Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Anuma's sword (1)

After listening to my request, Binsad began listening seriously and soon became convinced.

To be honest, I was a bit worried when bringing it up initially.

-That we should manipulate the shaman’s prophecy? Do you think that’s a reasonable suggestion?

There was a possibility of such a negative reaction. If he vehemently objected, the plan would be rendered useless.

I had contingencies prepared, but it would complicate matters. Fortunately, Binsad interpreted it positively.

-Meeting you in the first place was probably the shaman’s intention… Perhaps the shaman foresaw this future even back then, with her mention of the wind.

In any case, Ines’s prophecy stated that Anuma’s sword riding a horse that runs in the sky would soon appear.

In other words, Anuma’s sword refers to someone riding a horse that runs in the sky. Just demonstrating it once would have a definite impact.

As it also overlaps with the prophecy of the great shaman of the past, it would wield tremendous influence among the natives.

Any ensuing minor doubts could be religiously suppressed.

One could simply shut down skeptics by asserting that the horse running in the sky was sent by Lu Anuma himself.

‘In any case, once the tribal chiefs witness it, there’s unlikely to be much doubt.’

I could revisit when needed and re-enact the horse running in the sky.

During our discussion, I demanded absolute confidentiality from Binsad.

It went without saying. Talk of the wind was a given, but news of the flying horse spreading would also be undesirable.

My intention was for only Binsad to know, with the tribal chief of Patrac being the maximum allowance.

‘It doesn’t really matter if the chief himself doesn’t know.’

However, Binsad might need a reasonable justification to convince the chief.

Of course, it would be better for secrecy if that could be avoided. Despite such concerns, Binsad expressed confidence.

“Don’t worry. The chief is my younger brother.”

“Your brother?”

“Our father was the chief.”

Judging by Binsad’s appearance in his late 30s, the chief must be younger than him, among the younger generation.

“I thought the firstborn usually succeeds as chief.”

“I declined it. I’m not interested in such complicated matters, and my brother is sharper than me, so it’s fitting for him to lead.”

What a noble reason. If only such choices occurred in the imperial palace too.

It was a rare act of selflessness, difficult to imagine in reality.

“That’s admirable. Even if your brother excelled, making that choice must have been difficult.”

“Admirable? It was only natural.”

“You’re being humble. History proves that humans are greedy animals. Don’t even ordinary siblings fight over inheritance, let alone in empires or kingdoms?”

Binsad showed a faint smile. Despite his words, he seemed to take pride in his choice.

Even if he meant it sincerely, it must have been a tough decision. Greed is a fearsome thing.

“In any case, you needn’t worry too much. My brother isn’t foolish and reveres the shaman quite a bit. He won’t cause any unnecessary trouble.”

It wasn’t an unreasonable assertion. From my research, Ines held a strong position.

Not just within the tribe, but her prophetic prowess was renowned across the southwest region.

Three specific prophecies about timing and direction had accurately come true in quick succession.

It had even changed the minds of natives who initially did not believe in shamans.

Ines would certainly be precious to the Patrac chief too, as someone who could elevate the tribe’s reputation.

The only ambiguity was that I had not met the chief myself.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Moreover, since it’s about rescuing the shaman, he’ll want to act immediately. He even told me to return swiftly.”

Hmm, could I trust Binsad’s judgment? A good person didn’t necessarily mean good judgment.

For now, I’d go along with it. There was nothing I could do immediately. Even if the chief blabbed, he wouldn’t spread it far and wide.

If I met him and wasn’t convinced, assassinating the chief was also an option. That would be the surest solution.

In truth, though I had cautioned Binsad, I wasn’t too worried about this issue.

‘The southwest itself is quite insular.’

If you’re not a Western native, you immediately stand out. It’s a place outside forces struggle to access, nearly impossible.

Unless you’ve been part of a tribe from childhood, you’ll face subtle ostracization even as a fellow native.

The chances of imperial eyes being present were extremely low. The southwest wasn’t even considered a threat initially.

Knowing the intelligence agency’s workings, I was confident any “imperial eyes” would just be a human network.

