Episode 203. The Child of the Prairie (4)
Nerheim, the blood lord of Hiberdad, arranged for Rubin to live in the safest and most secure place in the castle. He also agreed to bring the materials Rubin requested here.
While Kuze was unpacking, Blane went outside to check if there were any people watching them.
This was because Rubin had instructed that they should only communicate with each other by voice, so that they could be on guard against not only their subordinate soldiers but also all the beasts within the castle.
-‘King of Beasts’ and ‘Friend of Beasts’. It is said that the Blood Tribe people are divided into two types, and Nerheim seems to be the former, my lord.
As Kuze said, Nerheim is the type that dominates beasts. I could clearly tell that while coming to the accommodations provided.
The beasts that were occasionally seen on the streets were in a different state. There was no soul in their eyes, so it was like looking at a death knight that had been resurrected by a necromancer.
-Kuje.
-Yes, your highness.
-Request information about Nerheim from my family.
-You’re curious about the identity. But are you talking about the main house and not the base warehouse?
-I can guess. If it’s as I expected, the base warehouse’s information power won’t be able to reach it. We have to go all the way to the palace.
-Oh, the palace… …?
-I wonder if that woman is a descendant of Graham. I just need to confirm that it is true.
Kuze thought about it for a moment. The name Graeheim. Was there a name like that among the blood donors of the old days?
Then, an image flashed through Kuze’s mind. The Grandbird, a symbol of the empire, appeared in Kuze’s mind.
A giant bird that serves as both a means of transportation and a base for stationing troops.
-If you are truly a descendant of Graham, it makes sense that you are so confident.
The overwhelming ability to control monsters, and even the rank of lord of the imperial military city. Everything is explained.
Transfusion recipient Gregheim.
Graham was also a ‘dominant type’, but his abilities far surpassed Nerheim’s.
Because he was a blood donor who was worthy of being evaluated as a meritorious subject until Lilic unified the continent.
It was Gregheim who transformed Granbird, which had previously been floating around like a cloud and reigning as the top predator in the sky, into the symbol and power of Lily.
It’s amazing that he was able to control Grandbird’s mind, but his abilities didn’t stop there.
Grahame has made it possible for a third party to take over control of the Granbird. In other words, he has set up a system where someone else can pilot the Granbird even if he is not on board.
Some criticized the system, saying that it would end when the recipient died, but of course it didn’t. Granbird’s obedience was maintained even after Grahame’s death.
Even the newly born Granbirds were imprinted with absolute obedience to Lilic. It was as if the Granbird species had been designed and created anew.
-Okay, I’ll put in the request right away. If it’s as you guessed, should we consider that blood transfusion lord as our enemy?
Rubin shook his head. He should be on guard, but he didn’t have to assume they were enemies.
Fortunately, the imperial edict did not specifically mention the life or death of the lord who was the blood transfusion recipient. If he was someone who absolutely could not be killed, there would have been a proper mention of it.
This means that in the event of a conflict arising during a mission, the decision will be left to Rubin’s discretion. This also applies to the life or death of Nerheim.
‘The descendants of the current Greheim family are nothing more than servants of the imperial family. There is no need to kill them.’
Of course, assuming you don’t bother me.
If the opposite situation had occurred, then it would have been enough to remove it. It was still something to wait and see.
‘What’s important right now is not that transfusion recipient.’
Rubin began to sort things out.
The starting point for tracking Brion Auror, Felkyon Brion. At first, the link between Felkyon and the Tooth Tribe was not so clear.
All I thought was that Pelkyon’s place of work right before he died was a military city on the border of the grasslands.
However, through my conversation with Nerheim today, another link was added between the Tooth and Felkion.
It is the ‘Study of Personification’.
‘Haneke.’
At Rubin’s call, Haneke rises from within.
‘Did you know that Felkion’s mission was to study the anthropomorphism of the Toothless?’
Haneke shook his head.
In fact, the general did not know the details of his deceased grandson’s duties until today. Of course, if he had wanted to know, he would have known more in detail than anyone else. But he did not want to know because he was doing it for his grandson.
Just because he is the successor to the Brion family and the grandson of a general, it doesn’t mean he can enjoy the privileges of an officer.
Regardless of Haneke’s intentions, even his slightest interest could be seen as a power-hungry intervention by the Generalissimo. Considering this, Haneke was always wary that his interest would weaken Pelchion.
-I remember clearly that I postponed my transfer. Even though I was able to return to the system after finishing my shift.
‘I see. The reason for the delay may also have to do with the study of water anthropomorphism.’
-Maybe so. Do you think that the study of water anthropomorphism is an important link in tracking down Brion Auror?
‘I don’t know yet.’
