Chapter 54 - EPISODE 54 – CROSSING POINT (4)
Chapter 54 - EPISODE 54 – CROSSING POINT (4)
Some changes I’ve made:
“As expected, you’re an expert in rearing. Being neglected and having her sight and hearing sealed for a long time must have left her weaker and dejected.”
The employee said with a smile after they had gone back to the auction house’s sales office in a hurry.
He was the man they met on the 1st?basement floor, who specialized in the slave business.
Cordelia frowned as she was peeved from hearing the man’s words, but fortunately, her face was covered by a mask, so no one noticed it.
However, Jude could guess how she felt just by looking at Cordelia’s small gestures. He then slightly moved to hide Cordelia from the employee’s gaze, before he turned towards Red Wind.
She was blindfolded with a large leather eye covering, and her hearing and speech were blocked by a special seal. And just as she was before, she stood upright while being almost naked.
There were short handcuffs on both her arms, and her legs were bound by short chains that were barely long enough for her to walk.
‘Had she been left for more than an hour in that state?’
Even the most dauntless person would be depressed and dejected.
In fact, Red Wind’s shoulders were badly drooping, reflecting her depressed state.
“I’ll take her then.”
“Yes, I hope you have a pleasant rearing.”
Nodding a bit to the smiling man, Jude hurriedly stepped forward as he took the large robe he brought beforehand and used it to cover Red Wind.
“Let’s go back to our accommodation before releasing her. Okay?”
Nothing good will come out if she stood out.
Moreover, the two didn’t have any significant emotional interaction with Red Wind yet. If they released her here, she would most likely try to escape.
“Okay, let’s go quickly.”
Cordelia responded in a low voice and walked closely to Red Wind, who slowly trod out of fear.
And thirty minutes later.
Upon arriving at their accommodation, Jude and Cordelia first laid Red Wind in the bedroom before they came out to the living room and started talking in Korean.
“First of all, we have to become friends with Red Wind.”
Jude nodded his head at Cordelia’s insistence.
Their future journey would take place across the border, so the help of Red Wind, who was a local to that place, was absolutely necessary.
And what they needed was a relationship built on friendship and trust, and not on a coercive master-slave relationship.
“But we’re lacking in time.”
The situation where Cordelia and Red Wind became friends was something that could be easily done.
From Jude’s point of view, no, even from the point of view of his previous life as Outboxer, Cordelia was kind, pretty, and even honest.
Furthermore, Cordelia liked Red Wind.
Red Wind herself didn’t exactly have an unfriendly personality, so they could easily become friends soon.
‘But that soon would at least take more than a month.’
They didn’t meet in a normal way but met in the form of a purchase in the slave market.
It would take a considerable amount of time to ease Red Wind’s wariness.
“So the way I thought of is…why is your expression like that?”
“Because it looks like you’re plotting something evil.”
“Heeyy, what evil plot… It’s just a white lie.”
“In the end, you’re going to deceive her.”
Just as Jude knew Cordelia well, Cordelia also knew Jude well.
As Cordelia’s eyes narrowed, Jude cleared his throat but did not exactly withdraw his statement.
They really didn’t have time.
And that fact was well known to Cordelia as well.
“What’s your way?”
“It’s a good way.”
“F*ck.”
“Well, it’s sweet to hear that after a long time.”
When Cordelia recoiled at his response that was smooth like flowing water, Jude laughed as if he was aiming for that in the first place and beckoned to her.
“Come closer. I’ll tell you.”
“You’re always telling me to come closer for a long time.”
Cordelia grumbled as she moved closer to Jude, and Jude explained his plan in a whisper.
***
Red Wind swallowed her dry saliva as she was lying down on the bed.
She was pretending to stay calm, but she was honestly scared.
What will happen now?
What kind of people are those who bought me?
I need to find a way to cure my father’s illness.
What will happen to my father if I can’t return?
No, what will happen to me right now?
