Ending Maker Chapter 71
Ending Maker Chapter 71
Chapter 22 - Gentle Snow Breeze #2
The fire demon's momentum was terrifying.
The heat blanketed the sky, and the towering flames seemed to reach several meters high.
"Madga!"
"We have to flee!"
The warriors of the Angry Rhino Tribe shouted and milled about in confusion.
It was only natural. A tidal wave of flame was bearing down on them like a tsunami.
"Those Gentle Snow Breeze bastards! They've completely lost their minds!"
A fire attack in a place like this.
Were they planning to die together?!
But whatever the case, the flames had already begun to rage. Madga urgently gave the order.
"Retreat! Withdraw from the battlefield!"
Once Madga gave the order, there was no reason to wait.
The warriors of the Angry Rhino Tribe began running like beasts fleeing a wildfire, and Madga likewise reinforced her legs with shamanic magic and took off running.
And the flames chased right on the heels of the Angry Rhino Tribe warriors.
"The wind?!"
A rough, gusting wind.
The wind that had been blowing from south to north until just now changed direction toward the fleeing Angry Rhino Tribe.
The natural flames began to follow the wind as well.
"Aaaaaah!"
Cordelia, both arms raised high, let out a sound that was less a battle cry and more a dying wail, and the golden pattern on her left arm emitted a vivid light.
"It's hard! I'm dying here!"
It was far more difficult than controlling a whirlwind in a windless zone.
She had to control flames that had spread across a vast plain, so the amount of wind she had to handle was vastly greater.
"Ugh-!"
Cordelia's legs trembled violently. It was so hard she was on the verge of tears. Yuder hastily uncorked a mana potion and pressed it to Cordelia's lips.
"Hic... sob."
"Hang in there! If this goes wrong, we all die!"
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Cordelia couldn't spit out her curses because she was swallowing the mana potion, but the look in her eyes made it clear what she wanted to say.
But as Yuder had said, if she failed to control the flames, they really could all die.
Cordelia focused, and focused again.
And then help arrived for Cordelia.
"Shamans of the Gentle Snow Breeze Tribe!"
Yuder shouted, looking toward the wall.
Just as Great Storm was, true to his name, a wild god of wind, Gentle Snow Breeze was also a wild god who commanded the wind.
When two lavishly adorned shamans chanted something from atop the wall, a strong wind blew in.
They controlled the wind in the same direction as Cordelia, making it much easier to control the flames.
"As expected! Just as I thought!"
Yuder, who had anticipated the Gentle Snow Breeze tribe's assistance, let out a cheer, and Cordelia resolved to smack Yuder on the back later as she exerted her power once more.
"Gooo!"
The controlled flames swelled into an inferno and swept over the Angry Rhino Tribe.
The fire covered such a wide area that more and more warriors failed to escape and were engulfed by the inferno, while the acrid smoke slowed those still running.
"Aaaah!"
"Madga!"
No matter how powerful the warriors of the Angry Rhino Tribe were, they could do nothing against the flames.
Amid the warriors’ cries, Madga roared and raised her skull staff high.
"Pour down! Strike! Torrential rain! Tears of the sky!"
Even before becoming a mid-grade Demonic Human, Madga had been a powerful shaman of the Angry Rhino Tribe.
She poured out an immense amount of magical power, nearly exhausting herself, and the sky answered at once.
SHHHHH—!
Rain poured down from the sky.
It was nowhere near enough to cover the entire plain, but it was enough to beat down the inferno where it mattered.
The flames began to subside.
But they had not completely subsided yet.
Having burned through an enormous amount of magical power all at once, Madga shouted in a strained voice.
"Retreat! Retreat!"
Even in that short time, the inferno had inflicted heavy losses.
Moreover, Madga herself had exhausted her magical power, so she had to withdraw and regroup for now.
"Retreating!"
"Fall back!"
A few Angry Rhino warriors raised banners to guide the others, and the battered force hurried out of the basin through flame, smoke, and torrential rain.
And so, a little over ten minutes later.
The rain stopped, and the flames also died down. The Angry Rhino Tribe warriors had fled.
"Good, just as planned."
Yuder grinned broadly, and Cordelia collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Hah...... hah......."
It had been truly, truly exhausting. She had no strength left to stand.
Yuder skillfully hoisted Cordelia onto his back and said,
"Good work, Gold. You really are Gold. I’m glad I’m Silver."
After all, only the golden pattern carried the Blessing of Wind Command.
Even then, Cordelia did her best to choke Yuder from behind for being so annoying, and Yuder coughed as he started walking.
