Chapter 76: Forgotten Land in the West of Ancient Gadaro

He said to the west of Gadaro, but where exactly? What is this forgotten land? I'm pretty sure it's a dead end up ahead. There's nowhere further we can go.

Well, well! I thought I had visitors.

Lord Uri-Uri!

We meet again. Have you been well? What're you doing here?

Are you wanting a rematch with me now that you are a little stronger?

I am afraid we shall have to save that for another day, Lord Uri-Uri. We seek a forgotten land. Would you happen to know anything about that?

A forgotten land?! My, my, are you out of your minds? All right. Beyond there is known as the forbidden place. A land of foul creatures, cursed for eternity by the gods. Even we monsters cannot approach it.

Foul creatures? Cursed by the gods? Really? Things sure aren't looking too good for us.

He certainly is unique. I'd rather like to put him in a stew.

Okay, let's be off then. Until we go there, we won't know what he was on about! We can talk after.

Do you really think there's a land of foul creatures that've been cursed by the gods around here?

Because so far, it's not really looking that way.

If Lord Uri-Uri is to be believed, this is a forbidden place that even monsters fear to tread. This may well mean that there are some fearsome fiends lurking in our midst.

He said they'd been cursed. And I doubt we'll be able to avoid them while we're looking for this entrance to the Underworld.

Pfft. It makes no difference whatever creatures we come against. If they get in our way, I'll destroy them all.

Huh? Was that a light?

Is something there?

Huh?

Whoa!

Aldo!

Urgh...

What's going on?

Ack...what is this?

We...were...careless...

What has happened to everyone!

...!

Ugh...

Huh?

Aldo! I'm so glad!

Have you regained consciousness?

I must've passed out... What's going on?

I am not entirely sure myself.

What are they? Those creatures...

Ow ow ow...

Wait, are they weaker than us?

Riica, what exactly happened here?

Termination mode activated! Sentence: Octopus Hit!

Octopus...hit?!

How could you scream? Call yourself a titan warrior? You're pathetic.

Y-You've got it wrong! I was gonna set a trap for the forest monsters, but then these creatures turned up. I've never seen anything like 'em, so I was gonna call everyone to come take a look, but then that little one suddenly...

What?

This is a surprise. You sure are a lot smaller than we titans. Such a tiny build... Are you humans?

Yeah, some of us are.

Really? Never thought I'd live to see the day.

And you are? Titans, did you say? If that's the same titans that I know...

And you are? Titans, did you say?

So you know about us? Yes, we are a species who have fulfilled our duty for this planet. Now, we live a quiet life here in the Valley of the Ancients. But how did you get here? This ancient forest is filled with monsters too tough for humans to face. You must have strong reasons driving you here.

Yes, we are a species who have fulfilled our duty for this planet. Now, we live a quiet life here in the Valley of the Ancients. But how did you get here? This ancient forest is filled with monsters too tough for humans to face. You must have strong reasons driving you here.

Well, we're looking for the entrance to the Underworld. There's someone on the other side we have to save.

Did you just say...the Underworld?!

Do you know something?

No. You won't hear about it from me. But this is starting to make sense. It must be fate, you coming here... You even look like the demon child.

The demon child?

What's all this racket about?

Garam?! I knew it when I heard titans...

Aldo! What brings you to my town?

Your friends, Garam? They can't be demon children.

There you are, Geldbariss. They're humans.

They are?! What're they doing here?

...Sounds like we need to share some information. I'd like you to tell me all about why you came here. But I'd like to bring you to our village. Any objections?

Is that you, Garam?

Aldo! What brings you to my town?

Your town? This is where you're from?

Your friends, Garam? They can't be demon children.

There you are, Geldbariss. They're humans.

They are?! What're they doing here?

Are these your friends?

In a sense. We are all titans.

Titans?! But you're...

I'm sure we both have questions. But first, I'd like you to tell me all about why you came here. I'd like to bring you to our village. Any objections?

What the?! He's our height... Are you a human like us?

Oh...

Who are these people? They can't be demon children.

There you are, Geldbariss. They're humans.

They are?! What're they doing here?

Humans, eh? I had a hunch... Hard to believe there really are creatures that look like me...

