Chapter 45: Stupa

After the nightmare-like pandemic had finally come to an end, peace returned to the Northern Great Plains as it once was.

Frennila stepped onto the stirrup and mounted her horse.

This stirrup wasn’t just a gift from the prince; it was genuinely useful.

It made riding as comfortable as standing on solid ground, as if her feet were firmly planted on the earth.

How did the prince even come up with such an idea?

Just like with the Thousand Household System, he quickly identified our shortcomings and provided solutions.

If he were to lead our Saka, wouldn’t it be possible to establish a kingdom or a duchy, if not an empire? 

Such thoughts crossed her mind.

After trying the stirrup just once, Frennila immediately ordered the workshop to mass-produce them.

This must be the direction the prince had in mind.

The Saka people took pride in their leatherworking skills, which surpassed those of any other nation on the continent.

Selecting the finest craftsmen, the stirrups were quickly produced and distributed to the general warriors.

“Frennila, why don’t you discard that crude one and use the new, sturdy one we made? We have extras.”

“No, I like this one.”

She had trimmed away unnecessary parts, sewn it more finely, and tanned it with care.

Despite the high-quality stirrups piled up in the workshop, Frennila stubbornly clung to the crudely made gift from the prince.

It wasn’t that there were any durability issues, but more importantly, using this stirrup made her feel as if the prince was still by her side.

From atop her horse, she surveyed the vast grasslands.

The warriors who had fought valiantly on the frontlines during the war had returned to their daily lives.

Though born and raised in harsh environments, making them natural warriors, fighting wasn’t their original livelihood.

Some returned to herding livestock across the expansive plains, while others processed meat, milk, and leather from slaughtered animals. 

Some crafted daily necessities from leather, preserving meat and milk in their own ways. 

Occasionally, they fished by the rivers or gathered medicinal herbs in the mountains.

It was a life of gratitude for nature’s blessings.

The pleasant mountain breeze remained the same, but one difference was that all the tribes had resumed smooth communication and now shared a common goal.

Rebuilding the villages of the Shield, Axe, and Bow tribes, which had suffered greatly, and capturing the fleeing dark mages.

Now that the prince had left, it was time for us to do our part.

From Kazein, there were only two ways they could have fled: crossing the Northern Great Plains to Belot territory or escaping via teleportation magic.

Day and night, we set up strict patrols with our falcons. 

Not even an ant could slip through our surveillance and escape the Northern Great Plains.

Teleportation requires large-scale infrastructure and precise equipment. 

Even after setting it up, a significant number of personnel are needed to manage and operate it.

Which means,

“The dark mages are still hiding in the Aphelac Mountains.”

Frennila approached the gathering point and dismounted.

She exchanged glances with Argin, who had finished all preparations and was waiting nearby. 

At his signal, elite warriors from each tribe stepped forward in formation.

Unlike most warriors who had returned to their livelihoods, these were warriors for whom fighting was their livelihood.

The Saka may be simple, but they are not foolish. 

They never forget a grudge, even in death.

With her iron bow in hand, Frennila led the way, followed by Svioha, Rii, and Werhe.

Rii had decided to stay in the north with Svioha for research and to help capture the dark mages who had infiltrated the area.

Thanks to that, she had become a reliable force in the operation.

And behind them, the elite warriors, each worth a hundred men.

The Saka warriors entered the Aphelac Mountains, a place most would never set foot in their entire lives.

“Their footsteps didn’t seem like they were fleeing; it felt more like they were walking a familiar path. There must be traces of their presence.”

Find them.

From the very entrance, the Aphelac Mountains were shrouded in fog, limiting visibility.

It would have been ideal to use falcons like Pipi to scout, but the fog made it impossible. We had no choice but to search manually, one step at a time.

At her command, the warriors spread out skillfully, beginning their search from the mountain’s entrance.

Despite its vast expanse, the Aphelac Mountains had only one recognizable entrance, so the initial search went smoothly.

We simply followed what seemed like a path, climbing higher while looking for traces.

The start was smooth. 

Contrary to its reputation as a sacred and dangerous mountain, the search party quickly advanced without incident.

But as we climbed further, the lack of any encounters began to feel unsettling. 

By now, we should have run into them several times.

Just as Frennila had that thought, an unnatural beast’s cry echoed nearby.

“Kiiiiik!”

Finally, they’ve shown themselves. Spirit beings.

These were the creatures that made even the Saka, who claimed dominance over the Northern Great Plains, hesitant to enter the Aphelac Mountains.

They had lived their entire lives within the mountains, absorbing the natural energy that had flourished in the absence of humans, and over hundreds of years, they had become like divine beings, boasting immense power and abilities.

“Hah, no wonder they headed straight for this land.”

Frennila let out an incredulous laugh.

The dark mages, not satisfied with just using their own kin, had even tempered with the spirit beings.

Spirit beings were supposed to have pure souls and protect the sacred mountains.

But the ones before us now had lost the light in their eyes, exuding a murky, sinister aura, reminiscent of the infected from before.

“Prepare the antidote.”

According to Rii’s advice, mages are preparers.

The difficulty of the battle changes drastically depending on whether you fight them inside or outside their domain.