Similar to how we had recruited Casmak Rodri in the west.

But whether such human assets could be trusted was another matter entirely.

‘To use an Earth example, there were circumstances suggesting Bin Laden received CIA support.’

Human assets in insular regions are quite likely to take the money while providing distorted information instead of accurate intelligence.

Haisen largely ignored the southwest, judging the gains as not worth the investment required.

Moreover, the Empire was currently dealing with the devil worshippers in the north and west.

Haisen would be watching me too, lacking the capacity to focus here.

Even if rumors of a flying horse spread, they were likely to dismiss it as a fable.

‘To begin with, the west is a place rife with absurd rumors due to the shamans.’

Granted, there was a chance the Empire could link me to talk of a flying horse.

However, it wouldn’t matter once this matter concluded.

By then, Al Fahri would have already united the native tribes, and I would be gone from here.

By the time the Empire took an interest, the situation would have ended. The devil worshippers would have started acting up around then.

In other words, I just needed to keep a low profile until this concluded.

This level of risk had to be accepted. One couldn’t refrain from great deeds due to minor concerns.

“But is there a reason you’re going to such lengths to help the shaman?”

Binsad’s gaze was sharp as he said this. I felt a sense of familiarity – it reminded me of how the Empress had looked when summoning me privately.

I inwardly sighed. Sensing my silence, Binsad continued somewhat awkwardly.

“To be honest, I had hoped inwardly, but I didn’t expect you to go this far without any recompense.”

“On the day we met, I too received a prophecy from Ines. I cannot disclose it, but it was accurate, and I’ve had prophetic dreams since then.”

“Such a thing happened? Ah, when you spoke with her separately at the time…”

Binsad’s expression changed completely, from wariness to a sense of solidarity, it seemed.

His perception of me had likely shifted from someone targeting their shaman to someone awed by her supernatural abilities.

“Yes. She said we would meet again. Even when passing by this area, I didn’t expect things to unfold like this.”

I was still playing the role of the Sword Master’s disciple. Though I had never explicitly called myself that.

There was no need to correct Binsad’s misunderstanding. Doing so would only seem stranger.

Introducing myself as the Sword Master’s disciple would also lend more credibility when approaching Al Fahri.

After nodding thoughtfully to himself, Binsad voiced another question.

“But is there a reason you specifically chose Al Fahri?”

It was probably because I had precisely identified Al Fahri as the suitable person for Anuma’s sword. The Patrac tribe could have taken that role too.

From Binsad’s perspective, it must have been disappointing to see this creation going into someone else’s hands.

“Because he is the right person for it.”

“Did the shaman perhaps say something about it back then?”

I simply smiled without a word, intending for Binsad to take it as an affirmative.

As I had felt during the initial persuasion, invoking Ines’s name worked best.

There were aspects I could not disclose truthfully too.

The reason I specifically chose Al Fahri was that among those who united the West, only he had opposed the devil worshippers.

When the entire continent, including the Empire and West, descended into chaos, the united native tribes had clamored to reclaim their western lands.

In reality, it wasn’t Al Fahri but others who attacked the West across the Melain River. It was a strategic move during the game.

-It’s madness. This continent is where our sons and daughters will live. Can our descendants live properly on land occupied by devils?

However, Al Fahri was different. He single-handedly suppressed the tremendous internal resistance among the natives.

That is why I appointed Al Fahri. Even if he did not join hands with the devil worshippers, having an enemy at the rear would be unacceptable.

“Boss, you said you could create a horse that runs in the sky, right?”

Osten came to me at dawn on the day of our departure.

“I think there’s a way I can assist with that.”

It was a puzzling statement. All that was needed was using the Winds to make the horse fly. Osten surely knew that.

He must have had another idea in mind.

“You have a good idea?”

“Yes. While a flying horse itself would be shocking, wouldn’t adding a visual spectacle amplify the effect even more?”

“Let’s hear it.”

Osten cleared his throat with a “hmm”, scanning my reaction with a slightly tense expression.

“First, you would stir up sand breeze around the flying horse, boss. Not quite a sandstorm, but a bit weaker.”

