Chapter 110
Chapter 110
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: The Uninvited Guest at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Be sure to instruct them that Artamian must always be placed in a brazier with a chimney, and to secure a well-ventilated space."
"Understood."
"And don't forget to dig a deep pit far from the castle to bury all the used ashes."
"Yes, my lord."
"Have all the ordered grains been sent to Orak Castle?"
"The final transport arrived yesterday. They should reach there by tomorrow."
The morning of departure for the Temir Temple.
I summoned Derbal and gave him instructions on important matters.
"See that everything proceeds without a hitch even in my absence."
"Don't worry and go with peace of mind."
I wanted to see the knights, but hunger-driven monsters swarming the territory in packs left no time.
The still-unstable fief demanded ceaseless human sweat and effort.
'Why does everything feel so poignant today?'
It was as if I wouldn't return for ages; every scene filled my eyes.
"By the way, my lord..."
Derbal called out to me cautiously.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Is something troubling you? You've barely eaten these past few days, and your expression hasn't been bright. Is there another problem...?"
Derbal, who knew me better than anyone, asked what was wrong.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about me—take care of your own health. Every time I see your thinning frame, I feel it's my fault for being such a burden."
"I-I'm sorry."
What good were more words?
Derbal and I trusted and relied on each other.
"Take good care of the fief."
"Travel safely. The lives of hundreds of thousands in Neruman hang solely on you."
With the decision made, Derbal didn't try to stop me.
I grinned.
A hearty smile.
Pat pat.
I patted his shoulder twice and turned away.
'Argh! Can't someone stop me?'
My footsteps dragged like a pig to the slaughterhouse.
With a heart ready to weep, I flung open the office door with feigned boldness.
'Derbal, can't you stop me?'
I turned back one last time as I opened the door, looking at Derbal.
He bowed his head slightly, eyes full of trust.
Creak.
Bang.
The door shut.
'Mother!!!'
And so, I had no choice but to leave.
To prevent the awakening of Rocoroya, which could turn Neruman into a continental catastrophe.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Swooooosh.
'Why the hell is it snowing today of all days!'
Three hundred spears, seized from the Havys Kingdom's Sky Knights.
Loaded on Bebeto's back and claws—shaped like a dragon's spine—they cleaved through the wind.
And oblivious to my mood, snow poured from the sky.
Like slapping the cheeks of someone dying to cry.
The crunch of snow piling on the Sagrak Mountains sounded utterly desolate.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom.
Before I knew it, we'd arrived at the Aishin tribe's village.
Spotting me, welcoming drumbeats echoed.
Swooooosh.
Sensing no hostility, Bebeto landed in the tribal clearing on his own.
Normally I'd praise his smarts, but today it just annoyed me.
'Here to greet me?'
Three wyverns, absent from the Aishin tribe, sat squat in the clearing ahead.
"Lord Kaier!"
Not even my subordinate, yet Kantahar's tongue was glued to "lord."
He beamed broadly the moment I landed.
"What're you doing? Hop on quick."
"Yes!"
No time to rest.
The brat's coming-of-age ceremony started this evening.
Kantahar, representing the Aishin tribe, slung a large leather bag over his shoulder and climbed into the rear seat on Bebeto's spread wings.
"What's that?"
"It's nothing much. Just a modest gift from our tribe for Mother's ceremony."
"Gold?"
"Not gold... just a few gems."
'A few? Damn, do you think I'm blind as a salted fish?'
Even a rough glance showed the leather bag brimmed with jewels worth over a million gold.
'Hold on, so how many jewels are coming in today total?'
The absurd gift barrage at the Bazran Emperor's birthday.
If the smallest of fifty-plus tribes, the Aishin, brought this much, what would the others offer?
'Damn it, some weep tears heading to the demon's lair, while others sit pretty feasting on jewels.'
Sure, if I wanted, I could make the dwarves mine gems nonstop.
The dwarf chief bragged over drinks of giant gem mines outnumbering fingers and toes.
