Episode 24. Gilfield’s Arboretum (1)
“Can we really go back like this, Master Rubin?”
The escort asked with anxious faces. But they also knew that Rubin’s decision would not change.
“Hey, Concerned Assassins. You and I both know what this little brat is like, right?”
It was Tina, standing next to Rubin, who distorted the expressions of the escorts with just a few words.
Tina had now transformed into a man with a body as big as a bear. She laughed heartily, caressing her thick chest hair.
“Right? You and I both saw Rubin hide his abilities in a sinister way.”
“How can you say such things with such a piercing mouth! I wouldn’t feel relieved even if I killed you right now… … .”
“Huh, you’re going to kill me? If you kill me, that scary lady Siren won’t stay still.”
“What, what, how rude!”
The guards’ hands reached for the daggers on their waists. Rubin had no choice but to step forward.
“That’s it. Tina and I will go this way, and you guys can go back to the mansion.”
“Goodbye, assassins. I’m going to have a nice time with this sinister little lad.”
Phew.
Leaving behind provocative words, Tina transformed into another creature. The sight of her changing into a different form right before my eyes was strange and mysterious.
Heeeeeelp. Purrrrr!
A black horse, waving its hooves and tapping the ground with its forelegs. Tina turned her head toward Rubin.
“Let’s go quickly, Rubin. We must also think about Old Man Gillyfield, who will be waiting for us.”
“I’m urging you.”
Rubin climbed onto Tina’s back and gave instructions to his followers.
“Don’t worry. From here on out, it’s Pamuk Road. It’s the safest road in the Empire. What could happen?”
“What we’re worried about is none other than that blood-sucking woman… … .”
The words of the deceased were not properly finished because Tina suddenly ran forward.
Pamukkale Boulevard.
The safest road in the empire, a day’s drive from the Roinen Mansion, was Pamuk Avenue.
This road, managed by the Kingdom of Pamuk, ran through the center and east of the empire.
The three vassals who had participated in the tour of the top were to escort Rubin all the way to Pamuk Avenue. There, they were to part ways with the escort vassals.
Even though they said that, they didn’t worry about Rubin. Like Tina said, they knew Rubin was more than just a vassal.
“Hey, kid.”
Tina opened her mouth while running.
“Tina, how about you speak like a horse?”
“If you can interpret the sound of a horse’s whining, I’ll be happy to do so.”
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeing. Purrrr.
“Okay, stop. What are you curious about?”
“I was just saying. What should I do when I go to the arboretum?”
“First, solve the problem that is bothering Gilfield. Second, adapt well and live there for two years.”
“For two years? Then what after that?”
“We’ll meet again. And even then, I’ll let you off the hook on your assassination mission.”
“That’s a sweet offer. But are you sure I won’t run away?”
Tina’s confident tone of speech.
In fact, it was easy to escape from the arboretum with the Hwanhyeol tribe’s transformation ability.
Even though the Assassins were protecting the arboretum, Rubin also knew that the Hwanhyeol clan’s transformation ability was far beyond that.
“You must know that if you betray me, I will be in a lot of trouble.”
“Then did you think I would be so impressed by you that I would quietly raise a crow?”
“Of course not.”
A way to control Tina. If there was no such way, he wouldn’t have done this, even bragging to Siren.
“Are you saying that as if there is some way?”
“Stop, Tina.”
Curious, Tina stopped immediately. She tapped her hooves on the ground for a long time, as if curious.
“What? Why?”
“Your shape-shifting ability is what allows me to control you.”
“What? If I transform, I guarantee that no one will be able to find me.”
“Is that really so?”
“Want to make a bet?”
Tina was rolling her hooves with pride. Rubin thought he had to break the girl’s nose for sure.
“Okay. I’ll prove to you that the Hwanhyeol clan’s transformation ability isn’t perfect. You’ll come across the 4th intersection square one kilometer away. It’s a crowded square. Go there and hide somewhere.”
“Huh? Are you suggesting we play hide-and-seek right now? Who would think I’m a brat?”
“No matter what you’ve become, I’ll find you before the sun sets. When I find you, you’ll listen to me from now on. What do you think?”
“What if I win?”
“I won’t let you go.”
“hmm.”
“What are you worried about? Why, are you afraid of losing?”
In fact, from Tina’s perspective, she could have pretended to accept it and run away. It would have been no different from openly giving her a chance, but Rubin already knew. This was the proud and competitive nature of the Hwanhyeol tribe.