However, even if I hadn’t heard from the lord, it was clear that I would have encountered this piece someday.
‘Let’s wait for now. We’ll have to get the data from Nerheim before we can move on to the next step.’
And that night.
Nerheim had sent the relevant materials she had been waiting for. The amount of paperwork her soldiers had left behind was considerable. If stacked, it would be as tall as an adult.
As soon as the data arrived, Rubin carefully examined each document. Although it was a large amount, it was not a big problem because the focus of the analysis was set.
Of course, even that took two full days.
While he was examining the data, Rubin never stepped out of the building. Several times the lord asked him to eat, but he refused, saying that it was not possible until the analysis was completed.
That’s how it was for the third day.
“You’re finally out, Inspector.”
After checking all the materials, Rubin finally came out of the dorm. The first place he headed was the lord’s office.
“Have you finished analyzing the data?”
“Actually, this has no direct relation to the imperial edict. However, it seems to have some unexpected benefits.”
Rubin smiled softly.
“I think I gained some knowledge unexpectedly while reviewing the materials.”
“… … ?”
“I think the Imperial officers at the time wondered if the water spirits would cause them to lose their senses like the madness of orcs.”
In fact, it was a study that was more focused on fear than curiosity. The vast amount of research data revealed the imperial army’s concerns and fears about the water people. It was an attempt to determine whether it would harm the empire or not.
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“Although I have only seen the data from Felkyon, it seems that there were two opposing camps. You can tell by looking at the flow of the research data.”
“By any chance, what was the opinion of that traitor named Pelchion?”
“I was an advocate. I believed that the water-inflation system did not cause the Tuheun tribe to lose their rationality.”
And when we look at all the research results, we can see that Felkyon’s opinion was not wrong.
Perhaps this was the fact he wanted to reveal, even to the point of delaying his return to the system.
“Really? Since the research has already been stopped, we can’t draw any conclusions. Besides-”
Rubin expected that the lord would say something that would upset Haneke, but he didn’t bother to stop it.
“That traitor was a person who had lost his reason, so how could the Tuheun tribe, who had become a water man, prove that they had retained their reason?”
As expected, the ending was bitter. Rubin felt a faint pain spreading from his inner world again.
It seemed as if the transfusionist couldn’t continue to taunt Pelchion. Rubin changed the subject.
“Personally, there was something else that I found interesting.”
“Is it fun?”
“At that time, Felkyon seemed to have been in constant, and quite close, communication with many of the Tuhun people for research purposes. Some of them were famous.”
“If it’s the famous Tohun tribe… Could it be the ‘Wind of Tohun’?”
Rubin nodded. According to Felkyon’s records, Imacarum, contrary to his current notoriety, was actively cooperating with research at the time.
“Imacallum was the second most frequently encountered Tuhunite by Pelchion.”
Nerheim frowned at Rubin’s words.
If Imakarum is the second, then who is the first? I couldn’t help but ask because I was curious.
“Then who is the most common type of Tuheun?”
“Well, I don’t want to teach you that, because I found out about it by looking through a lot of research materials myself. If you want to know, you’ll have to check all the materials like I did.”
Find out for yourself, but it won’t be easy.
Because it took a long time? No. It was because Felkyon intentionally left a trick in the research records.
It was almost like a code. It was tight and solid, as if it was protecting someone in the records. If it weren’t for the various code-breaking methods of the Assassin’s Blade, Rubin would have fallen into the trap as well.
Of course, Rubin didn’t do me the kindness to tell me these things.
“Of course, Your Majesty is busy, so he may not have time for that.”
“… … .”
“I will be leaving tomorrow morning to meet the chieftain of the Tohun tribe. Notify him, immediately.”
“… … .”
Nerheim bit his lip. He just let it slide last time, but was he really going to meet the chieftain of the Tohun tribe?
Rubin’s eyes turned cold for a moment, as if he had noticed the hesitation.
“If you don’t feel like it, I will ask the palace for another assistant. Is that okay?”
“… I will convey my message to the chieftain.”
“There will be only four of us, me, two attendants, and the lord. We won’t need an escort, right? After all, the lord has beasts as his bodyguards.”
Of course, the Tuhun tribe would not tolerate the imperial army entering the grasslands. This was the most reasonable arrangement.
To Rubin’s question, Nerheim nodded with a look of resignation on his face.
“That’s right. If there are savages coming from all sides to kill me… I would trust beasts more than soldiers.”
Rubin returns to his accommodation.
He sat by the window and watched to see if the lord would follow his words. He was a blood donor, so he would send the bird out into the meadow.
Splash-
As expected, a large eagle flew through the lord’s office window, with a letter tied to its ankle that was meant for the chieftain.
‘Somehow things seem to be going smoothly.’
