Chapter 62: Tribe
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62: Tribe
We slowly made our way toward Black Spear’s village. With nothing else to do, I decided to learn a bit more about the Ring of Covenant and was soon able to confirm a few things.
The communication magic imbued in the Ring of Covenant wasn’t a simple call-and-receive system. For example, if I infused mana into the ring Baek Ahyeon possessed, her ring would continuously send a signal to my own. The channel would remain open, regardless of my response. Whether I chose to receive it was up to me, but even if I didn’t connect, her voice would still be transmitted to my side. Of course, if I grew tired of hearing her voice, I could block it.
The interesting part was that if she spoke while her ring was infused with mana, her voice would come through even if she had no intention of speaking to me. In other words, I could hear not only the words she directed at me in her mind but also her actual conversations.
It was essentially a listening device. The only drawback was that I could only hear her voice and nothing of her surroundings. Still, I considered it a relief, as I could use her to get a general sense of the city’s situation and its current atmosphere.
The bottom line was that she would be under my surveillance, in a way. Of course, she had no way of knowing whether I was listening to her or not, but the mere possibility that I might be listening would serve as a leash on her.
Not that she seemed to care whether she was on a leash or not. In fact, she seemed happy at the thought that I might be listening to her voice.
After walking for some time, we reached a fork in the road that led to Black Spear’s village on one side and the small city of Legius on the other. It was there that I parted ways with Baek Ahyeon.
The only problem was how reluctant she was to leave.
“O-oh, Savior…”
Even though I had already explained everything to her, she stood there with a pack on her back, crying fat tears for a long while, looking terrified and anxious. It was a pitiful sight. In contrast, the corners of Jung Hayeon’s mouth kept creeping upward. She seemed quite pleased to see the other woman go.
I wanted to pat the crying Baek Ahyeon on the head, but I was hesitant to leave any trace of myself on her, so I decided to part with just a few words.
“Wait for me. We will be together soon.”
“I… I will wait. I will be waiting… for you to call for me.”
My words seemed to move her deeply. She clutched the Ring of Covenant tightly. Seeing this, Jung Hayeon’s good mood vanished, and she scowled. I made a mental note to give Jung Hayeon the next decent accessory I found.
“Make sure to wear your gloves before you enter.”
“Yes… I understand.”
At a glance, the ring looked ordinary, but I thought it best to hide it, just in case. Jung Hayeon nodded. Since she understood my meaning, I figured she would make the right choice in special situations, either taking the ring off for a moment or wrapping it with a bandage.
Even as she walked toward the city, Baek Ahyeon kept looking back, her steps slow and hesitant as if she didn’t want to leave. I could feel how much she truly relied on me. It was no wonder she had even acquired a class related to her devotion. I knew that if I said a proper goodbye, it would only make it harder for her to leave, so I simply turned my head and walked away.
“Are you sure it’s alright to send a human woman off alone like that? So many valuable weapons… The warriors of the tribe would have been pleased…” Black Spear spoke up after everything was settled, sounding a little anxious and disappointed.
“It is, Black Spear. The weapons that woman took are more than enough to fatten up the city. Starting tomorrow, humans might start flocking this way. Humans are just as weak to fine armaments as Green Skins are.”
“Hmm… Blood Dagger. If you are that certain, then it is surely worth believing.”
“I will repay your trust.”
At my confident tone, Black Spear nodded with a bright expression. He looked as if he now trusted me completely.
I started walking again, making idle conversation with my clan members. By now, she would be talking to the city guards and meeting with the city’s authorities. After some time had passed, I grew curious about how she was doing and pushed a little mana into the Ring of Covenant. Baek Ahyeon’s voice began to filter through.
[I… I am a survivor of the Ancient Warrior’s dungeon. I would like to dispose of the items and file a conquest report. Could I… speak to someone in charge…]
[Ah… ah. Thank you. Tea… anything is fine… thank you.]
[Yes. I am the only survivor. The Clan Master and the wind magician, Kim Mina, saved my li…fe… allowing me to escape alone. Sob…]
Her voice alone was enough to tell me how the situation was unfolding. She was doing well, just as I’d expected. Her performance, selling out the Clan Master and the wind magician, seemed quite high-level. If I didn’t know the truth, I might have believed her myself. I had assumed she’d be a master at hiding her emotions after enduring such a miserable life, forced to smile in the arms of those bastards, but she was far more skilled than I’d thought.
[Ah… as for the disposal of the items… I’d like you to handle it. I don’t have the ability to protect them, and… it’s too much of a burden…]
[Ah… yes? My… my class is a priest-type… I was originally a magician, but I happened to change my class by chance this time…]
It was a brilliant choice to dispose of items she couldn’t protect anyway. From the way they were asking about her class, it seemed she was even receiving a recruitment offer. Her class was ambiguous, somewhere between a magician and a priest, but saying she was a priest-type was another excellent decision.
