Chapter 125
Translator: penny
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Collision: Celestia (1)
Before a certain great warrior made his name known across the land, all the tribes of Barkat were fractured into countless factions.
Back in the days when tales of the ancient 'alliance'—where the northern tribes united to terrify the entire continent—were dismissed as mere legends.
When great and small tribes alike clashed repeatedly upon the face of Mother Earth, spilling not the blood of imperial folk, but the blood of fellow warriors onto the soil.
It was an era when the word 'barbarian' fit the people of the Barkat Mountains all too well.
Great Chieftain Partlinger still remembered that history of Barkat vividly.
Everyone had denied Partlinger's dream.
Everyone had mocked Partlinger's ambitions.
Amid such gazes, he had proven himself time and again.
Until no one dared point fingers at his ambitions as foolish dreams any longer—
He had thrown himself into the annals of strife every single day.
“…….”
In the end, that savage era came to a close when Partlinger rebuilt the alliance.
Now, all the tribes of Barkat respected him, ready to lay down their lives at his command.
One of the Seven who shook the continent.
The great warrior of Mother Earth.
The sole Great Chieftain of the Erbar Alliance.
Those were the titles now bestowed upon Partlinger.
“You've returned faster than expected, Korkia.”
Hoo—
A clear breath escaped Partlinger's lips.
His gaze, which had been contemplating the mountain vista he had claimed through long years of effort, now turned quietly to the visitor before him.
Thud, step—. Thud, step—.
The sound of footsteps, subtly out of rhythm.
The old woman with an eyepatch over one eye—Korkia—bowed respectfully toward Partlinger as she gazed at him.
“……Great Chieftain.”
Korkia was infamous for her overbearing nature, yet she always showed deference before Partlinger in particular.
Especially in situations like this, where she had to bear responsibility.
“You said you'd gather the materials for the ritual, but I see you've left one of your eyes somewhere along the way.”
“…….”
Partlinger looked at the old woman standing before him and spoke words laced with complex emotions.
Tremble—
The old woman's hand, gripping her staff, shook faintly.
He could vaguely guess why the frail shaman Korkia was acting this way.
They had left Barkat as two, but she had returned alone, so it was only natural she'd feel responsible.
“What happened to Woki?”
“…….”
“It seems he died. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come back alone.”
The old woman's face darkened at Partlinger's words.
Grip—
A sharp, bloody scent wafted from Korkia.
“Korkia, did you achieve what you set out to do?”
Partlinger did not press the old woman about what had happened in the empire.
Instead, he posed a simple question on behalf of the fallen.
It was a question laden with many implications.
“This old crone and the young warrior strove for the Great Chieftain, so the materials they provide should suffice for the Star-Catching Ritual—”
“I see. If the Grand Shaman says so, then there should be no issues proceeding with the ritual.”
Swish—
Partlinger's gaze passed over Korkia to the few warriors who had followed her.
The warriors escorting the shaman bowed their heads in unison the moment the Great Chieftain's eyes fell upon them.
“…….”
“…….”
As he quietly observed them, memories of Woki flashed through Partlinger's mind.
He had been a young warrior who followed Partlinger faithfully from a tender age.
A fighter of innate talent, whom Partlinger had believed destined for great deeds.
For such a one to meet his end in a foreign land meant soothing his soul would be no easy task.
“Korkia—.”
Swish—
Partlinger unhooked the waterskin from his belt.
He uncapped it, turned it over, and poured its contents onto the ground.
Splash—
A sharp alcoholic aroma spread around the Great Chieftain.
“Was the enemy Woki faced a strong one?”
“…….”
The alliance Partlinger dreamed of was vast and mighty.
A family larger and greater than any tribe in the world.
That was the name of the alliance Partlinger yearned for.
But a larger family meant more names he would have to send away.
“Who did he fight? Did Woki meet a warrior's end?”
And now, it was time to bid farewell to one of his subordinates, the warrior Woki.
“The foe was an imperial warrior who wielded sword and spirits, and the young warrior saved this old one's life in a desperate struggle before dying.”
“……I see.”
He showed no further lingering attachment to his fallen comrade.
Instead, he spoke of what needed to be done now.
“If he died as a warrior, there's no reason to grieve. Now it's time for us to do what must be done.”
The sacrificial rite most sacred to the warriors of the Barkat Mountains.
—The Star-Catching Ritual.
It was time to carry on the legend of Barkat once more with his own body.
“Prepare the Star-Catching Ritual, Korkia.”
“……As the great warrior wills.”
Amid the harsh northern winds that brushed past, Partlinger buried the name of his long-time comrade in his heart.
—May you rest peacefully beneath Mother Earth.
A brief prayer echoed in Partlinger's chest.
Northern warriors buried their dead not in the earth, but in their hearts.
Great Chieftain Partlinger was no different.
* * * * * *
Celestia's Second Archive—
Begerton Antares, technical advisor to the Polaris Magic Research Society, was indulging in his nefarious hobby there once again today.
However, today's hobby session included some special guests.
A crow spirit and a sparrow spirit—
The two spirits sat side by side, gazing at the translucent screen alongside the doctor.
- “Lady Korkia. Are you saying this thing can truly let us hear the voice of the wind?”
- “Did I not say as much? Are you daring to doubt this old woman's words……?”
The three intelligent beings huddled together, watching barbarians peer into the crystal orb with faces full of curiosity.
Barbarians from the Erbar Alliance, nestled in the rugged northern mountains.
Shamans presumed to work under Korkia were fiddling with the crystal orb she had brought.
Unlike Korkia, most of them lacked any knowledge of the 'Polaris No.1'.
Thus, the shamans failed to operate the orb properly and merely buzzed about in heated discussion.
“Kekekeke—. First time seeing humans this noisy when they're not even on a call.”
