Raon narrowed his eyes while carrying Belga on his shoulder.
‘A Blue Lugh is talking…’
The Blue Lughs normally communicated with each other through cries, just like the beasts. His speech was slightly awkward, but the fact that he had spoken the human language was unbelievable.
“Who are you?” Raon asked while creating a wall with Glacier to prevent the young Blue Lugh from escaping.
“I-I can’t be found out.”
He looked around and plunged his head beneath the water. His trembling pupils were reflecting his extreme anxiety.
Raon examined the young Blue Lugh from top to bottom. His flesh was violently torn on his arm, leg, and waist, green blood flowing from the wounds.
‘Those injuries…’
They weren’t caused by a human. The scars suggested that he was injured by a beast’s claws or fangs.
‘Did he save Belga?’
Belga was floating on the water in an unconscious state, and the Blue Lughs were chasing after him. Judging from the situation, the young Blue Lugh must’ve been the one who saved Belga from the others.
“Did you save this person?”
“Yeah.”
The Blue Lugh nodded, his head still underwater. The clear eyes peeking at him and the ears that were as small as a human’s looked familiar.
“Ah!”
Raon’s eyes turned round as he watched the young Blue Lugh. He was the small Blue Lugh who looked in his direction from the water when the South-North Union chased away the Blue Lughs the day before.
“You saw me before, didn’t you?”
“I-I didn’t.”
“You were looking at me from the river yesterday.”
“N-No, this is my first time.”
The young Blue Lugh shook his head in denial.
‘I’m sure he was looking towards m… No way.’
There was something other than the Light Wind squad and Tyler next to the river the day before. There was a Blue Lugh corpse. The corpse of the Blue Lugh that Tyler had killed was sinking into the river, and he must’ve been watching that corpse.
‘Is that why he looked so sad back then?’
The reason Raon felt like the Blue Lugh’s eyes were clear and sad at the same time was because of his kin.
“R-Release us.”
The young Blue Lugh pointed at the Blue Lughs who were screaming with their arms and legs stuck in the Watery Blossoms.
“Th-They aren’t doing this because they want to.”
He clearly communicated his will despite his awkward speech. His sincerity could be seen from his clean eyes.
“They aren’t doing this because they want to?”
Raon could ascertain that the Blue Lugh’s onslaught was due to an external factor.
“What’s your name?”
“…I don’t have one.”
The young Blue Lugh interrupted himself for a moment before shaking his head.
“W-We don’t have much time. I can’t be found out.”
He hid his face while repeating something he’d already said before.
“If we can’t do it now, can you come out later?”
“Uhh…”
The Blue Lugh blankly raised his head. He stared at Raon, his blue eyes trembling in fear, before he slowly nodded.
‘It should be fine to trust him.’
He ended up getting hurt while saving Belga, and he was the only one who had the same eyes as the Blue Lughs that he’d seen in his previous life. Raon decided to try trusting him.
Whap!
Raon nodded, then brought forth the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. The ice on the surface melted down, and white steam covered the surroundings.
“Come back here when the moon reaches the center of the sky.”
“Ah, yeah.”
The Blue Lugh curiously looked around before disappearing into the water. Raon noticed that he also had a large scar on his back and neck. He must’ve been injured a long time ago since they were already healed up, but it was almost scary how big they were.
“Kieeh!”
“Kiaah!”
Once the ice binding the limbs of the other Blue Lughs melted, they hurriedly escaped.
Raon clenched his fist while looking at the young Blue Lugh who disappeared in the other direction of the rest of the Blue Lughs.
“I finally found a clue.”
* * *
Doran Village’s chief looked mesmerized as he stared at Raon.
‘I’m not dreaming right now, am I?’
He’d been near the Gazel River every single day of his life after being born in Doran Village. The water flooded once up to the village during a rainy season, there was an occasion where an earthquake completely divided the stream, and there was even a huge tidal wave at some points.
Since he’d witnessed various incidents, he thought he would never be surprised by anything anymore, but his heart pounded after watching Raon’s amazing performance.
“H-He created ice…”
Raon created a huge crown of ice just by stepping on water. Although the ice had appeared in an instant, the Blue Lughs couldn’t escape from them at all, proving how solid they were.
‘He’s even better than Sir Tyler.’
Walking on water was the only thing Tyler could do, since he used his long spear on his back to attack. However, Raon had concluded the entire incident by a single stomp on the river.
‘He looks like the god of ice…’
Because he was freely moving on the water as if he were riding the tide and created an ice prison by stomping with his foot, Raon looked like the god of ice or water to him.
“H-How could he create ice like that?”
“Whoa…”
“Oh my god!”
“How is a human being capable of such a feat?”
The other villagers were also unable to close their mouths in surprise. Although they’d been shouting the South-North Union’s name until a moment ago, they were now staring at Raon as if they were possessed.
