Chapter 325: The Dead
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 325: The Dead
Laveua gasped for breath. Physical training was not something she was used to. Her arms and legs ached; there wasn't a single part of her that didn't hurt. Her whole body trembled from the unfamiliar pain, but she knew better than anyone that she had to endure it. Because she knew that today's pain would make her stronger.
“Should we stop here for today, Lady Laveua?”
“No, Yoora. I can do more. I heard Dad and the other Green Skin uncles are still training, too.”
“Ah… yes. That’s right.”
The once-bustling settlement was much quieter. It was likely because the only remaining clan executives were Mirror Blade Hark and Hakajin. Of course, she knew why most of the Green Skins had left the village.
‘The Great War.’
She had overheard that they were preparing for a great war against the undead. The children hadn't been given precise information, but rumors naturally circulated.
They were limited stories—things like humans and Green Skins joining forces, or that they were building a great wall in the North to stop the undead from advancing—but thanks to them, the young Green Skins were pushing themselves even harder.
It was likely a reaction born from feeling powerless. Everyone shared the desire to be of help to the tribe. It was the same for the Green Skin mothers and the still-young children. Even now, preparations for a massive battle were probably underway in the North.
The training, filled with all sorts of complex thoughts, finally ended a short while later. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, but the water she drank after finishing her work tasted incredible. Laveua greedily gulped down some water and spoke.
“Any new word?”
“Same as last time. I heard they’re still training continuously. The talk about the hazy barrier being about to disappear is still the same, too.”
“I wish the war would end quickly so I can see Dad…”
“I don’t think this war will end so quickly.”
Laveua had witnessed many things happen in the tribe over the years, but the atmosphere was definitely different this time. It felt like a war even greater than the wars of the Southwest and Northeast was approaching, a feeling she could sense even while standing still. The elite Orc swordsmen, Ogres, and Troll spear-throwers guarding the Brother's Land also wore expressions more serious than ever before.
Rather than disappointment at not being able to join the war, their faces showed a sense of duty to protect the tribe.
Recalling the uncles’ expressions, Laveua brushed the dirt from her body and stood up. She had promised to spend time with her younger sister after training.
“Are you going to see Lady Lapura?”
“Yeah. Dad told me to get along with my sister…”
“You worked hard, Lady Laveua.”
“No, you worked harder, Yoora. See you in a bit!”
“Yes.”
Laveua quickened her pace. To be honest, her younger sister, Lapura, made her a little uncomfortable. It was because she felt more like an adult than a younger sister. She’d heard it was because Lapura had inherited much from her mother, but the incredibly mature Lapura was still unsettling.
In fact, if it hadn't been for her father's words about getting along with her sister, she might not have visited at all. But it was what her father had earnestly requested, holding both her hands before leaving for the war, so there was no way she could break that promise. Laveua bit her lip slightly before gently opening the flap of the tent and stepping inside.
“Lapura!”
“You came again today, sister. I believe I told you that you don't have to force yourself to visit. I’ll tell Father we got along just fine. You don’t have to overdo it.”
“Hehehe…”
As she scratched the back of her head, feeling a little awkward, she saw Lapura let out a faint sigh. Looking around, she saw that plants encircled the massive tent. She’d heard it was part of her training to learn how to control her power, but since the mechanics of her magic were completely different from her own, it was incredibly difficult to tell what exactly she was doing.
“Are you still training?”
“Yes. If I can learn to control my power, I might be able to be with Father.”
“Probably not… Yoora wasn’t taken to this war either. I heard none of the older brothers and sisters from the Goff Clan or the Black Spear Clan were taken. They said it’s going to be a dangerous war, so they won’t be taking any children.”
“I have eyes and ears too, sister. But…”
Her face showed her frustration.
At a glance, she looked expressionless, but having spent a good deal of time with Lapura, Laveua could tell what emotion she was showing. It was a look of frustration, followed by a look of pity.
It wasn't a gaze filled with contempt, but rather one of someone sighing as they looked at her. Laveua tilted her head for a moment.
“Were you with Kim Yoora again today?”
“Y-Yeah…”
“It would be best not to get too friendly with her.”
“W-Why?”
“She seems to be harboring some rather audacious thoughts behind that innocent-looking face. You can tell by the way she looks at Father.”
Frankly, to Laveua, it didn't seem much different from the way Lapura looked at their father, but she nodded anyway. She didn't want to get into a strange argument.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No. I don't mean to insult you, sister, but it would be too difficult for you.”