But that was that, and envy gnawed at others hauling truckloads of jewels.
"Hold on tight!"
With Kantahar aboard, the waiting Temir Sky Knights took off.
Swooooosh.
Bebeto oriented and headed for the Temir Temple.
No GPS, yet the birdbrain never forgot a path once flown.
Whack!
Rooooaaar!
I kicked Bebeto's flying form hard for no reason.
"Damn it! Fly straight. Snow's coming in!"
As if Bebeto could block flying snow.
Taking out his frustration on the innocent, he shut his maw and flapped harder.
Swooooooooosh.
Time flowed, drawing me nearer the demon's lair.
The great demon king's den, sans damsel to rescue.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
'Th-this is all Temir tribe wyverns?'
The intel was way off—way, way off.
The temple's vast clearing.
Hundreds of wyverns from unknown origins crammed and tethered thickly.
A chill ran down my spine.
If they'd invaded Neruman with these, how could I have coped?
Thud thud thud.
Bebeto appeared, starkly different from the rest, and guardian warriors swarmed like they'd been waiting.
"Check the quantity!"
Without my say-so, they tried unloading the leather pouches bundling spears on Bebeto's body.
Grooooowl!
Thwack thwack!
"Gah!"
Irritable Bebeto didn't sit idle.
He swatted two approaching guardians with steel-hard wings.
"Hey, guys, the deal's not done yet. Don't touch my stuff till then."
Stroking Bebeto, who took after his fearless master, I set down.
'How many came?'
Not just wyverns—the huge temple grounds swarmed with people.
Roughly ten thousand by my eye.
Mostly burly warriors armed to the teeth.
"Follow us. All the Mothers have specially requested your presence."
The guardian whose crotch nearly split flying behind Bebeto eyed him warily, motioning to follow.
'Should've VIP'd me from the start.'
"Bebeto, bite anyone who approaches without my say-so! I'll pay dog wages."
I issued the grim order to Bebeto and strolled casually after the guardian.
'Entry at last.'
If fate demanded confrontation, better rip the bandage quick.
I even nodded to the Temir warriors eyeing me warily.
Fear? I'd dimension-shifted that far away en route.
Man up!
Today's battle cry: guts!
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Piyooooorrr.
Booming drums mingled with eerie instrument wails.
Locked—not quite locked—in a small room with one table inside the pyramid.
Five guardians squatted outside, blocking any exit.
'It's starting?'
Dead silence till now.
Despite ten thousand warriors gathered for the solemn rite, not a peep.
Then, just now.
Boom—with the drums, the brat Dragonia's adult rite began.
'How long do I rot here?'
Windowless stone box, prison-like.
With a spoon, I'd attempt Shawshank.
"Come out. Honor the first outsider to witness all the Mothers' rite. But if you so much as twitch..."
The guardian who'd guided me since arrival.
Forehead worm-scar tattooed like ink, he shot a warning glare.
"Haha, no worries. I'll be a ghost spectator."
Had to stop the brat awakening as a dark mage.
Worst case: 1 vs. 10,000 brawl.
Hiding a dagger behind my smile, I followed them out.
"Rosias... Itabaihan..."
En route, Temir holy chants drifted.
Voices swelled, dark aura oozing sinisterly from walls like it might burst.
'Ugh!'
Tap tap.
Trailing them, we reached the pyramid's central hall from a week ago.
The sight:
A thousand picked warriors crammed the floor, heads bowed.
The guardian speared a corner spot for me.
I sat quietly.
Boom, boom, boom!
Piyorrr, piyooooorrr.
Nude-torsoed warrior thumped massive beast-skin drum.
As his muscles rippled dynamically, a dozen women below piped flute-like.
All in black leather garb.
Whoosh.
Incense burner carved like soaring gold dragon spewed ceaseless crimson flames.
Swish.
Then the brat appeared soundlessly.
'Gasp...'
Eyes slammed shut on sight.
