── In the neighboring village ──

[Villagers, obey and follow us! For we, the 『Cult of Awakening Contentment』, seek to hail forth a new dynasty!]

A man donning a yellow robe cries out at the people gathered in the center of the village.

Behind him stand about 20 men clad in iron armor. All of them possess a weapon.

Around them, several houses are burning. The cult members who had abruptly turned up had set them on fire. The villagers, currently being threatened by the armed men of the cult, are being prevented from putting the fires out.

The villagers tremble upon hearing the name 『Cult of Awakening Contentment』mentioned. They too are familiar with how they burn villages and pillage crops.

Due to lack of information, and the fact that 『Governor Kittle』 is taking action to subdue the cult, the villagers didn’t have enough countermeasures prepared to deal with them. Neither did they consider the cult would ever come to attack their village.

[Our Great Daidoushi-sama is in despair at how rotten the Kingdom of Alicia is![1]]
The cultist continues to shout without knowing what the villagers are thinking.
[Our Daidoshi-sama received a divine message stating 『bring forth a new dynasty through ancient magic』. We are acting in accordance with that great cause! Those who oppose will be deemed 『evil』!!]

[…… These people are talking a big deal, but what are you going to do?]
A man with a large build mutters from the middle of the gathered villagers.

[Of course, we of the 『Hazama Village』 have no intention of joining this cult. If you guys are going to submit to them, then we’ll go home, alright?]
The man from the oni tribe── Garunga, stares at the villagers as he speaks.

[……We have no intention of submitting to this cult either.]
From behind him, a white-haired man── the village chief, shakes his head. 

[……Thank heavens you people are here. We’d probably have been scared stiff had it just been us alone.]
[We’re only here to trade timber though.]

Garunga and others of the Oni tribe are forming a line to protect the villagers. They arrived at that village about an hour ago to trade their timber. By then, the village had already been attacked by the 『Cult of Awakening Contentment』.

Other than trading timber, Garunga and the others do have one other mission. In order to fulfill that mission, they decided to conceal themselves among the villagers.

[Will you lend us your strength, people of the oni tribe?]
A villager asks from behind Garunga’s back.

[Even though the ones who drove the ajin to the frontier…… while it was by the command of the minister of Alicia, were our fellow humans……]
[Don’t mind it. Telling King-sama that I’ve abandoned the humans isn’t something I’m able to do, after all.]
[……King-sama?]
[You’ll understand later. Before the strength of our king, something like a cult ain’t a problem!]

The oni tribesmen ready their weapons. A small distance away, those of the 『Cult of Awakening Contentment』 give daring smiles.

[Ajin, is it?]
The cultist man in a yellow robe spits out.

[If you submit to us, we could add an extra seat to the foot of our new dynasty for you?]
[Hang on a moment, there is one thing I’d like to confirm.]

Garunga pulls out a small wooden plank from his breast pocket. It is something he received from Shouma when he left the village.

『Garunga-san, if you happen to encounter the 「Cult of Awakening Contentment」 in the middle of your journey, you all are to escape right away. However, if the other party appears to be talkative, seems loose-lipped, or looks likely to get carried away, then I want for you to ask them this question. This might allow us to acquire some information about them.』

Such was the detailed instruction Shouma gave to the oni tribesman, Garunga.

[……『Let me ask you this. Is there an advantage of joining the cult?』]
[……Aah?]

The robed man narrowed his eyes in doubt.

[『If there are no benefits, no one will join even if you invite them. Since you’re out gathering people to join the cult, there must some sort of benefit to it, even if it’s just a small one.』]

The oni tribesman, Garunga, continues without minding the man’s expression.

[『Should the members of the cult proudly speak of their objectives, then they may get carried away answering the question. It’s worth a try.』──Ah, I suppose I shouldn’t have read that part out loud.]
[What are you trying to say, oni?]

[Let me do it over. 『Even though you’re burning villages and forcibly gathering people, there must have been some sort of merit for those who gathered under you first. Elicit that information and uncover their weak-』……Umumu, King-sama’s writing is hard to read…… Yeah, let’s just put it like that.]

The oni tribesman, Garunga, raises his hand, syncs with the other oni by saying, ‘ready-go’, and they all cry out, [『Oh, wow! So there are benefits to joining the cult?!』]

The oni, with serious expressions on their faces and their weapons readied, ask that question of the robed man.

[……Very well. Let me tell you. You villagers as well, listen closely.]
The robed man’s chest swells with pride.

[The power of our Daidoushi 『Great Horn』-sama allows us, the 『Cult of Awakening Contentment』, to manipulate insects!]
[We already knew that. I guess there was no need to ask.]
[Silence! Now pay close attention! This is the power of the cult!!]

The robed man turns around and gives a signal with his eyes. Then, a man of small stature among the soldiers taps the ground with his cane.

『Vuuuuuvuvuvuvuvuvuvuvvu』

A buzzing sound echoes.
It is the buzzing sound of an insect’s wings.

A giant insect appears from the man’s cloak. It’s about the size of a child in stature. The grasshopper── no, the locust has a long body, a developed jaw, and long wings.

「『Be summoned from the jet-black flame. O, great familiar.』」

The little man with the cane continues to murmur, and each time he does, a giant locust appears. They come out from inside his cloak one after another.

There are 15 of them.

The robed cult leader laughs out at having them at his sides.

[Behold! This insect-type mamono. With this, we’re able to consume an entire field in the blink of an eye. It takes away food. It also lets us intentionally cause famine. Being able to control food is the equivalent of being able to control the people themselves. That is the merit of following our 『cult』.]

[I see. I understand now.]
Garunga nods.

「I’ll report that to my king once I get back.」
「Did you say king?」

The male cultist tilts his head.

[The king of the oni tribe….? Who might that person be?]
[He’s a gentleman who can’t be touched even by the likes of an evil cult. He’s a gentleman who transformed the barren lands of the frontier into fertile fields. He’s a gentleman who sees through the abyss of the world, a gentleman who’s feared even by the goddess who sits up in the 8th heaven!]
[Wh…… what!?]
[Something like the 『insect』 of your cult ain’t able to even step one foot into our king’s domain. You’ll come to understand. Before the gentleman anticipated by we ajin, before the gentleman who will rule all races, how powerless you people are!]

Garunga along with everyone of the oni tribe shout in unison.

The villagers begin to make a commotion.

[The king of the ajin……they said.]
[The one who will rule all races…… so, humans, too?]
[The insect mamono can’t even step one foot…… he said?]
[If that’s true, then there’s no need to be afraid of the cult……]

The once-frightened men of the village pick up their weapons. Those men all begin to scream their opposition. Even the villagers in the back raise their voices.
“Don’t obey the cult. Don’t give in to these invaders who force themselves on others,” is what they say.

[Is that what you all decided upon…….?!]
The robed man raises his arm. [In that case, we’ll crush you all here! After that, we’ll take only those who appear useful! Warriors, attack!]
[[[OU!!]]]

---

[1] Daidoushi is a priestly title who officiates ceremonies and chants prayers (mainly in Japanese Buddhism). I suppose ‘Head Priest’ or ‘Great Guru’ are pretty close translations but I don’t think these words could quite capture the title correctly. 

<Chapter 32.2
Chapter 33.2>