Episode 205. Eyes that touch the inner self (1)
That girl named Rayubia.
According to the custom of the Tuhun tribe, she should have introduced herself by putting her tribe name in front. Something like, ‘Rayubia, daughter of the Collarbone tribe.’
Not only is the concept of family broader than that of the imperial people, but it is also due to the culture of the Tuheung people who practice communal childrearing.
‘The daughter of Nublar.’
There was only one case where a person’s name, rather than a clan name, would be placed before the person’s name: when the mother who gave birth to him was no longer alive.
Rubin scratched his forehead. It was Nublar who was most likely to have inherited Brion Auror from Felkion. With that person dead, Brion Auror’s whereabouts were once again unknown.
What if Nublar’s death was faked?
There was no chance of that. The Toothless did not do anything like faking their deaths.
‘I hope Imacallum returns to the meadow.’
Continuing the pursuit through the Imakarum. There was no other option but to take the second option. Rubin gave the order.
“Blaane, put your weapon down.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Rubin slowly advances his horse to watch how the Tooth Fairy girl comes out.
Contrary to her curious appearance, Rayubia is in deep thought, moving the wolf she is riding around.
-I’ve never heard of a Tuhun tribe riding a wolf.
As Haneke said, the Tuhun tribe and wolves are not destined to mix easily. After all, one of the animals that cause damage to Tuhun horse ranching is the wolf.
I wonder if he hates it, but it was surprising that he rode around like a horse.
‘What a peculiar child.’
As Rubin gradually approached, the wolf lowered its body and growled, ready to pounce.
Rayubia, who was also sitting on the wolf’s back, was holding a blunt sword in her hand.
‘Did you get burns all over your body?’
Another unusual thing about the child, aside from the fact that he was riding a wolf, was the bandages wrapped around his body.
Although the child was dressed in cool clothes made of rough fabric, as expected of a Tuhun tribe, the child’s entire upper body was wrapped in bandages, as if trying to hide her skin.
Grrrrr.
The wolf raised its claws on its front paws and bared its fangs. Its gleaming eyes were quite fierce. The wolf was just as unique as Rayubia.
At that time, Nerheim approached Rayubia.
‘Are you greedy for wolves?’
Nerheim was capable of instantly turning even the most monstrous monsters into his followers. However, that wolf has not changed yet. I don’t know why, but it seems like Nerheim’s ability is not working.
Rubin stepped forward.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to take the wolf away from the child.”
“…yes?”
Nerheim narrowed his eyes and did not hide his displeasure.
“Inspector, do you remember what that child said to me?”
“… He was said to be a transfusionist who sprayed the stench of orcs like perfume.”
“You remember very well. As an official of the Empire, I must tie up this matter before I go. Even if it means going to meet the Chieftain.”
Nerheim has no intention of backing down. In fact, the insult from the Touhou girl was just an excuse for her. It must be her desire for the wolf that is not affected by mind control.
“Taking that child’s life wouldn’t be enough, so even the Chieftain would be grateful if he could just take care of it with a single wolf.”
Well, that wasn’t wrong. Even if you take into account that it was something a child did, insulting the person in charge of supplying the Toothless was a serious crime. If it was a diplomatic issue, the Toothless could easily be held responsible.
But Rubin couldn’t allow Nerheim to mess up the situation.
“This is only a warning, Lord Hibertad.”
“…yes?”
Rubin blocked Nerheim’s path, preventing him from going any further. His cold eyes captured Nerheim’s increasingly embarrassed face.
“I will not forbid you to take the wolf.”
“… … .”
“But, please do that after I complete my imperial mandate and leave this place.”
Nerheim was careful to lower his lips. He had no idea how the inspector would perceive each word he uttered.
Rubin’s next words were decisive.
“Do not be overconfident in the privileges you enjoy as a descendant of Graham. If you cross the line I have set, that will be the end of Graham’s line.”
Her hands holding the reins involuntarily tightened.
‘Did you know my lineage?’
