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Chapter 68
The Moon on Water (1)
Translated by Wook
Edited by Wook
“Chieftain, why did you call me? Won’t the empress be bored if she was left alone? What if someone go and tear her limbs one at a time? It hasn’t been long since we arrived. If she dies so soon, I’ll be hated.”
“Shamir.”
“Are we going to give her a proper meal? Or are we going to make her work without even feeding her? I heard she can find the water veins, that ability will make this desert full of flowers.”
“Shamir.”
“That’s why I went and brought her here. The people of the tribe are so lifeless because there is no hope. You pushed me so hard telling me I had to do something, but now that I did, why aren’t you smiling? Why are your eyes still full of resentment? Chieftain, this is called cheating, you know?”
“I’m always thankful to you. But if you keep acting like that, the people of the tribe will say something. There are already a lot of people who look down on you
”
“Who looks down on me? Is it you, Chieftain?”
Shamir, who blinked a few times, bent his eyes.
“That’s alright, Chieftain. I only like things that are fun and interesting. All of our tribesmen are so familiar and serious that it’s not good. Right now, the empress over there is the most interesting thing. I have to hurry up and go, so tell me if you have anything to say.”
“Soon, we will form an alliance with other tribes that support our tribe. Since we have the so-called incarnation of Sionil in our hands, everyone will grab it.”
“Then, our tribe chieftain will finally become the grand chieftain he’s been longing for. There will be more than one or two problems. For example, if the Chieftain Laoman attends, I’m sure it’ll be a mess.”
“He won’t attend the conference.”
“But he’s a person who will never leave the position of grand chieftain alone.”
Aran murmured as he stared at Shamir, who was wondering.
“Come to think of it, it’s also thanks to you, Shamir.”
Aran first came up with this plan when Shamir, whose hobby is poking around the desert, found something strange.
It was said that the traitors who abandoned the pride of the desert tribe and were attached to the Kran Kingdom kept sneaking around the borders of the Atien Empire.
The Syuphl Barony is a place where not only their own tribe but also other native tribes have looted several times.
Although they didn’t have many good things, the risk was low as they had no troops guarding the territory.
So what was wrong with that place?
Those traitors received sufficient assistance from the nobles of the Kran Kingdom, and they were not living affluently unlike themselves (Aran’s tribesmen).
Aran was puzzled and asked Shamir to find out more, but Shamir did not return for a while.
Things like this often happened, so Aran left him as it was. Once Shamir appeared again, he said that they were trying to assassinate the 2nd Empress of the Atien Empire. Aran once heard that the 2nd Empress of the Empire could find water veins and freely control water.
It was the same power as the water goddess Sionil among the gods worshiped by the desert tribes.
So he said if they had one central figure like that, they could unite the native tribes.
When he heard Shamir’s story, Aran thought.
Why not?
What couldn’t they do what these traitors were trying to do?
They (the traitors) were trying to get what they wanted by killing, and they (Aran’s tribesmen) had nothing other than to steal and use them alive.
At that time, Shamir said that he had another interesting news, saying that some dark-looking black guys were preparing to drive the monsters out of the largest of the Garyosa habitats near the Syuphl Barony.
At the same time, strange things were happening in the Celtrop habitat.
If he wants it, the road is open.
Aran realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given to him.
Even if it is possible to accuse the pro-Kran Kingdom factions for the sin, taking the 2nd Empress from the famous 1st Knights and Rohan would be a daunting task even with Shamir.
However, if the 2nd Empress and the party had a fierce battle with the monsters prepared by an unknown group, the odds of their own increased.
After making that decision, it was rather easy.
On the contrary, the desert tribes belonging to the pro-Kran Kingdom faction noticed that another faction was moving just before the execution and seemed to hesitate, but it didn’t matter. Aran sent Shamir to the battlefield where he fought a fierce battle with an unidentified group, revealing a number of warriors that were difficult to mobilize except for a tribe belonging to the pro-Kran Kingdom

After kidnapping the 2nd Empress, they made a path in that direction, left a trace, and turned far away before coming here.
Everything was on Aran’s palm.
Except for one thing

That the emperor of the Atien Empire was not looking for his empress!
No matter how vast the Miyon desert is, and even if they say that dealing with desert tribes in the desert is foolish, the pride of the Empire has been damaged, and it makes no sense to be so quiet.
Something was not right.
“Huft.”
Shamir frowned as Aran sighed and muttered “Thanks to you” in a tone that didn’t seem to praise him.
“Why does Chieftain keep sighing? It’s getting harder to match your rhythm. Are you senile now?”
“That mouth can get anyone angry, so just speak in moderation! Anyway, Shamir, I called you in to tell you to take on the task of monitoring the 2nd Empress from now on.”
“Huh? Why do you have to tell me to do that? I’m going to do it even if you don’t ask me to. The empress is a really interesting person.”
“It’s not a request, it’s an order.”
As Aran’s expression grew stern, Shamir grumbled but did not make fun of it.
“I’m going to present her at this conference. There shouldn’t be a problem.”
“But are they really fine with the empress? Regardless of whether she’s the incarnation of Sionil or not, she’s still the empress of the Empire. Is there anyone in the tribe with a gut like that other than you, Chieftain?”
“So what if they’re not fine with it? Should I just pretend it didn’t happen? No. We risked the future of the tribe here.”
“That’s true.”
“It’s alright. I told the tribal chiefs that the person who will be our focal point is the incarnation of Sionil, but I haven’t told them yet about her being the empress of the Empire.”
“
What?”
“It’s okay if they haven’t been scared yet, and after checking it, it doesn’t matter, even if they’re scared, they won’t be able to run away. At that time, we will already look like a group, so they won’t be able to take their feet out. The mouth will feel heavy on its own.”