The destination was, of course, the wall of Gentle Snow Breeze.
* * *
"What on earth have you done?! Are you trying to get us all killed?!"
It was good that the gate opened as soon as they approached the wall, but what followed was not.
One of the shamans who had helped Cordelia by commanding the wind let out a roar.
In truth, he had a point.
If the flames had spread toward the basin, wall or no wall, they would all have burned to death.
"That’s enough, Fine Eyes. It was reckless, but thanks to them, those bastards withdrew, didn’t they?"
"But, brother!"
"I'm not saying you're wrong. But let's set it aside for now. There are more urgent matters."
When the black-haired shaman with a blue feather in his hair spoke soothingly, the blue-haired shaman with a red feather closed his mouth, albeit with a dissatisfied expression.
The blue-feathered shaman turned to Yuder and Cordelia and spoke.
"It is good to meet you, warriors of Great Storm. I am Clear Eyes, who serves Gentle Snow Breeze, and this is my younger brother, Fine Eyes."
Cordelia didn't know the barbarian language, but she could roughly grasp what was being said by intuition.
'He's introducing himself, right?'
'Yeah.'
Yuder nodded and responded, albeit in clumsy barbarian language.
"Good to meet you. I am Yuder. This is Cordelia. We came to help Gentle Snow Breeze. Great Storm and Rough Avalanche sent us."
Each tribe living in the Wild Lands had a slightly different bloodline. Unlike the Great Storm Tribe, which carried the blood of Winter Elves, the Gentle Snow Breeze Tribe descended from ancient dwarves.
Because of this, many of them had somewhat short stature and sturdy builds, and the shamans Clear Eyes and Fine Eyes were no exception.
"Hmm, I see. Gentle Snow Breeze wishes to see you. Follow me."
Clear Eyes had already witnessed Cordelia using Great Storm's power in the first place.
On top of that, there had been word from Gentle Snow Breeze, so although Yuder and Cordelia were plainly from the Saelun Kingdom, he did not particularly guard against or suspect them.
"Understood. We will follow."
Yuder answered immediately, conveyed the gist to Cordelia, and then followed Clear Eyes.
'It's a small village.'
Avoiding Fine Eyes's sulky gaze, he looked around and could roughly gauge the size of the village and its population.
'Population of about 300 to 400?'
Most of the basin around the lake was farmland, and the area where people actually lived was not that large.
'Everyone's exhausted.'
After days of fighting, everyone—men, women, young, and old—was completely worn out.
Without Yuder and Cordelia's intervention, the Angry Rhino Tribe would have trampled this village tonight.
"This way."
Clear Eyes led Yuder and Cordelia into a shrine built in front of the lake.
The wooden shrine was little more than a large hut by Yuder and Cordelia’s standards, but it was still the largest building in the basin.
"Gentle Snow Breeze, I have brought the warriors of Great Storm."
Inside the neatly swept shrine, a curtain was hung, and beyond it, a human silhouette was visible.
When Clear Eyes bowed his head before the curtain and spoke, a voice came from the other side.
"Thank you for your work. Please show them in."
It was a refined voice that soothed the listener's heart.
Yuder and Cordelia swallowed nervously despite themselves, then followed Clear Eyes past the curtain.
"We greet Gentle Snow Breeze."
When Yuder and Cordelia spoke together and offered their respects, the girl seated there smiled brightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Gentle Snow Breeze."
The girl with white hair and large wings evoked the image of an angel from a story.
But her white face was clearly marked by illness.
"Thank you for your help. Are you the ones my brother Great Storm sent?"
As befitting a wild god, Gentle Snow Breeze was capable of conversation that transcended language.
Yuder and Cordelia briefly summarized what had happened so far, and worry spread across Gentle Snow Breeze's face.
"To bring down an entire mountain... just imagining it is dreadful. Those demonic forces truly are vicious."
Cordelia let out a fake cough, as if pricked by conscience at Gentle Snow Breeze's words, but Yuder spoke with a composed face.
"Rough Avalanche sent us because he feared Gentle Snow Breeze would be attacked as well. Since the demonic forces have seized control of the Angry Rhino Tribe, we must form an eastern alliance to oppose them."
"I understand what you mean. I also think we must join forces to stand against them."
Clenching both fists, Gentle Snow Breeze leaned forward slightly and continued.
"The demon's followers have done harm to the Dragon Vein. Because they attacked the Dragon Vein with wicked power, I too am unable to use my strength properly."
