Vol. 6 Ch. 48

“It really is the Sacred Beast recorded in the ancestral texts!”

“Look at those upright ears—a symbol of courage and honor! Look at that soft tail—it represents gentleness beneath authority! And those sturdy hooves—undoubtedly, they have withstood the test of time, yet still press forward fearlessly!”

“There’s no mistake! This is the sacred beast passed down through generations of dwarven lore—the Auspicious Beast, the Divine Herald!”

Aju: OVO

Leon & Rosvisser: …

“The thirteenth chieftain of the Dwarven Clan, Yaki, pays homage to the Sacred Beast!”

With those words, the same chieftain who had just been seriously discussing sword repairs with Leon suddenly dropped to one knee in front of Aju.

And that wasn’t all.

The entire crowd of dwarves followed suit, bowing deeply to Aju in reverence.

Their massive frames and synchronized movements caused the very ground to tremble beneath them.

Leon stared at the dwarves worshiping Aju in silence.

Even with his abstract way of thinking, he had no idea how to respond to this scene.

A cold wind whistled through the tundra, leaving him and Rosvisser utterly stunned.

Meanwhile, the chieftain turned toward Doro, the patrol captain, and asked,

“Doro, where did the Sacred Beast come from? How did it end up tied up here?”

Doro hesitated before answering,

“Chieftain, it was… um… brought here by those three… individuals you were just negotiating with inside the icehouse.”

“…What?”

The situation was akin to a flood overwhelming the Dragon King’s temple—family failing to recognize family.

Chieftain Yaki immediately sprang to his feet, pushing past the still-kneeling dwarves.

His massive strides sent powdery snow flying as he rushed back toward Leon and Rosvisser.

Now, under normal circumstances, if Leon saw a four-meter-tall dwarf charging at him, it could only mean one of two things:

However, this particular chieftain was just… a bit slow on the uptake.

And Leon, completely overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation, stood frozen in place—almost as if he had been petrified by some kind of binding spell.

“Silver Prince, Silver Prince, wait!”

“…Uh… w-we weren’t even leaving?”

“Your Highness! Is that Sacred Beast truly yours?!” Yaki asked, his voice trembling with barely contained excitement.

Leon pressed his fingers against his temple, exhaled, and replied,

“Uh… yeah, it’s ours.”

“An honored guest! A divine guest!” Yaki declared. “We were fools for failing to recognize that Your Highness and Her Majesty are the envoys of the Sacred Beast! Please forgive us!”

Leon’s eye twitched slightly.

“‘E-envoys’…?”

“Indeed! You walk alongside the Sacred Beast—surely, that means you are its chosen envoys!”

“Uh-huh…”

“…Chieftain, what exactly does an ‘envoy’ do?”

“Oh! As envoys of the Sacred Beast, you are responsible for raising it from birth, providing for its food, shelter, and every necessity.

“You must also attend to its moods, ensuring it remains content and undisturbed.”

Leon’s expression darkened slightly. His voice turned oddly calm.

“Chieftain, we have a different term for that in our homeland.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Farm owner.”

“‘Farm owner’…?”

Chieftain Yaki mouthed the words to himself, contemplating their meaning.

Moments later, his eyes lit up with realization.

“What a brilliant name!”

Rosvisser, struggling to keep a straight face, massaged her forehead.

She had heard enough of this ridiculous conversation.

“Pardon us for a moment, Chieftain.”

“Of course! Take your time!”

She immediately dragged Leon aside, lowering her voice.

“This makes no sense!” Leon hissed. “Aju isn’t some Sacred Beast! I raised him from a foal back on my family farm! He’s just a completely normal donkey!”

Rosvisser crossed her arms, smirking slightly.

“…A completely normal donkey, huh?”

She paused for effect before adding,

“The same ‘normal donkey’ that once kicked and injured the strongest Dragon Knight?”

Leon blinked.

“…Wait, what?”

“Nothing.”

Rosvisser quickly deflected, changing the subject.

She then explained,

“Samael is a vast continent, home to many races—each with their own customs and beliefs.

“It’s like how I’ve always told you—the word ‘cute’ is a positive term for humans, but for dragons, it’s an insult.”

She gestured toward Aju and the still-bowing dwarves.

“To us, Aju is just a donkey.

“But in the cultural traditions of the dwarves, he may very well be the symbol of a divine omen.”

Leon’s expression turned thoughtful.

“…No wonder people say that dwarves are a weird race…”

“Exactly.”

Rosvisser’s gaze flickered toward Thundercloud Blade in Leon’s hand.

“We can use this to our advantage.”

Leon raised an eyebrow.

“…How?”

