Chapter 48
Chapter 48
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: The Heart of the South
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A truly dumbfounding conversation was unfolding without restraint, right in front of the person it was about.
At that, Ella went pale.
There was truly nowhere left to retreat.
Anyone else watching might have laughed at how absurd and ridiculous the situation was, but she couldn't bring herself to do so.
That was because the words of the hooded figure and Durias were filled with sincerity.
It was as if they were truly just waiting for the moment she jumped off the cliff.
'......They're insane. They're not in their right minds. Are they planning to jump off the cliff with me?'
Ella swallowed dryly.
As she took a step back, Durias reached out a hand, saying, "Whoa..."
He seemed flustered now that she actually looked like she might jump.
The hooded figure, on the other hand, was the more composed of the two.
Ella felt a flicker of doubt.
What gave this person the confidence to just stand by and watch?
Feeling her foot slip into the empty air, Ella clenched her fists.
'If I'm lucky, I might get swept away by the river and survive.'
Fortunately, she wasn't a particularly weak Su-in, so she could hold out hope of waking up alive.
'No matter how crazy they are, they won't jump off the cliff with me.'
Her life was on the line.
No matter how important a command was, it couldn't be more important than one's own life.
With that thought, Ella felt a sense of relief and the corners of her lips curled up.
"You'll never catch me. I'm really going to jump."
Soon, her body began to fall rapidly.
At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew off the hood worn by the dark figure.
Soft, short hair cascaded down, revealing a fair face that had been hidden.
Durias glanced at his companion and asked.
"Can you bring her back alive? ......Hestia."
"Don't worry too much, Lord Durias."
Hestia's tone was as gentle as ever, but her cool eyes were fixed on the bottom of the cliff.
Hestia walked forward with composure.
"I will be sure to return with her alive, so don't you worry."
There was no hesitation in Hestia's actions.
Watching her kick off the ground and dash down the cliff, Durias let out a small sound of admiration.
Her speed was so incredible that it was difficult to follow even with a Black Mamba's kinetic vision.
As she descended the cliff face, Hestia's expression was colder and more subdued than ever.
She had to bring her back alive.
This mission was the first step in correcting her past mistakes.
* * *
"......Are you saying that from now on, we must each prepare a story about the outside world to tell you?"
"Yup."
Early in the morning, Paymon was rendered speechless by the sudden condition.
"Fwom now on, if you wanna see Aileen, you haf to do that."
"May I ask why?"
The reason was simple. No matter how I looked at it, there was still too much I didn't know.
I had clearly realized that my situation wasn't good enough to allow me to grow up slowly.
"I jus' wanna know stuff fwom now on."
"I see."
I decided that from this point forward, I had to learn diligently and not neglect anything.
I was already learning various theories according to my developmental stage, but since the lessons were every other day, the progress was rather slow.
Besides, the most important thing was practical experience, not theory.
Just as I was wondering who could teach me best, Paymon had appeared.
"Got it? You haf to tell everyone."
"I understand."
Paymon, who had been staring silently at the floor, nodded.
It felt like a hasty decision, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good one.
Since they were the ones who had most recently spent a long time outside, wouldn't they have many stories to tell?
"What are you curious about?"
"Jus' anything. Like...... stuff about the South!"
I subtly hinted at the stories I wanted to hear. It seemed best to first understand the situation in the South.
Paymon seemed to be pondering why I was making such a request. At his lukewarm reaction, I grabbed his arm.
"Hm?"
"......."
"Paymon."
"......."
"Paymon!"
As I urged him on by shaking his arm, Paymon flinched and took a sharp breath.
His deep green eyes began to wander in bewilderment.
"Yes. I will relay the message."
"Oh, wait."
I quickly stopped Paymon as he was about to leave.
"It's a secret that I asked you to teach Aileen, okay?"
It wouldn't matter if I got caught, but seeing Kaide and Baon's reactions yesterday, it seemed like it would become a headache.
