Chapter 26

Chapter 26

26. Budding Moments

As Tarhan said, when war with Argon was declared in the Great Plains, the spirit of war quickly spread throughout the land of Aquilea.

The growing number of wagons transporting goods to and from the plains of Aquilea transported men and gemstones to be made into troops and weapons. At the southern end of the plain between the highlands and the sea, the home of the Aquilea people, a garrison for the Allied Forces of the Great Plains was prepared.

“These days, all the men are going to cut wood. They sharpen fallen trees and then stack them to create a solid defensive wall around the village area. It seems that there is not enough manpower there.”

Enya was able to learn the news of the war against the Argon forces, which was being prepared step by step, thanks to Ihita stopping by from time to time and telling her the story of the village.

“I heard that the iron used to make spears and shields is brought from Perugia, and it seems that a great conflict broke out between Servia’s forces and Avisak’s forces over the route. The Deputy Chieftain was called out from the smithy to solve the problem there in the morning.”

Whenever she heard such news, Enya felt her heart break.

The friction between Avisak, the Perugians, who were new forces in Aquilea, and the existing villagers, made the exhausting preparations for war even more grim.

While Enya was supervising and managing the whole process, she was going crazy with worry about the artisans who had migrated from the northern plains to develop new weapons and Tarhan, who was living almost all day just eating and sleeping.

He was really, really busy.

There were a lot of people who needed him here and there, and because he had only one body, he returned at dawn these days without any personal time, and as soon as he got up, he went out before dawn again.

Now that the new title of chief of the allied forces had already been added to him as the deputy chieftain of Aquilea, it seemed that there would be no one to follow his workload in the great plains for some time to come.

Of course, Enya didn’t just play and eat at home, either. It was not only the men who were mobilized for war preparations.

Women were also very necessary to supply and produce materials for war, going back and forth between blacksmiths and bedrooms. Every piece of clothing and long-preserved food they made with their own hands would be valuable food to be used during the war and fodder for horses and gerpans.

Enya had to ask Ihita about the strangely named animal called ‘gerpan.’

“Gerpan?”

“It’s a new beast from Perugia, and it must be a low-level monster somewhere between a horse and a mule. They say they succeeded in taming it recently.”

Gerpan is said to be milder than a wild horse and will be used as a means of transportation smaller than a yak.

Ihita hinted that Avisk was the one who actively promoted the introduction of gerpans.

“Everyone is very afraid but eager because this is the first time a war of this scale has happened. The leaders of the Great Plains’ forces are all gathering in Aquilea. Lately, the number of goods transport wagons has increased so much that they even had to work on widening the northern road.”

The winds of war were changing Aquilea greatly. Even ordinary workers were busy talking about the war whenever they opened their mouths, whether at work, in villages, or between riversides and fields.

“I think everyone thinks it’s because of Tarhan’s name value.”

Ihita said with a proud face.

However, Enya wasn’t happy to hear that. Rather, she felt a terrible uneasiness.

The forces of the Great Plains were gathering in one place. It wasn’t hard for her to understand what that meant.

Right now, Aquilea was largely divided into two forces and was facing a tight confrontation. One was the old Aquilea faction, Kahanti, and the elders who supported him, namely Servia’s group and their eldest son Gernan.

Besides, the group that can be called the new Aquilea with Avisak from Perugia, the key figures of Perugia she brought with her, and some of the forces she recruited from Aquilea. In addition, the forces of the other great plains were fighting each other unknowingly, but among them, the power struggle between the two forces was the most conspicuous.

Tarhan was in the middle of it and was responsible for controlling the whole situation. She couldn’t even guess how much pressure and tension he would feel.

“Enya. Are you coming to the medicine field today?”

Ihita asked her as she brought her share of the medicine basket that day. Enya nodded quickly. Recently, Enya also followed her and worked in the medicine field under Old Lady Piache.

“What is needed in war is neither weapons nor troops—herbs and healers.”

They worked hard every day in the medicine field, which had recently begun to increase its width step by step, according to Piache’s conviction.

‘Anyway, since that day, I haven’t been to the women’s workshop, so it’s a good thing.’

Feeling grateful for being able to work alongside Old Lady Piache and Ihita, Enya got ready to go to the medicine field as soon as she woke up every morning.

There she assisted in tending and gathering plants and grinding medicines.

‘Why didn’t I work here earlier?’

Feeling the joy of work, Enya devoted herself to hard work.

At first, Old Lady Piache, who was worried about her weak physical strength and feet, looked at her with disapproval though after seeing her enthusiasm, she gradually began to change her mind. Then, eventually, she began to teach Enya simple medicine methods and types of herbs.