“Hmm.”
The village chief swallowed nervously as he watched Raon return while carrying everyone on the ice.
‘How is he even capable of doing that at such a young age?’
Tyler was in his thirties, and Raon wasn’t even twenty years old. He couldn’t believe that such a young man had shown better abilities than Tyler, who was personally taught by the boss of South-North Union.
“So that is a Zieghart…”
“How was it?”
“Gasp!”
The village chief looked aside in astonishment while murmuring Zieghart’s name.
“Isn’t our Raon amazing?”
Rimmer was there before he knew it, waving his hand with a grin on his face.
“I-I didn’t expect him to show such prowess despite being so young. That was a marvelous sight.”
“That guy is special. Zieghart is also special.”
“Sorry?”
“Many people were underestimating us just because we stopped walking for a moment.”
Rimmer looked at the village chief while smiling softly.
“Ah, I-I…”
“I understand. The South-North Union is closer to the village, and since you live next to the river, you are bound to be under their influence. However…”
He tapped his scabbard without removing the smile around his mouth.
“Once a Zieghart draws their sword, no one can make a name in front of us.”
“Ah…”
The village chief’s chin was trembling. There was no hostility nor pressure coming from Rimmer. He was simply speaking in a low voice, yet a shiver ran down his spine. Rimmer was bringing him into submission with a mere declaration, rather than a threat.
‘H-He’s different.’
He looked like any other loafer when he was drinking with him earlier, but he now felt like he was facing a huge and irresistible storm.
“You should give it lots of consideration.”
Rimmer waved his hand while walking towards the river to meet Raon, who was approaching the shore.
“Because you won’t be able to turn back once you make the wrong decision.”
* * *
Once the time for promise with the nameless Blue Lugh was nigh, Raon returned to the river.
While he was listening to the silent sound of flowing water, a round head poked out from the river right in front of him.
“Hello.”
The Blue Lugh bowed slightly.
“You really came.”
He was worried about what to do if he didn’t come, but he was there on time.
“B-Because I promised.”
The Blue Lugh quietly raised his head.
“I see.”
Raon nodded, sitting on a boulder. The Blue Lugh came out of the water and sat on the ground.
‘He’s certainly small.’
He must’ve still been a child, since he was smaller than the other Blue Lughs. However, his small fins and webbing that created an appearance similar to a human must’ve been his own characteristics.
“Are you aware that we call you the Blue Lughs?”
“Yeah.”
The Blue Lugh calmly nodded.
“From my knowledge, the Blue Lughs were an independent race that didn’t interact with others. They never attacked humans before, and they ran away or avoided them whenever they saw them instead.”
Raon continued while thinking about the innocent Blue Lughs he’d seen before.
“So why did they change now?”
He asked the biggest question he had from the beginning.
“I-It’s my fault.”
The Blue Lugh’s lips were trembling as he grasped his knees with his hands.
“How is it your fault?”
“I-I’ve ruined everything.”
Transparent tears were welling up in his eyes. He looked like he would start crying at any moment.
Ugh, what an annoying guy.
Wrath clicked his tongue in displeasure.
‘Just wait there a little.’
Raon pushed Wrath back and looked into the Blue Lugh’s eyes once again.
“What do you mean? Is it related to how you are capable of talking?”
“Haaa!”
The Blue Lugh sighed deeply.
“I…”
* * *
* * *
I knew that I was different from my siblings the moment I was born.
Even though our appearances were the same, the tribe’s language, which had less than thirty variations of sound to express emotions, couldn’t satisfy my desires.
That was why I disobeyed my parents and approached humans.
Of course, I didn’t have the courage to face them head-on. I silently listened to their language while hiding away from their sight.
I was thrilled to learn that countless expressions were possible through language, expression, gesture, and intonation.
I kept listening to the human language while sticking under the ships, and I became capable of understanding them at some point. Some more time passed, and I could even talk—though, it was a bit awkward.
I wanted to try talking to a human, but I was too scared to approach them.
I was a loner because I couldn’t mingle with my own tribe nor approach the humans. And that was when he made his appearance.
“Can you speak the human language?”
Tyler. He was the human who spoke to me for the first time upon finding me when I was practicing the human language under the ship.
I don’t remember exactly what I said the first time, but I clearly remember that I was more excited than afraid.
“That’s amazing. It’s my first time seeing a talking Blue Lugh.”
He found me interesting instead of strange and started teaching me the human language. Thanks to him, I even became capable of reading books on top of speaking more fluently.
“Shall we be friends?”
Tyler suggested that we be friends at some point.
“Friends?”
I’d heard about it, but I didn’t know exactly what that word meant.
“Yes. People who are close to each other and get along with each other are called friends.”
I immediately nodded.
I was happy. The way he called me ‘people’, and the fact that someone could finally understand me made me so happy that I thought I would have no regrets even if I died.
