A Deal of Exchange

Inside the leader's palace, the Supreme Leader sat on his simple throne, resting his elbow on the armrest and holding his forehead with his hand, hiding his eyes filled with confusion and loss. Before him stood Blear, Beatrice, and Fredrick in silence and tension.

Their faces were marked with urgency, and it seemed as though Blear was barely holding back the words in his throat, his eyes darting rapidly between his father, lost in thought, and the door of the hall.

He wanted to run at full speed, gather his best warriors, and chase the eagle to retrieve Sollivan. Unable to contain himself, he tapped his foot on the ground, producing a faint clicking sound that echoed through the vast hall due to the silence.

With each click, Beatrice's expression grew more irritated, and after a short while, she could no longer bear it. She hit his thigh with her hand, and when his attention turned to her, she said to him in a low voice tinged with anger, "Stop that, you're annoying me."

Blear was annoyed by her words, but he didn't respond and calmed himself. His foot stopped tapping, and his posture became more upright.

Silence once again filled the vast hall, and after a short while, the Supreme Leader exhaled deeply. He lifted his head and lowered his hand, revealing his face clearly, which looked different than usual.

The red scales on his face were more prominent, extending to cover his cheeks and the lower part of his chin, forming a strange scaly mask. His horns had grown longer and sharper, and even his teeth appeared pointed and slightly beastly.

Seeing the leader's angry face, everyone involuntarily swallowed their saliva, and even Beatrice trembled deeply, looking at the ground with profound fear.

But the leader's anger didn't last long, as his face returned to normal within a short time, and his aura became more composed. However, Beatrice didn't stop trembling.

The Supreme Leader stared at everyone sternly before speaking in a heavy voice.

"We can't do anything." He shook his head slowly and sighed.

"What irony."

However, his calm words didn't ease the urgency Blear felt, and hesitantly, he replied, "But Father, why have you given up so quickly?" He paused for a moment, then raised his fist.

"Let me handle this, and I promise I'll bring the hybrid back in no time." Despite his loud and strong voice, he maintained the respectful tone he always used.

The leader's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he lifted his head and looked in the direction the eagle had flown, as if he could see it. He remained silent for a short while before mocking.

"A warrior must have strong pride, but at the same time, he must know when to retreat." He lowered his head and looked at Blear again, his face devoid of emotion, and continued.

"The beast that took the hybrid isn't an ordinary flying beast, but a scout eagle."

"Huh?" Blear and Fredrick gasped involuntarily and trembled with fear. As for Beatrice, she lowered her head further and looked at the ground with a dazed expression. She understood the weight of these words more than anyone else.

The leader noticed the guilt in her reaction, but he didn't address her and continued explaining.

"Even if we were able to kill the eagle and retrieve the hybrid, do you think our warriors are ready to fight the Beast Eagle Clan for the sake of an outsider?

And suppose we confront it and don't kill it, do you think it won't leak the truth about the hybrid to the rest of the plains' tribes? Then disasters will rain down on us from all directions, and if we survive and aren't completely wiped out, we won't be able to hold our heads high again. Worse, we might become a subordinate tribe and lose our name."

Every word that came out of the leader's mouth made Blear lower his head in fear. The thoughts of resistance and attack that had been in his mind disappeared completely, leaving only deep self-mockery and a profound sense of helplessness.

After a long silence, he thought deeply about how trivial his ideas and impulsiveness were, and for the first time in a long while, he realized how inexperienced he was.

As for Beatrice, she didn't dare to lift her head the entire time until she heard the leader say, "Everyone, leave." She turned and took a step forward, and then she heard him call her.

"Beatrice, stay." She turned and faced her father with her head bowed and her eyes fixed on the ground.

Sigh!

As soon as Blear and Fredrick left, the leader sighed audibly. "You've truly disappointed me. Is this what I taught you? Lift your head and look at me."

Beatrice hesitantly and fearfully lifted her head and looked at her father's face. But contrary to expectations, she wasn't met with an angry expression, but rather a slightly indifferent look tinged with disappointment. She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but she couldn't find any excuse to defend herself.

The leader saw her hesitation and said in a cold tone, "Has the cat got your tongue? Speak your mind. Are you relieved now that you don't have to marry the hybrid?" The leader looked into her guilt-filled eyes and continued.

"Hmph, my upbringing wasn't enough. Go now, but keep in mind that you'll face the consequences of your negligence."

Without any ability to respond, she bowed her head and left the hall with a heavy back and chaotic thoughts. For her, her father's words weren't just a parental lecture meant to scare her, but strict orders that would make her life harder from now on.

After leaving the leader's palace, she lifted her head and looked in a certain direction of the vast sky, sighing with sorrow. "This is your fault. Why are you so weak?" Despite her grumbling, she couldn't bring herself to hate Sollivan any more and felt a deep guilt toward him.