Although she had enjoyed many privileges as a descendant of the Grahams, she had never once revealed her lineage.
Of course, it was true that many people had speculated about her unique appearance.
But no one could say that for sure. It was a matter that could result in punishment from the royal family if one spoke wrongly.
Externally, it was said that there were no descendants of the current Graham. This was information known only to a few, and knowing this information meant that they possessed immense power.
This was also why Nerheim felt momentarily afraid.
‘With this, Nerheim has been resolved.’
Before entering the meadow, the Roinen mansion had already confirmed Rubin’s request.
He added that the blood donor, Lord Nerheim, is a descendant of Gregheim, and that even the palace does not place much value on her existence.
“… I was a little carried away. I apologize, Inspector.”
From now on, Rubin alone will advance his horse. Nerheim, who accepted the warning, stopped in his tracks without approaching any further.
Krrrrrr.
Eventually, Rubin climbed up the hill and faced Rayubia. Was he aware of the gap in their realms? Or did he realize that he was not in a position to treat her lightly?
Rayubia and the wolf just stared at Rubin.
“Your name is Rayubia, nice to meet you.”
“Why isn’t that transfusion woman coming up?”
“I gave the order.”
“…Really? So you’re stronger than that person?”
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Rubin just shrugged.
“I am Luhan Melas. I am on my way to meet your chieftain.”
“What? You were the person the Chieftain was meeting?”
Rubin nodded. A look of confusion was evident on Rayubia’s face.
I can guess. It seems like this kid didn’t know that only Nerheim was coming.
Since he thought that he was constantly being robbed of his blood relatives, it was natural for him to be hostile to Nerheim, the person in charge. With a young and innocent heart, he tried to attack Nerheim on his own.
“It was a good thing you didn’t rush in all the way. If you had, you would have been badly hurt and the wolf would have died.”
“… … .”
“Now, I would like you to guide our group to where the chieftain is.”
“… … .”
Rayubia was caressing the wolf’s fur for no reason.
I remembered what Kundalit had said to the people of the Clavicle Tribe when they gathered them together. He had said that foreigners would come and that they must never pose a threat.
So, in her anger, she came here without saying anything. The tribesmen must be looking for her by now.
If I went back like this, I was sure I would get in big trouble. And what if it was known that I yelled at the woman who was giving blood…
“… What I said to that woman earlier wasn’t such a bad insult on our part.”
“then?”
“Uh… a bit of a bad curse.”
Rubin chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to speak to the Chieftain.”
“Hmm… he doesn’t seem like a bad imperialist.”
Layubia’s eyes, looking at Rubin, gradually softened. Although this was the first time she had encountered an imperial person since she was born, she didn’t feel bad about it.
The eyes and hair were as black as the night sky, and the ridiculous imperial attire was all strange, but Rayubia couldn’t help but think that Rubin was handsome and attractive.
‘There was a man more handsome than Imakarum. I wonder if he’s good at fighting like Imakarum.’
For the people of Tohun, there was a hero called ‘Wind of Tohun’, so the standard of beauty was also based on that.
Compared to the gigantic and rugged Imacallum, Rubin’s appearance felt like a still pond that sucked him in.
Then, suddenly, Rayubia shook her head violently.
‘No, no! You must not mention Imacallum in front of the Imperials.’
It occurred to me that Imacalum, who should have been in prison, was out in the meadow, and that he especially must not be found out by the Empire.
“Luhan, follow me. Bring your tribesmen with you.”
“I am a poor man. Let’s do that.”
Rayubia and Wolf took the lead, and Rubin instructed the rest of the group to follow.
All of them ran as fast as they could without saying a word while the sun was up. The wolf, which was a special beast of the Tohun people, surpassed the Tohun horses in both speed and stamina.
Sometimes, when the wolf, intoxicated by the sense of speed, went ahead, it was natural for the eyes of Nerheim, who was following behind, to sparkle. It seemed as if he was just waiting for the day the inspector would leave.
