Chapter 18 : Chapter 18
༺ 𓆩 Chapter 18 𓆪 ༻
「Translator — Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘᠂ ⚘᠃
It was still too early for sunrise, in the gray hush of dawn.
Hunbish rose earlier than usual.
He planned to join Davitte’s group before they departed without him.
He had no particular reason to accompany them, but it felt wrong to sit idly by after sending his father into danger alone.
“Good morning!”
When Hunbish stepped out of his room, the three men were already prepared to leave.
“You stay here.”
Uhule's voice carried a familiar note of command, and it fell instantly, the moment he laid eyes upon Hunbish.
‘Come to think of it, he was once renowned as the Tiger General.’
Norman, observing the father and son, could guess why their communication was strained.
“I guided them yesterday as well. I don't intend to drop out halfway through.”
“That wolf also needs someone to care for it.”
The wolf lay near the cold hearth, occasionally letting out painful groans, showing no signs of regaining consciousness.
“In any case, the wolf shouldn’t stay in this village. Conscious or not, it must leave with us now,” Davitte interjected firmly.
“But…”
“Do not worry. Hunbish is more than capable of defending himself. He’s already saved my life more than once.”
Uhule looked visibly troubled at Davitte's supportive remark, though there was something deeper troubling him.
“If not that, perhaps it’s because you dislike the idea of involving your son in my affairs?”
Davitte's directness cut sharply through Uhule’s reserve.
“…The young master speaks rightly. I’ve sworn loyalty to House Argento, and my life may be used however you see fit. My son, however, is not bound by the same oath.”
"I heard Uncle Batar's love for his son was extreme, and it truly is."
Hearing Davitte mention the previous night’s conversation, Norman flinched guiltily. He had never expected Davitte to be so blunt.
Suddenly reduced to the position of a tattletale, Norman anxiously shifted his gaze between father and son. When his eyes met Hunbish’s, his heart sank like a thief caught red-handed.
“.................”
Meanwhile, Uhule’s lips remained tightly sealed. Having already stated his objections, further insistence felt disrespectful to his former master.
“However, I’m afraid it’s already too late.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“It wasn’t intentional, but Hunbish absorbed a fragment of my soul. That alone will inevitably draw him into a life far beyond ordinary.”
“What did you say?!”
Shock and confusion clearly flashed across Uhule’s face.
The two fundamental elements that constituted life:
Flesh and soul.
And though their interplay was profoundly complex,
Uhule, having spent much of his life among priests blessed by Lua, the Goddess who governed souls, had a faint understanding of what Davitte implied.
“Normally, souls intermingle slowly, resonating with one another over time. But to have part of my soul abruptly and involuntarily ripped away — I was caught off guard as well.”
People inevitably resembled those around them; the more they empathized and opened their hearts, the more alike they became.
Hunbish, however, had bypassed that natural process and forcibly absorbed Davitte into himself.
“He has already begun experiencing my greatest trauma.”
Hunbish vividly recalled Davitte’s scarred face and rasping voice, images that immediately conjured fire in his mind. He had imagined Davitte’s pain and, without meaning to, empathized with it. That was why, after the ritual, Hunbish had recoiled at the mere sight of candlelight.
“I… don't quite follow what you two are discussing.”
Between the two men’s grave expressions, Hunbish, the subject of their conversation, felt entirely out of place. He pushed himself to interject, feeling increasingly foolish merely listening in silence.
“Oh, my apologies. I should’ve explained from the beginning.”
Davitte hesitated, unsure how to clarify things to someone completely unfamiliar with such matters, and ultimately decided to present the facts plainly.
“Listen carefully, Hunbish. It might be difficult to grasp at once, but I'll explain step by step.”
Davitte raised both hands, palms open toward Hunbish.
“Every living being with consciousness consists fundamentally of two elements: flesh and soul. Think of your flesh as a vessel molded from clay, and your soul as the water held within it. Is this clear so far?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Smiling gently, Davitte flipped his hands over, back to front.
“Furthermore, neither the flesh nor soul remains fixed; both continually change. They absorb from their surroundings and release parts of themselves in exchange. And…”
Clap—!!!
Davitte brought his hands together sharply, the sound ringing through the quiet room.
“The self, or identity, is merely the ongoing resonance produced when these two elements collide. It, too, holds no fixed shape.”
“...................”
Hunbish suddenly doubted he even understood the dictionary definition of "self."
But Davitte, who had not expected immediate comprehension, pressed onward with his explanation.
“It is precisely this quality that allows life to continuously evolve, harmonize with its surroundings, and remain dynamic and vivid. But what happens when a sudden, overwhelming change affects either the flesh or soul?”
Davitte clenched one hand into a fist while keeping the other open, then clapped several times more; the claps were irregular and discordant, lacking resonance and clarity.
“It causes the self to waver. Your panic attack last night at the cabin was born from such a disruption in your identity.”
“Ah.”
That vague, terrifying dread of fire he'd felt at the cabin…
Norman had said it wasn’t Hunbish’s own emotion.
“Was I manipulated by soul magic?”
Like the Forestmen who had been controlled through soul magic?
“No, absolutely not. It was purely accidental. Even soul magic isn't powerful enough to freely manipulate the self of a living person.”
Davitte waved his hands vigorously, firmly denying the suggestion.
“The volume of one’s soul varies little between individuals. Influencing a vessel still anchored by its original soul is impossible… unless the caster is prepared to perish with their target.”
While one could temporarily halt the flow of souls, as with the Soul-Binding Arts, directly releasing one’s soul to influence another’s identity was incredibly difficult.
To release one’s soul meant losing a portion of it permanently from the caster’s body.