“Chieftain, isn’t this a scam?”
“It’s for our own tribes. Like the pro-Kran Kingdom factions, we must unite. If we are scattered like this, nothing will work. In the end, we will perish.”
Aran’s eyes gleam with madness. He said in a stronger tone.
“We will gather our strength. So, if there are any pro-Kran Kingdom factions that have survived until then, we will subjugate them under us and rule the desert! If that happens, no matter if it is the Kran Kingdom or the Atien Empire, they will not be able to do anything to us. In the desert, we are superior. We can build an empire too. Shamir, help me. As always, I need you. You will play the biggest role and stand closest behind me!”
“
Now you’re trying to coddle me without even giving me a bowl of water?”
“What do you mean?”
Shamir, who shook his head as if to say it was nothing, stood up. Although it was larger than other tents, it was equally old and empty without any household items.
“Why did you take the wrong path, Chieftain? Why do you confuse people?”
“You’re talking nonsense again. Just talking to you gives me a headache. Tsk, get out.”
Aran waved his big hand outward.
Shamir shrugged and pulled up a piece of the tent and slipped out of the gap between them.
“I miss our empress. Even though I’ve been away only for a while, it was really boring without her. Where is she now? Ah, probably the prison dedicated to VIPs, right?”
Shamir headed for the prison with a cheerful step.
***
Elisha was a little curious about where she was.
A flat, wide rock was covering the cave-like hollow space.
And at the entrance, there was a thick iron grate made so well that it could not be compared to the wooden grate that Shamir had wrapped around the cart.
They said it was a stone prison, and it lived up to the name.
“Your Majesty, what are you doing?”
“
”
“Your Majesty, have you eaten? Huh? They didn’t give you anything? These people, really! Shall I go and get it for you?”
It seemed like he didn’t really intend to sit on the ground talking to her while facing the iron bars.
“Bring me some water too.”
Elisha didn’t want to eat, but she also didn’t know what was going to happen, so she had to stock up on her stamina.
Eating food is one of the most important activities, and the taste also helps relieve tension.
“Have I told Your Majesty that you really need a lot of care?”
Shamir, who had disappeared while complaining openly about what he was so dissatisfied with even after he had spoken first, came back with a lot of food.
But wouldn’t it be impossible for a plate of a bowl to go through a gap that was less than a fist wide?
Shamir scratched the back of his head.
“They didn’t give me the key. Should I tell them to open the door?”
Elisha approached the person who was agonizing before her and reached through the bars, picked up the food, and put it in her mouth.
Since she didn’t think of bringing the bowl over to her side, it was possible to eat.
“Oooh!”
Maybe it was because he was relieved of the hassle, or because Elisha, who didn’t play well with him, came closer, Shamir, who was smiling quickly, pushed the food around into her reach.
Shamir asked while he watched Elisha chew.
“That, Your Majesty, does your husband hate you? Why isn’t he coming to find you?”
“
”
“Huh? Did I stab you in the sorest part? I thought it wouldn’t matter because there were so many rumors that the empress and the emperor had a bad relationship.”
“Our relationship is neither good nor bad.”
Yet.
“Really? Then is he going to find you or not? He shouldn’t. I just don’t want him to find you.”
Shamir, who raised his knees and sat in a position where his knees were holding his jaw, muttered. Then he continued to talk to himself even without Elisha’s answer.
“What if the emperor suddenly turns the desert upside down to find you. Then the chieftain will stir-fry me and ask me to do something else. Without me, nobody will protect you.”
“Why? Because then you’d have to throw a corpse that looks like me towards the tribes of the pro-Kran Kingdom faction?”
“Ho.”
Shamir was at a loss for words and mouthed.
“If you bring the plan in advance, the pro-Kran Kingdom faction may notice and go back into hiding, so you have no choice but to pay attention to the movement of the empire in order to get it right.”
“Your Majesty, are you a ghost?”
“That’s what you told me.”
“Me? When did I? I swear at and fight with my chieftain, but I’m not a person who betrays him.”
Elisha didn’t need to tell him that she interpreted their plan based on his reaction, so Elisha quietly continued to eat.
“Anyway, Your Majesty, you seem so smart, can I ask you one thing?”
She had to pay for the meal, so Elisha made eye contact as if urging him to ask, and Shamir opened his mouth.
“From my point of view, the chieftain is not a good person, but it seems like our empress is worse than that? When Your Majesty was slapped on the cheek earlier, contrary to what I thought, it seems like you must not be a person who grew up just accepting such an act. Uwaa, I was a little scared when the venom poured out of your eyes.”
“Main point.”
“Mm, mm! So, I think the chieftain is trying to keep you here. And if you don’t like it, he may try to coerce.”
“Therefore?”
“So, anyway, if you resist for no reason, the tendons in your ankle will break, that pretty face will be ruined, and you will be treated harshly. Then this fun personality will wear out and you will be just like a doll. This shouldn’t be the case, right? I think I’d be very upset then. I’m not kidding when I say that I will protect Your Majesty as long as you promise you won’t do anything. I will really do as I say.”
For some reason, the man was serious.
It was more like stating that he would not betray his chieftain rather than for Elisha’s sake, but who knows?
“I’m not the type of person who doesn’t even try.”
If she was such a person, she would have already died and would have already lost everything.
Not this life, but everything from the last life.
“Your Majesty, you keep forgetting your situation because I’ve been so nice to you? It’s my fault, isn’t it?”
“Are you satisfied with that? Now that the answer is out, you’re satisfied with the fact that it is the answer and accept it the way it is. Don’t you think your life is boring the way it is?”
“
”
Shamir’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything more.
Elisha also had to check her remaining strength, so she went deeper inside the prison and sat quietly. Perhaps it was out of habit, but a pendant was already in her hand.