Episode 26. Gilfield’s Arboretum (3)
The way to become the King of the Roinecrows is simple. You have to win the ‘Sacred Race’ ritual to become the King. Of course, the process is not easy.
Tina kept her mouth shut after hearing Rubin’s explanation.
“So, if you win that race, you can become the emperor?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
A race of visionaries who can transform into other life forms.
The Hwanhyeol Tribe did not simply have the ability to transform. Each Hwanhyeol Tribe individual possessed a unique trait that could be applied to the creatures they transformed into.
And Rubin knew what Tina’s traits were.
“Tina. Even among the Hwan-hyeol clan, there’s no one who can match you in the ‘speed’ category, right?”
“How do you know that?”
“I’m quick-witted.”
Natural speed. That is, Tina could achieve extreme speeds no matter what creature she transformed into. That was the reason why she was not easily caught by the Lang Slaughter Team.
“So this is why you brought me here. To keep me here and act as a puppet king. Phew… But still, being the crow king is better than killing someone.”
It wasn’t a matter of accepting the mission or not. Tina didn’t know that Rubin had saved her life.
It was something that had to be done in the end.
Phew.
Tina transformed back into Roinecrow from her girlish body. A large, dark black body. She swung her sharp beak and stabbed the air.
Looking into Tina’s mint-colored eyes that had turned into Roynecro, Old Man Gilleyfield snorted.
“Are you sure? The ‘Sacred Race’ isn’t just a simple flying competition. There are many who get hurt or die. Do you think it’s easy to get first place among them?”
“Isn’t the inspiration quiet? No matter what happens, I’m confident in Gyeongju at least.”
Even for a family that had studied crows for over 700 years, when would you ever see a crow winking and talking like a human? No matter what she said, Pyunig just stared at Tina with his mouth open.
But Gilfield was not optimistic.
“Huh, how cheeky. No matter how fast you are, don’t underestimate the Royne Crows.”
Before Tina could say anything else, Rubin intervened.
“Gillifield. Anyway, Tina will participate. Please watch over her, even if it’s not pretty. If there’s anything Tina can take note of, please let me know.”
“Since the material to become the emperor disappeared, a very violent and rough group has taken the lead. The leader of them is likely to become the Crow King. He is definitely a guy who will become a tyrant.”
“Oh, the story is good! So I’m going to play the role of a hero who defeats the Demon King?”
Tina burst into laughter in the form of a Royne Crow, and the old man’s face crumpled again at the sight.
“You’re joking. He has a lot of subordinates. Even if you go ahead, he’ll definitely try to get in your way, so you have to be careful not to get surrounded. Well, even if you know, it’s not like you can avoid it.”
The voice of inspiration became even more serious.
There was a problem that had to be solved before winning first place in the crows’ race.
That’s why the old tree keepers were looking forward to the visit of Siren, not Rubin.
“Whoever wins first place is actually a secondary issue. There is something else that is really serious.”
“Huh, there’s something more important than whether I get first place or not?”
“The flight to the throne is not something we can just start doing just because we want to.”
“or not?”
“The chosen one must climb to the top of the ‘Foggy Tree’ and give the starting signal. Only then will the poisonous fog that has settled over the upper part of the tree clear. That is the signal to start the ‘Sacred Race.’”
“The Chosen One? That’s quite an irritating expression.”
“That’s right. You, the Hwanhyeol clan, are not the ‘chosen ones.’”
Gilfield’s gaze turned directly to Rubin. The signal to start the race, and the chosen one.
This was something only the Roinen bloodline could do.
Roinenga, the origin of all darkness. Its bloodline contains pure darkness, and only it can purify and regenerate the old tree of fog.
“The starting signal of the Roinen bloodline. It is only with it that the ‘sacred race’ begins.”
“I will. That’s what I came here to do.”
Both Gilfield and Pyenick shook their heads at Rubin’s words. The nine-year-old’s spirit is admirable, but what can’t be done can’t be done.
“If it was a Siren, it wouldn’t be a problem, but if it were another Roinen bloodline, it would be impossible. Especially a kid like you!”
The top of the old tree was literally like a tower.
To reach the top, you had to climb up the ridge. If it were a simple cliff, it would be possible to do so, but that wasn’t the case.
The closer we got to the top, the thicker the poisonous fog became. A more terrifying poison than the fog that surrounded the Roinen mansion like a castle wall was blocking our way.
And what about the constant, cold wind that blew? It was so cruel that it seemed as if it would tear apart anyone who tried to climb the tree.
“Punick said worriedly.
“Your Majesty, it seems impossible. How about asking the head of the household for help?”
“No, I’ll go up there myself.”
At Rubin’s firm words, Gilfield stopped him with blood running down his neck.