-Blane.
-Yes, your highness.
As it grew dark and the cavalry needed to recover, the party slowed down enough to have a conversation.
Rubin, who was guarding the seat next to Rayubia in the lead, slightly stepped back. Then, he brought Blane closer to Rayubia.
-Talk to this punk kid tonight. Maybe we can become good friends.
Friend? Blane paused for a moment, then asked again.
-What information do you want to extract?
When he suddenly asked me to become his friend, I interpreted it as an order to get the information I needed.
-No, that’s not it. I just wish you would let go of your guard against us.
-All right!
After a while.
Rayubia turned her head to the side, then frowned at the sight of a young girl instead of Rubin.
“What are you? Where did your chief go?”
“It’s not the chief, it’s Inspector Luhan.”
“That’s it. We don’t show respect to anyone except the Chieftain. And that guy named Luhan… … .”
Rayubia looked around. Rubin had not only stepped back, but had also left the line altogether.
“If you stay away from me, you won’t be able to avoid the tsunami. Find him quickly and tell him to come to me.”
Blane smiled and shook his head.
“Luhan-nim deliberately stayed far away to avoid being hit by the ‘tidal wave of the fight’. It’s a form of training.”
It wasn’t a fabricated story. For Blane and Kuze, the ‘Tsinia of Struggle’ was extremely difficult. However, for Rubin, it was a training opportunity that he couldn’t afford to miss.
“Luhan was a stupid man.”
“… … .”
Blane forced a smile. Although they were both thirteen years old, Blane and Rayubia had lived very different lives.
Blane has endured the strict traditions of the Assassin family and has lived in disguise for two years. On the other hand, Rayubia is just a girl from the plains who met an imperial person for the first time today.
So Blanet realized that following Rubin’s instructions would require some strategic adjustments.
First of all, we need to pay attention to this nomadic little kid so that he can approach her easily.
“But why are you wearing a bandage? Where are you hurt?”
“…It’s a secret.”
“Really? I have a burn mark here. Look.”
Blaine showed off his scar without hesitation. It was a long scar that stretched from his neck to his arm.
Looking at this, Rayubia made a painful expression as if she was hurt.
“It must hurt! How did it happen?”
“When I was young. I was playing with fire.”
“How young were you?”
“Well, when I was six.”
Blane made up a bunch of stories that weren’t even true, and Rayubia, who didn’t know about it, became more and more comfortable with Blane.
“You have a bandage on your scar too, right? When did you get it?”
“… I don’t remember. I was very young. But I don’t have a scar.”
Perhaps because she didn’t like talking about bandages, Rayubia changed the subject. Her eyes turned to Blaine’s shoes.
“But isn’t that uncomfortable?”
“Oh, you’re barefoot.”
“A man who has a lot of experience does not hide his feet.”
“That’s cool. Your feet are pretty too.”
“Hmm. You don’t have bad eyesight, do you?”
“… … .”
“They say that those who hide their toes have black hearts.”
Blane thought that Rayubia was wary of him. But.
“But when I look at you, I don’t think that’s necessarily the case.”
Blanet laughed exaggeratedly at the sudden yet innocent compliment. It was so easy to lure this child.
“By the way, is handsome Luhan really fighting against the tsunami?”
“What, ‘Handsome Luhan’?”
Blane chuckled. Then he suddenly realized that he wasn’t wrong when he said Rubin was handsome.
“Luhan might die. My mother once saved an imperial person who almost died like that. She said he was handsome. There’s also a saying that handsome men are born early in the spring.”
“… He won’t die, so you don’t have to worry. By the way, since I’m with you, there’s no ‘tidal wave of pain’? That’s amazing!”
Chatter chatter.
Blane continued the conversation to the point where he developed a deep intimacy with Rayubia.
As the night deepened, Blane and Rayubia’s chatter continued.
* * *
Meanwhile, Rubin was only able to focus on his training after dropping the other group members.
