Episode 151
The small mountain village was half collapsed. Bodies whose flesh had been horribly eaten away and their bones exposed were lying on the blood-soaked dirt floor.
“We were attacked by crow here too. “Thank goodness my body wasn’t taken away.”
Miria said.
As a result, the entire village we passed by was revealed to be in ruins. There was an ominous aura hovering over the mountain range that I could not explain.
“witch… … .”
As I glanced at the corpse, I also saw a woman wearing blue robes and a cone hat.
The Republic Witches’ Association used to place one witch in every three or four villages to spread the teachings of the dragon, but it appears that she died in this attack.
It seemed difficult to bury over fifty corpses alone. If I had only been able to use earth magic, it would have been over in an instant… … .
We helped each other with the shovel and carefully asked about the details of the work.
“What I know is that a black church group called Lu Zhaihe is in full swing. “It’s probably been about a month.”
Lu Zhaihe? If I remember correctly, it meant ‘obsession’ in the primitive language. Motherf*ckers, what a great cause you must be obsessed with.
Whatever the intention, I had no choice but to hurry the journey. Before another victim came forward.
After filling the hole with dirt, I put my hands together and Aki tilted his head.
“cadet?”
“This is praying. “It allows the souls of dead people to go to the gods.”
“Pray, pray, pray.”
I don’t know if he understood the meaning or what he was praying for, but at that time, Aki followed me, clumsily putting his hands together and closing his eyes.
– A man who knows how to pray for someone is a truly wonderful man, Lynn.
During the turmoil 300 years ago, I remembered Friede’s side profile, shedding tears as she prayed with all her heart for each of the dead, and for some reason, the tip of my nose became cold.
That night, as always, I avoided the eyes of the three-eyed crows in the goblin den.
The next day, we passed through Jeokchong Forest, a highland area on the mountainside. They were the sacred trees of the Red Mountains that absorbed and purified the ugly energy of negativity, but now only stumps remained.
The largest one was big enough for ten adults to lie down on, and the smallest one was big enough for me and Aki to lie down on it.
“I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.”
Fifi sat here and there on the stump and barked so mournfully that it made my heart ache.
It was Friede who told me the story about this forest.
Did you say that when you feel frustrated, if you walk around here with Fifi, you feel refreshed, as if all the toxins in your heart are burned away?
For Fifi, it would be a place filled with memories of her days with Friede.
“Is this also Lu Zaihe’s work?”
“Probably not.”
“No?”
“Jeokchongmok has good aesthetic elements. Because the tree rings are fluttering like flames. “It must have been used in art.”
“Then ordinary people cut down all of this and took it? “What does the Senate of the Republic do?”
With a helpless sigh, Miria made such incomprehensible noises.
“senate? “Where is the Senate in the Republic now?”
What was more embarrassing was this.
‘Where is the Senate?’
This was tantamount to saying that there was no imperial council of five electors leading the Holy Human Empire.
When the Red Dragon Legion ruled the Republic, the dragons residing in each city appeared before the Senate as consuls and discussed major and minor matters of state affairs.
Originally, Hwaryong alone could control the government, but it seems that Hwaryong wanted humanity to realize the gods’ teaching that ‘all humans are equal’.
‘So I heard that the consuls took tribunes (mainly witches) to the Senate and taught them the ways of republican government… … .’
Now that the corps has left, I thought the shamans and witches would have taken over their positions, but was there something major that changed the foundation?
The answer I heard was in a village called
It was a village that grew out of a gap in a mountain range, and was surrounded by a small stream and thick wooden fences, so it looked more like a wooden castle than a village.
If this were imperial territory, the ruler’s flag would definitely have been flying, but since this is the Republic of Yongin, where everyone is equal, there was no flag.
“Hey, is it okay to stop by a town like this? “They say you should avoid people’s eyes as much as possible.”
“don’t worry. People here can be trusted. And I also have to replenish my equipment such as daggers and arrows here.”
When the gate made of five logs was opened, to Miria’s surprise, she easily took off her helmet and lightly shook her hair.
Strangely enough, while the residents welcomed Miria by calling her name in a friendly way, the men holding the old bows (especially the young ones) glared at me as if they were wary.
“Who is this guy?”
“I heard Miria brought you here?”
“It’s the Empire! How dare this gisaeng brother with a child betray someone? “If you’re going to pass, stand straight in line.”
“What line?”
When Miria glared at him with eyes full of contempt, he immediately smiled and walked away.
I could hear the sound of women and children laughing as they caught freshwater fish by the stream, and under the wooden fence, old women were carving wood to make old bow arrows.
The person who welcomed us on behalf of the village was a witch who looked like pure white pudding. She was a middle-aged woman with a stocky stature and plump physique under a blue cone hat.
“Who is this? Miria, a beautiful swordsman who always maintains her beauty by bathing in goblin blood, has come.”
The woman was wiping the sweat from her face with her long sleeves as she made a fuss, and she had a kind smile.
