Chapter 225: The Gufia Grassland (Part One)
The Gufia Grassland was vast, scattered with various tribes of beastmen. In the thousand years since the fall of the Kranxia Empire, the only thing that still united these diverse races and appearances were the shamans and their beliefs.
The shaman priests were once the intellectuals of the beastman empires, skilled in writing and herbal medicine. Most of them were Extraordinary Beings who also presided over traditional tribal rituals, holding high statuses.
Nia led Lolan Hill first to the tribe of the Dog-Eared Ones, a clan that had frequent contact with humans and lived close to the West Wind, now known as Clancia.
After returning to the grassland, Nia took off her hat, revealing her curved goat horns behind her ears. Her light brown horns complemented her wavy, shoulder-length hair, giving her a somewhat cute appearance.
Nia approached a beastman of the Dog-Eared tribe, spreading her hands open, slightly bowing her head in greeting, then said, “Hello, I would like to see your shaman.”
“Do you wish to see our shaman?” The young dog-eared man, around twenty years old, wearing a leather coat, looked at the goat-horned girl with confusion.
“Yes, my friend and I are students of Emanas,” Nia said, pointing to the badge on her cloak clasp.
“I don’t recognize this, please wait here.” The young man’s attitude improved as he examined the badge. Regardless of where they were, students of Emanas were highly respected.
Watching the young man go to seek permission, Nia let out a sigh of relief.
“Still nervous?” Lolan Hill’s voice came from behind, then she stepped forward, standing beside Nia.
“A bit, but much better than when I first arrived at Emanas,” Nia recalled.
“At that time, I didn’t dare to speak much because I came from a very remote place. Many things they talked about were unfamiliar to me, and my grades were poor, making me feel very inferior.”
“Not long after joining a small club among the beastmen, I started feeling better.”
“Nia,” Lolan Hill squeezed the girl’s hand, silently comforting her.
“But I’m still very grateful to Lolan for helping me catch up and improve my grades, which made me a little more confident.”
Nia smiled, signaling Lolan Hill not to worry.
At that moment, the sound of a copper bell rang out. An elder dressed in a leather coat and a blue and yellow patterned scarf walked over, accompanied by two strong Dog-Eared guards. These guards carried large axes, their muscles exposed, with metal armor covering vital areas.
“Hello, young one, new-born horn-bearer, what brings you to me?”
The elder held a withered staff in one hand and spun a copper bell inscribed with scriptures in the other. His face was full of wrinkles, his eyes slightly squinted as he asked.
“I and my friend want to venture into the wilderness west of the grassland to hunt demonic beasts. We will pass through many other tribes, so we need your passage banner,” Nia stated her request, feeling slightly uneasy. This was her first encounter with a foreign tribe’s shaman.
The elder looked at the two girls, his gaze wandering, continuing to spin the copper bell. After a while, he responded.
“Alright, but leave a written note and promise not to interfere with other tribes’ affairs.”
“Agreed, we can promise.”
Not interfering with other nations and organizations was repeatedly emphasized in the Emanas student handbook. Nia had no other thoughts and agreed without hesitation.
“Good.” The shaman nodded, then had a guard call for someone, retrieving a gray banner.
After showing the banner to Nia, the elder continued, “Do you need anything else?”
“Four good horses.”
The shaman then had four horses brought over. Nia inspected them, then wrote her borrowing record and affiliated tribe on a piece of parchment, stamped it with mud on her goat horn, wrapped the parchment around the horn, and imprinted it with a spiral.
The shaman nodded at the text on the parchment and accepted it, allowing Nia to take the banners and horses.
They placed their luggage on the horses, secured it, and Nia and Lolan rode across the grassland.
Unlike other places, there were no clear paths on the grassland; under the vast sky, patches of green stretched out.
On the journey, Nia explained the events to Lolan.
“The tribes on the grassland often quarrel. Sometimes, two tribes might even clash with swords. If we didn’t have the gray banner, we could easily be mistaken for spies and attacked.”
“While the chances are low, we still need to be careful.”
“So, wouldn’t caravans or travelers be very unsafe on the grassland?” Lolan asked curiously.
“There is some danger, but most caravans have familiar routes. The tribes along the way are long-term partners who provide protection, ensuring the caravans return.”
“Because food is scarce on the grassland, southern caravans are like lifelines.”
Hearing this, Lolan became interested. “What do you usually eat? Meat?”
“This is a misunderstanding,” Nia laughed, then added with a bitter smile.
“In fact, for herders, meat isn’t eaten frequently. The main foods are cheese, fried rice, flatbreads, and they mostly drink salted tea.”
“Salt and tea are needed by any tribe on the grassland. Every southern caravan brings these items.”
Nia recounted her daily life.
“Many outsiders think that because herders raise many cattle and sheep, they eat a lot of meat, but that’s not true.”
“Eating meat is actually quite luxurious. Sometimes, a large amount of meat signifies a disaster, as it means livestock dying from cold, attacks, or disease.”
“Usually, out of ten young ones, only one survives to adulthood.”
“There are all sorts of accidents: attacks by demonic beasts, low temperatures, lack of grass, diseases, injuries, etc.”
“Life is fragile, not just for livestock, but for the beastmen on the grassland. Few live past fifty.”
Looking at the galloping horse herd in the distance, Nia sighed. Unlike her quiet days at school, back home, she seemed to have opened up a lot.
“Our goat-horned clan was once a large tribe a thousand years ago, now numbering only a few thousand.”
“I was lucky to get into Emanas. I feel the pressure from expectations in my tribe, hoping I can change our fate, but I know I’m just an ordinary person with a bit of luck. This result might disappoint everyone.”
“Before coming to school, everyone pooled the tribe’s income for a year to cover my expenses, fearing I would suffer there.”
“I am grateful, but also worried if I can meet such expectations.”
Nia looked at the tents in the distance, remembering the people around her since childhood, the familiar faces, the hopeful eyes, and the tightly clasped hands. Such heavy burdens, yet filled with hope.
Thank you, Shi Mie Ri Shi, Noelle desu, Reader20200830082018978, Yi Wang Xi Sui Yue Ru Suo, for your support.
End of Chapter
