CHAPTER 22
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE PEAK
Everything went well. The Half are already on my side.
After my plan paid off and the invaders left Galia, I decided it was time to leave, but it was necessary to speak once more with Gara'kat.
This time I went alone, I told my guard that everything was already solved and they deserved a rest and that if they could waste time taking care of me, considering that the Half had not shown hostility, they could use it better in training Ryuuji.
Of course I didn't climb the mountain by myself, I won't go through that torture again. Being alone, I was able to give the signal to the Harp who was watching me all the time, so he took me to the nest quickly. My shoulders got a little numb where he hold me, but that was the only discomfort.
Once up, Gara'kat and the others welcomed me like a star. They were somewhat doubtful when I told them how I planned to stop the attack on Galia, but after seeing it they were very surprised.
"I knew you were an amazing fellow, but I never thought how much" Gara'kat said.
Ren was still looking at me suspiciously, but I brought a present that diverted her gaze from me, after all, it is assumed that going up and down should take about two days, which means I should eat and preferred to invite her to eat human food with me rather than try the Harp's cooking.
Besides, it was a way to appeal to her. Her appearance is something like that of an angel, but seen from another point of view, unlike the Harp, she can pose as human with the appropriate clothes. It means that she could accompany me without raising suspicion, her singing can be very useful to waste it.
At our first meeting, I let Gara'kat know that I was thinking of a better future for his tribe.
He didn't show much surprise, after all the muscles of his face must have tired of so many surprises.
On the other hand, Ren did act in an exaggerated way.
"What makes you think we need your help!?" She said, making it clear that my suspicions were true.
I have to make sure she don't release information that easily when she's with me. It's not as if there would be many who understand what she says, but better be prepared.
I was straightforward with them. Their tribe had been on Galia's mountain for a few centuries, but their number was a few dozen, including women, children and the elderly. Their ability to reproduce shouldn't be very different from humans, so that led me to the conclusion that they were not thriving.
"After all, we are very limited here".
Those words from Gara'kat reminded me of what he said in our first meeting.
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"I think I understand your plan Mr. Argent, but I'm not sure if it will work. Personally, I would rather not put an ally of the sky tribes in mortal danger after barely knowing him, but I will respect your decision. Of course, I will make sure that some of my best men are always watching you, in case things go wrong".
"I didn't expect less from you, I was really going to ask you the same thing, I would like one of them to pick me up by giving a signal, in case the enemy commander doesn't fulfill his part of the agreement, or if he doesn't even think about letting me talk".
"I can't think of how silly I would be if I let a man as valuable as you die at the hands of a guy who doesn't even deign to listen to your honorable proposal".
"Thank you very much, later I will give details to your men so that everything goes well. Before I leave, I would like to hear the story you talked about before".
"So be it".
Generations ago, when Gara'kat's great-great-grandfather was a child, his tribe was displaced from the fertile lands where they lived, because of a tribe of <
The Harp are fast flying and agile fighters. But they couldn't compete with the Raptors, who possessed scales hard enough so that the Harp's claws could not penetrate them. And in a matter of brute force, well, the Raptors crushed them plainly.
To avoid unnecessary losses, the chief of the tribe at that time decided that it was better to flee and find another place to live. It was a good decision, the problem was that his tribe wasn't the only one displaced. Several other tribes also so they had to keep running eastward, until they finally reached the mountains of the continental shore.
In the place, they met four other sky tribes who had arrived before. So they had to resort to the area that none of the other tribes wanted to approach, the mountain inhabited by humans.
It's not as if they couldn't fight with the other tribes for a more privileged place. But they were sibling sky tribes who had arrived before them. After seeing how their people had been displaced from their homes and their endangered species, they could not see their brothers kill each other for a little better territory. Besides, they were tired of running away.
When they nested in the highest relief of the mountain, they were afraid that at any moment the humans of the mountain would expel them. Perhaps they would not be exterminated, since they could fly, but if they had to flee even from there, their tribe would die before finding another place.
To their surprise, they were not attacked and their tribe was able to overcome difficult times by subsisting on the mountain and avoiding flying where humans could see them as much as they could.
A few years passed and Gara'kat's great-great grandfather became a formidable Harp warrior. That same great warrior was the first to notice the presence of a human who was going to his nest.
