Chapter 88. I Sll Blood.
As he approached the shaman, who had his eyes gently closed, Hyunwoo recalled the information he had on him.
The High Orc Shaman.
The shaman was the leader of the High Orcs and the one who carved the tattoos.
The power of the tattoos in High Orc society was absolute.
Therefore, a power of the old man who looked like he was on the verge of death was also bound to be absolute.
‘A being like the king of the High Orcs.’
Compared to the real ‘kings’, he wasn’t as strong, but he was a being who couldn't be ignored.
Dense black tattoos were carved on the old man's thin skin.
At a glance, the old man had the build of a goblin.
Just then, the old man quietly opened his eyes.
The mont he t the old man's glowing red eyes, he couldn't even think of underestimating him.
‘…He’s strong.’
He shouldn't be judged by his appearance alone.
The energy in his glowing red eyes had instantly overwheld the inside of the tent.
He thought he might be the strongest being among the High Orcs here.
The old man quickly looked Hyunwoo up and down once and his eyes shone with a strange light.
“Well… a precious guest has co.”
For an ignorant High Orc to use honorifics.
Is this what it ans to be the head of a race?
Just as Hyunwoo was about to straighten his posture to be polite and offer his greetings, he raised both his arms.
“The one who leads the way! The great pioneer—! I, Gracia, greet the guide!”
Hyunwoo's eyes widened in surprise.
He was surprised by his loud voice, but he was more puzzled by the content of his words.
‘…A guide?’
It wasn't a setting in the ga.
Hyunwoo took a step back and mulled over Gracia's words.
He slowly opened his mouth again.
“One who has not wasted their years can see what is unseen. There is a reason why the lost children gather around you. In my eyes, you appear as a guide.”
Gracia’s gaze turned to Lucas and Van.
His gaze lingered on Van more than Lucas.
Lucas frowned with a displeased expression, and Van avoided his gaze and hung his head low, as if he had done sothing wrong.
But, it wasn't the answer Hyunwoo wanted.
The answer was unsatisfactory.
The more he listened, the more confused he beca.
“…So what is this guide you speak of?”
“It is as I say. One who stands before all others, a pioneer who carves the path. Whether he will be a guide who leads those two, or a guide with a greater purpose, we will have to see. Heh heh……”
Gracia ended his words with a rough laugh that seed to scratch his throat.
Hyunwoo silently nodded.
Putting his ambiguous words and his attitude towards him together, the answer ca quickly.
‘Was there a prophecy about ?’
The High Orc shaman could receive ‘prophecies’ from the ancestral gods.
Even the shaman couldn't clearly understand the contents.
Still, he decided to think positively.
Whatever it was, the atmosphere was welcoming.
Hyunwoo cleared his throat and spoke.
“I ca because I thought you might need help. If it’s Van’s, no, Grogue’s tribe, it’s as good as my own business.”
“We do not need any help.”
“…Excuse ?”
Hyunwoo was flustered by Gracia's firm refusal.
He had been praising him as a guide and all, and now this?
“You are a guide. You just need to walk the path you desire.”
“…What if I have decided to help the High Orc tribe?”
“Then you may do so. A guide is not a being who asks for permission.”
“……”
He speaks in such difficult ways.
Anyway, seeing his attitude, it seed he could do as he pleased.
“I will ask you in return. What does the guide seek here?”
“Tattoos. I want the power of the tattoos that the High Orcs possess.”
“Carving the tattoos is an easy task. Though it will not be an easy path for you, a human.”
“Besides , can you also carve tattoos on Grogue?”
“It seems he has already received divine possession, so it is possible whenever he wishes.”
Unlike Van’s worries, Gracia didn't seem to care much about the fact that Van had run away from the tribe.
But, it was strange that he would allow a tattoo so easily even for a human like him.
‘Just what… was the content of the prophecy that he would do this much?’
As suspicion began to sprout in his mind at his incomprehensible attitude, Gracia spoke again.
“Heh heh… are you suspecting this old man who is closer to death than to life?”