“If you bathe in their blood, it just stinks. And instead of blood, use bile or gastric juice.”
The Pudding Witch turned to me, paying no heed to Miria’s sighing reply.
“So what kind of person is the prince that Miria rescued from the goblin den? I am Yukien. The nickname given to me by my teacher who died 30 years ago from high blood pressure while defecating is Cheongseong. “If I had received it a little later, I would have become a belly fat witch, ho ho ho.”
I knew it right away.
This person is a funny person.
“This is Lane. “This is my youngest brother, Akee, and this is my pet bird, Pipi.”
“Phi Phi? Oh my gosh, this can’t be happening. “I don’t know if you know that every witch’s dream is to raise a sun parrot and name it Fifi.”
Even after 300 years, the Fire Dragon’s shaman Friede was still respected by witches, bordering on awe.
Pipi seemed to like Yukien as well, landing on Yukien’s shoulder and tilting her beak, but Yukien, who was laughing, suddenly burped and quickly ran away.
“Oh. Please forgive my burp, Fifi. “As I get older, I can no longer tolerate things like farting or burping.”
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“Fifi will forgive. “Because it is a counterfeit, it is narrower than the genuine Pifi that Friede grew.”
“What? What? What? What?”
As soon as he could make fun of Fifi like that, a beak of punishment was stuck on the top of his head.
“Thank goodness. Oh, look at my mind. You must be exhausted from passing through the extreme heat of the Red Mountains in the middle of summer. How about having a meal together after taking a bath? “We have prepared some geese that are not as plump as mine, but are quite plump.”
It was surprising that a village like this existed in a time where things were getting worse.
It felt as if all the positive power flowing through the village came from this witch, and the kind personality hidden in her mischievous attitude reminded me of Friede.
Fifi must have felt the same way, seeing as it landed on his shoulder even though it was only the first time he saw it.
“hey.”
While I was talking to Yukien, Miria, who had removed her sword belt, removed her armor and gauntlets, and was massaging Aki’s (I don’t know when she went that way) cheek, suddenly stopped.
When Aki said “Aww,” Miria quietly smiled and looked like a girl full of laughter and playfulness, not a cold-blooded swordsman who slaughters goblins.
The smile disappeared, and he looked back at me with a mixture of regret and annoyance. I guess I thought you were going to ask for Aki back.
“Wash with Aki first.”
“what?”
“Giving him a bath is no joke, so be prepared. Don’t let them eat the soap. “I have something to talk about with the witch.”
Perhaps surprised by my words, Miria made a bewildered expression. She quickly turned her head in the wrong direction, probably trying to hide that expression.
“If you want to do that, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
“I think you want to do that.”
“What did you say just now?”
“Say nothing.”
He glared at me with an expression of judgment, but soon changed his mind and walked towards me, holding Aki in his arms.
Yukien and I, who were watching this happily, entered the witch’s house.
It was a house filled with various herbs and medicinal herbs, old books, scrolls, scores of sacred hymns, and 30 volumes of sutras piled up like miscellaneous items.
“My teacher said that people who know how to take care of babies are good people.”
On the wall was a tapestry depicting the wonder of a fire dragon spitting fire to destroy the abyss and save humanity.
“You can tell even if I don’t say it, but he’s a very good kid.”
As Yukien took out a teacup from the shelf, I playfully shrugged my shoulders.
“I heard it wasn’t me. “They only talk about money.”
“I say so myself. But if he wasn’t a good person, he wouldn’t have come to help this village when it was attacked by a horde of 300 goblins, wouldn’t have protected him while they were building the fence, and wouldn’t have received only 20 Raltino copper coins as compensation.”
I understood it right away.
Why did the village people, without a single exception, welcome Miria so much?
“The dragon guardian would also recognize me. Because the dragon is the chosen one. This is black tea from Boruno. “The scent is excellent.”
I picked up the teacup, but for a moment my guard rose and I put it back down.
“How did you know?”
“Once a witch reaches a certain level, she can smell the scent of the soul. “That child is not your guardian’s younger sibling, but a dragon, right?”
Yukien took a sip of tea and let out an exclamation of satisfaction.
“I could feel the mountains being happy about a week ago. The spirits danced and the wind sang. “It’s knowing that the owner has returned.”
“There’s no point in hiding it. you’re right.”
“That’s right, that’s right, that’s right.”
It would be nice if you could also confirm that Miria is Lista. Seeing as he didn’t recognize me as Rin and that Fifi was the real Fifi, the possibility of that happening was low.
It would be natural.
There is no way this witch lived for 300 years. She said that no human can live 300 years. No matter how virtuous a witch she may be.
“But how did you come to such a cruel time? No, now that the young dragon has returned, the servants of the Abyss are starting to take aim at its power… … Hmm.”
“Now that I think about it, I felt something strange as I came. All the enemy trees had been cut down. And many villages were reduced to ruins. Why did the Senate let this happen? … ?”
