Western Exploration Team

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

TLN: I kinda forgot the names of the expedition team leaders except for Stanford. If it differs a bit, please just ignore it.

"Does that mean you're leaving soon?"

Inside a dimly lit tent made of animal hides, Egbert, the shaman of the Great Stream Tribe, asked with a deep voice that had a somewhat unsettling resonance. At that moment, he was mixing a kind of ointment, first grinding different herbs into a paste in a stone mortar, and then blending them together according to their respective proportions.

"Yes, I came to say goodbye to you," Gran replied, sitting across from him, almost completely overshadowed by Egbert's tall figure. Although his team had stayed in the Great Stream Tribe for over two months, he couldn't help but feel an unnatural or even absurd sensation in the presence of Egbert and his people.

The feeling of absurdity stemmed from Egbert's appearance—a massive bovine head placed atop a human body. No matter how you looked at it, the combination was odd, reminiscent of some kind of domesticated animal used for farming.

Gran's first encounter with the Great Stream Tribe was over two months ago. Prior to that, he had been commanding the Western Exploration Team as they drifted across the vast ocean. After departing from the Northwest Bay, guided by the stars, their fleet sailed westward. Fortunately, the waters they navigated were calm, and they did not encounter storms, leading Gran to consider naming this vast ocean the "Peaceful Ocean." While drifting on the ocean, they encountered many islands; whenever the crew thought they had discovered a new continent and felt uplifted, subsequent explorations would deflate their excitement. Thankfully, these islands provided some fresh water and food, allowing them to continue westward.

Finally, after nearly four months since departing from Frand Port, the Western Exploration Team encountered a real continent. When they realized that the land beneath their feet was not just another small island, the excited crew quickly organized to explore the interior, only to run into a hunting party from the Great Stream Tribe.

The initial encounter was not very peaceful. Let's temporarily call these beings "Bovine Men"; their appearance terrified the exploration team members. A combination of a bull's head and a human body was unlike any bizarre creature they had ever seen on the Old Continent. The exploration team also startled the Great Stream Tribe members, who seemed to be seeing a human for the first time, but their level of panic was less than that of the explorers.

Upon seeing the first Bovine Man, fear almost drove the team members to shoot their crossbows, while the Bovine Men raised their stone spears. Yes, their tools seemed quite primitive, suggesting a low level of civilization; their clothing was made from animal skins adorned with bird feathers. Gran, leading the team, quickly stopped his subordinates. In his mind, any upright-walking animal must possess some intelligence; even the infamous goblins of the Old Continent could understand some human language, which meant they could communicate.

Gran's judgment proved correct. He made some gestures he believed conveyed goodwill. At first, the Bovine Men looked at them with hesitation, but after repeated efforts, they finally put down their weapons.

Through a mix of gestures and drawings, both sides confirmed each other's non-hostility. Leaving half of his crew behind and entrusting Vito—a young shipwright from Frand Port—to gather materials to repair their ship, Gran led a group into the Great Stream Tribe's camp. The items they brought from the ship—porcelain, metal tools, tea leaves, bags of salt, and cloth—were welcomed by the Great Stream Tribe, and the exploration team members were treated as esteemed guests. To the explorers, these oddly-shaped natives seemed more deserving of the title "Beastmen" than the orcs from their homeland's northern grasslands. The orcs back home merely had longer body hair, but here the Bovine Men truly had the head of an animal.

Over the following two months, Gran and his team worked hard to learn the language of the Bovine Men. Fortunately, their tongue structure was quite similar to that of humans, allowing them to produce sounds that humans could also make, even if these creatures occasionally liked to moo like cows. Gran himself had a high aptitude for languages and could now stumble through simple conversations with the Bovine Men. During these interactions, he met Egbert, the shaman of the Great Stream Tribe. Egbert's role seemed akin to that of a shaman among the prairie beastmen, both involved in some sort of mystical practices, and this shaman appeared to be the highest-ranking person in the tribe.

Although the Great Stream Tribe lacked a highly developed civilization, there was at least a sense of life. The exploration team, having been away from human civilization for so long, relied on simple bartering to trade and recuperate here for over two months. Once all the ships had been repaired and supplies replenished, Captain Gran decided it was time to say farewell to these new friends. He first visited Egbert's tent to pay his respects.

After listening to Gran's intentions, Egbert said with some regret, "Friend, it's a pity that I won't be able to hear more stories about another continent from you. In my previous understanding, the ocean is just the ocean, and the far side of the ocean is still ocean; apart from the land across the Southern Strait, there is no other land in the world."

The land across the Southern Strait—Gran had heard of it while gathering geographical information and planned to head south to see that land.

Gran sincerely responded, "If I have the opportunity, I will visit you again. However, respected Shaman Egbert, I seem to see worry on your brow. If you have any difficulties, would you tell me, a newly acquainted friend? Perhaps I can help."

Shaman Egbert sighed deeply, "I don't want to hide anything from a friend. In fact... our tribe is in danger."

"Are you facing some enemy? Where are they from?"

"Yes, the enemies are from the land to the south."

The southern land surprised Gran; he was planning to go there.

Egbert shook his head, "I don't want to conceal anything from you, my friend. Initially, I did consider seeking strength from you because you possess metal weapons similar to those of the enemies to the south. However, you are too few in number, and your weapons are far too few..."

Metal weapons? Could it be that there is a human civilization on the southern continent?

"Are they... are they human? Ah, I mean, are your enemies beings that look like me?" Gran's tone became a bit agitated.

Egbert shook his head again, "They resemble you, but not entirely. This is also why our warriors did not immediately attack you upon first meeting."

Gran thought to himself, no wonder the Bovine Men were surprised when they first encountered him; it was nothing compared to the shock humans felt upon seeing the Bovine Men. It turned out they had seen a similar humanoid race.

"Can you describe what these enemies look like? How do they differ from us?" Gran continued to ask Egbert.

Given Gran's current grasp of the Bovine Men's language, it was evident that he had not yet reached the level to understand detailed descriptions. Egbert spent half a day trying to describe, but finally gave up when he saw Gran's bewildered expression. He then turned to search for something and soon produced a stone slab. "This is what they look like; see for yourself."

Gran looked at the slab, his expression growing increasingly puzzled. Although the artwork on the slab was primitive and somewhat abstract, it was understandable. The depicted beings did resemble humans—human heads, human bodies, human limbs, and even human faces with slightly pointed ears.

Except for the curving horns on their heads, reminiscent of a goat's...

(End of the Chapter)

---

Read (FF) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c798.

Early Access at $5.

Translated (5) Series, (2K+) Chapters, (2.5M+) Words.