Enduring the ‘tidal wave of struggle’ all night was a given. At the same time, he was engaging in a sword fight with Haneke in his inner world.
Kwakwakwakwakwang!
The cliff collapsed. It was due to Haneke’s sword strike. However, Rubin, who had disappeared from the general’s sight, reappeared behind him at some point.
Swish.
Rubin appears from the object and launches a surprise attack with his sword.
-Ugh!
Haneke allowed himself to be attacked by none other than Brion’s swordsmanship and suffered a rather serious sword wound. However, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
-Now it’s really a horn. As the use of female magic becomes more diverse, it becomes extremely difficult.
‘You have to do this much to get a 7-star sword.’
Rubin also wiped the blood from his face. Although he had wounded Haneke with a sword, it could not be called a victory.
Haneke only used a part of his 7-star aura. Rubin, on the other hand, had a 4-star aura, and raised both the 5-star and 4-star dark magic, and used ‘Bakong’ and dark magic throughout the battle.
In short, he gave it his all. That’s why he was able to maintain his composure. Still, it was certain that he had grown significantly.
‘The tidal wave of the scar seems particularly effective.’
-The sun will rise soon, right?
‘Yes, it will. Because the last tsunami of the day has passed.’
Haneke shook his head, brushing his beard away.
The scenery of the inner world was reminiscent of the end of the world. It was partly due to the sword fight between the two, but the real cause of this miserable scene was the ‘tidal wave of fighting marks’.
-Rubin.
‘Yes, Haneke.’
-I was just going to tell you to avoid the tsunami today.
‘Avoid it?’
Haneke sank to the floor. The rising sun of the real world was being transmitted to him through Rubin’s senses.
Feeling the sunlight, Haneke closed his eyes for a moment.
At that moment, Rubin also put down his sword and sat down next to the general. Haneke, who had been as favorable to ‘The Tidal Wave’ as Rubin, seemed different today.
-Thanks to the ‘Tsundere Wave’, your realm has grown another level in just a few days. That is an indisputable fact.
‘… … .’
-As I grew up so rapidly, my inner world became much more unstable than before.
Haneke could definitely tell. He understood this inner world better than Rubin.
From the time Rubin was a baby, when he first held a shard of a sword blade, Haneke was latent here.
Haneke’s deep sleep was awakened when Rubin met him again when he was nine years old, but in fact, this was not a matter of consciousness. The state of his inner world was completely connected to Haneke.
-Ma-ryeong, do you remember?
‘How could I forget? He was a weird guy.’
-Yeah, I thought of that spirit’s words recently.
It happened on the Blue Cat. In the process of removing the necklace that contained the spirit, the spirit infiltrated Rubin’s inner world.
If that’s what the spirit had said back then, Rubin also remembered it. He said that if the spirit himself didn’t intervene, his inner world might collapse one day.
-That guy was talking about about 10 years later.
So, Rubin was about twenty-one years old.
However, it should be noted that Rubin’s growth was accelerated. As his growth was accelerated, the time of collapse would have also been accelerated.
Haneke thought that perhaps he had been pulled back to the age of seventeen, or at worst, earlier.
‘I told you in front of the demon back then. I won’t let the general disappear.’
-I’m not worried about my own extinction.
He meant it sincerely. He was worried that his presence as a soul would eat away at Rubin’s life.
‘Haneke.’
Rubin woke up with a stretch. It was already daylight, and it was time to join the front line again.
‘I was going to find a solution right away after this mission was over anyway.’
-way out?
‘Just as there are people called sorcerers, there must be people with similar abilities. Since your mother also knows about Haneke’s existence, if you mobilize your family’s abilities, you will be able to come up with a solution right away.’
In the distance, the sunrise is rising. Haneke’s face is dyed yellow. Rubin has intervened in his inner world to create a sun that is similar to the real one.
‘therefore…….’
Before returning to the real world, Rubin turned to Haneke and said:
‘Getting stronger is the priority right now. At least for this mission. Let’s start by looking for Brion Auror.’
