Chapter 118: The Young High Priest

According to the traditions of the Lumburi people, before the High Priest passed away, he would transfer all his power to some highly respected tribal priest, thereby producing a new High Priest. If the High Priest died by accident and could not designate his own successor, then a council of chieftains from each tribe should be formed to select several candidates from among the existing tribal priests. After undergoing the so-called “Trial of God Lumburi,” the final winner would take up the position of High Priest.

Our native friends had never encountered such a thing before: the priests of nearly a hundred large and small tribes in the entire race had all died unnatural deaths. They had never faced such “barbaric” enemies as the Cretans. Previously, when fighting against other human groups in the Holy Fox Highlands, the death of the High Priest was already enough to decide the outcome of the battle, and all the remaining killing was nothing but a meaningless trampling of life.

Now, the Lumburi people, having lost all their children favored by the gods, had fallen into a desperate religious dilemma: for thousands of years, they had grown accustomed to following the instructions of many priests. In their eyes, the animal bones and stone fragments used for divination in the hands of those white-haired elders were almost synonymous with the gods themselves. Once no one could use them anymore, the lives of these natives immediately fell into confusion.

Therefore, gathering the chieftains of all the tribes at this moment to select a new High Priest, so that he could once again sow the faith and will of God Lumburi into people’s hearts — this held extraordinary significance for our native friends.

“Children of the great God Lumburi, my dear brothers, our race is suffering a disaster, an unprecedented great disaster. We need a person, a person who can hear the voice of the gods. We need the teachings of God Lumburi, to follow him, to obey him, and to bring his care and majesty back to us. I hope everyone will choose this person carefully, because this concerns not only our personal honor and shame, but also the survival of our entire race…” In the clearing packed with leaders of every tribe, the chieftain of the Running Wolf Tribe, the respected warrior Rotis, declared in a loud voice. As the tribe with the largest population and the greatest strength, the Running Wolf Tribe naturally became the convener and organizer of this meeting. Now, hundreds of eyes were fixed on this tall and burly man in leather armor, hoping that this heroic warrior would lead them out of their predicament.

“I nominate the wise elder of the Mountain Pine Tribe, the aged and wise Suada, as the new High Priest.” At the end of his speech, Rotis put forward the elder he respected.

“Suada was once my teacher of the common tongue. He taught me hunting, combat, and all the wisdom I have needed in this life. If I have doubts in my heart, I will certainly seek his advice. I trust his wisdom more than I trust my own courage.”

In the densely crowded area, a thin and tall old man stood up and walked onto the temporarily built wooden platform. He was the elder Suada, the one praised by Chieftain Rotis. He did not show too much modesty towards such a nomination. In fact, our native friends regarded such a nomination as their own duty. Unless one felt he was truly incapable of such a position, no one would refuse a recommendation from a chieftain.

One after another, chieftains and respected people pointed out their ideal candidates for High Priest. Most of them were present right there, attending this meeting as important people relied upon by the chieftains. In the solemn and grave atmosphere, I noticed that whether by accident or not, none of the chieftains from the dozen or so tribes that had formed offensive and defensive alliances with us in battle were nominated. Even more, the dozen or so chieftains, including Eckdin, were to some extent sidelined in this meeting that concerned the fate of the entire race. Although the temporary gathering place seemed rather crowded, a visible ring of empty space could still be seen around them. No one paid attention to them, and no one listened to their words.

The reason I could so keenly sense this was because we were suffering the exact same cold treatment.

“I wonder what kind of High Priest will be chosen this time.” Rodrick looked at the wisps of white beard fluttering on the wooden platform, saying with some worry.

“Whoever it is, I think it can’t be worse than the last one…” Dakla shook his head and said in a low voice. Poirot gently nudged his left shoulder, pointing at Evlinna, who was sitting not far away beside Eckdin.

This gesture made Dakla fall silent.

Fred, who attended the meeting in the capacity of “Chieftain” of the “Delanmaya Tribe,” remained silent from beginning to end. He knew very well that although our identities had been recognized, it would be difficult for us to make these natives, who had cultural traditions different from ours, let down their guard against us in a short time. No matter what gestures we made, they could be misunderstood and bring us trouble. So before coming here, Fred had repeatedly warned us: never openly support anyone on our own; let our native friends decide everything themselves.