Dark mages, being a type of mage, required extra caution.

So, just in case, we brought antidotes and potions, which the warriors generously applied to their weapons, ready to charge at any moment.

Frennila nocked an arrow on her iron bow. 

The sound of the wire tightening, something ominous and grating, echoed around.

Then, with incredible speed, the arrow flew, striking the chest of a deer-like spirit being right in the center.

“Kyaaak!”

The spirit being let out a scream. 

A normal beast would have been pierced through and killed by such an attack.

But the spirit being, true to its name as a protector of the sacred mountains, withstood Frennila’s arrow—once.

Writhing in agony, the spirit being glared at Frennila.

It seemed to have identified her as the most threatening enemy here. 

The spirit being lowered its antlers and charged.

The warriors tried to step in front of her, but she stopped them.

She threw her bow aside and pulled out an iron club, swinging it with full force at the spirit being’s head as it charged.

Whoosh, thud!

Strength against strength, power against power. 

But no matter how much natural energy the spirit being had accumulated over hundreds of years, it couldn’t possibly overpower Frennila after already taking her arrow.

The moment the iron club struck its head, the spirit being collapsed as if knocked out.

The surrounding warriors immediately rushed in, stabbing the infected spirit being with antidote-coated blades.

But,

“The antidote isn’t working!”

Was it because their physiology was different from humans, or was it because spirit beings, being near-divine, could endure such attacks?

Even with the antidote-coated weapons, they showed no signs of returning to normal, thrashing about until their last moments.

Frennila personally pinned down the spirit being’s neck, and Svioha approached it.

“Hmm… I’ve never dissected a spirit being before, so I’m not sure what to do.”

Which meant,

“Either wait for research or force our way through. One of the two.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

For now, it was manageable, but maintaining surveillance over the entire Northern Great Plains was impossible.

Especially as the weather grew colder, both the soldiers and the falcons would tire more quickly, risking the dark mages slipping away unnoticed.

The point was, there was only one option. 

Push through, even if it meant taking losses.

She grabbed a nearby warrior’s sword and plunged it into the spirit being’s neck.

The spirit being shuddered and went limp. 

Even after living for hundreds of years, death was something they couldn’t escape.

“We don’t have time to waste. Everyone, keep moving.”

At Frennila’s command, the warriors quickly regrouped and continued their ascent.

…

After climbing for a while longer, the air grew colder, and the vegetation changed significantly.

The path narrowed, and after several encounters with spirit beings, casualties began to mount.

But they didn’t stop. 

Forward, ever forward, searching the mountains for any trace of human presence.

One might wonder if it was even possible to find dark mages hiding in such a place, but they simply carried on with their task.

The dark mages probably never expected such determination from these foreigners.

That complacency would prove to be their fatal mistake.

“We’ve found footprints!”

Footprints—not from beasts or spirit beings, but unmistakably human.

Frennila headed to the spot where the traces were found upon receiving the report from the warrior captain.

Each warrior was an excellent hunter and tracker, and once they found one trace, they quickly discovered more.

All the traces pointed in one direction. 

Without hesitation, Frennila strode confidently toward it.

The fog that had been obscuring their vision and dampening their spirits began to lift.

“…What is this?”

Before them stood a structure with familiar yet unfamiliar patterns and architecture.

A stupa.

But it was far larger and more grandiose than any she had ever seen.

Why would such a structure be here? 

If there’s a stupa, does that mean there’s a temple nearby?

Werhe, who had been scouting ahead, gestured after finding something behind the stupa.

“There’s an entrance here!”

Following her, they approached the entrance. A stone monument with inscriptions was visible, but the writing was indecipherable.

Naturally, they turned to Svioha, who began muttering something.

“…It’s an ancient script. Why is there an ancient script here? Let’s see… It says, ‘The Primordial Teshua and Tengri.’”

Teshua? Who is that? Why is her name mentioned before Tengri?

But such questions were fleeting. 

Light seeped into the stupa, drawing those at the entrance inside.

As they entered, intricate carvings covering the walls and ceiling caught their eyes.

Most striking was the massive depiction of two beings on the ceiling.

One was a giant bird with five wings—Tengri. 

So, the other must be Teshua?

Unlike Tengri, Teshua took the form of a human woman, much like us.

As Frennila and Werhe admired it like a piece of art, Svioha read the inscriptions scattered throughout.

“Frennila, Svioha, what are you two doing hiding in here? Huh? What’s this? Why is there a statue of a goddess here?”

Rii, who had been searching for the two, widened her eyes upon entering. 

Was this woman the goddess of the Church?

Svioha, piecing together the fragmented information, voiced her conclusion.

“…The goddess of the Church and Tengri are sisters?”

What does that mean? 

She’s speaking in riddles again.

As Frennila was about to ask for an explanation, she suddenly sensed a peculiar energy from one of the stupa’s walls.

“…What is this energy?”

“Energy? What are you talking about?”

Could the others not feel it?

As she approached, the faint light grew stronger. 

Frennila instinctively reached out toward it.

The moment her hand touched the light, it engulfed her vision.

The light gradually faded, revealing memories of the past to her.