That much was doable. Not difficult. A horse bursting through a raging sandstorm into the sky…

Sounded good? I should add it to the plan.

But this wasn’t something Osten could assist with. There was more.

Seeming to gain confidence from my expression, he continued with a relaxed face.

“And then! Lightning would strike from within the sand breeze! How does that sound? Wouldn’t it be incredibly awesome?”

“Lightning? Is that possible?”

“Yes. By imbuing the saddle with lightning magic, even if not a huge bolt, it would be visually striking enough.”

“Hmm.”

“Being in the sky, as long as the size is controlled properly, there’s no risk of the magic’s wavelength reaching below either.”

Excellent.

If properly executed, there would be no trace of magic visible. It would create an even more sacred scene than I had originally envisioned.

“Sounds good. Go ahead and try it right away.”

“But if I need to buy materials, our departure might be slightly delayed, is that okay? I need thunderstone. It’s an idea that just occurred to me after seeing them at the market yesterday…”

“Go get them. I’ll provide the money separately.”

“Yes!”

Seeming to think his help was appreciated, Osten beamed as he turned around. We ended up departing a bit later than scheduled.

Binsad had sent word again to the Patrac tribe about his delayed return due to some matters.

Throughout the journey, Osten was engrossed in working on the saddle. With nothing else to do, I observed from the side, finding it quite fascinating.

He tested it a few times during the process, and it gradually improved.

Of course, it had not yet reached the level Osten described. The lightning was either weak or not very extensive.

It fell a bit short of the envisioned image.

“I think I can perfect it within about a week.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You even bought me those thunderstones, so I have to deliver, of course.”

Well, they were quite expensive items, even if just intermediate-grade. The money in my possession was dwindling rapidly.

The expenditure was higher than expected.

Despite bringing all the money the Emperor had separately awarded me for becoming a war hero, it was still insufficient.

If I hadn’t been lucky at the gambling den, I would have run out long ago.

Of course, part of it was my lack of concern for amounts. This time too, I had gone for premium accommodations and dining.

No matter. I could acquire more money once this matter concluded.

There were many ways. I knew the locations of ancient ruins with treasures and undiscovered gold mines. Just not quite suitable for our current party.

For now, raiding some nobleman’s estate would be fine.

‘Soon, perhaps.’

The journey was not too inconvenient. Binsad had arranged a carriage for us in Derenet after seeing our party.

Considering we had traversed the unpaved plains, it was quite a comfortable trip.

Magic had been cast on the carriage, reducing any jolting vibrations, and we did not face any unwarranted trouble either.

Binsad had not come alone, so we had escorts around us.

While weaker than the Arwali, the Patrac tribe was among the top handful in the southwestern plains.

‘It’s just that the Arwali’s power is unmatched in the region.’

Thus, we arrived at Al Fahri’s tribe. Since Binsad had gone ahead to discuss matters, the meeting was immediately arranged.

It was a three-way meeting between myself, Binsad, and Al Fahri. Al Fahri, at 25 years old, belonged to the younger generation.

“What business does a Patrac warrior have here? And with an outsider, no less.”

Al Fahri did not seem too pleased. Likely due to knowing about the captured shaman.

He probably thought we had come to request assistance. Simply helping would be difficult, given Ines’s outrageous prophecy and the Arwali tribe’s strength.

“Have you ever thought of becoming Anuma’s sword?”

I answered in his stead. Al Fahri’s expression soured, as if I had spouted nonsense upon our first meeting.

However, I was certain a small ripple had formed in Al Fahri’s heart.

Even in the game, he had yearned to be called Anuma’s sword.

After Al Fahri united the tribes, gaining his friendship was simple. Just call him Anuma’s sword to his face, and he would be delighted.

“You there. What nonsense is this outsider spou-“

Al Fahri, frowning as he spoke to Binsad, closed his mouth. Because I had stirred the Winds.

“I can create a horse that runs in the sky.”

The rough wind blowing inside the tent ruffled Al Fahri’s hair. His eyes, wide with shock, fixed on me.

“Let me ask again. Do you wish to become Anuma’s sword?”

Author's Thoughts

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