Rosvisser’s lips curled into a devilish smirk.

“If Aju is truly a ‘Sacred Beast’ in the eyes of the dwarves…

Then we’ll have them repair Thundercloud Blade—not as a request… but as a divine duty.”

Leon looked down at the sword in his hand, deep in thought. After a moment, he said,

“That’s fine… but first, I need to be absolutely certain about how important Aju actually is to the dwarves. If they just revere him, that’s one thing. But if they intend to sacrifice him, then forget it. I’d rather leave Thundercloud Blade broken.”

“If you dare lose Aju, I’ll kill you.”

Rosvisser raised an eyebrow, smiling playfully.

“I know Aju is important to your family, but I didn’t think he was this important.”

“Of course. If my sword isn’t repaired, my master might be upset for a few days at most.

“But if I lose Aju—”

“Hmm?”

“I won’t have to face my master ever again.”

Rosvisser barely managed to stifle a laugh.

After reaching an agreement, Leon and Rosvisser returned to Chieftain Yaki.

Leon exchanged a glance with the old chieftain, then smirked and said,

“That’s right, Chieftain. We are indeed the envoys of the Sacred Beast.”

“Oh? Is that so? And what do you wish to say?”

“Well… you see, we’ve been keeping a low profile on purpose.”

“As the envoys of the Sacred Beast, it is our duty to ensure that its daily travels remain a secret, so that ill-intentioned individuals don’t take notice.”

Chieftain Yaki, still caught up in the grandeur of the moment, nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“Ah, truly worthy of Sacred Beast Envoys—such meticulous forethought!”

Leon chuckled. “Of course.”

Then he asked, “Chieftain, how long has it been since a Sacred Beast last appeared in your tribe?”

Yaki furrowed his brows in thought before answering, “It has been… roughly several hundred years.”

Sighing, the chieftain turned toward Aju, still surrounded by awe-struck dwarves. With a hint of emotion, he said,

“Our people have always viewed the arrival of a Sacred Beast as a sign of great fortune.

“But since the last Sacred Beast left our lands centuries ago, our dwarven civilization has been in decline.

“Compared to the previous generations of chieftains… I suppose I’ve done better than most.”

Yaki then turned back to Leon and Rosvisser with solemn eyes.

“It was for that very reason that I refused to accept your request to repair the sword earlier.

“If the outside world were to see our dwindling tribe failing to restore a mere weapon, it would only further damage our reputation.”

“But now—with the Sacred Beast appearing once more—it is a divine opportunity for our people.”

“And the three of you… you are not only its envoys but our distinguished guests.”

“I am now willing to take the risk and gather the finest dwarven craftsmen to repair the Sacred Beast’s chosen sword.”

Leon felt a glimmer of hope.

But he didn’t allow himself to celebrate just yet.

Like he had told Rosvisser earlier, he needed to confirm one thing—just how deeply the dwarves revered Aju.

Because if keeping Thundercloud Blade meant leaving Aju behind, then the answer was obvious—Leon would refuse.

“I appreciate your goodwill, Chieftain,” Leon said. “But I have one question.

“For the dwarves, does the Sacred Beast need to stay here in order to bring fortune?”

Leon’s voice grew serious.

“In other words—does Aju have to remain here for several years before you’ll repair my sword?”

The atmosphere tensed instantly. Even Rosvisser, who had been composed all this time, felt uneasy.

She and Leon knew too little about dwarven culture.

When it came to matters of faith, logic was often unreliable—they needed to hear the answer directly from the chieftain’s mouth.

Yaki hesitated, then finally spoke.

“Given that our people have not seen a Sacred Beast in centuries…

“As chieftain, I would like to request that Your Highness leave the Sacred Beast with us for some time.”

“How long are we talking?”

“About… one month.”

Leon’s brows knitted together. “One month?”

“Yes,” Yaki confirmed.

“In accordance with dwarven tradition, we must construct statues and a shrine in honor of the Sacred Beast.

“This process will take approximately one month to complete.”

“Afterward, Your Highness may take the Sacred Beast and leave.”

The chieftain then added,

“Furthermore, repairing your sword will also take a month.

“So in truth… there is no conflict of interest here—at least, that’s how I see it.”

It was, undeniably, a win-win proposal.

The sword required one month for restoration.

Aju’s shrine and statue also needed one month to be built.

Leon hesitated, then glanced toward Rosvisser.

She understood better than anyone just how important both Aju and Thundercloud Blade were to him.

And honestly, one month wasn’t too long.

She gave him a small, almost imperceptible nod.

Leon nodded in return.

“Alright, Chieftain. It’s a deal.”

“No problem, Your Highness.”