“You certainly don’t have any talent.”

Of course, it wasn’t easy to learn something from Old Lady Piache, who has a sharp tongue. Still, Enya realized a long time ago that she was much happier listening to her vitriol and busily playing with Ihita than waiting for Tarhan, who would never return all day in an empty room.

“They said there would be a tactical meeting today.”

Enya eagerly shared the news that Tarhan had told her the night before while standing next to Old Lady Piache and helping her extract the plant used as an anesthetic.

“I don’t know, but it seems that each faction is having a hard time because the battle formations and troop composition to be used differ greatly in what each faction claims and wants.”

In the end, the expression that sounded completely different from the words that Tarhan spat out, like ‘Those bastards who don’t know how to listen to any damn thing’ and ‘Stupid chicken heads with nothing but stubborn veins to offer,’ were evolving more and more.

“…The deputy chieftain must have a lot of trouble.”

Old Lady Piache, who managed to notice this, muttered politely with a voice full of dignity.

“The leader who leads the shoveling is the most troublesome.”

Time passed quickly.

The Great Plains were rapidly changing with the flow of unprecedented war. It started when Nervana Forest announced its intention to participate in the war.

Nervana Forest was the most sacred and unknown forest in the Great Plains of Aquilea, remaining a mysterious area. Due to the provocation of the Argon Desert, even a primitive tribe with an ancient lineage living at the end of the Great Plain arrived in Aquilea.

When they seemed to not want to be involved in this war, they intervened in the war with Argon.

As the forces of Nervana Forest arrived in Aquilea, Enya also had a chance to come into contact with their leaders and central forces.

“Nervana is a legendary inhabitant who escapes the skull spider.”

According to Tarhan’s explanation, they arrived in Aquilea with their pristine appearance intact. The one who welcomed them was none other than Avisak, the Princess of Perugia.

“I was the one who contacted Nervana Forest.”

A few days ago, when Nervana Forest sent a messenger to announce their intention to participate in the war, Avisak, who was there, told the truth. Enya also happened to be snooping around the barracks where the meeting was being held to see Tarhan and was able to hear the words.

“I sent a spy with a sense of desperation, just in case, but I never dreamed that the spy would come back alive.”

Without blinking an eye at those cruel words, Avisak smiled at Tarhan, who glared at him with his arms crossed.

“Enough. Admit that I am useful, Tarhan.”

Tarhan didn’t answer, and he just sent her a cold gaze. On the contrary, only Enya’s heart felt cold as she watched.

A born activist and strategist, Avisak was credited with enabling the allied forces to quickly gather at their garrison at Aquilea. The forces supporting her with her smart brain and her excellent speech skills were already growing within the Allied Forces.

Of course, Tarhan treated her only as an ally and kept a reasonable distance, and from that day onwards, Avisak did not seem to think of him as anything more than the head of the allied forces. Nonetheless, Enya’s stomach ached as she watched her sprint around.

Regardless, she tried not to show it as much as possible, as Tarhan already had many things to worry about. Fortunately, Avisak seemed to focus on preparing for war after that, not paying attention to her either.

Recalling the memory of that time, Enya watched with bitterness as Avisak warmly welcomed the members of the Nervana Forest.

Avisak opened her mouth to welcome the forest dwellers.

“Welcome. Guardians of Nervana Forest.”

Standing behind Avisak to greet them, Enya could also observe them. The residents of Nervana Forest, who appeared after a long wait, had slender and white limbs, befitting a tribe living in a forest with thick shadows.

Their thick lips were red, and their sharp, almond-colored eyes shone intelligently.

Kiyan, the chief woman of the Nervana forest, held out her tightly-muscled arm to Avisak and spoke in a firm voice.

“Are you Perugian?”

Before long, Kiyan, who greeted Tarhan, the other elders, and the head of the faction in turn, raised her head and glared at a corner.

Enya, who was at the end of that line of sight, trembled.

The leader of Nervana Forest looked at her with a very strange look. Perhaps it was not only she who felt it, but Tarhan, who was standing next to her, raised his head promptly and stood in front of Enya.

“It seems that the greeting of Nervana Forest is to stare at the opponent.”

Despite his stark voice, Kiyan didn’t seem hesitant or frightened at all. The residents of Nervana Forest, dressed in bizarre costumes and lined up behind Kiyan, were also peering at each other, exchanging meaningful glances.

“Pardon me.”

Even after that, Kiyan’s eyes did not leave Enya for a while.

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