That's a weird thing to say. You don't really look human.

Well, no. I am a titan. I go by the name of Garambarrel.

A titan?! B-But you're...

I'm sure we both have questions. But first, I'd like you to tell me all about why you came here. I'd like to bring you to our village. Any objections?

None from me. They don't look like bad people, but I won't rest easy until I know more. Let's keep 'em where we can see 'em.

Yes... It's surely no coincidence that they came to this land. We should report this to Siodglase.

Of course. Come with me, you lot.

I see. So you came here in search of a forgotten land.

It sure was a surprise to find your people living within Hokishi Forest.

We're the ones who are surprised. We never expected anyone to make it through the steep Valley of the Ancients to our village of Pador.

So, why do you live in this forest?

Because our species has already fulfilled its duty.

Duty? So what was the titans' duty?

As children of mother goddess, our role was to fight the dark god and bring light to this planet.

The dark god?!

It was our ancestors who took part in that fight. It was tens of thousands of years ago, at least. In return for waging war on the dark god, our ancestors were cursed. We have come to live here, cut off from the rest of the world, to avoid spreading this curse to the other species.

Oh... I don't know what this curse is exactly, but it sounds terrible...

No one can go against this law of nature. We gave up on that long ago. But these days, there are people like you living in the outside world. The more I look at you, the more you look like the demon child.

So who is this demon child? The lady before mentioned him, too.

It's what they call me.

Garam's?

So that's your nickname, Garambarrel?

How should I explain this? Well, a demon child... Is one who doesn't look like their parents. My parents were ordinary titans, but for some reason, I was born different.

You can call me Garam, though. How should I explain this? Well, a demon child... Is one who doesn't look like their parents. My parents were ordinary titans, but for some reason, I was born different.

If anything, you look more like us humans than you do a titan.

(Fram also has a human-like body, but something between that of a titan and human...)

I only realized that when I saw you. I've been searching my whole life for the reason why I am the only titan to look the way I do. All laws have to have a reason. So there must be some reason why I look like this.

There I was, agonizing over this, when who should turn up but you, people who look like me. This can't be a coincidence.

Garam...

You said you were searching for the gateway to the Underworld. Why are you doing that?

Someone incredibly important to us has been swallowed into it. We have to find them, no matter what.

I see. So you've braved these dangers all to find a beloved human? Which means you won't give up so easily.

What's that supposed to mean?

The entrance to the Underworld is just beyond here, in a place called Demon's Den. And that gate can only be opened by the will and strength bestowed unto the titans by our mother goddess. However, opening that gate is strictly prohibited.

Oh no...

Why can't you open it?

It relates to the curse on us.

Am I right in presuming that this is a curse from the dark god?

Yes. It is best described as a "curse of mutation." In the distant future, we shall lose the will of our mother goddess, and mutate to a form that knows only destruction.

That's quite a curse...

The miasma that leaks out from the gate to the Underworld seems to have the power to speed up the curse. A passage in an ancient text tells of a titan who tried to open the door, and was changed to his future form in an instant.

Future form? What does that mean?

We've never seen it ourselves. But the text told of him being controlled by a hideous power, that caused him to butcher his kin... He never returned to his original form until his death.

It really does sound like a whole other creature to the gentle titans we've seen!

I'm afraid so. But this means you cannot go through the gate to the Underworld, no matter how much you may want to. We will pay such a huge price if that gate is opened...

Okay, I understand. But we can hardly stop now. Can't we just find another way?

That's all we know, but perhaps Siodglase knows something more.

Siodglase?

She's our village chief and the guardian of the gate. She checks to make sure the gate isn't doing anything unusual.

No one knows more about the gate to the Underworld than her.

Okay. We should probably talk to her then.

In which case, we'll go on ahead and let her know what's happening. Let's meet up when everything's ready.

How could there have been such a huge place at the end of that secret path? Lord Uri-Uri was right.

If you look up, all that is visible is the Tree of Eternity. This tree was from long before my era.

I don't see any signs of humans having set foot here. Perhaps he wasn't lying when he said there'd be a forgotten land.

We may be accidentally crossing into cursed monster territory. We should be extra careful.