“Nonsense! Are you trying to ruin everything? If you fail halfway through, there’s no way to predict what effect it will have on the Fog Tree or what will happen to the Roinecrows!”
“Master, we are the experts here. You have to listen to us! Just like Grandfather said, if you fail along the way… …!”
But Rubin was indifferent.
“Gillifield, Pyunig. You are right, but this is a problem for us Roinenga, and for all the Assassins. If we don’t resolve it quickly, we won’t be able to provide Roinekrow in a timely manner. So I will resolve it quickly.”
The old tree keepers could not figure out what on earth was going on that made them act so confidently.
“Do you know what I should do when I go up there?”
“Climb to the top. And inject pure darkness. Only then can Tina’s race begin. Isn’t that right?”
“Easy as that sounds!”
It sounded like a complaint of inspiration, but Rubin realized it was meant as permission.
Rubin was unwavering.
Tina was equally indifferent. Far from being worried, she seemed excited. She spread her black wings and jumped over the table.
“I’m fine right now. Kid, you can do it, right?”
She thought back to the last time she had met Grokal Lang. The two old guards saw Rubin as just another nine-year-old boy, but Tina knew that Rubin was a boy with a special side.
Rubin looked at Tina and answered.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
“Have a good flight. Don’t look away.”
As the day gradually dawned.
The darkness had lightened considerably. However, the ‘Old Tree of Fog’ was a place where shadows fell even in broad daylight. It was filled with an eerie atmosphere.
After leaving the house, Gilfield and Pyenick entered the upper floors, chewing diligently on herbs that neutralized the poisonous fog that was seeping into their bodies.
Thousands of Roinecrows noticed their appearance and observed the two with their colorful eyes.
There was no hostility. They had long been accepted as neighbors living together in the ‘Old Tree of Fog’.
“They know it too.”
“You know? What?”
“I’m saying that Rubin is climbing to the top of the old tree right now. It’s because the old tree and the crows are darkly connected to each other.”
Also, the Roinecrows know. Whoever is climbing the tree now is either a strong man or a worthless one.
“Guys, you’re half in doubt.”
It was obvious. A small child who was infinitely weak compared to the head of the Assassin’s Blade family, Siren. That child would climb to the top and regenerate the old tree to start a race for the new emperor?
As expected, some of the crows prepared for the race with a skeptical attitude, but most of them were not even interested.
Looking at that, Gilfield shook his head.
“I hope it’s not a waste of time.”
one side.
‘Rubin, you little brat. Hurry up and get here. If you keep doing this and your transformation is canceled, you’ll be in real trouble.’
The crows spread their wings and point their beaks toward the sky in a racing stance. Among those crows was Tina.
She was crying, her mint colored eyes sparkling. It was the way Roinecrow cried when preparing for a race.
Grrrrr.
Grrrrr.
Tina noticed a group of Roynecros glaring at her. The same group that Gillyfield had warned her about, and who were currently in control.
‘Is this glaring at you? When I become king, I’ll start by punishing you guys, so look forward to it.’
As if they had read Tina’s gaze, the guys shook their heads and howled fiercely. Among them, the big one with a scarred beak clacked its beak threateningly. The tip of its beak flashed like a blade.
‘… Ahem.’
Tina quietly turned her head away, pretending not to see.
and.
Much higher up in the space where the Roinecrows were staying. Halfway up the ‘Foggy Tree’, Rubin was fighting against the cold wind.
Wheww.
The wind was sharp like a stabbing sword. The huge tree trunks were torn in various places along the traces of the gusting wind.
“Haa… haa… … .”
Even though I had daggers stuck here and there into the stem to prevent it from being blown away by the wind, it was difficult to support my body.
Even the body wrapped in a thick robe was soon being torn apart by the sharp wind.
-Thanks to you, I get to see all sorts of unusual sights.
It was Haneke’s statement of conviction. Haneke, who was at the top of the imperial army, was not even familiar with this kind of environment. And then there was ‘The Foggy Tree’ and ‘The Sacred Race’.
I had no choice but to admit that I knew absolutely nothing about the existence of the Assassin Sword Family or the world surrounding that family.
-A giant tree, a mysterious crow. I guess it was a good thing I died because I got to know such interesting things.
‘… Please look forward to it. There’s still a lot of fun… left.’
A place to stand appeared. Rubin placed the two daggers he was holding side by side and placed his light body on them.
“Phew.”
The fog was getting thicker as we got closer to the summit. It now felt like there was a gray wall surrounding us on all sides. Now, the area of poisonous fog was starting to appear.
“This is where Telmah attacked first.”
Before the Return. Emperor Telmach dispatched the Imperial Army to the ‘Old Tree of Fog’ just before revealing the existence of the Assassins to the world.
A massive attack by a brigade of giants, a brigade of wizards, and an imperial army of tens of thousands of soldiers.