-Are you trying to track down that Tohun tribe member you found in my grandson’s records? The one you said you met most often?
‘They say that the Tuhun tribe never leaves the grasslands their entire lives. You will definitely meet them. If they haven’t died.’
The name that was revealed the most in Falchion’s records. He tried to hide his name through various methods, such as anagrams and intentional omission of letters, but he stood out to Rubin because of that.
Rubin was confident that tracing that name would lead him to Brion Auror.
Maybe he was taught the Brion Auror by Falchion. Or maybe he knows someone else who can manifest the Brion Auror.
‘Even if you can’t meet him, there is an alternative called Imacallum.’
Imakarum was the second most frequently encountered Thumpert by Falchion. He was also likely to have information about Brion Auror.
-Even so, how can you be sure that the ‘Wind of the Tear’ has returned to the Northern Plains? He must have known full well that the Empire would come after him.
‘He must have come back.’
This was also just a guess, but Rubin was certain. If Rubin’s memories before his return were accurate, there were only two places the remaining Tohun tribe could go.
Death or homeland.
And Imacallum is not someone who will die easily. That’s what the two eyes I saw in prison said.
‘Of course, it’s probably hiding somewhere in the northern plains.’
He is a hero of the Tohun tribe. The Tohun tribe will also sacrifice their lives to hide him.
But I had no intention of finding him who was hiding.
If he was ever in the northern plains, Rubin would make him come to him on his own two feet.
* * *
The Tuhun tribe called the rocky area that glowed red at night ‘Stone Mountain’. The chief Tuhunpu was located right near this stone mountain.
The five tribes of the Tooth have a chieftain who takes turns each season. This season it was the Collarbone tribe’s turn.
Knock knock knock.
“Anyway, this guy’s acting.”
As soon as he entered the Chieftain’s Tomb, his eyes turned red. No matter how hard he waved his hands, the smoke inside did not disperse.
A strange smoke that makes you dizzy. The smell is also unpleasant, like a bad breath.
“… … .”
The chieftain sat before the crater, smoking. His closed eyes opened slightly as Imacarum stirred.
“Chief, you didn’t sleep. You’re so light-headed that you wouldn’t mistake me for dead. I went to let Rayubia and I play around.”
“I always told you to be careful when you roam the grasslands. You are wanted by the Emperor.”
The sharp eyes stood out in the acrid smoke. The face was covered in wrinkles that could not be drawn any further, but the gaze was tense.
Imakarum, embarrassed by the scolding gaze, scratched the back of his head. He wondered how old the chieftain was.
“Oh, Chieftain! What are you worried about? Do you have any intention of selling me out?”
“Beware of the beasts of the plains. There is a bloodsucker lord.”
“You mean the lord who took our horses away? Even without that, the suckling wolf that Rayubia raised seems to be looking down on me these days.”
“… … .”
“Why, Chieftain, you seem even more sensitive today. I think it’s time to hand over your position to Kundalit.”
It was said as a joke, but the reaction from the chieftain was not what I expected. He used to be as tough as Imakarum, but he seemed to have aged a lot recently.
“… … .”
The chieftain looks at me intently.
Imakarum felt unnecessarily tense at that gaze. The chieftain had not accumulated any military experience since he was young, and he was not good at leading horses. He was not capable of becoming a person like Imakarum.
However, the reason all the chieftains accepted him as their chieftain was because he had ‘eyes that could see into the soul’. His eyes were deep enough to capture the entire vast plains of Tohun.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“… … .”
“Chief, you said you could see the spirits too? Could it be that I am possessed by a spirit?”
“… The spirit is a being that only rushes to make a contract with a weakling whose fear has reached its peak, Imacalum. Don’t worry, this will never happen to you in your lifetime.”
“Then why did you look into my eyes so profoundly?”
“I just did it because I saw a cloud in your eyes.”
“Rain clouds? It rained heavily the day I came back over the barrier. Is it going to rain again?”
The chieftain shook his head, grumbling. Imakarum was too clear to see the ‘layers of divine words’ reflected in his eyes.
If you dug into the soul of that guy, there would be nothing there.
“Go and bring me Kundalit.”
Imakarum groaned and tried to get up, but there was no need to do so. Outside the room, Kundalit could still hear coughing from his cold.
The two waited quietly, but the coughing sound did not get any closer for a while.
“… … ?”
It is the custom of the Tuhun tribe to boldly go into the chieftain’s tuhunpur without hesitation. However, Kundalit was calling the chieftain from outside the tuhunpur.
“Chief, I caught an eagle… … .”
Kundalit’s voice sounded strange. Only then did the chieftain realize that it was no ordinary eagle.
“Hmm… The dream was strange, as expected.”
