Free Web NovelChapter 166: Chapter 164: I Am Respected Sage... So What?...
(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
Guys I hope you put more comments and power stones... Which will encourage me...
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Devara couldn’t help but smile as he watched the skies above the flower fields.
The eagle had taken his task far more seriously than expected.
What had started as a simple request had somehow turned into a full-scale military operation.
The large eagle circled high above the fields.
Every now and then it would let out a sharp cry.
Immediately smaller birds would change direction.
Groups split apart.
Others converged on specific areas.
A few crows seemed responsible for scouting.
Sparrows focused on hunting insects hidden among flowers.
The larger birds targeted clusters that attempted to move between fields.
It looked surprisingly organized.
Almost frighteningly organized it just missed a flag carrying certain swastika symbol.
Shakuni followed Devara’s gaze.
"They seem unusually coordinated."
Devara chuckled still immense in his imagination.
"The eagle has a talent for leadership."
The minister raised an eyebrow.
"Of course it does."
At this point he wasn’t even surprised anymore.
The king continued observing for a few moments.
The birds had formed a natural defense line around the most vulnerable flower fields.
Every time a large swarm attempted to spread, dozens of birds descended upon it.
Nature fighting nature.
A war invisible to most villagers.
Yet one that might save the entire region.
Eventually Devara turned away.
"We should continue."
Shakuni nodded hearing him.
The two disguised travelers left the flower fields behind and began moving deeper into the forest.
The further they went, the quieter the surroundings became.
The sounds of the village gradually faded.
The scent of flowers grew stronger.
Ancient trees towered overhead.
Their branches formed a canopy that filtered the sunlight into scattered patches across the ground.
Bird calls echoed occasionally from above.
Otherwise...
The forest remained calm. Almost too calm.
Then suddenly—A familiar voice shattered the silence.
"You uncultured barbarians!"
Both men stopped.
The shout echoed through the trees.
Several birds immediately took flight.
Shakuni blinked stopping for a second as the familiar voice he heard.
"...Did that sound familiar?"
Devara slowly nodded.
Very familiar.
Another shout followed.
"Release me at once!"
"Do you know who I am?"
"Do you possess even the smallest fragment of wisdom?"
The king closed his eyes.
"...."
There was absolutely no doubt.
It was Sage Veenadhara.
Only one man in the world could make being kidnapped sound like a lecture.
Shakuni rubbed his forehead.
"How does he keep finding trouble?"
Devara smiled hearing it from Shakuni.
"I suspect trouble finds him."
The voice came again.
Louder this time.
"You have committed a grave mistake!"
"A tremendous mistake!"
"A historically significant mistake!"
The two exchanged looks.
Then quietly moved toward the source.
Careful.
Silent.
"...."
"...."
Their footsteps barely made a sound.
Eventually they reached a cluster of thick bushes overlooking a narrow forest path.
Both crouched.
Then peered through the foliage.
The sight before them immediately froze both men.
For several moments neither spoke.
Then Shakuni slowly lowered his head.
As though trying to process what he was seeing.
Because somehow...
Somehow...
Sage Veenadhara had managed to get himself captured.
The sage was tied to a long wooden pole.
His wrists bound.
His ankles bound.
Rope wrapped around him several times.
The pole rested across the shoulders of two large men who were carrying him through the forest.
Exactly like hunters carrying freshly caught game.
Or a particularly loud deer.
Unfortunately for the kidnappers...
The sage showed no intention of remaining quiet.
"You fools!"
"You absolute fools!"
"I am Sage Veenadhara Kashyap!"
The men ignored him.
The sage continued anyway.
"I am a master of poetry!"
No reaction.
"A master of music!"
Nothing.
"A master of riddles!"
Still nothing.
One of the men carrying him yawned.
"...."
The sage looked personally offended.
"Did you just yawn?"
The man nodded looking back confused.
Veenadhara gasped feeling like he was being underestimated.
The sheer disrespect seemed to wound him more deeply than the kidnapping itself.
