Ruzen could feel eyes on him as he walked ahead on the dark route, the atmosphere wasn’t lively as before, but he liked it all the same. The silence wasn’t awkward, but rather pleasant to face.
Now that the obstacle had been removed, there was no sense in constantly worrying about it. He felt strangely mellow and rather desired the calm.
There were no more whisperings at the back, it seemed like the people understood what he said and were reluctant to speak against him.
That was fine.
He was willing to express himself only because he needed them to understand the circumstance that they were in, and also to make them see the bigger picture. To say he was a good orator was actually laughable, he was only good at expressing himself when writing up concepts for his paintings and art projects. In reality, when it came to social mingling, he was only decent when talking to classmates and professors regarding his curriculum. His awkwardness wasn’t blatantly obvious, but he himself knew how much work went into talking with people. He got tired too easily, so he kept to himself most often. It was no wonder that he was reluctant to accept the King’s proposal earlier.
However, despite his ideals, Ruzen was a hard worker, and he was very determined when he accepted his fate. Like when he started his university, he was well aware of what he had to do and why, so he did his best to make his choice adapt to him. Or one can say, he made himself adapt to his choice.
Right now, a similar occurrence could be seen, he was molding himself according to his choices and he was determined to go all the way through. Any irregularities wouldn’t be entertained.
“He is amazing…” a whisper broke out from the back, as others followed, and Ruzen was stunned to see how fast they changed their track of thinking.
These small-town folks and villagers, they were really… how could he say this, they were really gullible to a certain extent.
Anyhow, the path was long, and Ruzen wasn’t in a hurry to traverse it in rush.
~~
Night turned into day, and the musical band started to refine their tune in accordance to the timing. After the night incidence, they had been silent, but once the sun rose, they started tuning their instruments again.
It was odd how they did not even blink an eye when things started to turn awry. It was almost like they were trained for the purpose of being silent in times of chaos.
“Brothers, can I stop a bit now? It is a new day,” Ruzen asked those who were behind him, and in return he got their nod.
So, sighing in relief, he waited on foot, very still, blinking away his daze. Walking for an entire day and night could make anyone tired, but being a non-human, he was only left rather dazed.
It was good that he could continue.
“vvuuooooo~”
Suddenly, a low blow of horn startled him, the tune was really off and there was almost a screeching sound stuck to it. It was as if someone was blowing a broken instrument.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The abrupt noise ended up bringing in general unrest among the followers who were still tagging along. Ruzen could feel his muscles tense as the ‘beings’ flew over him to capture what they could. “What is going on?” he asked.
He could tell that whatever it was, it wasn’t friendly. It was a short burst of sound, but it hurt his ears, and it definitely wasn’t from someone in their parade, its focus was a little farther away.
“Let us resume our parade,” Ruzen spoke again, starting to walk. “Those who want, can still go back to their homes. I think the path back is safer now.”
He didn’t turn to look at the people, but he could feel eyes on him. Until finally, someone with more daring, took turn to speak.
“Keeper, we will follow, we consider it our privilege to be with you.”
Ruzen hummed in response, as the musical band resumed their tuning and started to play music. He could tell that the parade would be very distracting in this calm environment, but he also didn’t want to ask them to stop.
Still, it felt as if he was asking to be found by those who blew the horn. Whoever they were, their presence intrigued him, albeit making him nervous.
Step by step, walking over the carpet laid on the rocky plains, Ruzen noticed a dark swirl of cloud forming right above the elder tree that stood far ahead. To reach there Ruzen would have to walk for a few more kilometers, and he was aware that the path ahead wouldn’t be easy to traverse.
The contoured rocky land was the starting of a great ascent towards a looming mountain. The range of which was sharp with edges and spotted with blotches of greens.
Just from looking at the massiveness, one could tell that the mountain wasn’t a typical mid-stop, it could be some famous landmark and Ruzen wouldn’t even know.
The peak of the mountain was laid with bright white snow, and it was so wide and huge, one could compare its geography to Earth’s Mount Fuji, only, Mount Fuji might be 10 times smaller in comparison.
“That is Mount Aj’Ki,” the brother from behind him reminded Ruzen, “a very rare precious herb grows there, so we might have to pass through various settlements that sustain on these herbs. In case where I am assuming that we pass through it, we will be greeted with as many as 45 villages.”
Ruzen tried not to show his tiredness, he knew he had to walk a lot, but this sudden urge to stop and rest again made him scruffy inside.
“Do you think the noise came from there?”
Ruzen did not get a reply, but he could tell that the noise must have come from there. Now that he thought about it, the noise almost sounded as if it echoed… did that mean it was somewhere inside the mountain??
Maybe he was thinking too much…
~~
They walked until their parade reached a point where they could see steeper contours. The scenery had changed and except for rocks and a few leafy greens, the entire area was grey and bare. A chilling cold could be felt the higher they went.
The altitude of the mountain must be high, since even the sun’s glare couldn’t help in raising the temperature. The cold breeze made Ruzen worry for himself, he had never liked winter, or anything close to it.
Because the cold feeling that had seeped in him when he learned about his brother reminded him of winter and snow.
He could tolerate summers, but winters weren’t meant for him.
The parade sounded their music as it echoed around the steep slopes, it was unknown who started it, but the warm humming of the common folks gave Ruzen some inner strength.
The ‘Beings’ hovering around him also reminded him of his task, and he dared not delay now. The horn’s sound reminded him that it was crucial to cross the obstacle before nightfall.