A scene shattering my taut nerves.
'Damn! Warn a guy if it's 19+!'
Shockingly, topless save a skimpy leather scrap below, the brat emerged.
"Ashumadia!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Warriors shot arms skyward, bellowing Ashumadia at her appearance.
'Tch...'
Not just for me, so I cracked eyes to peek.
Brat twisted snake-shed black gauze around like cloth.
Her freshly egg-sized budding breasts were cute.
Not igniting male lust, but evoking a fond chuckle.
Far from womanly yet.
'Whoa! All jewels!!!!!'
Scanning her, my eyes spun to the gem mound before her.
Truth: the sparkling rainbow gems stirred my heart more than her near-nude.
'Tens of millions gold at least!'
Fief had funds, but more was merry.
Sweeping one pile fed generations sans starvation.
"Roadi ma Shirahadia Pyrkedia..."
Whoosh.
Slender waist and back bare—chest still scant—she raised arms on altar, chanting holy tongue.
Incomprehensible, yet laced with mystic awe compelling listeners.
Ceaseless flames roared from the giant burner.
'No biggie?'
Quirky rite, but no dragon heir awakening vibe.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Then scraping overhead as something parted.
Head snapped up unwittingly.
'Gah!'
Mouth gaped once more.
'M-moon out!!!!'
Incredibly, new moon night—moonless sky—held a waxing crescent bright as real.
Pyramid-top gold crescent sculpture I'd dismissed blazed moon-like; cracks spidered the pyramid.
'M-magic circle!!!!!!'
Not cracks—dormant pyramid innards activated, mana flowing, spewing vast power.
"Keropaidaaa!!!!"
Golden moonlight poured on the nude girl called Rocoroya.
Brat flung hands up.
"Ashumadia!!!!!!!!!!"
Kneeling zealots slammed foreheads down.
'Illusion magic!'
Warriors bowed, but I could spectate all.
Familiar spell snapped me alert.
Swish.
I saw:
Brat on altar, hands raised, drunk on light, slowly sinking.
Likely special underground lift.
'Huh? Wh-what're those?'
Mid-gaze as she vanished, three black-robed figures emerged behind altar.
Exploiting bowed worship, they tailed her underground.
'Damn!'
Prayed it'd end quiet.
God ignored me; couldn't leave her. Body sprang up.
Swish.
Brat and robes nearly gone, heads vanishing underground.
Dolt warriors wept facedown, blind to altar drama.
Flash!
Trampling bowed warriors, I closed distance instantly.
Flash!
Then purple sorrowful eyes turned to me.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh.
Three black magic arrows flew at me.
Boom boom boom.
Body-blocking the arrows, I reached the altar.
'.....!!!!!!'
Reaching for vanishing brat, my eyes caught pitch-black hole.
Nothing visible.
Where brat and dark mages vanished: void, just inky space.
No—hole shrinking slowly.
"Udapahn!!!!!"
Fury-shouts from rear warriors.
'Damn it all!'
No choice unless skipping the 1v10k showdown.
Whish—leapt into darkness maw.
Like Shimcheong diving for 300 rice tribute, I dove dashingly.
'Wait up, I'll claim hazard pay fat if I return!!!!'
Into unknown dark, final glimpse: mountain jewels.
Eyes clenched.
Recalling today's cry—guts!—once more!
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
"Ah!"
Mercy Goddess Neran's provisional temple in the Foreign Skywing Corps camp.
Saint Armis, eyes shut in prayer, snapped them open.
"Ka... ier!"
Vision mid-prayer.
Hourly rite begging Neran for Kaier.
Darkness like Dark God's hem—Kaier leaping in—flashed her mind.
Neran's revelation, hinting something.
Armis gazed shocked at Neran's holy relic.
"..."
Silent, no answer.
"In the name of the gods..."
Eyes shut again, murmuring low.
She sank back into quiet prayer.
Rarely seeing Kaier, earnestly begging Neran's hand shield her love, wherever.