She was scared and afraid. She frequently tried to hold it in, but honestly, she felt like crying.
‘I have to be strong.’
I have to be strong. I’d rather die than become a northern bastard’s plaything. No, I can’t just die. I’ll kill and kill them.
Red Wind strongly clenched her teeth, but it was only for a while before her negative feelings disappeared.
Because she was suddenly overwhelmed with tremendous fatigue.
‘I’m feeling sleepy…hungry…’
Come to think of it, how long had it been since I’ve lied down in a soft and cozy bed?
Her feelings completely changed because of her drowsiness.
And it was at that moment.
“Wake up, child of the Storm.”
A woman’s strong and pretty voice made Red Wind suddenly open her eyes.
There was no eye covering. She could see ahead of her. But Red Wind immediately closed her eyes again, because of the dazzling light that filled her surroundings.
“Do not be afraid, child of the Storm. I am Great Storm.”
Red Wind held her breath at the voice that resonated like a voice from the heavens. She stood up from her spot, bent down, and respectfully bowed.
“Aah! Great Storm!”
It was a reflexive action.
And the voice did not give Red Wind a chance to doubt it.
“Red Wind, daughter of Red Gale. The brave child who went on a journey to cure her father’s illness.”
Red Wind held her breath again.
It was real.
The pronunciation was a little bad, but that was only a minor problem.
The proof was that it knew everything from her father’s name, to the reason why she came across the border and into the southerner’s land.
She had never mentioned her father’s name since she came down to the south.
Great Storm.
It was the guardian deity that the Great Storm tribe worshiped and obeyed.
In the?Legend of Heroes?series, it was one of the beings called the barbarian gods.
“Red Wind, a great crisis is coming throughout the entire tribe, and even across the Great Plains.”
Red Wind recoiled. Perhaps her father’s illness was also related to the great crisis, she thought.
“Your thoughts are correct. My child, Red Wind, daughter of Red Gale. I gave a divine revelation to two southern humans. Thus they have saved you, so join them. Help them. They will break down the crisis in the north.”
“Southern…humans?”
Red Wind raised her head and asked.
She still couldn’t open her eyes properly because of the dazzling light, but she could vaguely see a person’s silhouette.
It was a very beautiful silhouette of a woman.
“It is a man and a woman. The woman’s name is Cordelia. The man’s name is Jude. The red-haired woman is very beautiful and good-natured, but sometimes fierce. She’s like an animal. The good man is a handsome, fine, and nice person, who always sincerely understands the animal-like woman. For your information, the woman is completely in love with the man…”
Why do I somehow have a strange feeling with these lines?
What on earth is the content about?
Cordelia, who was acting as Great Storm, asked Jude with her eyes, but Jude was consistently playing dumb. She didn’t even know what the written message was about, as Jude had only written down the Korean pronunciation of the northern barbarians’ language that she was now reading.
“Child, trust in those two. Help the two people. The two will be your friends.”
That was it.
As soon as Cordelia finished reading the lines, Jude pushed into the room again the <Sleeping Gas> magic created by combining the <Sleep> magic circle and the <Wind> magic circle. Red Wind, who had low magic-resistance, fell into a deep sleep again.
“Good, let’s quickly tie her up again.”
Cordelia, who was on top of the magic circle that projected light, quickly came down from her spot in the room.
There were various magic circles activated in the room to deceive Red Wind’s senses.
Each one was a low-level magic, but there were a lot of magic circles, so it made quite a dreamy effect.
“If she woke up in a state of being restrained, like before she fell asleep, she will think of this moment as just a dream.”
“To such a Red Wind, we’ll approach her, saying that we received Great Storm’s divine revelation, right?”
“That’s right. Then Red Wind will trust us.”
Because it was the guidance of Great Storm who protected the tribe, and not anyone else.
“Eh…it makes sense, but I’m somehow uncomfortable.”
“It’s for the great cause. Hang in there.”
