Reincarnated with the Country System-Chapter 167: The First Meeting with the Taku (2)

The Taku King stood in the centre of the square. He was taller than the other Takus, about eleven feet tall, his broad shoulders covered in a costly robe woven of gold and silver thread. His crown was made of bone and feathers. Around his neck hung a locket carved from a single piece of obsidian—a circle with a snake entwined within it.

As Alberto and his party approached, the Taku King raised his hand, and the ceremonial music stopped. The entire square fell silent, only the soft rustle of leaves and the sound of distant running water could be heard.

The king spoke in his deep and resonant voice in Taku. Alberto, whose skill was helping him understand the language, heard every word clearly.

"Bernard Empire Emperor, I have heard a lot about you from Rachel. I am very happy to meet you"

"The pleasure is mine," Alberto replied, extending his hand in a gesture of goodwill.

The Taku King regarded him for a moment, his piercing gaze seeming to weigh Alberto's very soul, before extending his own hand. The handshake was comically disproportionate, like a newborn clasping the hand of an adult.

"There is something... unusual about you," the Taku King remarked, his eyes narrowing slightly as if probing Alberto's essence.

"Unusual!? What do you mean? I don't understand" Alberto replied, masking his unease.

The Taku king looked at him as if he was looking into his soul.

"Your aura... it is unlike any I have encountered. It is as though you are not of this world," the king said, his voice low and contemplative.

Alberto's heart skipped a beat. {Did he just figure out I'm from another world?} he thought, but before he could respond, the Taku King's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Interesting," the king murmured, as if filing the observation away for later. Then, with a wave of his hand, he shifted the conversation. "Today, we are conducting a sacred ritual. I invite you to join us."

Alberto bowed his head respectfully. "It's an honour for me to participate in this ceremony, king...?"

The Taku king smiled softly. "I am King Teyu, the guardian of the Taku nation and the keeper of our traditions. Come, let's begin."

King Teyu pointed to the altar. The priests who had been standing silently for so long slowly began to chant in unison. The drums began to beat. The Taku people gathered around.

A group of Taku warriors entered from the edge, leading a huge buffalo—similar to the buffalo they had seen before, but larger and more powerful. The buffalo moved calmly as if it knew its role. Its body was adorned with garlands of flowers and vines, and its horns were intricately decorated with red and gold.

The priests stepped forward, their hands raised toward the sky. One of them, an elderly man with a face etched with deep lines, held a ceremonial knife made of obsidian. The blade gleamed in the sunlight, its edge sharp and precise. The chanting grew louder, and the drums quickened their pace.

King Teyu turned to Alberto and said, "This ritual is called the Bonding of Blood and Spirit. The buffalo symbolizes our strength and vitality. By sacrificing its life to the spirits, we seek their blessings, so that an unbreakable bond can be created between our nations—a bond that will stand the test of time."

Alberto looked at Elizabeth and Carl, who stood beside him. Elizabeth was looking on with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

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Alberto thought, {What a ridiculous, illogical ceremony. But I shouldn't say anything about this. It could ruin our relationship. I think these people are very serious about this.}

The priests guided the buffalo to the altar, where it knelt as if in submission. The old priest recited a prayer.

When the prayer was over, the priest raised the obsidian knife. The sound of the drums reached its peak.

In a perfect, precise motion, the knife came down, and the buffalo's head was severed from its body. The animal did not struggle; it seemed to accept its fate with a quiet dignity.

The priests collected the blood in a large ceremonial bowl. King Teyu dipped his fingers into the bowl and drew a line of blood across his forehead. He then turned to Alberto and extended the bowl.

"Emperor Alberto," he said, "to complete the ritual, you must share in the offering. This act will bind your spirit to ours, and our fates will be intertwined."

Alberto stood still for a moment, {WTF!} He hesitated. But seeing everyone staring at him, he moves forward. He dipped his fingers into the bowl and drew the same line across his forehead.

In an instant, the entire crowd erupted in cheers, their voices merging with the drums and chants.

King Teyu looked at Alberto. "The ritual is complete. From this day forward, the Taku and the Bernard Empire are bound as allies, not just in word, but in spirit. May this bond bring prosperity and peace to both our peoples."

Alberto bowed his head deeply. "Thank you, King Teyu. I am honoured to be a part of this sacred bond. I believe that together we can achieve something great."

As he straightened, a notification flashed before his eyes, visible only to him:

[Mission Complete: Reward - S-Rank Strength Acquired]

{Wow! Great}

On the other hand, after the ceremony was over, the priests began distributing buffalo meat to the crowd. The Taku believed that this food was a symbol of receiving blessings from the spirits.

After that Naia took them on a tour of the city.

She led them through the city's various districts. They visited the artists' quarters, where skilled craftsmen were making pottery, textiles, and jewellery using techniques passed down through the centuries. They toured agricultural fields, where Taku farmers demonstrated their innovative farming methods, which included using natural fertilizers and crop rotation to maintain soil fertility.

One of the most impressive sites was the Taku Central Archives, a vast library housed in a magnificent stone building. The archives contained thousands of scrolls and codices, each carefully preserved. Taku's written language was a combination of hieroglyphs and symbols, and their texts covered topics ranging from history and mythology to astronomy and medicine.

"Knowledge is the foundation of our civilization," Naia explained as they walked through the archives. "We believe that by understanding the world, we can live in harmony with it. Our ancestors recorded their wisdom so that future generations could learn from their experiences."

Alberto was deeply moved by this. "This archive is a priceless treasure. I would be honoured if our scholars could collaborate with you to study these texts and share our knowledge in return."