The sun has set. n and several won sat cross-legged facing a towering bonfire. One of them was Kat, who was now wearing clothes that weren't as revealing as before.
Yeah, I have to reduce the risk of sothing terrible happening to her.
"...That's why we carry out this noble mission for our tribe. Everyone wants salt, other tribes will always buy it from us, so that it will prosper our tribe even more..."
Suja, who was sitting on a chair against the backdrop of the bonfire, had not yet stopped talking. I'm sure the tribe mbers are very bored. Maybe so are already sleepy. However, they kept their eyes open and tried not to yawn. They don't want to be punished.
Except for one. Sena. His head nearly fell several tis. His father sitting next to him had to elbow him several tis to wake him up.
"And now, we have reached the climax of this sacred ritual!!!" Suja raised his voice, making Sena flinched in surprise. "Stand up all of you!!!"
Suja's five concubines, who had been standing to the right and left of the tribe leader, moved to circle a clay bowl that had been placed on the ground.
They got down on their knees and what they did next was completely beyond my wildest imagination. The won started slashing each other's left forearm with a knife. Then, grimacing in pain, they let their blood pour into the bowl in front of them.
What the fuck. Is this actually a tribe, or is this a cult?
"It is a ritual of the founder of this tribe, who long ago separated himself from his forr tribe." I could hear the voice of the guardian spirit of the Redtooth tribe who had suddenly appeared beside . "And don't get wrong, it wasn't who made this crazy ritual. I really wanted to get rid of it. I didn't want it nor needed it. But it seems it's been firmly entrenched in their minds, even for generations."
"So every ti there's a big expedition, they're going to do a ritual like this?"
"Not only expeditions. This ritual can be done if there are raiders camped near this tribe and we are about to attack them for example. Or maybe there are beasts that need to be exterminated." The figure sighed. "The number of those who sacrificed their blood varied according to the size of the mission. They could be virgins over the age of 18, or the wives of the tribe leader."
The five won stopped what they were doing, then one of them took the bowl, stood up, and handed it to the tribe leader with a bow.
Damn. The woman's hands trembled while doing that straightforward thing. It must be painful.
Suja gets up and lifts the bowl up high. "This holy blood will be the interdiary so that this guardian spirit tribe will always protect you and give you strength!!!"
The tribe mbers stood up. Kat was a little late in doing so because she certainly didn't know anything about the ritual.
"Hell no." The guardian spirit shook his head. "You don't have to offer up such a ritual in order for to protect you. You idiot. Since appearing in this world, that's my job and I'll do it without you asking."
"Booo! Haaa! Booo! Haaa!" The tribe mbers started screaming and stamping their feet. Sena, standing with his eyes almost closed, had to be elbowed by his father again to wake him up and follow the other movents.
"Your daughter doesn't have to do that move." The red figure said when I saw Kat just standing there looking around. "She's not a mber of this tribe. Don't worry, she won't be punished or anything."
As soon as the concubines left, Suja gave a hand signal to the mbers of his tribe. One of them ran forward while the others kept moving and screaming.
Suja dipped his index finger in the blood in the bowl, then scribbled a pattern on the man's face.
It continues. The mbers of the tribe advanced in the order they were seated. The patterns that Suja etched onto their faces looked different.
"Co on." The father slightly pushed Sena forward when the boy had a turn.
The boy continued to stare at his father, looking confused. He ended up running when his father said 'run' silently.
"Are you currently able to communicate with our guardian spirit?" Suja asked while etching a wave-like pattern on Sena's forehead.
"I can see him here, but I didn't speak to him. He seems to be standing with the guardian spirits of our guests."
"Good then." Suja gives a big smile. "That ans, she has already given us a blessing."
The ritual continues. However, they pass on Kat, who is not a mber of their tribe.
After the last person returned to the group, they stopped dancing and roared. Most of them were gasping for air and sweating.
"Now, you guys go ho and rest! Tomorrow morning, we gather outside the gate!" Suja shouts again. "Rember not to let those marks on your face go away for a day."
Once they disbanded, I used the fast forward feature. In just an instant, the night passed, and I moved outside the gate. People seed to walk very fast to gather there. So were carrying bricks and piled them there. So were herding horses that carrying large bags.
There were about twenty-five of them.
The fast forward stopped when Kat joined the group accompanied by Rox. She already had a bow, quiver, and sack on her back.
Tosa stepped in front of the group, imdiately clapped his hands together, making the commotion stop for a mont.
"I am Tosa, the one appointed to lead this holy expedition!" the man shouted. "I don't want to waste ti talking at length. The important thing is that we stick together, always get each other's backs when traveling, or when fighting. Do you have any questions?"
Why was this bastard chosen as the leader? Was it because he was credited with opening the link between the Redtooth tribe and my colony? Indeed, without that link, Manu would not have co here, and Suja would not have known the existence of the salt cave. But that doesn't an he deserves that position. A bastard is still a bastard.
Tosa looked around at the silent expedition mbers. "If you don't have any questions, let's go now. Take the two bricks each. Don't lose them, they are for our friends in the east."
The people cheered. So raised their weapons up. After that, the n and won took turns taking the bricks and starting their journey. Only one is still in place.
The thin-faced man was squatting in front of his son, Sena.
"Dad's definitely coming back ho, right?" Sena asked in a low voice.
The father stroked his son's hair and smiled. "Of course. I've done missions like this many tis and always co back, right?"
I looked away, unable to see the scene. I can only hope that Sena doesn't lose her last family.
No. I expected more.. I don't want anyone to die on this expedition.
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