…

Somewhere in the Plains

"Damn it!" Sollivan looked at the distant blue ground below with a terrified face and a tense body.

He was more afraid of falling than the eagle holding him, and because of that, he involuntarily grabbed the eagle's legs to steady himself and feel a bit of security. But as soon as he remembered his situation, his body tensed up even more.

He tried to think of a solution to his predicament, but his mind failed to come up with anything, or even think properly. Once again, for the third time since coming to this world, he found himself trapped, unable to do anything. Even Noctis, whom he could rely on, had disappeared and was no longer by his side.

After a short while of being lost, he regained some composure. He lifted his head again and looked at the body of the eagle holding him, and despite the poor angle, he managed to see some strange details.

"Armor?" His eyebrows arched in surprise. On the chest of the giant gray eagle with a white head, there was a very strange white armor. He couldn't discern the material it was made of or how it was made, but he was sure of one thing: it was indeed armor and not a physical trait.

Seeing such an advanced element on the body of a beast like this, he felt a strange astonishment that lessened his fear. He swallowed his saliva hesitantly, then opened his mouth and shouted.

"Your Majesty, the Eagle, could you please put me down? I don't know your purpose in capturing a weak and lowly person like me. And if you want to eat me, I'm just skin and bones; my flesh won't satisfy you.

Just wait, if you put me down, I promise to bring you a hearty meal of strong warriors' meat." His words were just random nonsense he blurted out involuntarily out of fear. Yet, it seemed as though the eagle responded to his words.

After a brief moment of stillness, the eagle looked at him with sharp golden eyes that made him feel a faint sting, and in a deep, mysterious voice, it said to him, "Shut up, boy. Who would want to eat trash like you?"

"Huh?" Sollivan opened his mouth in shock, and all the nonsense he had been thinking of saying disappeared from his mind, leaving only astonishment. After a while, his shock turned into a bit of joy. 'It's a very intelligent beast.'

His happiness lasted for a few seconds before disappearing. At first, he thought of negotiating with the eagle and finding suitable terms for his release, but he shook his head and dismissed the idea.

'If it doesn't want to eat me, why did it capture me then?' His thoughts became mixed, and the feeling of helplessness returned to him. He took a quick glance at the ground below and trembled with fear when he thought of the possibility of falling again.

Time passed quickly, and after flying dozens of miles, he felt the wind hitting his face become gentler, turning into a soft breeze that caressed his face and played with his hair lightly.

If he weren't in a life-threatening situation, he would have found it quite enjoyable. But he felt intense tension when he realized the possibility of them reaching the eagle's nest or whatever its mysterious destination was.

His heart began to beat strongly, and he felt as though he might die from the shock alone. His thoughts raced as he watched the vast ground below, searching for any landmark indicating their destination, and suddenly his eyes landed on a lone tree under whose shade stood a mysterious man dressed in black clothes that covered his entire body from head to toe.

Flap!

Whoosh!

The eagle spread its wings to their full extent and made a quick turn in place, as if avoiding an invisible attack. Its movement was very fast and erratic, turning the calm Sollivan into chaos in an instant.

His stomach churned, and he felt intense nausea, barely managing to hold back his vomit in his throat. However, his eyes didn't leave the person near the tree, as he felt a strong familiarity with him. He thought quickly and recalled the images of everyone he had met, finally remembering someone he deeply hated.

"The High Priest?" Out of sheer surprise, he said the words aloud, drawing the eagle's attention to him for a moment. Quickly, the eagle made a large circle around the tree, combing through their surroundings and ensuring their safety. Then, it slowed down and began to descend to the ground slowly, maintaining full focus.

Whoosh!

The eagle's descent wasn't quiet, as every flap of its massive wings sent a strong wave of air that played with the grass on the ground and made Otieno's clothes dance wildly in all directions.

However, Otieno remained calm, standing firmly and straight, with his hands behind his back. Unlike usual, he exuded immense strength and composure, making Sollivan look at him differently.

All the previous traits he had seen in him had disappeared. His back was no longer hunched, and his aura was no longer gentle and full of cunning. Everything about him now radiated strength, much like the Supreme Leader.

Automatically, Sollivan thought, 'A cunning wolf. I was sure he was hiding his claws in the leader's presence, and now he's pretending to be strong.' He cursed silently, and at the same time, lamented his bad luck.

Although his eyes remained fixed on the priest, he didn't neglect his own condition. As soon as he felt his feet touch the ground, he felt a bit of relief, followed by a great sense of freedom, which surprised him slightly. He lifted his head and looked at the eagle above him with curiosity, as it had released him, leaving him free, and landed beside him.

