The task of moving the goods was left to the others.
The red-haired girl led Origami Tobiichi into the tunnel that led to their tribe. Illuminated by the firelight, the two of them quickly reached the interior of the mountain.
The inside of this great mountain had been thoroughly excavated—they had hollowed out every part that could be hollowed.
Within the mountain was a considerable open space, and everywhere one looked, there were humans rarely seen on the outside.
When they saw the red-haired girl return, many nearby people greeted her. It seemed the atmosphere within the tribe was quite friendly.
However, no one paid much attention to Origami Tobiichi, who was fully wrapped up. Everyone just assumed she was a fellow tribesperson returning from outside.
As a result, they were not stopped and made their way straight to the center of the tribal base.
"This is my room. Until we assign you your own place, you can stay with me,"
the red-haired girl said with a smile as she stepped into a stone chamber veiled by curtains.
"You must be exhausted from traveling, but don't worry. It's very safe here."
"Mm."
"Oh, right—I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Couronne Dola," she said, introducing herself.
"Currently, I'm the acting chief of this tribe. If there's anything you need help with, just let me know."
Upon hearing this red-haired girl's name, Origami Tobiichi heart stirred slightly.
It seemed she had found the right place.
This human tribe was the very one that the protagonist Riku belonged to.
Her mission was to find the humans of this world and make them followers of Mio Takamiya, to provide faith in order to awaken the Mother Spirit.
Whether or not she found Riku personally didn't really matter. It was enough just to find any human tribe.
However, she was still somewhat curious about the timeline of this world. If she had indeed found Riku tribe, then that would be ideal.
And this Couronne Dola was Riku adopted elder sister.
Having confirmed the other party's identity, Origami Tobiichi finally introduced herself, sparing her words as usual.
"Origami Tobiichi. You can call me Origami."
"That's quite a strange name… Ah, I don't mean anything by that. I just think your naming style is kind of unique."
"It's fine."
"Well then, Miss Origami, let's get you something to eat first."
While they chatted, Couronne brought over a cup of water and a piece of dried meat, handing them to Origami.
Origami lowered her hood and removed the cloth covering her face.
Then, she picked up the smoked meat on the table and began eating it in small bites.
"Oh…"
Upon seeing Origami Tobiichi face, Couronne couldn't help but let out a soft gasp.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing, I was just a bit surprised."
Couronne coughed lightly and said sincerely,
"I never thought I'd meet someone as beautiful as you in my life."
Indeed, when she saw Origami true face, she was slightly stunned.
Her skin was fair and delicate, like a fine porcelain of milky white jade—its smoothness akin to a layer of powder.
Her eyes were clear and deep, hiding unfathomable emotions. Her lips were soft and full, with a gentle pink hue like the bloom of a flower.
Even though Couronne was already considered one of the tribe's beauties, she couldn't help but feel inferior next to Origami.
"You must have held a very high status in your original tribe, right?"
Naturally, Couronne assumed that Origami was someone like the daughter of a chief.
In this harsh world, everyone looked gaunt and malnourished—even someone with good features would find their appearance worn down by life.
But Origami showed no such signs at all.
Just by sitting there, she exuded a cold, proud air.
Even Couronne, who held a high position in the tribe, unconsciously felt a sense of inferiority before her.
"Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned your tribe."
Although she had been the one to ask, Couronne suddenly remembered what Scarface had told her earlier and coughed awkwardly, changing the subject on her own.
"Just pretend I didn't ask."
"I don't mind."
Origami reached into her cloak and pulled out a small wooden figurine, placing it on the table.
Though carved from wood, the figurine's appearance and clothing were quite detailed, possessing a lifelike charm and spirit.
Couronne examined the wooden figure curiously and asked,
"What is this?"
"This is the God worshiped by my tribe—Mio Takamiya," Origami replied.
"And I am the divine messenger chosen by Mio Takamiya."
This was the third identity Origami had fabricated to spread her religion among human tribes.
The wooden figurine had been carved based on her memory of Mio Takamiya's image, and was used for proselytizing.
During the past few days when they weren't traveling, she had practiced carving, creating over a dozen failed pieces. This was the only one worth showing.
"...A God?"
This wasn't the first time Couronne tribe had come into contact with the culture of other tribes.
But a god and a divine messenger—that, she was hearing for the first time.
Her gaze toward the wooden figurine now held a bit of reverence and fear.
After all, real gods did exist in this world.
"Mio Takamiya is the God of the Spirit Race—the first divine being to be born into this world, and the Mother of All Creation," Origami continued.
"But she is currently in a deep slumber."
"My mission as her messenger is to awaken her."
"Why?"
Though she had many other questions in her mind, Couronne chose to ask the one she most wanted answered.
"Because she is a benevolent God. If she awakens, she will surely have the power to end the War of the Gods," Origami replied calmly.
"If the war ends, peace will return to the world. Humanity would no longer have to struggle to survive as we do now."
"Hmm…"
Couronne fell into contemplation.
Though she appeared to be thinking on the surface, her mind was actually blank.
The things weighing on her now were when Riku would return and how to help the tribe develop.
The idea of ending the War of the Gods had never even crossed her mind.
A slumbering divine spirit, power of faith—these were completely foreign concepts to her.
"If possible, I hope I can spread the name of Mio Takamiya in your tribe," Origami said.
"Don't worry—my actions won't negatively affect you. In fact, it may even boost morale among your people."
"Haa… Sorry, but I'm not able to make that decision," Couronne said wearily.
"I'm just the acting chief. You'll have to discuss that with Riku—he's the real leader of our tribe."
"Then… where is Riku right now?"
"He left to explore an unknown region about half a month ago," Couronne replied.
"Based on past experience, he should be back very soon."
"I see."
Origami nodded and put away the Mio Takamiya figurine.
"Then I'll wait for him to return."