“This is sort of…isn’t these just the lines that villains would say in games or movies?”
Saying thus and thus about the just and great cause to protect their selfish desires.
“Hey, it’s not. It really is for the great cause. Anyway, let’s quickly restrain her and put away the magic circles.”
“Hmm.”
Cordelia reluctantly nodded and began to restrain Red Wind who was in a deep sleep, while Jude hastily removed the magic circles.
And after about an hour or so.
“Hey, can you hear me?”
Red Wind woke up to the soft and gentle voice. She tried to open her eyes right away, but she could see nothing but black, because of her blindfold.
“Wait a second, I’ll untie it for you immediately.”
It was the continent’s official language.
It was the words used by the humans guarding the wall.
Red Wind was not skilled with it, but she was capable of speaking it even though she stammered. She was quite good in listening to it though.
‘O Great Storm…’
Was it a dream, or was it really a divine revelation?
As if to calm down her anxiety, Red Wind swallowed hard, and at that moment, her visibility was set free.
“Uh…”
She groaned and adjusted to the light, and her eyes caught the faces of two people.
She both saw a girl and boy whose beauty was to the point that made her eyes open wide.
Great Wind unconsciously began thinking of Great Storm’s words, and Cordelia struck the final blow to her.
“Hello, that…I am called Cordelia. This is my fiancé, Jude.”
Cordelia and Jude.
The names spoken by Great Storm!
“I, Gre…”
That was it. Red Wind tried to hastily say Great Storm’s name, but instead, she was helped in sitting up in a crooked posture. The shackles on her hands and feet were gone.
“You don’t have to be so vigilant. Great Storm guided us to you. That’s why we bought you at the auction house.”
At Jude’s words, Cordelia nodded and then grabbed the hands of Red Wind.
“You were really scared, right? It’s okay now. We’re here to help you.”
Great Storm.
The divine revelation.
Cordelia’s warm hands and moist eyes.
Her wariness completely disappeared. Ever since she had crossed the border and up to now, Red Wind had been trying to maintain a strong mind, but it was impossible for her now.
She felt relieved.
Her tension disappeared.
Her tears burst and came pouring down from her eyes like a dam.
“Uwaaah!”
Because she was only a sixteen-year-old now.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
Cordelia tightly hugged Red Wind who burst into tears, but rather than her tears stopping, it only increased further.
However, it was all right. Cordelia hugged Red Wind tightly, and Red Wind sadly cried for a long time in Cordelia’s arms.
And as he intensely watched the entire scene, Jude thought.
‘Bingo.’
He thought like that while the two were in the midst of warmness, and he continued to think that they had succeeded in breaking down Red Wind’s wariness.
They could now become friends with Red Wind without wasting any time or trouble.
‘All is good if the results are good.’
“Ahem, ahem.”
Jude spoke as he excused himself and looked at Cordelia and Red Wind with a satisfied face.
***
“I-I know. A place to cross the border. Neglect of surveillance. Gap. Blind spot?”
The next morning.
Red Wind was exhausted from crying and had fallen asleep last night. She was now eating a sandwich that Jude had ordered from the room service, as she spoke in a stammer.
“Can you guide us?”
“The way only our tribe knows. It’s a secret. But I tell. Cordelia is my friend. Jude is Cordelia’s man.”
At the end of Red Wind’s words, Cordelia’s faint smile looked somewhat cute, but she tilted her head once and looked back at Jude.
“Are we going to start right away?”
“I guess so. We’ve been her for two days already, so whether it’s Count Hr?svelgr or the Devil’s Hand, our pursuers will catch up to us.”
“We’re fugitives.”
When the two had their own conversation, they both spoke in Korean.
Because of that, Red Wind was confused as she didn’t understand what they were talking about. Cordelia then looked back at her and said.
“We’re going to eat and then go. We’ll ask for your guidance. Do you know how to ride a horse?”
