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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 188
Panting-
As Shadow entered the village, he sniffed around here and there.
The fish on the drying rack seemed tempting, and he circled around them.
When his nose pointed straight towards the nearby tent, Gerald quickly grabbed his leash and pulled him back.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going!”
Even if they were tough demi-humans, they would panic if a wolf suddenly poked its head into their tent.
Gerald, barely managing to stop Shadow, wiped his sweat and followed his friends ahead.
“So… this is where Cuculli’s tribe spends their summers.”
“It feels somewhat lonely here.”
“If something like that happened, I wouldn’t be able to be energetic.”
The village interior was much quieter and more serene than expected.
It’s an atmosphere where you naturally get noticed, as if you were at a library.
The children stared at the Cuculli walking a few steps ahead with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
As soon as she entered the village, she stuck close to her brother and whispered something softly.
…No intention to interfere in family conversations.
The children quietly followed behind, observing their surroundings.
“By the way, it’s not just the Frost Dragon tribe here, is it?”
Rabbit ears.
Fox tails.
Deer antlers.
Demi-humans with different appearances poked their heads between the tents, repeatedly making eye contact with them.
Curiosity could be felt in their gaze, but… there was more wariness.
They were representatives of various minor tribes from the north.
They may seem weak and frail at first glance, but…
“They seem quite sturdy considering they all came down this ridge line.”
Gerald muttered.
Cuculli chimed into the conversation again then.
“They must have come on cargo lifts, right?”
“…There’s something like that? Then why did we ride this crazy ridge line?”
“It was fun, wasn’t it?”
“No, we had to climb up later.”
“Well, that’s just for the elderly and weak. Young, strong folks like us shouldn’t ride.”
…Yeah, that’s how she always was.
Gerald sighed deeply.
“Alright, enough, is the conversation over?”
“Yeah, mostly?”
The spot where Cuculli playfully tapped stopped at the cone-shaped tent in the center of the village.
It looked the most splendid and spacious among the tents in the village.
“Will you stay here for a while?”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“I have somewhere to go.”
“You….”
Cuculli smiled broadly every time she finished speaking.
“…Alright, go ahead.”
The children didn’t bother to ask further and went into the tent.
Tap-
The small light emitted by the central furnace illuminated its interior dimly.
Various luxurious decorations and totems revealed their presence beneath it.
Their gaze was fixed on the chair made of pure white bones… it felt like a throne.
Only then did they realize whose tent it was.
.
.
.
Five minutes ago.
As they entered the village, Cuculli threw the question that had been on her mind to her brother.
“Hey, where did all the other siblings go and why are you here to greet me?”
“W-well… it’s a bit of a long story.”
Dorempa had over thirty children.
The reason was to have a suitable child to inherit the power of the Frost Dragon, and the gruff man who came to greet Cuculli was none other than Waldiff, youngest of the thirty.
When she was born, he was still in his mother’s womb.
Just seven months apart from Cuculli, but because of her firm grasp on military matters since she was young, Waldiff was extremely respectful towards her.
“Can we hurry up? I’m losing my patience.”
Seeing Cuculli clenching her fist, Waldiff’s massive body instinctively recoiled.
“I-I’ll tell you. It’s… it’s just…”
In fact, despite his size, he was so weak-hearted that he was called Waldiff the Coward.
The reason Cuculli had subtly taken care of Ban during the first semester was because he seemed to overlap with her younger sibling.
Now, although he had grown into a fine warrior, his old self would inevitably surface in front of Cuculli.
“…But are you sure it’s okay?”
Waldiff’s gaze shifted behind Cuculli.
He seemed concerned about their companions.
Cuculli nodded.
“It’s fine. They’re not eavesdroppers. They can hear if they want. It doesn’t matter.”
“Wow… you’ve built quite a close friendship in just a few months.”
“Do you really want to die?”
“Sorry!”
After hastily summarizing the events in the Frost Dragon tribe village after Dorempa’s death, Waldiff explained to Cuculli.
“Sister and the brothers left a few days ago.”
“They left a few days ago? Why?”
“Well… they all went out to search for Father’s body.”
…Search.
Cuculli’s expression quickly darkened.
As Waldiff pitied his sister, he continued his explanation.
“We easily reached the place where Father fought until he died.”
Dorempa fought until he reached his last breath.
The traces of it were not easy to hide.
Through investigation and exploration, they were able to find Father’s body in a remote area in the north.
It was in the midst of the devastated ‘Factory’.
The cracked ground and traces of ice melting over hundreds of meters indicated how fierce the battle had been.
Listening to the explanation, Cuculli gritted her teeth.
“So? Did you find him?”
With reddened eyes, Waldiff shook his head.
“We couldn’t find… his head. And not all of the torso… It was a mess. We tried our best to retrieve what we could.”
“Tried your best but what?”
“We couldn’t retrieve everything.”
Cuculli’s eyes narrowed.
Waldiff continued with a grim expression.
Seeing the grim state of the body, her siblings, in anger, left to seek revenge right there.
Only Waldiff had said to wait until Cuculli returned, but they didn’t listen.
The children of Dorempa were all close.
