Chapter 29: Silask

As the response was delayed, Kakantir turned to look at Ian. Ian slightly lowered his head and replied.

“Yes.”

Perhaps they asked because they were a tribe that worshipped the sky? Or did they know that another Ian resided within Ian? Wincen seemed to savor Ian’s straightforward answer, licking his lips.

“Is it true that you were born of Derga Brats’ blood?”

“Certainly.”

“Does your existence mean peace?”

“I swear, peace is the only reason for my existence.”

A smile crept across Wincen’s lips. Kakantir nodded and silently instructed his attendants, who helped Wincen lie back down on the bedding.

“Then I will take my leave.”

“Rest well, leader. The desert storms these days are too fierce. It’s because the sky has become even hotter.”

The feeble muttering of the old man echoed through the tent. As Ian stepped outside, the Tianli clan, who had been tense, looked at Kakantir’s expression.

“Provide a tent for Ian Brats and his companions.”

This was a roundabout way of announcing that Ian was indeed a child of the Brats family. It also meant that all the formalities of the arduous peace talks had been officially completed.

Suga sighed in relief and called out to Ian.

“Ian. This way.”

“Me? Sharing the same tent?”

“So what? Do you think you’re so special that you’ll get your own room?”

As Suga snapped, Beric whispered to Ian.

“Seems like he’s too narrow-minded for a warrior. I don’t know why he treats me like this. Come to think of it, didn’t you start the teasing that day?”

“Well, Beric, you were the one who punched me.”

“Huh? Trying to back out now?”

The tent assigned to Ian was in better condition than expected. It wasn’t particularly luxurious, but it didn’t feel like they were treating him as a captive from an enemy country.

‘This is strange. After Derga’s elder brother died crossing the border, didn’t they become quite cold towards each other?’

Of course, the chief at that time and the current Kakantir were different people. Given the frequent changes in leadership, they might be quite old in their history.

Then, shouldn’t their perceptions and ways of interaction have changed even more? They weren’t as ruthless as Ian had heard from the Brats mansion.

‘Cold but not heartless, free but not barbaric.’

This was Ian’s assessment. As Beric unpacked his messy belongings, he asked.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“I need to clean up first.”

“Not that. You’re not going to live here forever, right?”

That’s true.

But Ian couldn’t return to Barial until Molin led the inspector from the center and beheaded Derga.

He must have just arrived at the center by now. It would take about a fortnight to a month to come down and carry out the coup.

“Think of it as a trip. There are people here you can’t beat, so even if you face one person a day, a year will pass quickly.”

“A year? You’re kidding, right?”

“Just joking. A fortnight. At most, a month.”

Beric cursed under his breath and flopped onto the bed. A wandering life, as long as there’s a bed, it doesn’t matter where, but the desert’s heat was impossible to adapt to.

“Ian.”

Suga pushed aside the tent flap and entered. She placed some clothes and simple snacks, looking around the room to check if anything was missing.

“Eat first. Everyone is exhausted from the journey. There will be a return ceremony after sunset, so I’ll come back to call you. Oh, and—”

Suga, who was about to leave, hesitated and turned back.

“Jangyarong said the storm was really fierce. It was the largest and most threatening he had ever encountered. Though nothing was blown away because he broke through it bare-handed, it would have been difficult if your group had encountered it.”

“Thanks.”

Did he want to say thank you? Ian smiled and passed the compliment to Kakantir.

“The chief’s judgment was truly wise.”

At the mention of their leader, Suga’s face brightened. She then slipped out of the tent. Beric, who had been staring blankly, grumbled.

“…He really only treats me like this.”

“Jealous?”

“Shut up!”

Beric waved his hands and jumped into the bed. Covered in sand, he fell asleep instantly. After days of being exposed to the wind outside, he was exhausted. Ian, after some thought, also drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound of drums woke Ian.