In fact, I felt that Fred’s silence was not unrelated to his inner thoughts. At the meeting, he could not help secretly glancing in Evlinna’s direction, his face full of guilt…

“I want to nominate someone!” Suddenly, a bold voice came from the crowd, and then a familiar tall figure stood up. It was a brave warrior we knew well, the chieftain of the Wild Horse Tribe, Horst.

“I want to nominate a warrior, a hero, a chieftain, a wise man. Since thirty years ago, he has been the greatest fighter and javelin thrower among us. I do not remember anyone ever beating him at javelin throwing. He is a believer beloved by the great God Lumburi, and his drinking capacity is recognized as the best among us. In that battle, he was the first among us to charge into the enemy ranks. He killed more enemies than the three bravest warriors of our tribe combined. I do not know why everyone has not noticed him. If there is any one of us who can best win the favor of God Lumburi, it should undoubtedly be him…”

“Yes, many of you have guessed it. That is my friend, the chieftain of the Giant Bull Tribe, the descendant of the wine god — Eckdin!”

Suddenly, the whole gathering fell silent because of Horst’s speech, and countless eyes of complicated meaning immediately gathered on Eckdin. Admiration, contempt, pity, anger — almost every emotion in the world was gathered on Eckdin’s silent face at that moment, yet he seemed to see none of it.

“Do you know what you are saying, heir of the Wild Horse Spirit?” Rotis stood up and looked at Horst provocatively. “Do you know what he and his friends have done?”

“Of course I know…” Horst ignored Rotis’s provocation. His fervent gaze looked at Eckdin’s back, and he said with some excitement: “No one knows better than I do what they have done. They won almost all the glory; they almost led us to victory in that battle. That is what they did. You may be unwilling to admit it, but I am not ashamed to admit this: they saved all our lives, including me, and including you, Rotis.”

“They disobeyed the orders of the High Priest! If not for their brave performance in battle, they should have been cast out of our tribe and no longer receive the mercy of the gods!” Rotis said loudly. His words caused a great commotion: originally this matter was an open secret. Although everyone knew about it, no one had ever spoken it out loud. No one knew how to punish Eckdin and his friends. They had defied authority, but on the battlefield they had proven their bravery and selflessness. I could even feel a trace of unease hidden in the hearts of these natives, because Eckdin and the others had proven that we were right, and the High Priest was wrong.

The High Priest made a mistake? This was something they could not even think about!

“They did nothing wrong. They simply chose the right way to fight, together with our Delanmaya friends! You could see the situation at that time, Rotis. Many tribes lost their strongest men and still could not defeat our enemies.” Horst argued loudly in defense of his friends, and his words attracted many voices of agreement.

“They went against the will of the gods!” Rotis did not deny what Horst said. He merely said this one sentence.

Many people in the crowd had been eager to step forward and say a few words for Eckdin and the others, but when they heard Rotis’s words, they quieted down again. In a certain sense, such an accusation was not without reason. The actions of Eckdin and the others had already gone far beyond what the Lumburi people could tolerate.

“We are not investigating their crimes, son of the Wild Horse. That is only because only the new High Priest has that right. You cannot clear their names. I know you are a brave warrior. On the battlefield, you have already proven your loyalty to the gods.”

Rotis’s words made Horst seem hesitant. He looked painfully at Eckdin, then at his friends, tears glistening in his eyes. He shook his head, bent down, and looked as if he was about to sit. Although, just as on the battlefield, he had failed to hold fast to his loyalty to his friends, Eckdin and his friends still looked at him gratefully. After all, in this heavy, suffocating atmosphere, even just saying a few words for them took tremendous courage.

Just when everyone thought this small conflict had ended, something suddenly changed. At that moment, Horst was about to kneel back down; one of his legs had almost folded beneath him. But suddenly, his movements stiffened. He bit his lip tightly, and every muscle in his body bulged tensely. He knelt there silently in a half-crouch, then abruptly stood up again and said excitedly in a loud voice: “They have no crimes for me to clear. I simply want to return to them the honor that warriors earned with their lives! I once had the chance to stand with them and fight together, and that was true courage. But I was cowardly, I shrunk back, I did not do it. Today, I cannot betray my friends a second time. I insist on nominating the Son of the Giant Bull, the bravest among us, Eckdin, to be the new High Priest.” Horst straightened his chest and stood there, a proud and joyful smile on his face. He had once abandoned his friends when they needed him most, yielding to the pressure of faith and power. But today, he had with his actions proven his loyalty to friendship once again, and this choice made him feel proud.

