Episode 53. The Brothers and Sisters of the Gray Harbor (1)
Rubin’s party reached the western border of the Kingdom of Lihon.
Although it was called a border, it was far from being a place with strict security. The walls had been torn down, and the guards guarding the roads were limited to a single, low building as an entrance.
“Please show me your pass.”
Kuze took out a piece of paper from inside his clothes and handed it to him. The guard who received it opened his eyes wide, as if he was surprised to see that it was an imperial pass.
They checked the pass carefully, but the only thing they could tell was whether the seal was genuine.
“It’s the original. Please pass.”
In fact, the Imperial Pass had a magical signature hidden in addition to the visible seal. In order to properly distinguish between the authentic and the fake, the magical signature had to be read, but the guards of the Kingdom of Lihon had no such ability.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Kuze nodded and walked forward. Tina stepped forward with the sound of hooves as she led the reins. Before the checkpoint got far away, Rubin glanced back.
A border with nothing but collapsed walls and shabby buildings.
The reason why the western border of the Kingdom of Lihon was so weak was because the ‘Ashen Harbor’ was directly connected to the west.
The Ashen Harbor is one of the imperial territories that is not under the influence of the kingdom. Its proximity to this place meant that the kingdom could not establish any defensive systems there.
Not only were there no walls or watchtowers, but even the kingdom’s troops could not be stationed nearby, as this would mean that there was a sense of resentment towards the emperor.
“Tina.”
Purrrrrr.
“You’ll soon reach the Ash Harbor checkpoint. Do you know what I mean?”
While the western border of the Kingdom of Lihon was too lax to be called a ‘border’, the checkpoint at Ash Harbor was the complete opposite.
The port guards were made up entirely of Imperial soldiers. Although they were mere soldiers, their individual skill level was comparable to that of knights from any kingdom.
The inspection procedure will also be complicated. Even if your status is guaranteed by an Imperial Pass, it will be different if the person conducting the inspection is the Imperial Army.
Although he may have been the son of a prominent family within the empire, Rubin only had one piece of identification. He also had only one servant as his attendant.
It was fortunate that the Imperial Army did not ignore them.
“Deceiving the Imperial Army? That’s the fate of the Hwan-Hyeol Tribe. Don’t worry, Young Master.”
The biggest risk factor. It was Tina’s very existence. Tina said it curiously, but it wasn’t as simple as that.
Tina has lived her entire life on the run from the Empire. Even though she has the ability to transform, she still has an instinctive fear of the Empire. Even if she hides it, it can’t be completely hidden.
“If the Imperial Army discovers that you are a member of the Hwan-Blooded Tribe… … .”
Rubin imagined a possible scenario. Kuze, who was walking ahead, turned his head and looked at Rubin curiously.
“Kuje will immediately draw his sword and stab you. We didn’t know that. Before leaving the Kingdom of Lihon, he had rescued a horse, but it turned out to be a member of the Hwanhyeol tribe.”
It was a cruel family, but it was a natural behavior. The Hwanhyeol clan was a wanted person pursued by the empire. No matter how much they pretended to be in a false identity, they could not be openly involved.
Purururung.
Tina, who had already expected this, let out a harsh whine.
“But you won’t die. You’ll be locked up in prison, and we’ll just be questioned and released. We’ll do whatever it takes to save you before you’re sent to the capital. So don’t be afraid.”
Tina grumbled nervously, as if to say, ‘Aren’t you scared?’, but her fear was palpable.
Knock knock. Knock knock.
They continued walking along the paved road leading to the port. Then, at some point, the sound of waves crashing against the shore began to enter their ears.
“It smells like the sea.”
As Kuze’s words of admiration went on, the salty smell of the sea and the unique smell of the port were conveyed.
Bang- bang- bang-
We still had a long way to go to the harbor, but the sound of iron striking against the waves was loud.
In the port, the work of building ships was in full swing, and the creaking of wood and the sound of decks being tightened were incessant.
“Wow… … .”
With Tina’s elasticity, the water scales containing the bright sunlight spread out before my eyes. It was the sea.
Soon, in the distance, a coast and a harbor with waves crashing against them came into view.
“There’s a checkpoint over there.”
However, there was a checkpoint waiting for them to enter the port that they had to pass through.
At the end of the paved road, a rugged and sturdy castle wall and watchtower stood firm. In contrast to the ruined castle wall of the Kingdom of Lihon that we had seen earlier, its grandeur seemed even more impressive.
Instead of allowing kingdoms adjacent to the Imperial Territory to build walls in that direction, they build a more solid defense system than anywhere else.
That was Telmach’s way.
“From now on, I am a gentle horse… Purrrrrr! A gentle horse… … .”
Tina, who was very nervous, muttered to herself in a small voice. Taking that as a signal to start, they resumed their steps where they had stopped.
As they approached the checkpoint, the size of the troops detected by Rubin’s shadow grew larger. It seemed that at least a company-sized Imperial force was stationed there.
And among them.
‘There was a wizard, after all.’
The level is unpredictable, but if they were battle magicians belonging to the Imperial Army, they would be more than a hundred men strong. If friction were to arise, it would not be an easy battle.
In front of the tightly closed gate.
An Imperial Guard with a heavy brim approached. The helmet with a brim so deep that it obscured both eyes was impressive. Kuze stepped forward to respond.
“Are you a traveler?”