According to his calculations, if he walked faster, he might reach their destination with a week’s time, or else, considering the delays and the unknown obstacles, it might even take him more than a week to reach there.
Earlier, he had felt that the destination was unmarked, but now, he was very sure of where to go and how long it would take. So, he was reluctant to slow down and wait for the obstacles to come to him.
Whoever blew that horn, Ruzen hoped they weren’t after him.
His feet walked over the soft and cold carpet as sharp wind started to blow the higher they went. The mountain trail was narrow, but not so much that he needed to be careful.
Ruzen was sure that a deep pit was starting to form on his right where the edge was, the steeping slant almost giving him willies in his gut, and Ruzen wasn’t keen on looking the other way even if just to admire the scene of sparce trees and a soft meadow.
The mountain was too tall, but thankfully, Ruzen knew that they didn’t need to traverse that high, he was very sure that the pathway he was following led somewhere down, not up.
“I see a landmark!” An excited follower shouted through the parade’s drumming, his voice giving everyone a change of atmosphere.
“I can as well, that hut! It is very famous for its herbal teas.”
“I have been here; it is cheap as well.”
If Ruzen wasn’t aware, he would have thought that these bold followers were actually advertisers.
The grey stoned foundation of the hut was laden with thick herbal creepers, and one look at the wooden construction will let anyone know that it was an old structure. A big bold yellow lettering of ‘Herbs&Tea’ sat above the moldy board that hung under the straw roof. It was a humble hut, adjusted right above a humble curve protruding along the rocky trail.
There was nothing special about it, but from one look, Ruzen noticed that the hut was special, because a sweet fragrance hung around the area, smelling like sweets. There was still a long distance between him and the hut, but it was apparent that the hut sold something sweet. Anyone with a good nose would want to eat and drink whatever the hut had to offer. What’s more, Ruzen remembered smelling it on the Ghost King, and it made him curious if the Ghost King also used similar ingredients as this hut’s owner. Although the King didn’t eat or drink, he might use it for something else, such as on clothing or maybe perfume? He wasn’t sure.
But every time Ruzen got close to the King, he smelled something similar. It wasn’t too similar, but enough to make Ruzen find something common in it.
The closer the parade got to the Hut, the more Ruzen felt like going inside, the herbal smell was really sweet and tasty, it made his appetite jump.
He could hear the followers at the back whispering things amongst themselves, but he wasn’t paying much attention, just for a split second, he directed an inquisitive gaze at the hut, which had its door shut. He wasn’t sure if the owner was inside or not, since there was no crowd around it. If the hut was so famous, there had to be people going in and out.
Just when he was thinking of focusing back on his task, he saw the door open and a humble looking old master stepped out. He was thin and skinny, hunching slightly, yet his eyes were sharper than most.
Coincidently, he was looking at Ruzen. Inching closer to the blue carpet that went past the hut.
Ruzen didn’t know what to say or do, so he decided to nod politely.
But he didn’t expect that as soon as he did so, the old master smiled widely and threw a small flower at his steps. The flower was… green and a bit short petaled… wait, was that…?!
He knew that herb, his master had once showed it to me, just the picture, an herb known for its life altering effect, it was known to heighten senses and heal the core of the injured. It was rare, so not many had it, it was hard to get.
What’s more, it wasn’t a simple herb, but it had spiritual essence, so it was an intelligent being.
As Ruzen was thinking so, he saw the herb raise on its own, the roots spreading as the flower blossomed, and a few leafy petals shook as if saying hello.
It was… really saying ‘hello’ it seems.
“I am a humble master,” the old man spoke, walking closer as Ruzen approached, “forgive me keeper, for I can only gift you this herb.”
Ruzen didn’t know how to express gratitude, so he could only pick up the spiritual herb and give a kind smile in return.
“Make me proud young Keeper, I see potential in you,” the old master said strongly, as Ruzen walked past him, but the old master didn’t follow, he just merely kept watching.
Ruzen felt the warmth of the flower, as his body seemed to rejuvenate instantly, the herb was still swaying in his grip, but it was clam and silent again, just like any normal herb.
If he was right, he just gained another cheat.
Ruzen couldn’t say anything in return to the old master, but he felt that his feelings had been related to the old master with just his gaze, he understood that the master knew his gift was appreciated.
Anyhow, Ruzen marched ahead and took a turn with the path. The route seemed to be getting steeper, but there was now some joy in traversing it.
Oh my gosh. That plant sounds so cute. 🌱 It’s great that he got a cheat. That old master sure was generous. ☺️
Thanks for the comment and reading!
Thank you for the chappy~ 😍
Thank you for the chapter!
You are welcome~
You are welcome~
I also want a cute rejuvenating plant🥺
me too~ Thanks for reading!!
Thank youu for the chapppyyy~ Ruzen is so cute hehhe
hehe, yup, thanks for reading!
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for reading and the comment!
Rejuvenation herb! Me too! Thanks for the chapter 😊
Thanks for reading!!
🥺🥺 so sweet
hehe, thanks for the comment!
Welcomies!~
The plant sound cute~
Im so happy that there are people willing to help Ruzen in this ardous parade.
Thanks for the chapter
Thanks for reading!! You are welcome ~
I love that herbal plant. Such a novel idea! Thank you!!!
Thanks for reading 😀
Thank you for the chapter ❤😍
How cute would it be if that little herb, after saying hello, stood on Ruzen’s foot for the journey? 🌱