They were already heartbroken to burden Cuculli, who was practically the youngest, with the baptism.
They probably never intended to burden her with revenge.
Waldiff’s eyes trembled fiercely as he recalled the memories of that time.
“Big brother told me to guard the village, to greet you… So, I came back alone. To the village. I’m sorry.”
Cuculli asked calmly.
“Where?”
“Well, you see, communication is as good as dead, so I sent a pigeon, but there’s been no reply yet…”
“No, not about the siblings. About the body.”
Waldiff avoided her gaze.
“…Do you really want to see?”
“Waldiff.”
Cuculli’s eyes gleamed blue.
Waldiff couldn’t argue anymore.
“I’ll guide you.”
.
.
.
Cuculli stood in front of Dorempa’s body.
She could recognize the lump of flesh in front of her as Dorempa because of the blue scales attached here and there.
Apart from that, it was hard to recognize the appearance from his lifetime, even after washing her eyes.
…Maybe that’s why she could remain relatively calm.
‘No, I have to stay calm.’
Cuculli blinked her eyes quickly.
Her blurry vision quickly returned to normal.
Thunk, thud-
The rhythm of the blood dripping from her hand and the tears streaming from her eyes created a strange beat.
“Ah, geez.”
Waldiff sighed, turning his eyes away from his sister’s desperate figure.
When Cuculli approached with a cold expression, it was right after that.
The body tells many stories more than one might think.
If observed carefully, one could unearth the secrets it held.
Cuculli began to scrutinize the body as if she didn’t want to miss a single clue… and soon succeeded in realizing something.
“…There are two assailants.”
There were completely different types of scars.
Dorempa’s body was torn into several pieces as if by something extremely sharp, leaving some non-blunt marks in some parts.
It looked like marks made by gauntlets with blades attached to the knuckle part.
“Especially these wounds. They’re incredibly suspicious.”
A hole pierced through the torso caught Cuculli’s attention.
Dorempa’s body, which possessed a toughness surpassing even diamonds, was pierced through from front to back.
It meant a tremendously powerful blow had hit him…
But…
Cuculli’s eyes narrowed.
‘If it were Father’s skills, he wouldn’t have been hit by such an obvious attack.’
No one could unleash such a powerful attack without preparation.
If Dorempa had been prepared, he would have dodged it by flying up into the sky or redirected it.
Therefore, these wounds…
“It’s clear they were struck by surprise.”
Cuculli recalled a man’s face naturally.
[Hello, you’re this gruff man’s daughter. I’m Ivar. Call me Uncle Ivar.]
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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[I’m on a very important mission. I can’t tell you what it is.]
Through the communication bead, the barbarian warrior who spoke friendly greetings, Ivar Waitanka.
His tribal name was ‘Roaring Wind,’ wasn’t it?
As a member of the famous Dawn Knights, she knew his abilities well.
‘He was said to fight with sharp wind-shaped magic surrounding his body.’
Cuculli murmured her conclusion with a stern face.
“…A traitor. He was a traitor.”
She needed to inform the Hero and the human leadership of this fact as soon as possible.
“Ah.”
Cuculli reflexively lowered her hand, which had been raised to take out the communication bead.
Communication was currently impossible in the north.
It was natural.
Communication magic converted the sound waves of speech into mana to transmit them far away, and then converted them back into sound for listening.
But now, in the north, where Dorempa was dead and the energy of the Frost Dragon was rampant, the mana in the atmosphere was chaotic.
Communication couldn’t be smooth.
It was like trying to communicate via magic in a highly magical area.
‘Darn it, I guess I’ll have to send dispatch.’
Cuculli quickly sorted out her plans in her mind.
First, she would spread the news, then head straight to the sanctuary.
The distance between the village and the sanctuary was short.
She can receive baptism soon.
With that power, rescue the brothers who are in danger, and seek revenge on Ivar and another villain.
It was the moment when Cuculli was about to leave her seat.
“…Waldiff?”
“Sister.”
Waldiff blocked her way.
His light blue eyes contained both pity and anxiety.
Cuculli realized what Waldiff was about to say and frowned.
“Can’t you think about it again?”
“What else is there to think about? Everything is already decided. Move. It’s urgent.”
But Waldiff didn’t move from his spot.
“There are formidable enemies lurking outside that could harm father. We don’t know when they might attack.”
“So, we should receive baptism a little faster. Move aside.”
Cuculli pushed Waldiff’s chest with her hand.
Even though he wavered, he stood in front of Cuculli again.
“Will this tribe really be safe just because you receive baptism?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m asking if it’s necessary for you to fight.”
“You.”
When Cuculli’s eyes turned fierce, Waldiff flinched.
The concern for his sister made it impossible for him to step back.
“…The situation in the north has deteriorated much faster than father expected. The tribes who know how to fight are all looking for a chance to leave, and we don’t know what happened to our brothers and sisters. In this situation, you don’t have to bear the obligation alone.”
“Enough.”
“What needs to stop is you.”
“This is…”
“I don’t want meaningless deaths anymore!”
Waldiff stopped the rising hand of Cuculli, his trembling voice and stubborn attitude were not there anymore.
