The Highest One, The Deepest One

After sending the two Dan tribe members down the mountain, the leader of the Jang tribe cast off the veil that hid her face.

With the thin barrier that had blocked the wind gone, the fresh energy of nature touched her skin.

“I wonder if they’ll find their way alright?”

She belatedly worried about having shown them the way in the Jang tribe’s manner.

She thought about chasing after them to explain in more detail, but since there were instructions to keep contact to a minimum, she gave up.

To the Jang tribe, ‘instructions’ are absolute.

She shuddered as she thought of the one who had given those instructions. What would happen if she disobeyed that person’s instructions… The mere thought made her legs stiffen.

“The Dan tribe member who seemed to be their master didn’t look stupid. They’ll get down fine.”

A woman with a stern impression said, lifting her veil. She was a colleague named ‘Evergreen of Old Tree’.

“You think so too?”

Her colleague, ‘Evergreen of Old Tree,’ nodded silently.

She, ‘Rose’s Leaf,’ looked around at her team.

‘Evergreen of Old Tree,’ who rarely showed any change in expression.

‘Leaf of Stream,’ who enjoyed a nap after lunch.

‘Beginning of Red Autumn,’ who carried fruit in her pockets.

…

…

It was one of the Jang tribe teams led by her, ‘Rose’s Leaf.’

“Rose, shouldn’t we go report?”

‘Beginning of Red Autumn’ reminded her of the task she was putting off.

“Yeah.”

Rose’s Leaf swallowed.

“Wait.”

‘Evergreen of Old Tree’ stopped them, raising her bow.

She raised the bow, pulled out an arrow, placed it on the string, drew it back, and released.

At the end of the fluid motion was the death cry of a life.

“A Dan tribe member?”

Another colleague of the team asked, casting a glance in the direction of the scream, and ‘Evergreen of Old Tree’ nodded.

“Looks like someone who came to gather wood. Foolishly crossing the territory. Maybe a newcomer who doesn’t know this mountain well.”

Everyone reacted with agreement to ‘Evergreen of Old Tree’s’ words.

Anyone who invaded the mountain’s territory was killed.

That was the first instruction given to their team.

“Let’s go back.”

Rose’s Leaf said, gazing silently at the nameless Dan tribe member who had collapsed, bleeding from the forehead.

The body of the one who had invaded the Jang tribe’s territory without permission was left on the mountain like that.

The roots of the flowers and grass that bloomed haphazardly around the area slowly stretched towards the collapsed corpse.

The seven elders who managed the teams could be counted as the leaders of the Jang tribe.

The elders were in charge of managing the Jang tribe’s affairs, both large and small, and making important decisions.

The elders were Jang tribe members who had lived for a considerable amount of time; they were characterized by having longer ears than other Jang tribe members, and their heads were covered with pure white hair.

Because of this appearance, the Dan tribe members at the foot of the mountain called the elders the Upper High Long-Eared Tribe, but in reality, they were all the same Jang tribe.

Rose’s Leaf thought that the Dan tribe liked to distinguish and categorize things.

Wasn’t it the case that one of the Dan tribe members who had been guided, the one who looked foolish, had not been frightened as soon as he met her?

‘Compared to that, the Dan tribe member wearing a gat was aloof.’

She recalled the man who had not been afraid and had opened his eyes straight.

When her team reached the village deep in the valley, an elder came out to the entrance to greet them.

“You’ve returned. They are waiting for you.”

At the elder’s words, Rose’s Leaf swallowed.

“Yes.”

“They said that you don’t need to observe formalities separately, so there’s no need to tidy up your clothes. Follow me immediately.”

The elder led the way, and Rose’s Leaf followed behind the elder.

Her colleagues looked enviously at the team leader as she moved away.

The two headed to the deepest and most secret place in the village.

The leaders of the Jang tribe could be said to be the seven elders. But there was an existence above them.

That existence remained unchanged even as dozens of elders changed, and had been in that place since the beginning of a distant season.

That person was the law, the will, and the master of the Jang tribe.

One could not dare to call such a person a ‘leader’ and demean them.

“You have to go alone from here.”

A small path with thorny bushes standing tall on both sides. The elder stopped and turned to her.

Thorny trees and fragrant flowers decorated the path.

Rose’s Leaf carefully followed the path deep inside.

As if fresh grass sprouted in the place where her feet had passed, it grew.

Rose’s Leaf felt dizzy at the illusion-like phenomenon.

And gradually, her sense of time became dull.

How long had she walked? A quarter of an hour? Or a month? Maybe it was just a moment.

Every moment of walking became both an instant and an eternity.

‘Get a grip.’

Born as a member of the Jang tribe, this was the glorious moment to meet that person for the first time.

She couldn’t show an unsightly appearance. She gathered her wits and moved her feet.

Then, at some point.

Rose’s Leaf felt that that person was in front of her.

She prostrated herself flat on the ground.

“Rose’s Leaf of the Jang tribe. I greet the existence in the highest and deepest place!!”

After shouting several times, a sweet and chilling voice came from behind her head.

“Yes. You’re the child who carried out this instruction.”

“Yes, yes! That’s right.”

“Did you guide them well?”

This time, the voice came from the side.

“Yes! I guided them down the mountain. I confirmed that they were going down the path that the Dan tribe member wearing a gat told them.”

Rose’s Leaf secretly took a breath, thinking, ‘Surely no unfortunate event happened that prevented them from going down?’

“Yes. I confirmed that they went down the mountain.”

The voice came from all directions.

“You didn’t approach more than necessary, and you told them to go down the mountain according to my instructions, so I should give you a reward.”

The voice was filled with satisfaction.

“I, I just think that I have received an excessive reward by being granted an audience with such a high and deep being.”

“You speak so admirably. The elders have taught you well.”

An interesting voice. Rose’s Leaf brought her face even closer to the ground.

A moment of silence followed, and she felt as if her body was being torn apart and dismantled.

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. I’ll tell the elders to give you a suitable reward.”

It was naturally the other party who broke the silence.

“Thank you, thank you.”

…….

…….

The voice was no longer heard.

Rose’s Leaf carefully raised her head.

“Where am I…?”

Before she knew it, she had returned to the entrance of the path.

“Rose’s Leaf. Are you okay?”

Her team members approached her, who was sweating profusely.

She couldn’t dare to think of mentioning this bizarre phenomenon that she had experienced directly.

“These days, children are so cute. Like fallen leaves that crumble when you touch them.”

Hoo-hoo-hoo, the elder trembled at the sound of laughter.

“Perhaps that child committed an impoliteness to the Honorable One….”

“That’s not the case. But do you have something to say? Your expression is full of questions.”

“I am ignorant and unable to fathom the Honorable One’s great intentions, so I think that’s why.”

“I’m in a good mood, so I’ll answer you. What are you curious about?”

“I don’t know why you sent that person down to the Dan tribe’s village. Couldn’t you have guided them here?”

“The reason I sent him down to the village was to tell him something for sure.”

“May I ask what it is?”

The elder with pure white hair prostrated himself towards the sky and said.

“To tell him that no matter how much he runs away, his soul will be drawn to me.”

At the bright yellow light that appeared as if illuminating the sky, the elder brought his face to the ground and bowed.