“I agree that Eckdin should be the new High Priest!”

“I agree!”

“I support it too!”

…

One familiar figure after another stood up from the crowd. They were all chieftain friends of Eckdin. Although in the packed clearing their number was so small it could almost be ignored, no one could overlook their presence.

“I object!” This voice stopped all the words of support. Not only Horst and the others, but almost everyone present showed astonished expressions. Even Rotis, who firmly opposed Eckdin, looked in surprise at the person who had spoken so loudly, not knowing how to react.

The person who objected was none other than Eckdin himself.

“Eckdin…” Horst called out reluctantly, wanting to say something. But Eckdin made a gesture to stop him.

“I understand what you mean, my friend. You will always be our friend.”

“Noble Son of the Running Wolf, I object to my own nomination. I refuse to be a candidate for High Priest.” Eckdin said calmly.

“This does not mean I admit your accusation against me and my friends. Indeed, I did not follow the High Priest’s instructions at that time, but I do not believe I did anything wrong. Even now, I still believe that what God Lumburi wanted us to do was to add glory to his name with a victory, not to insult his dignity with a defeat.”

“The reason I refuse the nomination is because I am not qualified to be the High Priest. Perhaps I am a decent warrior, but I lack sufficient wisdom. When it comes to wisdom, our Delanmaya friends are far superior to me.”

“No matter how the new High Priest punishes me in the future, I think I still have the rights of a chieftain for now, do I not?” Eckdin asked Rotis frankly, and he received an affirmative answer.

“Then I would like to nominate someone. I believe this person is more qualified to be High Priest than any of us, including you, noble Son of the Running Wolf, and the teacher you nominated. I respect this person more than I respect you and all the wise elders present…”

Eckdin’s words caused quite a stir. People whispered to one another, guessing who this person could be who had earned such respect from the great hero of the Giant Bull. We instinctively turned our eyes to Fred, who was sitting upright to one side, feeling that there was hardly anyone other than him who could earn such respect from Eckdin. Even Fred himself seemed a little uneasy. He lowered his head, perhaps considering how to decline Eckdin’s goodwill.

Only later did we realize that we had overlooked something — who would choose a pagan as the priest of their god? If Millia had been there, she would certainly have mocked us for being so sentimental.

“…Evlinna, you are the most suitable person.” Eckdin suddenly bent down and gently stroked Evlinna’s long hair like a father.

After a brief moment of silent stillness, the gathering instantly became noisy. People who had just recovered from the shock of Eckdin’s choice were almost in an uproar. We were equally unprepared for such a nomination, and the huge contrast made Fred look somewhat awkward.

“Have you gone mad, Eckdin?” someone shouted.

“Letting a young girl — she is still a child.” someone else said.

“Do you know what you are saying?” Even Hondos, one of his best friends, asked loudly in disbelief.

“Everyone, please be quiet. I have my reasons for saying this…” In the chaos, Eckdin struggled to stop the noise and keep his speech going. The people around him gradually calmed down, and those who had quieted down reminded those around them who were still talking, causing the circle of silence to spread wider and wider. After a while, the whole gathering finally returned to peace, with only a few corners still buzzing with surprised discussion.

“Everyone knows that we have lost all our priests, and none of us has ever worn the sacred relic of God Lumburi — except for one person, and that is Evlinna. No one can deny this. She is the one among us who has been closest to the gods!” Eckdin’s right hand pointed to the necklace on the high platform that symbolized divine authority — it had been retrieved from the High Priest’s body by several brave young indigenous warriors after that battle. When I first saw this ornament, it was hanging around Evlinna’s neck. This I remember clearly.

Eckdin’s words made people fall into deep thought. Indeed, when the High Priest was gravely ill and could not rise, it was Evlinna who exercised divine authority in place of her grandfather. Although this sounded absurd, this gentle and lovely young girl was indeed the only person who had worn the sacred ornament. She was closer to the position of High Priest than anyone else.

“You should remember: who was it that welcomed our blood brothers? Who was it that calmed the anger of the gods? Who was it that eased the suffering of our people and brought their lives back from the brink of death? She once saved the lives of many of us, and she did so through the hands of the gods. Noble Son of the Running Wolf, your son was also saved by her, was he not?” As Eckdin spoke, the looks people gave Evlinna gradually changed from affection, pity, and ridicule to respect. The gaze of the crowd made the young girl somewhat shy. Evlinna blushed, nervously clutching Eckdin’s arm, not knowing what to do.

