A Background Character’s Path to Power

"Alright, have a safe trip, you two." I heard Biron bidding farewell as we exited the inn. "Don't forget about my words too, ok?"

...Damn.

Just when I thought it had finally stopped being awkward. But I had found an excuse, too.

"Alright, I won't tell Rurina about your new collection!" I shouted back while waving a hand.

"Eh?"

"Grandpa? Is what he said true?!"

"N-no, hey-!"

I closed the door and walked away from the inn with a smile. There's no way I would leave without paying back the old man for all his teasing. Call me petty if you want, I don't care. He went a bit too far with his teasing, and now he'll suffer for a few days to explain himself to Rurina, his granddaughter.

Hmm?

I heard a faint giggle from Cassandra but decided to ignore it. At least, I managed to remove those last words from her mind.

With that, we left the small town and headed to the Eclipse Keep.

"We have to walk for another hour or so before we reach the next village," I said as we walked. "Just say if you are tired. We can take breaks."

"Thank you for the consideration, but I'm alright," Cassandra replied with a small shake of her head. "Although I may not look like it, I'm a Tier 3 Resonator."

"Oh, then it's good." I nodded, 'impressed'. I couldn't 'tell' that I already knew about it after all. But it was all needed for the sake of the act.

"In the next village, we can solve the walking problem," I continued, adjusting my coat. "The village rents beasts for travel. We'll take two, and with their help, we will be able to reach the foot of the mountains much faster and easier."

"Oooh," Cassandra hastened her steps to catch up with mine. "What kind of beasts? Just horses or...?"

...Alright, let's put the first bait.

I turned to her and smiled faintly. "It'll be better if you see them yourself. I'm sure you will find them to your liking."

Casandra blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting me to dodge the question. "Why? Can't you tell me?"

I shook my head, keeping that mysterious smile. "Don't you know that mystery makes things more exciting? That it creates value? Revealing it all at once spoils the surprise."

"Yeah, but I'm going to be thinking about it the whole way now." She replied.

But I didn't answer and kept smiling.

Perfect, it's exactly what I was hoping for...

And so, we kept walking, and after approximately an hour, we arrived at our destination. In a perfectly white expanse, a lone nomadic village sat nestled within a circle of thick wooden walls, their weathered surfaces standing stark against the snow-covered landscape.

The settlement obviously looked temporary but it was sturdy as well. With tents and yurts visible beyond the protective barrier. Smoke rose from various points within the enclosure, creating thin gray ribbons against the pale sky.

The wooden walls themselves were impressive, easily thrice the height of a person and reinforced with metal bands, clearly built to withstand both the harsh weather and any unwelcome visitors.

"A nomadic village?" Cassandra muttered as she observed. "I didn't expect to find one here."

I nodded as we walked toward the heavy wooden gate that served as the main entrance. "You'll be even more surprised once you see them. Just don't say or do anything offensive."

"I understand," Cassandra replied, this time not asking more. Probably because they were already here, or she had her own guesses. Maybe even useful skills given by her system.

After we arrived at the gate, we saw two guards stationed above on the wooden ramparts. They wore thick, fur-covered clothes that covered most of their bodies, but their distinct pale blue skin was visible around their eyes and hands, along with the strands of pure white hair that escaped from beneath their signature hoods.

I raised my hand and pulled back my own hood, revealing myself as I looked up at them. The cold air bit my skin, but I was already used to it now.

"Vel'tar neth, kethrim," I called out in their native tongue. I told them it was me, their 'brother'.

I also noticed Cassandra's gaze; she must have been surprised. I ignored it and kept my eyes on the guards above.

The two squinted their eyes at me for a moment, studying my features. Then they broke into wide smiles.

"Keth'malar! Theron velneth te!" One of them exclaimed. Although his voice sounded rough and a bit scary, it wasn't hard to figure out he was joyful.

And I think he probably meant 'benefactor, it's him, the 'smt'!'. Since I was still a beginner, that was all I could decipher.

"Wait e moment." The other said in the common language.

Then both of them disappeared from view. But we heard the sound of them jumping down from the ramparts on the other side of the gate.

We glanced at each other, and I said, smiling. "Come on, let's go in."

The next moment, the gate began to swing inward with a creaking sound, revealing the bustling interior of the nomadic settlement beyond.

"Welcome to the Keth'al Clan's Village," I said to Cassandra as the gates fully opened.

Why am I acting like I'm the native here? I thought to myself with mild amusement. I have been here for a day at most.

Despite my inner sarcasm, I still led the way forward confidently.

The guards welcomed us with genuine smiles.

"Vel'neth kalar," the first guard said, extending his fist toward me.

"Vel'neth kalum," I grinned and bumped my fist against his and then slammed our forearms. Then did the same with the second guard.

I really like their greeting style.

I thought as we finished. There was something refreshingly direct and honest about it compared to the elaborate bows and handshakes of other cultures.

On the other hand, it reminded me of a sport called boxing, but more visceral and meaningful. That satisfying thump of fistbumps and forearm against forearm, a wordless language of respect that needed no translation. But of course, this was only among the males; the women had their own style.

"How are you doing, brothers? Is the chief ok?" I switched to the common tongue for both my and Cassandra's benefit.

The guards nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, he's already en his feet nov," the first guard replied, his accent thick but understandable. "What brings you here, benefactor?"

"Well..."