This was the reason for the clear signs of illness on Gentle Snow Breeze's face.
Madga’s plan was to attack the Dragon Vein and weaken Gentle Snow Breeze, then conquer tribes that could no longer rely on their wild god through brute force rather than a contest of shamanic power.
"Without the Dragon Vein, the Wild Lands lose their vitality. That is why, even when wild gods or tribes fought among themselves, no one harmed the Dragon Vein."
That taboo was one reason Rough Avalanche and Gentle Snow Breeze had been caught so badly off guard by attacks on the Dragon Vein.
It had simply been too long since anyone in the Wild Lands had even considered the possibility of attacking the Dragon Vein.
"They are pressing down on the Dragon Vein with an object of wicked and mighty power."
Gentle Snow Breeze was a being who ranked fairly high even among the wild gods.
But with her power suppressed by the damage to the Dragon Vein, she was now nothing more than a small, weak girl.
'If this follows the usual flow, a quest to remove the object blocking the Dragon Vein should come up, right?'
Cordelia's guess was quite reasonable, but Gentle Snow Breeze brought up a different matter.
"The tribe's warriors have already made several attempts, but the enemy's defenses are solid. They have set up their main camp right at the place where they are pressing on the Dragon Vein, so a frontal assault is impossible."
Infiltration was also tricky. Even if they somehow liberated the Dragon Vein, getting out would be the problem.
Then what should be done?
Cordelia furrowed her brow to devise a method, but Yuder only looked at Gentle Snow Breeze.
He thought that if there had been no alternative, she would not have brought up this topic in the first place.
"We need the Essence of the Blue Moon."
It was a name that even Yuder, who knew nearly everything about Hero Legend 2, was hearing for the first time.
Gentle Snow Breeze continued her explanation.
"Not far from here is a place called Moonview Hill. Dew from the moonview flowers that bloom there gathers over time, forming an essence of moonlight called the Essence of the Blue Moon."
Just hearing about it, it sounded like an object of extraordinary power.
"Once a month, whenever the phantom moon rises, the Essence of the Blue Moon reveals itself. It is to receive the moonlight in full."
She was talking about the time when the two moons in the sky appeared to be the same size.
According to Yuder's calculations, that was tomorrow.
"The Essence of the Blue Moon is a sacred object that, by its very existence, invigorates the life force of the fields, so even animals do not approach Moonview Hill. They fear they might harm the Essence of the Blue Moon. But...... now is not the time to worry about such things."
He could roughly understand what she was getting at.
"You intend to recover your strength with the Essence of the Blue Moon."
"Yes. With the Essence of the Blue Moon, I should be able to use my full power even without the Dragon Vein. If I use that strength to remove the wicked object harming the Dragon Vein, then I should be able to fight at full strength without the Essence afterward."
Her sanctuary and tribe had already been attacked. Gentle Snow Breeze had no intention of forgiving the demon worshippers who had attacked them.
"If they know this much about the Dragon Vein, there is a high possibility that they also know about the Essence of the Blue Moon. Warriors of Great Storm, it is embarrassing to say, but due to the continuous fighting, my children are exhausted and injured, and they can barely manage to defend this place. May I entrust the Essence of the Blue Moon to you?"
At the cautious question, Yuder turned to Cordelia, and Cordelia nodded as if there was nothing to think about.
"We will retrieve the Essence of the Blue Moon."
"Thank you so much. My blessing will be with you both."
As Gentle Snow Breeze spoke with a beaming smile, colorful patterns were added like decorations over the pattern of Great Storm.
Since Gentle Snow Breeze's power was currently suppressed, no mystery dwelled in the patterns for now, but once Gentle Snow Breeze recovered her strength, the blessing would activate.
"Clear Eyes will explain the details. If you need anything, please say so."
"Anything?"
"Yes, anything."
"Understood. We will do so."
Yuder and Cordelia answered at once and left the shrine before Gentle Snow Breeze could even question their enthusiasm.
"Let’s loot responsibly."
"Since it's for obtaining the Essence of the Blue Moon."
In truth, the two had already nearly run out of not only mana potions but also food. They had heard exactly the right story at exactly the right time for resupply.
"Did you have a good talk?"
Clear Eyes approached and asked at just that moment, and Yuder and Cordelia nodded. As if they had made a promise, they spoke at the same time.
"Please guide us to the armory."
"The supply depot, please."
Clear Eyes felt somewhat uneasy at the two's sparkling eyes, but soon nodded.
* * *
Gentle Snow Breeze's prediction was not wrong.
