East Road Quest

Chapter 67: The Tyrant’s Charge

“There are signs of a fierce struggle. It’s as if two beasts fought viciously. It seems the Tyrant attacked Ruby and then fled,” Barsh observed the ground and remarked.

“The Tyrant may be a fearsome demon, but it’s unlikely Ruby would be defeated. It’s not possible that she let him escape by mistake,” Jade asserted.

“Yet, the fact remains he has escaped,” Hur pointed out, tracing invisible marks to Jade’s eyes, then gestured eastward.

“The direction the Tyrant fled is this way.”

“Towards where Gotking resides?” Jade inquired.

Barsh nodded, and Saph followed suit.

“The stench also comes from that direction,” Barsh said with concern.

“I think Ruby let her guard down for a moment, missed the Tyrant, and followed without having time to alert you. But she probably won’t catch up. The Tyrant is faster than any animal on this grassland,” Hur added.

“Now the Tyrant will report everything to Gotran. We’re at the endgame,” he concluded.

Their words weren’t accusatory, but they naturally made Jade feel diminished. However, Saph spoke without doubt.

“No. The only thing faster than Ruby on the ground is the speed of thought. No matter how fast the Tyrant is, Ruby will catch him soon!”

Barsh and Hur looked incredulous. Or rather, they seemed not to grasp the meaning of ‘the speed of thought.’

Jade remembered Ruby’s smile seen before descending to the village.

‘Maybe that guy…’

Jade quickly addressed the two hunters.

“Barsh, Hur, I have a request. Can you follow these tracks? We’ll need horses to ride.”

Barsh glanced towards the village.

The villagers huddled under torchlight, not following them.

“There are plenty of horses. But our horses won’t catch the Tyrant.”

“No. If I’m right, we can follow. But we must hurry.”

“How so?”

“I’ll explain on the way.”

After a brief consultation in Kun’s language with Hur, Barsh said,

“Wait here. We’ll be back shortly.” The two men hastened down the hill.

“What are you thinking?” Saph asked.

“Your words about Ruby being faster made me think. Ruby couldn’t have missed him in the first place.”

Jade shared with Saph the explanation he’d later give the hunters.

“Ruby intended to face Gotking alone from the start. But to do so, she’d have to convince me and the Kun tribe. However, Ruby knows her appearance is a weakness. She’s been disregarded for it all her life. She wouldn’t have convinced them this time either.”

Saph agreed.

“Even Barsh, who saw her subdue the Tyrant firsthand, didn’t believe. Thinking back, when we talked about joining forces, the focus seemed to be on ‘buying time to save the children.’ So Ruby would have had to explain that she could defeat Gotking in battle.”

“Ruby dislikes explaining such things. She prefers to show results.”

Barsh and Hur, upon entering the village, couldn’t leave immediately. It seemed another round of persuasion and debate was underway.

“After being released from the Baifel Temple, Ruby only thought about continuing the fight. She often said she was ‘warming up.’ Upon hearing about Gotking, she might’ve thought she found a practice opponent.”

“Ruby might provoke Gotking or cause a significant incident,” Saph suggested.

Soon, Barsh and Hur rode up the hill from the village, each leading an extra horse.

Before the two arrived, Saph quickly finished what he wanted to say.

“I trust Ruby. But I hope she’s aware that the children are taken hostage and acts accordingly.”

“Indeed. I wonder if ‘child protection’ is included in what Ruby considers the efficiency of battle.”

♦

The Tyrant took advantage of Ruby’s momentary lapse, broke free from the chains, and slammed her head to the ground. Still not reassured, he stomped on her with all his might.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Then, without looking back, the Tyrant charged off.

So swiftly that no creature of the grassland could follow!

‘I am the Tyrant! The king of the grasslands, the Tyrant of the grasslands, and together we shall rule the world!’

Even an immortal demon isn’t invincible in the flesh. Using tendons to move joints, lungs to breathe, and the heart’s beating to circulate blood was the same for all.

Exhausted, the Tyrant’s pace slowed, and he finally stopped.

Turning around, Ruby stood right behind him.

“Have you arrived?” Ruby asked.

“Ah, how could this be…?” gasped the Tyrant, struggling for breath.

In contrast, Ruby spoke without even a hint of exertion, “How did I follow you? Simple, I let you lead the way.”

Scratching her neck, Ruby surveyed the surroundings. “Speaking of which, where is your goat army? There’s nothing here.”

The Tyrant sneered in response, “Foolish child! Did you really think you could track down the Emperor after I let you go? But look around. I knew from the start you were trying to deceive me, and I’ve led you to this barren wasteland. Now, do as you please. Kill me or cook me!”

“Are you saying you knew I was deceiving you and pretended to fall for it, only to deceive me in turn?” Ruby retorted.