“Hold, scold, scold, scold, scold.”
“Senator, your protector is chasing the shadow of a long past. The period when the Republic lived a life of constitutional unity under the teachings of a shaman is over. “It was over too long ago.”
Unlike the Holy Human Empire, where the imperial authority is constantly changing, the Yongin Republic has enjoyed a powerful heyday under the rule of dragons called Kars Dargonia (Peace of Dragons).
From the southern part of the Akrad Continent to the central part of the Adrion Continent, seven large cities rose in an orderly manner over a territory that could only be described as vast.
These large cities were once inhabited by the dragon tribe, who exercised extensive sovereignty over nearby small cities and villages. That was 300 years ago.
“The last time in that era, when witches preached the teachings of the dragon race and citizens heeded those teachings, was the era of the fire dragon shaman Friede and the great shaman Tureina… … .”
“So that means about 200 years ago? “It was around that time that Tureina served as a shaman.”
Even though Tureina died when I was young, my time as a shaman was 200 years ago.
“yes. The seven major cities were divided into city-states, each with its own sovereignty and culture. “In the rough terrain that the city cannot reach, six clans and three states rule like powerful families and receive donations in the name of protection.”
“What is that… … .”
“The current ruling system of the Republic is the so-called city federation system, also called the Seven Worlds of Six Gates (七京六門三鏢) for short.”
I was so shocked that I even forgot how to close my eyes for a moment.
what?
What happened?
Because I had heard so much about the history and political and administrative system of the Republic from Friede, I regretted skipping all the parts about the Republic when I studied history at home.
“I am glad that you remember the great days of the Republic. now… … Witches have become worldly and prefer staying in cities rather than shrines in rough places, and most human magistrates do not even know they have performed the Dragon Guard.”
“… … .”
“There are not many honest and faithful people left. I wonder how Juliana, Tureina’s last disciple, is struggling… … .”
Although it was a cruel era, I could feel my breath being filled with pride.
It means that in the era of Friede and Tureina, the republic was like a republic… … And that student, Yuliana, is also said to be an honest person.
I thought of Bethuel, the fox beast who lived hard to explain the proud deeds of his ancestors to Enuel, a warrior who would return someday.
The moment Bethuel came to mind, a cold chill ran down my spine.
An ominous suspicion arose that all of this was a plan that had been carried out step by step on the palm of someone’s hand.
Just like what drove the beastmen and humans apart for 500 years.
“Still, when the Yellow Dragon Corps was there, I at least pretended to follow the guidance of light… … .”
“Even the Yellow Dragon Legion’s power and influence were greatly reduced after the Sunspot incident, and the era of everyone living as they please has come to an end.”
The person who said that was a woman with golden hair wet with a refreshing lilac scent.
“The Witches Association is also divided into many branches, and Lu Zaihe is acting openly like that, but they are not showing much unity.”
Beauty like the dawn light shining into the darkness… … For a moment, forgetting about the times and the world, she looked at her old friend’s face on that guy’s face.
Miria had short hair. She has nothing to compare to Lee Star. She is shorter than me now.
Nevertheless, her eyes, her hair, the curves revealed under the cowhide vest, all gave off a much more innocent charm than the beautifully dressed and made-up noble daughters.
Miria, perhaps interpreting the reason I was staring intently, looked at Aki, who was sleeping tiredly in her arms, and bit her lip slightly.
“ruler.”
“huh?”
“What do you mean? I didn’t let him drink soap and I washed him well. “He’s asleep now, but I really can’t stop him.”
Ha, I laughed and placed Aki back in his arms.
“I’m taking you with me.”
“What are you talking about? You seemed to be calm, but when the bath was over, he kept looking for you. I had a hard time reassuring him. “Aki wants to be by your side.”
“You’ve already been washed, why should I take you again? I also need to take a leisurely bath for the first time in a while. Fifi needs to be washed too.”
Above all, it was a bit awkward to ask him to give it up when he was holding it so dearly.
It’s a bit sad to fall asleep in someone else’s arms other than me… … Traitor, I didn’t think of this. It’s real. No, it’s real.
Miria suddenly smiled transparently, then buried her face in Aki’s head with an embarrassed expression, and a shy blush appeared on her cheeks.
“then… … “I’ll just hold you there until you get out of the bath.”
Miria’s bright personality hidden behind her cold side was strangely attractive.
Lista has always been so bright and proactive that I was always in the position of being bullied… … When I thought about that, a bitter smile formed.
As I washed away the scorched water with a pipi and hot water, I thought about the changed state of the republic, what would happen in the future, and about Miria.
‘If it had been someone else, if it had been in a different place, I would never have left Aki in someone else’s care.’
But why did you trust me?
Regardless of Miria’s resemblance to Lista, I may have just liked that guy’s humanity. Same goes for Yukien.
And the next day, we headed to the riverside fishing village
fantasy,