“Don't you have the power to decide who dies first?”
“Compared to the fate determined by the gods, power or strength are nothing but trivial evaluations of the world.”
The fate determined by the gods.
The voice of the gods, also known as ‘revelation’ or ‘prophecy’.
As Hyunwoo had guessed, it seed certain that he had received a prophecy about him.
“Are you saying you are helping because of the prophecy?”
“Did you not say it yourself? That you ca to catch the Harpy Queen. If you prove your qualification, there is no reason not to help.”
“How can I prove that qualification?”
“Qualification is sothing you prove yourself.”
In short, it ant that if he proved his qualification, he would grant his request.
Proving qualification.
Hyunwoo rembered what Conrad had said before coming here.
‘He said most of the warriors left to find the Harpy Queen's nest.’
The reason for setting out to find the nest was ultimately to catch the Harpy Queen.
That ant what they needed most was an item to catch the Harpy Queen.
Hyunwoo took out the ‘Branch of Ramus’ from his bosom.
The branch in his hand was emitting a sinister red light.
Gracia carefully took the branch from Hyunwoo and his eyes shone with a strange light.
“A branch with the ability to blind my eyes… you've brought sothing interesting. I think I know the reason for the prophecy. Heh heh….”
He didn't an that his eyes had actually gone blind.
He had probably imdiately grasped the ability of the ‘Branch of Ramus’ to neutralize his precognitive abilities.
“I plan to use this to catch the Harpy Queen.”
“……Hmm.”
He put down the Branch of Ramus and had a thoughtful expression.
I couldn't read what he was thinking at all.
And, a mont later, he spoke again.
“What can I help you with?”
“Can you make a weapon with this?”
“If that is your will.”
“Has my qualification been proven?”
Gracia smiled with an unreadable, ambiguous expression.
“Ti will tell whether you have the qualification or not.”
“Ti… I see.”
The ti he was talking about was probably the ti when the warriors who had gone out for reconnaissance would return.
‘They're not the type to just look around and co back.’
The High Orc warriors would surely attempt to hunt the Harpy Queen.
If they succeeded in the hunt, Gracia wouldn't have to ask Hyunwoo for help.
In such a situation, talking about qualification would be useless.
He didn't need to be afraid of being preempted.
‘There's no way they can succeed in the hunt.’
He could just wait and see what the shaman would say then.
Hyunwoo silently nodded.
Gracia lowered his voice and spoke.
“However… obtaining the qualification and overcoming the tattoo are completely different matters.”
He warned, his red eyes glowing.
Whether he could handle this power.
Hyunwoo swallowed his nervousness and spoke.
“…I am prepared for that.”
“A good mindset. Then, please make yourself comfortable. The child outside will guide you.”
With Gracia's dismissal, Hyunwoo's party left his tent.
He was completely drained.
What greeted Hyunwoo's party outside the tent was Conrad, who had brought them there.
“It was you?”
“…What? What’s with that arrogant reaction?”
“He said a child would guide us. You're a bit big for a child.”
“Stop with the nonsense and follow .”
Seeing Conrad’s sullen expression, the tension seed to ease a little.
Hyunwoo’s party followed behind Conrad.
There were dozens of tents in the wide open space.
The party walked along the winding path connecting the tents.
It seed that Hyunwoo, who had had the conversation, wasn't the only one who was drained, as the party walked quietly.
Except for the occasional glances from other High Orcs, there was a suffocating silence with no other peculiarities.
Just then, a voice shattered that quiet silence in an instant.
“Grogue—!”
The party stopped at the sa ti.
Although they had been looked at like monkeys in a zoo, this was the first ti soone had spoken to them.
A young warrior who looked to be around the sa age as Van approached.
“Are you back in the tribe?!”
Seeing the opponent’s bright smile, it seed he was welcoming Van.
Though Van looked troubled.
“Bern…”
“That's great! What does a tattoo matter! Not everyone has to be a warrior!”