Click—
Adjusting his monocle, the doctor let out a chilling laugh as he stared at the screen.
The barbarians' ways were unfamiliar even to him, but one figure in particular drew his eye.
The hideous old woman watching over the shamans from the back.
Grand Shaman Korkia—
She was the doctor's new surveillance target.
“Still giving off that unsettling vibe, that woman.”
The doctor's narrow eyes fixed on the old woman.
To be frank, the doctor hadn't liked her from the moment they first crossed paths.
There were various reasons, but the biggest was undoubtedly the old woman's true nature.
In the doctor's eyes, her inner self was far more twisted than her outward appearance.
“…….”
There were always those who cared not for means or methods to achieve their goals.
As technical advisor to the Polaris Magic Research Society, the doctor had encountered countless such types.
Thus, he was certain.
The old woman before him was trouble.
Just like Begerton Antares himself.
“Every time I look at her, she seems like the type to drag me into headaches. Maybe because she's so similar to me—”
His viscous gaze glared at the old woman on the screen.
Gulp, gulp—
Watching the barbarians before him, the doctor took a sip from the drink on the table.
“Well, anyway, one twisted soul like me is enough.”
Indeed, the old woman on the screen had to die.
That was Begerton Antares's conclusion.
Thus, the doctor stared intently at the translucent screen for a moment.
Soon after, a young shaman's voice emanated from the screen before the doctor's eyes.
- “By the way, Lady Korkia. Is the Star-Catching Ritual still set for the next full moon as planned?”
Flinch.
The doctor's eyes changed at the sudden unfamiliar term.
He straightened up, his face brimming with interest, abandoning his glare at the old woman beyond the screen.
- “Brat, have you already forgotten what I told you before I left?”
- “N-no, it's just that the Great Chieftain… Ow! Don't hit me with your staff!”
- “Or have you decided to disrespect this old woman? Fine, let's beat you till you drop today.”
The one who uttered the term was a young shaman from the tribe.
However, the doctor didn't think it was just that young shaman's doing.
He judged that the 'Star-Catching Ritual' they spoke of was a grand and crucial ceremony.
- “Did you slack off on the preparations while I was away……?”
- “N-no! We prepared really hard! Ask Sister Morina!”
- “Then quit your yapping and get to work! Put that orb away and hand it over!”
- “Fine, just put the staff away……!”
Just as the doctor suspected, Korkia discussed the ritual with utmost seriousness.
It meant the ceremony they were preparing held great significance for the entire tribe.
Tap, tap—
The doctor, tapping his fingers, stared at the face of the young shaman who had lost the orb.
Countless thoughts raced through the doctor's mind.
“Star-Catching Ritual, huh—”
A ceremony of great import to the northern barbarians.
An ominous aura seeped from the very name.
It felt like something that couldn't be left alone.
He would need to investigate this ritual at least once.
“Looks like tomorrow's task is set. I recall barbarian records left in B7 Lab…….”
Swish—
Having decided, the doctor rose from his seat.
He had reviewed all the recorded footage, so he left without regret.
“…….”
The doctor's footsteps, now standing, headed toward a corner of the archive.
Thud, thud—
As his footsteps echoed through the quiet archive.
The two spirits watching the spot the doctor had vacated soon tilted their heads at each other.
- Caw?
- Chirp chirp.
- Caaaaw.
The crow spirit, which had been staring at where the doctor sat moments ago, spread its wings wide and flew over the bag of snacks.
It then approached the doctor's abandoned cup with leisurely steps.
Tot, tot, tot—
The crow spirit hopped lightly toward the doctor's cup and glared at it silently for a few seconds.
- Caw—
As if to taste the drink inside, the crow spirit began pecking rapidly with its beak.
Peck peck peck—
Its sleek, pointed beak slowly sipped the doctor's leftover drink.
Thus, the crow spirit savored the doctor's beverage for a moment.
- Gaaawk—
Thud.
Soon, the crow spirit's limp body tilted sideways.
- Chirp……?
The pure white sparrow spirit's face paled.
* * * * * *
The next morning.
The doctor succeeded in finding the material he sought amid the piles of documents in the lab.
Among the records he had brought from Pilgrim Bartov's shelf, he found one detailing the northern barbarians.
It was a record penned by the former head of the Magic Research Society during his solitary wanderings in the north.
A thick, weathered logbook—that was it.
“Ancient mystery, 'Star-Catching Ritual'…….”
—Barkat Mountains Exploration Log.
The log, written in the head's own name, contained various customs and legends passed down in the north since ancient times.
And among them was the very 'Star-Catching Ritual' that piqued the doctor's curiosity.
It detailed what the head had learned about the ritual during his investigations into the north's ancient mysteries.
“…….”
A rite to select the finest warrior—
Most northern warriors knew the Star-Catching Ritual as such.
However, the true nature of the 'Star-Catching Ritual' described by the head was something entirely different.
Beyond the distant skies, imperceptible to human senses.
It was a ceremony created to 'trade' with some dangerous entity residing there.
“Different from the shadows wielded by black mages… A tale of the 'inscrutable unknown,' then.”
Rustle, rustle—
As he turned the pages, a faint smile played on the doctor's lips.
The more he read of the log, the more his interest surged.
Along with it came the thought that leaving this ritual unchecked would be problematic.
“Whichever way it goes, the outcome of the 'Star-Catching Ritual' could negatively impact the Magic Research Society or the Secret Society.”
Conveniently, it was time for the next descent ritual.
With business calling him north, it wasn't a bad turn for the doctor.
Kekeke—
The doctor chuckled lightly and pulled a nutrition jelly from his pocket.
“Looks like this descent ritual should be held up north.”
Munch, munch—
The soft jelly crumbled in the doctor's mouth.
It seemed today would be quite busy.