It was dark outside. Night had fallen. The only light in the room was the Milky Way, shining like milk. Just as Ian was about to shake Beric awake, Suga pushed aside the tent flap again.

“Ian? Beric?”

“Mmm…”

“Come on, everyone’s waiting.”

Still groggy from sleep, Ian and Beric followed Suga unsteadily. Inside a white building in the camp, Suga opened the door, revealing an unbelievable scene.

“Hahaha!”

“Once more! Hey, are you already done?”

“Remember what I said last time? I was right!”

The Tianli people, adorned with red paint and gold, were dancing and playing. Piles of meat and alcohol were scattered among them. The air was filled with a subtle smoke, as if incense was burning.

A dancer smiled as she passed by, and the musicians played their tunes even faster.

“Wow.”

Ian had never seen or heard of such a feast. Under the orange lanterns, everything seemed free. Beric, too, seemed to wake up completely, rubbing his cheeks.

“Ian. Beric.”

Kakantir, seated at the head table, called them. A dried leaf was in his mouth, the same as what was burning under the torches.

‘Kulut leaf.’

That’s kulut leaf. Realizing this, Ian took a deep breath. The scent was similar to what he had smelled in Wincen’s tent. It wasn’t cinnamon but kulut leaf.

“Ah, how do I feel?”

“How do you feel?”

“…I just want to beat everyone up.”

“Shut up.”

They whispered to each other as they approached Kakantir. Next to him, Nersarn and other high-ranking members of the tribe were enjoying the feast.

“Have you recovered from the journey?”

“Thanks to the chief’s care.”

“Good. Sit down first.”

Everyone seemed to be paying attention to Ian. But it was only for a moment. They soon returned to their revelry, laughing and chatting. Kakantir poured wine into Ian’s cup.

“By the way, the map you gave me. Does anyone from the Brats, including the viscount, know about its existence?”

“No. The teacher secretly handed it to me and left immediately. He went to Blaster through the upper country.”

Kakantir burst into a satisfied laugh. He then gestured for Ian to take some meat, looking very friendly. He must have heard from his subordinates about the storm.

“Everything you have is what the Brats gave to the Tianli. Can this map also be used for the Tianli?”

“Of course.”

In any case, the Tianli would accompany him back to Brats. After that, there would be no need to cross the Great Desert, so what good would the map do? It was better to give a small thing and plan for the bigger picture.

“Viscount Derga raised a good son.”

“His father would be very pleased to hear that.”

The conversation stopped there. The music grew louder. While pondering the kulut leaf, Ian felt a strange gaze.

‘Hmm?’

The second seat from Nersarn. A man was staring intently at Ian. When their eyes met, he slightly curled his lips, sending some kind of signal.

“Suga, who is that?”

When the surroundings were momentarily disordered, Ian nodded towards the man and asked. Suga, sipping wine, replied.

“Bumart? He’s part of Nersarn’s family. The cousin of his second stepmother. He’s the head of food management.”

Though not entirely clear, it seemed they considered him family. His position was quite high, being close to the head table. But why was he staring at him so much?

‘Creepy.’

Ian deliberately shook off the gaze and asked Suga, trying to sound as innocent as possible, with no other emotion but curiosity.

“Is what everyone is holding kulut leaf?”

Suga nodded, and Ian was about to ask if he could try it. But at that moment, Kakantir interrupted, holding out his wine glass.

“Ian, to stay safe here, there are a few rules you must follow.”

“Please tell me.”

“One of them is to show no interest in kulut leaf. You’re not even allowed to ask. We can’t control the smoke, but everything else is forbidden.”

This meant there was a big difference between inhaling the smoke and chewing the leaf directly.

The festive atmosphere, which had been hot, cooled down a bit. The people around Kakantir unconsciously raised their guard.

“I will remember that.”

Ian nodded and replied. Beric, who was sitting next to him, was too busy eating meat to pay attention.

“Enjoy then. For our return.”

“Yes, Chief Kakantir.”

Right. This was a return ceremony