Bal quickly rewound the soul memory, finally focusing on the moment when 86's short hair was swept up by the strong wind. He zoomed in on the soul's image, closer and closer, obsessively focusing on one particular detail.
His eyes were fixed on one spot.
86's neck.
More precisely, the complex tattoo-like brand on her neck.
"This... Impossible! This is! Am I mistaken? No! It can't be! This is... But why, it shouldn't be... That person is already"Th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\
After emerging from the soul search, Bal was still in shock, muttering to himself in disbelief.
From the perspective of an outsider, the chieftain of the Ancient Wolf Clan had never seen their usually composed High Priest in such a state of disarray.
'Was there really a serious problem in the tribal forest?'
'Something that could even shake the High Priest?'
'How could this be?'
'Could it be the "inferior" clans of the tribal forest?'
...
Bal remained in this state for a good five minutes before gradually calming down.
The chieftain, about to probe further, paused as Bal made another move.
Bal lifted the sleeve of his arm, and with the long nail of his other hand, gently slashed his exposed arm. The blood flowed out like a knife cut, one drop, two drops, five drops.
"This is of utmost importance, of the highest priority to me. That's why I entrusted you with this task and granted you the power to ensure you can deliver my invitation to that leader. Do you understand?"
"But what if their t leader doesn't come?"
After Bal emphasized the task's importance thrice, the chieftain adjusted his previously dismissive attitude. But with such significance placed on the task, he was now even more fearful of failing and ending up like the soul-drained scouts beside him.
On the other side, retracting his hand from the chieftain's neck, Bal adjusted his clothing, maintaining his elegance. He raised his head as if gazing at the ceiling, as though he were looking beyond the boundaries of geography and time, into some distant past.
Soon after, Bal let out a cold snort.
"Don't worry."
"He will definitely come."
With these words from the High Priest, the chieftain had no choice but to hope that the new leader of the Tribe Forest was indeed willing to come. Just as he was about to leave to deliver the message, he was halted by the High Priest.
Bal hesitated for a moment, as if struggling with some internal conflict. However, it seemed that a certain desire deep within him eventually prevailed. He retrieved something from the inner pocket of the courtesan's kimono – a portrait?
When the chieftain took a look at it, he became even more perplexed. The grayscale sketch depicted a person, and yes, it was a portrait of their High Priest.
"This..."
"Deliver this along with the message to the leader of the Tribe Forest. Apart from that, do not utter another word, regardless of what he asks you."
"Understood, High Priest!"
As the chieftain hurriedly agreed, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease and tension emanating from the High Priest, both when handing him the self-portrait and when reminding him not to speak too much. It was as if something was troubling the High Priest.
The chieftain left the High Priest's room and proceeded to carry out the orders. After placing the palm-sized portrait in a package, he set off on a mad dash toward the Tribe Forest under the cover of night.
Back in his solitude, Bal returned to the dressing table, looking at his reflection in the mirror. His facial expressions underwent a series of transformations—anger, amusement, hatred, confusion. But ultimately, his expression settled into one of blankness.