Run!

Without saying anything or thinking about anything, he ran at full speed in a random direction. Despite knowing that his action was futile, he decided to try to escape anyway.

However, the eagle didn't pay attention to him and continued to stare at Otieno's indifferent eyes. In its powerful voice, it said in a penetrating tone.

"What you want is in your hands, so give me what I want." The sharp and mysterious eyes met, creating an intense aura of tension around them, as if the place could turn to ruin at any moment.

The atmosphere remained silent for several seconds, during which Sollivan ran a great distance without looking back even once. Suddenly, Otieno turned and looked at him indifferently. "Come back here."

Sollivan, who had been running desperately, stopped in his tracks involuntarily, but the momentum of his movement didn't disappear, causing him to slide on the grassy ground, leaving a trail of plowed earth and crushed grass.

Without any resistance, he turned calmly and walked toward the lone tree. Although the situation was surprising and frightening, he didn't feel any fear or anxiety; on the contrary, he was very calm and indifferent. He looked at the Kornavar and the giant bird under the tree with empty eyes. 'The priest has control over me. I expected this, but it's good that I confirmed it before doing anything rash.'

Sigh!

A great disappointment appeared on his face, and at the same time, he felt deep discomfort and hatred toward the High Priest. During the short time he spent walking, he thought about all the options he had, or rather, the only option he had that could end his problems. Despite his hesitation and great doubts about it, he ultimately surrendered to the harsh reality. He bowed his back in sorrow and grumbled.

'Why am I always cornered like this? The problem is that I haven't gained anything.' His sadness lasted for a while before his mind returned to clarity. He no longer felt any terror or fear, and all that consumed him now was a great desire for revenge.

After reaching the tree, he stood quietly and stared at the eagle for a moment. After landing on the ground, its form became very clear. Although he had seen a large part of it before, he still couldn't suppress his surprise.

The eagle had a bright white head, smooth and very soft, with powerful golden eyes that saw everything, and a sharp golden beak. It also had long, thin, colorful feathers extending from the sides of its head where human ears would be. Those delicate feathers looked like beautiful decorations that gave the eagle a more majestic appearance.

As for the rest of its body, it was a grayish-black color, except for its yellow feet, which had small feathers covering a large part of them.

But the strangest thing about it was the white armor it wore. Upon closer inspection, Sollivan confirmed that it wasn't made of metal but appeared to be hundreds of small bone rods fused together in a strange way. Its armor extended from its chest to cover its back and a large part of its wings, forming a strong layer of protection in several sensitive areas.

Sollivan fixed his gaze on the eagle for several seconds, and when he wanted to look at Otieno, he stopped and arched his eyebrows in surprise. Starting from the eagle's chest, the color of the armor began to change, turning to a dark black, and even the eagle's white head became grayish. A large blood-red symbol resembling a feather appeared on it, and its beautiful decorations were cut in half, leaving only the lower part.

'An illusion.' Sollivan thought in amazement at the sudden change that had occurred. But he noticed that the eagle's expression hadn't changed, while Otieno flinched for a moment. "Time's up, then, but it doesn't matter. I've managed to deceive the foolish leader."

Sollivan didn't understand what he meant, but deep suspicions began to arise in him about what was happening before him.

The eagle didn't respond, and all it did was look at Otieno with its sharp eyes.

"Give me what I want, enough of your chatter."

"Hmph." Otieno exhaled in dissatisfaction, but he reached into his robe and pulled out a small bag, handing it to the eagle.

'Hmm, a trade deal.' Since he wasn't afraid of the coming consequences, he no longer hid his curiosity and watched everything with enjoyment. 'But how will the giant eagle take this bag?' Without waiting long, he saw the eagle extend its wing, and with its tip, it smoothly grabbed the bag.

Then, it extended its other wing and moved some of its feathers smoothly like fingers, opening the bag to see its contents, which were a collection of small red glass beads. Even through its stern face, it seemed to Sollivan as though the eagle smiled.

The eagle closed the small bag and placed it between its armor and chest, where it disappeared among the large feathers and was no longer visible.

The eagle turned calmly and looked at Sollivan, who had been silently observing them, then said strangely, "Huh, who would have thought someone like this exists in the vast plains? Be careful, Kornavar, your actions might bring calamities to our lands."

"Hmph." Otieno snorted with a bit of anger.

"If you keep what you've seen to yourself, no living being will know of his existence."

"Huh." The giant eagle was annoyed by the priest's response, then flapped its massive wings, creating a wave of air that irritated Sollivan's eyes. As it flew high, it said in an indifferent tone, "A deal is a deal, and I saw nothing." It paused for a moment before adding.

"But be careful." Then it flapped powerfully and flew away, disappearing within moments.