“…Are you crying?”
Cuculli smiled bitterly and reached out her hand to Waldiff’s eyes.
His big shoulders trembled.
Waldiff sobbed and murmured.
“Escape is also an option…”
As a direct descendant of the chief, he knew well about baptism.
How terrible and close to a curse the ritual was.
‘It’s just like dying.’
When receiving baptism, Cuculli’s entire being would be engulfed by the spirit of the dragon.
With so much at stake, she would dedicate all her remaining life to protecting this harsh land, just like their father.
“Think again. Huh? No one is forcing you to receive baptism anymore.”
Cuculli smiled gently and said to her younger brother.
“Waldiff.”
“…Yes.”
“Not everyone can live by choice.”
The weight of her words made Waldiff hesitate to argue…
He just sobbed.
He realized it was impossible to stop Cuculli.
No, he already knew.
Along with missing his sister’s hearty laughter more than anything, he knew.
It was the moment when Waldiff’s giant body collapsed to the ground.
Thud-
An uninvited guest burst into the tent.
Waldiff, who had been crying, quickly drew out his axe and aimed it towards the entrance.
“Who are you!”
“……”
“Hmm?”
…His attitude softened as he confirmed the identity of the uninvited guest.
Cuculli’s eyes also widened.
‘Snow Rabbit Tribe?’
It was an old woman from the Snow Rabbit Tribe, who seemed to find it difficult to even walk.
Wrinkles were densely packed on her thin, aged skin.
Her eyebrows were all gone, making it difficult to read her expression.
She stood still, staring at Cuculli with unfocused eyes.
“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll take her out right away.”
Then, a small girl from the Snow Rabbit Tribe appeared and grabbed the old woman’s sleeve, trying to pull her outside.
She was a remarkable girl with a severed tail and impressive ears.
Cuculli looked at her sister and asked.
“Who is she? Can you explain?”
“She’s the former chief of the Snow Rabbit Tribe… As you can see, she’s not in good condition. She arrived in the village with some members of the Snow Rabbit Tribe not long ago.”
Despite the girl’s efforts to pull her, the old woman, using all her strength, didn’t budge.
She just kept staring at Cuculli without any movement.
The smell of medicinal herbs brushed against Cuculli’s nose.
It was the scent of herbs used by the shamans in the north.
‘Hmm… Wait a minute.’
Cuculli recalled that she had heard about her long ago.
She was known for incessant prophecies, eventually being stripped of her chieftaincy.
Except for that, she wasn’t a particularly bad leader, so she stayed in the tribe, providing fortune-telling for visitors as a pastime.
‘I didn’t expect to meet a monster from old stories here.’
Cuculli looked at her with a strange feeling.
And she realized that her cracked lips were slowly smiling.
“…You can’t go now.”
“…What?”
“I said you can’t go now.”
Waldiff and Cuculli both twitched at the same time.
“…What?”
“Young dragon. We must wait until the hawk arrives.”
…Sigh.
Cuculli sighed irritably.
‘What is it after Waldiff today?’
She didn’t have time for this now.
She had to protect her siblings, protect this village, and further protect the continent in crisis.
There was no time to listen to the nonsense of the incompetent shaman rambling on about herbs.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
Step by step—
Cuculli, who had left her seat, headed straight for the tent of the Dorempa, where her friends were waiting.
It was time to bid farewell.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, the Demonic Church leader was waiting with her troops for Cuculli to leave for the sanctuary.
‘I didn’t expect to learn the location of the Frost Dragon Tribe’s village so easily.’
The contribution of Malekia’s second ally, the infiltrator Okultus, was significant.
As a confidant of the commander, he was a demon of a level far above his rank.
Thanks to Okultus’s ‘veil of concealment,’ they could follow the children without anyone knowing.
If it weren’t for him, they would have surely been discovered by the sensitive senses of Ban or Lecied.
Oooom—
The Demonic Church leader looked down at the coastal village beyond the shimmering veil.
‘Hurry…’
Hurry to the sanctuary, Cuculli.
The moment the location of the sanctuary is revealed will be the end of the Frost Dragon Tribe.
Satisfied, the Demonic Church leader shifted her gaze to the horizon.
By now, the demonic troops crossing the sea were scheduled to land on this coast.
‘When the giants come, any resistance will be futile.’
While Malekia’s first subordinate and his leading troops turned the village into a wasteland, she planned on destroying the Frost Dragon Tribe and the rest of the riffraff.
She was planning to tidy up Cuculli, the children, and the sanctuary.
…That’s how the great feat would be accomplished.
“Ugh, finally.”
The Demonic Church leader stretched vigorously.
The past few days, she had been tirelessly busy day and night killing off the inferior children of Dorempa.
‘Scattering the corpses of Dorempa was quite effective.’
Those bastards roamed the north without distinction, and to her, who had also dealt with the Dorempa, those children were very easy prey.
Thus, except for Cuculli and the Frost Dragon Tribe below, all those who had even a little potential to inherit the power of Frost Dragon had disappeared.
“Ah, how smooth it is.”
No one could ruin this design just before its completion.
——————
HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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