“I… I agree with your words, Son of the Giant Bull. You are right. Evlinna is the one among us closest to the gods. Her qualifications are beyond doubt. We cannot deny her contributions just because she is young.” Rotis could not refuse Eckdin’s words; in fact, he did not want to refuse them. He looked at Evlinna gratefully and spoke with heartfelt conviction. As a devout believer, he attributed his son’s rescue more to Evlinna’s divine favor than to Millia’s medicine. That was understandable.

With Rotis’s statement, more people expressed agreement with Evlinna’s qualifications. The people on the wooden platform who had originally been nominated stepped back down one by one, using their actions to show their stance. Moments later, waves of cheering erupted throughout the gathering as people shouted the names of Evlinna and God Lumburi. Here, I could hear no other sound besides faith and reverence.

“Uncle Eckdin, what are you saying? I… what should I do…” Under everyone’s gaze, Evlinna asked Eckdin nervously. She had not yet fully recovered from the grief of her grandfather’s death. The corners of her eyes still held traces of tears. Her face was thin and her eye sockets deeply sunken, showing that she had not been resting well lately. But now, panic overshadowed her sorrow, making her look even more pitiful.

“Little Ev…” Eckdin gently pulled her in front of him, bent down, faced her, and said softly: “I have thought about this question for a long time. I know it is very difficult, especially for you. You are so young, and may not be ready to bear such a heavy burden. I did not ask for your opinion beforehand. That is unfair to you. If it were me…” Eckdin gently rubbed Evlinna’s little face with both hands, then continued:

“…if it were me, I would be nervous, I would be afraid, and I might even run away, not daring to face such a great matter. If you are unwilling, that is all right. No one will force you, and no one will blame you. You will still be our beloved little Ev, and everyone will love you.”

“But you will not do that, will you?” Eckdin lowered his hands, looked into her eyes, and said slowly: “You have more courage than we imagine. When I was your age, I dared to fight a wolf, but I would never have dared to bring a friend of another race into my home, never have dared to defy my father’s will, never have dared to question our faith and our gods. You have done all these things, have you not? You are the bravest child I have ever seen, and the wisest.”

“Do you remember what you said to your grandfather? We cannot wait for the gods to tell us what to do; we must feel him with each person’s heart. Those are the wisest words I have ever heard. You have already walked ahead of us, Ev. All you need to do now is walk a little closer to our gods. Take up this responsibility, turn your wishes into our faith, all right? Go. You will be the best High Priest, better than your grandfather, and more remarkable than any High Priest before you.”

“I… what should I do, Uncle Eckdin?” Evlinna asked in a soft voice.

“You do not need anyone to tell you what to do, little Ev. From now on, we need you to tell us what to do, respected High Priest.” Eckdin stepped back, clearing the path to the wooden platform, and bowed to Evlinna with the highest ritual of respect used by the natives.

Eckdin’s words gave Evlinna courage — no, perhaps his words merely awakened the courage that had been hidden in this young girl’s heart. Evlinna nodded firmly, turned around, and walked slowly toward the now-empty wooden platform.

At first, Evlinna’s steps were weak and unsteady, stumbling now and then, giving the feeling that she could fall at any moment. Whenever she passed through the crowd, the people around her would lower their heads and bow to her, and this gesture always made her panic. When those elders whom she should have called uncles, elder uncles, or even grandfathers expressed their greatest respect to her, she was so nervous she could hardly breathe and looked as if she wanted to run away. But in the end, she did not.

When she stepped onto the wooden platform, our young native friend was no longer that shy girl. She still looked somewhat nervous, but her face miraculously glowed with a divine radiance, just as we had seen before. She knelt on both knees, took down the necklace hanging from the scepter, used the largest animal tooth on it to prick the middle finger of her left hand, and then smeared the blood onto that tooth. After completing all this, Evlinna held up the necklace and solemnly placed it around her own neck.

When she knelt down, she was still a gentle, kind, somewhat shy and beautiful native girl.

But when she stood up — that handsome figure raising the scepter high, with a solemn expression, calmly receiving the worship of her people — she was the only spokesperson of God Lumburi in this world, the representative of divine authority, the leader and hope of the Lumburi Tribe, the youngest High Priest in history.

“This land has seen hope.” Looking at the young, lofty figure on the platform who inspired reverence and made people want to worship, Fred murmured to himself.