The massive body of the misty tree that Rubin was supporting was cut down, and thousands of wild Roinecrows that had not been paired with their masters died. The eggs that were waiting to hatch were brutally crushed.
-I see… … .
The old tree covered in fog, covered in flames. Rubin gritted his teeth as he recalled that miserable sight.
‘Everything that was alive was burned. The old trees that had lived for hundreds of years, the thousands of Roinecrows. And old Gillyfield and Pyenick.’
But this life will be different.
For it will not be the Old Tree of Fog that will burn and collapse, but the palace of Telmah.
There was no time to spare. Rubin turned back to face the top. He held a dagger in each hand and climbed the trunk.
Wheww.
“Ugh.”
Rubin’s body fluttered for a moment as if he had been hit by a shell. Rubin used all his strength not to let go of the dagger he had stuck into the stem.
‘I have to use the dark side, the dark side.’
Rubin gathered the dark smoke into his arm. Then, a subtle warmth spread through his arm and a sense of stability arose.
“I can’t fall from here.”
As they neared the top, the poisonous fog grew thicker. The poison was on a level that surpassed anything Rubin had ever experienced before, throughout his entire return.
I was confident that I had some level of resistance thanks to the fog surrounding the Roinen Mansion, but the poisonous fog protecting the old tree was on a whole other level.
-Rubin! Come on! If you fall, you’re finished!
-Rubin! We’re almost there!
Even amid Haneke’s cries, he lost consciousness for a moment. However, he did not let go of the dagger he was holding tightly with both hands. Rubin only looked at the top. He drew out his vengeance toward the emperor again as if sharpening a blade.
“Eww!”
Whenever he felt like losing consciousness, Rubin would stretch his arms out towards the top and shout. It was a battle with himself that seemed like it would never end.
At that moment, the atmosphere was slowly changing in the lower area where the Royne Crows were densely packed.
Tina, Gilfield, and Pyunick noticed a great stir among the Roinecro from their respective positions.
Kaaaaaaah.
Caw, caw. Caw.
The cries of thousands of birds echo through the forest.
Most of the Roinecrows, who had been doubting whether Rubin would be able to climb to the top of the old tree, spread their wings and pointed their beaks toward the top.
“Grandpa, what’s going on? The Royne Crows are suddenly… … ?”
Gilfield let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Did I underestimate him? Look carefully, Pyenik. All the Roinecro are preparing for the ‘Sacred Race’. It means that the Son of the Siren is almost at the top.”
Although his voice was trembling with emotion, Gilfield soon regained his composure because it was not over yet. Even if he reached the top, there was still the most important work to be done.
At that moment, a Roynecro approached the two. It was Tina, a Roynecro with mint-colored eyes. Tina was also feeling Rubin, who was getting closer to the top of the misty tree, following Roynecro’s instinct.
Little by little, little by little, the body that had transformed into Roinecrow was shaking and strange vibrations were transmitted throughout the body.
“Inspiration, I told you, Rubin isn’t just a brat.”
“Don’t be cocky. It’s not over yet.”
“You mean the dark smoke injection? Don’t worry. That kid, even if you look at him like that, the dark smoke is pretty deep.”
“Even so, it’s just a drop in the bucket compared to Siren. What if Rubin loses consciousness while injecting the dark smoke… I don’t even want to imagine that happening.”
“What happens if you lose consciousness?”
“The chosen one must be injected with darkness until the end of the race. If it is interrupted during the race… many of the Roinecrows who participated in the race will go mad. They will become mad crows that devour all living things.”
“Oh, you’re crazy!”
Tina shivered all over as she unconsciously imagined something creepy. She flapped her wings to get rid of the chills running down her spine.
“So, whether it’s you or another crow, we have to finish the race before Rubin falls. Do you understand?”
In any case, ending the race as quickly as possible was the only way to prevent a greater tragedy.
“Ha, Grandpa! The fog is clearing!”
“It was true,” Pyunick shouted. The fog surrounding them was slowly clearing. Rubin had reached the top.
“Get ready, Tina!”
“Oh, I know, you old man!”
Tina spread her wings like the other Royne Crows, touching the ground. She lifted her beak towards the top of the old tree.
Kaaaaaaah!
Caaaak!
Caw. Cawaaaah!
My heart felt like it was going to burst from the simultaneous cries of so many Roinecrows. The old foggy trees shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred.
“The Royne Crows…! Are you saying that Master Rubin is injecting you with pure darkness, Grandfather?”
“Yeah. I guess I finally did it.”
The fog was gradually clearing. When the fog completely disappeared and the distant peak appeared in the view, the race began.
And a few seconds later.
Kaaaak!
Kaaaaaaah!
As soon as the peak, so distant that it looked like the tip of a needle, appeared, the Roinecros suddenly shot up into the sky.
The ‘Sacred Race’ has begun.