A magician Baek Ahyeon was certainly useless, but in a city, a priest was always a valuable asset. I didn’t know how effective the [Pagan] class would be, but I imagined it was something the guilds in a small city like Legius would seriously consider.
[Pardon?]
[In that case… you’re saying you’ll announce that the… conquest was carried out by the Sky Dragon Guild… Yes. Of course, I don’t mind… No. I don’t mind at all.]
It looked like they weren’t just content with getting high-grade items for free; they were going to steal the credit for the achievement as well. In return, they would likely help Baek Ahyeon by providing her with items she could use immediately, gold coins, or even help with grinding for experience and points.
I didn’t know who the master of the guild currently managing Legius was, but they were quite clever. The old Baek Ahyeon might have been a different story, but the current Baek Ahyeon, even in my eyes, had potential for growth.
Once this deal was done, the guild would gain a great deal publicly. Items, achievements, publicity for the city, and a priestess with a promising future. They would even gain honor.
It was best for her to accept. Baek Ahyeon might not want to join a group, but it would be better for me to have someone who understood how that guild operated, so I opened the channel and began to speak softly to her.
[If it’s a recruitment offer, accept it.]
[Ah! Yes!… N-no. Of course, that’s not it, but if you would help me…]
[Thank you.]
[As an official guild member… Th-thank you!]
Startled by my voice, she let out a strange sound, but it seemed she quickly composed herself and accepted the recruitment offer.
I was a little worried, but it was certain that a future incomparable to her past life as a squire in that clan awaited her.
A priest-type, a rare class in the city. And an official guild member at that—she was already elite. To put it in Earth terms, she had successfully landed a full-time job. Priests, in particular, were guaranteed priority on items and points during every hunt, not to mention a host of other unseen benefits. Simply by holding the guild’s insignia or banner, she would become someone who could look down on other clans and unaffiliated summoners.
The moment she accepted that offer, Baek Ahyeon became a firm member of the establishment in the small city of Legius.
[Yes. Then I’ll be in your care.]
After hearing Baek Ahyeon’s final reply, I cut the connection. I must have been smiling too broadly, because Mev, a large bow slung over her back, spoke to me.
“Captain, you look happy.”
“Yeah. It seems things will work out even better than I thought.”
“As expected…”
“Krrk.”
We finally arrived at Black Spear’s village and were able to unpack our things. The relief on the faces of my clan members, who had been under stress for days, was palpable. Jung Hayeon, having seen blood for the first time in a while, also looked quite satisfied. Everyone raised their newly acquired weapons high into the air, boasting of their heroic deeds to the members of the Black Spear Clan.
“Black Spear is very strong. Kkireuk. He pierced the magician with one throw of his spear.”
“Of course. Our chieftain has always been strong. He is worthy of leading our tribe.”
“Chieftain Blood Dagger has gotten stronger, too. He’s definitely stronger than when he was here before.”
“Our Captain gets stronger fast! Kkireuk!”
Voices like these echoed continuously. Our business was done, but I had to watch the city ‘fatten up,’ so I decided to stay in Black Spear’s village a little longer. Black Spear readily agreed with a nod.
And as usual, darkness began to fall upon the village. Curious if Baek Ahyeon was up to anything foolish, I briefly opened the communication channel. There didn’t seem to be any problems. If anything, the problem was how desperately she was looking for me.
[Savior…]
[Savior… Savior…]
I was about to open my mouth to answer her call when I hesitated. I had a feeling she wasn’t actually calling out to me, but was… doing something else. As if to confirm my suspicion, I began to hear rough, ragged breaths.
[Hah… haah… Savior… please… haah… haah…]
It seemed she was enjoying herself. Considering what she’d been through, I thought she would be repulsed by the act itself, but that didn’t appear to be the case. The way she called for me, like a kitten calling for its mother, suggested that I was the cause of this change in her. It was an understandable reaction, I suppose, given that she had caught a whiff of Jung Hayeon’s scent.
[Savior… haah… I’m sorry. I’m sorry… for being a bad believer who thinks such dirty thoughts… I’m truly sorry.]
She even seemed to feel guilty. It didn’t really matter to me what she thought about while picturing me, but it sounded like she was rapidly approaching her climax.
[Aaaahk… Aht…]
An unidentifiable shriek finally burst out. Feeling too awkward to keep listening to her voice, I quietly closed the connection. The feeling that there wasn't a single normal woman around me was surely not a misconception. I thought this to myself as I watched Jung Hayeon open the flap of my tent and stealthily approach. A night passed, and several more days went by.