Without uttering a word, Alfred limped straight into action. Upon arriving at the spotlight, he knelt on one knee and placed his index finger on the dirt.
It wasn't like he didn't want to say something. His mind was too occupied thinking of succeeding that his body took action subconsciously.
Not minding the growing murmur in his surroundings, Alfred started drawing. First was the Active Fire Runic Symbol, followed by a Formation Circle around it. However, he did not stop there. He moved a few inches to his right and began drawing another Rune Formation, Water Rune.
He repeated the action two more times, completing all the Elemental Runes.
Satisfied, he stood up, breathed out a mouthful of air, and wiped the sweat on his forehead.
Fortunately, he had cultivated enough that his reserve of Spirit Energy could handle all the Elemental Runes.
Finally, he realized the deafening silence, which had fully woken him from his zone. Upon looking up, he saw narrowed eyes, frowning eyebrows, and shaking heads.
'Oh crap, I totally forgot about the crowd! Did I ruin the mood? Based on their reaction, they probably think I'm crazy!'
Not knowing what to do, Alfred turned his gaze to the old man beside him, eyeing the Chieftain with uncertainty.
To his dismay, Chief Viren just stared at him with a confident smile, as if telling him to keep going.
Alfred had no choice but to continue. Even though he probably damaged the people's excitement due to his weird action, he could only see it through to the end.
With a racing heart, he walked to the pot, pretending to be calm. When he reached it, he lifted it and returned to where his Runes were.
"Mama, what is the outsider doing?"
"Is he gone insane?"
"Why is he taking that precious thing?"
All sorts of whispering entered his ears, but he ignored it because he could understand their point of view. If he saw someone doing something odd without explaining anything would receive a scrutinizing gaze from him too.
He stood silently before the Runes, lingering for a few seconds.
'This is it! I will make sure to flip those negative comments with my abilities!'
Alfred grabbed the lid and opened the pot. Yet, even with his trust in his Runes, he couldn't help but hesitate. He removed his gaze from his four Runes, taking a final glance at the crowd, hunters, Aponi, and finally, the Elders.
Upon seeing the three old leaders' gentle smiles, confidence swelled inside him.
'What am I so afraid of? The Elders are backing me up. Even if my abilities failed to awe the tribesmen, I have the safety of those higher-ups.'
Therefore, he poured the blood on the Runes.
Four bright lights pushed away the darkness: red, blue, green, and brown.
And with them bringing to life: Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth.
Four Elements float on top of each Rune, humming with their unique sounds and affecting anything in their surroundings based on their properties.
The Fire Rune pulsed a deep crimson, radiating waves of heat that made the air shimmer.
Water swirled above its Rune, droplets levitating like pearls, reflecting the firelight.
The Wind Rune spiraled chaotically, kicking up dust, while the Earth Rune rumbled faintly beneath their feet.
Gasps and screams echoed through the air.
Children hid behind their parents.
Old people knelt towards the Guardian Tree.
Hunters and guards place their bodies in front, shielding everyone from any danger.
But most stood still, too shocked to do anything.
The situation escalated so quickly that a few hunters pointed their spears toward Alfred, cautious of his next move.
Alfred took a few steps back, bewildered by the over-the-top reactions.
'What the hell is going on? I know the Runes are rarely seen, or never, but I didn't expect this powerful reaction!'
"Panicking is unnecessary." Amidst Chaos, the Chieftain finally stepped forward and talked in a calm tone. "There is no need to be afraid or wary. Danger is not among us."
Some people roused from their stupor as if Chief Viren's voice was a strong gust that blew the fog in their minds.
"What are those things? How can something like that be possible?"
"The Guardian Tree is enraged! We have to offer a Beast Core soon, or it will be too late!"
"Mama, I am scared."
Hearing all sorts of opinions made Alfred realize that even though the world he was in contained magical properties, there were still things that challenged the imagination of the people who dwelt within it.
"A lot of you have been asking: what is so special about the outsider that we, Elders, let him stay inside our tribe despite the risk?" The skinny Chieftain paused, looking his people in their eyes, making his statements more powerful and meaningful. "…These floating things are the answer to your questions. These are the abilities of a Sorcerer. This is why we chose this path for all of us. This will bring changes to our future. Young Alfred will bring changes to our future! He is the Sorcerer of our Phantom Tribe!"
Silence washed the crowds as their frantic behavior disappeared, replaced by bewildered faces: Wide eyes and gaping mouths.
Alfred's heart settled. He already knew the Chieftain had succeeded. Even then, an unknown invisible force seemed to sit on his shoulder, feeling its weight with his heart.
'No, that is not unknown. I knew exactly what burden was now attached to me. I am now responsible for the survival of these people.'
Chief Viren raised his hands, his voice echoing through the air. "That is right! Alfred is a Sorcerer. A person, only those few lucky tribes have!"
"But how does that concern us?" A young voice from the people asked.
Even though he didn't see who the speaker was, Alfred somehow had an idea who it was. Someone with silver hair and silver eyes.
The question sparked discussion among everyone, setting off an intense murmur that spread among them.
Chief Viren lingered for a few seconds, calming his agitated self and letting the tribesmen gather themselves. "…Because Alfred will officially join our tribe. Therefore, making him the Sorcerer of the Phantom Tribe!"
The scarred Chieftain's words were like gasoline that fueled the flame of whispering, overpowering everything else.
Soon, a malnourished old man stepped forward. "I understand how great a Sorcerer is, after all, I once in my life imagined myself as one. But how can we just let someone who does not have blood ties with us join the tribe? Have we already forgotten what happened 5 years ago?"
A hushed silence fell over the tribe. Even those who had been whispering a moment ago lowered their heads.
Alfred didn't miss the way some of the older warriors clenched their fists, their eyes dark with memory.
Something terrible had happened. Something that had scarred them all.
'I wonder what it was?'
Despite growing disagreement, the Chieftain remained steadfast, smiling as if everything was within his expectations. "Of course, it is a sin to forget such a tragedy. All of you must already know what I lost that day. What we lost that day. However, have we not suffered enough due to that mistake? How can we let that tragedy control us to this day?"
The Chieftain sighed, looking around at the faces of his people. "I know what you fear. That our trust may be misplaced. That history may repeat itself."
He glanced at Aponi, then at Alfred, his expression unreadable."That is why…" He took a deep breath.
"…on the day of the Beast Core Offering, young Alfred and my daughter Aponi will be betrothed.