “Haah, haah… Sniff, sniff… Haah, haah.” In and out, in and out he breathed. He smothered his face in the fabric, nostrils flaring as he drew in the scent. He even licked it periodically, thoroughly enjoying the soft bundle in is hands.

Angie trembled, shaken by what she was witnessing. A chill ran down her spine, but she could neither speak nor even move. She sat there frozen in place, just watching him.

“Phew,” he exhaled at last, having spent a whole five minutes doing this. “Thank you, God.” As he finished speaking, he placed his hands together in prayer before neatly folding the underwear and stowing them back in his pocket.

Unsure what to even say, Angie sat there, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. Her mind struggled to process what was going on. The mood between them had been perfect, but then out of nowhere he whipped out those panties and started sniffing them like some kind of pervert. She didn’t understand it.

“Underwear is best after it’s been worn, yes indeed,” he muttered to himself.

The one thing she certainly did know was that his actions had killed whatever emotions had come over her moments ago, and with it, the budding romance she’d felt.

“Well then, Miss Angie, what was it you were saying?” Rudeus asked.

After a long, long pause, she finally said, “No, it was nothing.”

Her dream had ended.

Angie promptly returned home after that. 

When they arrived at the village, Rudeus entrusted Pham to her and said, “I have no intention of staying in your village at all, so I’ll excuse myself here.”

“Yes. All right. Thank you… Yeah.” Angie jerkily bobbed her head up and down, her face devoid of emotion. Alas, the irregular events of a few moments prior were still burned vividly into her mind.

“Well then, take care.” Rudeus spun on his heel and started to leave, only to pause as if he’d just remembered something. He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Oh, that reminds me. Miss Angie, you said you would return the favor, yes?”

Another chill ran down her spine. A favor? Yes. Now that she thought about it, he had saved her life. If he wanted her body, she couldn’t very well refuse him. It didn’t matter how instinctively disgusted she felt by him, she wasn’t such an ingrate that she would say no.

“Erm, uh… Well, I’m afraid I really can’t give you my underwear…”

“No, I don’t need your underwear. There’s something I want you to do for me.”

“S-something you want me to do?”

Oh crap. She just knew he would ask her to do something totally debauched. The color drained from her face as she mentally prepared herself for it.

Rudeus saw her reaction and scratched the back of his head. “Guess it’s only natural she’d be disgusted,” he muttered as he slipped something out of his backpack. He held out a picture book and a figurine. “Miss Angie, if you happen to have a child someday, I’d like you to read this picture book to them. Tell them that the Superd Tribe aren’t a bunch of devils.”

“Huh? Supe-what? What are you talking about?”

“The Superd Tribe.”

“The Superd Tribe…” Angie echoed his words, completely thrown by this request out of the left field. Her eyes were wide as saucers.

“There is a glossary at the end of the book to help with learning how to read the letters, so you can use that as part of your child’s education, too. I do hope you’ll share this with them.”

He then departed, leaving Angie stood there dumbfounded, a picture book and a figure with green hair in her hands. Just looking at the likeness of the Superd Tribe was terrifying. The figure itself was eerily intricate and the colors painted on it made it look so realistic she wondered if it might suddenly spring to life. This little statuette was a perfect replica of a terrifying demon. She felt the urge to dispose of it immediately, but she remembered that Rudeus had saved her life, and stopped herself.

“Um…”

The Superd Tribe, huh? She had never met one of them before, but she had heard of them. They were a group of people often referred to as devils. When she was younger, her parents would often warn her that if she did anything bad, the Superds would come to carry her off and devour her. And yet Rudeus was trying to spread the story that they weren’t awful people after all.

Why would he do such a thing? 

Unable to decipher his motivations, Angie wasn’t quite sure what to do. She pressed her finger against the figure’s head.

“Ah!” She gasped as the hair came off. Now all that was left behind was what looked like a bald warrior wielding a spear, cradled safely in her hand. “Pfft.” Angie burst into laughter. She still had no idea what to make of this, but her savior had made a request of her that she planned to honor.

Several years after that, Dochil—whom Angie had cured with her tonic—proposed to her and she became the second wife of their new village leader. He was a hard worker, but a rather boring man. The only upside was that he wasn’t a pervert. Angie was grateful for that at least. When her child was born, she did as she was told and read the picture book to them as she raised them.

Eventually, that picture book’s story would become widespread throughout the village. The nearby region would come to recognize the Superd Tribe as a clan of bald warriors of justice. That, however, is a story for another time.