The sun has set. Men and several women sat cross-legged facing a towering bonfire. One of them was Kat, who was now wearing clothes that weren''t as revealing as before.


    Yeah, I have to reduce the risk of something terrible happening to her.


    "...That''s why we carry out this noble mission for our tribe. Everyone wants salt, other tribes will always buy it from us, so that it will prosper our tribe even more..."


    Suja, who was sitting on a chair against the backdrop of the bonfire, had not yet stopped talking. I''m sure the tribe members are very bored. Maybe some are already sleepy. However, they kept their eyes open and tried not to yawn. They don''t want to be punished.


    Except for one. Sena. His head nearly fell several times. His father sitting next to him had to elbow him several times to wake him up.


    "And now, we have reached the climax of this sacred ritual!!!" Suja raised his voice, making Sena flinched in surprise. "Stand up all of you!!!"


    Suja''s five concubines, who had been standing to the right and left of the tribe leader, moved to circle a y bowl that had been ced on the ground.


    They got down on their knees and what they did next waspletely beyond my wildest imagination. The women started shing each other''s left forearm with a knife. Then, grimacing in pain, they let their blood pour into the bowl in front of them.


    What the fuck. Is this actually a tribe, or is this a cult?


    "It is a ritual of the founder of this tribe, who long ago separated himself from his former tribe." I could hear the voice of the guardian spirit of the Redtooth tribe who had suddenly appeared beside me. "And don''t get me wrong, it wasn''t me who made this crazy ritual. I really wanted to get rid of it. I didn''t want it nor needed it. But it seems it''s been firmly entrenched in their minds, even for generations."


    "So every time there''s a big expedition, they''re going to do a ritual like this?"


    "Not only expeditions. This ritual can be done if there are raiders camped near this tribe and we are about to attack them for example. Or maybe there are beasts that need to be exterminated." The figure sighed. "The number of those who sacrificed their blood varied ording to the size of the mission. They could be virgins over the age of 18, or the wives of the tribe leader."


    The five women stopped what they were doing, then one of them took the bowl, stood up, and handed it to the tribe leader with a bow.


    Damn. The woman''s hands trembled while doing that straightforward thing. It must be painful.


    Suja gets up and lifts the bowl up high. "This holy blood will be the intermediary so that this guardian spirit tribe will always protect you and give you strength!!!"


    The tribe members stood up. Kat was a littlete in doing so because she certainly didn''t know anything about the ritual.


    "Hell no." The guardian spirit shook his head. "You don''t have to offer up such a ritual in order for me to protect you. You idiot. Since appearing in this world, that''s my job and I''ll do it without you asking."


    "Booo! Haaa! Booo! Haaa!" The tribe members started screaming and stamping their feet. Sena, standing with his eyes almost closed, had to be elbowed by his father again to wake him up and follow the other movements.


    "Your daughter doesn''t have to do that move." The red figure said when I saw Kat just standing there looking around. "She''s not a member of this tribe. Don''t worry, she won''t be punished or anything."


    As soon as the concubines left, Suja gave a hand signal to the members of his tribe. One of them ran forward while the others kept moving and screaming.


    Suja dipped his index finger in the blood in the bowl, then scribbled a pattern on the man''s face.


    It continues. The members of the tribe advanced in the order they were seated. The patterns that Suja etched onto their faces looked different.


    "Come on." The father slightly pushed Sena forward when the boy had a turn.


    The boy continued to stare at his father, looking confused. He ended up running when his father said ''run'' silently.


    "Are you currently able tomunicate with our guardian spirit?" Suja asked while etching a wave-like pattern on Sena''s forehead.


    "I can see him here, but I didn''t speak to him. He seems to be standing with the guardian spirits of our guests."


    "Good then." Suja gives a big smile. "That means, she has already given us a blessing."


    The ritual continues. However, they pass on Kat, who is not a member of their tribe.


    After thest person returned to the group, they stopped dancing and roared. Most of them were gasping for air and sweating.


    "Now, you guys go home and rest! Tomorrow morning, we gather outside the gate!" Suja shouts again. "Remember not to let those marks on your face go away for a day."


    Once they disbanded, I used the fast forward feature. In just an instant, the night passed, and I moved outside the gate. People seemed to walk very fast to gather there. Some were carrying bricks and piled them there. Some were herding horses that carryingrge bags.


    There were about twenty-five of them.


    The fast forward stopped when Kat joined the group apanied by Rox. She already had a bow, quiver, and sack on her back.


    Tosa stepped in front of the group, immediately pped his hands together, making themotion stop for a moment.


    "I am Tosa, the one appointed to lead this holy expedition!" the man shouted. "I don''t want to waste time talking at length. The important thing is that we stick together, always get each other''s backs when traveling, or when fighting. Do you have any questions?"


    Why was this bastard chosen as the leader? Was it because he was credited with opening the link between the Redtooth tribe and my colony? Indeed, without that link, Manu would not havee here, and Suja would not have known the existence of the salt cave. But that doesn''t mean he deserves that position. A bastard is still a bastard.


    Tosa looked around at the silent expedition members. "If you don''t have any questions, let''s go now. Take the two bricks each. Don''t lose them, they are for our friends in the east."


    The people cheered. Some raised their weapons up. After that, the men and women took turns taking the bricks and starting their journey. Only one is still in ce.


    The thin-faced man was squatting in front of his son, Sena.


    "Dad''s definitelying back home, right?" Sena asked in a low voice.


    The father stroked his son''s hair and smiled. "Of course. I''ve done missions like this many times and alwayse back, right?"


    I looked away, unable to see the scene. I can only hope that Sena doesn''t lose herst family.


    No. I expected more.. I don''t want anyone to die on this expedition.