Chapter 174 – 17. The Way of the Far North (4)
The snowy night was approaching. In the wilderness after the blizzard cleared, the splendid snowy light blended with the night sky starlight, creating a beautiful scene. Those who recovered the dead, regardless of their affiliation, gathered the bodies together, piled them up, poured special oil on them, and set them on fire.
“To the ancestors and the spirits, the descendants of Temur salute you. On the day of the windy moon and gusts, I offer a sacrifice respectfully, overcoming the ordinance that came upon me like fate and letting go of the souls of those I could not embrace.”
Temur, dressed in a neatly finished silk robe, put his hands together and prayed to the blazing fire. Likewise, Hoelun, who wore a warrior’s attire, closed her eyes beside him in the same outfit as her husband, but with a more feminine feel.
“Due to the virtues of Soson, who did not become a filial son, today this unbreakable man has sent many people away. What qualifications do I have for being someone to my father’s reputation, when the past days when I promised to be the son who succeeded my father were not worth it?”
It was a majestic sight. The moment when more than 10,000 warriors greeted their ancestors in a five-and-a-half line was impressive even in the sense of suggesting the tradition. Rom, who was watching them from a little distance, glanced at the old knight who came up behind him.
I was about to say a few words with him, but when my consciousness in front of his eyes reached its peak, I involuntarily lost my gaze. It was because the fire burned as blue as the soul in the great snowfield, where the funeral custom is to burn the bodies of the dead so that they do not rot.
I guess it was like the effect of the oil poured earlier.
However, neither those who participated in the ceremony nor those who watched the spectacle and did not regard it as a shallow trick. A war in which even one person’s blood is shed is inevitably a tragedy, and that’s why the ending is important.
“Ancestors and spirits, Hoelun, the descendant, take heed. On the day of the windy moon and gusts, I offer the truth for my companion who atoned for my sins like fate. Although the crime of aiding and abetting a tragedy through enmity and division is not something to be easily forgiven, I confess that it was my job.”
“How can disrespectful people raise their heads who have not even offered an offering to burn? However, I beg you to guide the souls of the compatriots who have gone before. Until the descendants who overcome yesterday’s inadequacies, overcome today, and advance into tomorrow can confidently visit again.”
“Now I will let go of the hatred that made me rise up with unparalleled emotions. I will replace the empty space in my heart with the trust and affection given by my new companion.”
“I declare that your descendant, Temur, will proudly lead the twelve tribes with the covenant with Hoelun. I will devote myself to end the tragedy of this land and to pass on prosperity to future generations.”
After reciting all the congratulatory words, Temur and Hoelun bowed down with respect. Then, surprisingly, blue flames soared high into the sky. It stretched its tail long enough to reach the stars and illuminated the horizon beyond the snowy mountains.
Roaring!
Rome and Mathieu wriggled. Seeing that the warriors who participated in the ritual were also buzzing, it didn’t seem to be a common phenomenon. After all, for them, there will be no other experience where dramatic moments have been repeated as in this battle. It was the same with the return of the past godmother, Turgenene, who was thought to have died right away.
“Where is Nanny now?”
When the ceremony was over, Rom looked back and asked. Even after a fierce fight, Nogisa, who survived without any injuries, pointed to the peak of the snowy mountain with a brusque attitude. Riding her one-blooded horse, she was leading a group of people looking towards Gaul.
“… Baron.”
Just as he was about to confirm their identity, Mathieu immediately called him. Rom, who never thought he would talk to me first, looked at the old knight of the east with an unexpected look.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you grew up with Leonard and Turgenene?”
“I didn’t know either. I knew roughly where he was from, but I didn’t expect him to be this big.”
“The two of them are victims of the antagonism between the frozen land and the great snowfield. So this battle was all the more worth winning. As your wife’s knight, if there’s anything you want, it’s that you put an end to the enmity between them and us.”
Of course it was. As the husband of the Marquis Marquis and the soon-to-be baron who rules the city of Ardennes, Rom nodded and opened his mouth. He looked around at the knights, who had respect for his own actions his, but also shared a strange hostility.
“It won’t be easy. It is about overcoming a conflict once it has arisen.”
“But this old man is ready.”
“Ehh.”
Mathieu Peltier’s expression was more determined than ever. Rome thought that his character was not so bad. Hagiya Nogisa was an honest man, not a stupid person. If you think of the greedy old vassals, the parable is an example.
“Then let’s try somewhere. Peace is always more valuable than war.”
“As a knight, I respect that decision.”
“Okay. What do you still hate me for?”
“Being a man’s child is narrow-minded.”
Rome and Mathieu looked forward together and grumbled. Then, he burst into laughter and covered his face or held his belly button. I don’t know what the political position is, but I was satisfied with the meaning of respecting you as a human being.