“Yes.”
“Let me check your pass.”
“Here it is.”
“Hmm… … .”
The Imperial Pass is a pass that would be a welcome relief when traveling between kingdoms, but not when passing through Imperial territories. It was the lowest grade of pass.
Imperial guards are different from the Royal Guards, who only check for visible seals and let people pass.
“Please wait.”
A moment later, a wizard came down the steps of the castle wall. Rubin immediately noticed that he was not a wizard of a level that could threaten the party.
‘You’re not a battle wizard.’
For wizards, checking passports was the most unimportant of jobs. It was a shabby label that showed that they had graduated from magic school with such low grades.
“Give it to me.”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Although it was obvious that he was a poor wizard, the wizard acted rudely, as if he was somehow being treated specially due to his rank and status.
The wizard received Rubin’s Imperial Pass from the guard and glanced at it.
‘I’m checking to see if it’s a family worth bending over or not.’
The wizard, soon realizing that it was nothing special, poked his mouth arrogantly with his thumbnail.
“Hmm, your destination is Capotini?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Kuze answered, but the wizard’s gaze was fixed on Rubin, who was riding on horseback.
“It seems like the magic school over there is starting its semester. Are there any magic students?”
Kuze shook his head, and Rubin followed suit, acting bewildered.
“no.”
“That’s true. I said that because the Capotini Magic Cadet ship happened to be anchored at the port. Judging from his appearance, I thought he was far from being a magician.”
“Excuse me, Wizard? Please check my pass… … .”
Kuze asked cautiously, bending down. The wizard furrowed his eyebrows and pursed his lips.
“You have a quick temper.”
The wizard rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small container. He opened the lid and a fluorescent ointment-like substance came out.
The wizard dabbed the substance on one finger and ran it across the entire front of the pass.
It’s about checking the engraved magic signature.
“Hmm, it’s the real thing. If it were a forgery, I would have been showing off my magical skills after a long time.”
“ha ha ha…….”
Kuze smiled awkwardly to please him. On the other hand, the guard’s lips did not move as if he was tired of such jokes. The guard was observing Rubin and his party through his helmet.
yet.
“passing.”
“then.”
Rubin bowed politely and let Tina advance. The guard signaled for passage.
Kukukukung.
The huge gate opened with a dull thud. Kuze walked ahead, leading the horse by the reins. I thought that was the end of the passage procedure.
“for a moment.”
From behind, the wizard called out to Rubin and his party.
In an instant, Rubin spread his shadow wide and identified the positions of the guards at the checkpoint. It was an assassin’s instinct to prepare for the worst.
Although he said he would stab Tina with a sword and pretend not to know, he obviously had no intention of actually doing that.
“Stop for a moment.”
The sound of a wizard walking hurriedly behind Rubin was heard. Kuze slightly bent his upper body and responded to the wizard.
“Why are you like that? Is there a problem… … .”
The wizard approached the group and placed his hand on the horse. It was Tina’s back. Tina, startled, stamped her horse’s hooves.
Warm, thump.
“This is a fine horse.”
It wasn’t a comment made with any awareness. It was just a compliment. But Rubin could feel Tina’s trembling growing stronger.
“I guess the magician’s hands are unfamiliar. The horse seems nervous.”
“Oh, is that so?”
But still, his hands were not lowered. Rubin added a word.
“I’m afraid that the horse will get excited.”
“Excuse me.”
Only then did the wizard lower his hand from Tina’s back. He looked at Kuze and smiled.
“I wonder if you’ll take this horse with you when you go to Capotini.”
“yes?”
“I understand, but it’s a long journey to Capotini. I’m afraid it would be a burden to take horses on board.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m telling you to sell it at a reasonable price at the horse exchange. If you had listed it on the exchange, I would have bought it. I needed a horse at the time.”
“Aha, I will consider it. As the wizard said, I had no intention of taking you on a boat.”
The wizard was delighted at those words.
“There is only one horse trading post here, so if you need lodging, ask the owner there.”
“thank you.”
“Oh, and… … .”
The wizard paused for a moment and looked up at the sky. Following his gaze, both Kuze and Rubin looked up at the sky.
“The moon is not visible at this time, but it is the time when the moon turns red. This happens once every four or five years.”
The time when the moon turns red.
“It will be difficult to find a suitable ship.”
This was a custom that Rubin was also vaguely aware of.
Most sailors avoided setting sail when the moon turned red. This was partly because of the ominousness, but it was also a time when the sea currents were particularly rough.
“It’ll probably last a week. Anyway, if you’re going to sell the horse, you’d better hurry. I don’t want to end up spending a whole week here without even getting a boat.”
With those words, the wizard returned to the gate with a sinister smile. Before leaving, he did not forget to give Rubin an arrogant nod.
Anyway, he’s quite arrogant.
“Let’s go, Young Master.”
Purururung.
Kuze took the reins.
Now that he had passed the checkpoint at Ash Harbor, he was free from worry about Tina. Even if the wizard tried to find the horse, Tina would not be a horse the next time he saw her.
-Your Majesty. Should we start by looking for the ship?
Kuze’s voice echoed in Rubin’s head.
-No. Before that, let’s find a place to stay. A place that’s good enough for Tina to stay safely. The two of us can find a boat.
-All right.
Kuze left the docks where the ships were anchored and entered the harbor street where the accommodations were lined up.
