Mountain Worship (1)

Vincent did his best to convince the other party that they weren't responsible for any massacres. Unfortunately, the tattooed man was skeptical of his words. The Houjins had been lied to far too many times by these people who lived outside the forests and mountains.

"The mighty Uruj asks for your leader to visit him personally. The time for mountain worship is nearing and the massacre is a sin we cannot forgive anyone for. If your leader does not accompany us to talk to the great Uruj personally, there will be bloodshed."

The warrior was serious. Mountain worship was a very important ritual held by the Houjins every few years. During the time, they would refrain from fighting with other people. And anyone who did not do so were punished severely.

A great amount of resources and efforts were poured into the worship every time. Because of this, the Houjins were easily angered when the outsiders caused trouble for them. With how an entire settlement had been murdered, it wasn't surprising that the Houjins were demanding the lord to pay a visit to the Uruj personally.

Vincent explained the situation to the viscount. Once he heard of the matter, Viscount Renn had a difficult expression on his face. On one hand, the situation was delicate and required his full attention. On the other, the Uruj was a very powerful warlord who could rally a massive force if angered.

The scholars of Libsidia had estimated that combined together, the Uruj had military strength that surpassed that of Libsidia. The only reason the Houjins had entered into a non aggression pact was because of how frequently they warred amongst themselves.

While the tribes fought with each other all the time, it was a different matter if it involved worship or rituals. During those times, all the tribes put aside their differences and came together as one. Viscount Renn didn't want to draw their ire now.

Were it a normal time, he would have gone to the Uruj to appease the latter's anger. However, with the recent happenings, he could not afford to be absent from his fief. He could feel a headache incoming and didn't have energy to deal with this right now.

"Let them know that I am tired. We shall talk properly tomorrow. In the meanwhile, they are to be treated as honored guests."

Viscount Renn spoke to Vincent before retiring to his room.

Vincent regretted having learnt the Houjins language for the first time after getting the work of dealing with stubborn barbarians dumped on him. After much effort, he managed to convince them to rest inside the castle.

By the time he was done, he was drained both physically and mentally. He changed into a comfortable shirt and lay down on his bed. His entire body ached because of the horse ride and his bottom was specially sore.

"Let's go have something to eat. I want something sweet." Nora nudged at him lightly towards the direction of the kitchen.

"Not now Nora. I am exhausted. Let me sleep."

Vincent ignored the ghost girl and pulled a blanket over himself. Not long after, he was sound asleep.

The ghost girl wanted to push further but let it be after seeing him fall into a slumber so quickly.

*****

Claystead was the capital of Libsidia. While it wasn't anything spectacular, it was beautiful in its own way.

The Xelim street in particular, drew multiple glances from almost everyone who passed through it. Lined up along both sides of the wide street were shops and establishments of all kinds, many of which were frequented by rich and affluent people.

And even among the impressive array of these establishments, Hotel Li Piren stood out from everything else. Though not much bigger from its neighboring counterparts, it had firmly established itself as the finest eatery in the entire kingdom. It was the first choice for many nobles and wealthy merchants for special occasions.

Hotel Li Piren was always fully occupied. If you wanted a seat, you would have to wait for at least a week. The only spot that was almost always available in the entire facility was the super luxurious room on the top floor. You wouldn't be able to get the spot even if you offered a ludicrous amount of money. In fact, it was only open to a select few individuals.

Currently, two young men sat opposite each other inside this super luxurious space. The opulence of the room was matched with the sumptuous meal laid out in front of them. But the men ignored the delicacy and looked at each other seriously.

"I heard you have an interesting piece of news for me." A clean shaven man with luscious golden hair spoke as he stared at the chubby man across him.

Maintaining his signature smile, the round man replied with great enthusiasm. "A total of four hamlets and Houjin settlements have been massacred so far. The perpetrator's seem to want to spark a conflict between the northern nobles and the Houjins. Things might get heated there soon."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." The chubby man assured as he wet his mouth with wine. "I wouldn't dare present information I am not certain of to your highness. After all, I am betting my life on you, the third prince of Libsidia."

"I am not saying that I don't trust you Rinor. I am asking if you are absolutely certain that the situation will be as chaotic as we need it to be."

Rinor put his knife and fork down gently. Cleaning his mouth with a napkin, he answered truthfully. "Anything can happen anytime. Still, I think it's safe to assume that Dame Vermillion will leave the capital to take care of the mess."

"That will be enough. Make sure everything is ready. We only have one chance."

The prince left immediately after leaving those words. The food on his plate was still untouched.

Rinor nodded casually and went back to eating. Now that he was alone, his hands moved constantly, sending food to his mouth at an incredible pace. Soon, the entre table of food was devoured clean. He let out a burp and got up.

"That was delicious."

As he exited the establishment and got on his carriage, he spoke softly, almost as if he was talking to himself. "Leave for the north. Once you get there, keep an eye out for the paladin from the Order of Crimson Blades. Everything else is to be carried out according to the original plan."

"I understand." A voice answered back from the empty seat in front of him.

A whoosh sounded as the words died down and everything continued on as if nothing had happened. Rinor tapped the walls of his carriage twice and the coachman spurred the horses to begin moving.