Chapter 331: The wall
"Ah, it’s done," Luke said as he tossed the last worm out into the rain, leaving it to die. He had found more than thirty of them. If even half had been left inside and accidentally killed, he knew the effect would have been enough to leave the woman, who had introduced herself as Grella, completely exhausted.
Once he returned inside, Luke wiped his hands on a piece of fabric he had discarded earlier. His gaze soon settled on the woman, who now sat quietly with a towel wrapped around her naked body.
Her emerald eyes remained fixed on the rain outside.
Luke sighed, drew his legs closer to his chest, and asked, "Do you regret it?"
She glanced toward him. "What?"
"I mean, you have a mate, and we ended up..." He trailed off, knowing she understood what he meant.
Grella lowered her gaze.
"I don’t regret it," she said quietly. "My mate... he truly is a savage. The kind of man who could kill his own comrades if he found their mates tempting enough. He hasn’t touched me in a long time. He’s too busy drowning himself in crug, women, and hunts."
Luke had no idea what crug was, but judging by the context, it was probably some kind of alcohol.
He let out a slow breath and shifted the subject.
"How big is your tribe? How many people live there?"
"All of us," she replied with a shrug.
Luke frowned slightly.
"All of you?"
"That is why I’m surprised. Despite being one of us, you came from so far away."
Luke hummed thoughtfully.
"You mean people like us all live in a single tribe? But why?"
Grella merely shrugged.
"Because we’re fewer in number and weaker than the others. And besides, we don’t have a place beyond the Wall."
"The Wall?" Luke asked, curiosity sharpening his voice.
Grella stared at him in confusion.
"Where exactly do you come from that you don’t know about the infamous Wall?"
Luke offered an awkward smile.
"A very faraway place. I was left there with an old man who raised me until I was old enough to take care of myself. He never told me anything about the world, so I thought you might be able to help me understand it."
Grella nodded in understanding before explaining.
"The Wall separates us and the wild beasts that could threaten any other tribe. It was apparently created by the... magic of the elves. At least, that’s what I was told by my elders. They didn’t want us wild beings mingling with them."
Luke’s brows rose.
Such a strange way of thinking.
Humanity was clearly discriminated against in this world. He had already caught a glimpse of it through Synthia, who had been wary of him simply because he was human. What had surprised her even more was how... gentle he was.
Gentle, even though he had been cautious around her from the beginning.
Now, it was beginning to make sense.
Humans were not merely looked down upon here.
They were feared, distrusted, and treated as something fundamentally different from the rest.
And apparently, there was a reason for it.
"They are treated as no different from the beasts you killed just now. And I don’t blame them. We are known for stealing and killing throughout our lives. Just like my mate, the men in our tribe would steal from the very hands that had once saved their lives."
"And you think differently of them?" Luke asked, raising a brow.
"A little... Most likely because my father was the chief. I never had to go to sleep with an empty stomach."
Luke could understand that.
Nobility and morality were luxuries that developed more easily when the stomach was full and there was a roof over one’s head.
"Hmm. So the people living on the other side of the Wall have cast you aside. And now you hunt, survive, and live in isolation."
Grella nodded.
"We often come across sea people who can travel freely between this side and the other. They seem to be disgusted by us as well."
"Hmm. Tell me about them," Luke said, his interest piquing. "How can they travel between the two sides so easily? And have you never considered crossing the Wall yourselves?"
It appeared that things beyond the Wall were far better and more developed.
Synthia had mentioned that the elves were far more magically gifted than humans, with a civilization that was far more established.
"Sea people are regarded as guardians of these lands, so they can pass freely from one side to the other. It’s said they keep an eye on us to make sure we don’t make any foolish attempts to cross the Wall that kisses the sky."
Pulling her legs closer to her chest, Grella continued, "Well, there have been attempts in the past. People tried to cross the Wall..."
She paused.
"The result was worse than what happened to the beast you hammered into the ground today."
"..."
Luke stared at her.
Damn.
Worse than being reduced to a bloody paste?
Regardless, Luke remained curious.
"What about your own tribe? If they’ve built the Wall, then I assume the forest and its beasts are the only real threats you have to deal with?"
Grella glanced at him before slowly shaking her head.
"No... There are beings who are not bound by any limitations imposed by us or the elves. They don’t care about what others think. They simply do whatever they please."
Her expression grew solemn.
"They are regarded as the apex predator. Any one of them could drive an entire race to extinction."
"..."
Luke fell silent.
The weight behind her words stirred his curiosity.
"And they are...?"
She looked down for a moment, before suddenly looking up and whispering as if her voice could summon them.
"Dragons."
~~~
A/N:- So...unexpected(sarcasm). Well, thank you for reading. I hope the story is developing interestingly.
Luke would recieve a new class soon. A very interesting class.