“Rather than that, how did you bring the soldiers in when the courtiers should be awake?”
“Listen for yourself.”
“Yes?”
Nogisa pointed to the peak of the snowy mountain again. He said to look at Turgenene, who was guiding the rough mountain road while holding the reins of a blooded horse. Surprisingly, what she was greeted with was a pioneering group on the snowfield trade route. And it was a party of courtiers holding a flag engraved with the royal family’s coat of arms.
Following the godmother as the lead, they came down the ridge. It took quite a while because of the scale, but it was not a big problem. It was also the time to clean up after the ancestral rites, and considering the weight of the cart or wagon, it was right to be careful.
“Lord Ardennes!”
The courtier, who had been endangering himself on the saddle, shouted, as if his riding skills were insufficient. Seeing him approaching side by side with the trade group he had to hide in the center, Rom was quite taken aback. If the king were to judge the true intentions of Dongto, the relationship with them would go to hell.
‘Bitter, how do I get past this?’
The baron, who had lost his appetite, couldn’t help but feel the burning sensation at the root of his tongue. The fortunate thing is that Temur and Hoelun, who checked the flag of the Gallic royal family, reached my side first. Rome, who felt the need to match in advance, tried to speak quickly to the two of them.
“You supreme loyalist!”
“… Eh?”
Until the courtier with tears welling up on his face he came rushing in.
“I heard everything!”
Vincent Lenoir, who stopped talking right in front of his nose, whimpered. It was somewhat funny to see a young man with a good physique and very handsome who was not well versed in horseback riding. However, what felt more ridiculous than that would have been the reaction that followed.
“Ah, Chief Temur!”
“Nice to see you again, courtier.”
Temur, the head of the 12 tribes, shook hands with Vincent and introduced Hoelun.
“This is Hoelun of Mukali, my wife. She hasn’t had a ceremony yet, but since she has spoken to our ancestors and the spirits, it would be irrelevant to say that she officially became a married couple.”
Thud! Vincent’s expression was as if he had been hit in the head with a hammer. Her royal representative her, the court baek, therefore knew her. Even though he is not perfect like Bishop Albert Monet, he was also the body that pursued the woman of Aquitaine.
‘Hoelun Aquitaine is the unbreakable one of the great snowfield?’
The Camag Tribal Union is an allied force for Gaul. In short, they are treated as foreign powers under national law. Therefore, the legitimacy of the surname of Hoelun Aquitaine does not pose a threat to the current royal family from the moment Temur and her husband become husband and wife.
“Oh, how can it be…”
Vincent shook her head in disbelief. Temur, unable to understand why a person worth a hundred courtiers was so emotionally fluctuated, asked in a relatively calm voice.
“Why?”
“Sir, wouldn’t you say that Baron Arden contributed to your marriage?”
“No, it’s just like that…”
Without Rom’s help, Temur could not even stand before Hoelun. In that sense, the expression that the person who brought the two together was Baron Ardennes was not wrong. Of course, it touched Vincent in a different way.
“Baron Ardennes, they say that the difficult times are the only way to recognize true loyalists! How far is your loyalty that makes even this courtier shy and diligent?”
After clenching his fists, Vincent spoke to Temur and Hoelun in turn.
“Chief Temur, congratulations.”
“For now, I am the Warchief, but…”
“This Vincent, in the name of the Renoir family, will tell you why he must send a grand delegation to His Majesty. I hope that you will continue to have a friendly relationship with Gaul for a long time.”
The unbroken nodded as if bewildered.
“Miss Hoelun, congratulations on your marriage.”
“I’m also a chieftain… ?”
“I heard that you lamented the crimes committed by the scoundrels in your home country. His Majesty said, “I will investigate the case of the tribesmen kidnapped in the past years and correct it as much as possible, so I would be grateful if you would trust and wait for a little while.”
The woman chasing the moon also tilted her head and nodded.
“Anyway, it’s really wonderful. This is good news in today’s dizzying world as several factions, including the abolished prince, have challenged His Majesty. Certainly, if the brewing arbitrage business was carried on as it is in the current stream, the bandit-like traitors would not have stood still!”
Before long, Rom’s head spun rapidly. I don’t know whose skill it was, but I realized that the trade route pioneering business was legally announced. Startled, he glanced at Mukhali’s godmother and her own nanny.
And seeing her nod her with a proud grin, befitting her her former great warrior her, she was convinced.
“Don’t worry about the snowfield trade route pioneering business from now on. His Majesty himself has granted permission for the royal family relic, the Whispering Communication Device. One is bestowed on the baron and the other is gifted to Camag as a token of affection.”
Oh, these guys must have misunderstood something again.
“Ay! What’s the baron all about? As soon as I return to my capital, I will make a strong proposal to grant you the title of baron to your majesty!”
… It was a day nothing special.
