Above The Sky
Chapter 38 - 38 36 s Peeping

38: 36 chapters Peeping 38: 36 chapters Peeping “Elder Prude!”

The Guard Squad recognized Elder Prude.

They were all well aware that he was Viscount Grant’s old friend and also the local civil deputy officer.

Although, in theory, he was only there to assist The Empire in managing the White Folks, to these Ordinary soldiers, he was unquestionably a superior officer.

——Not to mention that their immediate superior, Deputy Captain Redd of the protective team, was also one of the White Folks.

A soldier clad in light armored clothing, sporting a noticeable red nose, approached with a pleasant smile: “Have you come here intending to leave the city?

The main gate is closed now that it’s evening.

I can take you to another exit…”

“No need, I’m here to show this little one what the world is like.” The elder raised his hand, interrupting the other’s eager offer: “How many ‘flies’ today?

I guess there must be quite a few.”

He said indifferently, “Take us to see them.”

The soldier glanced sideways at Ian, seemingly realizing something, then chuckled coarsely with a shake of his whiskers: “Is it the kid who survived the Natives and even managed to kill in return?

No wonder there are so many flies today.”

He discreetly refrained from further comment and led the way for Elder Prude and Ian.

The walls of Harrison Port had collapsed in many places due to the consecutive lightning strikes during the great storm eight years ago, including the disastrous high winds.

To this day, the northern and eastern walls have not been completely restored, only the western side has been prioritized for repair because it adjoins the autonomous region of the Natives.

Nevertheless, due to various reasons, there are still sections of the wall that haven’t been mended, merely surrounded by wooden fences enclosing a cleared space, connected to the opposite shore by a pontoon bridge.

This is the secretive trade point between Harrison Port and the Redwood Natives.

Ian looked around the trade point; at its center was a bonfire burning resin, its fragrance repelling mosquitoes.

Various types of furs, meats, and unusual herbs hung on crude supports and planks, awaiting the selection of visitors.

Some merchants squatted behind their goods, engaged in sporadic conversation peppered with colorful content, occasionally bursting into loud laughter and making obscene gestures.

The red-nosed soldier walked into the trade point, instantly causing the traders who haggled over merchandise from both sides to pause, looking puzzled.

Some of the merchants seemed about to rise and greet the soldier, but after seeing his grave expression, they sat back down, observing Ian and the rest with curiosity and anxiety.

——An inspection by a high-profile figure?

That was indeed rare.

Even if wealthy city-dwellers wanted to buy Native specialties, they generally sent servants to purchase them instead…

“Burn, how many flies today?”

Approaching a merchant with a limp, the red-nosed soldier asked directly, “Elder Prude would like to have a look.”

“Ah?”

The limping merchant was clearly not expecting to be the focus of a high-profile figure’s inspection.

He stood rooted for a while, and only under the impatient urging of the red-nosed soldier did he stand up, somewhat puzzled, and bow to Elder Prude: “S-sir, please take a look…”

Behind him was a wheelbarrow covered with a filthy animal hide.

Even the resin fragrance from the trade point’s bonfire couldn’t mask the foul stench of decay.

The red-nosed soldier also showed a discomforted expression, stepping back slightly.

Upon smelling this, Ian was slightly startled.

He had encountered this extremely foul scent of decay before.

It was the odor that rose when the body of his uncle Ossenna decomposed by the lakeside, and he dissected it.

The limping merchant lifted the hide, smiling obsequiously at Elder Prude and Ian: “The flies from the past two days are all here…”

He seemed to continue speaking, but all of Ian’s attention was fixated on the ‘merchandise’ in the cart.

Corpses.

Placed in the handcart were several contorted bodies, their skin darkened and covered in strange patterns—the bodies of the Natives!

“The Natives still maintain a hostile stance toward us, occasionally dispatching Scouts to spy on the city’s interior, while we send out scouts to probe the woods.” Noticing Ian’s gaze firmly locked on the pile of corpses, Elder Prude, who felt the boy must have been shocked, stroked his beard and stared at the bodies calmly explaining: “The discovered Native scouts all end up here; other tribal Natives are willing to pay a high price for the corpses of enemy tribes—they are not monolithic, and there is a tradition of consuming corpses, and the city has no lack of those willing to do this corpse-recovery business.”

“Ian, these are just the ones who were found; most scouts go unnoticed.”

The elder didn’t mention what would happen if the scouts from Harrison Port were discovered by the Natives…

because, as is common knowledge, the Natives never wasted food.

At that moment, heavy footsteps approached from outside the trade point.

“Old Burn, here are two more new arrivals; if those beasts don’t eat you this time, you’re going to make a fortune.

You’ll have to buy us drinks when you get back!”

Two soldiers clad in armored clothing, with light crossbows hanging at their waists, pushed a cart while chatting and laughing loudly as they came closer.

As they entered the trade point, they quickly noticed the red-nosed soldier and Elder Prude—the two soldiers’ faces stiffened, and they fell silent immediately.

“Look.”