Any other would have brought down the human before he reached the nest and verify that they had settled there. Several of the tribe said that they had not been attacked because of this, since the Harp fly and humans don't, they couldn't know if they were on that or another mountain, since they had barely been seen when they arrived there.
But Gara'kat's ancestor thought differently. The human had done nothing to them yet and as he could see, his only weapon was a sword, which was not appropriate to attack the members of a sky tribe. He couldn't kill an innocent, and the truth, he didn't think he would cause them harm.
"Against everything the tribe thought, my ancestor didn't believe that the human was to bring them ruin, so he did the unthinkable, appeared before him. What a surprise it was to be greeted in Haldan by the human".
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The human not only spoke Haldan, but he knew perfectly well that the tribe was on the mountain of Galia. But they never did anything against them, so humans responded with the same. Finally, curiosity surpassed the man and decided to go talk to the Half as if they were neighbors.
"When he knew this, my ancestor disobeyed the orders and took the human to the nest, and stood between him and those who wanted to get rid of him".
When they were up, the human was taken to the chief's bonfire, where Gara'kat's ancestor requested an audience. The old chief granted it after seeing the determination in the eyes of his loyal warrior.
The results were as follows: The man offered to continue with the peace they had in recent years. He told them what kind of place was Galia, so it was unlikely that any other external force would attack the place. For this reason the man, who represented Galia at the time, thought it was better to have a peaceful relationship. He assured them that as long as he lived, no human would attack them.
"Naturally, the words of the man were not received without suspicion, but my ancestor trusted him, his best instincts told him that the human was different from those who had begun the exodus of the Half on the continent by seizing their lands".
As it was evident that humans already knew about them, there was no difference between killing the man or not. So the chief of the tribe followed the advice of his faithful aid and let the human go in peace.
"The years passed and the human's words were true, they were never invaded again. My ancestor could not suppress his feelings, so over time, he flew closer and closer to the human city, until that man climbed the mountain to meet him".
The man was still curious about the tribe, but as a sign of respect he had not approached again. But feeling that Gara'kat's ancestor wanted to tell him something, he risked climbing the mountain once more. When he began to do so, the Harp he met years before went to meet him immediately.
"My ancestor and the man began to speak regularly. They became friends and shared stories, knowledge and laughter".
The great-great grandfather of Gara'kat taught Harpian to the man, who showed a great capacity to learn. When he learned enough, he asked his friend to let him talk to the chief of his tribe once again.
Needless to say, this time, the Harp did not receive him with the same hatred as the first time, but they still showed suspicion when they saw him return to their nest.
The human presented himself for the second time to the chief of the tribe, this time in Harpian, surprising everyone present.
"Did you teach him?" said the tribal chief to his warrior, who nodded without hesitation.
The human was grateful for the teachings and trust of the ancestor of Gara'kat, for what in payment and as a sign of his friendship, he shared with them something he knew. There was a strong and light material that could be used to make weapons and armor for the sky tribes. It was so light that it would allow them to continue flying normally, but strong enough to withstand steel, even in thin layers. The man then presented them with a 5-color coin. A gift of friendship.
Everyone in the tribe was surprised to hear of such a thing. All but the old tribal chief, who began to laugh loudly.
"With this I have no doubt. This man is definitely an ally of the sky tribes. As you said years ago".
The old chief shared a story of the past with the tribe and with the man. During the era of great wars, known to man as the era of legend. The Harp and the humans fought together the enemy that ravaged the world. They told stories of sky tribes who used weapons and armor, and continued to fly gracefully.
If the sky tribes, who have superior agility and the ability to fly, also had weapons and armor that would not hinder them, they would be a fearsome force. But 5-color metal is extremely rare, and in the world after the era of legend, the only ones capable of obtaining it are humans. That a human offers something so valuable and dangerous to a sky tribe, leaves no doubt of his sincerity as an ally.
"The old chief then named my ancestor as his successor, because of his success and his ability to see beyond the hatred between Harps and humans".
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In that story, it became clear that the mountain of Galia was the only safe place for them, but it also meant that they could not leave, and the resources that can be obtained without interfering with humans is limited. So while the tribe is not in danger of disappearing, it does not prosper either.