Paymon nodded, signifying he understood.
And just like that, I gained four new teachers.
* * *
"Look closely. This is the South, to the right is the East, up is the North, and to the left is the West."
"Wow. This is the North? It's so close!"
"That's right. It may seem like the farthest, but it's actually the closest region."
The first to tell me a story was Mesis.
Surprisingly, Mesis seemed to have a knack for teaching.
"Our relationship with the North hasn't been very good in the past. It hasn't been long since we formed an alliance."
"Why?"
"There was a region where our territories overlapped. We've split it exactly in half now, but members of both clans still live there together."
I had thought things had always been peaceful, but I never imagined there was such a backstory.
"So we're not close with the North now?"
"We're not particularly close."
"Oh, I see..."
Not on good terms with the North. Thinking of Sage, my mood soured.
What if our relationship worsens again later? That can't happen.
He wouldn't take back his promise to be my friend, would he?
As my expression grew somber, Mesis paused his explanation to look at me.
"Why the long face all of a sudden?"
"I made a fwiend, but Sage lives in the North."
"Ah. That little kid?"
Mesis's expression turned sour.
"You know Sage?"
"Of course, I do. So his name is Sage."
"Yup. He pwomised to meet Aileen and play again later."
"Well... our relationship won't sour that easily. There haven't been any problems so far."
That was a relief. Mesis resumed drawing on another part of the map.
As he told his story, flowing smoothly without pause, I saw him in a new light.
Sitting on the dirt-covered ground, sketching with a twig, he looked remarkably intelligent.
Moreover, the map was quite detailed and easy to understand.
This time, Mesis marked the South with a star and continued his story.
"The South is much more active in terms of exchange compared to other regions. The Gaju is very invested, so more than double the personnel are dispatched to the border compared to other places."
"Why more than double at the border?"
"To enter the South, you have to pass through the Terra Forest here, and some rough fellows live there."
"Oh, I see. Is it vewy dangerous there?"
I asked, looking at the circled area near the border. It seemed that was the Terra Forest.
"The South is generally safe, but you can't be complacent in all areas. That's why we guide clans coming from outside right from the border, to ensure a smooth exchange."
"I see."
"It's expensive, but safety is guaranteed, so everyone tends to prefer the South. What do you think? Doesn't it sound more amazing the more you hear?"
"It's amazing."
I didn't think Kaide would be one to care much about such things.
Surprisingly, he was meticulously overseeing everything. It really gave off the vibe of a true leader of the South.
I thought they lived strictly by the law of the jungle, but it seemed that wasn't always the case.
Come to think of it, it was quite amazing that the South, teeming with wild Black Mambas, was so peaceful.
If other clans preferred the South as a place for exchange, it must mean the administration of the South was that systematic, right?
Mesis poked the very center of the South with his twig.
"This is where we are right now. It's called the Heart of the South."
"So we're here too?"
"That's right. Most families hide in the deepest parts of their territory, but the Astrofel family is in the center."
"Why?"
Isn't being in the deepest part the best?
Considering the possibility of an attack from another clan, being located deep inside seemed most advantageous.
"It's a family rule that if a war breaks out, the Gaju is the first to step up and lead. For that, being too far forward or too far back would be troublesome, so we're positioned in the center."
"So if something happens, Dad is the fiwst one to go out?"
"Yes. That's why no one picks a fight. Who would want to see the Gaju's face right from the start?"
......I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
It must mean Kaide is so strong that no one wants to face him, right?
I had never seen the family members fight with their full strength, but I knew how powerful Black Mambas were.
Each one possessed destructive power, so I couldn't even fathom how strong Kaide, who stood at their pinnacle, must be.
"Hey. How stwong is Dad?"
"Even I don't know that."
"Why not?"
"I've never seen the Gaju fight seriously. And I don't particularly want to. That would mean the South is in grave danger."
That was true. I nodded at the convincing explanation.