“No, I…”
“More importantly, where have you decided to stay? Shouldn't we have a feast today? Grogue is back!”
“……”
“Bern! I know you're happy to see him, but step aside. He's the shaman's guest right now.”
“Conrad! What do you an Grogue is the shaman's guest?!”
Conrad and Bern, raising their voices as if they would eat each other.
It looked like they were fighting, but seeing their expressions, it was just a normal conversation.
‘A friend of Van’s… I can't just let this go.’
It was a chance to find out about Van, who would never talk about his own affairs.
Hyunwoo looked back and forth between Van and Bern for a mont and spoke.
“If you're friends with Grogue, you're friends with too.”
“What are you!”
By now, I knew that shouting was just their way of greeting.
Hyunwoo casually continued to speak.
“Co to the quarters we’ve been assigned. I'll treat you to a drink.”
“A drink—!? Great. Let's go right now.”
“It’s your turn for guard duty soon. Behave yourself.”
If Conrad hadn't stopped him, he would have followed right away.
Bern, with a dejected expression, left their side.
“I’ll co find you when I’m done! Don’t drink without —!”
He was a noisy guy even with his last words as he left.
After sending Bern off, they were soon able to arrive at the assigned quarters.
Conrad stopped in front of a tent.
“Stay here. If you need anything… well, figure it out yourself.”
As if his job was done, he left.
He was an insincere guy to the end.
Unlike the shabby exterior of the tent, the inside was reasonably well-equipped.
…Though there were only three hammocks hanging there.
Since he had no expectations for the High Orcs, he was grateful for just that.
Hyunwoo sat down on a hammock and spoke.
“Van. You’ve t your kin after a long ti, how do you feel?”
“I don’t know…”
“Doesn't seem like you have much of a reaction?”
Van raised his head and looked up at the empty space, then after a mont, he spoke.
“When I lived in the tribe, I lived in the grasslands.”
Finally, Van opened up about his past.
Lucas also pretended not to be and listened to his words.
“…I was the type to give up on everything easily.”
His past story, which flowed calmly from his heavy lips, was more common than he had thought.
A story of him, who was slow and clumsy at everything, failing, and failing again.
Then, in the end, in his frustration of not being able to receive ‘divine possession’, he had run away from the tribe.
It was a life filled with failure and frustration that anyone could experience.
Although it was a common story, the atmosphere in the tent sank at his calm, confession-like story.
Learning about Van's past helped to understand him, but it didn't give him a very pleasant feeling.
Hyunwoo, feeling the heavy air in the tent, spoke.
“It's no big deal.”
“No big deal?”
“Yeah. Whether you failed in the past or whatever, you succeeded in awakening and will be able to get your tattoos soon.”
“…I guess so.”
“I won't tell you to completely forget the past, but there's no need to be intimidated by the past. Either way, in the end, you're still Van.”
Lucas, standing next to him with his arms crossed, nodded and expressed his agreent with Hyunwoo's words.
“I see. To you guys, I am Van.”
Not Grogue, but Van.
Hyunwoo’s action of calling him whatever he wanted without caring about his na and the current situation were in line with each other.
At his clumsy comfort to not dwell on the past, even Van ended up letting out a smirk.
“Yeah. So the next plan is…”
As Van, who had regained his energy, opened his mouth, a voice calling him rang out from outside.
“Grogue—!”
The guy nad Bern whom they had t earlier lifted the tent flap and jumped in.
“A drink! Let's have a drink first!”
“……”
With his boisterous entrance, the warm atmosphere was instantly heated up as if by a gust of wind.
“Let’s drink—! A drink! Bring out the drink right now!”
The heavy atmosphere had been awkward, but he had no intention of livening up the atmosphere this much.
Besides, he had already heard all of Van's past story, so he didn't feel the need to talk to him.
He was about to throw him any old drink, but a commotion was heard from outside.
Lucas looked at the tent entrance and wrinkled his nose.
“I sll blood.”
It seed the warriors who had gone out to find the Harpy Queen's nest had returned.
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