That is why I told them that I planned to acquire a territory where they could live and prosper. As an Aristoi it is not impossible for me.
In this second meeting, I told him more about that plan. But it would be necessary to always maintain communication with the tribe and they should cooperate with me in everything. During dinner that night, I told them that Ren was able to walk beside me as if she were human without raising suspicion.
I don't usually enjoy nonsense, but even I laughed sincerely with Ren's reaction. It was not just the face she put on listening to me, or the food she spat when she did it, but that depressed expression that she had while looking with empty eyes at the once delicious food she had spit. With her eyes fixed on the food on the floor, she had no strength to respond. Not even when Gara'kat proved me right.
Because of this, I let her be for a while before telling her that by coming with me she would eat better things every day. Why end the fun fast? Even Gara'kat and the rest of the tribe enjoyed the moment. It's good to strengthen ties with nonsense like these, probably some of them already feel the desire to protect me of their own volition, and not only for the orders or the duty to take care of an ally of the tribe.
In the future, Ren's singing will be very useful, so there is no problem in spoiling her from time to time, but I must also remind her constantly who is in charge.
Oh yeah. In case you wonder why her singing didn't work with me, well. It is a mental attack and while Ren has a high 53 in mind, she simply is no match for the special bonuses of my trade master suit. With +100 Mind and Resistance to negative effects.
If you think that a mental attack will work on someone with more than double that stat than the attacker, you are dreaming.
Surprise, I resisted it by having more stats than she.
The next day Gara'kat showed me a stone with strange prints.
<< The proof of the alliance between us
—-Gara'kat >>
When he handed it to me, I took a pen and ink out of my item bag and put my name next to his.
"So you also know how to read and write Harpian" He said.
Well, this is thanks to << Borderless Trade >>. But it isn't a perfect skill. Unfortunately I can't write in any language.
The translation effect is perfect, I can read anything, but if I write something, the shapes drawn by my hand do not change to adapt to the reader's language. This is the weakness of the omnipotent translation, it is nothing more than translation, it does not alter the figures on the paper ... Or in this case the stone. This is just a signature so it doesn't matter.
I have the theory that its fair because I only need to read and sign so the ability weakness doesn't affect reading, but it probably cannot do something as amazing as relocating the ink particles to form the writing of any language you want.
And this is exactly what I have been thinking about this last day. I will need someone to write for me, but without making it clear that I can't write, after all, it would be weird if I can read but not write. I need a secretary, or rather, an assistant, someone who wouldn't question me because I never write. I already have someone in mind, I just need to find the time to ask for it.
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"M-M-Mr. Argent!"
Speaking of the king of Rome.
"Mm? What's up Zera?"
The young Zera has always been shy, but today he is acting with an excess of nervousness, I'm curious to know what he is going to tell me. If I am correct, I think I already have my assistant.
"P-Please, let me accompany you! Argent-sama !!"
"Sama?"
Eh? You are full of surprises, what does a Japanese honorific like that here and now?
"Sama?"
Hey? You have no idea what you just said? ... No, is not that. To begin with, I don't hear what he says, but what the automatic translation judges he wants to tell me. In other words, Zera referred to me with such admiration and respect, that the automatic translation sought a way of expressing it that I could understand.
Wow, Zera. To think that your admiration for me could overcome such a barrier and would be able to force << Borderless Trade >> to find a way to translate it into words.
"S-So what does you say?"
Haha, for a servant who shows a devotion to me capable of altering the automatic translation, there is no doubt that you will be useful to me.
"I was about to ask you the same thing. Zera, will you accompany me on my journey to discovery and glory?"
"YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!"
"Very well, its decided. By the way, let me introduce her, she will accompany us on the trip. She is Ren".
Giving place for Ren to come forward. I let Zera and the others lay their eyes on her. Although the overcoat I gave her to hide her wings and feathers doesn't reveal much skin, her figure is that of a model and her fine facial features can enchant a man without needing to hear her song. Just look at Zera, he's in Shock at seeing her beauty, I don't care if you get along with her, well, if you can.
...
"Eh...."
The smile he put on when I told him he could accompany me hardened on Zera's face, while his gaze was fixed on Ren. Here we have another one with interesting reactions.