Nearby, Devara quietly covered his mouth.
His shoulders began shaking.
Shakuni looked equally tortured.
Not by fear.
By the desperate need not to laugh.
The kidnappers themselves appeared to belong to a forest tribe.
Their clothing was made from animal hides and woven fibers.
Bone ornaments hung around their necks.
Several carried spears.
Others carried curved hunting knives.
Their appearance suggested experienced woodsmen.
Not ordinary bandits.
One of them looked toward the sage.
Then spoke for the first time.
"Can you stay quiet?"
The sage immediately sat upright as much as his bindings allowed.
"No."
The answer came so quickly that even Devara looked impressed.
The tribesman sighed.
Another member of the group rubbed his forehead.
"We should have gagged him."
Several others immediately agreed.
The sage looked horrified.
"You wouldn’t dare."
The tribesmen exchanged glances.
Then simultaneously nodded.
The sage’s eyes widened.
"You barbarians actually would!"
One of the men reached for a piece of cloth.
Immediately Veenadhara changed tactics.
"Wait."
The tribesman paused.
The sage coughed.
Then spoke in a far more reasonable tone.
"I am willing to negotiate."
The tribesman slowly lowered the cloth.
Sage Veenadhara visibly relaxed.
Then immediately resumed talking.
"Now then."
"Let us discuss why kidnapping an internationally respected sage is generally considered poor decision-making."
The cloth instantly came back out. frёeωebɳovel.com
The tribesman had clearly lost patience.
Hidden among the bushes, Devara finally lost the battle.
A small laugh escaped.
Very small.
Yet enough.
Shakuni immediately looked at him.
The king was trying desperately to remain silent.
Unfortunately, the situation was too absurd.
The mighty Sage Veenadhara.
Master of riddles.
Terror of villages.
Unbeaten challenger.
Currently being carried through the forest like an oversized sack of vegetables.
Meanwhile the forest tribesmen continued moving deeper into the woods.
Completely unaware that two disguised observers watched everything from the shadows.
And neither Devara nor Shakuni could help wondering the same thing.
How exactly had Sage Veenadhara managed to get himself captured this time?
Devara and Shakuni exchanged a glance.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
The two simply remained hidden among the trees as the strange procession continued deeper into the forest.
The sage’s complaints gradually faded into the distance.
The tribesmen continued carrying him without the slightest concern.
After a few moments, Devara silently gestured forward.
Shakuni nodded.
The two began following.
Carefully.
Quietly.
Their experience allowed them to move through the forest without attracting attention.
Dry leaves remained undisturbed.
Branches barely shifted.
Even the birds above seemed to understand the need for silence.
The deeper they went, the stranger the forest became.
The flower-covered paths slowly disappeared.
The trees grew older.
Thicker.
Roots twisted across the ground like giant serpents.
Ancient stone markers occasionally appeared between the vegetation.
Some carried faded symbols.
Others seemed worn by centuries of weather.
The atmosphere itself felt different.
Heavier.
As though this part of the forest had long been abandoned by ordinary travelers.
After nearly an hour of following the tribe, the forest finally opened.
Devara and Shakuni immediately lowered themselves behind a large cluster of bushes.
Before them stood a hidden settlement.
Dozens of huts had been built between the trees.
Wooden platforms connected several structures.
Smoke rose from cooking fires.
Men sharpened weapons.
Women prepared food.
Children ran between the huts.
At first glance it appeared like an ordinary forest tribe.
Yet several details immediately stood out.
Animal skulls hung from wooden poles.
Strange symbols had been painted onto stones.
Small shrines could be seen near the center of the settlement.
And everywhere...
People carried weapons.
Spears. freёwebnoѵel.com
Axes.
Curved blades.
Even young hunters seemed armed.
The tribe clearly valued strength.
Meanwhile, the group carrying Sage Veenadhara finally entered the settlement.
Their arrival immediately attracted attention.
Several tribesmen looked over.