“Exactly!”

“Hmm, considering how you sprinted earlier, it seems like you were the one deceived. Or is this just a convenient excuse you’ve thought up now?”

The Tyrant burst into laughter, “You’re so naïve, little one. You have strength but no brains.” He continued to threaten, exhaling steamy breaths like a harbinger of nightmares.

“Without you as their guardian, those two poor fools will meet their end at the hands of my comrades. Beg for mercy now, and I might consider sparing them by merely severing a limb or two.”

Ignoring the Tyrant’s words, Ruby looked around and perked up her ears, letting her long hair fall back.

“You’re babbling nonsense. I can hear the cries of children from here. This is the place.”

At Ruby’s words, the Tyrant’s laughter ceased.

Ruby approached the Tyrant, spinning a chain in her hand. “I thought you were leading me to the Goat King, but it seems you were guiding the captured children instead. Or perhaps both.”

The Tyrant stepped back, asking, “What are you planning to do?”

“Tie you up again.”

“No, don’t.”

“Why not?”

“It hurts!”

“That’s the point.”

Ruby threw the chain towards the Tyrant’s legs. He tried to jump away, but Ruby had anticipated his move and caught both his legs.

The Tyrant fell even more violently to the ground.

Ruby, now the center of a circle, began to slowly spin the chain that bound the Tyrant. As the rotation sped up, the Tyrant’s body, dragged along the ground, began to lift into the air.

“Don’t do this! Stop, please… ah, ahh!”

His voice turned into a bizarre, squealing scream.

Ruby, unfazed, checked ahead. “Let’s see, did the children’s voices come from over there?”

Timing her move perfectly, Ruby shortened the chain. The freed Tyrant flew over a hill and landed with a thud.

Ruby leaped and landed next to where the Tyrant had fallen. The impact left the Tyrant breathless on the ground.

Ruby examined the nearby ground. “It seems we’re in the right place.”

She pounded the ground. What seemed like ordinary dirt felt like stone structures beneath.

“There’s a stone wall buried under the dirt. It might collapse if we break through.”

Carefully, Ruby found an entrance by stepping on the ground. Soon, she discovered a lid camouflaged with dirt and grass. Opening it revealed a passage leading underground.

“Huh? This is quite a sophisticated structure, isn’t it? You didn’t build this, did you?”

The Tyrant, gasping for air, couldn’t respond.

“It’s not ancient, but it’s certainly old. It piques my curiosity.”

Inside was dark, with only the outlines visible. The children were yet to be seen.

The Tyrant staggered to his feet. Ruby threw the chain, catching his front legs and pulling him toward her.

The Tyrant flailed as he was dragged to Ruby’s feet.

“Stop it! Just leave me alone!” he cried pitifully.

“No, you flowerbed fiend, pretending to be pitiful. Did you think I’d fall for that?”

Ruby dragged the Tyrant into the passage. The narrow entrance caused his head to hit the stone walls, breaking bones and tearing flesh.

Each time, the Tyrant screamed as if dying, but Ruby, pretending not to hear, continued inward.

“Just kill me, you damned brat!”

“‘Damned brat’… It’s been a while since I’ve been called that. Be quiet. Your crying is drowning out the children’s cries.”

“Then I’ll scream even louder!”

“Shall I help you scream properly? You had a strong voice when the buds were bursting. If I pluck the stem, you might scream even louder. What do you think?”

The Tyrant fell silent.

Ruby dragged him along the passage.

Carvings of wolves and horses adorned the stone structure, and the floor occasionally displayed circles and squares in a regular pattern.

“This structure looks familiar. It’s on the tip of my tongue.”

Ruby paused, trying to remember.

“This is the Kun tribe’s way of expressing earth and sky, isn’t it? No need to answer; I wasn’t asking you.”

Ruby stood still, listening intently once more.

The children’s sobs echoed through the corridor, their faint cries reverberating in all directions, making it impossible to discern their exact location.

“We have no choice but to go straight ahead. The structure is simple, so there’s no worry of getting lost. If all else fails, we can always break through the ceiling…”

As Poe advanced slowly, ghost-like figures that had been hiding in the corners of the hallway retreated upon noticing him.

“What are these things?”

Poe paused and muttered to himself.

The Tyrant remained silent.

Rustling sounds came from several creatures moving just beyond the faint light cast by Poe’s chains and shackles. Poe left the chains binding the Tyrant’s hind legs intact, while he swung the free end of his chain to ensnare a ‘ghost.’

He tugged gently, fearing it might be a lost child of the Kun tribe.

But what he dragged forth was an ant. It was about the same size as Poe, with eight legs and four antennae.

The ant, with its large scissor-like jaws, clicked menacingly, threatening to bite Poe’s ankle.