Tina will probably lose her mind and fall over.
As expected.
“What! This cheeky little brat!”
Tina, who was very angry, changed her form from a horse to a sparrow. She flapped her wings in front of Rubin’s face and chirped madly.
“See you later, kid.”
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Even after hearing this vicious warning, Rubin saw her off with an innocent face. Rubin was still relaxed as he watched the birds flying in the distance.
* * *
4th intersection square.
This is the fourth of the thirteen intersections on Pamuk Avenue, and it is one of the largest squares in the area, with eleven roads leading in each direction.
The square was bustling with travelers and merchants, but they were all trustworthy people holding ‘Imperial Passes’. There was no need to worry about safety.
When Rubin arrived at the square, he was still relaxed. He showed no sign of trying to find Tina, and was busy watching the crowd.
‘I’m hungry. Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten yet. I guess I should eat first.’
Rubin walked through the crowd toward the restaurants in the square.
Because it was past mealtime, the restaurant was rather quiet.
He took a table and looked at the menu. The people inside the restaurant looked at Rubin strangely, but he thought he was the son of a nobleman. Rubin’s role on this trip was a third-class nobleman from the frontier.
Rubin ordered chicken soup and an expensive steak. The food arrived soon, and it was the first time in a long time since before the return that he had been able to feast.
‘Hmm, this is delicious. I wouldn’t have tried it if I had just stayed in the mansion.’
Then suddenly, I remembered my bet with Tina. I looked around the restaurant as if I was running around, but I wasn’t looking for Tina right away.
“I ate well.”
Rubin placed the Imperial gold on the table and walked out of the restaurant.
“Let’s start looking for it now. Ah, there it is.”
It was only a brief glance around the square. There was no need to spread the shadows.
Rubin went into the general store across from the restaurant. There were about a dozen people gathered in front of the display of travel goods. It was a gambling table.
“Hey, how can you get three 6s in a row? This is a total fraud! I don’t know, I can’t give it to you! It’s mine!”
It was a dice game with traveling boots as the prize. A man with a mustache was raising his voice and twitching his nose.
The situation was easy to understand: the mustache that had been the record holder until then was about to lose its prize.
“How uncivilized! Why don’t you give that up right away?”
“Oh my, do you think I’m doing this because of a pair of boots? Everyone here, from the onlookers to the wind catchers, are all scammers.”
“Hey, this guy? Why is he dragging us, who are just watching, into it?”
Moustache was determined not to let go of the boots he was clutching. But as far as Rubin could see, there was only one conman here.
“This, this, this is not going to work. Justice must be brought in! Let’s bring the Imperial soldiers over immediately, huh? You swindlers! No, wait. Who keeps pulling on my clothes… …!”
Moustache noticed Rubin tugging at his collar and smiled awkwardly.
“Huh…? Huh, how did you find it?”
“Even a passing dog will know it’s you.”
“What, what did you say!”
“Let’s leave quickly without making a fuss. We have to get to the 9th intersection by evening.”
“Oh, let’s go right away? Hey, no, Master! I haven’t even eaten yet. And this is a very important matter. The world is getting sick because of swindlers. The dice came up three 6s in a row?”
Regardless, Rubin quickly threw the boots Tina was holding at the people and left.
“Euuuu… … !”
Tina and Rubin left the general store and took one of the many intersections that, according to the map, led to the Arboretum of Inspiration.
The two walked until there was no one around. After a while, Tina spoke to them.
“How did you find me, kid? You weren’t tracking my secret, were you?”
“I have mysterious eyes.”
“Mysterious eyes? Eyes that can detect the transformation of the Phantom Tribe?”
“Not similar.”
“That’s ridiculous! I’ve never heard of something like that in my life.”
“That’s not entirely wrong. There’s no one else in this world but me. You’ve only just come to know me now.”
“Ha, ha, ha, this f*cking kid… … .”
Mysterious eyes.
Although it was said to be my ability, it was actually Haneke who recognized the transformed Hwan-hyeol tribe.
-It’s a small result considering that I borrowed the power of the Imperial General.
‘Thanks to you, I was able to make Tina mine.’
-She wasn’t the kind of girl who would betray Janelle anyway. She’s a cheerful and pure woman. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
It was as Haneke said. No matter how much it stimulated her competitive spirit, Tina had no need to follow the results of her bet with Rubin.
He could have just flown away like a sparrow, but he didn’t. The fact that he went into the general store even after his anger had subsided meant that he already trusted Rubin.