Madga, having withdrawn to the main camp, looked at the Spear of Corruption—Belial's treasure that was pressing down on the Dragon Vein—and thought.
'The Essence of the Blue Moon.'
Madga was originally a shaman from the Wild Lands.
Before meeting Haragen, she had been called Blue Starlight, and she knew not only of the phantom moon but also of the Essence of the Blue Moon.
The original plan had been to capture Gentle Snow Breeze alive and then leisurely harvest the Essence of the Blue Moon, but the great fire that had broken out had thrown all plans into disarray.
'Gentle Snow Breeze will surely try to obtain the Essence of the Blue Moon.'
But she likely could not send many troops. Right now, she didn't even have enough troops to defend the basin.
So, thinking conventionally, Madga herself also had no need to send many troops. Rather, it would be more correct to press the Gentle Snow Breeze basin even harder.
But Madga thought differently.
'The ones who set the fire.'
Who could they be?
Were they troops Gentle Snow Breeze had sent out as a diversion?
That couldn't be.
There had been plenty of opportunities to set the fire before then.
Moreover, burning the fields was not something a wild god—especially a soft-hearted wild god like Gentle Snow Breeze—would do.
'Zaracul's death.'
The direction where the fire first started was the southwest. It matched the direction of Rough Avalanche's mountain.
It could have been simple coincidence, but Madga trusted her intuition.
'Continue the pressure.'
Tomorrow morning, as soon as they finished reorganizing, they would leave the main camp again. They would attack the basin as before.
And Madga herself would head to Moonview Hill.
She would obtain the Essence of the Blue Moon and crush even the slightest possibility.
Madga slowly nodded.
Before the Spear of Corruption, which contained Belial's power, she clasped her hands together as if in prayer.
* * *
"Let's depart right away."
Cordelia, who had been adding feather decorations to her rabbit-ear headband, blinked at Yuder's words.
"You mean go ahead of time?"
"If it's neutral ground that no one has occupied, the side that lies in ambush first will have the advantage."
The Essence of the Blue Moon would reveal itself tomorrow, but that didn't mean they had to wait until tomorrow to depart.
"The Angry Rhino Tribe has withdrawn to their main camp. Even if they target the Essence of the Blue Moon, as Gentle Snow Breeze said... they’ll leave later than us. They’re farther away, too."
"Will they really come?"
"It's better to assume they will."
If they moved assuming the worst, they would be that much safer.
"Ugh... so we’re camping out again tonight."
Even though they had finally entered a village.
Cordelia's shoulders drooped and she looked dejected, but she didn't throw a fit.
"Since we’ve decided, let’s hurry. If we move fast, we can set up camp sooner and turn in early. I’m exhausted because a certain someone pushed me so hard."
"As you wish, Princess."
Yuder checked Cordelia's condition once more, then told Clear Eyes that they intended to depart immediately.
"Right now?"
"Right now. We're in a hurry."
Clear Eyes glanced up at the darkening sky after Yuder's firm answer, but he did not object.
"Gounko is a clever fellow. He will guide you safely to Moonview Hill. May Gentle Snow Breeze’s blessing be with you."
"May Great Storm's blessing be with you."
After answering Clear Eyes, Yuder and Cordelia climbed onto a large stag named Gounko.
And that night, near midnight.
When Yuder and Cordelia reached Moonview Hill near midnight, they could not help but marvel.
"Amazing."
"Pretty."
Blue flowers covered the hill beneath a blanket of white snow, creating an almost mystical sight.
Moonlight and starlight, and the white snow reflecting them.
Even though it was night, it was relatively bright, so they could survey the surrounding area, and Yuder furrowed his brow at Moonview Hill, which was wider than he had thought.
'The one saving grace is that there's only one path.'
Moonview Hill was called a hill, but it was practically a cliff.
The land, a little over 30 meters high—too low to be called a mountain but quite high to be called a hill—was a sheer cliff on all sides except for the one path leading up.
'Is the best option to block the path and hold out until the Essence of the Blue Moon appears, then bolt?'
Then how should they block the path?
While Yuder was mulling over various ideas, Cordelia looked around at the moonview flowers and then began digging into the ground. It was to make a sleeping spot.
"Let's sleep first and think tomorrow...... why?"
Yuder, who had been standing still and thinking, had begun staring fervently at Cordelia herself—more precisely, at the hole Cordelia had dug.
"I see."
"I see what?"
At Cordelia's question, Yuder smiled, then sat close beside her and began to explain.
As always, it was a story that made Cordelia smile.