“Is this creature native to the Kumon plains, or did the Goat King create it?”

Poe inquired.

The Tyrant literally spat blood as he shouted.

“Of course! Everything on the plains belongs to the Emperor!”

“No, you’re lying again. According to the formula Jade taught me, that goat is of the dark series, and it’s not even a high-ranking demon. Besides, the dark series can’t create such things.”

When Poe released the chain, the large white ant swiftly fled into the darkness.

“Jade, Jade… Hahaha, all this time, you’ve been nothing but a slave to that human, Jade.”

The Tyrant laughed mockingly.

Poe continued walking down the corridor and asked.

“What are you talking about? Am I a slave?”

“Have I ever directly wronged you? Have you ever seen me devouring nomads? Yet, you only believe their words and refuse to trust mine. You think I’m just a beast that can speak human language.”

“It’s not because you can speak. It’s because you’re a demon.”

“A demon? Let’s compare, shall we?”

The Tyrant, dragged by the chain, continued argumentatively.

“How are Lord Goatran’s actions different from those of the Kun tribe’s Ran, once called the Emperor of the plains? The first Kunran, Batilan, who terrorized the western continent, also gathered nomads to build an empire. My Emperor is merely trying to replicate that. Why not return the fruits of his labor to the Kun tribe!”

Poe stopped briefly and cocked his head in confusion.

The Tyrant, growing more fervent, tried to persuade him.

“You don’t seem human, so instead of religious biases of good and evil, judge rationally between right and wrong. If you look ahead, you’ll see that Kunran and Goatran aspire to achieve the same feats. If you fail to make your own judgment and simply follow the words of that human, Jade, then you are nothing but a slave.”

The Tyrant’s voice grew louder, resonating within the building, and the children’s sobs ceased.

“Ah, I see.”

Poe’s expression brightened.

The Tyrant, triumphant, asked.

“So, am I right?”

“No, you’re wrong, and thanks to you, I’ve remembered! I’ve been here before.”

Poe looked around joyfully.

“The king of the Kun tribe sat right there. Yes, his name was Batilan.”

The Tyrant, surprised, asked.

“How could you possibly know someone from hundreds of years ago?”

“Because I’ve lived for hundreds of years.”

Poe laughed heartily.

“Yes, Batilan and I had many interesting conversations. Right here.”

Poe pointed to the ground where he stood.

“Right on this spot.”

“Don’t lie, you little brat! You know one thing but not two.”

“What are the two things I don’t know?”

“Even a seven-year-old Kun child knows that Batilan was the ruler of ‘Gran.’ And this isn’t ‘Gran.’ I’ve personally terrorized that place. Gran is at least 50 miles away from here.”

“Then you don’t know the third thing.”

“The third?”

“Yes, Batilan did establish Gran, but before that, he was merely the chief of a small village. This very place was the village he used as a base before building his empire.”

The Tyrant tried to retort but fell silent. Poe had already lost interest in the Tyrant’s words.

“Right. I think I understand why Goatran hid the children here. He truly wants to go through the same process as Batilan.”

Poe pointed to a stone chair.

“Batilan sat right there. And I, over many days and nights, had many conversations with him. Haha, I remember it all now.”

“With Batilan… What did you talk about?” The Tyrant asked.

“I won’t tell you. I’ll only tell Saph and Jade.”

Poe approached the Tyrant.

“Hmm, so you think I look like a slave to you?”

“Yes, indeed! If you were human, perhaps you could be forgiven for helping others simply because they are of the same kind. But you are not human, are you? It’s obvious at a glance. Yet, you mindlessly follow the orders of humans. That is something only a slave would do.”

Ruby sniffed disdainfully and said, “I don’t consider myself a slave to Jade. So, it’s fine.”

“Ha-ha, slaves usually think that way. But I bet Jade thinks of you as a slave!”

“If Jade thought of me as a slave, I wouldn’t be alive and unharmed. So, you think of me as such, don’t you?”

Ruby looked at the tyrant and smirked.

The tyrant, stricken with fear, clamped his mouth shut. Ruby tapped her forehead with her finger and said, “And you claim you haven’t done anything directly wrong to me? Have you forgotten how you hit my head, you blockhead! You even trampled on it.”

“That, that was self-defense…”

“Shh!”

Ruby placed a finger on her lips.

The tyrant remained silent.

Once again, the voices of children could be heard. Although it was almost a whisper, Ruby heard every word.

Ruby entered one of the five passages in the wall from where the sounds emanated. In a time when the building was intact, a door would have stood there, but now only traces of it remained.

At the end of the passage, there was a room with wooden bars, and inside, about thirty Kun tribe children were imprisoned.

Ruby exclaimed with joy, “Found them.”