“There are no people. What should I transform into this time, young master?”
“I guess it would be easier to just say it, right?”
As Rubin requested, Tina transformed into a black horse. At first glance, it was much more agile and powerful than before. It was some kind of breed from the Maia region. Anyway, it was a high-quality breed.
Then suddenly I became curious.
“But, can you change anything you want?”
“How great would that be?”
Tina playfully snorted.
“Then what if you turned into a tree, then a rock? Then you wouldn’t have to worry about being chased by the emperor.”
“then?”
“There are conditions for my transformation. It has to be an existing life form, and I have to have seen it.”
“It’s a living creature. So that means it can’t transform into an ancient creature.”
“When I was young, I tried it after reading a book about extinct creatures. Of course, it didn’t work. By the way, when are you going to give me the food you brought?”
“Okay, here.”
As Tina ran, an orange object floated before her eyes. Food tied to a fishing rod-shaped rope.
“Surely this isn’t a carrot? I don’t think so.”
“That’s right. When I asked him to pack some food for the horse, he gave me this.”
Then the huge horse’s body began to tremble.
“You, you cruel Roinen bloodbath! I, I will one day kill you for going against the blood of the Hwan-hyeol tribe!”
Rubin and Tina ran down Pamuk Avenue in such a noisy manner.
Every few hours, when the transformation was over, the two took a break at a quiet street corner.
In fact, Rubin had prepared bread and potato dishes that Tina would like, in addition to apples and carrots, and that was what calmed Tina down.
Tina transformed into a large man while at rest, to keep passersby at bay. Her large body attracted attention, but no one bothered her or approached her, so she felt quite comfortable.
“I’ll arrive at the 9th intersection when it gets dark.”
Tina said, munching on a potato.
“That’s good. It’s going to get dark anyway once you get into the underwater cave.”
The 9th intersection was a place where six intersections were connected. However, the path that Rubin and Tina were taking was not at any of those six intersections.
A cave appears after walking about 10 kilometers between two intersections, not even on a road. The cave is hidden so that only members of the Assassin’s Blade can see it.
The cave is an underwater cavern that extends under the sea. Its length is a whopping 15 kilometers.
And at the end of that underwater cave is Sir Gilfield’s Arboretum.
“We will need a fire to light the cave.”
As pitch darkness descended, Rubin and Tina entered the underwater cave.
The inside of the cave was two or three layers darker than the outside. Even if you could figure out the terrain through the darkness, it wasn’t an easy path.
“Fire? You know that if you start a fire in this cave, it will go out immediately, right?”
“There are lights that never go out.”
“I can’t be changed by a torch.”
“I know. I think a fluorescent frog would be perfect for the situation.”
The fluorescent frog was literally a frog that glowed.
“Ugh, frogs are disgusting!”
“Really? Then I guess I’ll have to throw away the gift I kept for you here too.”
“gift?”
Rubin took something shiny out of his pocket.
It was a bracelet crafted with lapis lazuli, a jewel that glowed a brilliant green even in the dark.
“I heard that the Hwanhyeol tribe is fascinated by sparkling jewels?”
“Ohhh. What a sly little brat!”
“Do you still hate frogs?”
Croak, croak.
Tina had transformed into a fluorescent frog. A frog that was emitting dazzling light, wearing a lapis bracelet like a necklace.
Tina climbed onto Rubin’s shoulder, groaning incessantly.
Then the darkness became lighter.
Rubin continued walking through the underwater cave, using Tina’s body light and his own shadow to determine the terrain.
How many hours did it take?
As the darkness grew lighter, the end of the cave appeared.
Croak, croak.
“Tina, you have to let go of your frog transformation now. If you do, you’ll get bitten by a crow.”
At Rubin’s words, Tina changed her appearance again.
It couldn’t be helped. If I had remained a frog, hundreds of Roynecro would have torn my flesh apart.
Kaaaak.
Grrrrr.
The cave’s exit was blocked by a waterfall like a curtain. Beyond it, hundreds of crows were waiting for visitors.
“I guess that means show me your pass.”
Both Rubin and Tina revealed their dark side.
Soon, the alert cries of hundreds of Roinecrows died down. Following the two men’s silence, the curtain of the waterfall created a passage just large enough for two people to pass through.
A narrow path open between dense trees.
And beyond.
“This is the arboretum of Gillyfield. The home of all Roynecrows.”