Tyler taught me more about the world, since he was aware of my desire for knowledge. Thanks to him, I gained various bits of knowledge and even learned to read a map.
“Can I make a request?”
Once I learned various things about the river and ocean, Tyler extended his hand with a smile.
“A request?”
“Yes. Friends usually grant each other’s requests.”
I immediately nodded without even considering it because he said it was a friend’s request.
“This area is dangerous for ships to pass because of the amount of sunken rocks. I’d like you to create a waterway.”
Since I was already capable of reading a map and had various pieces of knowledge, it wasn’t a difficult request.
I went around to various rivers from morning to night every day to create waterways for Tyler.
Human villages were burned, and countless people died every time a waterway was completed, but Tyler simply said that it was human culture and smiled gently at me.
I trusted him because he was my friend. I simply accepted what he said like an idiot.
“Can you tell me more about your people?”
Once I completed half of the Gazel River’s waterways, Tyler asked me to teach him about the Blue Lughs.
I was happy. I was so glad that my friend was interested in me, just like the way I was interested in humans.
I told Tyler about the Blue Lugh tribe. I told him how we communicated with each other, how we lived, and what we liked and disliked.
However, he wanted even more.
He wanted to know how the Blue Lughs were using water sorcery, what weaknesses we had, and why the Gazel River was cleaner than other rivers. Even though I had a feeling that I shouldn’t answer those questions, he didn’t hesitate to ask them all.
I hesitated, then shook my head in the end. I wasn’t too sure, but I had a feeling that I shouldn’t answer him.
“I’m disappointed. You don’t even want to grant the request of the only friend you have.”
Tyler left after saying that.
I was anxious. Because the only person who could understand me had disappeared, my hands trembled and I was unable to breathe. I couldn’t even eat anything from the anxiety, and I stayed awake all night long.
Tyler returned one week later and gave me a gift instead of being angry at me. He apologized to me while giving me some human food and new books.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to know more about my friend’s race.”
His words blew away my anxiety and nervousness at once. I was so unbearably happy that I ended up telling him every secret of the Blue Lugh tribe.
I told him about the Water God Stone, which was the tribe’s treasure and allowed us to purify water and command the Blue Lughs. I told him that the Blue Lughs became emotionally agitated if they were in dirty water, and I also explained to him our custom treasures children.
When I think about it now, I answered him because of anxiety, not because of happiness. I offered them as a hostage, because I was terrified that Tyler might leave me.
Tyler thanked me while smiling brightly, and my anxiety disappeared upon seeing his smile.
He returned two days later and asked me to visit Siren River, since he had a gift for me over there.
I was overjoyed and swam to Siren River without rest, but I couldn’t find the gift, no matter how long I looked for it.
I waited until sunset, but I still couldn’t find anything. I figured that Tyler must’ve made a mistake and returned.
And I saw it.
The bloodbath filled with screams, with green blood flowing into that clean Gazel River.
The corpses of my tribe were spread all over the ground, and those who were alive had iron collars around their necks.
“Oh, you are back.”
Tyler casually waved his hand while smiling like always. The blood of my siblings was smeared all over his hand and face.
“I easily managed to get them thanks to you.”
He lifted the Water God Stone while stepping on the chieftain’s head.
“They went on their knees once I took a child hostage. Thank you, friend.”
I lunged at him while screaming loudly for the first time in my life, and I can’t remember what happened after that.
When I regained my consciousness, I was alone deep under the Gazel River, and the corpses of my parents and siblings were placed on top of me.
The large scar on my back suggested that it wouldn’t have been strange if I were dead. They must’ve believed that I was dead because of my family and left me alone.
I cried.
I cried and fainted. I repeated that process over and over for an entire week.
I piled up all my hard feelings in my heart and chased after my tribe.
I did my best to stop my tribe from killing people while staying deep and far enough to avoid Tyler finding out about me.
However, there was nothing I could do.
All I could do was save a few people, and I couldn’t muster the courage to ask for help from other people because of what happened with Tyler.
Whenever I witnessed Tyler becoming a hero by killing the Blue Lughs that he was controlling himself, my heart kept falling into darkness.
Just like always, I despaired today because I was incapable of saving people, and a human appeared in front of me.
Even though he looked far scarier than Tyler, I could feel warmth from his gaze for some reason.
That was why I unconsciously spoke the human language that I hadn’t used for a very long time.
* * *
“…I see.”
Raon closed his eyes.
‘That’s too harsh.’
Pitiful wasn’t enough to describe him. The Blue Lugh’s life was so deplorable that he could say that it was almost as bad as his previous life.
‘But… Why am I getting angry right now?’
Even though Raon was completely unrelated to him, he couldn’t suppress his anger. It wasn’t just the emotion he had received from Wrath, but the wrath he had from the beginning was also being stimulated.