The white-haired elder turned his head, signaling Ian to observe: “Although you may not be able to tell, those are the scouts from the tribe that intended to abduct you and Elan to use as offerings.”

“Actually…”

Muttering to himself, Ian could certainly tell.

The tattoos of each Native tribe were not the same; the dark patterned bodies on the cart behind Old Burn clearly belonged to several different tribes.

And the bodies of those shot dead by crossbows, pushed forward by the soldiers, bore a striking resemblance to the shaman he had killed!

“Ian, the city is not safe.

The Natives will exact blood for blood, and they will certainly try to kill you—to kill all those who made them bleed,”

Elder Prude’s voice sounded, calm and indifferent, “We are the same.

This is a vendetta that has lasted for decades, and even hundreds of years.”

“Have you finished looking?

Remembered everything?

Then let’s go.”

The old man tossed a Talle and a few Bisons, making the soldiers and the lame old Burn thank him gratefully.

He then left the trade post with Ian who seemed still to be shaken by the corpses: “Don’t think that it’s safe inside the city, and don’t come out to shop alone…

Danger lurks everywhere, especially lately.”

“Do you know the way back home?”

After leaving the Guard Squad building and arriving at Central Avenue, the old man lowered his head, released the hand he had been holding, and gently said to Ian, “Do you want me to send someone to take you home?”

“I know the way,” Ian answered softly.

“No need, thank you, Elder.”

The Elder nodded, “Then go home.

Recently, don’t come out alone at night anymore.”

“Mmm, okay, Elder.”

Pude watched Ian obediently agree to his words and then hesitated slightly before leaving.

Halfway through, the boy looked back, and upon noticing that the old man was still watching him, he continued to jog nervously, disappearing around the street corner.

“Pretending to be good, quite convincingly…

Little rascal, you agreed so readily, saying you wouldn’t go back alone, and yet you still unhesitatingly went home by yourself.”

Watching the direction Ian had vanished, Elder Prude squinted his eyes and shook his head with a hint of emotion, “This kid, deep down, he’s not afraid of me at all, nor is he afraid of those Natives.”

“With that bravery and thick skin, if our kind were still in the Imperial Capital…

such a fine lad would have a brilliant future.”

At that thought, the old man couldn’t help but give a bitter smile, feeling dispirited, “Oh well.”

“If that were really the case, I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to become an Elder as a Dwarf-Human mixed breed of the White Folks.”

He turned around and left the West City District.

Elder Prude’s reflections, of course, were unknown to Ian.

“Phew—”

Walking briskly on the dimly lit streets, now enveloped in night, he entered his home, closed his eyes, then exhaled deeply, “This world is indeed more interesting than I imagined!”

Ian opened his eyes, his gaze sparkling with excitement, far removed from the submissive demeanor he had shown while with Elder Prude.

The boy couldn’t help but mutter to himself at this moment, “And indeed, they have noticed the inconsistency in Teacher Hiliad’s killing of the Natives—if it was the original Ossenna, it would have been absolutely impossible to kill that shaman and the three hunters.”

This, Ian had figured out long ago.

Anyone who understood Ossenna and thought about it seriously would have noticed something amiss.

But what of it?

What he intended to hide was not his Spirit Energy…

but Hiliard’s identity!

Spirit Energy Users were not uncommon in this world, and the White Folks had a relatively high number of them.

A White Folks boy awakening his Spirit Energy at the brink of death, helping his uncle to retaliate and kill a few Natives…

this was certainly more plausible than Ian personally killing his uncle and then teaming up with an Empire fugitive to fake it, wasn’t it?

As long as they found an answer that seemed reasonable, they would not think further.

This was a common trait among Humans.

“Moreover, the Natives still won’t give up and will continue to attempt to assassinate me…

I need to be on alert, but it’s also possible that Elder Prude is just trying to scare me, to make me reveal my identity as a Spirit Energy User and seek protection.”

“The city defenses have tightened a lot, and several Natives who tried to sneak in have already been killed.

If there are no surprises, the Natives should quiet down for a while.”

His thoughts returned to the bodies of the Natives at the trade point, and Ian’s brow creased, shaking his head, “Regardless, if I want to go out to collect Magic Potion and resources for Sublimation, it’s likely to be more dangerous than I imagined.”

“But it’s not a big deal, at least they definitely won’t expect me to be much stronger than they imagine.”

—He wouldn’t foolishly venture out of the city until he succeeded in the Primordial Condensation and took his first steps on the Path of Sublimation!

His Spirit Energy indeed would benefit greatly from being in the wilderness, but of course, safety comes first.

You must be alive to gain anything; everyone knows that.

Today had been a very fulfilling day, and instantly, Ian felt a sharp hunger in his belly, making a growling noise.

“Ah, stop thinking so much.”

With a rueful laugh, Ian picked up the salmon in his hand and headed for the kitchen, “Time to eat first—this pale blue salmon is nourishing for the body; it must be delicious.

Let me think about how to cook it.”

Seconds later, he made up his mind.

“Let’s make salt-baked salmon.”

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