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Chapter 5 - Days Growing More Absurd

"Come on, take this and go thank Ram-sama properly. Get closer to her."

After the man finished speaking, the woman beside him quickly shoved a roasted suckling pig leg, wrapped in lotus leaves, into Shin's arms.

While warning him not to eat it himself, she hustled him out of the living room.

... Aren't these two a bit too mercenary?

Staring speechlessly at the pig leg in his arms, Shin stood disheveled in the breeze at the doorstep.

Once he calmed down, though, he could roughly understand their reasoning. For the Ghost Tribe, strength was paramount, followed closely by reproduction.

As demi-humans, the Ghost Tribe was renowned for their resilient bodies, immense magical power, and unmatched combat prowess.

Their only notable flaw was that their strength made conception difficult. Thus, despite their power, they hid in the mountains to avoid battles that could decimate their already scarce numbers and risk extinction.

Even so, they were barely scraping by.

Shin's parents, having had him in their middle age, felt they couldn't produce another child.

Originally, they likely saw him as a means of "waste utilization," pairing him with Rem—another single-horned child with little expectation from the village, unlikely to be wanted by others—in hopes they'd produce a normal child.

In eras with lower life expectancies, marriage ages tended to be younger. With the Ghost Tribe on the brink of extinction, marrying at ten wasn't unusual.

After all, a ghost's physique far surpassed humans', making childbirth at ten feasible.

As for Ram liking him... Shin didn't entertain the thought. There was probably some affection in a normal sense, but it definitely wasn't romantic.

Nine-year-old kids wouldn't understand that anyway. It was likely just Ram wanting to stay with Rem and disliking the other villagers who'd looked down on them, so she casually proposed marrying him.

For a tribe that valued strength to the point of near extinction and executed "defective" infants, Ram's parents were surely reluctant to marry her off to him.

But they couldn't ignore Ram, who was set to be the next clan leader and bore the title "Ghost God Reborn."

"... This tribe is something else. My life's getting more and more absurd..."

Muttering to himself as he knocked on the twins' door, Shin felt both speechless and amused by the situation.

The unlocked door soon swung open, and Rem peeked out cautiously. Upon seeing Shin, her face lit up with a cute smile.

"Carlos... here to hang out with us?"

"Eh, something like that? Wanna go for a walk and mess around?"

"Yup! Wait, Rem'll go get Sister."

Rem nodded eagerly without hesitation, darting back inside to drag Ram out.

The three headed to the river near the village as usual. Shin glanced at the inseparable sisters, thought for a moment, and handed the pig leg to the two young girls, casually asking,

"You two know what happened at noon, right?"

"That Sister and Rem are marrying Carlos next year?"

"You're really lucky, getting to marry beautiful sisters like us."

Rem spoke cheerfully, likely just happy they'd spend more time together. Ram, as usual, seemed unbothered, carrying her typical air of superiority.

"... You guys really have no idea what marriage actually means, do you?"

Looking at his two quasi-child brides, Shin wasn't dissatisfied with them, but he couldn't find anything to be happy about either. Getting excited over this would probably make him a creep.

He'd always treated the twins, whom he'd practically watched grow up, like sisters or daughters—nothing more.

"The meaning of marriage? Isn't it about eating good food? I hope... next year comes fast~"

Rem tilted her head, thinking, and immediately pictured the rare feasts at village weddings, her face brimming with anticipation.

Ram unwrapped the lotus leaves and took a bite, her eyes lighting up with delight. With startling strength, she snapped the pig leg in half and handed one part to Rem.

"This tastes good. Try it, Rem."

"Thanks~ Sister!"

"Rem's such a little glutton..."

Rem's innocent demeanor left Shin at a loss for words, but he soon dropped the topic and turned to Ram.

"Where's my share? Save me some!"

"Ram'll leave you a bit."

"Yup, Rem'll save some for Carlos too, okay?"

"Ha... fine, you guys eat. I won't fight you for it."

Seeing the sisters enthralled by the pig leg, Shin, though tempted by the rare treat, gave up on competing with kids for food.

He watched the sisters, who'd grown up alongside him, with a gentle gaze, no longer caring about the so-called marriage. After all... he had no intention of staying here until next year.

... About a week after the verbal engagement, the Ghost Tribe village suddenly buzzed with activity.

For the first time in nine years, the three stood on the sacrificial altar again.

Unlike last time, when they faced execution, this time they were before their ancestors and the crowd to formally confirm their marriage next year.

"Getting engaged to two young girls... my feelings are pretty weird."

"You're a kid yourself, and Ram's the one with complicated feelings about being engaged to a kid like you!"

"Sister, Carlos, d-don't argue now... we'll get scolded..."

Shin grumbled about his child brides, Ram shot back as usual, mimicking his tone, and Rem, looking close to tears, hurriedly tried to stop the two troublemakers.

"Be serious!"

The white-haired clan leader, seeing their lack of decorum, scolded them as Rem had predicted.

"Carlos and Rem! You two should feel honored to become family with Ram! No fooling around at a time like this! Support Ram fully, understood?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Shin nodded halfheartedly, while Rem nodded frantically, flustered.

"W-We understand, please don't worry, Clan Leader-sama!"

"Carlos! What's with that attitude?!"

Shin's demeanor made the stern clan leader clench his fist, looking ready to strike. At the critical moment, Ram stepped forward, standing in front of Shin with an expressionless face.

"Carlos is Ram's person now. Ram will discipline him, so you don't need to trouble yourself, Clan Leader."

"Ram...!"

The clan leader seemed ready to reprimand her but swallowed his words, hesitating for some reason.

A giant tribe elder, Cromwell, who'd been visiting the Ghost Tribe and attended the ceremony, shook his head and intervened.

"Being so harsh on kids is unbecoming. Since she's already set to marry, let's drop the matter."

"Marriage has nothing to do with war! Cromwell, you're not... giving up, are you?"

"No matter how many times you ask, my answer won't change. I'm tired, and I have a child to care for now. Further talk is pointless. I'm returning to the capital tomorrow."

Facing the clan leader's intense stare, Cromwell remained calm, clearly unwilling to continue discussing whatever topic they'd touched on.

Their sudden conversation left Shin and Rem bewildered, but Ram maintained her disinterested expression.

Shin couldn't help but whisper to her,

"Ram, does their talk have something to do with you?"

"Just foolish adults scheming foolish plans."

***

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