“I ride horses well. I will guide you.”
Red Wind energetically answered, finishing her meal as she ate the remaining sandwich in one mouthful and then gulped down the milk.
“Okay, then let’s start right away.”
Their baggage was already loaded on the horse.
With the Eastern Warrior’s Sword on his back, Jude took the lead, while Cordelia had the Heavenly Judgment on her back and carried the sacred rod as a cane. She stepped forward as she looked after Red Wind.
“I’m sorry, just keep it on until we cross the border.”
“It’s okay. We can’t help it. I understand.”
It was because of the slave necklace that Red Wind was wearing around her neck.
Red Wind with her snow-white hair and long ears were as prominent as Jude and Cordelia.
If a northern barbarian walked around without a slave necklace, everyone would see it as strange.
“Uh…who will ride in front this time?”
As soon as they completed the check-out procedure and came out, the stableman had already brought forward the horses of Jude and Cordelia.
Since there were three people, two people had to ride together, so Jude asked Cordelia, and she replied with a wink.
“Shall I ride in front?”
“As the Madam wishes.”
But it was at that moment.
“Cordelia rides with me. I am lighter than Jude. That’s good for the horses.”
That was correct. Somehow, Jude had grown tall and started to gain muscles lately.
“Uh…is that so?”
“Yeah.”
The two somehow unconsciously spoke in an awkward manner, and they all rode on the horses, with Red Wind behind Cordelia.
And just before their departure…
“Ah!”
“Huh?”
Cordelia looked back at Red Wind who suddenly raised her voice as if she realized something, and Red Wind spoke with an apologetic look.
“I forgot. From now on, I will take a hint. I will not forget.”
“Uh…?”
You’ll take a hint?
What are you talking about?
However, Red Wind didn’t speak anymore, and Cordelia was feeling doubtful but didn’t ask any more questions.
Why did I get a strange feeling?
As for the other person.
“…well then, let’s go.”
Jude smiled bitterly as he took the lead, and the three started racing towards the north.
And at the same time, at the former northern viscount’s territory.
Ga?l and Adelia were frowning as they faced each other. The two had ran and ran again through all sorts of means, such as using <Recovery> magic to relieve the horses’ fatigue.
“Are you saying that they headed north?”
“Yes, they’re still moving north.”
Adelia also tilted her head as she found it strange.
The last place that Jude and Cordelia were discovered was in Frost Anvil.
It was located at the northwest end of the country, so there was nowhere else they could possibly go if they went north.
If they headed north, there would be the bustling city of Lankebuste, and if they go further, there would be Thunderdoom Fortress, the nest of the Jackdaws.
But it was strange.
Even if they had headed to Lankebuste, it was impossible that Jude and Cordelia would have headed to Thunderdoom Fortress.
Moreover, it was the direction the tracking magic pointed to.
On the map, the two were heading somewhere other than Thunderdoom Fortress.
Where are they going?
Are they trying to cross the border?
“Kidnapped.”
“Excuse me?”
“Maybe they were kidnapped? Like being caught by the Devil’s Hand and being forced to move…”
Ga?l, who had been speaking so far, stopped talking as he flinched. Because Adelia had a terrifying expression.
“There is a possibility.”
“Hey, Lady Adelia? That was just my guess…”
“Let’s go quickly.”
Adelia didn’t seem to wait for Ga?l’s answer as she immediately climbed on the horse and started running. Ga?l followed Adelia in a hurry too.
And again in another place…
In a desolate forest.
“They’re heading north. We’ll meet them at the end of the north.”
At the words of Kanos, who had hidden himself in the shade, Saluzia nodded.
The chances of activating Kanos’ foresight was infrequent, but once activated, it boasted of a significant accuracy rate.
“We go to the northern border.”
This time, they will catch the two.
The demonic humans led by Saluzia began to move.
And one more person…
Unlike what Jude and Cordelia and everyone else had in mind, the person moved and headed north.