Children pointed.
A few women covered their mouths to hide laughter.
Because the sight was undeniably ridiculous.
The famous sage was still tied to the wooden pole.
His robes were covered in dirt.
His hair had become messy.
And his expression looked deeply offended by existence itself.
The group eventually reached the center of the settlement.
A large wooden platform stood there.
Upon it sat an elderly man.
The tribe leader.
His beard was braided with bone ornaments.
Several scars marked his face.
His eyes remained sharp despite his age.
The moment he appeared, the surrounding tribesmen lowered their heads respectfully.
The hunters carrying Sage Veenadhara immediately bowed.
One of them stepped forward.
"Leader."
The old man nodded.
"What happened?"
The hunter pointed toward the captured sage.
"We found him near the sacred forest."
The tribe leader looked at Veenadhara.
Then back at the hunter.
"And?"
The hunter scratched his head.
"We only found one suspicious person."
The old man’s expression remained unreadable.
The hunter continued.
"At first he claimed to be a sage."
Several nearby tribesmen frowned.
The leader listened quietly.
The hunter pointed at Veenadhara again.
"But after observing him..."
He hesitated.
Then chose his words carefully.
"...he behaves nothing like a sage."
Several tribesmen immediately nodded.
One woman standing nearby muttered,
"That sounds accurate."
The hunter continued.
"He talks constantly."
Another nod.
"He praises himself frequently."
More nodding.
"He challenged three trees to a riddle competition."
The entire settlement became silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Even the tribe leader blinked.
Once.
Twice.
The hunter pointed toward a nearby tribesman.
"He witnessed it."
The witness immediately nodded.
"I did."
Veenadhara’s face turned red.
"That is being taken completely out of context!"
Nobody listened.
The hunter continued.
"He also spent two hours arguing with a river."
Another witness raised his hand.
"I saw that too."
The tribe leader slowly rubbed his forehead.
Meanwhile hidden behind the bushes, Shakuni was struggling.
Very badly.
The minister had never heard a more convincing argument against someone’s sanity.
Even Devara looked impressed.
The hunter folded his arms.
"So we brought him here."
The tribe leader stared at the sage.
The sage stared back.
For several moments nobody spoke.
Then Sage Veenadhara cleared his throat.
"I can explain."
The tribe leader gestured.
"Go ahead."
Immediately the sage straightened.
His confidence returned.
"I am Sage Veenadhara Kashyap."
Several tribesmen exchanged confused looks.
The name meant nothing to them.
The sage continued.
"Master of music."
No reaction.
"Master of poetry."
Nothing.
"Master of riddles."
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The tribe leader remained completely expressionless.
For perhaps the first time in his life...
Veenadhara realized nobody here cared.
At all.
The realization visibly hurt him.
The sage attempted another approach.
"I am respected throughout multiple kingdoms."
A tribesman in the crowd shrugged.
"We live in a forest."
Another nodded.
"Most kingdoms don’t come here."
The sage opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
For the first time since arriving, he seemed genuinely nervous.
Because now he was actually looking around.
Really looking.
Dozens of armed tribesmen surrounded him.
Sharp spears.
Heavy axes.
Curved hunting blades.
Powerful hunters.
And unlike villagers...
These people looked perfectly comfortable using them.
The sage swallowed.
-Gulp!
The confidence slowly drained from his face.
His voice became noticeably smaller.
"...Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot."
The tribe leader raised an eyebrow.
"You were tied to a pole."
Veenadhara looked down.
Then back up.
"Fair point."
Behind the bushes, Devara’s eyes slowly narrowed.
While everyone focused on the unfortunate sage...
His attention remained elsewhere.
Toward the shrines.
Toward the symbols carved into the wooden poles.
Toward the strange decorations scattered around the settlement.
Something about them felt familiar.
Unpleasantly familiar.
And as he observed more carefully...
The Devara began to suspect that this tribe was connected to the very group he had been searching for.
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(Author note:)
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