She probably didn't mean to hurt her feelings. Lapura's words were an undeniable fact. The magical energy currently surrounding this tent was too much for her to handle. She had no idea how she could possibly help; she had only said it to break the awkward silence.
“Still, you never know…”
Just as she opened her mouth, thinking there might be some way, she saw Lapura’s expression contort. It was the first time she had ever shown such a negative emotion. As she frantically replayed her previous actions in her mind, trying to figure out what mistake she had made, Lapura spoke.
“Sister.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“We have to get to the shelter.”
“Wh-Why?”
“I don't know exactly what, but something is about to happen. Quickly. Right now…”
Lapura hurriedly withdrew the plants and left the tent. Laveua felt her body lift into the air and looked around to see Lapura’s plants wrapped around her. They were moving her.
Despite everything, it seems my sister doesn't think badly of me. A small smile crept onto her lips.
When they emerged from the tent, they were met with a vast, black sky. As she stared blankly at it, wondering what was happening, a loud shout erupted from somewhere.
“Young Green Skins and mothers, head to the shelter immediately!”
“To the shelter!”
Tribe members moving in a panic came into view. The elite Orc swordsmen had drawn their blades and were protecting the entire Brother's Land. The Goff and Black Spear Clans were in an uproar as well. You didn't have to be a fool to know. Something had happened. As she swallowed hard, she saw Uncle Hark approaching, a sword strapped to each side of his waist. She couldn't tell if it was him or his clone. But Uncle Hark looked just as rushed. Laveua instinctively began to look around.
“Laveua and Lapura, to the shelter. This Mirror Blade will guide you.”
“What’s going on?”
“We don’t know for sure yet. The priority is to move.”
Lapura nodded at Uncle Hark’s words. Seeing this, Laveua couldn't help but speak up.
“C-couldn't we be of help, too?”
“I appreciate the sentiment.”
She didn't know exactly what was happening, but she could feel a continuous stream of ominous magic falling to the ground. Laveua instinctively channeled magic into her eyes. Since her body was being moved against her will, various scenes came into view.
She saw the graves of the warriors who had supported the Brother's Land until now, hands bursting from the ground, Lady Ragia's memorial stone, the sounds of bodies colliding, and the bizarre cries of dead creatures. Unable to comprehend the sight, Laveua shook her head.
“The dead are rising.”
Lapura’s voice forced her to accept that what she had seen was not a hallucination. The underground shelter in the settlement came into view. As they rushed inside, she saw many young Green Skins, including herself, already sitting and waiting.
“Y-Yoora!”
“Lady Laveua!”
She could see Shakara from the Black Spear Clan and the heir of the Goff Clan. Everyone was biting their lips.
“From now on, all young Green Skins will wait here until this is over. This is not my order, but the order of the three glorious chieftains of the Brother's Land. It won’t take long.”
Hark and the other adult Green Skins left after saying their piece, and a sudden silence fell upon the underground space, now filled with only children. The first to break the silence were the Green Skins from the Goff Clan.
“Wh-What’s happening?”
“I don’t know the details…”
“What is it?”
Just as Laveua was about to speak, an answer came from Shakara of the Black Spear Clan.
“I'm not certain, but I heard the dead are rising.”
“I-Is that true?”
“I wonder if something happened in the North…”
Her heart sank at those words. The fact that an unknown enemy's magic had reached this far could mean that something had happened to the adults in the North.
“That can’t be it. It’s unimaginable that they could have been breached in such a short time.”
That was probably right.
She didn't know the detailed situation in the North, but considering the strength of the Blood Dagger Clan, she thought it was impossible for the North to have already fallen. Nevertheless, the thought of ‘what if’ reared its head, but Laveua shook her head with all her might.
“What you’re imagining didn’t happen, sister.”
Nodding at Lapura’s words, she looked around. Everyone had a different expression. Some looked conflicted, others anxious. But the most common expressions were those of faith in the adults. It was then, as Laveua nodded and glanced at the clan's children, that she noticed a familiar face was missing. Like her, Kim Yoora and the other young Green Skins were also looking around frantically.
“Nicole? Nicole!”
“…”
“Yoora… wh-where’s Nicole?”
“I… I’m sure she came in with us…”
Kim Yoora’s face immediately began to turn pale. Laveua, too, bit her lip hard.
The dead have risen. She had a feeling she knew why Nicole wasn't here.