It was plausible on smaller creatures, whose identities were faint, but utterly impractical on fellow humans.
“But a bigger problem remains… Due to last night's incident, my essence has become deeply imprinted within you, Hunbish.”
“Is that problematic?”
“Sensitive priests might sense it and confront you. Since they exist in every city, you risk getting entangled in a Holy Inquisition.”
Those who exterminated Lua’s lineage.
Soma’s priests still gripped human society in their fist—
Serving the Hero-king who had impaled the Goddess Soma with a spear, their first act had been to brand Lua’s people as evil, slaughtering them as scapegoats for aiding Lua’s escape.
It was a cruel gambit to consolidate their power.
“I sincerely apologize for failing to anticipate this.”
Davitte's apology was directed toward both Hunbish and Uhule.
Uhule’s expression, on the other hand, was nothing short of devastated.
“Does this mean my son must now live his entire life on the run?”
“There is one way.”
“What is it?”
“The Dragon’s Spring. If Hunbish can absorb the concentrated power within, my soul will be forced out, erased by its energy.”
Upon hearing this, Norman could not hide his astonishment.
“Davitte! That method hasn’t even been tested yet!”
Vincent had meticulously distilled the dragon’s soul over years of painstaking effort.
Though the power of a fully immortal being was formidable, harnessing such immense energy was an entirely uncharted territory.
Davitte’s true intention had become clear — he meant to use Hunbish to test the power of the dragon.
“Norman, I’m well aware this attempt carries grave risks. But we have no other choice.”
Davitte silenced Norman with a firm tone, then turned to face Hunbish directly.
“Hunbish. It’s time for you to decide. Will you accept the dragon’s power or not?”
If he chose not to, he would spend the rest of his life evading the priests who now controlled the continent’s power.
If he did, he would be gambling with an untested force, whose consequences could not be foreseen.
“If you choose to go through with it, I swear on my name that I’ll do everything in my power to ensure your safety.”
Hunbish was taken aback by Davitte’s sudden insistence.
Where had it all gone wrong?
Perhaps it was the moment he had spotted Davitte, firing an arrow to help a man he didn’t know.
Since then, everything had unraveled.
Or maybe… the beginning of this mess lay much further back.
“This is all too sudden. We still have time before we find the Dragon’s Spring — until then, I’ll give it some thought.”
There was no need to decide on something not yet within reach.
Rather than answer directly, Hunbish turned to Uhule.
“Father, it seems I now have another reason to seek the Dragon’s Spring.”
“...............”
Uhule could no longer dissuade him.
“Do as you wish.”
With a grim expression, he stepped outside.
“Well then. It seems I may have been too forceful. My apologies.”
“The sun’s about to rise — we’d best be on our way.”
The four of them exited the house, securing their belongings onto their horses.
Just as the day before, the wolf’s unconscious body was loaded onto Hunbish’s mount.
They were just about to depart when—
“Biyok! Biyok! Biyok!”
Uhule’s golden eagle cried out, spreading its wings as it lifted into the air.
But tethered by the rope on its leg, it couldn’t get far.
“She probably thinks I’m heading out to hunt.”
Uhule tossed a few pieces of meat, then moved to turn his horse.
Yet not only the young golden eagle, Tenger, but even the more stoic Mundru had begun crying out, their tones growing more urgent.
“..............?”
Awoooo—!!!
This time, it was a wolf’s howl.
And it was close.
The eerie sound sent every hand to their weapon. Eyes swept the surroundings.
“Up in that tree!”
Hunbish shouted.
All eyes followed his gaze—
To the small woods that bordered the outskirts of the village, just beyond Uhule’s home.
There, atop the tallest tree, a large wolf crouched in the shadows, eyes gleaming in the dark.
“A lycanthrope!”
Davitte’s cry echoed, and everyone readied their weapons.
Norman drew a greatsword befitting his size.
Uhule, gripping a curved blade in his left hand, his right long lost, stood ready.
Beside him, Hunbish notched an arrow to his bow.
Grrr…!!!
The low growl of the wolf rumbled across the dew-laden fields of dawn.
Though the beast was still some distance away, even Davitte, usually the least sensitive to danger, felt a chill slither down his spine.
“It’s already seen us. No matter where we run, it’ll follow. We have to finish this here.”
Davitte’s fingers brushed over the dagger tucked into his coat, their only hope against such a creature.
‘That’s a lycanthrope?’
Hunbish swallowed hard.
“I’ll test its reaction first.”
He loosed an arrow toward the lycanthrope.
The creature batted it aside with a massive claw, almost mockingly.
Taking that as a signal, it launched itself from the treetop and charged directly at them.
“It’s coming!”
Hunbish slung his bow back over his saddle, pulled out his spear, and stepped forward.
“Don’t go too far ahead!”
Uhule followed close behind to support him, with Norman flanking them.
The lycanthrope, Kalrak, made straight for Davitte, barreling forward on all fours with terrifying speed.
The three who stepped into its path barely registered in its mind.
To Kalrak, they were nothing but annoying obstacles. Scattering them would take no more than a breath.
“I’ll devour you whole this time!”
But Davitte, under Kalrak’s furious gaze, only smiled, fearless, even cheeky.
He pointed to the right.
And as he swept that hand toward Kalrak, a massive shadow burst forth, crashing down upon the beast.
“................!”
GRAAAUGH—!!!
A transformed wolf, now massive and blue, lunged at Kalrak, its jaws clamping down hard on his upper body.
“Now!”
At someone’s shout, the three who had stood between Davitte and the beast thrust their weapons deep into Kalrak’s flesh.
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