He opened his eyes and looked at the flowing water. The young Blue Lugh’s eyes were reflecting on the surface because he was sitting close to the river.
‘Is it because he’s similar to me?’
The way the Blue Lughs were attacking people, with Tyler leading them with collars, looked exactly like his previous life. The life where he had to murder people against his will because of the brainwashing he was under.
The Blue Lughs were a reflection of his previous self, who used to be controlled by Derus. That was the reason he was getting so agitated.
“I-I don’t understand why I’m telling you about this either.”
The Blue Lugh tilted his head in bewilderment.
“I have a few questions for you.”
“Yeah.”
Raon looked around and the Blue Lugh nodded.
“I heard that the Blue Lugh’s aggression started a long time after the Gazel River turned muddy. Why did that happen?”
“Th-They purposely delayed it to prevent people from making the connection between the river’s change and the Blue Lugh’s aggression. In the meantime, he ordered my tribe to investigate the sunken rocks and the depth of the river in order to create a waterway in this river.”
“I see.”
The crew had mentioned that the Blue Lughs were moving all around the place after the water turned muddy. They must’ve been working on investigating the sunken rocks and the depth of the river because of Tyler’s orders.
“So, Tyler must be controlling the Blue Lughs with that so-called Water God Stone to attack people, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And his purpose should be taking over this place.”
“That’s right. H-He said he’s going to own the entire Gazel River.”
“I see.”
Raon chuckled. Considering that he was trying to create a waterway through the entire Gazel River, Tyler must’ve been planning to bring everything around the river under the South-North Union’s submission, including Doran Village.
‘They must be underestimating Zieghart.’
Considering the fact that he was even targeting Zieghart’s domain, Zieghart must’ve looked easy for Tyler.
‘I need to teach him a lesson.’
Since he was the first one to pick a fight, Raon decided to teach him what happened to anyone who bothered Zieghart.
“Th-Then…”
The Blue Lugh stood up, since he finished telling his story.
Kuuh!
Wrath bit his lip despite having been silently listening to the Blue Lugh’s story without saying anything.
Raon! Are you planning to let him go like that? Why aren’t you being nosy like you always are?
He was sniffing as if he were going to start crying at any moment.
Raon chuckled.
‘Demon king, huh…’
Wrath was brought to tears from the Blue Lugh’s story, while Tyler took advantage of the young Blue Lugh’s psychology to turn the Blue Lughs into his slaves when he was pretty much an infant. Raon couldn’t tell which one of the two was the real demon king.
Hey! You bastard!
‘Just wait and see.’
Raon was about to call out the young Blue Lugh but stopped himself.
Just like himself in his previous life, the young one didn’t even have a name. His back looked so small and pathetic because of the lonely life he’d been leading, unable to be a part of any group.
“You said you didn’t have a name.”
The Blue Lugh stopped walking upon hearing Raon’s low voice.
“What did Tyler call you?”
“He called me ‘you’, or ‘friend’…”
The Blue Lugh shuddered without looking back.
“Did he not create a name for you?”
“No.”
Considering the fact that he didn’t even name him, Tyler must’ve been planning to take advantage of him all along. Raon was filled with disgust.
“Did you not name yourself?”
“It’s meaningless to have a name that no one would use.”
His words were tugging on his heartstrings.
Raon raised himself up. He walked next to the Blue Lugh and looked at the river.
“Do you know the word ‘flumen’?”
“I-I don’t.”
“It means ‘clean river’ in an ancient language.”
“Clean river…”
“Your name shall be Flumen.”
“Huh?”
The Blue Lugh’s jaw dropped as he looked back.
“Since Tyler doesn’t know his place and dared to breach Zieghart’s domain, I’m going to get rid of him.”
Raon extended his hand. He decided to lend the helping hand that he’d never received from anyone in his previous life.
“You shall help me, Flumen.”
“I…”
Flumen didn’t respond. He stared blankly at him before gritting his teeth.
“I don’t trust humans!”
“If that’s the case, then why did you tell me your story? Why did you save humans?”
“That’s…”
He slowly opened his mouth after hesitating for a long time.
“I-I didn’t want my tribe to kill people…”
“Is that so?”
Raon smiled faintly. Flumen’s words made him make up his mind.
“I’ll take care of Tyler. You shall save your tribe.”
“No, Tyler is powerful. I can see it.”
Flumen’s eyes were shivering.
“Tyler’s mana is greater than yours.”
“I guess his would be.”
Tyler was a monster who was about to reach the intermediate level of Master. He was obviously stronger than Raon, who was only at the novice level of Master. However, that couldn’t be a reason why he would be incapable of killing him.
“Don’t worry.”
Raon smiled and grabbed the hilt of his sword. The dark eyes reflected on the surface of the river were sparkling with crimson lightning.
“I’m pretty good at getting rid of trash.”
