Ethereal Life, Chapter 39: Changes, Caravan or Migration?

Nai gazes at the stars above in his daze. Time flew by without him noticing.

The sky soon started getting brighter. The stars slowly receded into the background of the sunshine.

The picturesque night sky was now dyed yellow, orange, and reddish-pink. Nai was startled awake from his half-sleep state.

Noticing the change in his surroundings, he mumbled in his heart at how time sure flew so fast.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, he felt the vibrations in his chest area continue. Nai immediately stood up and found himself in front of the pond.

The dim silver-dust-like glow on his Moon's Blessing didn't vanish like any other day. "This is?" 

He turned around and saw that the sun was already peeking over the horizon. Then back to the reflection of the pond. "It's true. What's the cause?"

His eyes lit up with a guess, that is. "Could it be those rings? Did it cause my moon's blessing to be like this?"

"An upgrade?" Nai didn't know, but he was half sure of it. That should be the case, right? Those fourteen rings are already enough to cause such changes.

If he could find more, what would happen?

Seeing that it was the usual happening amidst the difference in time, it continued until morning.

There was no visible changes yet but he can expect a big one to comes.

Nai has no worries for that, as he stood up and started gathering his spoils of war.

"The cart with the logs and timber is now mine." He did what he said happily. Unloading the woods to the place where he stored the other timbers.

He didn't forget to unload the gravel and stones on the other side too.

And so, time passed quickly while he was working. Raelgar and Gahani woke up the next day.

When they realize what happened, they were too shy and somewhat nervous in front of Nai.

However, Nai was an easygoing person, so he only asked them to work on making mud bricks from morning until afternoon.

Five days later, a new caravan has arrived on the horizon. But this one seems a bit on grand scale.

...

Followed by the sun's light shining on the vast grassland.

A wide and huge, hundreds of meter-square-wide and fifty meter tall flatform made from mud and stone brick stood aloofly on the flat grassland.

Incomplete pillars stood on top as though wanting to support the future of the castle's roof.

It was a strange yet majestic sight to behold. A gasp and a shocking exclamation rang out from everyone's mouth.

"Is this really the place, and we haven't trekked in another direction?" The shocked village chief looked at Garut, his father, as he asked.

However, when he looked at his father, He saw the same shocked expression on his face.

Then he noticed he wasn't the only one. Almost all who were with them were of the same mind and reaction.

"Yes, we are in the right place. The creek that we passed is the proof." When they passed the creek, they saw a clearing that had clearly been excavated.

"That big stone platform should be Nai's creation. But..." Garut was truly shocked this time.

"To think he can make such a building with only himself." Garut can only describe it as "horrifying!"

If he were to do it himself in his prime, he might be able to do it. But would he do that?

Nope, why would he do that? Just a waste of energy.

"What does he intend to build?" After hearing Garut's answer, the elders at the side were appalled and fearful.

It was their first time meeting the young man called Nai. And before they could even look at him. They were already greeted with this sight.

The reaction of Garut and the other crew, who became the first caravan back then, clearly shows that this building hadn't existed yet before they left.

If not, why would they show such a reaction?

Suddenly, someone noticed three people on top of the tall flatform. Two of them were even waving their hands at them.

Someone immediately cried out, "Look, there are people over there!"

Everyone immediately looked over and indeed saw two of the three people above waving at them.

"You knew them? They looked familiar, though." An elder asked a man beside him, who was silent all the way.

By the time they neared enough and arrived at the incomplete temporary outer wall that is hundreds of meters away from the castle's foundation,

They immediately knew who those three people above were.

The two active people immediately climbed down the temporary stairs made from wood and timber impaled by stones that were grinded into big nails.

"Raelgar!?" 

Raelgar, who had just walked down the wooden stairs, suddenly heard a trembling, familiar, gruff voice.

"Raelgar!! Raelgar! My son! It's really you! Your alive! Alive! Ha ha!" A man taller and older than him ran to his side and hugged him in his broad and strong arms.

"F-father." Raelgar wasn't prepared for this scene at all. The sudden reunion was so sudden that he couldn't help but have a feeling of disconnection.

"It's me, son." After being freed from his father's hug, what followed next were his mother and doting little brother.

"Big brother! Bu huhu." Seeing his little brother and mother crying like this, he finally came back to his senses.

To him, having leave to this day in the senior's territory was dull but also colorful. The tragedy from five days ago was as though it never happened and was almost forgotten.

But now, seeing his family once again Emotions swelled up in his heart as hot tears slowly flowed out of his eyes.

The bottle-up feeling that no sleep nor days had been keeping deep in his heart finally broke out after seeing his family.

"I-I." He even forgot to speak, as though countless words that describe his emotions were clashing to be the first.

A hand patted his shoulder as he subconsciously looked up. "You're grown up, son."

There's no need to guess what's next. The villagers give some space to the family business as they all sympathize with them.

Some even felt envy and hatred for why their husband or son weren't the one that had survive but him.

"Should I go and ask him now?"

"Idiot, wait for them to calm down."

"What about Gahani?"

"Hmm, Gahani has a wife. Look at him crying with snots and tears flying midair."

"Your right. I shouldn't have brought up the topic."

"Damn right." The elders chatted among themselves as they waited. They weren't the least bit interested in reading the drama around them.

In this world, the strong survive and are respected, but those who die can only be forgotten under the cover of the grass on the soil.

The deemed themselves as important. Such arrogance.

...

A while later, Raelgar finally calmed down considerably. After some explanation, he gathered the whole village around him to announce what had happened after they had left the village.

Following his narration, the villagers slowly submerged themselves in the narration. With every word, line, and sentence. The villagers would imagine it with their minds.

Along with sudden exclamations and then heavy breathing as though they were on the scene.

It can only be said that with Gahani on the side, who would fill up the plot from time to time.

They should just change professions and become storytellers in the soon-to-be-opened tavern by Nai.

By the time the narration ended, everyone was looking at Raelgar and Gahani with amazement and an unbelievable expression in their eyes.

"Luck is also part of survival. Without luck, one can easily get into trouble with no way out."

Raelgar's father commented, "Just like hunting for games in the forest. Without luck, animals would be rarely seen."

"Without luck, we would have been dead if we were on their feet." An old hunter also chimed in.

"Luck is also your strength. Only those who were alive are known to be truly strong. Your luck has saved your life, kid. Be proud of yourself."

The village chief walked up and patted Raelgar's shoulder in appreciation.

Before the latter could immerse himself in joy. The former immediately pulled him away from the crowd. "Um!? Village Chief?!"

"Just come with me. I'm going to ask you more questions that aren't good for the public to hear."

Raelgar looked at the village chief's serious face, then he obediently nodded. His family looking at him worriedly as thought he would left them again.

A hundred meters away.

The village chief brought Raelgar near the edge of the outer wall. At the same time, Raelgar noticed something wasn't right with the number of villagers in this caravan.

"Village Chief? They....why are—" He asked him softly by the side. Being careful not to raise any unwanted attention or emotions with the village chief.

The village chief and the elders soon stood up in front of Raelgar, seemingly planning something big, as they said something he was truly shocked to hear personally.

"We are planning on migrating here." They said in unison that it was hair-raising to the skin. At the same time, Garut has a bad feeling emerging in his heart.

Something bad is about to happen.

"Damn it! That's my line!" The village chief facepalmed his forehead in dizziness.