13. Targeted
The next day, late afternoon.
People from the Kun clan came and busied themselves with packing. We were moving to Kun territory. I pulled out the paper with the desert precautions for the first time in a long time and read them.
- 8 o’clock in the morning, desert country time. Even if you hear crying from the oasis near the historical ruins, ignore it.
- At the entrance of the Kun tribe territory, there are a total of seven statues of past Lakurums. If there are eight, pass by without looking back.
You don’t have to worry about the first as long as you don’t go to the oasis, but the second…
Usually in this kind of plot, there’s always someone who does something you’re told not to do, and it’s a death flag. I don’t think I’d be the one to do something stupid like that, but I was curious. If you see eight statues, what happens when you look back?
‘I don’t want to suffer, so I wish someone would do it for me!’
I was tapping my foot while thinking such mischievous thoughts, as if I were slowly becoming more like Her Highness the Royal Princess. It feels like this will be my second evil act in the desert. As I waited for a while and drank the cool juice, Kun warriors appeared with a herd of camels.
“Let’s go, Shay.”
“Alright!”
Lacius came to get me, and out of several camels, I chose the one draped in red cloth.
“This way. I’ll explain things to you on the way.”
The person the Kun clan sent was significantly more polite than Ram Ainur. When we reached the entrance of Kun’s territory, a Kun warrior pointed to the gigantic stone statues and began explaining.
“Those statues are the first Lakurums of Kun.”
Oh, it’s amazing.
While everyone murmured in amazement, I was steadily counting the number of statues.
‘One, four, seven… eight.’
Eight? Eight?!
Everyone passes by with a smile, while I, alone, feel a chill down my spine. I gently grabbed Lacius’s forearm. Of course, I didn’t turn my head, as the warning explicitly said, “don’t look back.” But it seemed I wasn’t the only one who counted the statues.
“Ugh!”
A scream pierced the air. Before I knew it, a brown figure dashed out like lightning. Then there was a clang, like a sword hitting a solid rock. Everyone turned their heads to look in that direction.
“Tsk.”
What suddenly appeared was the chief of Kun.
He clicked his tongue briefly and looked at a statue. Or, more accurately, a human statue. His face was shocked, his eyes wide. The poor man, frozen in place, unaware of what had just happened, was one of the Terran nobility.
“Sometimes there are idiots who bother to count the numbers and then still look back.”
Cackle. A chilling laugh echoed somewhere, following the chief’s words.
Counting the statues again, there were seven, excluding the new one. The last statue from earlier was probably a ghost or an evil spirit of the desert. Thinking about this made me shiver.
“It’s just the spirits playing tricks. If someone had struck the top of his head before he completely turned to stone, he could’ve been freed from the curse. Too bad.”
Surely he wouldn’t have to live like that forever, right? I glanced around nervously. But neither the princess nor the Kun’s chief showed any change in expression.
“The curse will be lifted in about a day, so let’s leave the idiot here. To the rest who didn’t turn into statues, welcome to Kun’s territory.”
Behind the chief of Kun, who spreads his arms wide, stood white buildings with red lines. Even at a glance, the territory of the Kun clan, which was particularly strong and wealthy among the countless clans, exuded a sense of opulence.
“Have a good day.”
“I hope you enjoy your stay.”
The Kun warriors strode past the stone statue, their mouths twitching in amusement. Pity the man who was turned to stone, but frankly, it was funny. One by one, the Terran nobles also passed by, staring at the statue while giggling.
I feel pity for the stone noble who has to spend the day alone. But since his life wasn’t in danger, he would just suffer from jaw pain after a day. I glanced at the statue with its mouth agape and sighed in relief.
‘I’m so glad it wasn’t me who ended up in such a ridiculous situation.’
Still, I felt relieved now that I knew why they told us not to look back.
“Now then, let’s start the meeting on how to catch Fata-Morgana.”
Soon, it was only me, Lacius, the princess, the chief of Kun, and the three Kun warriors he trusted the most. A total of seven people gathered in one place. The princess led the meeting without hiding her excitement.
“Kun Geisha, what do you think?”
This is the desert. It happened in another country’s territory, so Terran has no authority. So she had to ask what kind of plan Kun had first.
“Those who passed the original test and became new warriors must undergo trials. They must pass that to be recognized as real warriors.”
The Kun chief, who had been standing in the center with his arms crossed, spoke up impatiently.
“We know where the best places to hide are. We’ll also ask the Toon clan, with whom we have a friendship pact, for additional help. We’ll have the warriors thoroughly scout the terrain.”
“Kun will provide manpower, and Terran will provide financial support. However, if any imprisoned wizards are found, they will belong to Terran. Considering you took Daphne, you won’t refuse, right?”
“Fine. We have shamans. We don’t need a wizard or whatever.”
Well, sir. They are the same; a shaman and a wizard are similar beings….
However, for the sake of the national interest, I chose to keep my mouth shut and just listen. If the chief of Kun says they don’t need wizards, then so be it.
“Instead, if they are hoarding treasure, the desert should have it. If it was in the desert, it belongs to the desert.”
“Alright.”
The meeting went very smoothly, since we both wanted different things.
“Oh, bring that guy in.”
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